A volunteer support group has been set up to help elderly/vulnerable people during the Covid 19 crisis.
UK Community Network is active in all areas of Edinburgh and have been helping people for the past few weeks. We still believe their are people struggling who maybe don’t qualify for other sorts of help and we also believe that as more people go back to work, there will be less volunteers around to help.
We have volunteers who are ready to help with shopping, prescriptions, etc.
Get in touch!
New research from BT suggests that many older people (70+) are suffering from a difficult combination of both physical and digital isolation during the Coronavirus lockdown.
A poll of people from across the UK, who have a close relative over 70, found that less than a quarter believe their loved one would be willing to try a video call with a GP, with the majority prepared to wait longer to get a face-to-face appointment.
While some older people (27%) have ventured to the shops during lockdown, a third of those surveyed believe their relatives had put themselves at risk in order to purchase essential items on behalf of their loved one and nearly half those surveyed (49%) think it would be life-changing for their older relative if they knew how to order their own groceries online.
However, 41 per cent think their older family member has never made an online purchase, and half believe their relative is reluctant to try and learn new skills when it comes to technology.
The survey revealed various barriers to learning: more than three-quarters (76%) think their relative would consider it too complicated. A quarter think their loved ones feel the internet is unsafe (26%), 29 per cent say that their relatives haven’t got anyone to teach them and 35 per cent aren’t sure where to learn these digital skills.
Nearly four in ten (38%) did say their family members would be more open to improving their digital skills due to recent events, but don’t know where to start.
Professor Kerensa Jennings, BT Group Director of Digital Impact, said: “Technology has become an essential lifeline for millions of people right now. But to combat loneliness, we must ensure that older people can take advantage of the benefits that technology provides, from accessing vital services to staying in touch with family and friends.
“We know that even picking up some relatively simple digital skills can make a huge difference to the lives of older people and those that care for them during lockdown – whether it’s doing their own online shopping, accessing health services or enjoying face-to-face calls with loved ones.
“While many older people are very confident with tech, it’s never too late to try something new. For others, it’s the first time they are accessing the internet. That’s why we are working closely with leading social change charity, Good Things Foundation, to ensure people can get the skills they need to stay connected and healthy during lockdown.”
The survey also revealed that six in 10 people believe their loved ones feel more isolated than ever before as a result of the global pandemic, and 53 per cent think they have struggled to adjust to an altered lifestyle due to coronavirus.
Email and WhatsApp are the digital platforms family members feel elderly relations are the most adept at using, with 39 per cent able to successfully set up a video call with their elderly loved ones. One in five over 70s are also able to stream through Amazon Prime or Netflix.
However, over three quarters (78%) said their family member consumes their information from television, with a third relying on their family member to update them on current affairs and just one in five going online.
Helen Milner, Chief Executive of Good Things Foundation, said: “The research supports what we’re hearing from our network partners and our wider findings on the issue of digital isolation. The people left behind are disproportionately older, often with existing health issues that are being compounded by a lack of confidence in digital technology. This is a deeply shocking societal problem we must all address urgently.
“We know that due to the Coronavirus pandemic more people are willing to try new things online and improve their digital skills so this is the perfect time to give them the tools and guidance to do so.”
BT Skills for Tomorrow is giving 10 million people the skills they need to make the most of life in the digital world we live in. It’s completely free and designed to help everyone – from school children and teachers, parents and families to businesses and jobseekers – and anyone who needs support getting online to make the most of life.
Working in partnership with leading digital skills organisations, BT have created and collated the best courses, webinars and information, in one easy to navigate place.
However, there remains a significant number of vulnerable people who do not currently have an internet connection or suitable device, making isolation particularly difficult. In order to address this issue, BT has donated 1,000 tablets with pre-paid SIMs to the Good Things Foundation as part of the DevicesDotNow campaign.
The Good Things Foundation is the UK’s leading digital exclusion charity and the key distribution partner for DevicesDotNow through their Online Centres Network. They are also one of BT’s existing partners through Skills for Tomorrow.
