Perth City Locality Newsletter: January 2020

Perth City & Scone

Don't Miss Out! Are you reading this Newsletter but didn’t receive it directly? It’s easy to change that - to receive all three Locality Newsletters by email you can sign up by going to our Facebook page at @CommunityEngagementPK or alternatively please contact us on 01738 475243. ------Perth City Centre Community Hub Perth City Centre Community Hub (PCCCH) was set up by volunteers and formally constituted as a group in August 2018 by a group of five like- minded individuals. Social isolation and loneliness, is a growing problem in todays’ society, leading to poorer mental and physical health. In Perth there many agencies working in some way to try and tackle the problem. From discussions held, it was identified that information about those agencies was not always easy to find. PCCCH hope to provide a safe place where people can meet and find support in obtaining this type of information.

In Spring 2019 the people of Perth and various third sector organisations were asked for their thoughts on a city centre health and wellbeing information hub. The majority agreed that there was a need. PCCCH incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee in December 2019. We hope to launch our first project Connect Perth which will be a registered charity in the first half of 2020.

We are looking for suitable premises in the city centre of Perth which will allow easy access to those travelling by foot, bus or car. We are also working on our strategic business plan and our focus in the new year is on funding development and partnership working. We are also looking for volunteers for the Hub. Our Facebook page and website is also under development so please look out for us online very shortly! For more information please e- mail: [email protected] ------De-Frazzle Cafe Do you have concerns about: • Meeting new people? • Experiencing new situations? • Managing and coping with everyday life? Then you are not alone.

Join us here for a free cooling drink in an informal, friendly and safe environment to meet people in similar situations and to talk with organisations that can offer support. Make the first step towards taking control and improving your well-being.

First Tuesday of the Month drop in between 2pm and 4pm at Perth JobCentre, 60- 62 High Street, Perth.

Introduction to the Carers Strategy 2019-2022 The Integrated Joint Board (IJB) of Health and Social Care Partnership has given its approval to a new Carers Strategy for 2019 to 2022 which commits to making service changes required to better meet the identified needs of both young and adult carers locally.

The strategy, which was developed in partnership between Perth & Kinross Council, NHS Tayside, PKAVS Carers Centre and Carers Voice was agreed by members of the IJB on Wednesday 6 November 2019. It sets out a continuing commitment to supporting carers and presents 7 outcomes which will reflect a change in carers’ experience over the three years of the strategy, with the aim of ensuring that service provision is flexible enough to respond to changing needs. The new Strategy builds on what has already been achieved locally to give carers access to appropriate help and assistance, including options for short breaks, a telephone befriending service for older carers, social prescribing and statutory support services for carers tailored to their individual needs. The IJB considered the specific commitments for the next three years set out in the Strategy and also agreed to receive annual reports on its progress.

Health and Social Care Partnership Chief Officer, Gordon Paterson said: "Unpaid carers make a vital contribution to the lives of the people they support and the communities they live in. This is often overlooked or taken for granted, particularly as they often do not identify as, or recognise themselves as being carers. We hear often from carers about the positive and rewarding aspects of their role and how it brings a family closer together, however this responsibility they assume is often at a cost to their own health and wellbeing. Our commitment to unpaid carers has been reflected in the dedicated Carers Strategy Steering Group through which this strategy has been developed together with local carers, the Health and Social Care Partnership, Education and Children’s Services and PKAVS, so we can deliver on the provisions of the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, and ensure that unpaid young and adult carers get consistent support so they can sustain their role for as long as they are willing and able to do so, keeping families together longer in their own homes."

Unpaid carers in Perth and Kinross who would like to know more about the types of support available to them can find further details and useful links online at www.pkavscarershub.org.uk

The Carers Strategy for 2019 to 2022 can be located online at www.pkc.gov.uk/article/14243/Carer-Strategies- and-Policies ------Perth Parkinson’s Support Group The group meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month except August. We meet in the Gateway in Perth from 2-4pm. We usually have a speaker at our meetings followed by a cup of tea and a “fine piece”. This gives the members a chance to chat to each other and compare medication and other side effects of Parkinson’s.

