Edinburgh Integration Joint Board – The NEN

EIJB funding crisis: Edinburgh Third Sector Interface update

Dear colleagues

I am writing to you to provide an update on Edinburgh TSI* activity since the EIJB Board meeting on November 1 and to invite your collaboration on the next steps.

Though it was welcome that the IJB agreed not to proceed with an in-year cut to the Third Sector Grants Programme, the process leading to that decision, and risks flowing from the meeting on November 1 remain very challenging.

Resolving the funding position for the Third Sector Grant recipients, and all third sector funding from the IJB for 2025/6 alongside co-designing the conditions of success for any future model of working in partnership is a key priority for the Sector, and as a consequence, for the Edinburgh TSI.

We believe the IJB proposals need to be part of a wider strategic conversation in the city about how we invest in the Third Sector, ensuring we have the right investment in the right places with the right capacity to deliver the most impact.

Edinburgh TSI letter following November 1

In the lead-up to the November 1 IJB meeting, we worked collaboratively with the Edinburgh Community Health Forum, and others across our sector to draw out information for briefings from affected TSOs through phone calls, questionnaires and meetings. This concluded with a detailed rebuttal of arguments in Paper 7.2, as presented to the IJB as well as a TSI deputation. The deputation sought to build on the arguments put forward by organisations for time to plan better and work differently.

Following that meeting, I wrote on behalf of the TSI to the Chair of the EIJB, the leader of the Council, the CEC Chief Executive and the NHS Lothian Chief Executive. I emphasised the need for:

Resetting investment: there is a need for a whole city conversation on a sustainable financial settlement for the Third Sector
Reforming ways of working: there needs to be a better approach to commissioning, valuing and supporting The Third Sector through change
Repairing relationships: recognising and valuing the value of the Third Sector contribution to communities is an important part of relationship development

Edinburgh IJB engagement on Third Sector Grants and contracts

Agreeing on a funding settlement for 2025/6 is a key objective for the Third Sector, both for the Third Sector Grants Programme and for the larger contracted services with Third Sector Organisations.

There are different possible scenarios. A best-case scenario might be a one-year continuation of the grants programme while time is dedicated to coherently and collaboratively designing a sustainable “replacement” which enables the IJB to purchase what they need and want from the Third Sector while providing foundational funding for the wider sector.

This will require a series of conversations, some sense of prioritisation and scoping of how to manage change. The big challenge is time. Initial discussions are progressing between Edinburgh TSI and the IJB on immediate priorities, and a meeting has been invited with CEC.

To inform the discussions on funding, the Edinburgh TSI met with a group of Third Sector partners to scope priorities. This includes articulating the real consequences of making any cuts on the Sector and its ability to deliver outcomes with communities; seeking confirmation on the priority focus for the IJB in 2025/6, and inviting discussion on options around the best use of our joint resources through a process of co-design. These conversations will need to be ongoing. We welcome your views as to how best to shape them.

Edinburgh IJB engagement on Public Social Partnership

Any change to a way of working to a Public Social Partnership or some other commissioning model by the IJB demands an investment of time up front.

This time is needed to confirm commitment to co-design to ensure that any partnership is a partnership, and any working relationship is founded on clear conditions for success.

This needs an investment in learning from other PSP’s in the city, what worked, and what didn’t, and it needs clarity on roles and responsibilities. In the meantime, a clear transition arrangement needs to be set out, describing how current commitments and contracts are to be managed.

Following the November 1 meeting, the IJB have been reviewing budget and partnership proposals. They have invited a group of Third Sector representatives to discuss how to progress partnership working together on shared issues and challenges.

The purpose of the meeting is to start a conversation about how best to work together, who to engage and what success looks like. The next steps will need wider conversations within the sector and between the sector and the IJB, and we invite your views as to how best to shape this.

Reference Group Proposal

The Third Sector has important Board roles on the EIJB and other city institutions. However, at the EIJB meeting, Cllr Pogson asked if there was enough Third Sector representation on the Board.