Westminster’s Science and Technology Committee has today shared a series of findings in a letter written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The 19 page letter, which sets out a number of recommendations to the Government, is based on evidence heard as part of the Committee’s inquiry into UK science, research and technology capability and influence in global disease outbreaks.
Backed by a cross-party group of MPs, the publication details ten key lessons the UK Government should learn from its experience of handling the first months of the pandemic.
Drawing on the evidence of scientists and other relevant experts from the UK and around the world who have thus far provided the Committee with a wide range of insights, the recommendations include:
The Committee also makes a recommendation relating to the systematic recording of the ethnicity of those dying of COVID-19, stating that such data may help progress understanding of the disproportionate number of deaths of those from BAME backgrounds.
The letter has reached these conclusions as a result of the inquiry’s first six public evidence sessions. The inquiry, which captures contemporary evidence on decisions and assessments made by Government during the pandemic, continues.
Chair of the Committee, Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, said: “The Government has drawn extensively on scientific advice during the pandemic and should continue to do so.
“The Government should follow the best traditions of science in being transparent about the evidence and advice on which it makes decisions, and by being willing to continually learn from evidence and experience and not being afraid to adjust its approach in response.
“Greater transparency around scientific advice; putting capacity in place in advance of need, such as in testing and vaccines; collecting more data earlier and learning from other countries’ approaches are some of the early lessons of this pandemic that are relevant to further decisions that will need to be taken during the weeks and months ahead.
“We hope the Government will act on these recommendations which are offered in a constructive spirit based on the evidence we have taken so far.”
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City council leader Adam McVey has outlined the measures the Council will take following a report from the Edinburgh Poverty Commission into the impact the Covid-19 pandemic is having on residents in the city.
The interim Poverty and Coronavirus in Edinburgh report has taken testimonies from people directly affected by the pandemic focussing on areas such as jobs, people’s incomes, housing, homelessness, the cost of living, health and social isolation.
Leader Adam McVey pledged the Council will do everything it can to support those most in need and welcomed the report which will inform the future direction the Council takes in tackling poverty in the city.
He said: “I welcome that this report recognises the work done by the Council, partners, third sector and volunteers across the city to respond positively and quickly to deliver lifeline services including vital food and medical supplies for citizens affected by the coronavirus measure that have been put in place.
“Today’s report contains important findings with vital and timely testimonies on the real impact that lockdown is having on people’s lives. While we have all been affected by the ongoing situation, it is clear from this report that this pandemic has been particularly challenging for those who were already in or at risk of poverty in the city.
“We’re absolutely committed to making sure this evidence shapes our continuing response to this emergency over the coming months, as well as the planning for how we will rebuild the city when this crisis has passed.
“It’s so important that while we look to address the additional hardship and pressures this crisis has brought, we also build on the renewed sense of community and collaboration we have witnessed across the city.
“As we plan for Edinburgh’s recovery, we will continue to be ambitious and make sure our responses are guided by our long-term commitment to boosting sustainability, tackling poverty and improving residents’ wellbeing.
“We will continue working with the Scottish and UK Governments to secure the right level of ongoing financial support to allow us to rebuild and create a fairer city for all going forward.”
In specific response to the actions the Commission has put forward, the Council will:
In the coming weeks the Council will publish its first plans for how the city will adapt and rebuild from this crisis throughout the rest of this year and beyond. A key element of this recovery programme will be ensuring that the twin targets of being fair and green for all lie at its heart.
The council will continue to encourage partners who are invested in the prosperity of the city work with them to achieve a ‘fair and green economic recovery’ which will include the work of both the Edinburgh Poverty Commission and the Edinburgh Climate Commission.
The final report by the Edinburgh Poverty Commission and their findings will be published in the autumn.
20200518_EPC_Interim_Coronavirus_Report
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Monday 18th May):
Good afternoon everybody. Thank you for joining us. I want to start – as always – with an update you on the key statistics in relation to Covid-19.
As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 14,594 positive cases confirmed – which is an increase of 57 since yesterday.
A total of 1,427 patients are in hospital with Covid-19 – 1,005 of them have been confirmed as having the virus, and 422 are suspected of having it. That represents a total increase of 119 from yesterday, however the number of confirmed cases has declined by 2.
