Heart-breakingly, our award-winning community clinic and work in the community in Wester Hailes (video here), South Edinburgh are threatened with funding cuts. Our hosts, the Health Agency are facing massive cuts to funding, to be discussed at a meeting of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board on Friday 1st November. You can help by signing the petition before 2.30pm on Thursday 31st October or writing to Andrew Henderson andrew.henderson@edinburgh.gov.uk the Chair of the Board and/or your local councillor if you live in Edinburgh (template below).
This is a rerun of the North Edinburgh cuts to funding almost exactly 6 years ago, which led to the loss of 11 of the 13 community health projects in the area. You can read more about this on our blog and read on for the Health Agency’s description of the impact of losing fundng.
TEMPLATE EMAIL FROM THE HEALTH AGENCY
I am writing on behalf of The Health Agency to express concern regarding the proposed cuts within the 3rd sector relating to the Integrated Joint Board’s (IJB) potential disinvestment. This disinvestment which is part of the IJB’s in-year recovery plan and savings strategy for 2025/26 will have a devastating impact on 64 community organisations.
The Health Agency is a valued community led organisation that has been making a positive impact on the lives of residents since it was established over 25 years ago and over the years has demonstrated a successful record in delivering EIJB outcomes and providing services that the NHS partners have come to rely on to help support the most disadvantaged in our society
While we recognise the significant funding challenges faced by the IJB, disinvesting from the 3rd sector for short term cost savings seems misguided. Such actions are likely to increase pressure on both NHS and Council services, contradicting the Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland, and the Audit Commission’s strong advocacy for enhanced prevention and early intervention strategies which are known to take time and require investment. Evidence consistently shows that investment in prevention work that the Health Agency does is one of the most cost-effective methods to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities, ultimately fostering greater sustainability with economic, social, and environmental benefits.
We very much hope that this proposal will not be passed on Friday and a delay will be possible to allow for a constructive discussion with the IJB and other partners on how we can best support our communities together
We would be very grateful if you could reconsider the recommendations outlined in the 1st November document and we strongly urge a pause to the proposed changes in order that meaningful conversations can take place.
IMPACT OF EIJB CUTS ON THE HEALTH AGENCY
Without the EIJB funding we would struggle to continue as an organisation and the community we serve would lose vital services that are essential in helping keep local people well, and away from frontline services. I cannot emphasis how devastating these cuts will be to our sector, as these grants fund our core costs which allows us to leverage in match funding from other sources. Without the core funding (which is almost impossible to get funded via charitable trusts/foundations) we will lose this match funding and there will be a huge disinvestment in Edinburgh and a loss of vital services.
Our organisation is a community led organisation that has been making a positive impact on the lives of local residents since it was established over 25 years ago and over the years has demonstrated a successful record in delivering EIJB outcomes and providing services that the NHS partners have come to rely on to help support the most disadvantaged in our society.
Our experience has allowed us to build capacity to take action on priority health issues and tackle inequalities in the area that we serve. Our organisation delivers a broad range of inter-related activities that enable people from the local community to build a bespoke toolkit of activities in alignment with their personal goals and/or needs. Encouraging and enabling this type of self-directed support ultimately makes a significant contribution to the creation of a healthier, stronger and more robust community and has proven to reduce the pressure on frontline NHS services and statutory services.
The withdrawal of this funding will potentially lead to;
- 11 HA staff redundancies
- 16 HA sessional worker redundancies
- 35 volunteer opportunities lost at the Health Agency
- The loss of £327,671 of additional funds that the Health Agency brings into the area via other sources of funding
- The loss of hundreds of third sector jobs across Edinburgh
- The loss of approx. £16 million additional funding leveraged in by charities every year and invested in local communities
The extent to which our organisation is a highly valued key provider of much needed holistic support to the local population and also a vital part of the health, social and practical support network in Edinburgh, is evident in the quotes below given by local professionals and practitioners in our most recent evaluation.
Referrers unanimously speak very highly of our organisation, many also emphasised the fact that in the local area, we are the only provider of free mental health and physical health services. In addition to being the sole provider, referrers stressed the need for local services in areas of multiple deprivation.
“One of a kind…When people are at their lowest point they can turn to our Agency and the support is there. This is such a vital service in the area.”
“Really what I want to say is how essential and wonderful your service is and thank you so very much for your whole team input with my patient. It’s all he has just now”
“It is the only dedicated Cancer Support Service within our area, which caters for a population that has a high level of health issues.’