A reformed Board may be a future possibility, but meanwhile, it is critical to be able to support the people who occupy these Board seats so the voices of the sector feed into them, support and challenge them.

This is particularly the case in the next year or so where there will be very challenging issues and decisions to consider, with significant impact for the Sector.

To try and make sense of where to best put attention around these issues, we have convened a small, embryonic group of sector people. We aim to build this into a Reference Group with representation from across the Sector to distil and amplify the voices of the sector around priority issues. This will evolve over the next few months, and we invite your collaboration.

Our initial sense is that the areas of focus are about:

Asserting value: articulating the impact of the sector with fair methods of measurement
Supporting resilience: co-designing ways of working for sector sustainability
Shaping investment: making the case for ongoing investment around sector need
Informing governance: supporting Third Sector Board seats on city partnerships

We have developed Draft Terms of Reference for this Group, which builds on the current issues around the IJB but also focuses on the Third Sector as a whole.

Next steps

In sharing this context and background, it is my intention to work collaboratively to find a solution to the real risks we are facing as a sector.

In this context, I invite you to get in touch with initial feedback on the role of the TSI in shaping the Reference Group. In the meantime, Edinburgh TSI colleagues will continue to convene the sector through forums, networks and meetings, alongside the Edinburgh Community Health Forum.

Together, we can also continue to highlight the risks and impact of this loss of investment in the third sector, both individually and collectively.

Please get in touch and get involved. We recognise that our strength is in working together and supporting each other across our rich, diverse and talented Third Sector. I look forward to working with you.

DIARMAID LAWLOR,

Chair of the Edinburgh TSI

* The Edinburgh Interface is a collaboration between Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council (EVOC), Volunteer Edinburgh (VE), and Edinburgh Social Enterprise (ESE).

More voices speak out against devastating EIJB funding cuts

EDINBURGH INTEGRATION JOINT BOARD PLANS TO END £4.5 million GRANTS TO 63 COMUNITY PROJECTS

SCOTTISH COUNCIL of VOLUNTARY ORGANIATIONS (SCVO)

SCVO response to proposal by Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board to remove grant-funding from voluntary organisations:

Letter to Councillor Cammy Day, Leader of City of Edinburgh Council,

Professor John Connaghan OBE, Chair of NHS Lothian

cc Pat Togher, Chief Officer EIJB

Proposal by Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board to remove grant-funding from voluntary organisations

I am writing to add SCVO’s voice to the protests regarding the IJB’s proposal to withdraw funding in-year from charities and community groups. 37 of our members are impacted by this decision.

The intention outlined in the board paper to take a more strategic and collaborative approach in the future has been totally undermined by the impact of reneging on this year’s grant funding.

Trust is a fragile thing, and it will take a long time to rebuild any sense that the council and the health board have an understanding of, or respect for, the voluntary organisations that do so much to support our communities.

When you look to build your strategic partnership in 2025, many of them simply won’t be there because they will have gone out of business.

Far from saving money, this will generate significant costs to public services as people fall through the cracks, and the additional millions of pounds voluntary organisations bring in from trusts and foundations or the private sector through match funding and other fundraising activities will disappear. A truly strategic approach would be looking to maximise that income-generation, not cut it off.

It appears that over 100 people who were already in a precarious enough position will lose their jobs. And the discretionary effort of hundreds more volunteers will be lost.

It is evident that when money is tight, which I recognise it is, the council and the health board have retrenched and focused on short-term savings rather than the public good.

The table in the board paper which illustrates where the money could be “better spent” says it all – to the IJB, acute services matter more than prevention or early intervention. As well as being short-sighted ethically and financially, it flies in the face of all the evidence around what communities need and the rhetoric around person-centred services and prevention.

I would urge you to intervene and stop the IJB making a decision everyone involved will regret.

Yours sincerely,

Anna Fowlie
Chief Executive, SCVO

BIG HEARTS: “The value the charity sector brings to our local communities should never be in doubt.”

