Wellbeing Work in Northern Ireland - Transitions via Deep Cultural Inquiry

Over the past 10 years, knowledge of wellbeing policy and practice has increased substantially. Carnegie UK has been part of this international movement, contributing to learning about the concept of wellbeing by developing a SEED framework that outlines what wellbeing means across different aspects of our lives. 

In 2015, the report of the Carnegie Roundtable on Measuring Wellbeing in Northern Ireland - organised with Dr Peter Doran and John Woods through the QUB School of Law - influenced the outcomes-based approach and focus on wellbeing in Northern Ireland’s draft Programme for Government. Around the same time, the reform of local government in Northern Ireland gave the 11 newly created local authorities the responsibility for leading community planning processes. 

Community Plans identify priorities for improving the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of local districts and their residents, beyond local government electoral cycles into the long term. Community Plans have the potential to act as local wellbeing frameworks. Independent analysis commissioned by Carnegie UK found that all of the Community Plans had adopted the language and substance of wellbeing, but that local government was charged with responsibility for delivery with little support. The political situation destabilised and in 2017 the Assembly was suspended. Therefore in 2017, Carnegie UK committed to providing whatever support that could develop the potential of community planning to improve wellbeing in the region. The subsequent Embedding Wellbeing in Northern Ireland project provided financial and in-kind support to Community Planning Partnerships in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council; Derry City and Strabane District Council; and Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. 

Over the course of the three-year programme, Carnegie UK and the three Community Planning Partnerships developed a peer-to-peer support model that built on existing strengths, and focused on learning from each other and from international best practice to overcome shared challenges. Project design and delivery was supported by an Advisory Group that included representatives from the Northern Ireland Executive, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, civil society, and key stakeholders from the wellbeing and outcomes community based outside Northern Ireland.