“Areas like this need services located locally that are accessible, flexible and that listen to the needs of the community they are part of. There are no other services available in our area that provide the level of service that the Agency offers”
Throughout its over 2 decades of service provision, the Health Agency service has consistently received positive feedback from practitioners and ‘patients’ and local community alike.
Clients and referrers report that the services and support provided reduce ‘isolation’ and develop confidence required to live well and manage the impact of a disease, mental health issues or LTC.
Quotes on the impact on clients/community if Service was to close;
“…the queue to see the doctors would be unbelievable”. (Client R1)
“Without The Health Agency I would be mentally and health wise stuck in the house. It has been socially beneficial due to the different groups I have attended with yourselves”
It’s a lifeline and gets me out into the community and meet people. This is the only place I have that I can go to, to do this. I would miss going a great deal”-
“The Health Agency is an incredibly important part of trying to get our community out, together and fitter. For me personally it’s one of the only gateways to getting my body moving and working with good people I can trust. It would be devastating to members of the community if it weren’t to be here/ available”
“If this was to happen, it would leave a large gap in our life. The class has been a godsend to us. It gives us the exercise we need and provides great camaraderie amongst the people who attend”
“I see, firsthand, the good work that the health agency is doing with the arrival of new clients week on week. My general fitness and health has improved for the better and I can’t thank them enough for that. The Health Agency has made a significant difference to my wellbeing and if that support had to be cut back or lost to the community it would be a very sad day”
“And a lot more mental health issues as well” (Client R10)
“I would think you would have a lot more suicides”. (Client R2)
“I just think there will be a lot more people with depression, you know, ended up with maybe a really severe depression and they wouldn’t be getting the help they needed. They would end up just not knowing where to go for help” (Client R7)
Our summary of our current work
Our work covers six out of the seven funding priorities that were identified by the EIJB.
This work that we would no longer be able to provide if these devastating cuts were to proceed. The range of work that would end is summarised below;
Social Isolation
We provide a range of activities that offer opportunities to isolated members of society to build relationships and improve social cohesion. This includes the following group work
– Carers Group which caters for carers many of whom are relatively isolated because of their responsibilities,
– Women’s Group for local women to meet new people and support each other,
– Gardening Group which is a gardening and conservation group for persons with learning difficulties,
Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
We promote healthy lifestyles mainly through our physical activity programme. This is a healthy living project which encourages and motivates individuals to lead healthier, more active lives and supports service users to access local gyms, delivers its own gentle exercise, walking groups, supported gym sessions, menopause groups and yoga classes as well as offering advice on health eating, weight management, and support on long term conditions such as diabetes.
We would also need to suspend our food poverty programme. This currently offers a range of healthy eating initiatives including cooking on a budget, cooking groups for mothers and babies, free weekly community meals, and the provision of community food pantry.
Improving Mental Wellbeing
Our work to support people with mental health problems is a major part of our delivery plan funded through the IJB grants programme. We improve mental wellbeing by providing:
– Counselling Services,
– Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
– Anxiety Management Groups,
– Confidence Building Groups.
We offer a safe space for individuals to talk about problems and issues, help to identify solutions and change negative patterns of thinking and behaviour.
With a better understanding they will learn appropriate coping strategies and self-management skills. Without this funding all our vital mental health services would need to be suspended
Supported Self-Management of Long-term Conditions
Many people in areas of multiple deprivations suffer from underlying chronic health problems. Our project supports people who are affected by cancer and long-term conditions such as COPD and cardiac illness. The service also extends to their carers, family members and those who are recently bereaved. The specialist staff assist service users in a variety of ways to help them better self-manage their conditions. This service also provides massage therapy, counselling and benefits advice and groupwork to those who request it. Many of the referrals for this service come directly via Primary care and without this project, primary care burden in these deep end practices will be significantly increased
Information and Advice
We assist our service users to improve their personal economic situation by providing information on welfare and disability benefits, debt management and general money worries. Access to welfare rights and money advice is an integral part of our service of the Westerhaven cancer support service. The withdrawal of funding may mean these service would have to discontinue
Building Strong, Inclusive and Resilient Communities
All of our activities when taken together are instrumental in building a stronger and more inclusive community. We work to provide a means of bringing people together to take collective action to improve the environmental and social fabric of the local area, without our organisation many of these activities such as place planning and empowerment of local residents would not happen
Through our volunteer strategy we aim to ensure that individual volunteers are able to travel on clear personal progression routes that result in positive and fulfilling outcomes, without this funding this progression route for local residents to become volunteers and gain essential skills that lead to employment would no longer exists.
Recent Comments