This is a guest blog written by John Beresford (Senior Resilience Co-ordinator on the East of Scotland Resilience Co-ordination Team).

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My name is John Beresford and I am the Senior Resilience Co-ordinator on the East of Scotland Resilience Co-ordination team. The Scottish Government has three of these teams which are aligned with the East, West and North Regional Resilience Partnerships (RRPs). The RRP’s are created by the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) which also defines categories of ‘responders’ – organisations who have certain duties and responsibilities in preparation for and in response to national emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic, we have become aware of the fantastic work being done by the community side of the voluntary sector that we do not often engage with, co-ordinated by the TSI’s.  Recognising we have a gap in our knowledge and therefore capability, we are keen to build on the links which COVID has created for us and wanted to share more details about what we do with our voluntary sector partners.

The Civil Contingencies Act places certain duties on responders and those in Categories 1 and 2 are required to cooperate and share information in planning for and response to civil contingencies incidents.

Category 1 responders: Police, Fire, Ambulance, Local Authorities, NHS Boards, SEPA, Maritime & Coastguard Agency. (There is currently a consultation to give Health and Social Care Partnerships Category 1 status in Scotland.)

Category 2 responders (co-operating bodies): Utility companies, Transport authorities and providers, NHS NSS, Health and Safety Executive

The third group of responders or Key Stakeholders is where we (for the Scottish Government) and the voluntary sector come in. These groups meet as Local Resilience Partnerships (LRPs) to plan for civil contingencies events, and then in activation mode to respond to their consequences. They include: Met Office, Faith Groups, Industry, Military, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Communities.

Each of the three Regional Co-ordination teams is made up of a Senior Co-ordinator, two Resilience Co-ordinators and a Learning and Development Co-ordinator.  We are Scottish Government employees, but are in place to support the resilience partnerships and their members in a number of ways. For example 

• Co-ordinators facilitate the all-important relationship building with partners, which maintains trust and encourages inclusion in the resilience effort. They provide co-ordination support for the Regional and Local Resilience Partnership structures to ensure the right people are brought to the table to discuss the relevant issues at appropriate meetings, sharing out tasks/responsibilities in order to effect better outcomes – the ethos of ‘right people, right place, right time.’This helps share knowledge, address capability gaps, and build resilience across the full range of risks more effectively.
• In ‘response’ mode, the Co-ordinators can also maintain the crucial Scottish Government Liaison Officer (SGLO) role, which allows them to provide accurate and detailed briefings to the Scottish Government Resiliance Room (SGoRR) with good awareness/knowledge of responder activities. Accurate, timely, consistent information allows Ministers to tailor messages towards improved public confidence.
• Provide 24/7 on call communication and information links between SGoRR and Category 1 and 2 responders in civil contingencies matters. Co-ordinators provide SGORR duty officer colleagues with information so they can produce briefings for Ministers. The role of the co-ordinator may include attendance at a Multi-Agency Coordination Centre (MACC) as well as  participation in Resilience Partnership meetings in order to report back to SGoRR. Co-ordinators ‘on-call’ may work with the lead agency to organise, assist facilitate and co-ordinate multi-agency meetings in support of on-going response to incidents.
• Co-ordinate multi-agency training, debriefing and gathering of lessons learned across their areas.

East of Scotland Resilience Co-ordination team: eosrrp@gov.scot
West of Scotland Resilience Co-ordination team: wosrrp@gov.scot
North of Scotland Resilience Co-ordination team: nosrrp@gov.scot

Another part of our division is the Scottish Resilience Development Service (ScoRDS) who are our training, debriefing and ‘lessons learned’ experts. They deliver training on the Integrated Emergency Management model used in response to emergencies in Scotland, and like me are keen that TSI’s engage with their programme. 

They have just launched an online training hub which we would encourage you to sign up to.  

FOCUS ON: ART IN ACTION

‘If your world’s never interesting and always predictable, eventually you will keep your eyes shut and you don’t need to see it because you know exactly what’s going on round about you, you become almost totally desensitised to everything. It’s a kind of learned dis-engagement.’

