by MARK McCARTHY, owner of MARK DAVID SALON in Henderson Row
With current pandemic it’s so important for us to take time for ourselves at home to relax, indulge and have some self-care time. The colder months can also play havoc on our hair and leave our hair looking dry and frizzy and therefore it’s so important that we look after our hair and ensure we are keeping it moisturised at all times.
In the salon, after you have had a treatment with us, we provide you with a hot towel with lavender, which accentuates the hair treatment and allows you really unwind and feel good. To do this at home we have put together some simple steps:
1. Wash your hair in the shower and once you come out, dry out your hair and get rid of any excess water by patting it with a hair towel (not rubbing) before getting changed into your favourite lounging outfit or dressing gown.
2. Get a hand towel and drench this with water.
3. Wring out the water and add some essential oil to the hand towel. (If you do not have any essential oil you can use a few sprays of your favourite perfume).
4. Heat your towel in the microwave to a temperature that suits (be careful as the towel can be very hot!)
5. Apply your favourite treatment to your damp hair.
6. Wrap your hair in the hot towel and set up your sofa to enjoy 15 minutes of bliss!
7. Once you’ve finished this step you can rinse and then dry your hair as normal with your hairdryer and it should feel soft and silky and the experience will have made you feel a lot more relaxed and pampered!
In the midst of the pandemic, nurse Lindsay Macdonald reassures little Hannah as she carries her to the operating theatre at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. This moment was captured by Lisa Miller, photographer with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Medical Illustration team.
It has been selected as one of 100 photos to be displayed in the National Portrait Gallery’s new exhibit: Hold Still which captures a collective portrait of the UK during lockdown and the pandemic over the past six months. Lisa’s photo was chosen out of 31,000 submissions.
Lisa Miller, photographer NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Medical Illustration team, said: “I took this shot during the height of the pandemic and it shows that in the middle of what was and still is a scary time for everyone, the comfort of a nurse to a young patient.
“I’ve been working in our hospitals throughout the pandemic and have been able to capture moments no one else has been able to. We’ve had to wear full PPE which has made it hard to focus and frame the images through the viewfinder of the camera properly but I’ve been able to expand my skill range and take portraits alongside medical photographs.”
Lisa was only allowed to submit one photograph to the National Portrait Gallery and after much deliberation sought the opinion of her mum because she would look at the image from a mother’s perspective.
She added: “We’re always in sensitive situations, dealing with patients so it’s important to build up a rapport with them to make sure they feel safe and comfortable.”
Lisa has also been shortlisted for a Sky Arts TV photo competition, with another photo of Lindsay.
The National Portrait Gallery exhibit is available to view online: Hold Still.
Nurse Lindsay said: “The picture was taken during a time, right in the middle of lockdown and staff were all adjusting to new ways of working. At that time we were not using the anaesthetic rooms to put children under an anaesthetic and parents were not able to come with children into theatre. Because seeing staff wearing the full PPE could be quite scary for some children, especially young children who can’t see your face.
“That day I was going to meet the patient at reception and bring them to theatre. That way everyone who was already in all the PPE could stay in the theatre room and cause as much little distress for the child before she went to sleep.
“I still remember Hannah, she was such a lovely little girl. I was walking up the corridor to theatre with her in my arms, as she wanted to be there rather than on the trolley. Lisa was also there waiting to go into theatre when she took the photo.
“As a nurse I believe the patient feeling safe and happy is crucial to our role, as they are going into an unknown place with people that are complete strangers to them. I am a parent myself and I completely understand that when parents are handing over the most precious thing in the world to them, they have to believe and put their trust in us that we will absolutely take care of them and make sure that they are in safe hands.”
Lisa has also been shortlisted for a Sky Arts TV photo competition, with another photo of Lindsay.
The National Portrait Gallery exhibit is available to view online: Hold Still.
