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The research project – Coronavirus and people with learning disabilities – is a UK wide study which has been exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with learning disabilities. In Scotland, the study is led by the University of Glasgow, with the support of the Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities (SCLD). Michael McEwan speaks to Research Associate, Roseann Maguire at the University of Glasgow and research participant, Sandy Stark, about the findings of the study.  Transcript of episode. Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes.

In this episode we speak to Andrew Morrall, Customer Engagement Manager at Disclosure Scotland, about the organisation’s safeguarding role and the different levels of disclosure used across social services, including PVG scheme membership. We discuss why many social service workers will need to join the PVG scheme and Andrew provides advice to individuals about this, including for those concerned about previous convictions or other contact with criminal justice services. He speaks of the importance of employers not viewing convictions in isolation, but instead looking at the whole person and their current circumstance This will be interesting to individuals, employment support workers and employers who want to know more about disclosures, including PVG scheme membership. Topics: 1. Different levels of disclosure and eligibility for each, including PVG scheme membership for individuals doing regulated work. 2. What PVG scheme membership costs, how long it takes to get a certificate and what information will ap

The social services sector is growing and this means there are opportunities for people looking for a new career, whether that’s people changing jobs or people who are just starting out. So what are these opportunities, and what role can employment support workers have in helping this important workforce to grow sustainably? We speak to Kerry Cannon, Learning and Development Adviser at the Scottish Social Services Council and Susie Ferguson, Partnership Manager at the Department for Work and Pensions about current recruitment opportunities and the important role employability organisations can have in supporting these. This will be interesting to people working in employment support, such as work coaches and key workers; and employers and those with an interest in social services workforce planning. Topics: Information about the life changing work available in social services, including childcare, social care and social work. Information to support workforce planning including types of contract, salary, typ

Care Opinion is a social enterprise which gives citizens a platform to air their views and opinions on health and care services. It aims to make care services better for everyone.  Fraser Gilmore, Head of Scotland at Care Opinion tells us more about its aims and how it works.  Transcript of episode. Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes.

What is the historical understanding of Gypsy/Travellers and what has the relationship been between social work and Gypsy Traveller communities?  In this webinar recording, Annie Bryant, a criminal justice social worker based in Dumfries and Galloway, shares her knowledge gained from personal experiences, being a dual national and the partner of a Traveller. We also hear from Davie Donaldson, a Scottish Traveller, advocate and social justice campaigner. By sharing his lived experience, he supports decision makers at local, national and international level to increase inclusivity of policy and practice. Here he provides useful practice guidance for social workers.  Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes.

Near Me in Social Services is a project Iriss has been leading in partnership with the NHS Near Me team and the Scottish Government Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Programme over Autumn/Winter 2020/21. The project is producing new evidence around the priorities, enablers and challenges of using video consulting in social services. Iriss has supported five services to participate in a rapid Quality Improvement cycle to start using Near Me; provided light touch improvement support to organisations that are setting up Near Me independently within their work, and has developed a Learning Network. The Learning Network aims to build on and continue the support to these organisations using Near Me, while increasing the scope of support to others. Each Learning Network meeting includes speakers on related topics. In this episode, Yvonne Leathley, Senior Improvement Adviser at the Care Inspectorate speaks about a project to supply digital devices to care homes to improve connectivity. Music Credit: Make your dream a r

Near Me in Social Services is a project Iriss has been leading in partnership with the NHS Near Me team and the Scottish Government Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Programme. The project is producing new evidence around the priorities, enablers and challenges of using video consulting in social services. Iriss has supported five services to participate in a rapid Quality Improvement cycle to start using Near Me; provided light touch improvement support to organisations that are setting up Near Me independently within their work, and has developed a Learning Network. The Learning Network aims to build on and continue the support to these organisations using Near Me, while increasing the scope of support to others. Each Learning Network meeting includes speakers on related topics. In this episode, Paula Quinn, Learning and Development Adviser at SSSC, speaks about keeping the Quality Improvement conversations going for those involved in using Near Me. Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes.

The Fraser of Allander Institute is undertaking a year-long research project examining the relationship between people with learning disabilities in Scotland and economic outcomes for them and their families. The Institute sees it as an under-researched area in Scottish economics and one that is overlooked in mainstream economic policy discussions. In this episode, Michael McEwan speaks to Rob Watts, Knowledge Exchange Associate at the Institute about the research and what it hopes to achieve.  Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes.

Going out to see bands, clubbing, or seeing friends is part of everyday life for lots of people. However, if you have a learning disability you may need support to do this.  Stay Up Late is a charity that supports people to make this happen. Keith Etherington and William Rae tell Michael McEwan about the work of Stay Up Late and their plans for this year's Learning Disability Week. Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes.

When children are really vulnerable to harm social workers have to work even harder to create partnership with families where risk is present. For infants, babies, and very young children, as well as older children who are nonverbal or require constant care as they grow up, ways need to be found to work with risk that does not necessarily involve family separations. Family Group Conferencing is one way of holding risk with the older children and adults in a family and agreeing how that risk will be addressed. Parents and expectant parents need an opportunity to demonstrate what they can do, with the sustained relationship-based support of professionals. In this episode, Dr Mary Mitchell, Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Edinburgh, and social workers Heather Rush and Nicky Hunter from the City of Edinburgh Council, speak about the practice of Family Group Conferencing and how it can make a difference to families. This forms part of a child protection and welfare project titled Recognition Matters,

Mecoco (Meaningful Contribution in your Community) is a social enterprise based in North Ayrshire that supports people into employment. The founder, Jenny Trott, believes that regardless of their level of ability, people can make a meaningful contribution and have the right to experience the workplace in their own community should they wish to.  ​Mecoco specialises in making candles and soaps and adapts equipment, processes and even products to make the job as accessible as possible. Michael McEwan speaks to Jenny about the origins and work of the social enterprise. Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes.  