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The Scottish Contemporary Arts Network launched the Art in Action campaign to champion the valuable role visual art plays within communities across Scotland – and to call for stronger recognition of this value when it comes to decision-making.

Art has the power to move us, to look at ourselves and those around us through a different lens – to bring into focus and celebrate different ways of being. Art creates a space to reflect on who we are, it informs a common language, often where none has existed. Artlink’s Ideas Team and sensory work is one of the case studies for the Art in Action campaign. The work creates experiences where we take the time to learn from each other and change happens as a result. It reinforces the message that culture and creativity are not an add-on; that they are part and parcel of how we live our lives.

Watch the film: a film has been produced to accompany the written case study – click here to view.

Read more: the Ideas Team case study can be found here and further press coverage here.

Find out more: The Ripple Effect – research report on the impact of contemporary arts practices on people with profound and multiple learning disabilities by The University of Dundee and Pamis.https://www.artlinkedinburgh.co.uk/

Things are moving along nicely with the next recovery project in Edinburgh. Discussions and plans are underway with regards to the long term project, taking into account things like locations, social enterprise involvement and other operational considerations.

The interim project, now called ERA – Edinburgh Recovery Activities – will be live soon, following input from the community on activities and ideas. The purpose of the project is to provide fulfilling, fun and enjoyable experiences for the recovery community whilst the core, longer term project is organised.

ERA projects will hopefully link in with the new base once it opens its doors. The most popular suggestions that we recorded in the early part of 2019 revolved around the need for green space activities, personal development classes like yoga, and a social event open to those in recovery and their family members. We also have an exciting opportunity to set up something along the lines of a practical skills program. We will get these up and running as soon as possible so please get in touch to offer ideas or support.

This is just the beginning – we’re looking for other suggestions too, maybe creative groups, outings to places of interest, walking groups, sports groups, training days, club nights – whatever the community feels would be beneficial and provide valuable experiences.

Working across the community with those in many stages of recovery, we’re keen to help build connections, adding to the feeling of support and unity. Whatever it looks like, we need it to be firmly based on ideas and suggestions from the recovery community above all. Please feel free to send me over suggestions and ideas which I’ll then set about gauging interest with other community members and making the necessary arrangements for the group or activity to take place.

I’ve been speaking with individuals and organisations who run venues, centres and halls in order to facilitate groups that might be suggested. Likewise, if there’s an interest in a particular group that isn’t venue dependent, I can organise that too.

We’re also keen to link in with other organisations around Edinburgh providing complementary support. We will also set up a process for offering micro funding for relevant groups and projects delivering on specific criteria which align with ERA’s goals and principles.

For any information, idea contributions, volunteering or anything else, you can contact me via email at Michael.mccarron@evoc.org.uk or on 0131 555 9100. 

The success of the project lies in the effort and drive of the recovery community, something that we’ve seen can do amazing things so far. Let’s keep it going.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/EdinburghRecoveryActivities
Twitter – @EdinburghRecov1
Instagram – EdinburghRecoveryActivities19

Eligible carers are now entitled to a Carer’s Allowance Supplement of £221 paid out as a lump sum twice a year. The supplement is a much needed and welcomed benefit to carers who often struggle to earn an income alongside their caring duties.

The Edinburgh based charity VOCAL has been supporting carers since 1994 and offers advice on carers’ rights. Sebastian Fischer, Chief Executive of VOCAL said: “VOCAL works with over 9,000 carers each year and can evidence the widespread and growing impact of caring on people’s economic wellbeing, with women most badly affected. For many, caring means a spiral into isolation and poverty.

“In a recent VOCAL survey of 1,228 carers, 48% agreed that being a carer had made managing money and finances more difficult with a third paying for care out of their own savings. A quarter have had to reduce their working hours to care and a further quarter have had to give up work altogether.”

