Day: January 23, 2019

Opportunities for older people to have their say

The Scottish Government are developing a new Older People’s Framework in 2019 and the Scottish Older People’s Assembly have been asked to help gather views to feed into this process. 

In an effort to gather as wide a range of views as possible, we have produced a questionnaire which we hope you can circulate to your networks, feature in newsletters and encourage as many people as possible to complete (within the limitations of the timescales that we have been set, which we acknowledge are very tight).

The questionnaire is available online at https://surveyhero.com/c/SOPA2019

The deadline for survey completion is Wednesday, 30th January 2019.

 We will also be holding an engagement event on Monday 4th February 2019, 10am-3:30pm at COSLA Conference Centre, Haymarket, EH12 5BH.

Places are limited and will be prioritised for SOPA members but if you are interested please register on the Eventbrite website and we will confirm availability. 

 Please follow this link to the Eventbrite website for more information and to reserve your place. 

If you have any queries, please contact Caroline Clark on the details below. 

Caroline Clark | Scottish Older People’s Assembly – Co-ordinator| Eric Liddell Centre, 15 Morningside Road, Edinburgh, EH10 4DP | 0131 357 1277 |caroline@scotopa.org.uk.

The Scottish Government are currently preparing a new National Framework for Older People in Scotland. This Conference has been organised by the Scottish Older People’s Assembly to give members an opportunity to come together and make a contribution to the development of this framework.

The event will focus on the following key objectives:

  • providing an inclusive opportunity for older people to share their ideas and experiences
  • identifying and gathering examples of the positive contributions made by older people
  • identifying barriers faced by older people in a range of different aspects of life and ideas of how to break these down.
  • gathering ideas of how to combat negative perceptions and stereotypes commonly held about older people.

Please join us to share your views, ideas and experiences.

Due to limited space, we ask that a maximum of two representatives per organisation attend. If you would like additional tickets please contact Caroline Clark on 0131 3571277

If you have any dietary or access requirements that will allow you to participate fully in this event, please let us know.

Dealing With Child Arrangements When Families Break Up

Although Christmas is now a distant memory, for many families it only served to heighten tensions when it comes to the issue of child arrangements for parents who have separated.

But, of course, the issues surrounding separated or divorced parents seeing their children are the same throughout the year. Sally Nash, Senior Associate, Family Law at Gilson Gray, shares four helpful tips on dealing with the factors that may arise when reaching an agreement on child care arrangements.

  1. There is no normal

It is important to bear in mind that there is no “norm”. Clients often come to us to say that a well-meaning friend or colleague has told them that a particular pattern of contact is what “always happens”; or that it is a given that any children will principally reside with mum.

While there are certain patterns of contact which we see more often than others, ultimately what parents agree upon varies significantly.

The days are also long gone where it is presumed that the person best placed to have the children with them most of the time is mum. The law clearly directs that all such matters are determined based on what is in the best interests of the particular child concerned. Inevitably, that will vary from child to child.

The arrangements will also hugely depend on practicalities such as how close the parents live to one another. The bottom line is that there is no right or wrong answer to any situation.

2. Watch your language

Although the concepts of “custody” and “access” have been a thing of the past in Scotland since 1995, we all too often hear those terms and think of negative connotations – that a child “belongs” to one parent and the other parent is “permitted” to see the child.

However, whilst there are a few exceptions; in most family situations now both parents will have equal parental rights and responsibilities and both are entitled to be involved in all important decisions.

In our view, it helps if discussions are framed against the background of the correct terminology of “residence” and “contact” which more appropriately reflects what the discussion is about.

3. Put the child first

Even where a separation is amicable, parents can fall into the trap of making the care arrangements for their children about them and their separation, and not about the children themselves.

We would advise to give careful consideration where there is a dispute about care arrangements as to whether what is being objected to is because what is proposed is not felt to be in the best interests of the child, or if it is actually connected to the impact it would have on the parent themselves.

4. Try to find a solution

In the first instance our advice would always be to try to work with the other parent to come up with an arrangement that best meets the needs of your child.

For two parents who are struggling to resolve arrangements directly between them, there are methods of alternative dispute resolution available such as mediation where a third party can try to help you and the other party to work through the issues that have arisen.

However if the arrangements cannot be agreed, the ultimate recourse is to the court. As solicitors working day to day in this field, our advice would always be to avoid court if possible.

The bottom line is that once the arrangements for the care of the child are within the remit of the court, essentially a third party will try to make the best decision they can about what is in the best interest of the child, but what is decided may not give either parent what they want..

Ultimately, communication and cooperation between both parents is key to reducing conflict.

Sally Nash is a Senior Associate in Gilson Gray’s Family Law Team. She has worked exclusively in the field of family law for the last 15 years.

For more information or guidance on dealing with issues related to family law, visit www.gilsongray.co.uk

Anxious times for Almond Mains Initiative

It isn’t only groups and organisations from North Edinburgh – the old Greater Pilton area – who are facing bleak futures following funding cuts.

Some citywide organisations like Volunteer Edinburgh’s LOOPS support programme for older people received no funding and organisations in Craigmillar, the city centre and Northfield Willowbrae were all unsuccessful in their funding bids.

Projects supporting services for older people came out of the funding process particularly badly – including one in nearby Cramond (an area, incidentally, that is now part of North West Locality alongside communities like West Pilton and Muirhouse).

There are precious few community facilities in Cramond – and now it seems likely that there could be one fewer.

You may not have heard of it, but The Almond Mains Initiative has been running for twenty years. It formed in Davidson’s Mains and moved to Parkgrove before settling in it’s current home at Cramond Kirk’s Millennium Hall.

The Almond Mains initiative runs lunch clubs and day services catering for older people over 65 who are frail, have difficulty with mobility or a disability or health condition which limits their access to social opportunities.

The club is unable to meet the needs of people with dementia or those who require specific personal care, but is a real lifeline for those older people who would otherwise be isolated.

The club meets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Cramond Kirk’s Millennium Hall, supporting twelve people per day.

Almond Mains had applied to Edinburgh Integration Joint Board’s Health & Social Care fund for a grant of £43,000 to support two part-time staff and project activities over the next three years, but heard last month that they had been unsuccessful – and will receive nothing.

Gena Wylie is chairperson of the Almond Mains Initiative. Formerly of Pilton Youth & Children’s Project and an active member of Forth Voluntary Sector Forum before her retirement, Gena is no stranger to funding challenges and it must seem like deja vu for the Almond chair.

Gena explained: “The application process was particularly unforgiving and we were hugely disappointed to hear that our funding bid had been rejected – and this in a short email that gave no detail of why we were rejected.

“That explanation may come later but it will be no consolation to either the staff or the people who use the service. Our worry is that there is absolutely nothing else to offer the people who currently attend the Almond Mains Initiative.

“Where will they go?  We know other organisations are already operating waiting lists and no-one has spare capacity, so the fear is that our older people won’t have any  opportunities to meet and socialise. It’s a real concern and at this time no-one seems to have an answer.”

East meets West on Superbowl Sunday

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Give it a try! Edinburgh Leisure set to tackle under 5s rugby

With the Six Nations Championships kicking off soon, Edinburgh Leisure is looking to tackle the under 5’s market by offering a 6-week taster block of mini-rugby for initially just £6 – essentially £1 per session.   Continue reading Give it a try! Edinburgh Leisure set to tackle under 5s rugby