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Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Aberdeen City
Home to a population of 202,370, Aberdeen City covers 186 square kilometres. The population density is 1,089 people per square kilometre, making the city one of the most densely-populated authorities in Scotland. The population has decreased by 4.2% since 2000, while overall Scotland's population has decreased by 0.4%. The unemployment rate in Aberdeen City is 1.5% - this is lower than Scotland as a whole (3.1%). Eighty two percent of working age people in Aberdeen City are economically active. This is higher than the Scotland average of 79.5%. The employment rate in Aberdeen City is 78%. This is higher than the Scotland average of 75%. Working age people account for 66% of all people in Aberdeen City. This is higher than for Scotland as a whole.
Aberdeen is a thriving, cosmopolitan port in the North-east of Scotland. Built at the mouth of two major Scottish rivers, the Dee and the Don, the Granite City owes its distinctive appearance to the famous, locally quarried and widely exported, building material. Traditional industries such as fishing and farming still flourish in and around the city but Aberdeen's buoyant modern economy is fuelled by the oil industry, earning the city its epithet as 'Oil Capital of Europe'.
1.2 Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire has a population of 235,440, and covers an area of 6,313 square kilometres, making it the sixth largest authority in Scotland. The population density is 37 people per square kilometre. The population of Aberdeenshire has increased by 3.6% since 2000, while Scotland's has decreased by 0.4%. The unemployment rate in Aberdeenshire is 1.5 - this is lower than Scotland as a whole (3.1%). Eighty four percent of working age people in Aberdeenshire are economically active. This is higher than the Scotland average of 79.5%. The employment rate in Aberdeenshire is 81%. This is significantly higher than the Scotland average of 75%. Working age people account for 62% of all people in Aberdeenshire. This is lower than for Scotland as a whole.
The major towns are Peterhead (17,891), Fraserburgh (12,116), Inverurie (11,060), Stonehaven (10,794), Westhill (10,054) and Ellon (9,465). Aberdeenshire is predominantly a rural area. Traditionally it has been reliant on agriculture, fishing and forestry but in the last 30 years oil and gas industries and the service sector have boomed, contributing to rapid population growth. Population is predicted to increase by 8% by the year 2024, and the proportion of people aged 65+ to rise by 11% over the same period. There has been considerable development (including new housing), two thirds of which has been within a 20-mile radius of Aberdeen City.
1.3 Moray
Moray has a population of 88,120, and covers 2,238 square kilometres. The population density is 39 people per square kilometre. The population has increased by 3.7% since 2000, while overall, Scotland's has decreased by 0.4%. The unemployment rate in Moray is 2.4% - this is lower than Scotland as a whole (3.1%). Eighty two percent of working age people in Moray are economically active. This is higher than the Scotland average of 79.5%. The employment rate in Moray is 78%. This is higher than the Scotland average of 75%. Working age people account for 61% of all people in Moray. This is lower than for Scotland as a whole.
Most people in Moray (almost 60%) live in the main towns of Elgin, Buckie, Forres, Keith and Lossiemouth. Moray includes the fishing towns in the north such as Buckie and Lossiemouth; the agriculturally-rich Laich of Moray and the main town of Elgin; the Spey Valley, home to world-renowned food processors such as Walkers and Baxters; and the highlands of the south which form part of the Cairngorms mountain range. Moray's natural advantages have seen it develop major revenue earning industries such as whisky distilling, food processing and tourism.
Map of NHS Grampian, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire & Moray Councils
1.4 NHS Grampian
NHS Grampian has three Community Health Partnerships. Each partnership is strategically aligned to the three Grampian councils, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray.
1.5 Drug and Alcohol Action Teams
There are three DAATs in Grampian, one for each of the three local authorities, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray. The structure of each DAAT is in appendices 3, 4 and 5 and the composition of each DAAT is within each of the following chapters.
Drug and Alcohol Action Teams ( DAATs) were set up by the Scottish Office in 1995 and are the strategic partnerships responsible for implementing the national drugs and alcohol strategies at a local level. There are 22 in Scotland. They are comprised of key partners who have the capacity to represent or influence the agencies at the forefront of tackling drugs and alcohol misuse. These include health boards, local authority departments (social work, education, housing, etc.), the police, Scottish prison service, the voluntary and private sector, and representatives from the local community and service users and carers. DAATs should link with other strategic partnerships including Community Planning Partnerships, Community Safety Partnerships, Community Health Partnerships and the emerging Community Justice Authorities. The DAATs were the focus of a stocktaking exercise by the Scottish Executive, the report of which was published in the summer of 2007.
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