New support and companionship service launches in Edinburgh

A new premium alternative for those who require support or companionship but want to live independently in their own homes has launched in Edinburgh. Continue reading New support and companionship service launches in Edinburgh

Health and Social Care tops INP agenda

Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership Public Meeting

Monday 24 August 6.30 – 8.30pm, Stockbridge Library

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The attached poster gives information about Monday’s public meeting which is focusing mainly on raising awareness of, and giving people a chance to have their say on, changes to the way Health and Social Care (HSC) Services in Edinburgh are provided.

An easy to read version of the consultation plan is available here https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/hsc/edinburgh-health-and-social-care-partnership-draft/supporting_documents/EHSCP%20Draft%20Strategic%20Plan%20%20easy%20read%20version%20plus%20questionnaire.pdf

and the full documents can be seen here https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/hsc/edinburgh-health-and-social-care-partnership-draft/consult_view

All Welcome

Health and social care integration plans unveiled

Edinburgh’s health and social care chiefs have unveiled details of how they will strengthen ties and improve people’s well-being through the integration of services.

Both organisations must integrate the planning and delivery of certain services through legislation set out by the Scottish Government relating to all Scottish local authorities.

Integrating adult health and social care services will allow the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian to:

Train and support staff to work together to meet people’s needs;
Improve health and reduce inequalities;
Give communities an active role in designing and delivering services;
Use shared resources in the most cost-effective way.

A Draft Integration Scheme will set out how the agencies will work together to deliver services through what will be known as a new organisation, the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board. A Shadow Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership Board has been operating since 2012.

A report recommending that the draft is approved to go forward for consultation will be considered by members of the Corporate Policy and Strategy Committee on 20 January.

A targeted and extensive consultation plan on the draft with relevant organisations and the public will run until 20 February, with the results set to be submitted to the Scottish Government for approval by 31 March.

Councillor Ricky Henderson, Health and Social Care Convener for the Council, said: “These are exciting plans and are the start of a new phase of development for health and social care in Edinburgh. I am confident that they will lead to an improved and more targeted service for everyone who needs it.

“It’s important to recognise that health and social care staff from the NHS and Council already work together very effectively to deliver integrated services, and the details will build on what is a very solid foundation.

“It’s vital that we engage with all the relevant groups so that everyone has the chance to have their say on how integration should work. They will be at the heart of the scheme’s decision making process and together we can shape a more streamlined service which will lead to improved health for citizens.”

Professor Alex McMahon, Director of Strategic Planning, Performance Reporting and Information, NHS Lothian, said: “We welcome and support these proposals on the integration of health and social care services for adults in Edinburgh.

“Having worked closely with our partners at the City of Edinburgh Council to develop this joint plan, this new approach will build on the integrated work and good relationships which already exist between health and social care colleagues and services.

“We look forward to continuing to work together on the development of these important proposals as we move forward.”

Partnership Centre plans forge ahead

Plans for the new £12 million health and social care hub in Muirhouse have taken another major step forward

The planning application for the North West Edinburgh Partnership Centre has been approved by the planning committee at the City of Edinburgh Council.

The new centre, a joint development between NHS Lothian and the City of Edinburgh Council, will bring increased health and social care services to the local community, including new GP accommodation and additional physiotherapy, podiatry, dentistry and child health services.

Peter Gabbitas, Joint Director, Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership said: “The North West Edinburgh Partnership Centre is another good example of the benefits of bringing health and social care services together on one site and in doing so putting people’s health and welfare at the forefront of our services.”

Cllr Ricky Henderson, Health, Social Care and Housing Convener, said: “We are committed to providing high quality health and social care within communities, and working in partnership with organisations such as NHS Lothian on projects like the North West Edinburgh Partnership Centre is a great way to ensure this happens.”

Hub South East Scotland Ltd is delivering the project and has appointed GRAHAM construction to build the new centre.

Paul McGirk, Chief Executive of Hub South East Scotland, said: “This is an exciting step in the development of the North West Edinburgh Partnership Centre and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership with both NHS Lothian and the City of Edinburgh Council to make these plans a reality. We’ve been involved in this project from the beginning, so it’s exciting to reach this major milestone and we look forward to continuing our successful partnerships and making these plans a reality.”

Ground works will start this month to prepare the site for construction of the new Centre which is anticipated to begin next year.

The works will involve digging up and working on pipes and cabling within certain areas of the site. The works will not impact on surrounding properties and while there will be activity on parts of the site over the coming months, none of these works relate to the actual construction of the facility.

These works will also involve the creation of a new entrance to the shopping centre service yard from Pennywell Gardens, demolition of two buildings (Pennywell Dentist and Pennywell House), closing Muirhouse Crescent and diverting existing utilities (gas, electricity, water, telecoms) within the site.

The project team is now working towards aiming to finalise contracts in January 2015. Work is then scheduled to start on the new Centre in early 2015 and it will open in autumn 2016.

Speak up, speak out: giving our children the best possible start

Partnership approach to support children affected by substance misuse

Happy, healthy children from Cowgate Under 5’s Centre in Edinburgh today helped launch a campaign to raise awareness of the misery caused when adults misuse alcohol or drugs.

Speak Up Speak Out has been launched by the City of Edinburgh Council, NHS Lothian and Police Scotland to offer help, support and advice to youngsters whose lives are being affected by addiction.

