We thought it might be useful to share an overview of the Independent Review of Social Care that was produced for a recent IJB meeting.
Carers Big Day Out – 11 June 2021
We’re still booking for The Carers Big Day Out at Foxlake. 🙂
Get out and about on Carers’ Week. Why not sign up for ELHSCP’s Carers’ free get-together at Foxlake on 11 June. Tea, coffee, soft drinks, sandwiches and cake and access to all Foxlake’s activities or just a chance to hang out. ELHSCP will offer support with transport, you can come along with the person you care for or ELHSCP may be able to provide support for you to come on your own if you prefer. The choice is yours. Contact elhscp@eastlothian.gov.uk for more information.
East Lothian Community Cycle-Path and Walkway consultation

We’re really sorry if you were kept waiting and couldn’t get into the meeting on the 21st. We have rescheduled this meeting for 6 May from 4-5pm via Teams. The meeting planned for the 29th from 5-6pm is also still going ahead.
You will now need to sign up for both these meetings, so if you would like to be at either or both, please email Ausra.Montvydaite@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk and she will send you meeting links. Sorry for the change of plan, but this is way guarantees you admission. 🙂
COSLA Elected Members Briefing April 20, 2021

- The Scottish Government’s Coronavirus Scottish Parliament 2021 election guidance has been updated, with doorstep canvassing now permitted in all 32 Local Authorities.
- COVID daily data for Scotland is updated each day. It offers statistics on new cases, test positivity rate, deaths and vaccinations.Â
- India has been added to the red list of travel countries, with travellers from India to be subject to additional restrictions when arriving in Scotland.
- There has been an accelerated easing of COVID-19 restrictions (more information in the ‘Change to restrictions’ section of the bulletin).
Here’s the link to this week’s EMB – COSLA Elected Members Briefing – April 20, 2021 (mailchi.mp)
Men across generations

From Loreen Pardoe, Generations Working Together
A lovely opportunity for me to share with you – and for you to share with your networks. “Men Across Generations” as an upcoming Thematic Meeting session in May.
For anyone who would like to attend, not already a GWT member – please ask them to contact bella@generationsworkingtogether.org.
Also, a reminder of the next thematic meeting which is on Friday 30th April – “Year of Childhood 2021, through an Intergenerational Lens”.
The next few sessions can be found on the event page too – so do read through the different links and see if something captures your attention. It would be lovely to have you all enjoying these special events.
NHS Lothian Peer Support Service

We are developing a peer support service across NHS Lothian. It’s going really well and we have already run 4 cohorts of training, ahead of the launch of the service in May.
We are now looking for a Peer Support Coordinator for ELHSCP. The main role would be for this person to take charge of local advertising, maintain the enthusiasm of the peer supporters and ensure the group stays visible. From our pilot, we know the majority of the contacts are ‘informal’ and staff have to know who the Peer Supporters are.
We are in the process of building the network and working out how people can access peer support. The ‘formal’ email / telephone line will be managed centrally.
Some people from may already have applied to do the training. However, if there are others (it would be nice to have 10-15 peer supporters) we are running further courses in May and June. It’s a super opportunity.
I’ve attached the application form along with the information sheets for anyone interested in applying and their line managers. Ideally we would have representation from across the range of services, including non-clinical.
Here are the documents you will need:
Please do feel free to contact me with any queries.
Thanks so much in advance and kind regards
Pauline
SHE / HER
Specialist Education Lead Staff Experience & Engagement
OD and Learning (Human Resources & Organisational Development)
1st Floor, Comely Bank Centre
13 Crewe Road South
Edinburgh EH4 2LD
Pauline.Macdonald@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
0131 470 5723 (45723)
07976 067763
ELCAP February/March newsletter

Link to the ELCAP newsletter online.
Social Security Scotland benefits – information session for people with sensory impairment on Thursday May 6th, 1-2pm

Visibility Scotland would like to invite you to our upcoming information session on the benefits that have been devolved to Scotland. The session is open to individuals living with a sensory impairment and their family members and carers. It will take place via Zoom with the option to join by video or phone. The session will provide an overview of the benefits that are available from Social Security Scotland including benefits for carers, benefits for families on a low income, payments to help with funeral costs and the costs of starting a new job for people on a low income and help with heating costs for families with disabled children.
We will be joined by Carol Tugman, Local Delivery Relationship Lead from Social Security Scotland. Carol will tell us about the benefits that are available from Social Security Scotland including benefits that have transferred to Scotland from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and a number of brand new benefits. Carol will also give a brief overview of some of the benefits that will be available from Social Security Scotland in the future including the planned transfer of disability benefits from the DWP. There will be the opportunity to ask questions, however please note that this session is intended to provide a general overview of the benefits that have been devolved to Scotland and we will not be able to answer questions about individual entitlements etc.
If you would like to attend the session please register in advance online or by calling us on 0141 332 4632.
We hope you can join us at the session.
Natasha Johnston
Project Lead – Benefits Take Up
Visibility Scotland
2 Queen’s Crescent, Glasgow, G4 9BW
T: 0141 332 4632 M: 07748325201
British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact me by using contactSCOTLAND-BSLContact Visibility Scotland by email
Get ready for the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival

Supporting colleagues returning to work after shielding
We thought this guidance from NHS Forth Valley might be useful. When you get to the last box, there is similar wellbeing information on the council and NHS Lothian websites and www.promise.scot is there for all of us.