** Unlimited monthly winter-golf for just £22.50 per month **
For die hard golf fans or even those new to the game who want to keep in the swing of it during the winter, Edinburgh Leisure’s winter golf membership could be just the deal.
It pays to play, with the membership costing just £22.50 per month, compared up to £27.50 that you would pay as a pay-as-you-go customer. So buying a winter golf membership and playing more than once, will mean a saving worth having.
Ken Harvey, Head of Operations at Edinburgh Leisure said: “Golf at Edinburgh Leisure has experienced a resurgence after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted at the beginning of June and it’s been great to see regulars back on our fairways and also new players taking up the game or players returning to the game after dusting off their clubs.
“With minimal use of winter greens and no mats, it’s the ideal opportunity to keep your golf on par until the summer returns. The beauty of Edinburgh Leisure’s winter golf membership is that you won’t have to rely on playing just one course.
“Our membership gives you the flexibility and variety to experience up to six different courses in unique locations across the city. So wrap up warm, fill your thermos, grab your clubs and improve your game and your mental health with a round of golf! In fact, playing just once a month, will see your membership pay for itself.”
The winter pass is valid from 1 October 2020 – 31 March 2021 and allows access to Edinburgh Leisure’s six golf courses*.
Edinburgh Leisure’s 18-hole courses include Braid Hills, Carrick Knowe, Craigentinny, and Silverknowes. For a quicker challenge, Edinburgh Leisure also have two popular 9-hole courses – Portobello and the Wee Braids.
From December to February, the Wee Braids closes and some of its holes are incorporated into the main Braid Hills course.
Payable monthly by direct debit until March 2021, different membership options are available including access to all the courses, seven days-a-week, and a five-day membership with access to all courses, Monday to Friday.
The membership also gives 20% off other Edinburgh Leisure activities including the gym, swimming, racquet sports and climbing, at the various Edinburgh Leisure venues across the city – so it pays to play.
Edinburgh Leisure has introduced rules and measures to ensure golfers can play in an environment that is safe for both customers and staff.
Some things have changed but customers will still be guaranteed the warm Edinburgh Leisure welcome:
It is now necessary for all tee times to be booked and paid for in advance. Customers can no longer turn up to play.
Each player must be played for separately. The booking system lets the golfer and any guests to pay separately for their round.
Edinburgh Leisure members and cardholders can book a tee time from 9 pm, 8 days in advance. Non-members can still book a tee-time but will need to create an account with Edinburgh Leisure before they can book. They will then be able to book from 9 pm, 7 days in advance.
Under the current guidelines, only four-balls social golf can be played.
No changing rooms will be available so golfers are advised to change into their shoes and any outdoor wear whilst at their car and then proceed straight to the starters’ office/area.
Over the past five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Carnegie UK Trust has been undertaking a series of conversations with communities across the UK, exploring the changing relationship between local government, public services and communities.
Throughout these conversations, we’ve heard from several areas that community hubs were a critical part of the emergency response.
In many cases, these demonstrated strong leadership, creative practice and partnership working. The Trust believes that these hubs could have a longer-term role in recovery from the pandemic, joining the dots between people that require support and connecting them to a range of services to promote individual and community wellbeing.
Building on the learning from four areas, (North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Lancaster and Scarborough), our new report offers examples of best practice, challenges, opportunities and learning for the future. We hope that these examples will inspire change.
North Ayrshire: A case study on kindness
On the same day, we are also releasing a report that tells the story of our two-year partnership with North Ayrshire Council.
This ‘case study on kindness’ shares the activities, achievements and learning about what it takes to embed kindness across a local authority area, and finishes with five priorities that we hope will feel relevant and urgent for local government and its partner organisations everywhere.
I do hope that you find these reports helpful.
To let us know your thoughts, please email Pippa@CarnegieUK.org or join the debate online by tagging @CarnegieUKTrust #COVIDConversations – we would be pleased to hear from you.
