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:
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 5,000th 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.
There are just two weeks left to have your say on the governance, scope and operation of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board.
The Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) for Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership is made up of representatives from City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian, Third Sector representatives, service users and carers.
The Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, through its Chief Officer has responsibility for the planning, resourcing and the operational oversight of a wide range of health and social care services.
The City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian are consulting on a general update to the Scheme of Integration – the document which outlines the governance, scope and operation of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board.
The consultation is being conducted to help further inform and finalise this revision of the scheme.
You are invited to participate in the consultation, by providing your views on the revised Scheme of Integration:
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.”
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.
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).
Katrina Faccenda, Scottish Labour’s prospective candidate for Edinburgh North and Leith in next May’s Holyrood elections, has written to Public Finance Mnister (and local MSP) Ben McPherson over cuts to Edinburgh Integration Joint Board’s budget.
She explained: “Today I have written to Ben Macpherson MSP regarding the proposed cuts to services currently provided through the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board. Urgent action is needed and as the Minister for Public Finance and Migration, I think Ben must speak up on behalf of his constituents.
“I am incredibly concerned about the effects of more austerity-driven cuts In the Edinburgh Northern and Leith constituency where underfunding of local government has already had a devastating impact and there are already too many living in poverty and struggling with health inequality.”
The letter reads:
“Dear Ben,
I am Katrina Faccenda, prospective Labour MSP candidate for Edinburgh Northern & Leith.
Like many of Edinburgh’s citizens, I felt the latest round of cuts to health and social care services in the city was really the final straw.(I refer to the Phase Zero cuts agreed by the EIJB (Edinburgh Integration Joint Board)).
The EIJB members confirmed that they are upset about the changes which will have a significant negative impact on Edinburgh’s most vulnerable residents.
Do you, as Edinburgh Northern and Leith’s representative in the Scottish Parliament, share my concern that these cuts will adversely affect people in the constituency?
Even before coronavirus, three wards in this constituency were reported to have child poverty levels higher than 30% (Edinburgh Poverty Commission Interim Report, Sept 2019)
You have stated that you are ‘ focused on being a passionate voice in the Scottish Parliament for local communities and for positive change’. (parliament.scot, Current Members, Personal Information) As the Minister responsible for Public Finance how do you plan to protect the community from such reductions in vital services?
Sixteen refurbished apartments in Sighthill are helping people to build meaningful lives at home following time spent at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
Originally a sheltered housing complex, a building in the Calders has been transformed by the City of Edinburgh Council to provide high-quality places to stay.
The Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership is now funding ongoing care and support for tenants at the St Stephen’s service as they recover in a homely setting.
Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) has approved plans to accelerate approaches to care for people at home and in a homely setting.
Designed to reduce the number of people being delayed leaving hospital and improve the care patients receive in their own community, Edinburgh’s ‘home first’ approach sets out plans to shift health and social care systems to provide greater support for people in their own or familiar surroundings. Continue reading Edinburgh’s Home First policy to tackle bed blocking
