VHS held a meeting on 27th February 2019 with the aim of discussing the key findings from this second audit and their implications for the third sector. The final report will focus on how integration has impacted on people and whether transformational change has occurred. 33 people participated in … [Read more...] about Key Messages: Audit Scotland’s Review of Health and Social Care Integration
Kiren’s Blog: Understanding Loneliness and Social Isolation in Scotland
Last year I conducted social research with a group of 57 people through 5 focus groups and 6 interviews and learned about – what loneliness and social isolation is, how it affects people, what causes it and what can be done at an individual, societal and governmental level to tackle it. The focus of … [Read more...] about Kiren’s Blog: Understanding Loneliness and Social Isolation in Scotland
Human Rights in Scotland: Setting out the basics
Voluntary Health Scotland's three year strategy focuses our work towards understanding and incorporating a human rights based approach to health with an added emphasis on the underlying social and economic determinants of health. To try to explore VHS's locus on Human Rights we held an informal … [Read more...] about Human Rights in Scotland: Setting out the basics
Launch: A Connected Scotland
VHS welcome the newly published Scottish Government Strategy, A Connected Scotland which aims to tackle loneliness and social isolation in Scotland. This strategy will run from 2018 to 2026 and the Scottish Government will report biennially on its progress. We are heartened by the strategy’s 4 … [Read more...] about Launch: A Connected Scotland
Loneliness and social isolation: an inequalities issue
Earlier this year VHS conducted an exercise in listening. We tried to explore the lived experience of loneliness and social isolation in Scotland and this exercise culminated in The Zubairi Report. The process aimed to give a voice to people who have been less visible and less heard in the debate on … [Read more...] about Loneliness and social isolation: an inequalities issue
VHS Membership Survey Results 2018
In July 2018 VHS sent out a membership survey to its 156 member organisations. We received 73 completed surveys. 32 member organisations provided their details whilst 41 provided responded anonymously. The purpose of the survey was to get feedback on VHS’s current work programme, as well as to … [Read more...] about VHS Membership Survey Results 2018
The Zubairi Report
Our new publication, The Zubairi Report: the lived experience of loneliness and social isolation in Scotland, is now available online. The qualitative study investigates the loneliness and social isolation experienced by under-represented demographics in Scotland, who often face multiple triggers … [Read more...] about The Zubairi Report
VHS Response to the Draft Culture Strategy for Scotland
VHS have submitted our response to the Scottish Government's draft culture strategy. You can view our full response here: VHS Response to the Draft Culture Strategy Final In our response we call for culture strategy to look at articulating the less visible forms of culture including, sports, … [Read more...] about VHS Response to the Draft Culture Strategy for Scotland
HPON: Planning (Scotland) Bill Evidence Briefing
Members of the Health Policy Officers Network (HPON), Alcohol Focus Scotland, Obesity Action Scotland, Nourish Scotland, Samaritans Scotland and Voluntary Health Scotland, have co-produced a briefing to help inform the Local Government and Communities Committee Stage 2 discussion of Amendments to … [Read more...] about HPON: Planning (Scotland) Bill Evidence Briefing
A Connected Scotland Update
The consultation period for the draft Social Isolation and Loneliness strategy, A Connected Scotland ended on 27th April 2018. The Scottish Government received 416 consultation responses, ranging from large national organisations to individual members of the public. The responses have been made … [Read more...] about A Connected Scotland Update