The financial impact of the lockdown imposed at the end of March has been revealed in new research of UK adults by credit reference agency Equifax. The study found that 40% people living in the Scotland feel worse off financially due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Figures suggest this could be a consequence of the fact that 38% of people living in Scotland reported they took home a reduced salary during lockdown, compared to 37% nationally, with 1 in 5 people believing they will be made redundant when furlough ends.
43% of people in Scotland believe it will take up to 12 months to recover financially compared to 36% nationally
1 in 10 of those living in Scotland are behind on regular payments for which they don’t have payment holidays
52% of people in Scotland continued saving during lockdown and 44% saved more than pre-lockdown.
Lisa Hardstaff, credit information expert at Equifax, commented: “For those on furlough, the fear of redundancy once the scheme comes to an end is very real. And even for those who don’t believe they will be made redundant; nearly a third of people living in Scotland believe their employer will ask them to reduce their salary in the immediate future once they return to work.
“Everyone has been affected differently during this crisis. National figures show that more than half (52%) said they were able to put aside more money into their savings compared with pre-lockdown.
“And nearly a quarter (24%) said they actually feel better off. However, in contrast, 18% admitted they were behind on regular payments for which they don’t have a ‘payment holiday’ in place
“Expenditure on outgoings has changed since lockdown; nearly half of those surveyed that live in the Scotland spent more each week on their food bill and 43% spent more on gas and electricity. As the work from home culture continues it’s likely these additional costs will remain, even though, not surprisingly 66% said they spent less on travel.
“With areas of the country in localised lockdowns and a second COVID-19 wave predicted in the Autumn, recovering from the financial impact of COVID-19 could be prolonged.
“National figures also show that over a third (36%) believe it will take them up to 12 months to recover and 31% said they think it will take between 13 to 24 months to get back on a solid financial footing. Now more than ever, therefore, it’s vital to have a really good understanding of financial incomings and outgoings.”
With uncertain times ahead Equifax has created an online budget planner that allows people to monitor their income against their outgoings, to help them take control of their finances now and in the future.
Lisa Hardstaff concluded: “A financial planner not only helps manage outgoings each month, it allows people to prioritise important financial commitments like mortgage payments, council tax, etc.
“It can also help to see where money can be saved, such as unused memberships or cutting back on food bills.”
Additional funding to help pandemic response and winter preparation
Scotland’s health and social care sector will receive £1.1 billion in additional funding to support its work through coronavirus (COVID-19) pressures, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has announced.
The funding will be allocated to NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships across Scotland to help them meet COVID-19 related costs such as additional staffing or sickness expenditure, enhanced infection prevention and control measures, and the purchase of PPE.
Ms Freeman said: “The health and social care sector has a critical frontline role in responding to the single greatest public health crisis of our lifetimes, and I want to pay tribute to all staff involved for their heroic efforts to overcome the many challenges presented by this pandemic.
“As we continue to safely remobilise our health and social care sector, the Scottish Government is taking action to support services’ capacity to deal with the ongoing presence of COVID 19, and continue preparations for the wider pressures of the winter season.
“This funding ensures the sector will continue to receive the support required to deal with the additional challenges of the pandemic, whilst still delivering the vital health, social care and hospital-based services the public rely on every day.”
Health and social care funding rose to more than £15 billion for the first time under the 2020-21 Budget, with more than £100 million delivered in excess of Barnett consequentials to support frontline services as part of the overall uplift.
To stop the virus spreading and save lives we need to act now. Stick with it Scotland, for yourselves and each other. pic.twitter.com/2RsHcgOpPb
Over the past three months Scottish Social Services Council has shared Inspiring Care Stories during COVID-19 and lockdown from social service workers right across Scotland and today publish the final phase.
Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) Chief Executive, Lorraine Gray, thanked everyone who shared their story and the entire social service workforce for the tremendous work they have done, and continue to do, to support people receiving care.
She said: ‘We’ve been overwhelmed by the number of people who wanted to share their stories with us and the lengths workers have gone to so they could continue delivering the best quality of care in the most difficult circumstances.
