Spotlight on Health – Report for the ACVO TSI Board
Liz Howarth, External Services Coordinator 18th August 2014
1. Happy and Healthy in…
A multi agency project initiated and led by ACVO and facilitated by the Ethnic Minority Forum (EMF).
The EMF is a cross sector partnership which currently includes partners from Aberdeen City Council,
the 3rd Sector, Grampian Police and representatives from different minority ethnic communities in
Aberdeen. The forum exists in order to provide a platform for people from the minority ethnic
communities to raise issues around things that are important to them.
‘Happy and Healthy in…’ evolved due to having identified that older people from the different ethnic
communities were not participating in the various Change Funded projects that had been developed
by the 3rd Sector, Aberdeen City Council, and NHSG. It is well recognised that this is a hard to reach
group that that does not typically engage with mainstream health care services.
Happy and Healthy is therefore planning to deliver two community events in areas that have the
highest number of residents from minority ethnic backgrounds in Aberdeen City. The first of which
is scheduled to take place in Sunnybank Community Centre on Saturday 4th October 2014 and will
follow on from activities that will be on-going around 1st October for International Older People’s
Day. The overall aim of the events is to encourage older people from minority ethnic backgrounds
to engage with provision of services around health and wellbeing. A second event is hoped to take
place in Torry at a later date.
In addition to providing access to health and wellbeing services to minority ethnic communities, the
Steering Group plan to use this event to inform partners about what services the different
communities want to see moving forward and hope to be able to develop branding and a model for
the event that can be used by others in the future.
What is going well - a piece of work being delivered in co-production, and who’s Steering Group
includes not only ACVO and key members of the EMF, but also Katie Cunningham, Public Health
Coordinator NHSG who has a remit for working with minority ethnic communities. In addition to
this, Jayne Buchan, Senior Wellbeing Coordinator and Haley Buchan, Wellbeing Coordinator from
Aberdeen City Council are also on the Steering Group for the Event. There is a great deal of
enthusiasm for this event among the group.
Challenges – Interesting discussions around what to call the event as to how to make ‘health’
appealing to each of the different communities in order to ensure the event is well attended.
Benefits to ACVO – Demonstrates ability for ACVO to lead around issues that are difficult for
Statutory Organisations to deliver on, in this case hard to reach groups. It also presents opportunity
to work closely and build relationships with ACC Capacity Building Officers and the Learning
Partnerships.
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2. Discharge from Hospital – Have Your Say Workshops
Development Facilitator Anne Smith has been appointed to work with the Central South GP Cluster.
This is also the area that our Health and Wellbeing project (#WeLove) is being delivered. Anne Smith
is Change Funded to work across the sectors to identify an area of work that can be improved for
partners. Anne has identified ‘discharge of older people from hospital’ as an area, and has been
consulting with her colleagues from the Independent Care sector, and across the integrated health
and social care partnership around the issues that affect them. On 9th September, ACVO will be joint
hosting two workshops designed to consult specifically with the 3rd Sector. Once the information
has been collated, a further events are planned to bring together participants from across the
sectors to discuss ways of taking forward the findings.
What is going well – A great relationship is being developed between Anne and myself. In addition
to this, Anne arranged for John Aggasild and myself to meet with Jenny Ingram, Head of Service
Improvement, Modernisation Directorate at NHS Grampian. As a result of this meeting, Jenny has
agreed to work with ACVO on a piece of work. In addition to the benefits Modernisation Training will
bring ACVO as an organisation, it will also enable us to demonstrate understanding of process within
NHSG in terms of partnership work.
Challenges – Anne works part time and it can be difficult to coordinate meetings. There has also
been challenges around costing’s for the event as NHSG has given no budget for the it. In order to
overcome this, it will be held at Aberdeen Health Village which is a no cost venue, and tea’s / coffee’s
will be provided by ACVO TSI
Benefits to ACVO – Working with Anne has provided informal access to other Development
Facilitators which presents further opportunities for working together in other areas, including
around ‘service mapping’. Another advantage of this work it that it provides ACVO with an
opportunity to offer participation in the event to Change Funded projects in the 3rd Sector.
