Another First - CYBER SECURITY

I am proud to say that Social Care Alba is the first Care Company to achieve both IASME and Cyber Essentials accreditation.

IASME Standard

Social Care Alba is the first Care Company to achieve IASME Accreditation.  The IASME standard, based on international best practice, is risk-based and includes aspects such as physical security, staff awareness, and data backup. The IASME standard was recently recognised as the best cyber security standard for small companies by the UK Government when in consultation with trade associations and industry groups. The audited IASME certification is also seen as showing compliance to ISO27001 by an increasing number of companies.    

Cyber Essentials Scheme 

Social Care Alba is the first Care Company to achieve Cyber Essentials Accreditation. The Scheme focuses on the five most important technical security controls. These controls were identified by the government as those that, if they had been in place, would have stopped the majority of the successful cyber attacks over the last few years.

Together we are raising the standards of care.

George Clooney and The Biggest Business Awards Ceremony in UK EVER

Last night saw Hollwood mix with Holyrood in the biggest business awards dinner in the history of the UK.

The list of names included:

• George Clooney & Sir Tom Huner
• Josh Littlejohn - Social Bites
• First Minister - Nicola Sturgeon
• Deputy First Minister - John Swinney
• Sir Chris Hoy & Rob Bryden
• Chris Evans & Judy Murray
• Lord Kevin & Social Care Alba
• and many more.....

The evening recognised Scottish business and raised money for good causes.  Social Care Alba were the first Care Company in the awards history to be nominated and shortlisted for this presigious award.

Everyone both past and present work tirelessly every day to improve the lives of others.  Your hard work was recognised and celebrated on the evening by the 2000 guests who attended.  Sharing this special evening were friends and colleagues both new and old who have contributed to our success.

Social Care Alba's goal has always been to change the face of Care in Scotland.  Last night shone a light on the hard work and deication of millions of carers both paid and unpaid thoughout the UK. 

Thank you to everyone for their contribution and I hope you are as proud of your success as I am.

Stephen

Stephen Wilson, Director

The Butterfly Effect

Every day millions of carers touch the lives of those around them.  They are people like you and me, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, friends, neighbours or even strangers.

What we and they do is not complicated, I call it the butterfly effect, where the smallest of actions can have a life changing effect on others.  We offer a shoulder to cry on, a warm smile when your sad or companionship when your lonely.  We will care for you when your ill, hold your hand when your dying and when your gone make sure your loved ones are not alone.

Being a carer is not for everyone, but for those who can put others needs before their own, it brings it's own rewards.  Think of all the people whose lives would be poorer had you not been there for them

For our part we promise to support you, developing your skills, knowledge and career.  Together, every day we make the world a little bit better. 

Stephen

Focus Area - Infection Control

As you all know on this month our focus area is Infection Control.  Johanna has already posted information on our Google Community about:

Respiratory and Cough Hygiene
Patient Placement
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 
Hand Hygiene. 

I urge everyone to read them even if you think you already know everything about infection control.  It is good practice to keep yourself up to date as recommendations and best practice can change.  

Remember "Repetitio est mater studiorum" - repetition is the mother of learning. Discuss or share your ideas. 

It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that we prevent infections as we are working with vulnerable adults.  Why Infection Control is so Important?  As Service Users (SU) come into contact with many staff members there is the potential to spread infections and microorganisms.  LINK 1

Most people know that washing hands and using gloves is a good practice but why we need to wear aprons?  Aprons are worn to stop contamination of care workers’ clothes and skin.  It is used when there is a risk of splashes or sprays of body fluids and when the care worker’s clothes might get wet (body wash/shower).  Here is a great video what explains that we do not see all bacteria and how easy it is to spread them around: LINK 2  So please use aprons all the times, it takes only 5 seconds to put on. 

If you are unsure about something do not hesitate to ask.  Here are some more usefulmaterial.  LINK 3  LINK 4

Social Care Alba Nominted for Award

Earlier this year I wrote about the excitement within Social Care Alba about George Clooney's visit to Edinburgh. George is the guest speaker at this years Scottish Business Awards and will be promoting both his charity and that of Social Bites.

The Awards ceremony, is supported by the Royal Bank of Scotland and is attended by 2,000 business leaders from across Scotland and the UK. 

