Welcome to our August 2020 E-bulletin: sharing news & views from the VHS network & updates from Scottish Government & the NHS affecting the voluntary health sector.
Thank you to all our members who have rejoined - if you have not done so yet but intend to renew please do get in touch. 
If you would like to join the VHS network  - Get Involved here

VHS News & Events

#WeArePublicHealth: Creating Health and Wellbeing for All
Join us at our virtual Annual Conference on the 4th and 5th of November: taking place online over 2 days  with 4 sessions to allow flexible access and options for joining us. With home working still the default position in Scotland, we wanted to bring the best of our event to you in a bitesize format. 

With the newly created Public Health Scotland and a national set of public health priorities, is Scotland now set to re-focus its approach on prevention, protection and improvement of the nation’s health? What does ‘public health’ mean for the third sector and what is our role and contribution?

To find out about sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, please contact Lauren Blair.

Ageing Well: 4th Virtual Talk with the Open University
Join VHS and the Open University for the fourth in a series of joint online events exploring ageing, health and wellbeing on Wednesday  2 September 11:00 am - 12:45 pm. 

Ageing Well: 3rd Virtual Talk with the Open University
View the slides from our third virtual talk which explored what we need to consider around nutrition while ageing and how to support people to eat regularly and well.

​ Ageing Well: 2nd Virtual Talk with the Open University
View the presentation slides from The Ageing Brain -  the second in a series of joint online events exploring ageing, health and wellbeing.

Keeping the Conversation Going: Loneliness and Social Isolation 
Read the Key Messages from our event held in collaboration with members of  Arts Culture Health and Wellbeing Scotland  which explored the role arts and health organisations and practitioners have been playing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Engaging with the Scottish Parliament during the Pandemic
View the presentation slides  from our online event with Paul Anderson, Community Outreach Manager at the Scottish Parliament on 'Engaging with the Scottish Parliament during the pandemic': Paul Anderson, Scottish Parliament

Digitally Healthy: Health Literacy and Health Inequalities
Read the Key Messages from our joint zoom event with NES Digital Service, NHS Education for Scotland which discussed health literacy and health inequalities.

COVID-19 News

For up-to-date information and news on Coronavirus/COVID-19:

• World Health Organisation
• NHS Inform
• Health Protection Scotland
• Scottish Government
• National helpline established for those who do not have family or community support

Public Health Scotland launches COVID-19 data dashboard
Public Health Scotland (PHS) has launched a dashboard based on COVID-19 cases reported by NHS Scotland and UK Government Regional Testing Centre laboratories. Daily data is provided broken down by health board and local authority. 

Coronavirus Third Sector Information Hub 
This SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations) Hub is updated daily with information, guidance & links to useful resources covering a variety of topics, as well as details of available funding for charities, community groups, social enterprises and voluntary organisations.

Survey on the impact of Coronavirus on young carers and young adult carers
This Carers Trust Scotland survey findings are extremely concerning. They show increases in stress, and a steep decline in mental health among young carers and young adult carers. They also highlight how the pandemic and lockdown has negatively impacted on young carers education. Contact  Carers’ Trust Scotland for more information.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on self-directed support
Coalition for Carers have published an interesting report about the use of Self Directed Support during Covid-19 by carers showing that the Scottish Government and COSLA guidance issued in May that recommended local authorities exercise greater flexibility in SDS funding during the pandemic had a limited impact on unpaid carers, despite their needs increasing due to social distancing and the removal of some social care packages

Deep End GPs in Scotland call for Community Links Workers
12 general practitioners working in Deep End practices in Scotland's most deprived communities report and reflect on their experience of how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected patients and practices. As the pandemic continues and the economic consequences unfold, the report also considers the future implications. 

​Support after COVID Study
Funded by the Chief Scientist Office this Queen Margaret University study is to find out more about what support people are likely to need after Covid-19. The first part of that is to find out what it has been like for people during the pandemic when feeling socially isolated, and when feeling ill during this time. Closes 31 August.

