Welcome to our July 2021 E-bulletin: sharing news & views from the VHS network & updates from Scottish Government & the NHS affecting the voluntary health sector.
If you would like to join the VHS network  - Get Involved here

VHS News & Events

Vaccine Inclusion: reducing inequalities one vaccine at a time
Join us on the 24 August to explore the impact of the Covid-19 vaccine programme on health inequalities. The event will look at the key messages from our briefing report ‘Vaccine Inclusion – Reducing inequalities one Vaccine at a time’ .  A key message of the  report is the importance of involving third sector and community partners in the planning, communications and delivery of public health interventions that could help prevent, mitigate and reduce health inequalities. If you are a third sector organisation working actively to support people’s health and wellbeing, you can help by attending this event to share your experience and local intelligence. We also welcome attendees working for the NHS, health and social care partnerships and other public sector services.

VHS Annual Conference 2021: Health at the Heart of Communities

A key event in the annual conference calendar, this year’s focus is on Health at the Heart of Communities, exploring themes that include:

• Engaging with people’s stories and lived experience to improve services
• Reaching and serving those who are missing, marginalised or overlooked in health
• Evidencing and understanding the third sector’s impact on health inequalities
• Reshaping primary care and our sector’s role
• Partnership working for recovery and renewal beyond the pandemic

There will be a range of opportunities to actively contribute to the event, including online exhibition opportunities. To find out how you can get involved, contact VHS.

Annual Poster Competition 2021: Reaching and serving those who are missing, marginalised or overlooked in health is this year's theme
*Have you and your organisation worked to help the health of those who most need it?
*Did you step in to help those most deeply affected by Covid-19 ?
*Can your story help others understanding of the third sector’s contribution to health?
Find out more
Selected finalists will have their poster shown online at our conference on the 6 October.

 VHS are recruiting for a Policy Engagement Officer 
 Could you be our new Policy Engagement Officer? This is a fantastic time for the right person to join VHS as we build on the success of our influencing activities and look to expand our reach. Closing date for applications is 9.00 am, Monday 5 July 2021.

Kiren Zubairi, our Policy Engagement Officer since 2016  has now taken up a post in health and social care within the Scottish Government, read her farewell blog here.

Christie Commission: a work in progress?
In June's TFN magazine, sector leaders, including Claire Stevens, reflect on the Christie Commission ten years on – what has, and hasn’t, been achieved.

Influencing the equitable delivery of the Covid vaccine
In this briefing / blog Claire Stevens, VHS CE  explains how VHS research has enabled the third sector to influence the policy and practice surrounding the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out in Scotland. The blog was published on the Glasgow University, Policy Scotland website

VHS Annual General Meeting 25 November 2021
Save the date and join us for our AGM: further details to follow.

COVID-19 News

Coronavirus in Scotland - For all the latest advice and guidance about coronavirus (COVID-19). As the voluntary sector starts to plan for reopening some of the face to face activity that has been virtual or completely on hold the Scottish Government website is being regularly updated, with detailed guidance for different sectors – some useful links: 

• Protections levels – what you can and cannot do
• Safer workplaces – relevant to most office settings
• HSE: What to include in your COVID-19 risk assessment
• CLD guidance – relevant to most community based activity
• Community buildings guidance – for multi-purpose spaces
• Advice Card for people using community spaces
• One to one support and support groups
• Regular rapid testing for everyone
• Checkin app

Coronavirus (COVID-19): daily data for Scotland - This is updated each day to provide the latest available data on COVID-19 in Scotland.

Coronavirus Third Sector Information Hub
SCVO continue to update this Hub with the latest on restrictions & guidance, including a voluntary sector vaccination update & information on funds currently available.

Coronavirus Bill passed
In mid-June the Scottish Government introduced the Coronavirus (Extension & Expiry) Bill. The Bill has now been passed and will extend Part 1 of the previous COVID-19 legislation until 31 March 2022. This includes protection against eviction for people who rent their homes and allows for hearings across criminal and civil courts and tribunals to be held remotely. The Bill will also allow secondary legislation to be used to extend Part 1 of the previous legislation to 30 September 2022.

