Do you have experience in working with groups of young people?
Do you bring fun and creativity to these activities?

Salary £18,813 (pro rata) 12 hrs per week. One year contract.

An enthusiastic Project Assistant is needed for Action for Sick Children (Scotland's) Stay Well Lanarkshire self management project. This delivers workshops to young people with long term health problems, so they can manage their condition better. Key responsibilities are to assist the Project Officer to promote, develop and deliver workshops. Youth or community work experience, good communication skills, a flexible approach and access to car essential. Hours are flexible with occasional evening/weekend work. Enhanced disclosure check required.

Download the application pack here, call 0131 553 6553 or email ascs@btconnect.com
Closing date: 11 August 2010: Interviews: week of 16 August

Project supported by Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland, BBC Children in Need, Robertson Trust and The Self Management Fund for Scotland. Scottish Charity No. SC006016. Registered Office 22 Laurie Street, Edinburgh EH6 7AB.

Quality of Life for Children and Young People with Long Term Conditions

LTCAS is working with for Scotland's Disabled Children (fSDC) to gather the views and experiences of children and young people living with a disability and/or long term condition. This is a follow on from the ‘Seen and Not Heard’ conference on issues for children and young people living with long term conditions. The work is aimed at gathering some quantitative information about children and young people's experiences which will be used to feed into the Children's Summit being organised by the Scottish Government and will inform a session that LTCAS delivering jointly with fSDC at the Scottish Learning Festival this September.

The research will be conducted through an online survey and also focus groups.

You can access the survey here. It should take around 15 minutes to complete or a bit longer if children are being supported to answer the questions. Please note that the deadline for completion of the survey has now been extended to Friday 6 August!

We need our members' help to reach children and young people, promote the survey to them, and where appropriate, support them to take part.

The research explores topics such as life, school and services with children and young people of all ages. We have signed up to Kidscreen which is an EU wide programme that has a tried and tested approach to asking children and young people about their quality of life.

We can send you paper copies of the survey (or email you the Word version of the survey to print off copies to circulate). Please call 0141 404 0231 or email info@ltcas.org.uk to request copies.

We are also looking for members to volunteer to host a focus group for us through one of their projects or services. These need to be done between now and end of July if possible. We'd really like to have a good spread of ages, different support needs, different parts of the country etc. The focus groups will involve looking a bit more in depth at experiences of others people’s attitudes and the impact of these attitudes on children and young people's lives generally, at school and through services or support they get. If you think you could help with this, please email victoria.eastwood@ltcas.org.uk

Audit of Carer and Workforce Training in Scotland

The National Carer Organisations (NCO) in Scotland have recently secured funding from the Scottish Government to develop and deliver both carer and carer-focused workforce training throughout Scotland. In recent months there have been substantial developments in carer training in many parts of Scotland.

The first part of this work programme will involve an audit of all carer and workforce training currently taking place. Following this, the NCO will begin work to develop, distribute and manage a grants programme for carer and workforce training, based on criteria informed by the analysis of the audit and identified positive outcomes for carers.

The Training and Employment Research Unit at the University of Glasgow has been commissioned by the NCO to carry out the audit. We are contacting all of the organisations which are stakeholders in carer and workforce training to collect information about the training offered.

We hope that you will be able to assist with this important research by filling in the survey which can be accessed here. All information that you provide will be treated in confidence.

We would really appreciate it if you could complete the survey by Friday 6 August at the latest.

If you have any questions about the survey please feel free to get in touch with Hannah Engleman on 0141 330 3990 or email h.engleman@lbss.glasgow.ac.uk Alternatively, you can contact Lynne Macdougall on 0141 330 5988 or email l.macdougall@lbss.gla.ac.uk

RNID Scotland 'Hear to Help' Information Sessions

• Wednesday 25 August 2010 10.30am – 12pm,

         St Francis Centre, 405 Cumberland Street, Gorbals G5 0YT

• Tuesday 28 September 2010 10.30am – 12pm,

         Eastbank Health Promotion Centre, 22 Academy Street,
         Shettleston G32 9AA

Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) Scotland will be launching an exciting new project called ‘Hear to Help’ which will cover the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board region.