3. Health and Wellbeing in Lower Deeside (#WeLove)
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The #WeLove program reports to the Cults Learning Partnership, and is funded by Health
Improvement Funding (HIF) which came from Marlene Westland, Public Health Coordinator across
the Central South GP Cluster. Still in its development stages, the project takes an asset based
approach to community work, by identifying what is already working well within the community and
building capacity. Teresa dufficy who coordinates the project in the area is establishing what
currently exists and any gaps. A needs analysis has taken place, highlighting that the community is
well supported and people enjoy living in the area. Moving forward, the #WeLove team will be
engaging with schools, community and the various groups to deliver a number of activities including
awareness raising work shops around health and wellbeing , conversation café’s and a Wellbeing
Festival. A large on line presence is planned for the project using social media. The project plans to
develop a #WeLove Community tool kit which can be used by others in the future.
What is working well: Teresa has a lot of experience and has been fantastic in moving the program
forward on the ground. Rhain Johns, local resident with great connections to the community
recruited as a volunteer to the project, which including myself has created a #WeLove Wellbeing
Team for the area.
Challenges: Identifying health and wellbeing issues that are not currently being addressed, eg social
isolation and issues with alcohol etc. These are not issues that people will openly admit to when
directly asked about, however, with the delivery of health and wellbeing workshops and
conversation café’s we anticipate that the more difficult to approach issues such as these will be
teased out and possible solutions can be developed accordingly.
Benefits for ACVO – This has been a great opportunity to work within a Learning Partnership and be
part of the process. In addition to this, it has deepened our working relationship with Aberdeen City
Councils Capacity Building Officers which continues to evolve in a really positive way. The #WeLove
team meet frequently outwith the Learning Partnership with Marlene Westland, Public Health
Coordinator and David Alexander, Health Improvement Officer and trainer in Mental Health for
NHSG. A great relationship with Marlene is being developed. The group works very well together
and values each others contribution.
4. GP Cluster Meetings
ACVO TSI are represented in the GP Cluster Meetings across the city. In addition to supporting the
activities highlighted above, this allows ACVO TSI to engage with and support health themes as they
emerge. This also ensures that the 3rd Sector is both informed and consulted at the decision making
stage.
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Dementia Focused Event
25 August, 2014
10am – 1:30pm
Speakers:
Joyce Duncan, Chief Executive, ACVO TSI
Welcome and Introduction
Professor David Gray, Acting Director of the Research Institute for Management
Governance and Society (IMaGeS) and Professor of Transport Policy at RGU
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An overview of the ongoing ‘improving social transport for the elderly’ project.
A brief discussion of a highly regarded (but unsuccessful) proposal to the EPSRC
entitled “A whole-life approach to design for wellbeing, ageing and mobility in the
built environment”, which sought to look at the transition from high mobility to
constrained mobility associated with old age and sought to understand key
transitions or trigger points during ageing resulting in changes in lifestyle, health
and wellbeing. The proposal also planned to develop and prototype a range of
design, ICT, transport and built environment solutions to keep people mobile and
active in society for longer.
How the bid team think that the EPSRC bid can be revisited to focus more
narrowly on dementia, those suffering from dementia and their carers.
Anna Buchanan, Programme Director, People Affected by Dementia at the Life
Changes Trust.
As Programme Director, Anna Buchanan will be advising the priority areas for Scotland
identified by the Trust
Sandra Shafii, AHP Consultant in Dementia with geographical remit for
Aberdeen City and Shire
Sandra Shafii has been instrumental in creating Scotland’s first Dementia Friendly Town
Centre. This pioneering work has now been shared with other areas across Scotland.
Sandra will be informing us of the lessons learned and in which way this work could be
developed in Aberdeen.
All presentations will take place in Room 423, Aberdeen Business School,
Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7QB.
Coffee/tea will be available from 9:45 in the morning. Lunch will be served at 12 o’clock.
If you have any special dietary requirements please respond to Agnieszka KrukOmenzetter a.kruk-omenzetter@rgu.ac.uk
Parking will be available at parking areas at Robert Gordon University, no pre-booking
necessary.
If you are no longer able to attend please inform Agnieszka Kruk-Omenzetter by email:
a.kruk-omenzetter@rgu.ac.uk
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