Welcome to our February 2019 E-bulletin: sharing news & views from the VHS network & updates from Scottish Government & the NHS affecting the voluntary health sector.

VHS News & Events

VHS Extraordinary General Meeting 28th February
If you are a VHS member, please join us on the afternoon of Thursday 28 February for a networking lunch and members’ gathering at the Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh. This Extraordinary General Meeting is being held because OSCR has given VHS permission to update our charitable purposes and Articles, to make them more fit for purpose. We need the approval of our full members before we can adopt the proposed Articles so if you can't make the meeting please do send us a signed proxy vote supporting the changes.

Cross Party Group on Health Inequalities
The CPG HI meeting on the 31 January 2019 discussed loneliness and social isolation in relation to health inequalities. The meeting was chaired by Donald Cameron MSP and Christina McKelvie, the Minister for Older People and Equalities presented on the Connected Scotland Strategy. The presentation and minutes of the meeting will be on the VHS website soon.

For more information about the CPG on Health Inequalities and to register to attend, contact VHS.

VHS at The Gathering 2019 : The future of public health – bicycle or frog?
Public health is about helping people to stay healthy, and protecting them from threats to their health. Right now, the future of public health in Scotland is being transformed, with shared priorities, Public Health Scotland coming into being this coming December, and an ambitious agenda to improve health and address health inequalities in a whole system way. Welcome to the frog on a bicycle! Sign up for this workshop presented by VHS on behalf of the Health Inequalities Learning Collaborative, supported by NHS Health Scotland, on 20 February: Eibhlin McHugh, Co- Director of the Public Health Reform Programme will be joined by a panel of third sector colleagues, including: Ella Simpson, Chief Executive, EVOC and Fiona Garven, Director Scottish Community Development Centre and Community Health Exchange  in a timely discussion about what public health means to the third sector and what opportunities the reform programme will open up to us.  Register on The Gathering website.

VHS at The Gathering: Mental wellbeing, social isolation and loneliness in rural Scotland
This partnership event with the Scottish Rural Health Partnership (SRHP) aims to shine a light on health issues distinctive to rural and remote areas in Scotland and to give space to explore collaborative approaches to addressing these issues. Topics likely to be discussed include access to services, stigma, social isolation, loneliness, suicide and an ageing population. Chaired by Claire Stevens from VHS, our panel members:  Jim Hume, Convenor, National Rural Mental Health Forum, James Jopling, Executive Director for Scotland, Samaritans, Paul Southworth, Specialty Registrar in Public Health, NHS Health Scotland and Karen O’Hanlon, Business Development Manager, Scottish Rural Health Partnership will lead the discussion on their own experiences and organisations work around these issues. Join us on the 20 February for an informative discussion, with questions from the audience to establish the key issues and discuss the opportunities for communities in rural settings. Register on The Gathering website.

Audit Scotland Review of Health and Social Care Integration
This briefing event on 27 February in Edinburgh, with networking lunch is an opportunity for third sector organisations to actively engage with Audit Scotland on their latest progress report and recommendations on integration: Health and Social Care Integration: Update on Progress .

Culture, Health and Wellbeing in Rural Scotland
This briefing and discussion event in Inverness on 26 March is a joint collaboration between VHS and the Scottish Rural Health Partnership. The event will explore a range of topics concerning the relationship between cultural interventions and our health and wellbeing, with the focus on rural Scotland.

Valuing and Sustaining Volunteering in Health
This full-day conference on 14 May in Glasgow will explore good practice in volunteering where it is delivered by NHS and third sector working together. The focus will be primarily on volunteering in NHS settings, in particular hospitals. We aim to raise the profile of volunteering in health, celebrate what works well, be open and honest about issues and challenges, and look to the future of volunteering in both hospitals and the wider community.

NHS Scotland Event 2019
VHS submitted 5 spotlight and/or parallel sessions for this years NHS Scotland event and we are absolutely thrilled to report that three have been accepted: QNIS, British Red Cross and Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care. This is a real achievement as well as a milestone in terms of the third sector being given a stronger presence in the annual NHS Scotland programme.

VHS Annual Conference 2019 - Save the Date!
Join us on Tuesday 17 September at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow for our Annual Conference. We are planning to have a strong focus on Human Rights and Health and are busy scoping the potential programme, so if you are interested in contributing to this please let us know. To be kept up to date on conference developments or if you have any questions, please contact Lauren Blair.

Policy News

New Group to Tackle Loneliness
The creation of a National Implementation Group was formally announced by the Minister for Older People and Equalities, Christina McKelvie, at the Ministerial debate, last month, on A Connected Scotland, the Scottish Government’s Strategy for Tackling Social Isolation and Loneliness. VHS will be a member of the Group, with a range of public, third sector organisations and experts who helped develop the strategy and will now put it into action. 

Claire Stevens, VHS CE welcomed the strongly collaborative approach the Scottish Government is taking to implement its loneliness strategy:

“I want to see the new implementation group harness the experience, evidence and expertise of health charities and other voluntary, community and faith organisations, that see at first hand the damage loneliness and social isolation inflict on people’s health and that work so hard to address the issues,” she said. “I am excited at the prospect of working alongside colleagues from all sectors on the implementation group, to help build a Scotland that will be kinder, more compassionate and more inclusive.”