We also have a seated exercise class which is held in Letham St Marks Church, dates for the next block are available from Margaret Blythe Phone Perth 634345. Again, followed by a cup of tea and chat.

Dance for Parkinson’s is held in the Concert Hall on a Monday morning, for more details, contact the Concert Hall. Tea/Coffee at the end and some chat time.

Our Therapy Project is available to carers as well as people with Parkinson’s. Contact Doreen Brown phone Perth 638128.

Information Café is held in the 3:16 Salvation Army Café in King Edward Street Perth every Wednesday 2-4pm and every 3rd Wednesday there is a Parkinson’s volunteer there, so new and old are welcome to come along and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee.

A warm welcome awaits you at any of these groups and we would love to see you there. Please contact: Graham Bell: 0182862785 / Doreen Brown: 01738638128 / Margaret Blythe: 01738634345

“I have had Parkinson’s for 11 years and since I joined the group about 7-8 years ago, I have made new friends from Helensburgh, Elgin, Dingwall, Dundee, Fife, Edinburgh and Glasgow. It is a great way to share your ups and downs of Parkinson’s with people just like yourself”. Doreen Brown (62). Fareshare FareShare is the UK’s largest and longest running food redistribution charity, with 22 Regional Centres across the UK including our Dundee Depot which is run by Transform Community Development. Their refrigerated vans deliver food Monday to Friday throughout Tayside and Fife.

The charity works with the food industry to access surplus food which can’t be sold in shops, for various reasons such as packaging errors or a short shelf life. FareShare then redistributes this food through its network of 11,000 frontline organisations, such as homeless hostels, school breakfast clubs, domestic violence refuges and community groups who between them operate in 1,900 towns and cities across the UK. Alongside the Regional Centres, FareShare also operates FareShare Go, a service which connects retailers with local charities and Not for Profit organisations to redistribute exclusively in-store surplus food. In the Perth & Kinross area, we are working with Tesco and ASDA.

FareShare provides enough food to create almost a million meals for vulnerable people every week and it is estimated that over 900,000 people access these meals each week. For further information, please go to https://fareshare.org.uk/ ------Scotland All Strong Scotland All-Strong is Perth's not-for-profit fitness and wellbeing studio, providing and promoting movement, mindful relaxation and peer support for mental and physical health, located on Scott Street. Their holistic approach to wellbeing includes offering a wide range of small group classes, including Strong Start, Step-Up, Yoga, Pilates, Parent's Fitness, Stress Smashers and more. The social enterprise also works in partnership with several local organisations to provide progressive programmes to groups of users from Support in Mind, PKAVS Carer's Hub and Perth Autism Support.

Scotland All-Strong are currently fundraising for programmes for other local groups, including MindSpace, Perthshire Women's Aid, Tayside Maternal Mental Health and Tayside Council on Alcohol, and are also set to launch their innovative Fitness to Feel Better referrals programme for mild to moderate anxiety, depression, chronic stress and low mood, for groups of peers to benefit from training together, developing confidence, knowledge and ability in the use of exercise, basic relaxation techniques and peer exchange as the powerful tools of self-management, recovery and prevention that they are.

Run by husband and wife team, Andy and Jess, Scotland All-Strong aim to remove barriers to training and wellbeing, and provide some family-friendly options, including Toddler Yoga and Parent's Fitness and Parent's Open Gym, which includes supervised play in a secure area adjacent to where parents can train with expert instruction to guide you. With plenty of lived experience, you are invited to allay any anxieties and apprehensions by arranging a time to visit their welcoming space and have an informal chat about training.

Let Scotland All-Strong get you moving in the right direction! www.scotlandallstrong.com Andy - [email protected] / 07493027053 and Jess - [email protected] / 07734577160 ------Jump into Wellbeing Festival (20th – 25th January 2020) The Jump into Wellbeing Festival is celebrating the wonderful work being done across the North Perth area by community groups and organisations through raising awareness of the many different opportunities for people to come together locally, to meet new people and learn new skills. This festival focuses on improving health, wellbeing, social connectivity and reducing social isolation. This festival has been organised by PKC Culture & Community Learning & Development (CLD) Team in partnership with the Health and Social Care Partnership Community Engagement Team and Live Active Leisure.