Carer’s Allowance Supplement

Carers who live in Scotland and have been receiving the DWP Carer’s Allowance, will be notified on Monday 16th April if they are entitled to the supplement. The supplement will equate to an extra £8.50 per week and will be paid out automatically.

Shirley Morris who leads VOCAL’s ‘Money Matters’ support for carers credits the supplement as not only a financial aid but also a boost in recognition of the carers’ work.

She said: “Carers are very encouraged by the increase in the carers allowance supplement. It is a very welcome boost to carers’ income and recognition by the Scottish government of the vital role they undertake.”

“Dignity, fairness and respect”

The sum is paid out by Social Security Scotland, a recently founded public service by the Scottish Government as a result of a public consultation on what benefits are needed and how these benefits meet people’s demands.

The consultation revealed that the people felt their individual needs were lost in the system. Social Security Scotland states that its aim is to approach issues surrounding benefits with dignity, fairness and respect. The transition of the other benefits delivered by Social Security Scotland will be gradually released over this parliamentary term.   

To find out if you are eligible for the Carer’s Allowance Supplement click here.

For more information on Social Security Scotland, click here.

 

We read with interest EVOC’s article ‘Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership’s new Chief Officer, Never Afraid to Challenge: Interview with Judith Proctor (15 August 2018)’ and were heartened by some of her commitments ensuring that local third sector organisations would play a key role in helping to address some of the current challenges faced.

This we would say is crucial throughout Scotland at local levels. Equally so is the involvement of those who use the services,as social care users have, until recently, had very little say in decisions about the local delivery of integrated services.

We agree it is important to invest locally in a wide range of services, including those to support the various Self-Directed Support options, advocacy for decision making, and so on. One way is to commission local Disabled People’s Organisations such as LCIL who provide a range of helpful services and are run by disabled people themselves.  

Good social care has many functions other than merely “keeping people safe” – what about supported risk taking? When thinking about ‘reducing loneliness’, we also need to look at quality of life and having enough to live on (charging for social care should be abolished to this end). Going further than involving people in the community there need to be real opportunities to participate in local decision making.

Users of social care services may also find the phrase “hospital at home” alarming. It is reminiscent of the Scottish Government’s ill-advised “There’s no ward like home” advert that included the image of the older man, Mr McCluskey, surrounded by health and social care workers on an elongated sofa.

We have seen a generalised focus at all levels on health outcomes for individuals throughout the integration process. Getting social care packages in place for people already discharged – to prevent ‘bed blocking’ – is important, but so too is their wider integration back into their family, community, and so on. Social care has much wider implications which merely include the preventative well-being agenda to improve lives; it must also realise people’s human right to Independent Living.

Later in the interview Judith expresses the need to think about ‘how we are supporting older people and [disabled people] to link into their community and be active citizens’. Revitalising the local third sector is one way of ensuring this.

The legislation applying to social care includes the duty to engage with those who use the services. Yet we know there are still barriers to adult social care users having true choice and control, partly because of the tensions between local procurement and Self-Directed Support. Involving them in how Partnerships plan might prevent such tensions occurring.

Our 2015-16 Health and Social Care Integration Engagement Project, which worked with disabled people and Third Sector Interfaces (including EVOC), recommended:

“Disabled people have the lived experience of the consequences of other people’s decisions about their health and social care, so their perspectives should be one of the primary sources of evidence when designing and implementing health and social care services.”

Inclusion Scotland are running a national, Scottish Government funded People-led Policy Project, a policy panel and core group of adult health and social care service users who will actively use their lived experience and expertise to influence policy going forward.

This project will gladly engage with CEOs of local Health and Social Care Partnerships. Indeed, we believe this kind of ambitious, radical change to involving people in decision making – People-led Policy-  needs to be happening at local levels too. 

Dr Pauline Nolan

Policy and Localisation manager, Inclusion Scotland.

Inclusion Scotland is a ‘Disabled People’s Organisation’ (DPO) –  led by disabled people ourselves. Inclusion Scotland works to achieve positive changes to policy and practice, so that we disabled people are fully included throughout all Scottish society as equal citizens.

