Health and wellbeing – Page 283 – The NEN

Together Let’s Care for your Mental Health

You’re not alone with your mental health. We’re here to help you.

This is the clear message coming from NHS 24, Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance service as they launch a new campaign to support mental health and wellbeing for people across Scotland in time for World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2020.

The Together Let’s Care for your Mental Health campaign aims to raise awareness of a range of mental health information and services that support mental health.

It’s been developed to support wider partnership working between NHS 24, Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance service as part of a joint response to the Scottish Government Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027.

Over the past 18 months, the three organisations have been working together to develop new ways to support people in mental health distress when they contact their services.

NHS 24 has created a new 24/7 Mental Health Hub that provides support for those contacting the 111 service. In addition, people calling Police Scotland in mental health distress are also now offered access to the 111 Mental Health Hub service. Collaboration work with Scottish Ambulance Service is also underway to develop a similar pathway.

Under the banner ‘Together Let’s Care for your Mental Health’ the partners are able to signpost to a range of self-help guides and options for further support at www.nhsinform.scot/youmatterwecare.

This campaign page also offers additional information for a range of day to day concerns such as anxiety, depression, young people’s mental health needs, alcohol, gambling and drug use.

NHS 24 offers a range of mental health services in addition to the 111 Mental Health Hub, including Breathing Space’s telephony and web chat services, NHS inform self-help guides, and Living Life’s CBT service.

Stephanie Philips, Director of Service Delivery at NHS 24, said: “We are pleased to be working together with Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service to provide the best possible outcomes for people in mental health distress.

“We are able to support many of those who come into contact with our services to find support and self-care options in their own communities but we are also absolutely reinforcing the message that if you need help now there are a range of services available to you.

“We really want people in mental health distress to know that they are not alone. Our team are here to help those getting in touch with our services with a compassionate response.”

Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey said: “I doubt there is a single one of us who has not thought about our own mental health and wellbeing at some point over the past few months.

“In many ways, the pandemic has helped to destigmatise mental health, and reminded us that it is okay not to feel okay. More people have been asking each other how they are doing and the importance of good mental health is clear.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have invested £6 million of additional funding to support the population’s mental health, including £2.1 million to expand the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub so that it is now available to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“Round the clock, trained practitioners at NHS 24 will offer callers a compassionate and empathic listening service based on the principles of psychological first aid, as well as advice, signposting and onward referral to local services if required.”

Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie (Partnerships, Prevention and Community Wellbeing) said: “Protecting vulnerable people is a priority for Police Scotland as part of our statutory requirement to improve the safety and wellbeing of people, places and communities.

“Much of the demand on the organisation now comes from incidents which no longer result in a crime report being raised, such as people in distress or experiencing a mental health crisis. Calls of this nature can come to the police from concerned family and friends, passers-by, and other agencies, as well as individuals themselves.

“Police Scotland has recently completed the national roll-out of a new way of assessing calls to its 101 and 999 service to improve the way we respond to contact from the public.

“Where appropriate, we engage in partnerships with colleagues around the country in health, social care and third sector organisations to help people to access the most suitable support at the appropriate time.”

Frances Dodd, Director for Care Quality and Professional Development for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “We are delighted to be working with our partners in NHS 24 and Police Scotland on ‘Together Let’s Care’.

“Integrated working across services on issues like mental health means we can deliver a joined up approach to supporting patients and working together to deliver improved care for those suffering mental health across Scotland.

“The ‘Together Let’s Care’ campaign is designed to assist patients to access the right mental health services first time, and allow health professionals, Police and community-based staff to further enhance the support and services currently in place.

“This campaign increases signposting to a wide variety of self-help guides with the aim to support clinicians improve mental health outcomes by increasing access to specialists and services within local communities.

“It’s so important for all of us to be mindful of our mental health and wellbeing, address mental health issues early and seek help if needed. This service is one part of the system that will ensure we as a community can help identify and address mental health issues early, enabling people to find pathways to healthy, productive and fulfilling lives.”

Debt, dole, worry: Student midwives facing triple whammy threat

Many student midwives are struggling under the weight of financial concerns, poor mental health and an unpredictable job market, according to new findings by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).

Student midwives in England, who must pay tuition fees and take out maintenance loans to cover living costs, will have, on average, a debt of £41,000 when they qualify. Even for those who receive a training bursary, the financial future is bleak.

A staggering 91 per cent of student midwives in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said their training bursaries were not enough to live on.

Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the RCM, said: “Our student midwives should not be facing a triple threat of debt, worry and an unpredictable job market Unlike other students, the demanding nature of their course mean they have little opportunity to seek part-time work to supplement their income.

“They have a longer academic year, they work nights, weekends and bank holidays, and are often on-call to go in a at a minute’s notice. They show incredible dedication to their chosen career and there is an overwhelming case to give them better financial support, and to ensure they get jobs in our NHS when they qualify.”