Look out for events happening across North Perth area from Monday 20th to Saturday 25th January 2020. View the full brochure at – www.pkc.gov.uk/whatsoncld for all available activities / sessions. Keep the brochure as many activities are ongoing and run weekly/monthly. Scone Airport Men’s Shed (SAMS) The Scone Airport Men’s shed started in October 2019 with a handful of like- minded men in the vicinity of Scone and a steering group was formed to drive the project forward. Since conception we have managed to create a Constitution, apply for charitable status, make application to a bank for an account of our own and obtain insurances. Until we are properly set up Scone Village Association are very kindly assisting us with admin functions such as banking etc

Morris Leslie, owner of the Scone Airport, has made a large shed available to our organisation to use as we please, within the guidelines of the Scottish Men’s Shed Association. We are open from 14.00hrs to17.00hrs every Wednesday and with demand we will extend hours and / or days to suit. We have no restriction with regards to the hours when we open it really is up to the demand of our attendees. We are hoping to extend the hours early 2020.

We are starting from scratch, so have very little in the way of tools and machinery and would accept donations of any kind. As a means of getting started we have taken temporary ownership of the Scone in Bloom cart that was at the north entrance to the village and we hope to re-store it suitable to last another 20 years. We welcome all men of any age who would feel they would like to join us to carry out a project, to find space to do their own thing, to come along for the chat, to have a cup of tea or coffee, to share their experiences, to escape day time TV or whatever.

For more information please contact Derek Brown : 07412 661070 [email protected] or Doug Sutherland: 07802 406725 [email protected] ------“I could never stand up and make a speech!” That’s a common reaction by lots of folk when they’re asked to get up and do just that – even when they’ve got something worth saying. And most people do. If they only had the confidence.

At Perth Speakers’ Club you’ll find friendship and encouragement to to discover what you can do. At your own pace. When you’re ready to have a go. We believe that, in supportive surroundings, everyone can improve their speaking skills. Skills like speaking clearly at an even pace, making eye-contact with your listeners without embarrassment, being able to smile and breathe naturally. As you begin to make progress, you will be encouraged to give each speech an attention-grabbing introduction, a logical development and a strong, rounding-off conclusion. In other words, you begin to think about structure: about building and developing ideas.

You will want to have a go at different types of speech: Making a Start (usually, telling a bit about yourself), or Mean What You Say (justifying your opinions about something that matters to you). Then there’s Use of Gestures or maybe Use of Notes, ten categories in all. You can work your way through them or pick and mix. Either way, in the process, you will become more self-aware, and able to learn from other people who are all on your side. In other words, in meeting the challenges, you will become a more confident human being. Oh – and I almost forgot this – you are highly likely to have a lot of fun!

Perth Speakers’ Club meets fortnightly at 7.30 p.m. on Thursday evenings in the Salutation Hotel, South Street, Perth. The Club welcomes women, men and young people alike. Email: [email protected] or Call: 01738 552032 or find us on Facebook. ------Your Community PK website & social media Find a huge range of information on activities in your local area at www.yourcommunitypk.org You can add details of your community group activities online for free by submitting your listing. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for news & updates about community events and organisations: www.facebook.com/YourCommunityPK www.twitter.com/YourCommunityPK Ice + Slip = Hospital Trip • Don’t venture outdoors in snow and ice - you can’t always see ice! • Take your time – don’t rush • Stay active – Being fitter and more confident prevents falls • Have your vision checked yearly • Eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of fluids - avoid alcohol • Wear properly fitting footwear and use walking aids if you need to • Remove trip hazards in your home and have plenty of light • Talk to your GP about your medications – some medications can cause dizziness and drowsiness • Tell your GP if you have fallen! For more information on the Perth and Kinross Falls service please contact Tel: 01738 473146 ------Free Debt Support Weighed down by debt? A new Christians Against Poverty (CAP) debt centre has launched in Perth and is now accepting clients. CAP offers free debt counselling to anyone who is struggling with personal debt. The friendly team from the Perth debt centre will offer a listening ear in the privacy of your own home and provide a practical solution to your debts. Since the launch of CAP in 1996, thousands of people have been helped out of difficult situations by CAP's professional service, now offered in over 300 debt centres.