Social Care Alba have been shortlisted in the RBS Customer Focus Awards section.  I am extremely proud of the effort we all make every day to improve the lives of the people we support.  To read more about the awards click HERE

Music maestro please

Social Care Alba's "Shared Management Meetings" are open to all every month.  We encourage a
different person to chair the meeting as a way to develop their skills.  So how do you chair the perfect meeting?

Think of chairing a meeting as a conductor of an orchestra.  Each must follow an agenda (sheet music) and ensure that you get the most out of the participants.

A good chair will ensure each member of the meeting is brought in at the right time.  They will know when to bring individuals to the front and when to reduce the presence of others which may overpower the meeting.  Finally where possible there should be time for a solo contributor.

Then this is timing, the art of bringing all of the contributors together and to finish on time.  Of course running the perfect meeting takes practise.  So don't expect to get everything right first time, every time.  However, when it all comes together then like a maestro you should have gotten the very best out of everyone.

Open for Business

With the expansion of our Edinburgh team we are investing in a second office which will meet our growing staff and clients’ needs.  Providing a centrally located, modern and accessible office will allow dedicated space to meet with clients, family members and health care professionals.

Nation-wide cut backs mean it's a difficult time for anyone to be working within the health and social care field. However we truly believe that continued investment in our Edinburgh operation will secure jobs for our staff and high-quality care for service users in the city."

Social Care Alba operate a different model of health and social care to other companies. This involves offering specialists who are able to support service users in their own homes for particular issues e.g. a physiotherapist for mobility difficulties, an occupational therapist for stroke and mild dementia conditions and a social worker for, amongst other things, accessing services and community assistance. This in turns means people are not only more comfortable and relaxed because they are being support at home, but it also helps the NHS by cutting down on the number of hospital admissions."

In addition to taking on new clients, Social Care Alba are also employing new staff. More information on our company and its ethos can be found on the website www.social-care.org

What Ramadan means for our staff and service users

Many people are currently observing Ramadan, but do you know what it means to them.  Take some time to learn more and how we can support our colleagues and friends throughout Ramadan.

Ramadan (Arabic:; رمضان) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and the month in which the Quran was revealed.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month is spent by Muslims fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to sunset. The Quran was sent down to the lowest heaven during this month, thus being prepared for gradual revelation by Jibreel (Gabriel) to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Furthermore, Muhammad told his followers that the gates of Heaven would be open for the entire month and the gates of Hell (Jahannam) would be closed.^[1] The first day of the next month, Shawwal, is spent in celebration and is observed as the "Festival of Breaking Fast" or Eid al-Fitr 

As Muslims must fast during the day during Ramadan, mosques will host iftar dinners after sunset and the fourth required prayer of the day, maghrib. Wikipedia

Explore: Mosque, Salat

For more than a billion Muslims, Ramadan is a time of prayer, fasting, and charity. factmonster.com

Explore: Sawm

Suhoor as the morning meal is matched by Iftar as the evening meal, during Ramadan, replacing the traditional three meals a day . . ., although in some places dinner is also consumed after Iftar later during the night. Wikipedia

Explore: Suhoor, Iftar

Get to know our staff

Fatou Sanneh, Team Leader

“I love the idea that I’m an important part of helping to build up the company and that I’m making a difference to not just current client’s lives but to those who’ll  receive care from us in the future too.”

Since the age of 19 Fatou Sanneh’s life has been geared towards helping others. That’s when she left her native Sweden to study for a degree in Health and Social Care in London. Then followed 14 years in the care industry, much of that time in Bradford, Yorkshire.

She moved to Edinburgh recently, tempted by the idea of working for a care company which offered a number of specialisms for clients.

“As a Team Leader with Social Care Alba I work alongside occupational therapists, physiotherapists, nurses and social workers,” she explains. “It’s great to be able to call in the special skills of colleagues when I need to.

“As you can imagine, the amount I’m adding to my own skills base is huge and, of course, it’s terrific for the clients to know they’re being treated by qualified health staff. “

Fatou’s team of care staff look after service users in the South of Edinburgh. Much of the work involves administering medication and supervising meals. Often that means three or four visits a day.

