Latest news with #ChristineLaverty
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Meeting to decide the fate of 'lifeline' mental health services in Edinburgh pushed back
A formal meeting to decide on proposed funding cuts to an Edinburgh mental health charity's "lifeline" services has been pushed back. The proposals put forward by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) would see a potential £188,000 funding cut to The Stafford Centre on Broughton Street. Change Mental Health, which encompasses the Stafford Centre, say that these cuts would make it impossible for the vital centre to continue to operate. Now, the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (EHSCP) have decided to further delay formal consideration of their proposal until the IJB meets on August, 26. READ MORE: Edinburgh mental health charity raises alarm on 'lifeline' services facing the axe READ MORE: Two Edinburgh drivers hit with ASBOs for excessive revving In an email to services that would be impacted by the intended £2.2 million in cuts to social care charities, Christine Laverty, the chief officer of the EHSCP, said: "I wrote to you on April 4 regarding the review of your contract or service level agreement with the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, letting you know that the decision on contract-related savings would be taken to the Integration Joint Board (IJB) on 17 June. "Since then, many of you will have attended Integrated Impact Assessments (IIAs) to understand and consider the impact of these proposed savings. There are still some IIA meetings to take place over the coming weeks, to ensure that each group of contracts is considered consistently and potential impacts are captured. "I want to thank you all for the time and effort that you have put into these meetings. Your input has been invaluable and has really helped us to ensure that this process is carried out as fairly and robustly as possible. "I want to be sure that we have taken adequate time to fully understand the data and evidence relating to each individual contract or service level agreement, and that we have considered the concerns which have been raised by providers, both through the IIA sessions and separately. "On that basis, I have discussed with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the IJB and we have agreed to further delay formal consideration of this proposal until the IJB meets on 26 August 2025. "I am aware that this delay may increase uncertainty amongst providers, staff and service users, however, it will help ensure that recommendations to the IJB are robust and evidence-based." The decision comes after a public meeting held on Monday, May 26 organised by service providers impacted by the EIJB cuts. The meeting was attended by EIJB members, such as Chair Katharina Kasper and Vice Chair Tim Pogson, who fielded questions from service users. During the forum, EIJB members were implored to halt the cuts and give more time to consult with affected organisations. CEO of Change Mental Health Nick Ward, told Ms Kasper: 'We're not given meetings. We're told to go through a process with a tick form asking the most basic questions. We are not being treated as partners, we are not being treated as equals, and that is the problem.' The Stafford Centre provides drop-in mental health services such as counselling, peer support groups, and art therapy, and deliver targeted support to vulnerable groups through specialised programmes, such as offering support to men - who are at higher risk to suicide - and to veterans. Edinburgh Live previously spoke to Jim Hume, director of public affairs and communication at Change Mental Health. At that time he said: ""The Stafford Centre is essential. It supports people with post traumatic stress, with serious mental illness. It supports people with financial worries with their mental health. It's a lifeline for many people - there are 640 individuals every year supported at that centre. "There was a change with Covid. It had a lasting effect. Depression during Covid doubled. And anytime there is uncertainty with finances - money is tight at the moment - it can affect mental health." Without the EIJB funding, Jim says Change Edinburgh could not run the Stafford Centre. He continued: "We'd have to find funds, but it's not possible in such a short period as they're talking about. "We're calling for there to be more time to consider options - rather than leaving people behind in the process." In an effort to protect the centre's vital mental health services, a petition has been launched. It reads: "The Stafford Centre has been a beacon of hope and support in Edinburgh, offering tailored mental health services that cater to the unique needs of each individual. "For years, it has been a safe space for those dealing with mental health challenges, providing therapy, counselling, and a supportive community." More information on the petition and how to sign it can be found here. If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@ or visit their site to find your local branch.
