A year of working together: The wellbeing frameworks community of practice

In early 2025, Carnegie UK started a new project called the wellbeing frameworks community of practice. The goal was simple: bring together people from governments and councils across the UK and Ireland who are working systematically to improve people’s lives through what is known as a wellbeing approach to public policy.

Who is involved?

The group includes officials working in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, England, and Ireland. Members come from the Scottish Government, Welsh Government, Northern Ireland Executive, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Camden Council, and the North East Combined Authority. The meetings are led by Sarah Davidson from Carnegie UK.

What is a Wellbeing Framework?

A wellbeing framework is a tool that helps governments, organisations, or communities make better decisions by focusing on what people need to live well, now and in the future. It usually includes a clear vision, a set of outcomes to aim for, and indicators to measure progress, covering areas like health, economy, environment, and community life. These frameworks are often developed with input from local people to make sure they reflect real experiences and priorities. By using a wellbeing framework, leaders can track how policies affect people’s lives and work towards improving overall wellbeing for everyone. Not all of the administrations involved in the group have a fully formed wellbeing framework in place, but they are all working in the spirit of this approach.

What has the group done?

To date, the Community has held three online meetings—in June, September, and November 2025. People shared what’s working, what’s difficult, and what they’ve learned about putting wellbeing frameworks – or similar initiatives – into practice. These frameworks include Scotland’s National Performance Framework, Wales’ Well-being of Future Generations Act, Northern Ireland’s Wellbeing Dashboard, and Camden’s Good Life Framework.

Why does this matter?

The idea is to help governments and policy professionals learn from each other. By talking openly and reflectively, members can solve problems together and find better ways to improve wellbeing for their communities. Carnegie UK also learns from these conversations, which helps with future organisational thinking.

How does it work?

The meetings are friendly and confidential. Members can speak freely and share honest feedback. Carnegie UK provides organisational and administrative support. The project doesn’t cost much, relying mostly on people’s time and effort.

What’s next?

Now the group is looking at what’s been achieved and deciding what to do next in 2026. We have another meeting scheduled for Spring 2026 and then we’ll invite participants to offer some reflections through a series of online articles. Carnegie UK also wants to gather some evidence from this project so that other organisations and individuals can draw upon what we’ve learned.