“It’s mostly a supervisory role that staff carry out,” she says. “Many of my team’s service users are very independent and like to do what they can for themselves and this, of course, is something we encourage.”

Fatou enjoys the responsibility of looking after staff as well as service users and appreciates the help she receives from other team leaders and staff qualified in other disciplines.  She adds: “We’re very much a team here at Social Care Alba - a family, if you like. I love the idea that I’m an important part of helping to build up this company and that I’m making a big difference to not just current service user’s lives but to those who’ll receive care from us in the future too. That makes me feel pretty special.”

Social Care Alba Helping to Shape India’s Health Care Model

It's not every day you get the chance to help reshape the Indian government's health policy.

But that's exactly what's been afforded us here at Social Care Alba - thanks to one of our new members of staff, Vikash Kumar, Professional Advisor in Research.

The qualified social worker is currently studying for a PhD in International Health at Queen Margaret University College here in Edinburgh and his research will be reported back to the team at India's Health Policy Unit. Vikash has already completed previous research for the Department of Health in India where he looked in maternity and new born care. He's currently a recipient of a Scottish Government Saltire scholarship.

His current area of study is integrated care and his work with us gives him an insight into the type of home-based care available here in the UK.

"The provision of care here is very different to that back home in India," he said. "The shift from hospital to home based means there are more people involved in an individual's care. A person with diabetes, for instance, could have a nurse, social worker and doctor caring for them. They have their own team whereas in hospital such a network simply wouldn't exist.

"In India there is very little home-based care with most individuals being cared for by family and relatives such as aunts and cousins. Often the hospital care is either too expensive or too far away for a person to travel to. And even if they do get hospital treatment India is still under-resourced when it comes to nurses, physios, occuational therapists and other health care practitioners. We need the kind of care at home provision in India that I see here on a daily basis in the UK."

Vikash, 30, says he's enjoying his time working as a Professional Advisor in Research as part of the Social Care Alba team in Tollcross and Prestonfield where the majority of his clients are elderly and need dementia care.

"The staff are great and so are the clients," he said. "I was delighted to be offered the job. I'm already fairly well known to some of my clients."

Director of Social Care Alba Stephen Wilson said: “It’s terrific to have someone with Vikash’s experience on the team. We hope he enjoys his time with us and takes away information that will help improve care at home back in India.”

Meanwhile, Vikash's clients will be reassured to know that he’s not leaving for India for some time yet. He intends to stay here until at least 2017 when his PhD is due to be completed and he'll be known as Dr Kumar. 

Social Care Alba Helps Celebrate Local Hero Awards

We were delighted at Social Care Alba to be chosen as one of the sponsors for the recent Lothian Local Heroes Awards.

Held in Edinburgh's George Street Assembly Rooms and sponsored by the Scotsman Publications, the Awards were designed to recognise the amazing - and often untold - caring contributions made by 'ordinary' individuals in our community. More than 300 guests turned up on the night to hear the winners and nominees for the 13 different awards announced by host Portobello actor Scott Hoatson. Categories for the awards included Young Carer, Health Champion, School of the Year and Child of Achievement.

The individual award sponsored by ourselves at Social Care Alba was that of Carer of the Year. It was won by Sharon Duncan, 44, of Fairmilehead. For the past 25 years Sharon has selflessly cared for Stefan, who grew up to be a youngster with a life threatening condition. Stefan was a baby when Sharon first took him and when he became seriously ill she grew to become his nurse as well as his carer. Over the years this has involved administering medication and learning to make lifesaving interventions.

And Sharon's caring contribution doesn't end there. For along with her husband Stewart she is also a foster carer and has opened her home to numerous other youngsters over the years. 

Sharon was delighted to receive the Carer of the Year Award, announcing that it meant the world to her, but that she didn't see caring as a particular trial. She added: "I absolutely love what I do."

Stephen Wilson, Director Social Care Alba said: “Although there were a number of individuals who deserved this award we felt that Heather really stood out. Her selfless nurturing of not just Stefan but all the other youngsters she has looked after over the years, as well as the fact she obviously revels in her role as a carer, made her an outright and obvious winner.

“Sharon has shown that caring isn’t always a one-way street. The carer receives a great deal of pleasure too and, of course, it can be incredibly rewarding.”