A total of 63 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is an increase of 4 since yesterday.
I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,354 patients who had tested positive have been able to leave hospital and I wish all of them well.
Unfortunately though I also have to report that in the past 24 hours, 2 deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed through a test as having the virus – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,105.
I should of course inject some caution into that figure – as I often say on a Monday, although deaths can now be registered at weekends, registration numbers are usually relatively low then, and they can be especially low on a Sunday. That should be taken into account when considering today’s figure.
Again, let me stress – these numbers are not just statistics. Each one is an individual whose loss is a source of real sorrow and deep grief. My condolences go to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.
And let me also want to thank – as I always do – our health and care workers for the extraordinary work they continue to do in such difficult and challenging circumstances.
Now I have three things that I want to update on today.
The first is that we have changed our guidance on the symptoms of Covid-19, this is based on a recommendation from the Chief Medical Officers across the UK.
Until now, we have been asking people to stay at home for 7 days if you have a high temperature, or a persistent cough. That remains the case.
However we have also said that we are learning about this virus as it develops, and we now have sufficient evidence to add an additional symptom which you should look out for.
If you notice a loss of, or change in, your sense of taste or smell – something called anosmia – that is also, or can also be, a symptom of Covid-19.
The Chief Medical Officer will say more about this in a few moments, but to summarise – if you have a high temperature, or a persistent cough, or if you notice a loss of taste or smell – stay at home completely for 7 days, and don’t leave your home at all. Other people in your household should stay at home for 14 days.
The second issue I want to discuss today is that from today, we are widening the number of people who can be tested for Covid-19.
The Health Secretary will say a bit more in a moment about testing in care homes.
The change I will talk about is that anyone over the age of 5, who has any of the three symptoms of Covid-19 – including of course that loss of taste or smell – will now be able to book a test.
The tests will be available through the drive-in centres – at Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, and in Perth and Inverness. They will also available through the 12 mobile testing units which are based across the country, and which move around every 5 days or so.
Tests at drive-in centres have already been made available to over 65s, to key workers – for example people in vital infrastructure services – and to anyone who needs to work, who cannot work from home. Tests have also been available to household members of these groups.
The further expansion that we are announcing today will ensure that anyone with symptoms will be able to find out if they have the virus, and will therefore be able to know whether or not they should be isolating.
Tests can be booked online. Priority will continue to be given to those who are key workers, and these can be secured by booking through an employer.
When you book a test, you will be allocated to the centre that is closest to your own postcode. I know that for some people that will involve travelling quite a long distance. We are currently working with the military to try to make mobile testing units as widely available as possible.
It is also worth stressing that for NHS and social care key workers, or symptomatic household members of those workers, testing should still be accessed through the NHS.
This testing ensures priority access, and should be accessible to care and health service staff at NHS facilities within their local area – it should not require people to travel long distances.
Today’s expansion is the result of co-operation between NHS Scotland, the Scottish Government and the UK Government. It will help more people to know if they have the virus and it will be helpful as we build towards our strategy of test, trace, isolate and support – something that will be especially important, as we start to emerge gradually from lockdown.
That is relevant to the final issue I want to talk about today.
I can confirm today that we will publish on Thursday a routemap setting out our phased approach to easing lockdown measures.
This will take account of the up to date estimates of the transmission rate, or R number, and the number of cases. It will also take account of the latest National Records of Scotland report, due on Wednesday, on the number of deaths from COVID.
The routemap we publish on Thursday will give a more detailed indication of the order in which we will carefully and gradually seek to lift current restrictions
Now like other countries we will not yet be able to put frim dates on all of the different phases – because timings must be driven by data and evidence.
It will also be important that we assess the impact of measures in one phase before moving on to another. We will continue, and again I want to stress this, to take a cautious approach that ensures the virus is suppressed, while seeking to restore as much normality as possible when it is safe to do so.
However, Thursday’s routemap will confirm that – assuming we see progress in suppressing the virus – the first phase will start from the next formal review date of 28 May.
