What Matters-Scottish Borders community hub initiative is launched
Our Community Led Support work in Scotland continues to gather pace as members of the NDTi team attended the launch of the What Matters–Scottish Borders community hub initiative last week. This important initiative offers a new way of providing advice and information for adults wanting to maintain independence in their own homes.
The launch of the new service took place on Wednesday 7 June in the Kirkhope Village Hall followed by a similar event in Yarrow Feus Village Hall.
The community hub model is an option that has been demonstrated to be highly effective, particularly in rural areas like the Borders.
Ettrick Valley resident and What Matters-Scottish Borders champion, Linda Jackson, said:
“This is a great opportunity to test out a new way of getting public services nearer to people in rural areas and another way of increasing the use and importance of our village and community halls.
We hope that people will take this chance to go and talk to the professional and voluntary organisation staff who will be available on a regular basis, where their aim will be to make it easier for people to find out more about social care and health support.”
Developed with input from staff at Scottish Borders Council, NHS Borders, the voluntary sector and representatives from the local community the hubs will offer residents the chance to attend drop-in sessions in their own communities and meet with a range of professional staff and trained volunteers to get advice about social care needs, general wellbeing and independence. It will initially be available to residents in Ettrick, Yarrow and Hawick, with the Partnership committed to rolling it out across the region in due course.
At the launch, which coincided with National What Matters to You Day, Des McCart, Lead for Outcomes Based Commissioning at Health Improvement Scotland, added:
“Here in the Scottish Borders, What Matters is an opportunity for professionals and people needing services alike to work together and put principles into practice in a real and meaningful way, by being right at the heart of local communities on a regular basis, listening to what people need and working out the most effective way that those needs could be met.”
Elaine Torrance, Chief Officer Health and Social Care Partnership, said:
“This is a new and highly innovative way of getting advice and information out to the people who most need it, in their local communities, about the support that is available to help them to stay safe and independent at home.”
As interest in the Community Led Support programme continues to grow in Scotland NDTi’s Bill Love and Jenny Pitts will be presenting evidence about the programme with Des McCart at the Social Work Scotland Annual Conference and Exhibition 2017.
Details of this event can be found here.