Other runners up for this award included Caroline Martin, Nicola Hogg and Pappender Singh.

Meanwhile, we're pleased to say 13 of our own carers enjoyed a well-deserved night out at the awards. As well as the ceremonies and dinner, guests were also give performances by the choir's Edinburgh's Got Soul and Edinburgh's Schools Rock Ensemble.

For more information about the Lothian Local Hero Awards, as well as pictures on the night, see here.

Continence Promotion

If you have incontinence, don't be embarrassed about getting medical help. The symptoms can be improved, and sometimes cured, with simple methods.

Almost half (45%) of all people with incontinence wait at least five years before they get help, according to Karen Logan, a continence nurse at Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust.

"There’s a huge stigma around incontinence, despite it being so common," she says. "I would urge anyone with symptoms to come forward, as it’s more than likely that we can sort out the problem and really improve their quality of life."

Get help if you've had incontinence problems for more than a few weeks, to rule out conditions such as diabetes.

Here’s where you can go for expert help.

Your GP and incontinence

Your GP can assess whether you have incontinence, decide which type of incontinence you have, give general advice on controlling symptoms of incontinence, provide information on pelvic floor exercises and bladder retraining, and provide treatment for incontinence with prescribed medicines.

If lifestyle changes and treatments don't solve the problem, your GP can refer you to a continence adviser or specialist.

Continence clinics

In the UK, there are over 360 NHS continence clinics, with specialist teams providing support and medical advice for people with bowel or bladder incontinence. "If you prefer not to see your GP, these are an excellent alternative first stop for diagnosis and treatment," says Logan. "We can significantly improve life for 75-80% of the people who come to us with incontinence problems."

Continence clinics can be based in a hospital or in the community, often attached to a health centre. You don’t need to be referred by your GP and you can phone them directly to make an appointment. On your first visit, a continence adviser, usually a nurse who specialises in bowel and bladder problems, will assess you and explain yourincontinence treatment options.

Continence advisers, and the incontinence physiotherapists who work alongside them, are particularly good at teaching pelvic floor exercises to women with stress incontinence (sudden leaks) and bladder training to women with urge incontinence (regular urges to use the toilet). They can also issue pelvic-floor-strengthening devices – such as vaginal cones, and continence pads and products – and explain how to use them.

To find details of your local NHS continence clinic:

• Call the Bladder and Bowel Foundation (B&BF) confidential helpline on 0845 345 0165.
• Call your local hospital for details of your nearest clinic.

The hospital incontinence specialist

If the help offered by your GP or local continence clinic doesn’t work, you can be referred to a hospital urologist or urogynaecologist for tests and possible incontinence surgery. If you have bowel incontinence, you may be referred to a colorectal surgeon or gastroenterologist.

According to Karen Logan, only 10-15% of patients who attend continence clinics have to be referred for surgery.

If you decide to have surgery, it’s important that your surgeon has the necessary skills and training. Check that they're trained in surgery for incontinence and have done these operations often enough to keep their skills up to date.

Now, read tips on living with incontinence or a pocket guide from the Care Inspectorate.

The First A.I. Healthcare Assistant

We are always looking to find new ways of helping you.

For the past year Social Care Alba have nurturing a secret Artificial Intelligence Healthcare Assistant. 

We are proud to announce the birth of Anna.  She will soon appear on Social Care Alba's website, www.Social-Care.org.  Like every new born, she will be taking her first tentative steps at helping you.   Anna will learn from the questions asked, building her knowledge to ensure that she gives you the most accurate response.

Anna will never judge, is available 24/7 and can answer the same question time and time again.  Over the coming months we want to learn the questions which are most important to you.  With your help we aim to teach Anna the answers which best meet your needs.

Please remember Anna is still young and may be easily offended.  Your questions need to be short, clear and spelt correctly.

First steps in preventing dementia

Tweaking the brain's immune system with a drug has prevented mice developing dementia, a study shows.

Social Care Alba supports many people with dementia.  So far research has not developed a single drug to slow the progression of the disease.  However, the team at Duke University, in the US, have showed immune cells which start attacking nutrients in the brain may be a trigger for the disease.

They say their findings could open up new avenues of research for a field that has Experts said the findings offered new hope of a treatment.

