During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a huge increase in the use of video calls as a way to stay connected with others and improve wellbeing.
Staying connected is especially important for people aged 70 and above who have been advised to self-isolate for long periods of time.
However, there may be barriers to video call use, including difficulties with hearing.
We are interested in finding out how and to what extent older people with hearing loss have been using video calls, focusing on ease or difficulty of use and any effects on feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Take part in our survey
We’ve launched a survey to find out about these things and we’d love you to take part, whether you use video calls frequently or hardly at all and whether you love them or loathe them (or something in between). You can complete the survey online or, if you prefer, fill in a paper copy.
It should take roughly half an hour. We will also conduct a smaller number of in-depth interviews to find out more detail about people’s experiences; you can volunteer for an interview via the survey.
If you’re interested, please register here. If you’d like any more information, please email ear.vcp@ucl.ac.uk or phone 02076798904.
If you prefer to fill in the survey on paper, we can send you a copy in the post.
All respondents can choose to be entered into a prize draw to win one of two £50 shopping vouchers.
This project is a collaboration between four different UCL departments: the Ear Institute, Centre for Behaviour Change, Division of Psychiatry and Institute of Health Informatics.
We will use the results of our investigations to write recommendations about making video conferencing more accessible to older people with hearing loss. We believe that the information we gather will be valuable in helping older people with hearing loss cope with further periods of isolation, either due to the pandemic or other life events.
Hope you are settled back in after Christmas and New Year. Our adult education courses are starting back next week and am taking this opportunity to highlight some wellbeing opportunities that you might be able to share in your networks.
Tuesdays 12.30-1.30pm Pilates Post Beginner – suitable for people working from home in need of some toning exercise as well! Designed for those working from home, but anyone in need of some mid-day exercise can join.
Pilates is a movement/exercise system designed to build dynamic strength and increase your flexibility, stability and mobility. It is a way of re-educating and re-patterning your mind-body by becoming aware of your movements and connecting with your deeper muscles.
The Pilates Method improves your overall functioning and health – not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. It is both gentle and challenging, focusing on moving easily, efficiently and pain-free. This course will focus on these elements, providing you with a gentle but strengthening workout. https://www.joininedinburgh.org/activity/17776/
Wednesdays 10.30-12 noon for Beginner Mindfulness to help relax MINDFULNESS (awareness of the present moment) is taught through cultivating Meditation skills which include bringing a kind attention to the breath and body during stillness and movement in a curious non-judgemental way, noticing what is going on in your body, your mind and in the world around you.
HOW THE COURSE WILL BE TAUGHT: Experience of guided practices (Tutor Led) including sitting Meditation, bodyscan and Mindful movement. Encouraged to engage in daily home practice of short (15-20 minutes) meditations to gain the most benefit. Discussion – reflection of experience of home practices. Support and guidance in applying Mindfulness to everyday activities. Short readings and poems.
Thursdays 16.30-17.00 for Health Meditation and Breathing
Is lockdown taking a toll on you? Are you feeling overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, depressed or exhausted? Do you find difficult to focus, relax or even sleep? Are your emotions like a roller coaster lately?
This course will help you navigate the current uncertain times and discover there are actually easy, effective and pleasant ways of managing these emotional states.
Fridays 10.45am-11.15 plus YouTube video Tai Chi Beginners (new class being added because other beginner class full) Beginners Course: Is to introduce you to Yang Style Tai-Chi Chuan.
This will cover the fundamental aims and principles of Tai-Chi Chuan, including an introduction to the philosophy underpinning this. Additionally, we will learn some warm up exercise routines, that will enable, through practice, to establish a foundation and develop agile movements to relax and soften muscles and tissue. This brings movement into areas of the body, where tension and stiffness may already exist. email fiona.henderson@craigroyston.edin.sch.uk if interested
Fridays 12.20-13.30 Mindbody Stretching
Stiff, tense or stressed? Increase your flexibility/mobility in a PLEASANT painless way, prevent muscle/joint soreness and release tension from your body and mind.