Human rights in Scotland: A Timeline
As a first step to understanding the Human Rights context in Scotland VHS have produced a timeline briefing of activity looking at the development of human rights and a human rights based approach in Scotland to date.

Kiren’s Blog: Understanding Loneliness and Social Isolation
The Policy Engagement Officer discusses the key findings of her report exploring the lived experience of loneliness and social isolation in this latest blog.

Get in Touch: Good Food Nation Bill
The Scottish Government are consulting on the Good Food Nation Bill and VHS will be working on our own response. If you would like more information about the consultation or any of the themes or issues it contains, would like to discuss your own response or would like to share your ideas or concerns on the issue of food security please get in touch. Contact Kiren Zubairi

Action to protect vulnerable populations through immunisation
Immunisation is one of the most cost effective ways to improve public health. It protects communities against infectious diseases like meningitis, measles and whooping cough The Scottish Immunisation Programme has very good take up of vaccines offered to babies and children, but  take up amongst other groups, including people living in poorer areas who may be at greater risk of the diseases and illnesses that immunisation can prevent, are least likely to take up certain vaccines. The new  Vaccination Transformation Programme (VTP) will transform how vaccination services are delivered to local communities, and is a key element of the Primary Care Transformation Programme. VHS’s Policy Engagement Officer Kiren Zubairi is a member of the VTP stakeholder group. Meantime, the Royal Society for Public Health has published a report on increasing the uptake of vaccination, saying more must be done to tackle misconceptions about vaccinations appearing online/social media, and calls for vaccinations to be more widely and easily available.

 UK Government sets out plans for tackling antimicrobial resistance
The UK Government has published a 20 year vision and five year national plan outlining the UK’s plans to control antimicrobial resistance in healthcare, animals and the environment. Targets include reducing antibiotic use in humans by 15% and cutting the number of drug-resistant infections by 10% by 2025.

VHS Members' News & Events

QNIS welcomes new guidance on prenatal exposure to alcohol
NHS Scotland has just launched new national clinical guidance about children and young people exposed prenatally to alcohol.  The Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland told VHS: “Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders have remained a professional and societal ‘blind spot’ for too long. It is time for action to prevent this potentially preventable condition. If understood and implemented properly, SIGN 156 will enable a range of professionals to better identify the thousands of FASD cases there were neither prevented nor previously recognised. Identification is the crucial first step in providing effective support for the children, young people and adults affected, as well as all the people involved with them".

Healthy Valleys Awarded Big Lottery Fund to Deliver Health and Wellbeing Project
Healthy Valleys has been awarded three years funding, from the Big Lottery Fund to deliver the Social Prescribing Project. Partners from across Scotland and Northern Ireland will be brought together, in this, the largest and first cross country project of its kind.

Watch this short film showcasing activities and demonstrating the impact of Healthy Valleys community led work in the Clydesdale area.

#SpokesMtg 20 March – Climate, Transport & Cycling
With increasingly powerful scientific warnings of climate breakdown, with transport now Scotland’s biggest source of climate emissions, with cycle use increasing too slowly, and with a Climate Bill going through the Scottish Parliament, SPOKES Spring public meeting will consider the relationship between climate change and transport. A panel of speakers, including Claudia Beamish MSP, will be followed by a panel discussion and Q & A session. 

Humans of Scotland Campaign
The ALLIANCE’s Humans of Scotland campaign is a project that gives a voice to those living with long term conditions, disabilities, as unpaid carers and those working to provide support and services, through storytelling. The project is social media based with stories being shared on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and also on the Alliance website to reach as many people as possible. 

Smoking and Money Advice Project Seminar (supported by the STA)
Two thirds of smokers say they would like to quit and if they do, it frees up hundreds of pounds a year to spend on other things. Money advisers are helping smokers by pointing to the savings and the free NHS service there to help. This seminar on 28 March in Edinburgh will describe the work of the  Project which has recruited a variety of organisations across Scotland in the trial of a smoking advice pack.

Positive mental health in children and young people
This Children in Scotland training workshop in Edinburgh on 4 March will give you an invaluable understanding of mental health and relevant strategies to support children and young people.

Other News

“Volunteering, Health and Wellbeing” What does the evidence tell us?
 To understand the contribution of volunteering to volunteers’ health and wellbeing this new research report from Volunteer Scotland undertakes a critical appraisal of the evidence. It's focus is on the health and wellbeing of volunteers and, to a more limited extent, community wellbeing; it does not address the wellbeing of beneficiaries.