Within a few days of that, we will aim to allow, for example, more outdoor activity – such as being able to sit in the park, meet up outdoors with someone from another household, as long as you stay socially distanced; some limited outdoor sporting activities, like golf and fishing; the opening of garden centres and recycling facilities; and the resumption of some outdoor work.
This first phase will coincide with our ability to start, on a phased basis, a substantial test, trace and isolate operation to help us keep the virus under control as we start to ease up restrictions. That part is absolutely crucial.
Thursday’s routemap will also set out our up to date assessment at that point of a phased of a return to school, as guided by the considerations of the Education Recovery Group.
From Thursday onwards, we will also set out guidance for key industries on the changes they will need to make to ensure their employees and customers are safe in advance of further changes, as well as setting out advice on travel and transport.
So, within two weeks, my hope is that we will be taking some concrete steps on the journey back to a form of normality.
As I have said before, It won’t be normality exactly as we knew it because the virus will not have gone away. But it will be a journey to a better balance, I hope, than the one we have today.
As we take each step, we must make sure the ground beneath us is as solid as possible.
And that’s why, between now and then, sticking with the lockdown restrictions a bit longer, to suppress the virus more, is so important.
Because that will mean we can start to take these steps with confidence that we have alternative means of effectively keeping it under control.
So for that reason, our key advice now remains unchanged, and it remains as important as ever.
Please stay at home right now except for essential purposes – such as essential work that can’t be done at home, exercise, or accessing essential items like food and medicine.
You can of course now exercise more than once a day – but when you do leave the house, stay more than 2 metres away from other people. And don’t meet up with people from households other than yours at this stage.
You should wear a face covering if you are in a shop or on public transport. And please wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.
Finally, if you or someone else in your household has symptoms, then you should stay at home completely, and a reminder – those symptoms are a high temperature, or a persistent cough, or a change or loss of smell or taste.
By sticking with these restrictions now, we make it all the more likely we can start that journey back to normality within the timescale I talked about a moment.
So let me end with my thanks again to all of you, for doing the right thing, and staying at home at this stage, you are helping to slow down the virus spread, you are helping to protect the NHS and undoubtedly you are saving lives.
Thank you very much indeed, I am now going to hand over to the Chief Medical Officer to say a few words, particularly about the change to guidance on symptoms today and then I will hand over to the Health Secretary who is going to say a few words, including some more detail on testing in care homes …
Over one in three 18-24 year olds, and three in ten workers in their early 60s, are receiving less pay than they did at the start of the year, compared to less than a quarter of workers aged 35-49, according to new Resolution Foundation published today.
The report is published on the day it was announced that UK unemployment rose by 50,000 to 1.35 million in the three months to March, when the effects of the coronavirus lockdown started to affect the economy.
The report, Young workers in the coronavirus crisis, based on a survey of 6,005 UK adults in early May and supported by the Health Foundation, examines how the current crisis has already affected workers of different ages in terms of their jobs, pay, hours and working conditions. It is published ahead of official labour market data today covering the three months to March this year (and only the very start of the crisis).
Previous Resolution Foundation research has shown that excluding students, young people tend to be hit hardest during downturns, and are particularly at risk in the current one as they are more likely to work in the hardest hit sectors of the economy, such as hospitality, leisure and retail.
Looking at workers’ current earnings compared to the start of the year, the research finds that employees across all age groups are more likely to be earning less than they did in January than earning more, though young and older workers are most affected.
Among 18-24 year olds, 35 per cent are earning less than they did before the outbreak, and 13 per cent are earning more. Employees in their early 60s are the next most likely to be receiving less pay (30 per cent), with a further 9 per cent receiving more pay. By contrast, 23 per cent of 35-49 year olds are earning less, while 5 per cent are earning more.
The research shows that young people are also the most likely to have lost work – though other age groups have been affected.
One in three 18-24 year olds employees have lost work, either through being furloughed (23 per cent) or losing their jobs completely (9 per cent).
One in five (20 per cent) employees in their late 20s (aged 25-29) have either been furloughed or lost their jobs, along with around one in six (18 per cent) workers in their early 60s (aged 60-64).
Employees aged 35-44 are the least likely to have been furloughed or lost their jobs, with around 15 per cent experiencing this since the crisis began.
