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

VHS News & Events

Cross Party Group on Health Inequalities

Our December Parliamentary Reception to celebrate the work of the Cross Party Group on Health Inequalities was well attended and Scottish Government Minister for Public Health,Sport and Wellbeing, Joe Fitzpatrick gave the address. He is pictured here with Claire Stevens, VHS CE and Co Convenors of the CPG: Donald Cameron MSP and Richard Lyle MSP.

The next CPG HI meeting is on the 31 January 2019 and will discuss loneliness and social isolation in relation to health inequalities. The meeting will be chaired by Donald Cameron MSP and Christina McKelvie, the Minister for Older People and Equalities will present on the Connected Scotland Strategy

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, which will explore what public health means to the third sector and what opportunities the reform programme will open up to us.  Booking will open on The Gathering website on 14 January.

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. 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 across Scotland. Booking will open on The Gathering website on 14 January.

Please keep the date: VHS General Meeting 28th February
If you are a VHS member organisation, please keep the afternoon of Thursday 28 February free to attend a networking lunch and members’ gathering at the Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh. We are holding the General Meeting 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 members before we can adopt the proposed Articles, and will be advising members more formally about the arrangements for the General Meeting in the coming weeks.

NHS Scotland Event 2019 
VHS and The Health and Social Care Alliance were each invited to submit up to 5 spotlight and/or parallel sessions at this year's NHS Scotland event. The five proposals submitted from VHS are: British Red Cross, Cycling Scotland, Fife Voluntary Action, Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland and  Cancer Support North Scotland. Thank you to everyone for your interest in presenting at the NHS event this year, and we will be keeping our fingers crossed that as many of our chosen 5 get selected.

There may still be other opportunities coming up in terms of the programme  - if so, we will let you know.  In addition, you may want to consider submitting an abstract for a poster, as that process is now open for submissions, closing on 4 February. 

VHS joins Scottish Obesity Alliance
Scottish Obesity Alliance is a new forum for organisations to collaborate to influence policy and practice on obesity prevention in Scotland. It's composed of leading national health charities, medical royal colleges, campaign groups and professional bodies with an interest in health and public health,  working together to influence the Scottish and UK Governments policy on overweight and obesity. For further information contact Scottish Obesity Alliance.

Loneliness and social isolation: an inequalities issue
Kiren's Blog discusses how loneliness and social isolation is often triggered, exacerbated and maintained by the social and economic circumstances in which we live and how the inequalities faced by individuals can further compound loneliness and social isolation.

Policy News

Launch: A Connected Scotland
VHS welcome the newly published Scottish Government Strategy, A Connected Scotland which aims to tackle loneliness and social isolation in Scotland. This strategy will run from 2018 to 2026 and the Scottish Government will report biennially on its progress. We are heartened by the strategy’s 4 priorities which aim to empower communities, tackle stigma, create opportunities for people to connect and support infrastructure that fosters connections as well as the clear actions that support these priorities.

Programme for Government mental health delivery plan published
Key themes include reforming CAMHS, improving specialist care, taking a “21st century approach” to adult mental health, respecting rights and “making suicide prevention everybody’s business”. The plan accompanies the Children & Young People's Mental Health Taskforce delivery plan also recently published. 

Scottish Ministers reveal Fairer Scotland progress report
The report on the Fairer Scotland Action Plan, sets out the progress made on the 50 actions outlined in the plan. Ministers highlighted key areas, including the launch of the devolved employability service, the number of Living Wage employers, the Financial Health Check Service and the introduction of the Fuel Poverty Bill. The report marks the second review of the action plan, which was initially launched in 2016.

Good Food Nation consultation
The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on its Good Food Nation proposals for legislation. Evidence is being accepted until Friday 29 March. The Scottish Government intends to set out a statement of general policy on food, which would cover production, consumption, marketing and other issues.

New research on health inequalities
The Scottish Government has published the latest Long-term Monitoring of Health Inequalities report. It finds significant health inequalities persist for each indicator covered in the report, with the exception of Healthy Birth-weight. The gap for alcohol related deaths is currently 30% lower than at its peak in 2002 but, following a period where the gap narrowed, it has been increasing since 2013. 

VHS Members' News & Events

Free Support for organisations affected by EIJB decisions
EVOC is supporting organisations that were unsuccessful in the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board grant application process to help with the immediate issues and longer-term sustainability for the organisations affected by the grant decisions. 35 organisations are set to lose their funding, including Pilton Community Health Project - now facing closure having had a key source of funding withdrawn. A campaign to keep it open has gathered support:  follow Pilton on Twitter to keep up to date.

IMPACT Project – Talking about smoking and mental health
The aim of the IMPACT project is to raise awareness of the links between smoking and poor mental health and to encourage mental health and other practitioners to discuss these links. ASH Scotland has developed a free short training course to develop the information provided in the guidance pack. 

How community nurses are on the frontline against financial scammers
Professor Clare Cable Chief Executive and Nurse Director of The Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland on how community nurses are working to prevent financial scammers.

Other News

NHS Scotland Annual Report 2017/18
The outgoing NHS Scotland Chief Executive Paul Gray’s latest Annual Report was published last month. He outlines the achievements made during 2017/18, and describes the challenging context in which NHS Scotland continues to operate. He pays tribute to the outstanding commitment of all NHS Scotland staff, and to the dedication of colleagues in partner organisations – including those in the voluntary and third sector.

Recommendations for a new human rights framework to improve people’s lives 
An advisory group, chaired by Professor Alan Miller and tasked by the First Minister with considering what should be done, in the light of Brexit, to ensure that human rights in Scotland continue to be progressed, has now published its recommendations. 

Charity Law consultation
This Scottish Government consultation seeks views on potential improvements to the statutory charity regulation framework in Scotland, with a focus on improvements that would increase transparency and accountability of charities.

Progress in reforming public health
Read the latest update from the Public Health Reform programme including progress in developing Public Health Scotland.

Time to Talk Day 2019
This year’s Time to Talk Day is all about bringing together the right ingredients, to have a conversation about mental health. Whether that’s tea, biscuits and close friends or a room full of people challenging mental health stigma, we want you to get talking. Whether you're planning you can order a free pack of materials, including postcards, posters and tip cards, to help you get conversations started.

SCVO strategic consultation
What do you want from the national membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises? Join Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) to discuss SCVO's future - you don't need to be an SCVO member to have a view and there's meetings in Edinburgh, Dumfries and Aberdeen.

Highlands and Islands Ecosystem for rural mental health and active healthy ageing
Healthy Ageing Challenge Overview: the £98 million ‘healthy ageing programme’ will drive the development of new products and services which will help people to live in their homes for longer, tackle loneliness and isolation, and increase independence, self-management and wellbeing - attend this event in Inverness on 25 February to hear about the programme and how to get involved. 

Scottish Government news
Enhancing Human Rights
Driving CAMHS Improvement
Reducing Poverty & Inequality
Consultation on charity law
New Chair of Social Security Commission
Positive Feedback on NHS
Recipients of The Queen's New Year Honours in Scotland
Organ donor registrations
Tackling social isolation & loneliness

Dates for your diary
31 Jan: CPG on Health Inequalities - loneliness and social isolation
6 Feb: Rights into Reality: Human rights and community-led health
13 Feb: Growing Your Communities - Forth Valley Third Sector Conference
20 & 21 Feb: The Gathering 2019

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.