Deep and relaxing stretching system, focused on improving flexibility/mobility for the long term, that will help you reduce stress and calm the mind.https://www.joininedinburgh.org/activity/17779/
Costs can be found by clicking on the link but roughly the cost for the standard fee is £31.40 and £15.75 for students, senior citizens or people receiving benefits, for an 8 week term.
Thank you for anything you can do to spread the word – there are also many other courses on the website www.joininedinburgh.org but hopefully these courses might be a good fit for local groups or individuals you know.
An investment of £750,000 in local carer centres will increase support for unpaid carers of all ages, helping them to take a break from caring and access other much-needed help.
This recognises some of the challenges faced by unpaid carers, with many regular sources of support having stopped or moved online due to the pandemic.
It also comes in response to concerns about increasing pressure on carers – particularly while many traditional respite breaks are restricted or unavailable.
The funding will allow local carer centres to react flexibly to the needs of carers in their areas. Feedback from national and local carer representatives suggests there is a demand for extending existing services such as befriending, counselling or online support groups, as well as offering additional grants for carers which can be used for expenditure such as leisure equipment, hobbies or entertainment subscriptions.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Unpaid carers play a vital role in society but without the right support, caring relationships can break down, which can result additional health or social care support being needed for the cared for person, their carer, or both.
“This funding will enable carer centres to decide how best to promptly meet local need. It is designed to ensure more unpaid carers – including young carers – can benefit from a much-needed break and emotional support.”
On behalf of Scotland’s National Carer Organisations, Don Williamson, Chief Executive of Shared Care Scotland, said: “COVID-19 has made life hugely challenging for unpaid carers, many of whom are struggling on with little or no opportunity to have any breaks from their caring. We therefore very much welcome this additional funding from Scottish Government which will go towards increasing the capacity of local carer services so they can provide support to more carers, including with accessing breaks, to help them over the particularly difficult winter months.”
Lloyds Banking Group has unveiled the next stage of its plan to boost Scotland’s fintech workforce in the fastest-growing digital economy outside London.
As part of the launch of its new tech hub in Edinburgh in March 2019, Lloyds announced a recruitment drive to create a new 500-strong team tasked with helping transform the digital experience for Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Scottish Widows customers.
As part of the next stage in the development of the digital innovation centre, it has now joined forces with Fintech Scotland on the hunt for the country’s most exciting start-ups and young businesses for a new partnership.
The new incubator programme – Launch* – based out of the Edinburgh hub – will bring together start-ups and scale-ups to tackle the challenges of digital services and sustainability, with plans for its first industry showcase next year.
In addition to the tech hub’s team of software engineers and other digital roles which is more than 50% complete, – the first specialist mobile quality engineering team was created, adding an additional 16 roles to the tech-based talent pool in Scotland.
The Edinburgh hub was set up with the aim of transforming how the bank operates behind the scenes, creating new services and tools for customers, as well as enhancing Scotland’s thriving tech community.
Philip Grant, Chair of Lloyds Banking Group’s Scottish Executive Committee, said: “We’re putting lots of energy into shaping the financial services of the future to meet customers’ changing needs, and having cutting-edge fintech talent in action behind the scenes is key to keeping customers connected to their finances.
“We have just launched a pilot Scottish Widows mobile app to help reinvent saving for workplace pensions customers. Using digital features built by our engineers in our innovation labs, it will enable millions of people to start engaging with their pension in a similar way to their everyday banking by helping them see a clearer picture of their financial future.”
Nicola Anderson, Acting Chief Executive, Fintech Scotland, said: “Creating opportunities for collaboration across Scotland’s competitive tech scene will drive innovation as start-ups work together with established financial firms on how to trailblaze the industry’s future in partnership.
“The Launch innovation labs highlight Lloyds’ commitment to developing talent in fintech. It provides a boost in confidence for the industry and shows the power of collaboration for mutual benefit – we’re looking forward to seeing the results in next year’s industry showcase.”