‘Every one of the stories reflects the knowledge, skills and values of the social service workforce, who don’t always get the recognition they deserve for the vital role they play in our communities.
‘Their dedication to their role and the people they support is clear and for many it really is life changing work and a vocation they excel in.
‘We’re privileged to share these stories and hope everyone has enjoyed reading them as much as we have.
‘Sharing Inspiring Care Stories is just the start for the social service workforce as the COVID-19 pandemic and the forthcoming review of adult social care are rightly shining a light on this trusted, skilled and confident workforce and the vital work they do.’
The final stories published today include some from:
Glasgow
Shetland
Edinburgh
North Ayrshire
Aberdeen
Renfrewshire
Highland
Moray
Fife
Borders.
The stories are the final phase from those SSSC have gathered. All the stories published can be found in the online Inspiring Care Stories resource: www.sssc.uk.com/inspiringcarestories
Share your story to get involved
You can still get involved by sharing your Inspiring Care Stories on social media using the hashtags #lifechangingwork and #SSSCregistered.
Services and care workers can add to the stories by:
sharing a photo, video or a post on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
using the hashtags #lifechangingwork and #SSSCregistered
Four years ago while was in Rio winning gold with the women’s hockey team, my lovely 95-year-old Nanna, Dolly, had a stroke. I saw first-hand how important support is in helping stroke survivors to rebuild their lives.
I know that many people had a stroke during lockdown and many survivors returned home from hospital without any support or contact. The Stroke Association has been providing telephone counselling and emotional support for most of them but they need our help to reach even more people.
So I’ll be heading into the kitchen to bake some tasty treats for the charity’s Give a Hand and Bake week starting on 26 October. We may not be able to get together with family and friends, but you could arrange a Zoom party where everyone can share their goodies or give some baking as a gift, in return for a donation to the charity.
To get involved, visit www.stroke.org.uk/baking. They have some lovely healthy recipes using LoSalt, the charity’s partner in its #HealthierUK drive to raise awareness of how lifestyles can affect the risk of stroke.
Or if you haven’t time to bake it, why not fake it and buy something instead? I won’t tell!
I’m delighted to say that thanks to her determination and the support she received, my Nanna is still going strong at 99 and I’m sure she’ll enjoy the cupcakes I’m baking for her!
The lives of some of the UK’s most vulnerable children are being devastated by a string of missed opportunities to provide them with timely and adequate support, a new report reveals today.
The Adoption Barometer, published by charity Adoption UK, also describes the dramatic impact the right support can have. Now in its second year, the Barometer is based on the biggest ever survey of adopters. This year, 5,000 people responded to the survey.
One of the main themes to emerge is the failure in diagnosing and treating brain damage caused by children being exposed to alcohol in the womb. The report reveals more than one in three adopted children in Scotland (35%) are either diagnosed with or suspected to have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Almost two thirds (63%) of families polled in Scotland had waited two years or longer for a diagnosis, and more than half (53%) felt healthcare professionals lacked even basic knowledge about the condition, even though FASD is more common in the general population than autism.
Adoptive mother Gemma (below) said: “When Isabelle came to us at eight months-old she was described as a perfect baby. At two and a half she started headbutting, kicking and biting. Then she became obsessed with sharp knives.
“She told me she wanted to ‘cut me open and see me bleed’. We went to countless GPs, health visitors and social workers but we got nowhere. We finally got a diagnosis of FASD when she was four years old. It has made a huge difference to the support we’ve been able to access.”
Scotland is leading the field in the UK, as the first nation to establish an FASD diagnostic pathway. In 2019 the Scottish Government backed Adoption UK in Scotland to launch FASD Hub Scotland, supporting all parents and carers of people who were, or may have been, exposed to alcohol during pregnancy, including Gemma and her family.
The service includes a helpline, online support communities, one to one support, access to enhanced therapeutic support, training and information, as well as training and resources for professionals.
