Tag: service delivery

Has Holyrood become Scotland’s biggest council?

THINK TANK AND FORMER COUNCIL CHIEF EXECUTIVES JOIN FORCES

  • Reform Scotland and the Mercat Group collaborate on ideas for local decentralisation
  • Former local authority chiefs ask: “Has Holyrood become Scotland’s biggest Council?”

Reform Scotland, the non-partisan think tank, and The Mercat Group, an informal network of former chief executives of Scottish local authorities with over 220 years of public service between them, including 70 years as chief executives, are today announcing a collaboration.

Jointly, Reform Scotland and The Mercat Group will advocate for decentralisation of power from the Scottish Parliament to local authorities, along the lines originally envisaged by the architects of the devolution project.

The collaboration begins today with an article – Parliament or Council?: 25 years of evidence – written on behalf of the Mercat Group by Bill Howat, former Chief Executive of Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar, in which he states that “any reasonable, rational review of that evidence could only conclude that it has not been a success in terms of devolving power beyond Edinburgh”.

Bill Howat, former Chief Executive of Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar said: “Any reasonable, rational review of that evidence could only conclude that it has not been a success in terms of devolving power beyond Edinburgh. In fact, all the evidence points to growing centralisation of power in Holyrood. That is not good for local democracy, nor does it seem like good governance.

“There is now a need to revisit and reset the way all public services in Scotland are organised, delivered and financed. We should create a Scottish Civic Convention to take forward the public conversation necessary to conduct such a review.

“There may be other options but the central aim should be to develop a transition plan to ensure decisions on the delivery of all public services are taken at the lowest local level consistent with democratic and financial accountability.

“Scottish local government is in danger of becoming the delivery arm of the Scottish Government; indeed some would argue we have already reached that position. We might fairly ask: has Holyrood become Scotland’s biggest council?”

Chris Deerin, Director of Reform Scotland, said: “At a quarter-century old, now is the time to re-examine those areas of devolution which have not delivered as we all hoped they would. Local government is one of these. 

“Other countries enjoy the benefits of properly empowered local government, fulfilling most of the day-to-day operational roles upon which people depend, with central government adopting a more strategic outlook.

“In Scotland, we are failing to realise the potential of local freedom and diversity. Decentralisation is long overdue, and we are delighted to be teaming up with the Mercat Group to generate the ideas needed to make it happen.”

Bill Howat’s blog – Parliament or Council?: 25 years of evidence – can be read here

NHS Lothian outlines key moves for Eye Pavilion Services

Letters for new eye clinic appointments will begin “landing on doorsteps” in Lothian in two weeks’ time

NHS Lothian said it was making progress with plans for the continued delivery of services normally housed at the Princes Alexandra Eye Pavilion, while the facility is closed for urgent repair work.

It comes after the health board announced two weeks ago that the specialist eye hospital would have to be temporarily vacated for around six months to allow for extensive work.

All appointments scheduled to take place from October 28 are being moved in the interim to other NHS Lothian facilities while the work on the plumbing system is carried out.

Services will be distributed across five locations in NHS Lothian – St John’s Hospital, Livingston, the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, East Lothian Community Hospital and the Lauriston Building which is adjacent to the Eye Pavilion.

Inpatient services and day surgery appointments will be located at St John’s, while referrals for emergency ophthalmology cases will be treated at the Lauriston Building, a major outpatient centre which will also serve as temporary home to many of the Eye Pavilion’s clinics.

Jim Crombie, Deputy Chief Executive, NHS Lothian, said great care was being taken to keep disruption to a minimum, but said there is likely to be some knock-on impact of such a busy facility being relocated.

He added: “We are devising a plan that allows us to vacate the PAEP building during this essential work, while ensuring that patients can continue to be seen and treated throughout.

“So far, we have identified five locations with the necessary clinically appropriate facilities where we can relocate outpatient clinics, however we are still working through the complex logistics this will involve.

“Patient and staff safety are always our chief consideration, and our teams are working hard to minimise disruption. Please be assured, patients will be given the details of their new appointment with updated times and locations as soon as we can, and we expect that to be within the next fortnight. They can expect to receive physical letters or electronic letters on the e-comms portal.

“However, the PAEP was our busiest location for outpatient appointments, with up to 1,600 slots every week, as well as more than 130 inpatient appointments. There is likely to be an impact on waiting times in ophthalmology, but also in other specialties where the new clinics are being relocated.