We are keen to find out what your views are on the project and service and would welcome you along to one of our information events.

Who should attend?

• People who are deaf or hard of hearing
• Supporters or carers for people who are deaf or hard of hearing
• Anyone with an interest in deaf or disability issues.

This event is free of charge and refreshments will be served.

To book a space or for more information contact Donna McSwiggan, Project Co-ordinator on: Tel: 0141 341 5338 , Text: 0141 341 5347

Email: donna.mcswiggan@rnid.org.uk

Minibus needed for golfers with a disability or long term condition

The Scottish Disability Golf Partnership offer participation in our events to anyone with a disability, serious health problem or mobility issue. We run training days and also have days at courses across Scotland. Standard of play is not important, simply a keenness to participate in the sport.

In order to maximise accessibility to those who play with us, we take our training days and events all over Scotland. However, we want to continue to extend this accessibility, and we really need a minibus to take people from the West coast to the East and also one for journeys in the other direction, as many of our participants cannot drive and travelling by public transport is difficult for them.

We have very low funds, and as such, are looking for individuals or organisations that might be were kind enough to provide us with a minibus free of charge, with insurance paid. SDGP would be tremendously appreciative, and naturally happy to pay the fuel and to publicise any such support through the various media channels we utilise to promote awareness of our activities.

For more information about SDGP please see the website. To discuss the possibility of working with SGDP to provide minibus transport to our golfers, please contact Fraser Paterson on 07950 003 885 or email sdgp09@blueyonder.co.uk

Free training: gender impacts on self management

The Men’s Health Forum Scotland Self-Management for Men Project, which has been funded by the Self-Management Fund is designed to deliver free training on the challenges around self management and men, and to support organisations to engage more effectively with men living with long term conditions.

This leaflet highlights why it’s important to understand men’s health needs, especially around self management. And the flyer outlines what MHFS’s one-day training can offer organisations, with a list of our summer training dates at venues throughout Scotland. The training is free, and open to all who are working with men living with a long term condition. You can find out more information about our project here.

To book a place on any of the training dates, or find out more information, please contact Philip Brown on 0141 550 7515 or email Philip@mhfs.org.uk

Voluntary sector health manifesto – help shape the agenda

Voluntary Health Scotland plans to distil the broad aspirations and concerns of the sector into a Manifesto for Health to influence Scotland’s political party health agendas in the run-up to the Scottish Elections in May 2011.

VHS are calling for your ideas and priorities for the sector in relation to health and health services – please note however that as the national third sector health intermediary body working at strategic level, VHS will focus on the broad picture, leaving particular “asks” for services to individual and thematically-focused organisations.

Please send us you ideas to helen.tyrrell@vhscotland.org.uk by Monday 2 August. VHS will then consult further on your priorities, with a view to creating the Manifesto for Health by mid-September.

Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Study
Robert Gordon University is carrying out a study of the views of patients regarding the treatment of their psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, across all healthcare settings such as their GP or out-patient care. It is hoped that this may help to inform new SIGN Guidelines due for publication this year.

If you live in the Greater Glasgow or Grampian Health Board areas and live with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, please take 10-15 minutes to complete the online questionnaire.

If you have any queries regarding the study, please contact Dr Lorna McHattie at Robert Gordon University on 01224 262583 or email l.mchattie@rgu.ac.uk.

NRAS Glasgow Workwise workshop a great success

The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society hosted the only Scottish Workwise workshop in Glasgow on 22 June at the Graham Hills Building, University of Strathclyde.