Remote Peer Support in Scotland
The Scottish Recovery Network know that all sorts of peer support is happening during COVID-19 despite people being unable to meet up in person. They are keen to find out what is out there and what it has been like to set up? You could win a £50 Amazon voucher in their survey prize  draws. 
I am a service provider setting up or delivering remote peer support take the survey
I am a participant and have personally taken part in remote peer support take the survey 

Face Covering Exemption: Not Everyone Can Wear One
The use of face coverings is now mandatory in Scotland in shops and on public transport. It is important to recognise that not everyone can wear a face covering.
People are exempt if:
*They have a disability or health condition that means they cannot put a covering on
*A covering will cause them severe distress or anxiety
*They need to communicate with someone who relies on lip reading
​*They have a reasonable need to eat, drink or take medicine

Policy News

How well is the Care Inspectorate fulfilling its statutory roles?
The Health and Sport Committee is looking into the work of the Care Inspectorate in relation to adult social care, as well as its role and response during the COVID-19 pandemic. They want to hear from care providers on experiences between March - June 2020 and what can be learned from these and views on the wider role and contribution of the Care Inspectorate in strategic reform of adult social care.
The experiences shared will support the Committee to question the Care Inspectorate at a Committee meeting on Tuesday 25 August 2020.
Click  link to submit your views through Citizen Space - Closes 10 August 2020
(Please note, this is not a call for views for the Committee’s inquiry into social care. More information on that separate inquiry is available here.)

Food Insecurity call for views
The Public Health Scotland sub-group exploring the impact of COVID-19 on Food Insecurity is looking to hear from the third sector about different types of partnerships working and innovation being used to deliver support to people experiencing food insecurity. If you would like to share information then please get in touch: VHS

Equalities and human rights survey 
This Equalities and Human Rights Committee survey is to find out the impact the #COVID19 pandemic is having on equalities and human rights. Closes 1 Jan 2021.

Call for evidence – Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016
The Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee has issued a call for written evidence on the Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016 with a closing date of Friday 15 August 2020. If you have any queries please email a member of the clerking team. 

VHS Members' News & Events

Alan’s Blog: Impossible to Ignore
Lockdown has made living with arthritis harder. The pain of waiting for joint replacement surgery is impossible to ignore.  Scotland need a national plan to restart treatment & bring down waiting lists safely. Versus Arthritis has launched a UK-wide campaign to make sure that people with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions are a priority. 
Sign the Petition & Support Versus Arthritis

Invitation to respond to BHF Scotland Consultation on a National Heart Disease Plan 
British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland wants a national conversation about heart disease to look to the future and identify new national priorities. BHF have produced a draft document which identifies what they think Scottish Government should prioritise over the next five years. Let them know what you think - the draft is available here . Please email  to discuss or for more information. Consultation closes: 4 September 2020.

Grants available to support Scots remember people who have died
A small grants fund (up to £250) has been set up to support people in Scotland to put on remembrance events this November as part of the To Absent Friends festival.  Remembering and telling stories of someone who has died, and being around others who knew them, can bring comfort. The To Absent Friends festival takes place across Scotland every year from 1-7 November and this year it is keen to support communities to organise events that remember people who have died from covid-19 and during the lockdown period. Click here for: Ideas of how to take part are available. The deadline for completed applications is Monday 31 August 2020.

Deafness and Dementia Research Report
The links between dementia and hearing loss have been widely researched, however, this joint research collaboration between deafscotland and Queen Margaret University looks more closely at prevalence rates in Scotland in order to better inform advance planning -  timely now given the impact of COVID-19 on government funding and, by extension, government priorities.

Inclusion Scotland Social Care Support Survey
New evidence from Inclusion Scotland says disabled Scots shielding from Covid-19 are still not getting the vital support they need to access food, medicine and other essentials.

Talking to teens about smoking: a guide for parents and carers 
Whether you’re worried your teen might be smoking, or just want to equip them with the confidence to stay smoke-free, ASH Scotland’s new resource can help. This guide gives parents and carers helpful hints, tips and information to talk to young people about smoking. Contact ASH Scotland for more information. 

Supporting young carers health and wellbeing survey 
ASH Scotland are inviting staff and volunteers who work with young carers to complete a short survey to explore supporting the health and wellbeing needs of young carers, particularly in relation to smoking, vaping and second-hand smoke. Participants will have the opportunity to be entered into a prize draw for a £40 One4all gift card. The survey closes on 31st August 2020.  Contact ASH Scotland for more information.

Scottish Children’s Health Week
Scottish Children's Health are launching the first Scottish Children’s Health Week 2020 #feelinggood that will run from 31 August to 6 September 2020. The focus will be on the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Poverty Alliance report on Universal Credit support for people in Glasgow published
The report highlights that people found the five-week wait for the first payment difficult, with most taking advance payments to avoid rent arrears, hunger and subsequently struggling with repayment deductions. 

Challenge Poverty Week 2020
Challenge Poverty Week 2020 takes place from 5 - 11 October. Participating in Challenge Poverty Week is one of the best ways to help showcase and support solutions to poverty and can be a great way to highlight the work of your organisation. Find out how to make an impact: free online Get Involved Meetings.