CAP has been brought to Perth through the joint commitment of six different churches across the city to see people set free from debt. These six churches have provided finances and volunteers and are passionate to see the weight of debt over Perth lifted.

CAP also offers a free Money Course that teaches budgeting skills and a simple, cash-based system that works. In just a few weeks, you will get to grips with your finances so you can budget, save and prevent debt. To access the debt counselling service phone 0800 328 0006 or for more information about CAP and the Money Course visit capuk.org ------Your Local Co-op Member Pioneer What is a Co-op Member Pioneer? This year, across the UK, the Co-op’s membership scheme raised £17million for 4,000 local causes. My role as a Member Pioneer is to ensure that a share of the money raised is used to help make a real difference to the people and communities in our local area. The Member Pioneer programme builds on the Co-op’s membership scheme that was launched in 2016. Being a member of the Co-op means not only a saving of 5% on all your purchases but a further 1% goes to your Local Community Fund (LCF) to benefit local projects in your area. This year, the money raised through Co-op membership in Perth & Scone totalled £29,483.53. That 1% can make a real difference.

As a Member Pioneer, I work alongside people here in Perth, bringing them together, starting conversations, identifying issues and seeking solutions that will make real life positive changes for our communities. With the full backing of the Co-op, Member Pioneers support projects working in three key areas: • Local Spaces – saving, supporting and improving spaces and buildings • Wellbeing –improving mental health and wellbeing • Skills – enabling people to reach their full potential through access to skills As long as your organisation isn’t run for profit you can apply. Thinking of applying? Email [email protected] Become a Co-op member and donate your 1% to your local community, just pop in to your local store, pick up a temporary card then go to www.coop.co.uk/membership MoveAhead MoveAhead is a Perth City mental health and wellbeing service service that enables people to access opportunities and services in the community. It aims to enhance the wellbeing of individuals through participation and engagement in their local community offering one to one support. Our aim is to enable people to gain enjoyment and confidence via activity promoting long term independence. The service provides support to people who wish to participate in a variety of community-based activities, signposting on to other relevant services and organisations if required. Support is individual and tailored to the individuals needs and focuses on helping people to link into a wide range of activities such as: Voluntary work, leisure opportunities, recreational and social activities, educational opportunities and work preparation

We support and guide people to access a variety of organisations and agencies in the local community to meet their needs. E.g. Welfare Rights, Citizens Advice Perth, Counselling services, Housing services etc. We support anyone, who is over the age of 16, who have left school and who live in the Perth City boundaries who has a wellbeing need including people with or without a mental health diagnosis.

MoveAhead Community Groups MoveAhead has a remit to work with communities to develop new opportunities. We support a variety of social, educational, creative; and recreational groups locally which are open to anyone living in Perth and Kinross. We work in partnership with a variety of statutory, voluntary and community sector partners to identify with communities the needs of the local population. At MoveAhead we acknowledge the positive involvement that Carers can have to their loved one’s recovery. We offer a Carers information pack to carers and encourage where appropriate Carers involvement in care planning. Carers can also be involved in the recognition and discussion around relapse and be actively involved in the individuals review. If carers have specific needs we would encourage, and sign post them to opportunities so that they can address any wellbeing or support needs.

MoveAhead Volunteers We recognise the importance of volunteers in our work and value the contribution of volunteers. At MoveAhead, we create volunteering opportunities and work in partnership to co deliver local opportunities with our skilled and dedicated volunteers.

For more information please call MoveAhead on 01738 413075 ------General Update Carers Voice We are a Carer’s participation group which aims to involve Carers in decisions on matters that affect their lives and the lives of those they care for.

We are very keen to increase our membership base; we need your input to ensure that we maintain a current, accurate and well-informed understanding of all the issues affecting unpaid Carers in the Perth and Kinross area. Our aim is to discuss possible solutions to issues raised by Carers and feed back to local service providers. We are already well placed to raise awareness of the problems facing Carers representatives of our group attending the Integrated Joint Board, Carers Strategy and Strategic Planning Group meetings. We understand being a full time Carer is a very demanding and time-consuming role and that many Carers may feel that they don’t have time to attend our meetings but that does not mean that they should not have an opportunity to make their views known. With that in mind we have established our own Email address in order to create an easy method for all carers to feed back their views on existing carer services and any suggestions for improvements going forward.