The workshops were designed to help people living with RA to find out more about the help that is available to them in the workplace and elsewhere, and to enable them to know more about their rights in the workplace and how they can help themselves to keep working. Presentations were given by an occupational therapist, occupational health advisor and an employment lawyer, as well as NRAS. Everyone who attended found the whole evening inspiring and empowering. One attendee made the following comment:

“The Glasgow Workshop was fantastic, the info given was brilliant. I’ve never received this much information in the 4 years since I was diagnosed with RA. I wished I’d heard of NRAS earlier. My hospital has never mentioned anything about NRAS to me. For the first time I felt ‘normal’, meeting others with RA made me feel normal and not disabled. The atmosphere was fantastic: informative, supportive, non-patronizing”

Following the success of this workshop NRAS are looking for partners to work with to host more of these workshops throughout Scotland next year. If other organisations are interested in sponsoring an NRAS WorkWise workshop in other cities in Scotland please get in touch with NRAS on 0845 458 3969 or email clare@nras.org.uk

New 'S Factor' posters available

New posters have been developed by the Rheumatology Futures Project Group (RFPG) endorsed and supported by Arthritis Research UK, the Royal College of GPs, the Primary Care Rheumatology Society and all other members of the RFPG.

The posters ask 'Have you got the S Factor' and are aimed at undiagnosed patients with possible inflammatory arthritis symptoms such as stiffness, swelling, joints that are painful when squeezed and spinal pain. The RFPG are also hoping to get funding for wider distribution of this campaign which was one of the key recommendations in the National Audit Office Report published in July 2009. For further details, including how to download or order the poster to display in your local GP surgery, library or pharmacy, please visit the NRAS website.

NRAS produce new DVD to aid early diagnosis

NRAS have recently produced a DVD, which is available to view on the NRAS website, with a link on the homepage, and looks at the difficulties with getting a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, and the complications this can cause. The video features one of NRAS' volunteers, Jean Burke, who sadly failed to get an early diagnosis, and GP Dr Graham Davenport, who also discusses the problems GPs face and the need for rapid referral. You can view this video on the NRAS website.

National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease (NACC), has a new working name - Crohn’s and Colitis UK
In our 30th Anniversary Year, the members, staff and Trustees of NACC have voted to adopt a working name that puts us under “C” for Crohn’s and Colitis - where it’s easier for those who are looking for information and support to find us. The new working name is Crohn’s and Colitis UK. Read more

Will you 'Step up and be Counted'?
‘Step Up and be Counted’ is Crohn's and Colitis UK (NACC)'s 2010 campaign calling for a UK-wide Register of IBD patients.

This is needed to provide definitive statistics of the number of IBD patients in the UK, help to plan and monitor the care provided to IBD patients and also help research into the causes and best treatments. Such national registers exist for diseases such as cancer and have been very helpful. Despite the greater prevalence of IBD (1 in every 250 people in the UK) public recognition of Colitis & Crohn's Disease is well below that of Parkinson's disease or Multiple Sclerosis and only 39% of UK hospitals have a database of their IBD patients.

Now is the time to start an IBD Register and Crohn's and Colitis UK would be very grateful if you add your support to our online petition. Just go to www.stepupandbecounted.org.uk Please ask your family and friends to do the same so that we can show the government we have thousands of supporters. 15,000 people signed to support our nursing campaign; we need the same level of support this time.

The Genetic Interest Group is changing

Over the past 12 months, Genetic Interest Group (GIG) has been undergoing an internal communications review which has enabled the organisation to learn and understand how it is perceived by its members, policy makers and researchers and whether its logo accurately reflected it's mission. Although many stakeholders felt that GIG was an extremely well respected organisation, its work was not always well understood.

On 1 June 2010, the Genetic Interest Group became Genetic Alliance UK. GIG carries out a wide variety of work, representing all genetic conditions, both rare and common. It can be difficult to explain the diversity of GIG's influence, but research findings showed the need to address the confusion about its mission to ensure that GIG continues to have the greatest impact for members.

Find out more about the communications review and re-branding, including an online survey to give your views on the changes here.