The Foundation says the big pay reductions and job losses for young and older employees are a huge concern, for very different reasons.
Younger workers deeply affected by the crisis today risk have their pay scarred for years to come – causing a long-term reduction in their living standards. Older workers risk being involuntary retired well before reaching their State Pension Age, or not having time to make-up their current earnings shortfall. Both risks could cause a permanent hit to their incomes through retirement.
The Foundation says that the scale of pay reductions since the crisis began would be even greater where it not for the Job Retention Scheme. The research finds around one in five furloughed employees are still receiving full pay (despite state support being capped at 80 per cent), including over a quarter of workers aged 35-44.
Finally, the Foundation says that the Government needs to start preparing its response to the next phase of the crisis, which should include policies such as Job Guarantees for young people, and broader fiscal stimulus to boost demand in the economy and raise household incomes.
Maja Gustafsson, Researcher at the Resolution Foundation, said: “Our research confirms fears that young people are being hardest in the current crisis. One in three young people have been furloughed or lost their jobs completely, and over one in three had had their pay reduced since the crisis started.
“But while young people are in the eye of the storm, they are not the only group who are experiencing big income shocks. Britain is experiencing a U-shaped living standards crisis, with workers in their early 60s also badly affected.
“That is why the Government’s strategy to support the recovery should combine targeted support to help young people into work, with more general stimulus to boost demand across the economy and help households of all ages.”
Report: Young-workers-in-the-coronavirus-crisis
The number of people claiming unemployment benefit in the UK soared to 2.1 million in April, the first full month of the coronavirus lockdown.
The April total rose by 856,500, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures.
Before the lockdown began, employment had already hit a record high before the lockdown began.
The situation is actually even worse than these desperate figures show – benefit claimant count does not include everyone who is out of work, since not all can claim assistance.
Everyone over the age of five with symptoms eligible to be tested
Testing for coronavirus (COVID-19) is to be opened out to everyone who is symptomatic over the age of five. This means anyone who is displaying any of the three symptoms of COVID-19 – continuous cough, high temperature, or loss of sense of taste or smell – will be able to book a test at the drive-through or mobile test centres.
A limited number of home test kits are also available through this programme.
Tests were previously available to over-65s, key workers and to anyone who needs to work and cannot do so from home. They were also available to household members of those groups.
The extension in testing eligibility comes ahead of the rollout of the new Test, Trace, Isolate and Support (TTIS) approach which will be used to keep transmission in communities low as the country moves out of lockdown.
The extension is a four nation, UK-wide expansion of testing.
The tests in Scotland are available through drive-through centres at Aberdeen, Edinburgh or Glasgow airports, and in Perth and Inverness.
They are also available through the 12 mobile testing units across the country, which move every five days or so. If you book a test you will be offered a test at the centre closest to your own postcode.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “This further expansion of testing will ensure that anyone with symptoms will be able to find out if they have COVID-19, and will therefore be able to know whether or not they should be isolating.
“As well as allowing more people to have a case of COVID-19 confirmed, today’s expansion will also be helpful as we build towards our strategy of test, trace, isolate and support – something that will be especially important as we start to emerge gradually from lockdown.
“This is vital in order to keep transmission in communities low.”
Tests can be booked online: www.nhs.uk/coronavirus
For those unable to access the portal, call 0300 303 2713.
Home test kits are also an option for people who can’t get to a test sites.
Clinical advice is that under-5s are less likely to be affected by COVID-19 and the tests can be distressing for young children. However if you are concerned about a child who is showing symptoms, telephone 111 to speak to NHS 24.
More information on symptoms:
https://www.gov.scot/news/update-to-coronavirus-symptoms
More information on symptoms at NHS Inform:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19
Priority will continue to be given to those who are key workers, and can be secured by booking through an employer.
Test, Trace, Isolate, Support is a public health intervention to identify cases of COVID-19, find the people they have been in close contact with, and then ask those close-contacts to self-isolate for 14 days to reduce the risk of the disease spreading.
Access to additional support for learning specialist teachers has continued to drop in Scotland, the Scottish Greens have revealed. Figures from the Scottish Greens show that there is now only one specialist additional support needs teacher for every 76 ASN pupils.