Self Registration Portal
The Scottish Government remains fully committed to ensuring that everyone has access to a COVID-19 vaccine.  In order to ensure as many people are vaccinated as quickly as possible everyone over the age of 18 and who have not already received the first coronavirus vaccination now has the option of self-registration.

Over 40s Vaccine Drop In Clinics in Lothian
To encourage take-up NHS Lothian is running a series of drop-in vaccine clinics for the over 40s. You don’t need an appointment and you can get a 1st or 2nd dose of the Astrazeneca Vaccine.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Scotland's Strategic Framework update - June 2021
Sets out how and why the COVID-19 response strategy will change in light of new conditions and what a move beyond Level 0 will look like.

Grants to Combat Vaccine/Testing Inequality & Hesitancy
These EVOC micro-grants of up to £500 are for community organisations based across Edinburgh and the Lothians  to help reduce vaccine hesitancy and to support groups working with people who may be experiencing vaccine/testing inequality.

Research shows 2 million people may have had long COVID-19 symptons
Findings from the REACT-2 studies show over a third of people who had coronavirus (COVID-19) reported symptoms lasting at least 12 weeks. It also found the prevalence of long-COVID increased with age, was higher among women, people who are overweight, who smoke, live in deprived areas or had been admitted to hospital.

Regular rapid testing for everyone
Anyone in Scotland can access free rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) testing, even if they have no symptoms. The expansion is aimed at finding cases that would otherwise go undetected, so anyone testing positive can self-isolate and avoid transmitting the virus to those around them.

COVID-19 Vaccine Explainer Videos
These Vaccine Explainer Videos provide key facts about the COVID-19 vaccines for those who may be hesitant to get the vaccine when offered, or for those more likely to have been exposed to myths/misinformation. This video is currently being translated in multiple languages including BSL. Long version – YouTube  Short version – YouTube 

Audit Scotland annual report and accounts for 2020-21
The report highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in underlining the importance of public services and those delivering them.

Age Scotland study reveals "lockdown loneliness epidemic" 
The charity’s “Big Survey”, conducted with ScotInform, found that 10 per cent of people over 50 – an estimated 218,000 in Scotland - say they feel lonely most or all of the time. The charity believes that the country needs to get to grips with rising feelings of loneliness before they reach epidemic levels and severely impact health.

UHI student's covid tracking data
A 26-year-old student, 'John', at the University of the Highlands and Islands, who started tracking the Coronavirus (COVID-19) data in a spreadsheet simply out of interest, has published his data and keeps it updated and freely available online. The data is presented via a series of highly visual and user friendly graphs, charts and infographics. Whilst the web page is not an official (Scottish Government/NHS Scotland) source of data, the student provides some information about his official sources and his methodology in the FAQ box, and he's happy to be contacted for further information. VHS is aware that this site is circulating in the third sector so we are sharing it with our own network for your interest. The data tracks and maps cases, deaths and vaccine take-up, broken down by local authority area, making it of particular interest for third sector organisations working at a local level.

Policy News

Proposed committee membership agreed at Scottish Parliament 
The parliament has published the proposed membership for this session’s committees. The SNP has 52 seats, Conservatives 32, Labour 20, the Greens have nine and the LibDems get two seats. The SNP holds half of the places on certain key committees where they also have the convenership, giving them an effective majority on health, criminal justice, COVID recovery and social justice/social security.

£14.4m to be invested in frontline services
An additional £14.4m will be invested in frontline services to implement new treatment standards and help tackle the drugs deaths emergency. Other funding includes an extra £1.3m for Alcohol & Drugs Partnerships; £1m to support third sector initiatives; £1m to establish a Lived & Living Experience forum; £800,000 to tackle stigma; and £1.5m for public health surveillance, evaluation and monitoring research. A factsheet gives a break down of the funding. 

New drug treatment standards published
The government has published medication assisted treatment standards for Scotland, which are evidence based and aim to enable the consistent delivery of safe, accessible, high-quality drug treatment. The standards are in line with the vision for NHS Scotland that by 2025 anyone providing health and social care will take a realistic medicine approach. 