Sustainable Health Improvement in Rural South Lanarkshire

Healthy Valleys is a Scottish registered charity, which promotes positive lifestyle change for the people living in rural South Lanarkshire through the provision of community based programmes, offering them sustainable health improvement, personal development and greater involvement in their community. Routes to Health Clydesdale, based in Lesmahagow, is one of Healthy Valleys initiatives, promoting positive mental health and well being for all ages through the provision of stress management services. Healthy Valleys offers:

• 1 to 1 therapies with qualified Reiki and Shiatsu practitioners.
• Group work in stress management – ‘My Way’

The My Way programme is a new 8 week stress management programme made up of 2 one to one consultations and 6 workshops which are educational and interactive on topics of:

• Stress
• Relaxation
• Healthy eating
• Physical exercise
• Communication
• Goal setting

These workshops give people the tools and techniques to help themselves to lead a healthier and happier lifestyle. In addition to the programme they will be able to attend a weekly Tai Chi class free of charge and attend a peer support group.

The second  'My Way' programme started on 17 June 2010, and will run for 8 weeks. The ‘MyWay’ programme is available to people with long term conditions living in rural South Lanarkshire. Transport can be arranged if necessary for residents living in the Douglas & Nethan Valley.

Tai Chi classes are open to the public and are on every Wednesday between 7-8pm, in the Jubilee Hall, Lesmahagow. The cost is £4 per person. If anyone with a long term condition living locally is interested in forming a Peer Support group, please contact Healthy Valleys. Healthy Valleys welcomes referrals from agencies and people can self refer onto the programme. If you would like more information, or a referral form please call 01555 895140.

Changing Faces Workshop for children aged 5-8 years

Glasgow, Saturday 11 September

The workshop is appropriate for children who have any condition that affects their appearance, and who will be in Primary 1-4 after the summer holidays.

The workshop will be run by two of our child specialists, and we will also run a separate hour-long session for parents at the beginning of the day.

If you’d like any further information about the workshop, please see the flyer contact Gareth Jenkins on 0845 4599 640 or email scotland@changingfaces.org.uk

Changing Faces is setting up a Young People's Council in Scotland, for young people aged 12-21 who have a condition that affects their appearance.

We believe that a Young People's Council in Scotland can be very beneficial to young people across Scotland who live with a visible difference - by sharing experiences, working together to raise awareness, and having fun!

The first meeting of the Young People's Council in Scotland will be on Saturday 28 August, in Glasgow. The deadline for applications to attend the first meeting is 23 July.

See the flyer and info sheet for further details or for further information, contact Gareth Jenkins on 0845 4500 640 or at Scotland@changingfaces.org.uk

Tackle mental health stigma and discrimination with the 2010 'see me' photography competition

'see me's annual photography competition launched on 31 May in over twenty localities across Scotland. The competition is open to anyone living in Scotland who is interested in taking photographs whether you are a complete beginner, someone with a keen interest or an experienced photographer.

This year's theme is 'Support' and is open to your own interpretation. We all give and receive support as we go about our everyday lives - from family, friends, neighbours, teachers, colleagues and everyone in between.

‘see me’ work with twenty local hosts across Scotland who each hold their own local competition with prizes awarded in three separate categories - the Judges' Choice, Under 18s and one chosen by public vote. The three winners in each local area go forward to our national final. To find your local host and to download an entry form and guidelines visit the photo competition page on the ‘see me’ website. Please note that the closing date for entries is 17 September 2010.

British Heart Foundation Scotland - public information meeting in Glasgow on Wednesday 22 September

You are invited to attend BHF's first public meeting to be held from 12.30-4.15pm at the Lighthouse in Glagsow.

Come and hear BHF Medical Director Professor Peter Wissberg talk about exciting plans to beat heart disease through pioneering research. Learn more about how to look after your heart and put your burning questions to the experts. Find out about BHF's vital work to keep local hearts beating. To book your place call 0131 555 5891 or email scotland@bhf.org.uk