The number of specialist additional support needs teachers in 2019 was 2,836 [1], while the number of pupils with additional needs rose to 215,897 [2].
The increasing number of children which each specialist teacher is responsible for is partly driven by the loss of hundreds of ASN teachers since 2010, whilst the number of pupils with identified needs has grown by almost 150,000.
The number of pupils with additional needs has increased from 69,587 in 2010 to 215,897 in 2019. By comparison, there were 3,887 ASN teachers in 2010, with just 2,836 now, or 3,462 if primary teachers in Scotland’s handful of special schools are included.
Ross Greer MSP, Scottish Green education spokesperson, said: “Thousands of children in Scotland with additional needs are being failed. I have raised this with the government time and again over a number of years, but the picture still is not improving.
“Specialist teachers are essential to supporting pupils with additional needs but they are gradually disappearing from our schools, at the same time as demand skyrockets.
“We know already that this lockdown is disproportionately hard for young people with additional needs and for their families, with a real risk that the attainment gap will be widened.
“As well as the need for urgent support, the Scottish Government must ensure that when schools do return to normal, it is a new normal where those with additional support needs are given a far fairer opportunity to learn than they have been this past decade.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition, which campaigns to improve services for vulnerable children and young people, commented: “The comments over a cut in specialist teachers reinforce concerns we have raised for some time now about a potential ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people.
“It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need, especially during and as we come out of the current COVID-19 crisis. This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap as we know that those with ASN disproportionately come from lower income families and areas of deprivation.
“Such a situation is clearly challenging during lockdown, when the educational attainment gap will inevitably widen, and with evidence of cuts in spending per pupil with ASN and in the number of specialist teachers supporting this group.
“The cost to society in the long term if adequate support is not provided will far outweigh any potential savings made today.
“Ensuring the adequate provision of educational support for children young people with ASN is critical and yet too many pupils are missing out on the specialist support they require because of cuts in specialist support at a time of increasing need.
“When children and young people with ASN return to school it is vital that we use this as an opportunity to give them the specialist support they need, ensuring that we can address increased inequalities that will have inevitably arisen due to lockdown.”
Youth-led campaign aims to raise awareness of young carers to supermarkets during lockdown
Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament have started a campaign on the issue of supermarket access for young carers and young adult carers during this Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown.
This campaign has been set up by Ilse Cuthbertson MSYP, Carers Trust Scotland and Aaran McDonald MSYP, Cunninghame South.
During lockdown, a significant and recurring issue raised by young carers is that some are still not getting access to supermarkets during protected hours set aside for vulnerable groups.
Young carers are facing age discrimination and refusal to access if they are accompanied by family members.
One young person got in touch with their MSYP, and said: “After waiting in the long queue, a member of staff said they were only allowing 2 people into the store per family. After explaining I am a young carer, the staff member still couldn’t understand why there needed to be two carers.
“I had to further explain my caring responsibilities for my brother and mum before the member of staff finally allowed us in. This was an emotional and frustrating situation and no young carer should need to go through this.”
There is also inconsistency of messaging by supermarkets across the UK, and even from store to store. Furthermore, a number of carers are struggling to get access to online shopping or difficulty meeting the minimum expenditure for online shopping. This issue also intertwines with carer identification.
#Supermarkets4Change aims to raise awareness of unpaid carers with local supermarkets and to include these young people in the protected hours set aside for vulnerable groups.
MSYPs have written to local supermarket stores on behalf of their constituents, raising awareness of who young carers are, and why it is important to include these young people in dedicated shopping times.
Ilse Cuthbertson, MSYP and Aaran McDonald, MSYP said: “We wanted to start #Supermarkets4Change as young carers and young adult carers have been approaching us due to the lack of understanding within supermarkets.
“We have learnt that this is not just an issue locally but nationally. This is an extremely important issue right now. We hope that supermarkets will start to understand the role that a young carer or young adult carer has.”
This campaign also aims to empower young people to take action. MSYPs have created a template letter and are sharing this with as many young people as possible.