FASD Hub Scotland Project Manager, Aliy Brown, says: “During the month of September (FASD Month) we have been working closely with professionals within Scotland, other parts of the UK and further afield to drive the campaign around the need for awareness of FASD, both for prevention as well as support for families, which is so badly needed, as evidenced in the report.
“We are committed to doing everything we can to see the condition recognised in the same way the other neuro-diverse conditions are, and enable both individuals and their families to access early diagnosis, support and intervention to promote positive outcomes for life.”
Around three-quarters of adopted children experienced violence, abuse or neglect while living with their birth families, often with life-long impacts on their relationships, their health and their ability to learn. Despite the considerable challenges, the report shows that adopters remain positive and resilient – 73% of respondents in Scotland would encourage others to consider adoption.
But failures in policy and practice and missed opportunities to intervene mean that problems often build into a crisis. Almost half (48%) of families with older children report severe challenges, such as being drawn into criminally exploitative behaviour, including child sexual exploitation and county lines activities.
Almost two thirds (62%) of respondents from Scotland with secondary aged children anticipate they will leave school with few or no qualifications because they lacked the right support.
Director of Adoption UK Scotland, Fiona Aitken, said: “It is crucial that adoptive families are given the right support from day one, from both a moral and economic perspective.
“The survey shows 68% of adoptive families had no support plan in place, which we know can lead to crisis situations. The cost of a family breakdown is too high for all involved, particularly the children who have already experienced so much.”
The Adoption Barometer also assesses the government policies that regulate adoption. Welsh policies scored best, with three areas of policy scoring ‘good’. However, all nations score poorly in at least one area of policy. Policy relating to finding families for children scores best across the board.
Policy relating to FASD scores worst, with all nations assessed as ‘poor’, and adopter experiences also ‘poor’ in all nations, however Scotland does come across better than the other three nations in respect of their nationwide strategy.
There has been some progress since last year’s Barometer, including the extension of the English Adoption Support Fund (ASF) and the first experimental data collection on school exclusions in England, both of which were recommendations from last year’s report. In Wales there has been a £2.3m investment in adoption services.
Although respondents in Scotland were most likely to consider their social worker to be knowledgeable and understanding they were least likely to be satisfied with the range of support services on offer, perhaps reflecting the comparatively low proportion who were able to access enhanced support services.
Currently all support services are expected to be provided by agencies, with the exception of the Big Lottery Funded Therapeutic and Education Support Services in Adoption (TESSA), hosted and provided by Adoption UK Scotland.
The Adoption Barometer calls on the governments in all four nations of the UK to provide detailed therapeutic assessments for every child before they arrive in their new family, with up to date support plans to be maintained into early adulthood.
Flu immunisation begins in autumn. This year, with coronavirus (COVID-19) circulating, the flu vaccine is being offered to more people than ever before in Scotland.
Please note that flu vaccinations are being offered differently in some areas of Scotland this year, and might not be at your GP practice as in previous years.
The following groups are eligible for the free flu vaccine this year:
Those living in the same home as people previously shielding from coronavirus
A second phase is planned to begin in December, and will include those aged 55 to 64 (by 31 March 2021) who would not usually be eligible.
The vaccine is safe, effective and is the best protection against flu. It reduces your risk of getting flu and spreading it to others, especially those who are most at risk.
You have to be immunised every year because the virus changes each year and your immunity reduces over time. The vaccine takes around ten days to work so the sooner you get it the better. Help our NHS avoid the pressure that a spike in seasonal flu would put on top of coronavirus.
Getting your flu vaccine is one of the most important reasons for leaving your home. Strict infection prevention and control measures will be in place during vaccination.
If you are eligible due to a health condition, the risk of getting seriously ill with the flu virus is greater than the risk of going to get your vaccine.
Find out if you’re eligible for a free flu vaccine and get more information about this year’s vaccine. Or call 0800 22 44 88 (open 8 am – 10 pm, 7 days a week).