Rural Mental Health Conference: Tackling Isolation and Fostering Connections
Scottish Rural Health Partnership’s conference theme for their international event on the 12 & 13 August in Inverness is ‘tackling isolation and fostering connections’ – and they are inviting submission of abstracts on related topics, including:

• Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Rural Workforce
• Rural Mental Health and Young People
• Community Led Initiatives for Rural Mental Health and Wellbeing 

Scottish Community Link Worker Event
This free Scottish Public Health Network (ScotPHN) event on 27 March in Edinburgh is specifically for those working in organisations who are currently developing and / or delivering community link working in GP practices in Scotland. For example those working in HSCPs including Chief Officers, Primary Care leads and Health Improvement leads; as well as those from Public Health, Health Promotion, Third Sector and General Practice.

Reducing Harms, Tackling Poor Communication Workshop
This workshop,  part of the GMC’s Harms Reduction Programme is to develop  understanding of critical problems which present a risk of harm to patients and doctors. The first ‘harm’ being tackled is poor communication – between both healthcare professionals, but also between doctors and members of the public. For further details of the agenda and /or to register your interest in this event on Tuesday 26th March in Edinburgh  please reply to GMC .

New framework to proactively improve mental health care
Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s Scottish Patient Safety Programme supported twelve NHS boards to improve mental health inpatient care. The result is the new From Observation to Intervention framework which takes a more holistic, personalised approach to every patient. The framework is an online resource  and you’ll find case studies, best practice examples, documents to download and comments from patients, carers and staff. 

Staying connected - Shared Lives carers supporting people living with dementia in Moray
This new report from Shared Lives Plus is a study of the impact that Shared Lives Moray has on older people living with dementia and their family carers: ongoing connectedness to people's communities,  increased emotional wellbeing, delay moving into residential care and includes information on the use of self-directed support.

Stonewall Scotland report reveals impact of discrimination on health of LGBT people
New research from Stonewall Scotland, the lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality charity, has exposed alarming levels of poor mental health among LGBT people, compared to the general population. The study also reveals a shocking level of unfair treatment faced by many LGBT people when accessing healthcare services.

New research on benefits of active travel
Research from Sustrans suggested there would be 34,000 fewer cases of conditions including Type 2 diabetes, stroke, breast cancer and depression if cycling rates increased. The charity analysed the potential health, economic and environmental benefits of cycling in Edinburgh and six other UK cities until 2040. It called for the UK Government to reverse the projected spending cuts for walking and cycling infrastructure.​

Briefings on the DWP benefit sanctions statistics
David Webster, of the University of Glasgow, produces a regular briefing on the DWP quarterly benefit sanctions statistics. The briefings consider issues and offer a simple guide to the trends.  The most recent briefing is: Benefit Sanctions Statistics - November 2018 .To join the mailing list email or download briefings.

 Guidance on HIV Prevention in Men who have Sex with Men (MSM)
This new Scottish Health Protection Network guidance  is intended to facilitate pathways to improve HIV prevention interventions, whether they are provided by statutory services or commissioned and then delivered by statutory or third sector organisations.

New Hepatitis C Recommendations
New recommendations from the Scottish Health Protection Network which aim to support the Scottish Government’s hepatitis C elimination strategy, which will be published later this year.

UK launches action plan on antimicrobial resistance 
The UK Government has launched a five year action plan contributing to the containment and control of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in health, animals, the environment and the food chain. A major focus is to make sure current antibiotics stay effective by reducing the number of resistant infections and supporting clinicians to prescribe appropriately.

SSSA 2019 – #SSSA19!
The 2019 Scottish Social Services Awards 2019 are open, inviting individuals, teams and organisations working across social services to enter or nominate someone worthy of an accolade. There are 10 distinct categories, designed to acknowledge innovation and recognise work which helps vulnerable people in our communities. Closing date is 15 February 2019. 

 Who Does What 
A handy guide from the Scottish Parliament.

New report sets out lessons for a Scottish Basic Income pilot
A new report published today by the Carnegie UK Trust sets out the key questions to be addressed to pave the way for a successful basic income pilot in Scotland.

NHS Education for Scotland AHP scoping exercise
If you are an Allied Health Professionals  working in the 3rd sector, NES ask you to complete this survey to gain a better understanding of the AHP workforce and improve their communication process. It will also help to identify any new opportunities for student practice based learning experiences.  

Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Chronic Pain, Scottish Parliament, Committee Room
Jeane Freeman, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, will attend and speak at this meeting on 24 April at 6pm. If you would like to attend email the Voluntary Secretary of the Group and advise in advise any points / issues you would like to raise, including personal experience. 

Scottish Government news
Ministerial Strategic Group for Health and Community Care - Review of Progress with Integration of Health and Social Care - Final Report
Progress on Integration
Best Start Grants
Tackling Social Isolation Implementation Group
Consultation on Charity Law
Third sector funding & Brexit
Funeral expense assistance

Dates for your diary
February is LGBT History Month
13 Feb: Growing Your Communities - Forth Valley Third Sector Conference
20 & 21 Feb: The Gathering 2019
5 March Trellis Annual Conference
15 March Scottish Sensory and Equality Conference
20 May Impact: the 3rd Health and Social Care Integration event
3 June Alzheimer Scotland Annual Conference 2019

Other opportunities for VHS Members

Care Opinion are recruiting!
Care Opinion are looking for a Development Officer for their Stirling based team.

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.