Self Management Awards Ceremony 2019

53 new self management projects funded and winners of the Self Management Awards announced at Parliament.

At last night’s Self Management Award ceremony hosted by Alex Neil MSP at the Scottish Parliament, Jeane Freeman MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, announced that £1.2 million has been invested in 53 projects working to support people with long term conditions in communities across Scotland. Ms. Freeman remarked that this is an important and necessary investment to address the reality that 45% of adults in Scotland live with a long term condition.

Recognising the need for support to strengthen the ability of people to manage their long term conditions, the Scottish Government has invested £270 million, over the last 10 years in the Self Management Fund. With additional investment of £150,000 from the William Grant Foundation this year, the fund is enabled to reach many communities across Scotland; from Dumfries to Nairn and Lochgilphead to Aberdeen.

Professor Ian Welsh OBE, Chief Executive of the ALLIANCE, says people living with long term conditions need to be given more control over the support they access:

“Driven by the needs of people accessing these services, the funded projects cover a wide range of activities, reflecting the diversity in support required by people living with long term conditions.

The Fund and our Awards show how people and projects delivering innovative services can make a real difference in communities.

We are delighted to announce that the winners of the Self Management Awards 2019 are as follows:

Self Management Resource of the Year: South Ayrshire Life

South Ayrshire Life is a one-stop shop for self-management.  Whether it’s tackling loneliness and social isolation, or managing a long-term health condition, for the first time people in South Ayrshire can find all the self-help information they need in one place.

By listening to what people want and learning from them, the project has introduced new services, like the blood pressure monitoring, and new drop-in sessions to meet demand. Every day people are being connected to other resources in their local community that can help them live happier and healthier lives.

Self Management Champion of the Year: Margaret Canning

Margaret found her way to Hearing Link in Edinburgh where she has been volunteering on Self Management Programmes for 8 years now.  Margaret is a key contributor, leading by example and sharing her story showing that it’s OK to talk about it.  Through the conversations, it always transpires that “the answer really IS in the room” – the participants have the answers, they just need help and encouragement to organise their ideas and recognise that they can have the confidence to ask for what they need and tell people about their hearing loss.  Without volunteers like Margaret, this just would not happen.  And Margaret leads by her example not just for the participants but also for newer volunteers.

Individual Transformational Story of the Year: Tom Chalmers

Tom joined The Buddy Beat when he felt he had come to the end of a very dark road, on medication which didn’t seem to help at all, his psychiatrist was talking about admitting him to hospital.  He said he had never felt such peace when they started drumming that first day, and was hooked! He gradually became more confident and felt more like himself as time went on.

Tom took on responsibilities, organising events, writing up the group’s progress for the local newspapers, setting up and maintaining the social media accounts and website, buying equipment, funding applications, organising trips and collaborating with local mental health groups and partnerships.  He is the first contact for new referrals to the group and goes out of his way to ensure they feel comfortable.

Its been said that without Tom Chalmers, there would be no Buddy Beat.  He is truly the life blood of the group!

Digital Innovator Self Management Award (in partnership with Discover Digital): NeateBox

An experience of a blind customer being left to stand for 20 minutes in a well known department store with no-one coming to help him, lead to the development of the Welcome app (this link will take you away from our website).  This enables the user to create a profile of themselves and their condition, including what assistance they do, or don’t need.  When they then plan a visit to a shop, a bank, an entertainment venue, their needs are passed on and assistance will be waiting for them.  A number of high profile organisations have already signed up, including, Fife, Stirling and Dundee Councils, the Edinburgh Fringe, the Scottish Parliament, Royal Bank of Scotland, the Falkirk Wheel and many more. There are blind, physically disabled, visually impaired, mental health and other users, making this a pan disability app that is free to users.

Employability Self Management Award (in partnership with SUSE): Pillar Kincardine

Pillar Kincardine has been described by my wife as having saved her life.  On discharge from hospital, a member of Pillar staff managed to persuade her to leave the house and be supported to attend one of their weekly group sessions.  She gradually started to attend a wide variety of Pillar groups.The staff and facilitators at the groups, and the drop in facility in Stonehaven gave her security and the wider support for the family meant that everyone was recovering together.  Starting with volunteering in the kitchens, she progressed to becoming a trustee, into returning to her former career as qualified support worker part time.  Kirsty has now created and delivered the very successful Peer Learning Programme, examining with members the benefits and challenges of peer support.  This has led to members being able to work with each other out-with a managed or directly facilitated situation, and has resulted in a number of members becoming registered Pillar volunteers and designing and delivering the service.

Self Management Project of the Year: Be Active Life Long Groups (BALL) Moray

BALL groups offer a mechanism for general healthy living as a key part of one’s own Self Care Self Management programme whilst being based in their local community, led by local people.

Every BALL group is structured to provide physical activity as well as mental stimulation so can include anything from laughing yoga, Scottish dancing, or curling to quizzes, crafts, lectures or talks. BALL Groups are a pathway for delivering and sharing key health information, sharing what’s available in the community and linking other agencies to the older population of Moray.

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