The larger our membership base the more we can claim to be truly representative of the local caring community and have a greater credibility and influence when speaking to all official bodies.

Please register for your free membership by sending your name and email address to [email protected] or Tel: 07856 660 898. Together we hope to make a difference.

TEC – Technology Enabled Care Technology Enabled Care (TEC) is playing an increasing role in our everyday lives - it has the potential to increase people’s choice and control over the support that is offered and can enable individuals to self-manage their own health and wellbeing. The use of TEC is not a replacement for professionals or unpaid carers - it is a compliment to this face to face interaction. TEC can empower and motivate people to self-manage their own health and wellbeing and enable people to keep as active and healthy as possible. Technology can also give unpaid carers reassurance and greater independence by providing a reliable means of checking on their loved ones.

In Summer 2019, the TEC team at PKC opened a new SmartFlat in Carpenter Court Sheltered Housing, Kinnoull Street, Perth. The SmartFlat showcases the use of technology that can support vulnerable people to continue living independently in their own homes. Equipment on display includes internet-linked smart speakers with screens that can receive video calls so that carers can check how someone is doing or to remind them to take their medicine. There is also video doorbells, reminder clocks, pressure, bed and falls sensors, heat and flood detectors to provide early alert of fire or flood in the home.

The SmartFlat is available for bookings and is open to staff and members of the public to see how technology enabled care can safely support people to remain independent at home for longer. Drop-in sessions are held between 9am - 4pm on the first Tuesday of every month, and between 9am - 2pm on the third Monday of every month. Everyone is welcome to come along.

Please contact [email protected] or [email protected] to arrange a viewing or for more information on TEC. The TEC team is also available to give presentations and demonstrations to community groups and organisations. SmartFlat, Carpenter Court Sheltered Housing, 75 Kinnoull Street, Perth, PH1 5EZ. ------New Recovery Cafes across Perth & Kinross There are several new community recovery cafes now running across Perthshire, supported by the Health & Social Care Partnership. These have been funded by the ADP (Alcohol and Drug Partnership). Aberfeldy, Blairgowrie and Pitlochry are supported by Audra Webster and Liam McLaughlin and local volunteers. Kinross and Crieff Cafes are supported by Shona Fowler and Hillcrest Futures workers with Letham4All Recovery Café being the newest member supported by Bridie and Chelsea and now means that recovery cafes exist throughout Perth & Kinross-shire.

The recovery cafes have a community focus and are intended to be led by people in recovery or with an interest in recovery and people with lived experience. The cafes allow people to access advice and support as close to their local community as possible, where previously they would have had to travel to Perth City Centre, or other areas. The funding assists with advertising, activities and the ongoing development of the groups. Importantly in the words of Audra Webster, ‘the drop-in cafes provide a very relaxed and welcoming environment to support people to improve their wellbeing during recovery from substance use and/or mental health issues in rural areas, or non- city central areas’

The Cafes: Recovery Café meets every Monday from 1-3pm at SCYD, Wellmeadow House in Blairgowrie Kinross Recovery Café meets every Tuesday from 1-3pm at the Millbridge Hall Centre Crieff Recovery Café meets every Wednesday from 10-12pm at Crieff Cottage Hospital Breadalbane Recovery Café takes place every Wednesday from 2-4pm at Aberfeldy Parish Church Pitlochry Recovery Café meets Thursday from 1-3pm in the Atholl Centre Letham4All Recovery Café meets Thursday from 1-3pm in the Letham Centre

For more information please contact Liam McLaughlin Tel: 01738 476966 or email: [email protected] Electro Convulsive Therapy Electro Convulsive Treatment (ECT) is the most effective and evidenced based treatment for moderate to severe depressive illness and can also be effective for psychosis and mania, yet stigma and controversy continues around ECT, in part due to film and media portrayals of treatment e.g. “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” a dramatic and dated portrayal of ‘straight’ ECT (without anaesthesia or muscle relaxant) set in the 1950’s...... ECT is no longer delivered in this way but remains controversial with some believing the treatment should be banned and others claiming treatment saved and gave them their lives back.