Monica Nicolin and Gillian Ritch, social workers based in Stornoway and Orkney respectively, speak about dual relationships in rural social work. These presentations were given at a webinar held in January 2020, to provide an opportunity to discuss the unique potential of rural social work, the opportunities it brings, and just why it is worthy of celebration. Resources: Rural social work in Scotland (2019) - Iriss Insight 47 Rediscovering and mainstreaming community social work practice in Scotland (2020) - Iriss Insight 56 Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes.

Near Me in Social Services is a project Iriss has been leading in partnership with the NHS Near Me team and the Scottish Government Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Programme over Autumn/Winter 2020/21. The project is producing new evidence around the priorities, enablers and challenges of using video consulting in social services. Iriss has supported five services to participate in a rapid Quality Improvement cycle to start using Near Me; provided light touch improvement support to organisations that are setting up Near Me independently within their work, and has developed a Learning Network. The Learning Network aims to build on and continue the support to these organisations using Near Me, while increasing the scope of support to others. Each Learning Network meeting includes speakers on related topics. In this episode, Gillian Fyfe, Head of Digital at Alzheimer Scotland, speaks about their experiences of using Near Me to provide support to those living with dementia, family members and professionals. Trans

A study to gauge how lockdown restrictions have affected the families of care home residents, have been published. The research, titled Creative Covid Care, highlights the relationship-based and creative practices used to support communication and connection while visiting restrictions have been in place. This rapid research project, funded by the Chief Scientists Office at Scottish Government, has been led by the University of Edinburgh with partners from University of Strathclyde, The University of the West of Scotland and Iriss. Jo Hockley, Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh tells us about how care home staff and family carers responded throughout the first phase of lockdown. Transcript of episode. Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes.

Near Me in Social Services is a project Iriss has been leading in partnership with the NHS Near Me team and the Scottish Government Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Programme over Autumn/Winter 2020/21. The project is producing new evidence around the priorities, enablers and challenges of using video consulting in social services. Iriss has supported five services to participate in a rapid Quality Improvement cycle to start using Near Me; provided light touch improvement support to organisations that are setting up Near Me independently within their work, and has developed a Learning Network. The Learning Network aims to build on and continue the support to these organisations using Near Me, while increasing the scope of support to others. Each Learning Network meeting includes speakers on related topics. In this episode, Tanya Anderson, GIRFEC Development Officer at CrossReach, tells the story of the organisation’s journey of using Attend Anywhere or Near Me as it’s also known, to reach out to clients in remo

With a wide network of partners and academic researchers from across Scotland and Europe, the Observatory for Sport in Scotland supports those delivering community sport and activity with independent research, knowledge sharing, and policy and practice guidance, as well as international benchmarking that brings confidence to widening sport participation to all ages and abilities. Michael McEwan speaks to David Ferguson, Executive Director of the Observatory about the work it does to support participation in sport across Scotland. Transcript of episode. Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes.

Near Me in Social Services is a project Iriss has been leading in partnership with the NHS Near Me team and the Scottish Government Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Programme over Autumn/Winter 2020/21. The project is producing new evidence around the priorities, enablers and challenges of using video consulting in social services. Iriss has supported five services to participate in a rapid Quality Improvement cycle to start using Near Me; provided light touch improvement support to organisations that are setting up Near Me independently within their work, and has developed a Learning Network. The Learning Network aims to build on and continue the support to these organisations using Near Me, while increasing the scope of support to others. Each Learning Network meeting includes speakers on related topics. In this episode, Aaron Slater, Digital Participation Manager at SCVO, gives an overview of digital exclusion in Scotland. Highlighting the progress that we still need to make to ensure that everyone in Scotla

My Support My Choice is a research project led jointly by the Health and Social Care ALLIANCE and Self Directed Support Scotland and funded by Scottish Government, with the aim of understanding people’s experiences of Self-directed Support (SDS) in Scotland. Between November 2018 and February 2020, over 600 people who received self-directed support (SDS) or had been assessed in the previous 12 months – took part in this research. The full report, as well thematic reports have now been published. We spoke to Lucy Mulvagh, Director of Policy and Communications at the ALLIANCE and Donald McLeod, Chief Executive of Self-directed Support Scotland to get an overview of the scope, findings and recommendations of the research. Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes.

Dan Johnson, Clinical Director at Kibble interviews Neil McMillan, an Executive Director at Kibble on the topic of moral distress in residential child care. The conversation defines the concept, provides examples of it, and suggestions for how to support workers who experience moral distress. More broadly it explores the impact of the system on the practice of residential child care. Transcript of episode. Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes.

Near Me in Social Services is a project Iriss has been leading in partnership with the NHS Near Me team and the Scottish Government Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Programme over Autumn/Winter 2020/21. The project is producing new evidence around the priorities, enablers and challenges of using video consulting in social services. Iriss has supported five services to participate in a rapid Quality Improvement cycle to start using Near Me; provided light touch improvement support to organisations that are setting up Near Me independently within their work, and has developed a Learning Network. The Learning Network aims to build on and continue the support to these organisations using Near Me, while increasing the scope of support to others. Each Learning Network meeting includes speakers on related topics. In this episode, Janet Crozier, Knowledge Manager from the Knowledge Hub shares, how having a range of tools and techniques such as teach back, chunk and check, and pictures can improve peoples Near Me experie