The Group continues to be an active member of the wider technology scene in Scotland, hosting more than 5000 delegates at events and training sessions at its city centre hub last year as well as regular online webinars and courses.
At the start of the year – before the pandemic – it hosted more than 500 delegates at a number of events, including Queercode, the first LBGTQ+ coding meet up in Scotland. As well as working in partnership with Fintech Scotland and SQA-accredited digital skills academy CodeClan, the bank has also invested in providing training for colleagues who want to diversify into careers in technology.
It launched its own coding academy in 2018 which has now expanded from Edinburgh across the UK, as well as the WomenConnecTech network, to help provide opportunities and support to women looking to build careers in computer science. Graduates of the coding academy are now established software engineers working within the digital labs.
Vehicle manufacturers, dealerships, DVSA (Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency) and driving instructors should include a comprehensive lesson for motorists on how to use advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) so they are a road safety benefit and not a potential hazard, says IAM RoadSmart.
The urgent call has been made by the UK’s largest independent road safety charity following the publication of a highly influential report by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) entitled ‘How to maximize the road safety benefits of ADAS’.
Some of the most widely known ADAS – many of which will become mandatory in new vehicles from July 2022 – include adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking systems, lane keeping assist and driver monitoring for drowsiness and distraction recognition.
However, awareness and understanding of these systems is generally low among drivers. The FIA’s report finds that most users do not receive any training when first encountering ADAS but have to rely on information from the user manual, and most alarmingly by applying a ‘trial-and-error’ method.
Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy & Research, said: “Advanced driver assistance systems have the potential to improve road safety, but only if used correctly.
“If used incorrectly, not least without a full understanding of what the systems are and are not capable of, they can have the opposite effect, with potentially worrying consequences for all road users.
“IAM RoadSmart therefore believes the time has now come to include a comprehensive lesson from every car dealer supplying vehicles and further, for more about ADAS to be included in the UK driving test. This is crucial as these tools begin to be supplied as standard on an increasing number of vehicles.”
Meanwhile, further recommendations from the FIA report, which IAM RoadSmart endorses, include a comprehensive explanation to end-users of the systems’ limitations, more consistently accurate functioning of ADAS in practice and the introduction of fail-safe communications to alert users if any of the systems fail, helping to mitigate any potential road safety risk.
Neil added: “There needs to be a much higher emphasis on educating drivers in the best use of technology. Vehicle manufacturers and car dealerships are key, ensuring that when a customer drives off the forecourt they understand and use the various safety systems correctly.
“Until this becomes the norm, IAM RoadSmart is exploring the potential for video tutorials that will plug the current gap.” (See below)
A 101 year old born during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic has received her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.Emily Lawson, from Kirkintilloch, was one of the first in line as part of the rollout of the vaccination programme to vaccinate people over the age of 80 in the community.
Mrs Lawson, born in 1919 as the pandemic spread across the globe, was found at one month old lying next to her mother who had caught the deadly strain of influenza and was too ill to look after her new baby.
Now, more than a century later and living through another pandemic, she has been vaccinated by Samantha Wheadon, a Practice Nurse from Turret Medical Centre in Kirkintilloch.
When asked how she felt about receiving the vaccine she took it in her stride, commenting: “it was normal, just another vaccine”.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) currently has more than 450 vaccinators working across hospital and community settings to deliver COVID-19 vaccinations in a swift and safe manner. Currently the health board is vaccinating around 20,000 people every week and in February, this number is expected to rise to 80,000.
GPs are leading on the vaccination roll-out for their patients aged 80 years and over, and are scheduling appointments locally once they receive supplies of the vaccine.
Dr Linda De Caestecker, Director for Public Health at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “We have had a very high uptake of the vaccine so far with thousands of eligible staff and care home residents vaccinated already and it’s fantastic to see the community rollout begin.
“Our teams are working extremely hard to get as many people possible vaccinated as quickly as possible during this time.