Other News

New Learning Hubs: Challenging poverty stigma & Make communication even better
Public Health Scotland’s Workforce Development Team & key stakeholders have launched two new learning hubs:

Challenging poverty stigma learning hub : An opportunity to develop your understanding of poverty stigma and discrimination. It will introduce new ways to challenge poverty stigma, implement changes to practice and ultimately support a Scotland where everybody can thrive. Aimed at those who work in frontline public services with some of the sections dedicated to those in management roles.

Make communication even better learning hub:  To raise awareness and understanding of how to improve your communication and make your service more accessible for people with communication support needs (CSN). The hub is for anyone working in a frontline public service role encountering people with communication support needs (CSNs). It is also for managers who are involved in the design of services.

PHS releases data on cancer incidence in Scotland
Public Health Scotland (PHS) has released statistics on cancer incidence, broken down by stage and deprivation during the period 2014-18. PHS found some evidence to suggest that socio-economic deprivation increased the likelihood of being diagnosed with more advanced bowel, cervix, female breast, health and neck, and prostate cancers. One reason suggested for this is lower rates of participation in cancer screening programmes.

GSK IMPACT Awards
Charities are facing significant challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, while continuing to provide vital services to keep people healthy and connected. This year, more than ever, GSK are pleased to announce that applications are now open for the 2021 GSK IMPACT Awards. The awards are funded by GSK and managed in partnership with The King's Fund. Winning organisations will receive core funding of up to £40,000, plus access to excellent training and development to support their leaders. View the guidelines and access the application. The deadline for applications is 5pm on 14 September 2020.

Luminate Creative Resources for Older People
Luminate,  Scotland's creative ageing organisation have produced a new series of online creative activities that have been designed for use in your home or in a care home.

The right foundations - new CHEX briefing
This new CHEX's briefing argues that by building on the fantastic community-led response to Covid-19 and by making use of community development approaches we can build a more just and sustainable country which tackles long-term health inequalities.

SCVO Research Briefing: State of the Sector, pre-Coronavirus
This briefing gives an overview of the financial profile of the regulated Scottish voluntary sector in 2018, giving a baseline for understanding sector funding and assets pre- and post-Coronavirus. It covers Scottish charities, housing associations and credit unions.

Committee report on the supply and demand for medicines published
The Scottish Parliament’s Health & Sport Committee has published the report of its Medicines Inquiry. The report calls for a radical overhaul of the systems currently in place to ensure that patients are at the heart of the process. The Committee found a system that fails to put patients first and is suffering from “inconsistent leadership and a lack of comprehensive, strategic thinking”.  

NHS Pharmacy First Scotland scheme launches: Right Care, Right Place
People will be able to visit community pharmacies for advice and support to treat minor illnesses and common conditions. It is hoped this will avoid people having to go to their GP or local Accident & Emergency Department for non-urgent treatment. NHS Education for Scotland is supporting the service by offering educational support for community pharmacy teams. 

Refreshing an online resource for communities
Over the next few months  Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) intends to redevelop the Communities Channel Scotland website and to revitalise the Social Impact Pledge. SCDC wants to hear from you on how to make this content as useful as possible for you. Please complete the following 10-minute survey to give your view. Visit the survey

Evaluation of the NHS Near Me service published ahead of consultation closing
The Scottish Government has published an evaluation of the use of the Attend Anywhere/Near Me service in Scotland. The report covers the roll-out and use of the service up to March this year.

NMC Council recruitment for Scotland and new associate roles
There are currently opportunities to join the NMC’s governing Council as an associate member and as Council member for Scotland.

Scottish Government news

Further £50 million for social care sector
Food for homeless and people at risk
Safety at work
Phase 3 continues with further indicative re-opening dates
Route map through & out of crisis
Shielding to be paused
Right care, right place
More mental health support for health and social care staff
Breast Cancer Screening to resume
Monitoring and responding to COVID-19
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Surveillance and Response - position statement
Healthier, greener town centres
Getting the right care in the right place

Dates for your diary
31 Aug-6 Sept Scottish Children’s Health Week 2020
5 - 11 Oct Challenge Poverty Week 2020 
4 & 5 Nov VHS Annual Conference and AGM
18 Nov Health, Human Rights, & Hope Families Outside Conference

Other opportunities for VHS Members

Newsdirect - Political Intelligence
Looking to promote your issues in the Scottish Parliament? Newsdirect is offering VHS members a discount on subscriptions on their daily parliamentary and political briefing, 'Health Today'.
Contact Newsdirect if you're interested in subscribing.