If a young person is aware of this issue in their local community, they can use this template to write to the local store manager. Young people are encouraged to share this on social media using the hashtag #Supermarkets4Change so we can raise greater awareness!
Young people can also get in touch with Ilse and Aaran for support on this:
Keep up to date with the campaign on social media: @ReleaseCap/ @CarersTrustScot/ @ilsecmsyp / @MSYPAaran/ #Supermarkets4Change
Eight out of 10 British men find it helpful when people ask if they’re having a difficult time – yet nearly half (46%) say no one has checked to find out how they are coping during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research.
Figures released to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week by global men’s health charity Movember, exploring the impact of COVID-19 on social connections, reveal that almost a quarter (22 per cent) of men surveyed had not checked in with friends or family to find out how they were doing during the crisis.
The survey of 1,451 Britons was commissioned by Movember and carried out by the Social Research Centre as part of a global study.
It found that approximately a third of men (33 per cent and 28 per cent respectively) felt their relationships with work colleagues and friends had weakened since the physical distancing restrictions had been imposed.
Older men are the group most likely to have experienced poorer social connections, with 62 per cent of men aged 45+ years reporting they feel less connected to their friends since the COVID-19 outbreak, compared with 41 per cent of men aged 25 to 34.
More than a fifth of men (22 per cent) reported their mental health had worsened compared with before the outbreak of COVID-19 and a third (29 per cent) admitted they felt lonely more often.
Dr Zac Seidler, Director of Mental Health Training, at Movember said: “These findings indicate that guys are hungry for connection and in need of support in these trying times.
“While we know these conversations can often feel uncomfortable or awkward, checking in on your mates and loved ones can make the world of difference. Don’t assume they don’t want to be bothered or don’t want to talk. Just making the call can go a long way.”
Movember is committed to tackling the crisis in men’s mental health through its investment in early intervention and prevention programs.
According to Brendan Maher, Movember Global Director of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, this is why the charity has launched Movember Conversations, a new easy-to-use interactive online tool, that offers practical guidance on how to start a difficult conversation and support someone who is struggling.
He said: “People know it’s important to have conversations to support others; however, confidence and knowledge around how to do this with men is low. What’s making things even harder are the challenges thrown up by COVID-19, and its consequences of physical distancing, job loss, financial stress and strain on relationships.”
Based on R U OK?’s ALEC conversation framework (Ask, Listen, Encourage action, Check in) and guided by an international team of mental health experts, Movember Conversations is a free interactive digital tool that presents a number of scenarios relevant to today’s world including job loss, social isolation and family pressures.
It uses simulated conversations to explore and practise how anyone might navigate a difficult conversation with someone they care about.
Brendan Maher added: “We hope that this tool will encourage people to have conversations with men they care about who might be going through a tough time. Movember Conversations gives them the practical skills to do that.”
CASE STUDY
Steve Smith, 55, from Newbury Berkshire, Cyber Security Manager, married with 2 adult kids. Served in the UK Armed Forces.
“Since the lockdown, I’ve found that I have isolated myself more from my network of buddies, I dropped off Facebook because of the amount of dross being shared and some peoples’ extreme views. Dropping out of Facebook has isolated me further from some of my normal contacts and sources of banter, so it has had a negative impact too.
A group of my best mates always attend the Army v Navy rugby match each year and later we do British SuperBikes at Thruxton. Both take a few weeks of planning and lots of banter on group chats to get things co-ordinated – we have done both events for over a decade. “This has all been put on hold and has left a big gap as many of the things we have in common which mean we communicate are now on hold, hence we are not talking as much as there is less reason.
“I have a friend I work with who has split up with his wife just a few weeks before lockdown. He hasn’t left the house for days at a time. I tell him during work conference calls to call or text me if he needs me, but he doesn’t. He then tells me he’s very low during work calls and so the cycle repeats – 7 weeks now, and sometimes it’s really tough having those conversations and I don’t know what to say. I think there are many men like my friend, lonely and not helping themselves.”
I know how important it is to talk openly because I’ve suffered from anxiety and depression in the past. ‘Years of bottling up my emotions saw me make plans to end my life – but seeking professional help taught me how to change my way of thinking.”
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