“However, the rollout does not mean we can let our guard down. Our hospitals are extremely busy with COVID-19 admissions and our staff are working tirelessly to look after both COVID and non-COVID patients.
“We would urge everyone to continue following the rules to help minimise the spread of the virus.”
The FACTS guidance:
Face coverings in enclosed spaces,
Avoid crowded places,
Clean your hands regularly,
Two metre distancing
Self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms.
Scottish drivers can now expect to pay £610 for their car insurance, as prices for new policies drop by 10% in 12 months, according to Confused.com’s car insurance price index
Drivers in Central Scotland benefited from biggest savings, as car insurance drops by £72 (10%) in the region last 12 months
But despite significant savings, Central Scotland is still most expensive region in Scotland, with average premium costing drivers £643
Motorists in the UK can now expect to pay £52 (6%) less for their car insurance when buying a new policy, on average – a welcome saving as the coronavirus crisis extends into 2021
However, further research by Confused.com found that two in five (42%) UK drivers who received their renewal in the past quarter saw their price increase by £49, on average
There’s good news for drivers in Scotland, as the average cost of car insurance has dropped by £65 over 12 months, in the steepest price drop seen in two years.
Scottish drivers can now expect to pay £610 for their car insurance, on average, as prices for new policies drop by 10% in the last 12 months. That’s according to the latest car insurance price index by Confused.com (Q4 2020), powered by Willis Towers Watson. Based on more than six million quotes per quarter, it’s the most comprehensive new business price index in the UK.
But motorists in some Scottish regions are seeing even greater savings. Drivers in Central Scotland have seen their car insurance premiums decrease by £72 (10%), on average, in the last 12 months. This brings the average car insurance cost in the region to £643, making it the most expensive of the four Scottish regions.
It’s a similar picture across the other Scottish regions, with all areas seeing steep decreases year-on-year. Motorists in East and North East Scotland have seen their car insurance prices fall by £66 (11%), taking the average premium in the region to £560, on average.
Meanwhile drivers in the Highlands and Islands can expect to make savings of £51 (8%) year-on-year, with the average car insurance cost standing at £601. Motorists in the Scottish Borders have seen prices drop by £46 (8%), with the average premium ringing in at £569.
These savings are reflected across the rest of the UK, with the overall cost of insurance falling by £52 (6%) on average – the biggest drop in two years. This brings the average price of car insurance to £763 – the cheapest price since early 2019. These decreases will no doubt be welcomed by drivers across the UK, as the coronavirus pandemic has forced a lot of financial uncertainty on many households.
However, further research by Confused.com suggests that motorists who choose to renew with the same insurer may not see the same savings. In a survey of 2,000 UK drivers, more than two fifths (42%) of those who were due to renew over the past quarter (Q4 2020) said their renewal price was more expensive than the previous year, with insurers adding an extra £49 to their price, on average. Worryingly, nearly a quarter (24%) chose to stay with the same insurer, despite their price being more expensive. But two in five (40%) shopped around and saved £60, on average.
Louise O’Shea, CEO at Confused.com, explains that this proves that it doesn’t pay to stay loyal. And new rules set out by the Financial Conduct Authority will make it even easier for consumers to cancel their existing policies and switch to a better deal(2).
Currently, customers who don’t actively seek out a new price will be automatically renewed on their existing policy, at the price which is set out by the insurer. And it’s clear from Confused.com’s research that many motorists are seeing their price increase year-on-year, meaning they’ll be paying out more money when there is likely to be a better price for them on the market. But the FCA’s proposal will not just make it easier to cancel auto-renewals, it is also set to prohibit insurers from calculating a price based on whether the customer is a new customer or a renewing customer. However, this does not mean that renewal prices will stay the same or decrease, they could still increase year-on-year. The FCA have been clear that shopping around will still give customers opportunities to save.
As the country has lived in lockdown for the majority of the past 12 months, people are driving significantly less and the data suggests prices may have dropped to reflect this. According to further research by Confused.com, UK motorists expect to be driving 2,000 fewer miles this year, compared with last year, which can have a significant impact on the price they pay for their insurance.