Poverty and Inequality Commission: 2020-21 Child Poverty Scrutiny Report
The Commission has provided advice to the Scottish Government’s latest child poverty progress report with an urgent call for more action to meet its child poverty targets. 

RPS publishes policy document on role of pharmacies in reducing drug deaths in Scotland
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has published a policy document on pharmacy’s role in reducing drug harms and preventing drug deaths in Scotland. The report highlights areas where pharmacy can contribute effectively to the treatment and prevention of drug harms and makes 14 recommendations for how improvements can be achieved.

Care in Your Community
This Common Weal paper on the establishment of community hubs  is a contribution to what a National Care Service might look like. The paper highlights the increasing importance of hubs during the pandemic, as centres for public service delivery and voluntary activity. It also suggests the National Care Service could be managed at a local level through these community hubs.

Health Policy Officers Network
The HPON is a peer group of health policy officers jointly administered by VHS and RNIB Scotland. The network is for small to medium sized third sector organisations and Members come together to discuss health related policy issues and consultations, to share intelligence, and build their policy skills and confidence. To join the HPON or find out about future meetings email.

VHS Members News

How British Red Cross have been supporting people through the Coronavirus crisis
Read how the British Red Cross are supporting refugees and people who have come to the UK to seek asylum as they navigate this difficult period in a new country, often without access to family and friends, and in conditions that are inadequate.

Alzheimer Scotland welcomes FDA authorisation of Aducanumab
Alzheimer Scotland (AS) welcomes the recent decision from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorise the drug aducanumab for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. For balanced and accurate information AS are advising people to visit the aducanumab page on the Brain Health Scotland website. 

Community Safety Animation
This short animation from the Scottish Community Safety Network captures key findings and information on how different people and groups experience community safety. A resource for practitioners working in community safety to quickly and effectively share the message that community safety is a diverse landscape with equally diverse experiences.

Volunteer Awards 2021
Paths for All Volunteer Awards are a great opportunity to acknowledge the fantastic work of  volunteers and say “thank you” for their time, commitment, and enthusiasm, especially as the pandemic continues. They want to hear how your volunteers are continuing to adapt during the pandemic to make walking, wheeling and sustainable travel accessible for more people. Nominations close at midnight on 8 August.

New projects for Self Management Funding
New self management funded projects have been announced  with investment from the Self Management Fund, administered by the ALLIANCE. The Fund supports self management of long term conditions, which in some cases has been made even more challenging by the pandemic.

Cancer Research UK launches campaign as NHS Scotland analysis estimates falling numbers of patients
Cancer Research UK has launched a campaign with cancer survivors calling for people to seek medical help if they have symptoms and use screening services, following analysis from NHS Scotland which suggested that an estimated 3,900 fewer patients started cancer treatment in 2020 compared to 2019. 

Small Steps
Living Streets know that older people are as diverse as the population as a whole, and it is hard to generalise about what will help or suit everyone over 60. Small steps is a resource package to help older people build or maintain a walking habit and offers a range of ideas and examples of success for people to pick from to suit their circumstances. 

Raising Aphasia Awareness
June was Aphasia Awareness month - more than 350,000 people in the UK have aphasia but little is known about it. Stroke Association's Aphasia Team helped to kick off the month's activities on how best to raise awareness and how to promote the new UK Communication Access Symbol.  Find out more about the symbol and free training on the Communication Access website.

Scottish Recovery Network's new 3 year Strategic plan
It outlines how they will work with others to create a recovery focused mental health system that is powered by lived experience and embraces peer support and that nurtures the NHS, third sector and the good practice happening on the ground in communities.

Growing Matters at​ Gilmerton Kitchen Garden
Growing at Gilmerton are fund raising on the 3 & 4 July at Camptoun House Garden in East Lothian to fund a craft building and sheltered work area. The charity run by volunteers, provides a safe and supportive therapeutic environment which recognises the positive benefits to health and well being of spending time in the garden.

Other News

Community Engagement in Primary Care
This HIS - Community Engagement webinar on 14 July will look at ways of engaging people in the work of primary care, including: how a Patient Participation Group can contribute to and enhance the engagement activities undertaken by primary care practitioners and how people have been involved in different areas of primary care.

