CARING ACROSS SCOTLAND
Previously known as Circle of Care ISSUE 2 2016
• 2016 is the Year of Listening • Spotlight on Children & Family • Simpson House at 30 • Focus On...Listening • Me and My Job : Crispin Longden • Caring Across Scotland
IN THIS ISSUE
Funding Boost
Visitors’ Centres receive £1.8 million funding from Scottish Government Full details on page 4
OUR SERVICE AREAS
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Children and Family Counselling and Support Criminal Justice Homeless People
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Learning Disabilities Mental Health Older People Substance Misuse
providing a caring future
For more information visit:
www.crossreach.org.uk
DID YOU KNOW? CrossReach is blessed by the time commitment of over 350 volunteers who walk alongside us in many different ways and support our work.
FEATURES Spotlight
Viv Dickenson reflects on the Year of Listening, saying it’s the first requirement of love Page 5 Simpson House at 30
Find out the connection between the discovery of anaesthetic and a CrossReach service
Page 6 Me and My Job
News EDINBURGH CrossReach held a reception in the Scottish Parliament which was addressed by the Moderator of the General Assembly Rt. Rev. Dr. Angus Morrison. The event, sponsored by Jim Eadie MSP, heard the Moderator call for public support for social care organisations such as CrossReach. He said he had been ‘overwhelmed by the volume and quality of work delivered by CrossReach to the people of Scotland’.
STONEHAVEN The Bungalow in Stonehaven had an unannounced inspection from the Care Inspectorate and was awarded a top score of 6 for all four quality standards (care and support, environment, staffing and management & leadership) - the second consecutive year these gradings have been achieved.
BOTHWELL
Supporter Relations Manager Crispin Longden outlines his work and why he won a Blue Peter badge! Page 11
Our thanks go to ACTs Youth Club from Bothwell Parish Church who raised £516 by switching off their electronic devices and gadgets in a 24-hour ‘sponsored unplug’. They then used the time to create Christmas decorations to sell on behalf of the Daisy Chain Early Years Project in Govanhill.
Editorial As you will read in this edition, 2016 has been designated the Year of Listening. But it’s also the Year of the Dad – a year of celebration, insight and collaboration to promote the importance of fathers in child development and support men to be the dads they want to be. Research overwhelmingly shows that children, women and families benefit from the positive involvement of fathers. Valuing and supporting dads brings business benefits of increased engagement and a healthier work-life balance – which means more motivated and efficient workers. So it’s an interesting fact that more men (and fathers) have been coming to ask for help from CrossReach’s services – perhaps for counselling due to postnatal depression, or marriage problems, or because they are suffering from mental health problems. As a father myself, I know how difficult and stressful it can be to get the work/ life balance right. It’s important that there is someone there to listen if things are getting a bit overwhelming – it may be a family friend, or your minister, or even a CrossReach counsellor. So perhaps it’s appropriate that 2016 is both the Year of Listening and the Year of the Dad. After all, fathers sometimes need a listening ear too! If you would like to get in touch, please e-mail: news@crossreach.org. uk or write to: CrossReach News, Charis House, 47 Milton Road East, Edinburgh. EH15 2SR.
Hugh Brown, Editor
Published three times a year by CrossReach. Please feel free to use any material or articles contained in this magazine, with an appropriate credit. CrossReach, Charis House, 47 Milton Road East, Edinburgh. EH15 2SR. Telephone: 0131 657 2000, Fax: 0131 657 5000, Email: news@crossreach.org.uk
Social Care Council
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Operating as CrossReach Scottish Charity number: SC011353
A Gaelic version of CrossReach News is available to download from our website: www.crossreach.org.uk
www.crossreach.org.uk
People of the Way - Walking Together As I write this article I am relieved that our annual report for the General Assembly has been completed, approved by the Social Care Council and sent to print. I have however asked myself why some of the issues highlighted in our report should be restricted to the General Assembly. Surely you, as readers of CrossReach News who support our work in so many ways, would be interested to know some of the news from our annual report? The theme of our report this year is ‘People of the Way – Walking Together.’ It is an apt description of the work carried out by CrossReach. Ours is an enabling ministry and as people of the way we are walking together with many people throughout Scotland to support transformation and improve wellbeing. This walking theme, therefore, runs through our report in each of the headings. Who are we walking with? We walk with a wide range of people and their carers who depend on our support every day of the year: • People who are homeless. • People with drug and alcohol issues. • People with mental health challenges. • People with learning disabilities. • People involved in the criminal justice system. •
Children and young people with additional support needs, in particular those who require residential and educational support.