VOLUNTARY HEALTH SCOTLAND:

VHS Chief Executive @MistryTej has commented on the recent cuts being proposed by Edinburgh IJB.

What will it take for recognition of the crucial work the third sector are doing to reduce health inequalities?

#WEAREVITAL

VOLUNTEER EDINBURGH:

Along with the rest of the sector we are extremely concerned by the proposed early cessation of EIJB grant funding to 64 voluntary sector organisations. As well as the loss of important services and the associated job losses, this will impact volunteering.

Volunteers are at the heart of the affected organisations, contributing 206,000 hours of support to people in the community worth over £2m. These volunteering opportunities are not only a lifeline to people they help support.

They also enable local people to be active in their communities, build confidence, develop skills, reduce isolation – all of which contribute to better health outcomes for volunteers themselves.

The impact of the loss of these volunteering opportunities cannot be understated.

LIVING RENT:

64 charities are at the risk of closure due to £4.5 million worth of proposed cuts. This will have devastating effects for tenants, for workers and for communities across Edinburgh.

Let’s defend our community centres, services & jobs.

Join us to say NO to Labour-led cuts!

SCOTT ARTHUR MP:

I have today (Wednesday) written to the Cheif (sic) Officer of the EIJB opposing the proposed cuts to the third sector in my constituency – I expressed my concerns in the strongest possible terms.

I support @cllrcammyday fully in his call for fair funding for Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Integration Joint Board meets TOMORROW (Friday 1 December) in the Dean of Guilds Room at The City Chambers at 10am.

The following organisations will make their case against the cuts at the meeting:

Papers for the meeting are below:

EIJB-Public reports pack 01112024 Download

Edinburgh’s Social Care Crisis: Conference Agenda announced

SATURDAY 14 SEPTEMBER from 10am – 1pm

AUGUSTINE UNITED CHURCH, GEORGE IV BRIDGE

THE agenda for Saturday’s Edinburgh Social Care Crisis Conference has been announced.

The conference has been convened by Edinburgh Trade Union Council and is sponsored by UNITE Edinburgh Not For Profit Branch, UNITE City of Edinburgh Council Branch, UNITE Lothian Retired Members Branch, Edinburgh EIS Branch and the Scottish Trades Union Congress.

The conference will be attended by three Edinburgh MSPs: Foysol Choudhury, Sarah Boyack and Daniel Johnson.

Des Loughney, Secretary, Edinburgh Trade Union Council says: “”The conference is open to the public, trade union and community health activists and social care users and paid and unpaid carers.

“There will be a discussion of the impact of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board cuts that are being implemented in this financial year (£55 million).

“We are concerned that prevention services will be cut and that rising demand (mainly due to demographic reasons) will not be met.

“The conference will conclude by a discussion on the way forward in campaigning for more resources for IJBs and how can we lobby for more resources to prevent current damaging cuts.

“We will consider how we can seek to change Scottish Parliament policies in the run up to the 2026 elections.”

Conferenceagenda Download

SOCIAL CARE CRISIS IN EDINBURGH: EDINBURGH TUC CONFERENCE

SATURDAY 14th SEPTEMBER from 10am – 1pm

at AUGUSTINE UNITED CHURCH, GEORGE IV BRIDGE

For further information contact:

EDINBURGH TUC – telephone 0773 491 2536

or email edinburghtradeunioncouncil@gmail.com

SILENT SLAUGHTER: £60 MILLION slashed from Edinburgh’s health and social care services

TWO CITY CARE HOMES TO CLOSE
THIRD SECTOR PROJECTS HIT WITH £1.4 MILLION CUT

TWO council-run care homes – Clovenstone and Ford’s Road – will close and third sector projects will see their funding cut by 10 per cent – £1.4 million – following yesterday’s Edinburgh Integration Joint Board meeting.

Board members were faced with a stark choice – accept the swingeing package of cuts tabled or leave the officers to do it themselves. The meeting heard there was no realistic alternative – no Plan B.