Edinburgh Live
5 days ago
- Health
- Edinburgh Live
Meeting to decide the fate of 'lifeline' mental health services in Edinburgh pushed back
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A formal meeting to decide on proposed funding cuts to an Edinburgh mental health charity's "lifeline" services has been pushed back. The proposals put forward by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) would see a potential £188,000 funding cut to The Stafford Centre on Broughton Street. Change Mental Health, which encompasses the Stafford Centre, say that these cuts would make it impossible for the vital centre to continue to operate. Now, the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (EHSCP) have decided to further delay formal consideration of their proposal until the IJB meets on August, 26. In an email to services that would be impacted by the intended £2.2 million in cuts to social care charities, Christine Laverty, the chief officer of the EHSCP, said: "I wrote to you on April 4 regarding the review of your contract or service level agreement with the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, letting you know that the decision on contract-related savings would be taken to the Integration Joint Board (IJB) on 17 June. "Since then, many of you will have attended Integrated Impact Assessments (IIAs) to understand and consider the impact of these proposed savings. There are still some IIA meetings to take place over the coming weeks, to ensure that each group of contracts is considered consistently and potential impacts are captured. "I want to thank you all for the time and effort that you have put into these meetings. Your input has been invaluable and has really helped us to ensure that this process is carried out as fairly and robustly as possible. "I want to be sure that we have taken adequate time to fully understand the data and evidence relating to each individual contract or service level agreement, and that we have considered the concerns which have been raised by providers, both through the IIA sessions and separately. "On that basis, I have discussed with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the IJB and we have agreed to further delay formal consideration of this proposal until the IJB meets on 26 August 2025. "I am aware that this delay may increase uncertainty amongst providers, staff and service users, however, it will help ensure that recommendations to the IJB are robust and evidence-based." The decision comes after a public meeting held on Monday, May 26 organised by service providers impacted by the EIJB cuts. The meeting was attended by EIJB members, such as Chair Katharina Kasper and Vice Chair Tim Pogson, who fielded questions from service users. During the forum, EIJB members were implored to halt the cuts and give more time to consult with affected organisations. CEO of Change Mental Health Nick Ward, told Ms Kasper: 'We're not given meetings. We're told to go through a process with a tick form asking the most basic questions. We are not being treated as partners, we are not being treated as equals, and that is the problem.' The Stafford Centre provides drop-in mental health services such as counselling, peer support groups, and art therapy, and deliver targeted support to vulnerable groups through specialised programmes, such as offering support to men - who are at higher risk to suicide - and to veterans. Edinburgh Live previously spoke to Jim Hume, director of public affairs and communication at Change Mental Health. At that time he said: ""The Stafford Centre is essential. It supports people with post traumatic stress, with serious mental illness. It supports people with financial worries with their mental health. It's a lifeline for many people - there are 640 individuals every year supported at that centre. "There was a change with Covid. It had a lasting effect. Depression during Covid doubled. And anytime there is uncertainty with finances - money is tight at the moment - it can affect mental health." Without the EIJB funding, Jim says Change Edinburgh could not run the Stafford Centre. He continued: "We'd have to find funds, but it's not possible in such a short period as they're talking about. "We're calling for there to be more time to consider options - rather than leaving people behind in the process." In an effort to protect the centre's vital mental health services, a petition has been launched. It reads: "The Stafford Centre has been a beacon of hope and support in Edinburgh, offering tailored mental health services that cater to the unique needs of each individual. "For years, it has been a safe space for those dealing with mental health challenges, providing therapy, counselling, and a supportive community." More information on the petition and how to sign it can be found here. If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@ or visit their site to find your local branch.
Scotsman
5 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Resetting our relationship with the third sector
With our population growing and more people struggling with the cost of living, Edinburgh's third sector is in a precarious position. According to the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, seven in 10 charities now cite financial trials as their biggest challenge, up significantly in two years. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Traditional funding streams from the public sector, which provide vital grants to allow charities to operate in our local communities, are under growing pressure too. New EIJB Chief Officer Christine Laverty Echoing these concerns, a report to the Scottish Parliament's Social Justice and Social Security Committee late last year made it clear that short-term funding cycles are creating financial instability for charities, diverting time and resources away from what's important – delivering valuable services for vulnerable people. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This predicament came into sharp focus for Edinburgh earlier this year when the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) - which oversees health and social care spend in the city – had to make difficult decisions to help it make necessary savings of close to £30m. Dozens of local projects and charities have seen their funding pulled as a result. Immediately, councillors united to intervene and see what could be done to prevent the devastating closures and redundancies these cuts could bring. Thankfully, we've been able to step in to provide emergency £2m funding, providing short term relief for 46 projects. Yesterday at Policy and Sustainability Committee, we also agreed how to spend a contingency fund worth £273,473 to further support primarily small, local projects and organisations in our communities which have lost EIJB funding. Grants of £10,000 will be made available this autumn to help with the resilience of the sector. Yet, the fact remains that the council also faces significant financial challenges. We remain the worst funded council in Scotland and plugging this gap will be difficult in future years. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad To that end, we need to find a longer-term sustainable way forward for this sector which provides so much good. Tackling poverty is one of our city's top priorities and we cannot achieve this without the support of projects which focus on prevention. To get ahead of this, we've engaged the Edinburgh Partnership to conduct a review of how it supports and works with third sector organisations in Edinburgh, and to ultimately find solutions for improving funding certainty in future years. This includes how grant funding and commissioning is delivered, how third sector organisations monitor and report on their work, and what in-kind support is provided. We want to hear about how we can make it simpler, provide more stability, and collaborate to help those who need this sector's support most. You can share your views through our Consultation Hub webpage or by attending a workshop from now until Thursday 5 June. Results will be shared with those who take part and with the wider third sector, and will be reported to our next Policy and Sustainability Committee in August. In a successful city like Edinburgh, it is unacceptable that 80,000 people are living in poverty– including close to a quarter of all children – which makes tackling inequality and preventing poverty one of the biggest challenges facing the capital.
