Welcome to our February 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

VHS conduct survey exploring enablers and barriers to uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine
VHS is conducting research to help ensure equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, among all those who need it and would like your help to complete this short survey. We would like to identify who you think the vulnerable demographics are who for a range of reasons may not access the vaccine, even if they are offered it. We would like to identify what those barriers to accessing the vaccine are as well as what can act as an enabler to increase vaccine uptake. We would also like to hear what organisations think about the public facing communication so far regarding the vaccination programme and how this could be improved? We are also interested in hearing about the role of the voluntary and community sector is already playing in supporting the vaccination programme, what more can be done and what resources are required. The deadline for completion of the survey is: Friday 19 February If you have any questions or comments please email.

#WeArePublicHealth: Conference Key Message
Last November VHS held its Annual Conference: #WeArePublicHealth : Building Forward for Health & Wellbeing online - with over 120 delegates, keynote speakers, workshop sessions, discussions, virtual exhibitors and our annual poster competition - Read the Key Messages and view presentations.

Ageing Well with the Open University: A Knowledge Exchange
Over the course of 2020, VHS ran a series of events exploring ageing well with the Faculty of Public Health at the Open University. Last week the series concluded with participants reflecting on what they had learnt over the course of the series and how they were now using this knowledge to help themselves and others age well. View all the slide presentations, key messages and a resource list here.

Engage with the Inequalities in Health Alliance
The Inequalities in Health Alliance (IHA) is a coalition of organisations under the umbrella of The Royal College of Physicians  (RCP), campaigning for a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities. They have written to ask the UK government to do three things:

• develop a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities
• commence the socio-economic duty, section 1 of the Equality Act 2010
• adopt a ‘child health in all policies’ approach

With over 150 members, of which VHS is one, membership is open to any not-for-profit organisation that has an interest in reducing health inequality, and every new member of the IHA makes its voice more powerful. 

Primary care research priorities
The University of Highlands and Islands is seeking your views about research priorities in primary care. This is the first comprehensive, patient-centred and generalist health professional project of setting priorities for primary care research since the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. It is designed to strengthen future evidence for primary care to improve health outcomes. VHS is a partner in this project. 
The survey will remain open until 1st March 2021.  Please contact the UHI project manager if you have any problems accessing the survey.

COVID-19 News

Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy, transparency and inclusion
VHS has published a think piece setting out why it is crucial to support 'missing' and marginalised groups to take up the coronavirus vaccine when offered it, as they may be the people most at risk of harm from the virus. The piece encourages third sector organisations to complete our survey on this, and discusses the concepts of vaccine hesitancy, vaccine transparency and 'missingness in healthcare', drawing on articles in The Guardian and New Scientist and on the work of Dr Andrea Williamson, a Glasgow Deep End GP.  It also highlights the Minister for Older People and Equalities' call on equalities and human rights stakeholders for support in developing and delivering targeted messages to communities, to address specific barriers people may have to taking up the vaccination.

Coronavirus in Scotland - For all the latest advice and guidance about coronavirus (COVID-19).

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 their Information Hub with the latest on restrictions and guidance Due to changes in restrictions and guidance, including funding currently available. 

What Impact has Covid-19 had on Scotland's wellbeing?
Scotland’s Wellbeing: The impact of COVID-19  brings together evidence on how the pandemic has affected Scotland’s progress towards its National Outcomes. It also tells us how individuals have experienced the pandemic. Published by the Scottish Government and COSLA in December, it shows that COVID-19 is having significant, wide-ranging impacts, right across the National Outcomes, most of them negative. The evidence suggests that health, economy, fair work and business and culture outcomes have been deeply negatively affected. And, as the impact on the labour market fully emerges, there’s likely to be a negative impact on the poverty outcome. Education and children outcomes are also likely to be negatively affected, but these impacts will take longer to fully emerge.The picture is more mixed for communities, human rights, environment and international outcomes. Each has been impacted in both positive and negative ways, with longer term impacts as yet unclear.

COVID-19 Shielding Programme (Scotland) rapid evaluation report
Public Health Scotland have published a series of three reports relating to the evaluation of the Scottish Government shielding programme. There is a full report, a summary version and a separate data report. The data report presents detailed COVID-19 test and mortality data relating to shielding. VHS was an active member of the Advisory Group. The evaluation report can be accessed here and a brief animation presenting the key findings here: YouTube version or Vimeo version. 

COVID-19 and our diets: what do we know so far?
The European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) recently released a report revealing the impact of COVID-19 on people’s food behaviours across 10 European countries . You may also be interested in the Obesity Action Scotland report published in May 2020 which asked people in Scotland how they felt their diets and lifestyle had changed since the COVID-19 outbreak. Both reports evaluated changes in people’s food habits over lockdown and using the EIT report, we can better understand where the UK and particularly, Scottish diets stand in relation to other European countries. It has become clear that the effects of this lockdown have been both positive and negative, with some groups noticing a bigger change than others.