UNISON City of Edinburgh branch secretary David Harrold told EIJB board members: “Each and every one of you is presiding over the silent slaughter of Edinburgh’s essential care services. Yet each and every one of you has the ability to stop this by speaking out.”

But despite impassioned pleas from a succession of delegations urging a rethink, board members voted without dissent to accept officer recommendations to slash costs by almost £60 MILLION in an attempt to balance their books.

As ever, it’s the most vulnerable that will suffer most – the poorest communities, carers, older people … all will feel the effects of cuts of this magnitude.

The cuts will see projects cutting back the services they currently provide and in some cases will make redundancies inevitable.

Cuts to core funding will also limit match funding opportunities, and voluntary boards and management committees now face some dreadful decisions with the start of the new financial year less than two weeks away.

Other health and social care partnerships across the country are facing the same financial challenges:

EIJB-Savings-and-Recovery-Programme-202425-1-1 Download

Steady Steps secures additional funding

FALLS PREVENTION PROGRAMME WELCOMES 5000th REFERRAL

With Falls Awareness Week taking place from 18-22 September 2023, Steady Steps, a community-based falls prevention programme which supports local people in Edinburgh to improve their strength and balance and maintain their independence through physical activity, is celebrating its 5,000^th referral.

Delivered by the Active Communities team at Edinburgh Leisure and supported by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB), Steady Steps is a 16-week physical activity referral programme which has been going since 2014 and supports participants to reduce their risk of falling. It has recently received additional funding from the EIJB.

Physical activity can contribute to a reduction in the number of falls, fractures, hospital admissions and bed days because of a fall. This reduces the cost to NHS Lothian, and offers vulnerable, older adults an opportunity to engage in physical and social activities, sustaining and improving confidence and ability to live independently.

Edinburgh Leisure delivers 32 Steady Steps classes each week in Edinburgh Leisure and community venues across the city. Participants attend weekly physical activity sessions, which last 1.5 hours each week and are followed by a coffee and chat.

Participants are also encouraged to complete home based exercises twice a week for the duration of the 16-week programme. As a result of participating in these balance exercise sessions, participants have said that they are more able to complete tasks in and out of the house more easily (e.g., housework and doing the shopping), that they felt more confident, and they had an improved social life.

Amy Fastier, Health Development Officer (Falls Prevention) said: “Continued funding from the EIJB will mean that we can continue delivering this important service creating a positive impact on the health, and crucially the confidence, of our participants. Research shows falls are preventable and do not have to be an inevitable part of aging.

However, once a fall does happen, the chances of another fall are dramatically increased. Sadly, this can really knock the confidence out of some adults, deterring them from going out and socialising. The methods used by Steady Steps are known to reduce falls by up to 35%, as well as having a hugely positive effect on the overall physical, mental, and social wellbeing of participants.”

Retired primary school depute headteacher, Katherine Bates, has experienced the project as both a participant and a volunteer, training as a volunteer after completing the 16-week programme in 2017.

Initially referred by her physiotherapist because of several falls, as well as having osteoporosis and other musculoskeletal issues, she found the programme helped to improve her strength and balance and particularly liked that the exercises in class were designed to be incorporated into daily life.

On completion of the course, and with the encouragement of her instructor, Michael, she completed the volunteer training and now volunteers at a Steady Steps class at Gracemount Leisure Centre.

Katherine’s role involves setting up the room, welcoming people into the class, and carrying out assessments so that Michael can focus on delivering the class without distractions. As Katherine explains: “Some people need a bit of extra support, and I can help them without disrupting the class or drawing attention to them.

“Volunteering has been such a positive experience for me and it’s helped that I have experienced Steady Steps as a participant as well. It’s helped me to understand the challenges participants face and what it’s like to go through the programme.

“Some participants live very rich lives, others have lost their confidence and have become socially isolated because of their falling. It’s wonderful to see them out, enjoying themselves, and making social connections as well as improving their balance and mobility.”

For more information about Steady Steps please contact Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities team – active@edinburghleisure.co.uk or 0131 458 2260.