Stopping dementia

In mouse experiments, a chemical was used to block the enzymes that break down arginine.

They showed fewer of the characteristics of dementia such as damaged proteins collecting in the brain and the animals performed better in memory tests.

One of the researchers, Dr Matthew Kan, said: "All of this suggests to us that if you can block this local process of amino acid deprivation, then you can protect the mouse, at least from Alzheimer's disease.

"We see this study opening the doors to thinking about Alzheimer's in a completely different way, to break the stalemate of ideas in Alzheimer's disease."

'Hope'

Dr James Pickett, from the Alzheimer's Society said the study was "offering hope that these findings could lead to new treatments for dementia".

He added: "This study in animals joins some of the dots in our incomplete understanding of the processes that cause Alzheimer's disease, in particular around the role played by the immune system."

Dr Laura Phipps, from Alzheimer's Research UK, said the study was "interesting" and shed "more light on the mechanisms of immune system involvement in Alzheimer's".

But she cautioned clinical trials in people were still needed and that "the findings do not suggest that supplementation of the amino acid could mirror the benefits seen in these mice".

Social Care Alba's Birthday

It has been 5 years since Social Care Alba was born.  Its creation started a new approach of providing support to people in their own homes by have a combined Health and Social Care provider.

Five years on we have a growing team of professionals who believe in our values of:

• Dignity
• Privacy
• Choice
• Promoting Independence
• Realising potential

Nurses, Social Workers, Pharmacists, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapists, Personal Assistants and more are all working together to deliver the best support possible, no matter what your needs.

We have created a number of world firsts over the past 5 years including communication tools, pain tools, biometric scanning and much more. Over the coming years we plan to build upon our success with new and innovative ways to support those who use our service.

Nataly and I would like to thank all those who have contributed to Social care Alba's success.  We look forward to continue investing in staff development, service users support and new research for many years to come.

Stephen Wilson

Crime Safety Tips for Home and Outside

It’s a sad fact that older people are often the victims of crime, but it is true and aside from carrying a policeman in your pocket with you every day, there are some simple steps that you can take to make yourself less of a target for criminals.

Here at Social Care Alba, we care about your safety and have compiled a printable list that you can use to keep yourself or your loved ones safe from crime whether in your home or out and about.

When at Home

• Never open your door automatically; find out who is knocking and be sure you know them before opening the door.

• Lock all of your doors and windows. Install deadbolt locks on all your doors.

• Change up your daily routine

• Leave lights on when going out at night; use a timer to turn lights on and off when you are away for an extended period.

• Notify neighbours and the police when going away on holiday.

• Be wary of unsolicited offers to make repairs to your home; these could mean trouble.

• Keep an inventory with serial numbers and photographs of re-saleable appliances, antiques and furniture just in case any of these items are stolen.

• Be sure to report crime or suspicious activities.

• Ask for proper identification from delivery persons or stranger.

•  If a stranger asks to use your telephone, offer to place the call for him or her yourself.

• Never let a stranger into your home.

•  Do not hide your keys under the mat or in other conspicuous places.

• Never give out information over the phone indicating you are alone or that you won't be home at a certain time.

While Out and About

• If you are attacked on the street, make as much noise as possible by calling for help or blowing a whistle.

• Avoid walking alone at night; have a friend accompany you in high risk areas.

• Plan your route, stay alert and walk confidently.

• Stay away from buildings and doorways and always walk in well-lit areas when possible.

• Have your key ready when approaching your front door.

• Don't dangle your purse away from your body; keep it close and make it harder for thieves to get at.

Many of these tips may seem like common sense, but we tend to forget even the most basic ones that could save our lives, our property and our family. Crimes against the elderly can show up in many forms and in many different places; staying alert and being prepared is the best way to thwart criminals and stay safe in today’s society.

What is Home Health Care?

Many of us have heard about in-home health care and know that at some point in a person’s life, it could become the difference between struggling just to get everyday tasks completed and enjoying an afternoon with friends doing what you like. Today’s in-home health care may be very different than what many people perceive it as but it is still designed to help seniors live independently for as long as possible and within the limits of their medical condition.