‘Roll your sleeves up’ campaign to encourage uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine
The Scottish Government campaign to encouraging people to get vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as they are eligible. The ‘Roll your sleeves up’ campaign will emphasise the importance of the vaccine and its safety, as well as including details of the prioritisation list set out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), and will run until the end of March on TV, radio, press, outdoor and digital channels. 

If not now, when? - Social Renewal Advisory Board report: January 2021
The Social Renewal Advisory Board was set up by Scottish Ministers to make proposals that can renew Scotland once we start to emerge from the pandemic. The Board focused thinking on three key principles: Money & Work; People, Rights & Advancing Equality and Communities & Collective Endeavor. The final report “If not now, when?”, sets a course towards a better future with 20 Calls To Action, and asks national and local government, employers and the third sector to join forces with people and communities towards a renewed post-Covid future, one with genuine ambition and hope. 

Carnegie UK Trust: Digital Services Delivery Summary Paper
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the landscape that services operate within. Traditionally face-to-face delivery organisations have been forced to move online, many for the first time, as lockdowns and continued social distancing has meant it impossible or impractical to deliver their work in person. To support organisations as they continue to navigate this process, Carnegie partnered with Your Own Place to produce ‘Our Digital Lockdown Journey’, a blog and vlog series during 2020, exploring how organisations have managed to continue providing vital services by shifting online and  ‘Going Digital or Going Bust’ which brings together the key insights, learnings and questions raised through this series.

COVID-19: the hidden impact
This Alzheimer Scotland report  focuses on the impact of the pandemic on people with dementia living in their own homes in the community, and the families and carers who support them. It sets out the evidence Alzheimer Scotland has gathered from the tens of thousands of people with dementia and their carers they have supported throughout this crisis, about the impact of the pandemic, and the unintended harms to their health and wellbeing caused by the measures intended to keep them safe from the virus.

Left Out and Locked Down: Impacts of covid-19 lockdown for marginalised groups
This research project focussed on four groups that may already have been isolated, excluded or marginalised prior to Covid-19: 

• Disabilities and long-term health conditions
• Domestic abuse and sexual violence victim-survivors
• Imprisonment and criminal justice supervision
• Refugees, asylum seekers and destitution-facing populations

It reports on issues relating to information, experiences and services.

Meaningful connections research report 
This Scottish Recovery Network research explores how peer support in Scotland has adapted to a digital world with creativity and flexibility during Covid-19 restrictions. Grassroots peer support groups adapted quickly: learned new skills, found their way around digital tools, and supported participants to access and feel comfortable to do the same. The report highlights the benefits and challenges of taking peer support into the digital space at a time when continuing to provide mental health support and maintaining relationships is more important than ever.

Clear your head
This site contains a variety of resources and tips to help people take care of their mental health and wellbeing.

Policy News

Funding to address drugs death emergency
Scottish Government announced a range of actions to tackle the drugs deaths emergency, starting with an immediate £5m investment for the remainder of the financial year, and a commitment to an additional £50m every year for the next five years to improve services. The new approach included substantially increasing the number of residential rehabilitation beds, reducing stigma, allocating funding directly to alcohol and drug partnerships and those working in communities, and widening the distribution of naloxone and new standards for medicine-assisted treatment.

Long-term monitoring of health inequalities
This Scottish Government report outlines the gap in health outcomes between the most and least deprived areas for a variety of indicators. The data in the report pre-dates the COVID-19 pandemic. The report finds significant health inequalities persist for each indicator. The gap in healthy life expectancy for males has increased and is currently at its highest point.

Scottish Health Survey 2020
The Scottish Government has also published the report findings from the Scottish Health Survey, providing information on the health, and factors relating to health, of adults aged 16 and over in Scotland between August and September 2020. 

Organ Donation and Tissue Donation Opt Out
The law is changing in Scotland on the 26th of March to an opt out system - find out what this means and register your decision. A TV and radio campaign will be launched soon and there will also be a national mailing to all homes in Scotland during February.

Access to physical activity must be increased to aid mental health
The January 2021 Cross Party Group on Mental Health report explores the support available and the affect of barriers on the physical wellbeing of people with mental health problems.

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, Policy Engagement Officer. 

VHS Members' News & Events

Walk Back Better: a manifesto for 2021 
Living Streets Scotland, Paths for All and Ramblers Scotland have launched Walk Back Better: the manifesto outlines how decision makers can make walking as pleasant, safe and convenient as possible for everyone in Scotland and a vision to move forward to a healthier, cleaner and safer Scotland.

A new heart disease plan for Scotland
The British Heart Foundation want to beat the heartbreak caused by heart diseases in Scotland. To do this, they need to improve the detection, diagnosis, treatment and care of people who live with these conditions. They have produced an ambitious strategy which provides solutions to the key issues. Join them on Tuesday 2 February at a virtual hustings event ahead of the 2021 Holyrood elections. Register here.