What and who are involved in ECT A highly specialised team of staff including: Consultant Psychiatrist; Consultant Anaesthetist; ECT Nurse; Anaesthetic Nurse; Recovery Nurse and Nurse in charge of Recovery must be present for every treatment. Patients also have a trained Escort nurse present during the entire process of treatment. A General anaesthetic is given and this puts the patient to sleep, a muscle relaxant is then given. A carefully calculated electric current is passed across the brain via electrodes, for approximately 3-4 seconds by the psychiatrist. The effect is to trigger an epileptic type seizure, but because of the muscle relaxant there will be little movement of the body. The patient’s recovery following treatment is exactly as would be in case of undergoing a surgical procedure in Theatre.

A course of ECT is generally up to 12 treatments given twice weekly as an inpatient, however if patients can satisfy safety requirements for outpatient treatment we can and do deliver this intervention, affording choice in care and treatment. All ECT Suites throughout Scotland work to National Standards, as set by Scottish ECT Accreditation Network (SEAN), a national audit project which in 2008 became part of NHS Information Services Division (ISD).SEAN aim to maintain, monitor and where appropriate, improve the already high quality delivery of ECT across Scotland. This is achieved through a series of accreditation visits to all ECT clinics in Scotland. SEAN actively encourages service users and carers to contribute to practice via the Reference group which feeds into the Steering Group and attendance at the Annual Conference.

100% of ECT Clinics in Scotland achieved Accreditation, 89 % achieved “Accreditation with Excellence”. Our ECT Team at Murray Royal were within this 89%, we also have won Quality Improvement awards from SEAN most recently a runner up award in November 2019. ------Locality Leads Update As part of the development of Integrated Care Teams in Perth City the physiotherapy team has now moved to Pullar House in Kinnoull Street, so they are now co-located with the Social Work, Occupational Therapy and the Home Assessment and Reablement Team. This will improve joint working and help deliver an improved service to people in Perth City and Scone.

Kenny Ogilvy and Chris Lamont - Perth City Locality Leads ------South Perth Community Partnership Wellbeing Day The South Perth Community Partnership are planning a Wellbeing day on Thursday 13th February 2020 hosting information stalls and sessions, activities and taster sessions for all the community. This event will highlight what is available locally for people in terms of help and advice, support, and opportunities whilst further encouraging a sense of community. Lunch and refreshments will also be provided.

The event runs from 11am – 3pm and 6pm – 8pm at Glenearn Community Campus, Perth. For more information contact Alison Fisher [email protected] or Tel: 07835068434 Home Energy Advice Team (SCARF) Scarf delivers the Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT) service across the Perth & Kinross, Angus, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire local authority areas. This service is funded and supported by the local authority to help residents heat their homes for less. HEAT offers free and impartial advice either over the telephone or through home visits to homeowners, local authority tenants, housing association tenants and private rented tenants. The in-home, in- depth home visits can help householders reduce their energy use, find the best supplier and tariff to suit their needs, and help them make the switch. Advisors from HEAT also offer an advocacy service to help those in fuel debt. They also provide general energy saving advice that can have you saving energy and money in no time.

To arrange a free home visit telephone 0808 129 0888 or email [email protected] to arrange the most suitable day and time for a visit. Advisors from HEAT can also provide advice at events and information sessions, including presentations, workshops and Q&As. For more information or to book a home visit call HEAT on 0808 129 0888. ------Inquiry into Social Care The future of health and social care is an issue of growing importance within local communities across Scotland. More and more people are keen to ensure that their needs and expectations are met in increasingly challenging circumstances being faced by NHS Boards and local authorities. As part of its Inquiry, the Committee is seeking views from people with lived experience of receiving adult social care or being a carer for someone receiving care. Within this, the Committee is keen to receive responses to the following four questions:

1. How should the public be involved in planning their own and their community’s social care services? 2. How should Integration Joint Boards commission and procure social care to ensure it is person-centred? 3. Looking ahead, what are the essential elements in an ideal model of social care (e.g. workforce, technology, housing etc.)? 4. What needs to happen to ensure the equitable provision of social care across the country? The Call for Views closes on 20th February.