Home health care covers a wide range of services and can often delay the need for long-term nursing home care. It can include both occupational and physical therapy, speech therapy as well as highly skilled nursing duties. With a reliable home health care agency, you can expect assistance with everyday personal activities such as bathing, dressing and eating. It would also include assistance with cooking, cleaning and other tasks that could become difficult for those who are need the extra help. Many home health care workers also provide prescription monitoring as well as overseeing the dosing of over-the-counter medications.

As you can see, home health care can be divided into two very similar, yet different disciplines. On the one hand, you have health care that is designed to keep the client healthy and assist them with therapy, prescription use and other medical related issues. On the other hand, we see a home health care worker providing a wide range of personal and home related duties such as cooking, cleaning and various other home chores. Social Care Alba offers all of these services and more and they have a staff that is highly trained and fully attentive, often caring for clients for many years which attests to the level of care and support they provide.

If you, or someone you know, need some extra help getting through their day due to old age, injury or a handicap, consider home health care services and get your life back to normal. There are many excellent home health care service providers available, find one today and start living your life again.

Dementia Friendly Edinburgh

Last year we spent a month focusing on how we can make a positive difference to the lives of people
with Dementia.  Some of the things we did included:

• Becoming a Dementia Friend
• Creating updates to our Communication Tool
• Raising awareness of Dementia
• Offering training on Dementia
• Getting involved to make Edinburgh Dementia Friendly

All round the city you will start to see adverts and changes aimed at making Edinburgh a Dementia Friendly City.  You can follow the changes on Edinburgh Councils Website by following the LINK HERE

You can help cure the stigma of dementia by doing six little things.  To find out more about the six easy ways to help someone with dementia you can read the dementia stigma leaflet.  It's just about understanding a bit more about dementia and the small things you can do to help people with the condition.

You can join the conversation on Twitter at #dementia6littlethings.

Stephen

Hello Mrs Robison

A few months ago I wrote to Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport.  To be honest I didn't expect a reply, but there it was sitting in my inbox.  Shona was more than happy to meet and chat about the future of Health and Social Care in Scotland.

So this Wednesday saw me unconsciously humming the Simon and Garfunkel tune "Mrs Robinson" as I approached the Scottish Parliament.  I know the spelling is different but I just couldn't get it out of my head.

If you haven't been to see the Scottish Parliament, then I would recommend a visit.  Fans of design, architecture or history won't be disappointed.

I was brought back to reality by a full body scan, and my clothes and belongings being x rayed. My visit to parliament looked to be over before it had begun as I was pulled aside by security.   A thorough search and a few minutes later revealed the culprit. It turned out to be nothing more than a car remote.  Que the music.


Shona and her team were welcoming, informed and interested to hear what Nataly and I had to say on behalf of staff, families and service users.  They understood the dilemmas faced by all of us and were taking action to improve the Health and Social Care provision in Scotland.

Some of the areas we discussed included:

• How we could improve provision to allow people to receive support in their own homes rather than be admitted to hospital.

• Raising the profile of the sector to encourage people to choose Health and Social Care as a career.

• Creating a single set of training standards for staff across the country, irrespective if they work in the community, NHS or care home.

• How Social Care Alba can become involved in new developments within Health and Social Care
• Accessing training resources from the NHS

• The imminent merger of Health and Social Care from April 1st.

We left with the promise of more information and details of how we could be more involved in shaping the future of Health and Social Care in Scotland.  I will keep you updated on how we take some of the ideas forward and how you can get involved.

Stephen

A Date with George Clooney

What price do you put on happiness?  If you had asked me this question last week, I wouldn’t have a clue.  This week, I can tell you down to the penny.

All around me women are smiling, talking about shoes, hair, makeup and new dresses.  Being honest I can’t take all the credit, this goes to the one and only Mr George Clooney.  Little did he realise that when he accepted an invitation to come to Edinburgh, that it would turn my life and that of many others upside down.

My story starts just 7 days ago with an innocent comment “I see George Clooney is visiting a sandwich shop in Edinburgh”.  My wife leapt from her chair with the grace of a gazelle and subjected me questions which the Spanish inquisition would be proud of.  Within minutes, she had found out everything about the coming visit, barring George’s planned toilet breaks. 