My World My Health – public survey
The ALLIANCE are running the My World, My Health project. - it aims to discuss the wider factors which contribute to our wellbeing, and how data linked to these factors could be used better. Further to workshops held last year this public survey poses some additional scenarios and provocations to get the public’s views. Closes 5 Feb 2021.

QNIS Winter Wellbeing Evenings
QNIS are holding a series of Winter Wellbeing evening events to take the chill out of winter and promote wellbeing. From film screenings to spoken word QNIS have gathered together a host of artists and entertainers who have been generous enough to share their work and talent virtually. Places are on a first come first served basis. 

Self-Managing Diabetes During a Pandemic
In collaboration with Diabetes UK Scotland, University of Highlands and Islands are conducting an online survey for adults with diabetes in the UK. They want to find out about your experiences of living with and managing diabetes since March 2020, following the Coronavirus outbreak. Deadline for responses is 11 March.

Hearing the voices of women of Scotland
The aim of the Women’s Health Plan is to tackle women’s health and inequalities by raising awareness around women’s health, improving access to healthcare for all women at all stages of life and reducing inequalities in health outcomes for girls and women. This ALLIANCE report covers the results of a survey about the lived experience of women's health and highlights the key themes and messages that the Women’s Health Plan Group should address.

Other News

Supporting Communities Safely
This free, online resource, developed by SCDC and Public Health Scotland, features a range of practical information and advice to support community organisations to carry out their vital work safely during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Time to Talk Day 2021 - The Power of Small
Time to Talk day on Thursday 4 February, wants to get everyone talking about mental health: a small conversation about mental health has the power to make a big difference and it's something we can all do. See Me have loads of resources you can use to start talking and the more conversations we have, the more myths we can bust and barriers we can break down, helping to end the isolation, shame and worthlessness that too many people with mental health problems are made to feel.

Sight Scotland launch Family Wellbeing Service
Charity Sight Scotland has launched a new Family Wellbeing Service, including a telephone helpline, providing support to people with sight loss and their families. Individuals affected by sight loss, as well as carers, friends and families with a loved one affected by sight loss, can call 0800 024 8973 to access expert advice, information and practical and emotional support. The freephone Support Line is open Monday to Friday, 10am – 12pm and 1pm – 3pm. The Service will also offer befriending, home visits (when restrictions allow) and online information and advice.

Reforms to pharmacist education and training
The General Pharmaceutical Council have developed new standards for the initial education and training of pharmacists. The implementation of the new standards will transform the education and training of pharmacists, providing future pharmacists with the training and clinical skills they need to take on new and extended clinical roles to meet the needs of the public and the NHS.

Trellis: Gardening for Wellbeing Seminar Series draws experts from around the globe
Lovers of gardening and all its therapeutic benefits will enjoy this online seminar series, on 8 -12 March, from therapeutic gardening charity, Trellis. With a mix of the theoretical side of therapeutic gardening and the practical, join experts from around the world who use gardening to support people’s wellbeing.

Scottish Government news

Scottish Budget 2021-22
Over £16 billion investment in health
Enhanced support for people in emotional distress
Vaccine programme moves to next stage
Long-term monitoring of health inequalities
Scottish Health Survey – Telephone Survey 2020
Vaccination programme update
A fairer recovery from the pandemic
Supporting health and social care staff
A fairer recovery from the pandemic
More than £250 million for drug deaths emergency
Vaccination information campaign
Helping vulnerable young people through COVID-19
Extra funding to support unpaid carers
Strengthening lockdown restrictions
Helping to warm homes this winter
Travel corridors suspended

Dates for your diary

4 FebTime to Talk Day 2021
9 Feb Forth Valley Third Sector Conference
22-26 Feb People at the Centre: ALLIANCE Digital Gathering
14 April RCPE: The Public's Health after Covid: science and social justice Online Symposium 
May  The Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF) 2021: This arts festival will explore the theme of ‘Normality?'

Other opportunities for VHS Members

ONLINE LEARNING COURSE: "Adults with Incapacity"
With Scotland’s ageing population, applying Adults with Incapacity (AwI) legislation is becoming more and more commonplace for health & social care professionals and third sector practitioners.This online learning course offers to  take you from policy to practice; offering you the legal concepts without the legal jargon.

Public Health Scotland's Virtual Learning Environment
Discover a wide range of learning modules, event information, resources and more in this PHS learning zone. It provides workers and volunteers in the NHS, wider public sector, private and third sectors with the knowledge and skills to help tackle a range of health inequalities issues,with new resources in Leadership for health inequalities, Challenging poverty stigma  and Encouraging and enabling physical activity.

Hunger Spikes: The Rising Demand on the UK's food bank network
A webinar with Crispin Shingler from The Trussell Trust in a discussion on how the they have managed the unprecedented increase in demand during the pandemic, as well as how they are working with the food bank networks across the country towards their vision of a UK without the need for food banks. Wednesday 10 February 14.00 to 14.45. Hosted by Brodies Solicitors. 

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.