Steady Steps Case Study

Katherine Bates – Volunteer and former participant

Edinburgh Leisure’s Steady Steps project is a falls prevention programme for older adults in Edinburgh. Retired Primary School Depute Headteacher Katherine Bates, 63, has experienced the project as both a participant and a volunteer, having decided to train as a volunteer after completing the 16-week programme in 2017.

Katherine was initially referred to the Steady Steps class at the Royal Commonwealth Pool by her physiotherapist. While she was young compared to most Steady Steps participants and still active, walking 7 miles a day, she has osteoporosis and other musculoskeletal issues and has had several falls. She found the programme helped her improve her strength and balance and particularly liked that the exercises in class were designed to be incorporated into daily life.

As she came to the end of her 16-week programme, she expressed an interest in continuing as a volunteer. With the encouragement of her Instructor, Michael, she undertook volunteer training and now volunteers at the Friday lunch time class at Gracemount Leisure Centre.

Katherine’s role involves setting up the room, welcoming people into the class and carrying out their assessments so that Michael can focus on delivering the class without distractions. Some people need a bit of extra support and she can help them without disrupting the class or drawing attention to them.

She says that while some participants lead very rich lives, others have lost their confidence and have become socially isolated as a result of their fear of falling. It’s wonderful to see them out, enjoying themselves and making social connections as well as improving their balance and mobility.

She says that being a Steady Steps volunteer has been a very positive experience and that she is always made to feel welcome and appreciated by Michael and the staff at Gracemount Leisure Centre. She enjoyed attending Edinburgh Leisure’s volunteer celebration event at the Botanic Gardens last year and is looking forward to attending a similar event again this year!

Katherine admits that she found PE challenging at school and had never even considered attending any fitness classes. Participating in Steady Steps gave her the confidence to join a couple of weekly fitness classes. As one of these takes place at Gracemount Leisure Centre immediately before the Steady Steps session she helps with, it makes it easier for her to keep up the habit of attending it.

Katherine has found it interesting experiencing Steady Steps from both sides. She feels that her understanding of the challenges participants face and her first-hand experience of what it’s like to go through the programme make it easier for her and the people she helps to relate to one another.

Progress Review reports improvement to older people’s services in Edinburgh

Delivery of older people’s services in Edinburgh has shown good progress since 2017, according to a joint report published by the Care Inspectorate and Health Improvement Scotland.

Following an initial inspection in May 2017, the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership has received acknowledgement from the Joint Inspection team across the Care Inspectorate and Health Improvement Scotland, that the review has now closed.

The latest report cites the partnerships efforts in driving forward – with pace – a clear vision and structured approach, that is now seeing positive progress in a number of areas.

It follows a challenging progress review in 2018 and contains a number of recommendations but, based on progress, the Joint Inspection team has noted that no further review activity is now planned.

Chair of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, Cllr Ricky Henderson, said: “We very much welcome this latest and final review, and the deserved recognition it gives all who work for, and with the partnership.

“The publication of the report in 2017, was a difficult read for all who were working in the Partnership at the time but the strategic vision, practices, and structures that have since been developed and implemented, are the backbone to the significant and good progress being made.

“Whilst there remain challenges – particularly with the current system pressures faced – the strengthened relationships built, strategic aims, and the cohesive approach to the work of the partnership, deserve this positive recognition.

“These are significant strengths for how the partnership will continue to push forward over the challenging winter period and beyond, and I would like to take the opportunity to thank every single person who directly or indirectly provides care in Edinburgh, for their incredible hard work and commitment to all in our care.”

Read the report:

Edinburgh-older-people-services-progress-review-Nov-Download

Councillor George Gordon calls on citizens to get their flu vaccination

In the first week of the winter vaccination programme, 27,000 people have come forward to get their flu vaccine, which is a great response ((writes Edinburgh Integration Joint Board member and Forth Councillor GEORGE GORDON).

We’ve all seen the devastating effect the pandemic has had in the past 18 months so it’s really important we all play our part to limit the impact this winter.