Typically, having a lower mileage could mean drivers pay more for their insurance. For example, a driver with an annual mileage of between 3,000 and 4,000 miles per year would pay £126 more than if they were to drive between 8,000 and 9,000 miles.
This because a motorist who drivers fewer miles could be deemed to be less experienced and therefore a higher risk. However, in the current climate, two in three (61%) UK drivers claim they have been using their car less since being in lockdown, meaning the risk on roads has decreased overall.
While all drivers in Scotland have saved money on their car insurance in the last 12 months, some have benefitted from greater price decreases. In particular, drivers in Glasgow, Central Scotland, have seen car insurance prices fall by £104 (13%), on average, since the last quarter of 2019 with the average premium now costing £688. This is the biggest price drop in the region. Meanwhile, in the East and North East of Scotland, it’s motorists from Aberdeen that have seen the biggest savings. Drivers here can expect to save £79 (12%) year-on-year, paying out £567 for their car insurance, on average.
The price drops are boding well for both genders also. Male motorists in Central Scotland are making the biggest savings, as they can expect to save £74 (10%) on their car insurance compared to this time last year, taking the average premium to £667.
Similarly, male drivers in the East and North East of Scotland are also seeing a big different in prices, as they can expect to pay £70 (11%) less for their insurance compared with 12 months ago . The average premium for male motorists in the region stands at £581, on average. It’s a similar story in the Highlands and Islands and Scottish Borders, where male motorists can make savings of £53 (8%) and £48 (8%), respectively, on average.
Meanwhile, female drivers across the regions are also face similar decreases. Motorists in Central Scotland are able to save £70 (10%) on the car insurance premium since 12 months ago, with the average car insurance premium standing at £613 Female drivers in the East and North East of Scotland have seen car insurance premiums fall by £62 (11%) on average, since the same time last year, taking the average premium to £531. While, female motorists in the Highlands and Scottish borders are able to save £47 (8%) and £44 (7%) respectively, on average.
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, even younger drivers are making savings in all four Scottish regions. Male drivers aged 17-20 are making the biggest savings, as prices have dropped by £125 (6%) in the East and North East Scotland, as well as in Central Scotland, on average. The average premiums cost £1,823 and £2,038, respectively, on average.
Female motorists aged 17-20 are also paying less for car insurance. Those in the East and North East are benefitting from the biggest savings, with car insurance prices having dropped by £90 (7%) since 12 months ago, taking the average premium to £1,288. While, in Central Scotland, female drivers in this age group are seeing savings of £88 (6%), with the average car insurance premium costing £1,480.
While the cost of car insurance is cheaper now for most drivers, it’s clear not everyone is off the hook, which proves the importance of shopping around to find the best deal.
Louise O’Shea, CEO at Confused.com comments: “We’re seeing some of the biggest car insurance savings across Scotland in a long time and it couldn’t come at a better time.
“It’s been nearly 12 months since we first went into lockdown and this put so many people in a difficult situation, so I have no doubt this news will be welcomed by so many. We’re at home and driving a lot less, it’s only right our car insurance prices should reflect that.
“That said, it’s important to remember that these savings are only being seen by those shopping around. We know from our research that insurers are still putting up renewal prices.
“Even if the increase is small, please don’t settle for this as there will be an insurer out there willing to offer a better price. At Confused.com we’re so certain of this that we’re offering to beat their renewal quote or give them the difference, plus £20(4).”
Scotland’s national fire service is reaching out to members of the LGBT+ community to encourage them to consider a career in the fire service.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is inviting underrepresented groups to a dedicated online information session about operational and non-operational roles.
This month, an exclusive session is being held for members of the LGBT+ community.
Liz Barnes, Director of People and Organisational Development for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “As an equal opportunities employer, we strive to ensure our workforce represents the communities we work in.