Early Cancer Diagnostic Centres
Three Early Cancer Diagnostic Centres in Ayrshire & Arran, Dumfries & Galloway and Fife have gone live. They will give GPs the option to urgently refer patients who have non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer.  

Eating Disorders Soar Among Young Scots
Numbers of children and young people living with an eating disorder has soared during lockdown. A Freedom of Information request by The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland show there were 217 referrals for eating disorders in 2018/19 increasing sharply to 615 referrals in 2020/21. The College are calling for the new funding announced for CAMHS in February 2021, to also cover young people with eating disorders, a guarantee that details on the national transition strategy for young people with mental illness, is released without delay and a return to face to face consultations.

Legal & General Partnership with Sir Michael Marmot to Address Health Inequality
A multi-million pound charitable fund has been set up to examine how improvements to the design and construction of our towns and cities can help to address health inequalities and support “levelling up” across the UK’s regions.

What would you want from a new community resource hub within the University of Glasgow?
The Institute of Health and Wellbeing at the University carries out research to improve population health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. A community resource hub is planned and  the SCDC is working with the Institute to find out what ideas and views communities have about the development of the hub. This survey is the first stage in the process. Complete the survey  - closes 30 July 2021. 

Child poverty targets requires large scale policy change
The Fraser of Allander Institute has published analysis of the government’s child poverty targets. It highlights the increasing child poverty rate in Scotland ahead of the government’s child poverty delivery plan being published in spring 2022.

Scottish Government news

Improving cancer waiting times
Self-registration portal for all over 18s
£8 million package for health and social care workforce wellbeing
More normality if progress continues
Coronavirus Bill passed
(COVID-19) update: FM's statement - 22 June 2021
Coronavirus Bill introduced: Expiry and extension of measures to be scrutinised
Additional funding to help people with eating disorders
Increasing capacity for drugs services
Funding for new treatment standards for drug users
Bringing forward second doses
Fairer assessment for blood donors
New services to help find cancer sooner
Scotland Assure
Cautious easing of restrictions

Dates for your diary

5 July Human Rights Principles in Digital Health and Social Care: stakeholders
15 July Exploring Scotland’s 20-minute neighbourhoods
24 Aug Vaccine Inclusion: reducing inequalities one vaccine at a time
6 Oct VHS Annual Conference 2021: Health at the Heart of Communities
25 Nov VHS Annual General Meeting

Other opportunities for VHS Members

VHS are recruiting for a Policy Engagement Officer
Closing date for applications 5 July 2021

Charity trustees sought for to doctoral research study
Are you a charity Trustee with 2+ years' experience in a service delivery charity with a turnover of between £500k and £2 million? Your participation will help identify what motivates individuals to volunteer as a trustee and what challenges they face. By participating in this study, you could help charities improve on how trustees are recruited and in the development of recruitment, induction and learning guidelines. The researcher is Meg Wright who has many years’ experience in the voluntary sector as a CEO and as a Trustee. There is a questionnaire to complete prior to a semi-structured interview. Interviews should last approximately 45 minutes. You will be asked about your role as a volunteer trustee, how you were recruited, and what challenges you face with the role. Confidentiality will be protected by removing names or identifying information will be removed from interview transcripts. If you are interested in participating, please email . 

Introduction to Networks and Health Improvement course
The MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit is organising this free course via Zoom on 22 & 23 July. Aimed at those with an interest in population health, delivering community services or implementing health improvement interventions, it will focus on non-communicable disease and be of relevance to researchers, health, social care and third sector staff working in health improvement, and those commissioning services or developing policy. Email for more information & to book a place. 

Minority Ethnic Emerging Leaders Programme
Applications have opened for this new programme aimed at removing the barriers faced by minority ethnic people. Funded by Scottish Government and delivered by the John Smith Centre, up to 50 people (aged between 18 and 29) will benefit from a nine-month professional and personal development programme backed by mentoring and placements in the public and third sectors. Deadline for applications: 19 July 2021

Penumbra are recruiting: Male Recovery Practitioner (Peer)
Closing Date: 11 July 2021

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.