Questions for Living Well Inquiry

The Inquiry

1. Is the definition of Living Well outlined in the Inquiry fit for purpose? In particular:

  • Are any groups/individuals not included in the White Paper who can inform or will be affected by wellbeing policy decisions?
  • Are all enablers and barriers to an individual’s ability to Live Well included?

2. Does the approach outlined to Living Well in the Inquiry sufficiently balance the relationship between people/communities and regional and national priorities? In particular:

  • Does it strike the balance between what Government’s role should be in relation to providing a platform for citizens to live well
  • How can we learn from individual and collective experiences and expert knowledge to fully understand the barriers and challenges to Living Well?

Living Well and Localism

3. To what degree should policymakers consider Living Well when making decisions, and how fully does the current devolution settlement allow communities to be taken into consideration in these decisions? In particular:

  • Would distributing more power to devolved administrations enable local communities to Live Well?
  • How do we create an approach to Living Well which is both individual and community-centred, that is, accommodates the needs of both the individual and community?
  • Would creating frameworks which allow individual citizens to contribute to policy decisions on wellbeing, such as Citizens’ Assemblies, improve our ability as a country to Live Well?

Living Well and Creativity

4. How can we build truly participatory decision-making processes that involve key stakeholders (community members, local private and governance organisations, charities, policy organisations, etc) to co-create informed, inclusive, creative and sustainable policy and policymaking? In particular:

  • How can arts and culture be a key player in achieving social, economic and environmental change to enable communities to live in a more cohesive manner?
  • How can we nurture a culture that thinks about problem solving and policy creativity beyond economic imperatives to the betterment of individuals and communities?

Living Well and Prevention

5. What role should preventative measures enforced by Government play in strengthening living well compared with how much responsibility local institutions/policymakers should take regarding local health and safety? In particular:

  • How can local communities and enforcement agencies/services be better equipped to establish prevention measures at the city/regional level?
  • How can creativity, prevention and localism be positioned closer within national agendas to enhance safety, security and long-term prospects and life chances for all?