“We want to reach out to diverse groups. This can help increase the number of applicants, which means that we will get the best candidates applying for the right job.”
In October 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions the information sessions moved online for the first time.
This month, online sessions continue with a dedcated LGBT+ event on Wednesday, January 20 between 6pm and 8pm.
Liz continued: “During the sessions, we’ll aim to answer questions about the range of careers available in the service and how you can apply for these roles.
“It’s also important for us discuss any challenges you feel there are and how we may assist in overcoming these.”
Anyone who wishes to attend can sign up via Eventbrite– places are limited however, there will be a holding list for future events.
More online information sessions are planned for other underrepresented groups who are interested in learning more about careers in the fire service.
We’ve been made aware that fraudsters are sending out fake text messages offering a COVID-19 vaccine in an attempt to steal personal and financial information.
The text offers a link to an extremely convincing fake NHS website where people are asked to input their bank details to register for a vaccine.
The scam message reads: “We have identified that you are eligible to apply for your vaccine” and then prompts you to click on a link for further information or to ‘apply’ for the vaccine.
Cold callers are also asking people to pay for the vaccine over the phone.
Please remember that there’s NO CHARGE for the vaccine.
Major organisations like The Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership will NEVER send unsolicited emails or texts asking for banking details.
If you receive a text or email that asks you to click on a link or for you to provide information, such as your name, credit card or bank details, IT’S A SCAM.
You should never give out personal details to organisations or people before verifying their credentials first, even if the message appears to be genuine.
Businesses across Scotland are set to benefit from vital support, following the launch of a new £10 million DigitalBoost Development Grant by Business Gateway and The Scottish Government.
The fund, which is available through DigitalBoost, Business Gateway’s national digital training programme for businesses, is funded by The Scottish Government and will help businesses upskill and invest in their digital capabilities as they work to overcome the challenges they face now and build for Scotland’s economic recovery. VAT registered businesses will be able to access up to £25,000 while non-VAT registered business can benefit from up to £5,000 of funding.
This launch follows a successful pilot grant scheme in the Autumn 2020 for DigitalBoost 1:1 clients.
The fund is now open and accepting applications.
Launching the scheme, Cabinet Secretary for Finance Kate Forbes said: “The firms that have coped best during the pandemic are invariably those that have been able to adapt with the help of digital tools.
“This funding will provide an immediate boost and will support businesses to adopt digital technologies to improve productivity, increase resilience and drive growth. It will also help to improve their digital capability and the skills of their workforce so they can keep pace with future technological progress.
“Supporting SMEs on their digital journey is key to Scotland’s economic recovery, our future prosperity and our net-zero ambitions and I encourage business owners to take up this valuable opportunity.”
Business Gateway is delivered by local authorities throughout Scotland and works in collaboration with a wide variety of organisations to help deliver the best advice and support to Scottish businesses.
Welcoming the scheme, COSLA spokesperson Cllr Steven Heddle said: “The last ten months have shown how critical strong and robust online platforms are for businesses, if they are to successfully adapt to the challenges posed by the pandemic.
“Given the ongoing nature of the crisis, this scheme will be a critical lifeline for those businesses that want to digitally upskill and invest in their platforms so that they can survive, increase their resilience to current and future challenges, and find new opportunities and markets to grow.
“Alongside this grant fund, the DigitalBoost programme will continue to provide other free support to businesses, helping them take advantage of technology so that they can adapt and thrive.”
Liz McCutcheon, CEO, Lanarkshire Enterprise Services (LESL), said: “LESL are delighted to be administering the DigitalBoost Development Grant, on behalf of the Scottish Government and Business Gateway’s DigitalBoost Programme.
“LESL has long been an advocate of digital adoption and are committed to supporting SMEs across Scotland leverage the grant to allow them to transform their businesses digitally.”
DigitalBoost provides webinars, a free healthcheck, 1:1 support from a digital expert, online tutorials, and practical guides on topics including social media, cyber resilience, data analytics, digital marketing strategy and e-commerce.
