ALLIANCE Live weekly round up 14 – 20 May

In the last week we released interviews covering the third sector response to COVID-19, digital self management and inclusive communication.

Live interview with Calum Irving, head of the Scottish Government Third Sector Unit

As part of this ALLIANCE Live interview, Calum covers the response from the third sector to the COVID-19 pandemic, giving consideration to both the short term and longer term needs of the third sector and outlining the Scottish Government’s response and support of the third sector.

Calum Irving was appointed as Head of the Third Sector Unit for Scottish Government in September 2019. He is responsible for a team which invests in and develops policy to support social enterprise, volunteering, charities and a strengthened role for the third sector in contributing to the National Performance Framework outcomes. Prior to Scottish Government Calum has worked in a range of third sector organisations and most recently as Director of See Me, Scotland’s mental health anti-stigma programme.

Watch the interview on the ALLIANCE YouTube Channel (this link will take you away from our website)

Alternatively, listen to the interview on Anchor FM (this link will take you away from our website)

See Me, COVID-19 and Kindness

In this latest ALLIANCE Live podcast, the ALLIANCE’s Policy and Communications Director, Lucy Mulvagh, talks to Wendy Halliday, Director of See Me. As well as exploring ‘kindness’, this year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Week, Wendy talks about:

How the See Me team and volunteers are coping with the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown Action related to COVID-19 – a wide range of new and adapted activity. Looking back – some of See Me’s key achievements to date. Looking forward – what the future holds in store for See Me and the work to tackle stigma and discrimination against people with lived experience of mental health issues.

Listen to the conversation on Anchor FM (this link will take you away from our website)

Self management: offline and online, through crises and beyond

To mark the release of the latest Discover Digital report, we released a podcast featuring a conversation between Sodi Kakouris from Let’s Get On With It Together (LGOWIT), Maggie Wright from Families in Trauma and Benn Benjamin from LGBT Health and Wellbeing.

The wide-ranging conversation covers inclusive outreach, online courses, tapping into communities of interest and even tips on how not to put people off by hyping the technology too much – let it fade into the background instead and focus on the individual. Listen to the podcast on AnchorFM now (this link will take you away from our website).

Advice for health and social care staff in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic

Alongside a range of third sector organisations and specialist charities, including Royal Blind, the ALLIANCE has produced a video containing guidance for healthcare staff on best practice when supporting people living with sensory loss and complex communication support needs, so that they can access the guidance and information they require for their healthcare needs.

Watch the video on the ALLIANCE YouTube channel (this link will take you away from our website)

DrawingOut Activity Booklet – Wellbeing Wednesday

In this week’s Wellbeing Wednesday, DrawingOut share their Activity Booklet which can be used to facilitate engaging and fun drawing activities that can be carried out by individuals to support them to communicate their experiences of life in lockdown.

DrawingOut is a model developed by academics from the University of Cardiff that aims to support people to communicate their experiences (watch our previous ALLIANCE Live on the background to the DrawingOut model). Although DrawingOut is open to anyone, regardless of their artistic ability, it is particularly relevant for supporting people with invisible conditions to communicate the impact of life with a long term condition. The Activity Booklet can be used even if you are new to the DrawingOut model and is free to download and print, or to view on your device and work through. The easy to follow activities encourage therapeutic creativity which can be a helpful activity to manage lockdown.

Watch the video on the ALLIANCE YouTube channel (this link will take you away from our website)

Upcoming live session:

Train the Trainer – Getting it right for every child approach
Tuesday 26 May 2020 from 9.30-11.30am

Ronnie Hill from the ALLIANCE will provide a train-the-trainer seminar on the GIRFEC approach. The purpose of this workshop is to enable a broad range of practitioners from the third sector to deliver information workshops for children and young people or parents and carers to inform them about GIRFEC and what it means for them; to bring GIRFEC to life, to make it real for them.

All events will be conducted via Zoom. You do not need to have a Zoom account or to have downloaded the app to be able to take part. All details to join will be sent in advance.

If you would like to register your place, please confirm via email to membership@alliance-scotland.org.uk

End of page.