The latest strand of the awareness campaign was unveiled to coincide with national Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day.

Scottish Government figures for 2013 reveal that:

22% of all concerns recorded at child protection case conferences were for parental alcohol misuse or drug misuse

53% of all concerns recorded for children on the Child Protection Register were for parental alcohol misuse or drug misuse

51% of children on the Child Protection Register had either one or both of the concerns for drug or alcohol misuse recorded.

Examples of people who have raised concerns about these issues include: “I’m worried about the family next door, the adults drink and take drugs and the kids seem to look after themselves,” and “my mum forgets about me when she drinks.”

As well as offering support to children who have problems at home, Speak Up Speak Out is aimed at pregnant women, advising them to avoid drinking alcohol or taking drugs. Parents and carers can also get advice about talking to children, while teenagers who are either worried about being pressured to take drugs, or are worried about friends, can also seek help.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Children and Families Convener, said: “The children we see here in this nursery today are happy and healthy, but others don’t enjoy as good a start in their lives.

“The aim of this campaign is to reduce the impact of alcohol and drug use on youngsters, see fewer young people using drugs, and also choosing to start drinking alcohol later in life. We also want to make sure that those in need, whether they are the adult or the child, get appropriate support for their problems.

“We will continue to work closely with NHS Lothian and Police Scotland on Speak Up Speak Out to ensure that children have the best start in life and are protected from harm.”

Sarah Ballard-Smith, Nurse Director, NHS Lothian, said: “We need to ensure that all children whose families are affected by alcohol and substance misuse are protected and are given the support and help they need.

“We provide a range of services to make sure that children get the best possible start in life and that adults are able to access the support and help they require.

“This campaign is vitally important for the next generation and aims to raise awareness and the importance of seeking help. By speaking up and speaking out, it will help ensure thatunborn babies, children and young people are kept safe and healthy.”

Police Scotland Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Mark Williams said: “Drugs and alcohol are, sadly, a blight on many families and communities, and by working together through ‘Speak Up Speak Out’ we can identify those children and young people who are affected and offer them targeted help and support.

“Police Scotland recently began a campaign to tackle New Psychoactive Substances, sometimes known as Legal Highs, which will see local community officers visiting schools, youth groups and community events to help raise awareness and educate young people on their dangers, alongside enforcement action with partners at premises found to be selling these unregulated and potentially lethal substances.”

Speak Up Speak Out was launched last August by the Council, NHS Lothian and Police Scotland to encourage those who are affected by abuse to come forward and find out about the wide range of support that is available to them. Today’s launch was the fifth so far in a series of topics.

One of the key messages is that anyone can suffer from abuse, regardless of their age, gender or the colour of their skin. It can happen anywhere and be caused by friends, relatives, colleagues or strangers. By encouraging people to be open about their concerns and talk to care professionals, it is hoped that more adults and children can be protected from harm.

Contact details:

Police Scotland 101 (or in an emergency call 999)
ChildLine 0800 1111
NHS Inform 0800 22 44 88 (for health information)
Social Care Direct – The City of Edinburgh Council’s social work service: 0131 200 2324, email socialcaredirect@edinburgh.gov.uk

NHS Lothian to consult on Victoria Hospital plans

NHS Lothian’s plans to develop the Royal Victoria Hospital site off Craigleith Road have been submitted, and members of the public can see what is being proposed at a session in Comely Bank early next month.

NHS Lothian plans to develop the site to provide a range of accommodation – both residential and non-residential – to meet the health and social care needs of older people, but also to market the remainder of the site as a ‘residential development opportunity’.

The public consultation session will be held at St Ninian’s Church, Comely Bank from midday – 8pm on Thursday 4 September.

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NHS Lothian seeks your views on services for young people

NHS Lothian is looking for children, young people and parents to give their views on the services it will provide for children and young people from now until 2020.

A public consultation on the organisation’s draft strategy, ‘Improving the Health and Wellbeing of Lothian’s Children and Young People’, is now underway and will run until 17 January 2014.

The consultation documents and a short questionnaire are available on the NHS Lothian website and have also been sent to the four local authorities and to voluntary organisations that work with children and young people.

NHS Lothian’s vision is that every child should have the best start in life and grow up being healthy, confident and resilient.

The draft strategy and approach has considered the changes that may be made to services in anticipation of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill coming into effect and should allow the Board to respond to this while maintaining high quality healthcare services for children and young people.

The priorities identified in the strategy include a focus on prevention, more integrated working across services and the building of a high quality replacement for the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

Sally Egan, Associate Director and Child Health Commissioner, NHS Lothian said: “We provide a wide range of services for children and young people, from conception through the life stages, helping them grow up to become confident healthy people. For those young people that need ongoing specialist help we need to ensure a smooth transition to adult services.

“We want to make sure that our vision and outcomes for the next six years fit with those of the Scottish Government’s 20:20 Vision and are areas the people of Lothian want to see us focusing investment and resources on. I hope people take this opportunity to give us their views.”

The consultation documents can be accessed online at: http://www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk/OurOrganisation/Consultations/Current/Pages/default.aspx

By email: candypstrategy@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk, or alternatively by phoning, 0131 465 5549 to request a copy.

You can also complete the survey at the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NHSLothianCandYPStrategy