“Our migration plan has tried to spread the numbers evenly across our facilities and our clinical teams are working to prioritise patients with the most urgent need for treatment soonest.

“I would like to thank our patients for their understanding and patience and our teams at the Eye Pavilion and in other services which will also be affected for their hard work and co-operation.  Moving a hospital is a massive logistical exercise and I want to acknowledge that this is a whole system effort that reaches far beyond ophthalmology.”

The extensive work will begin at the end of October and will involve the removal of two waste pipes as well as asbestos material from a sealed cavity where the pipework is located.

Contractors have advised that the work can be carried out more quickly and safely if the building is vacant for the duration.

The vast majority of patients due to be seen at the PAEP between now and Friday October 26are unaffected.

A small number of appointments due to take place before then will also need to be rescheduled in order to begin preparations for the temporary closure of the Eye Pavilion. These patients will be contacted individually by their clinical teams at least two weeks in advance, and do not need to do anything.

Those who already have appointments booked for dates from Monday October 28 will be contacted by letter, text or both in good time to arrange their new appointments, starting with patients who have appointments in the week beginning October 28. 

Council to trial Citizen Space initiative in Gorgie Dalry

A trial community contact project is running in Gorgie Dalry to make it easier for local people to reach the services and support that the Council offers.

Citizen Space at Tynecastle Community Wing is a test site that enables residents to access Council services in a convenient local setting.

The new trial team has been specially trained to help people there and then with Council services like ordering a new wheelie bin or informing of problems with local street lights. They can also link residents to the right community groups and other places they can get support.

If people would like help and advice with other things – such as housing, neighbourhood disputes or debt – the team will invite them for a longer discussion about how they can help.

The Council’s customer teams provide an important point of contact for residents looking to access Council services. Locality offices continue to offer an essential route for those seeking help and support.

The need to deliver more proactive services closer to people across the city is part of the Council’s 20-minute neighbourhood strategy. This will allow everyone to live well locally and meet most of their daily needs from within their own community by walking, cycling, wheeling or taking public transport.

Council Leader Cammy Day met with the team and Citizens Advice Edinburgh colleagues involved in the project on Tuesday to see their work in action.

Council Leader Cammy Day, said: “We want to make sure that everyone living in Edinburgh can easily reach the services and support that the Council offers. We’re working with our local partners and communities to plan and deliver services that meet everyone’s needs in a better way.

“Citizen Space at Tynecastle Community Wing provides exactly that – a new convenient and welcoming space that’s making it easier for people to use our services and receive advice.

“This is all part of our plan to support everyone’s wellbeing and end poverty and isolation in Edinburgh. These local community hubs will bring daily services together for everyone to help create more social and liveable communities.”

The Citizen Space is a drop-in facility for residents to use as they need it, but the team is also regularly out and about in the area to speak with local people and see how they can help. Look out for them in their 20-Minute Neighbourhood team jackets. 

Councils need to better manage workloads and staffing levels to improve housing benefit services

Many people are waiting longer for housing benefit claims to be processed as services across Scotland’s councils face rising workloads, fewer staff and high sickness absence levels.

The Accounts Commission, the independent body that holds councils to account, says councils need to better manage staffing levels and workloads, and put in place contingency arrangements.

Council benefit teams are operating with greatly reduced staffing levels, often with a deficit of ten per cent or more, and sickness absences are persistently higher than the national average. Flexible location working arrangements are now prevalent in council benefit services.

Whilst there has been a drop in the amount of short-term sick leave, it is also taking longer to process benefit claims. As people claiming housing benefit are often in urgent need of financial support, councils must better understand the impact of flexible location working arrangements on the delivery of the service.

Councils are implementing some improvements to service delivery and people’s experience, through new technologies such as robotics and automation. This will help improve access to benefit services, increase response times and reduce the number of days taken to process claims.

William Moyes, Chair of the Accounts Commission, said: “Clients needing housing benefit are often in urgent need. It is vital that councils have sufficient resources, alongside experienced staff, to manage increased workloads and staff absences. This will help ensure services are delivered more efficiently and effectively.

“It is positive that councils have continued to invest in different technologies, helping achieve some improvements. But the level of staff absence is a significant concern, and it is vital that councils understand the potential impacts of flexible location working arrangements on the performance of the service they provide.”

Please bear with us: Lothian Buses chief issues public appeal

This is an appeal to all of our customers, and all who want to see Lothian Buses thrive again.

As a society we’ve gone from standing on doorsteps, applauding key workers and paying tribute to their efforts, to a much less tolerant approach.  It’s present wherever you look – in shops, restaurants, and most definitely on buses.  It seems many people are less patient, less accepting and much less forgiving.

I know that our service isn’t always delivering for our customers as it should be right now and I’m sorry.  It’s definitely not how we as a company want it to be and I know we still have work to do to get it right. I know how frustrating it is to wait at a bus stop only for the bus not to turn up or to watch the street tracker increase the number of minutes’ wait when it should be counting down.

Please be assured that Lothian Buses is doing everything possible to get back to operating the reliable bus services that the people of Edinburgh expect and need.

To our customers… Please see our people as human beings – people who are at their place of work and are deserving of your respect and courtesy.  Our drivers and other customer-facing people are seeing a huge increase in abusive behaviour. 

It’s abhorrent and completely unacceptable. If you are frustrated with our service and feel that we have let you down, please remember that it’s not the fault of any individual colleague.  They are doing their very best in incredibly difficult circumstances.

And to our colleagues… I am truly sorry that your working day looks as it does just now.  I know that you are the people who have remained loyal to Lothian Buses and continue to come to work in very difficult circumstances. 

Please know that we are doing everything possible to recruit the drivers we need and to retain the ones we have.  We are running an extensive recruitment campaign, we’ve evolved our training programme, we are adding new benefits to our employment offering, and we are working hard to modernise rotas so that we can offer a better work/life balance.

We are slowly turning a corner with driver shortages, and we will get back to being a service that customers can rely on.

And in the meantime…

Please bear with us, and with our people.

Sarah Boyd

Managing Director, Lothian Buses

SCVO: Lifeline services at risk as voluntary organisations call for funding assurances

  

Third sector representatives have warned the Scottish Government that work done by charities and voluntary organisations cannot continue without multi-year funding.  

Key public services could be at risk as new research shows a significant number of voluntary organisations across Scotland are seeing rising costs affect their ability to operate.  

Research published as part of the Third Sector Tracker, a partnership project on behalf of groups including the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations’ (SCVO), shows the growing challenges facing charities and voluntary groups.   

Data gathered in March and April this year shows that Spring 2022 saw the cost of operating increase for most organisations, impacting their ability to deliver core services. 

Voluntary sector services are essential to the wellbeing of people in Scotland – particularly during trying times such as the cost of living crisis, just as they did during the Covid-19 pandemic.    

In the past two years the importance of Scotland’s voluntary sector has been underlined throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, with the co-ordination of food and grocery support, alleviating mental health and wellbeing issues, such as befriending, and digital inclusion work to reduce isolation all carried out by the sector.  

A large majority (86 per cent) of organisations also reported rising costs since December 2021, with the most common rises being:   

  • Cost of materials and supplies (63 per cent)
  • Transport costs (53 per cent)  
  • Staffing costs (47 per cent)  
  • Energy costs (45 per cent)  

Of organisations seeing rising costs of any kind, 42 per cent felt this affected their ability to deliver their core services or activities.  

With groups across Scotland facing challenges, the three months to April 2022 saw just half (50 per cent) of organisations able to meet or exceed their planned programmes or services. A further 43 per cent were able to meet them partially.  

Although many remain confident of continuing, SCVO believes that planned, multi-year funding is key to ensuring that vital public services provided by charities and voluntary groups can continue.   

Kirsten Hogg, Head of Policy Research & Campaigns at the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), said: “Far too many voluntary organisations are left wondering what, if any, funding they’ll receive to continue programmes and services from year-to-year.    

“Voluntary organisations need to see the funding they receive from the public sector keep pace with inflation. Without this, large swathes of charities will be left with shrinking budgets at a time of rising demand, putting services at risk and leaving them unable to pay staff fairly.   

“We cannot continue to see unnecessary expectations being placed on voluntary organisations that are not felt by their public sector equivalents. If the third sector is expected to continue providing lifeline services, this cannot be done without an ability to plan for the future.  

“Core funding must be expanded to ensure that organisations can meet running costs. It is not possible for a service to exist without an organisation to deliver it. Organisations need flexible investment to keep the lights on, to innovate and to continue their critical contribution to Scottish society.” 

Boost for patients as ambulance staff move into local fire station base

Over 20 ambulance staff have co-located to Edinburgh’s McDonald Road Fire Station in a move which will benefit patients in Edinburgh and Lothians.

 The 25 Scottish Ambulance Service staff – a mixture of Paramedics and Technicians – along with two ambulances  moved into the base on Monday 22 June.

The move is part of the Scottish Ambulance Service’s Demand and Capacity Programme, which has seen 540 additional frontline staff recruited in the last financial year, a record number, with plans for the next financial year to build on this.

The Demand and Capacity Programme is funded by the Scottish Government.

To accommodate the extra staff, eight co locations with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have been established across Scotland, including four in the Edinburgh area. The first three established were Sighthill, Crewe Toll and Penicuik. Edinburgh’s main station at Peffermill Industrial Estate will remain.

Kenny Freeburn, Regional Director for the East of Scotland with the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: “The past 12 months have been the busiest in terms of recruitment for the Scottish Ambulance Service and we are delighted to have moved to this new base alongside our emergency services colleagues at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. We look forward to working with them and building on existing relationships.

“There is now an aspect of multi-agency working and training that can take place between both services and as well as being a great new base for our staff, this move ensures that we continue to provide the very best care to patients in these communities.”

As in other co-locations, staff will work alongside fire service staff out of a separate room and they will be dispatched to incidents as per normal procedure through one of our three Ambulance Control Centres (ACC).

Area Commander Stephen Gourlay is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Local Senior Officer for Edinburgh City. He said: “These moves are part of a wider commitment between the SFRS and Scottish Ambulance Service to work even more closely together.

“Co-locations mean firefighters and ambulance service staff can regularly share knowledge and expertise while building rapport. It also presents an opportunity to better understand each other’s challenges. By working more closely together, communities and our organisations will see numerous benefits.”

Home Carers to ballot for action over “No Confidence” in COVID testing roll-out

Home carers in Glasgow City Council’s Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) will launch a ballot for industrial action next week, warning they have “no confidence” over plans for workplace testing of COVID-19 and amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the vaccination programme.

Over 1,700 GMB Scotland members will take part in a three-week ballot, running from Tuesday 19 January to Monday 8 February, meaning service delivery in the HSCP could be affected by action as early as the week beginning Monday 22 February.

It follows a massive 93 per cent support for action among GMB members in a consultative ballot last month, a direct response to the Scottish Government’s Winter Preparedness Plan which put home carers to the back of the queue in the roll-out of workplace testing delivery.

GMB Scotland Organiser David Hume said: “There is no confidence whatsoever among our members in their employer or the government to sufficiently protect their health and safety at work. And why should there be?

“They were failed on PPE at the outset of this pandemic, they have been left waiting ten months for workplace testing, and some are already encountering problems getting their first vaccine.

“The HSCP should have been fighting tooth and nail for every resource to protect the safety of their employees and their service users. Instead they have been sitting on zoom calls for nearly a year waiting on guidance from the Scottish Government, only for Ministers to leave councils carrying the can for testing delivery.

“The interests of these key workers have been consistently forgotten and they are being treated negligently by their employer, and this government.”

Ring any bells?

nedac

Angus Hardie’s article in the latest issue of Local People Leading gives food for thought: 

Here’s a cautionary tale of two charities. Both deliver drug and alcohol services but that‘s where the similarity ends.  Lifeline is based in Manchester, delivers services across the UK, employs around 700 staff and generates a turnover in excess of £42m – 26% up on last year.  The Castle Project is based in the Craigmillar estate of Edinburgh, generates an income that just about covers costs, and for the past 27 years its only priority has been to serve the needs of that community by developing a complex network of support for its clients.

The DNA of these two charities could not be more different. Lifeline, driven by an insatiable appetite for growth, successfully tendered for the contract previously held by the Castle Project.  Having to compete for ‘market share’ is anathema to the Castle Project and so it will close its doors next week – 27 years of local knowledge and experience thrown out with the procurement bath water.

In our Vision paper (below) we call for a thorough reappraisal of how services are procured and for a new premium to be placed on services that are genuinely locally based. Local By Default isn’t just a slogan – it’s part of the solution.

Best wishes

Angus Hardie, Director

Email: angus@scottishcommunityalliance.org.uk


 Local People Leading -FINAL V

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

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