This is a personal appeal to encourage everyone who’s eligible to get their flu vaccination this winter. COVID-19 has not gone away so it’s more important than ever to protect yourself by getting the vaccination and do your bit to ease the pressure on social care, GP surgeries and hospitals over winter.

Many of you will already have received a letter either with an appointment or asking you to book one online. I know there’s been an issue with the scheduling of some flu appointments via the national booking system.

This means some people’s appointments are not as local as would have been expected, and a few cases where people who are housebound have been asked to go to an appointment. I know how concerning this is for people who cannot travel.

If you have received a letter with an appointment that you are unable to attend, you can rearrange your appointment for a more local venue by going online at nhsinform.scot/flu-vaccine/invitations-and-appointments/rearrange-your-flu-vaccine-appointmen or ring the national flu vaccination helpline on 0800 030 8013 for help to re-book.

More local appointments are now available for people who find it difficult to travel. If you are housebound and normally get your flu jab at home then you will get it at home again this year, even if you’ve received an appointment letter.

It’s really good to see that so many people have been turning out to get their vaccinations. The Royal Highland Centre site experienced a slight delay in topping up vaccination stocks on Tuesday morning (5 October) due to the level of demand across other sites and some people were asked to return the following day.

This was resolved within an hour and I can assure you that we have good vaccine stocks in Edinburgh.

Across Scotland, GP surgeries are no longer responsible for flu vaccinations for their patients. Now, health and social care partnerships manage the flu programme. In Edinburgh we have a range of drive through and walk through clinics for adults which will open at weekends during October and November.

Edinburgh’s main site is in Lowland Hall at the Royal Highland Centre which is open seven days a week and easy to access by public transport (buses 100, 200 and 400). We also have small local clinics for people who can’t make their way to Ingliston.

Children have received a letter for their parents or carers about their vaccine. If it’s been six months since your second dose of the COVID vaccine, you may also get your COVID vaccine booster at the same time as your flu vaccine.

It’s a massive programme and this year there’s more people than ever eligible to get a vaccine which is great news. You can now get the vaccine if you’re over 50, pregnant, an unpaid carer, at risk because of an existing health condition, or because of the job that you do. You can check if you are eligible for a flu vaccine, or find more information, at nhsinform.scot/flu.

I’d really encourage you to take up that offer – go to your vaccination appointment if you have been given one or book an appointment on the online portal if you’ve been asked to do that.

Please don’t be in any doubt – flu is serious. Getting the vaccine will protect you, your family and friends, and also our vital NHS and social care services.

Union’s ‘deep dismay’ over Edinburgh care home closures

UNISON, the union for carers, has expressed deep dismay at the decision to close an Edinburgh care home. The decision was passed by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (IJB) – which commissions health and social services from the City – at a meeting on Tuesday.

UNISON, Scotland’s largest union, has been campaigning to prevent the closure of five council-run Edinburgh care homes, including Drumbrae. A further four council-run homes – Ferrylee, Clovenstone, Fords Road and Jewel House are all being earmarked for closure but subject to public consultation.

Tom Connolly, UNISON Edinburgh City branch secretary, said: “The people of Edinburgh can feel very let down by this decision to close a much-needed local service, not least the elderly and vulnerable who reside in the care home and now face an uncertain future.

“UNISON will continue its campaign to save public sector-run care homes and prevent them going into private hands. People need to come before profit and UNISON will continue its fight to save Edinburgh’s public run care homes and call for all private run care homes to be brought into the public sector.”

Greig Kelbie, UNISON regional organiser, said: “The decision to close Drumbrae was made without any public consultation and is a real slap in the face to the most vulnerable people in the city.

“UNISON understands there is a substantial waiting list for homes in the area, so if the need hasn’t gone away then why should the services?”

Edinburgh Integration Joint Board is chaired by Labour councillor Ricky Henderson and membership includes local politicians Councillor Melanie Main (Scottish Greens), Councillor George Gordon (SNP), Councillor Robert Aldridge (Liberal Democrats) and Councillor Phil Doggart (Conservative).