It turns out George is not only an Oscar-winning actor, director and Hollywood living legend, but also a committed humanitarian.  His visit to Edinburgh coincides with raising awareness for his charity “Not on Our Watch” which he co-founded with Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle and Matt Damon. As if I didn't have enough to live up to.

Skip forward a bit and I find myself on the phone, bank card in hand being reassured by the nice man that the content of my bank account is going to a good cause.  My brain awakens from the fog to screams of joy from my wife.  I had agreed to buy:

• 1 Table for 10 people at the Scottish Business Awards (Read dinner with George)
• 3 Course meal for 10 people (Who are already swapping diet tips for the big night)
• VIP photo-line with George and other celebrities (Read snogging)
• Champagne reception for all (They really won’t need it)

Of course if you ask Nataly, she will tell you all about her dinner date with George.  I have suddenly become very popular at home and with the rest of the women at work.  Whether it lasts until George visits in November we will see.  So what price do I put on happiness.  Well I could tell you, but looking at my wife’s smile, it’s priceless.

Stephen

P.S. Watch this space for more updates on "Dinner with George"

Local Hero Awards

Social Care Alba is delighted to sponsor this years Local Hero, Carer of the Year Award. NOMINATE NOW

As Scotland’s foremost Care at Home provider – independently awarded top marks in all categories by the Care Inspectorate – we’re aware of how having the right support can transform peoples’ lives.

Our own energetic and passionate team includes personal assistants, nurses, physiotherapists, social workers and occupational therapists. Through recommendations, our list of clients is growing and we are looking for caring and reliable individuals to join our team.

Our Gold Investors in People award shows the commitment we have to improving the working lives of our staff and well as those we support.  At the same time we are also keen to help those who are ambitious and seeking promotion. APPLY NOW

Being able to make a positive difference to someone’s life is rewarding. Having the confidence to do
so because you know you have a great support team behind you is essential. At Social Care Alba you’ll experience both.

For more information visit  www.Social-Care.org or phone 0845 0945 279.

A Great Opportunity

You cant turn on the TV or search the internet recently without being aware of how much coverage is being given to Health and Social Care. 

The Scottish Government recently announced a further £100 Million over three years is to be invested in the NHS to help reduce the numbers of people waiting to be discharged from hospital.

This funding will be used to support health boards and local authorities deliver good quality care and support for people at home or in a homely setting.

This is aimed at preventing delays in discharge and preventing admissions to hospital and attendances at A&E. Combined these actions will reduce pressure across the system.

I am delighted that Shona Robison MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport has agreed to meet with me to discuss "The Future of Care Services in Scotland"  

Ahead of my meeting I would like you give you the opportunity to pose a question to Shona.  Whether you work with us are receive support from us, now is the chance to have your voice heard.

I won't have time to ask everything, but will try and reflect the most popular questions that you send me.

To get involved please email the office with your question.  If you work with us please ask the people you support whether they would like to get involved.

Stephen

Stephen Wilson, Director

NEW COMMUNICATION TOOL

In 2012 we were proud to be the first to design, develop and release an app specifically to help overcome communication difficulties.  

Since then our Communication Tool has been a huge success and is used in more than 27 countries worldwide by families, health care professionals and hospitals.

Now updated for 2015 it remains FREE to use with unlimited ability to upload your own images.

COMMUNICATION TOOL

For many people the ability to communicate with those around them is hampered by conditions such as Dementia, Stroke, Brain Damage or General Ill Health. The communication tool is designed to bridge that gap. Whether you are a care giver, professional, family member or have yourself a difficulty communicating, this tool helps overcome some of this barrier.

They say a picture speaks a thousand words, and this app does just that. With over 500 possible images from which to select, communicating your needs, choices or feelings is easy. With just 3 simple taps on the screen you can choose from any of the pictures you desire. You don't have to worry about being limited to the stock images, because you can swap any image for one of your own in seconds. By creating a library of images personal to you, the app allows meaningful communication, reminiscence, memory prompts, memory exercise and more.

The uses for the app are only limited by your imagination. We hope that the frustration and isolation experienced by people with communication difficulties are replaced by experiences of inclusion, dignity and choice.

DOWNLOAD THE APP FOR FREE HERE

Nataly Wilson, Director, Social Care Alba

www.social-care.org