Sources:  “Health and Social Care Integration Engagement: Opportunities missed and challenges to be met” Inclusion Scotland

Glenda Watt from The Scottish Older People’s Assembly provides a guest blog on SOPA in Parliament

Clare Adamson MSP, Tom Berney Chair of Scottish Older People’s Assembly and Jeane Freeman OBE MSP and Minister for Social Security began the proceedings of our 9th Assembly in the Scottish Parliament on Monday 23 April 2018.

We had an overwhelming response to attend our event but sadly could not accommodate everyone who applied. However, amazingly, 130 people did participate in our four workshops dealing with: Funeral Poverty, Bevridge’s Giant Five Evils – where are we now?, Sustainability of Adult Social Care, the Prevention and Management of Falls, and Scams Towards Older People.

To celebrate 2018 as the Year of Young People, the afternoon session opened with a lively interactive discussion on Human Rights with members of the Children’s Parliament, Scottish Youth Parliament and Scottish Older People’s Assembly. Alison Johnstone MSP and Clare Adamson MSP closed the session with a Question Time.

It certainly appeared that the guests enjoyed the event and the following comment from Dundee Voluntary Action was a treat to receive -“We thoroughly enjoyed our first Scottish Older People’s Assembly yesterday. It was a fabulous day with great discussion. We look forward to working closer with you this year.”

 

I recently attended Empowering our Communities, an event organised by the Scottish Government’s Ingage team.

The event was billed as ‘a pop-up day of advice, inspiration and connections’.  Like many of the delegates present, I’ve attended quite a few of these ‘inspirational’ events over the years, only to later be deflated by the grinding reality of funding cuts, tokenistic consultations and partnerships that are really partnerships in name only.

Community planning systems and structures come and go, but one key element crucial to making it work is so often the thing that’s missing: the community!  There are reasons to be optimistic that the new Localities being introduced across the city could see this change, however.

Recent legislation like the Christie Commission and the Community Empowerment Act has given communities substantial new powers. Statutory agencies are now obliged to work with communities to produce community plans that have communities at their heart. And with an emphasis on genuine partnership working, we should see an end to top-down community planning, with councils and other statutory services doing things with communities and not to them.

And given austerity and funding cuts in statutory services over recent times, there’s an acceptance that councils and statutory agencies simply can’t deliver services in the way they have in the past. There is a realisation that there really has to be a new way of working.

Some local authorities have readily addressed these changing circumstances, and one of the highlights of the Empowering our Communities event was the premiere of Rocky Road, a short film made by Media Co-op.

Rocky Road tells the story of a ‘switched-on’ Council – East Ayrshire – working alongside community activists, supporting them to help save their local community centre.  Without wishing to spoil the ending (!) the film illustrates just what can be achieved through trust and by genuine partnership working.

The film had a particular resonance for me as community centres in my own neck of the woods are currently going through challenging times as a consequence of the city council’s ‘transformation’ programme. They face uncertain futures as the number of front line Community Learning and Development staff has been slashed, with no indication yet of how centres which provide vital community services are to be managed and run in the future. The film, at least, had a happy ending – it remains to be seen if our local community centres will, too.

The film demonstrated that with enlightened thinking things can change, but there needs to be a will to bring about that change.  That will is certainly there in the third sector, where partnership working has been the norm for as long as I can remember. But this time, there are encouraging signs that the will to work together is also there within the statutory public services – they are certainly talking a good game.

Talk is cheap, of course, and ultimately we must judge our partners not on what they say, but on what they do.  Localities are in their infancy, but if communities are engaged from the outset maybe this time we can get community planning right.  After all, no-one deliberately sets out to deliver poor public services, so it’s in all our interests to make this work.  And wouldn’t we all love a story with a happy ending?

 The film can be found at

https://www.facebook.com/themediacoop/videos/1174208912683599/

Dave Pickering, Community Action North (CAN)

Chair, Forth & Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum