First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Health Secretary Jeane Freeman visited the Capability Scotland Edinburgh Hub yesterday ahead of the extension of free personal care to people of all ages who are assessed as requiring it. Continue reading Expansion of free personal care
The Fair Work Convention today published its report Fair Work in Scotland’s Social Care Sector 2019. The report calls for urgent interventions by policy makers, commissioners and leaders in the social care sector to improve the quality of work and employment for the 200,000 strong workforce in Scotland.
The Scottish Greens have urged the Holyrood government to put fair work at the heart of social care by accepting the report’s recommendations in full. Continue reading Not fair: report calls for better deal for care workers
Councils in Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care Trusts are continuing to exploit their dominant purchasing power, according to a new report from UKHCA, the professional association for homecare providers. Continue reading Councils ‘buying homecare on the cheap’
Social care staff working ‘sleepover’ hours are to receive a pay increase, Health Secretary Shona Robison has announced. Care workers will now be paid the real Living Wage of £8.45 for sleepover hours, meaning the Living Wage will now be received for all hours worked. Continue reading Pay boost for social care staff: workers guaranteed Living Wage for overnight hours
“If we want our most vulnerable citizens to be treated as well as they deserve, the Scottish Government and the council have to face facts: good care costs money.” – Kirsten Hey, UNISON
UNISON City of Edinburgh is relieved that the difficulties in social care which we have raised for so long are finally making the news headlines, and we welcome Michelle Miller’s recent statement that social care services are under-funded. We do not like to use the word “crisis” as it can cause great anxiety for vulnerable people and their families, but at this time it is apt. Continue reading Social care in crisis: UNISON calls for fully funded services
OneFamily customers across Edinburgh have less than one week left to nominate a local community project for a OneFamily Foundation Community Award – giving them the chance to win up to £25,000. Continue reading Nominate now for OneFamily community awards
Health and social care CGL (Change Grow Live) has taken over the local recovery service previously run by Lifeline from a shop unit in Muirhouse Shopping Centre. Lifeline is no longer in operation, having ran out of money last month. Continue reading North West Recovery Service: Lifeline service replaced by CGL
More than £1 million has been awarded to voluntary organisations to help support and develop social and community care services in Scotland. The allocation is part of the Section 10 grants scheme and together with on-going grants, brings current Scottish Government investment in the scheme to £2.82 million. Continue reading £1 million for national social and community care organisations
Edinburgh Wellbeing public social partnership (psp)
“Talk, Share, Plan, Repeat” Coproduction Events
Public Social Partnerships (PSPs) are about people working together to design what services and supports are needed to meet the need of people who have mental ill health, or mental health difficulties, and then building partnerships to deliver the services and supports. There will be two city wide events, the first to capture the main themes and the second to capture work across the city and to begin to make these links. The locality events will be focused more around understanding the needs of that particular community, opening up local dialogue, and building relationships for future partnership working.
To registers for one/or more events or general enquiries please email: EdinburghPSP@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
Housing and care services are in crisis. Can local community co-operatives help to meet local needs?
These are questions for a ‘radical’ new community project in Edinburgh Northern and Leith. Side by Side aims to explore how we can learn from each other and work together to create positive practical change in our local neighbourhood.
Housing, environment and care of the young and elderly were the top concerns to emerge from two community Open Space events in the last 12 months. The first event identified the needs; the second came up with bold ideas to fill gaps in local services – including housing and childcare co-operatives
Now Side by Side aims to take the next step with The Gathering, at Norton Park Conference Centre on Saturday 3 December. And this time the event will start by celebrating the successes and achievements of local groups who are already changing lives.
‘Through our events we discovered fantastic creative enterprises in Edinburgh Northern and Leith,’ says Fay Young, one of the organisers, ‘But not everyone knows about them. We hope to learn from each other to build on what is here already and generate new ideas to enhance quality of life in our area.’
Keynote speaker Josh Littlejohn, co-founder of Social Bite, will set the tone of an event which seeks to ‘share best practice and build on local achievements’. A panel of experts from Pilton Community Health Project, Port of Leith Housing Association, Shrub Swap and Reuse Hub and North Edinburgh Childcare will also provide first hand accounts of successful community enterprises and projects.
Workshop discussions and outcomes will be led and decided by the audience and facilitated by Judith Chivers. Proposals put forward by The Gathering will contribute to a community manifesto for our neighbourhood in time for the local authority elections in May 2017.
Side by Side has grown from two Open Space community discussion events hosted by Councillor Lesley Hinds, in December 2015 and April 2016. Local organisations and residents were invited to explore how we might make use of new powers coming to the Scottish Parliament to improve life in our part of Edinburgh.
Councillor Hinds who is standing down after 33 years on City of Edinburgh Council said: ‘I promised to turn words into action and that is what The Gathering aims to do. My colleagues will ensure this is taken forward”.
Side by Side is a community project open to all. The Gathering will be introduced and hosted by Labour Councillors for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, and is supported by Leith Open Space, an intercultural community discussion group formed in 2005.
Edinburgh based Selah Corbin, a cinematic songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose work has been likened to “paintings that come alive” will provide the music and a light lunch of delicious food from Punjabi Junction will be served.
To take part, book now on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/side-by-side-edinburgh-northern-and-leith-gathering-tickets-28336222404?aff=es2
and follow Facebook.com/SBSGathering and http://www.edinburghlabournorthernandleith.org.uk/ for updates.
For further information please contact Marion Donaldson councillormariondonaldson@gmail.com
