Access to support that helps people live well

To live well and take part in our communities, we all need our basic needs and rights met. When people can’t access the support they need, it can be hard and tiring to solve the problem alone. Working together, communities can play a huge role helping people use and benefit from the services that exist. They can also create new formal or informal supports, if there’s a gap. Or support existing services to learn, better understand people’s needs, and make changes.

From social and health care, to transport, greenspaces and wellbeing activities, we work with people and organisations to improve access to good support.

Access to support in action

Covid-19 community support

In Covid, we used our experience of supporting hundreds of community groups since 2004 to help pandemic supports get going and adapt. Taking part in community response networks from the Borders to Moray (and working with partners in Wales), we provided support and advice around things like volunteering, accessibility, funding, and risk assessments. We were already working on culturally and dementia-inclusive neighbourhood food support before the pandemic, so we had a wealth of learning to share. Groups across Scotland and the UK used our food tips for friendly neighbours, and self-assessment care excellence tools for small groups who aren’t registered care providers but want to meet the highest standards.

People are always finding creative ways to make local support work well. In dozens of projects from the Burghead Blessings Box – a free pantry anyone can use – to shopping checklists and local newsletters for sharing information, local people had lots of ideas, just needing some practical support and encouragement. These simple solutions helped thousands of people in communities access what they need.

Accessing fertility support

When it comes to accessing health care, sometimes people find services aren’t designed with their situation and needs in mind. There can be gaps in professionals’ understanding of communities’ needs. Working with LGBTQ+ parents and future parents, we have been holding learning events about navigating fertility systems as a LGBTQ+ person. The events have supported families to build self-advocacy and peer advocacy skills, and find ways to communicate and help services understand their experiences. Participants said the chance to discuss fertility access with families going through the same thing made a big difference to their feelings of confidence and connection.

We’re also feeding into the Perinatal Mental Health working group and NHS and community services, helping increase inclusivity around LGBTQ families in practice and policy. As well as knowing they can turn to the group when they have questions or need support, the Queer Families project gives families a space to share their experiences with policy and services, so barriers can be addressed.

Opportunities for social and digital connections

With all social opportunities stopping or moving online in the pandemic, many older people were feeling more isolated from their friends, families and communities. Many people either did not have access to digital technology or were scared or unsure how to use it. Through the Digital Buddies projects, people teamed up with a buddy, often a family member, friend or neighbour. The buddy supported them with whatever they wish to learn to do, using a free tablet, at their own pace.

With this support, all the participants are now regularly using their digital device to video call with friends and family, join local groups and classes online, attend virtual religious services and community council meetings, and do their shopping and banking. We also supported participants to host a Zoom meeting with Scottish Ministers about digital access and equalities, sharing their experiences of good support to become connected.

Dementia-friendly communities and food

Accessing things to do locally, like going to a café, is also an important part of living a good live. We worked with dementia activists and their communities, to remove barriers that make it harder for people to go out and get something to eat. Starting with peoples’ needs and experiences, we helped them explore what kinds of food support work best, and then share the learning in their area and wider through social enterprise and dementia networks.

From more accessible menus to colour-contrasting plates and napkins, simple changes made a huge difference. Local cafes were great partners in this work, happy to help lead on making life in Scottish communities better for people living with dementia, and their friends and families.

Connected, creative community solutions

As part of Community Solutions work, helping community-based organisations connect and innovate, we found there were gaps in how people get home from hospital. To return home, people need transport, and different kinds of support as they recover, with good co-ordination. Communities were wanting to find solutions to this kind of gap, so we hosted opportunities to build trust and problem-solving.

By bringing together big and small providers, we saw them form new supportive partnerships and help each other get through challenges. And, collecting their insights into mind-map resources, we helped organisations learn from other places, including from Welsh partnerships between hospitals and the community sector. This helped several local authorities across Scotland adapt and work together to ensure people can access health care, transport, and social care, at the point they need them.