Joint Strategic Needs Assessment Guidance Grampian

This guidance has been developed to provide a consistent and structured approach to undertaking JSNAs in the different localities and partnerships across Grampian. It has involved a series of local stakeholder engagement activities with expert input from Public Health across Grampian representing a range of stakeholders including public health, health and social care and local authority partners involved in strategic assessment and local planning. This guidance has benefited from national discussions through the ScotPHO user group to draw on experience across Scotland.

It is a statutory requirement for Health Boards, Local Authorities and their partners including Health & Social Care and Community Planning Partners to undertake Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs) on a regular basis. This is to inform evidence-based priorities for local policy and commissioning to improve the public’s health and reduce inequalities (Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014: statutory guidance – gov.scot)

Scottish Government guidance clearly outlines the role of Integrated Joint Boards in overseeing the production of JSNAs “to analyse the needs of local populations and to inform and guide the commissioning of health, wellbeing and social care services within their area”. The main goal of a JSNA is “to accurately assess the care needs of a local population in order to improve the physical and mental health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.” (Source – Annex A: Detailed requirements – Strategic commissioning plans: guidance – gov.scot (www.gov.scot))

JSNAs are a core and important part of local planning and commissioning of services to ensure they meet the needs of their local population. JSNAs are also important in helping understand how you can improve the health and wellbeing of a population.

If you have any feedback or comments on these web pages please email gram.hinet@nhs.scot