The pandemic’s impact on student midwives cannot be underestimated. The RCM found that 96 per cent of student midwives reported having mild or moderate mental health problems since the pandemic began.

Our survey shows that by the end of July just 36 per cent of students in their final year of midwifery training had been offered a job in the NHS. At the same time, midwifery educator numbers are not keeping pace with the rise in student midwife numbers, potentially leaving students less supported throughout their training.

Gill Walton added: “Throughout the pandemic student midwives have made enormous efforts, working in our maternity services while also continuing their studies. At the same time the pandemic has disrupted midwifery education heavily.

“Some UK governments and institutions are doing better than others, but most are selling our student midwives short. They need to step up and ensure we continue to have the best educated, best prepared new midwives in the world. They are the future carers of mothers, babies, and families and we must invest in them.”

Mindfulness for men at PCHP

Do you want to learn how to experience less stress in your daily life?

Pilton Community Health Project is running another series of online mindfulness sessions for men – starting Wednesday 7 October!

To find out more, please contact: israelsalinas@pchp.org.uk 07784 897 607

Protecting education staff: COVID antibody survey launched

A nationwide voluntary survey of education staff in schools or Early Learning & Childcare settings will help identify whether those tested are likely to have had coronavirus (COVID-19).

The COVID-19 Antibody Survey in education Staff (CASS), launched on Friday, will help identify the proportion of people working in an education setting in Scotland who have had coronavirus by testing for antibodies in their blood.

COVID-19 has had a huge impact on life in Scotland and understanding how many people have had the virus, particularly those working in an education setting doing a variety of roles, and how this changes over time will inform the measures taken to limit risk and strengthen the ongoing pandemic response.

Following the return to school, protecting the health of all staff working in and around schools is crucial to ensure their safety and wellbeing as well as minimising the disruption of children’s education – a vital component to their own health and wellbeing.

This survey will use home testing kits provided through the UK Government antibody testing programme, which commenced in September 2020. The timing of this study allows for monitoring and the ability to track changes over the school year while staff are in their normal work environment. As the test looks at past infection, it will identify whether those tested are likely to have had the virus in the school year to date.

From the test, we aim to learn whether someone has been infected in the past, and understand how this relates to their occupation, and the setting in which they work. All of which will be important to inform future decision-making for the protection of Scotland’s education staff, and pupils as a result.

The tests, however, will not influence the activities of individuals who take part. This is because an antibody test provides information about whether someone is likely to have had the coronavirus before, but it does not provide information about an individual’s immunity, or whether they can or cannot spread the virus to other people.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “This new survey, part of the schools surveillance led by Public Health Scotland, is an exciting opportunity to monitor COVID-19 antibodies in the education workforce.

“This will help us understand more about the virus within educational settings as well as understanding more about antibodies and any protection they may give. I would encourage teaching staff to sign up once they are invited to take part over the coming weeks. There is no need to do anything before you are contacted.”

Dr Diane Stockton, COVID-19 Social and System Recovery Lead said: “Scotland’s education staff are working tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of children so they can continue their education in the traditional school setting, spend time with their peers and get back to something more like normal.

“We recognise the impact the return to school has had on staff and the CASS study is intended to provide a more detailed look at this particular work setting and provide important surveillance for staff in the long-term.

“Any adult working in a school or Early Learning & Childcare setting in Scotland is eligible to sign up for the CASS study. What we learn from participants’ test results will support and strengthen Scotland’s response to COVID-19 and ensure school settings are as safe as they possibly can be for all.”

Cllr Gail Macgregor, COSLA Spokesperson for Resources said: “The Scottish Local Government workforce has and continues to play a vital role the response to COVID-19.

“Ensuring essential services can continue to be delivered safely is a critical part of supporting the health and wellbeing of everyone in our communities. The return to school has been a vital step in not only ensuring the education of children and young people is maintained, but also in strengthening their mental health and wellbeing.

“Doing so has been a whole workforce effort and it is therefore key that all employees who work in and around schools are encouraged to take part in the CASS survey.

“Whether you are a teacher, a pupil support assistant, a cleaner, janitor, caterer or any other of the many roles that keep our schools running, we need you to take part. Doing so will help ensure we know as much as possible about COVID-19 and that we can continue to protect you and everyone in our communities.”

The CASS study is part of a larger programme of enhanced surveillance in schools. People working in education and Early Learning Centres can expect to see communications from their employers and places of work with further information about participating in this study over the coming weeks.

Staff pic being displayed in National Portrait Gallery’s ‘Hold Still’ Exhibition

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.

COVID-19 and Communities: Community Hub Case Studies

New report from the Carnegie UK Trust

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.

Best wishes

Sarah Davidson,

Chief Executive, Carnegie UK Trust

40% of Scots feel worse off due to the coronavirus

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.”

£1.1 billion MORE for health and social care sector

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
— NHS Lothian (@NHS_Lothian) September 29, 2020

Vulnerable children face crisis through missed support opportunities

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.