Please find the here link to the recently launched Inquiry into Social Care, which is being undertaken by the Parliament’s Health & Sport Committee. ------PKC Community Transport Community Transport is a critically important service which helps to provide several social welfare benefits. In Perth & Kinross alone, there are more than 30 community transport car and minibuses schemes providing the following wide range of services: • Tackling accessibility to public transport • Providing a means for isolated individuals to interact • Supporting personal independence • Offering access to health services, resulting in fewer missed appointments and the continued ability for people to live at home In 2016 Perth & Kinross Council (PKC) established Local Action Partnerships (LAPs) to take Community Planning to a locality level. The early LAP meetings identified that there was a common theme relating to the lack of transport, particularly in rural areas, which restricted access to services, events, activities etc. As a result, PKC provided additional investment of £50,000 in FY2017/18 to develop new community led transport schemes in the Council area. The following four groups received funding:

Tay Valley Timebank (Aberfeldy) employed a development officer to create and manage a car scheme and establish a pool of volunteer drivers to support the service to provide transport to areas not currently served. Auchterarder Community Bus Group introduced a community led Auchterarder Town Bus Service to provide a service of unmet transport provision in Auchterarder. Elder Voice (Blairgowrie) provide a befriending service in the Blairgowrie area and one part of the service is transport to/from local events and connecting people who would otherwise be in isolation. Where possible, transport is also provided for hospital appointments. The Madoch Centre (St Madoes) purchased a new people carrier to provide a transport facility to convey St Madoes/Glencarse residents to/from events being held at the Madoch Community Centre and GP Surgery.

To find out more information about Community Transport in the area go to ‘Public and community transport’ page on the Perth & Kinross Council website (www.pkc.gov.uk). Public Partners update Following widespread community engagement in July 2019 the new Health and Social Care Partnership Strategic Commissioning Plan was approved in December 2019 by the Integrated Joint Board (IJB) and will cover the period from 2020 till 2025. The document can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/39VxOr7.

We as the Public Partners will continue to raise the profile of the needs of Service Users and Carers across Perth and Kinross. Bernie Campbell and Maureen Summers were successfully re-elected as the IJB Carer representatives for a further two years with the option on an additional year to continue to raise awareness of the rights of Carers and Carers Voice.

The Reference Group continues to meet prior to the Integrated Joint Board meetings to inform individuals of developments within the Health and Social Care Partnership. If you are interested in learning more and helping to shape the future of service delivery within Health and Social Care – please contact Fiona Johnstone (Community Engagement Worker) for further information. The date of the next Reference Group is Friday the 7th February 2020 at the North Inch Community Campus from 9.30am till 12 noon.

If you would like to get in touch with the Public Partners please email [email protected] or contact Fiona Johnstone on 01738 567076 who will arrange for a representative to contact you. ------Local Health & Wellbeing Conversations A fresh new approach is needed to help identify local care and support issues in order to improve the way we look after people. Local health and wellbeing networks are a chance to bring local people and health and social care staff working in the area together to chat about what matters to people most.

They will provide a space to openly discuss and identify what some of the key local issues and gaps are and allow people to work together in creative new ways to come up with solutions or raise awareness. They are also an opportunity to get a better understanding of the direction of travel and changes that are happening within health and social care services which will be communicated through senior staff.

Please come along and help make a difference to your local community in a safe and engaging environment! Future dates for Perth & Scone will be confirmed soon. In the meantime, if you are interested in being part of these conversations please contact Heather on 01738 475243 or [email protected] ------Tell us Your News! This quarterly locality newsletter is issued by the Community Engagement team for the Health and Social Care Partnership with the Locality teams. We welcome any feedback, suggestions and of course your stories for the next edition. Please send any stories to us by 1st March 2020 for the Spring issue which will be issued in April 2020.

Heather Shields - Perth City, Scone & 01738 475243 07415 172208 [email protected] Fiona Johnstone - / & Strathmore 01796 474606 07849 800326 [email protected] Stephanie Cameron -Strathearn/Strathallan

01738 476134 07497 943125 [email protected] Nicola Lindsay – Kinross-shire & Almond & Earn 01738 475973 [email protected]

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