• Children with disabilities. • Children and families requiring community support or early intervention. • People who need counselling. • People requiring residential or day care, home care or respite care • People with dementia.
Outcomes from our walk Over the past few years we have been focusing on the outcomes of our work rather than the outputs - i.e. not just what we do, but the difference that we make. As an extension of this development, our recent survey of people who use our services focused on measuring outcomes rather than the previous model of service user satisfaction. It’s a tribute to the work of staff across the whole organisation that the responses were so positive and these feature on the back page of this edition.
The theme of our report this year is ‘People of the Way – Walking Together.’ It is an apt description of the work carried out by CrossReach. What challenges do we face as we walk? In an environment where need is increasing and National and Local Government funding for our services is decreasing, we cannot afford to be so reliant on public sector funding. That’s why we have recently appointed a Supporter Development Manager with excellent previous knowledge and experience to take forward our strategy to identify other sources of income. Crispin is featured in this edition and I’m sure we will be hearing a lot more from him in the coming months! Challenges can also be opportunities and in keeping with our history we stand willing to meet them. One such opportunity is Social Prescribing. It’s about connecting people to non-medical sources of support. There is increasing evidence to support the use of social interventions for people experiencing a range of common mental health problems.
In other words, GPs can direct people to social care and community activities. Our mental health services are well placed to provide such services, and have a proven record of success. It will be a challenge to seek to move more towards this model but we will take all opportunities to promote social prescribing as an effective and cost effective support for people with mental health problems. Walking Together We don’t carry out this work in isolation and we rely so much on you, our supporters, as we walk together. There are so many ways in which you do this and I want to thank each and every one of you for your faithfulness: through prayer by subscribing to our Prayer Diary; through reading and sharing CrossReach News; through adopting CrossReach as your chosen charity and becoming a regular donor; through purchasing CrossReach Calendars and Christmas Cards; through volunteering alongside our many volunteers who are walking with people who depend on our support. I hope that some of the extracts from our annual report will inspire you to continue walking with us in this vital work.
Peter Bailey is Chief Executive Officer of CrossReach and Secretary of the Social Care Council
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Children and Family Services
Prison Visitors Centres funding boost
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A £1.8 million funding announcement by Scottish Government has guaranteed families affected by imprisonment will be given access to vital support. CrossReach has run the Prison Visitors Centre in Perth since 2007 recognising that simply visiting a relative in prison can be a daunting experience, particularly for children of prisoners. In 2010 the then Chief Inspector of Prisons Brigadier Hugh Munro gave us an exclusive interview following an Inspection of HMP Perth and a visit to the Visitors’ Support and Advice Centre. We reported his very strong views on the place of Visitors’ Centres: “I have to say that the CrossReach run Visitors’ Centre is a magical place to go and I love going there. When we inspected Perth Prison I was delighted to make that contact with the Visitors’ Centre and I think it’s a fantastic place. So the question for me is: ‘why doesn’t every prison have one of these’ because it’s so badly needed.” Since then, much has happened to take his question seriously and a number of organisations, including CrossReach and the Kirk’s Church and Society Council have been working hard to build the evidence about why Visitors’ Centres are effective and necessary supports to families affected by imprisonment. In a country where an estimated 27,000 children face the incarceration of a parent and where
The centres aim to reduce social and economic inequalities by families affected by imprisonment, by supporting them to access key services. children with a parent in prison are 3 times more likely to experience a mental health problem than their peers, it has been a very thought provoking exercise. A National Visitors’ Centre Steering Group was formed, led by Rev. Ewan Aitken, and over the past 5 years new initiatives to support prisoners’ families by faith based voluntary sector organisations have started in HMYOI Polmont, HMP Cornton Vale and HMP Barlinnie, which CrossReach has supported in a number of ways. At our Visitors’ Centre at HMP Perth we also piloted a new project in partnership with Barnardos. Simply named THRIVE, it was specifically targeted at working with families with a child under 5 with a parent in prison, supporting the children to flourish in the face of incredible disruption in their early years.
In December 2015 the Scottish Government, which had been watching progress with interest and had funded the pilot project at HMYOI Polmont, announced they were making £1.8 million available: “Prison Visitor Centres will receive the funding over the next 3 years to support families affected by imprisonment to access important services like housing, health and welfare. New services at prisons which don’t currently have visitor centres will also be developed. The centres aim to reduce social and economic inequalities experienced by families affected by imprisonment, by supporting them to access key services. Staff aim to break the cycle of offending through targeted work with children and encouraging family contact by improving their experience as visitors.” Director of Children and Family Services for CrossReach Viv Dickenson told CrossReach News: “This is a significant and very welcome step forward, made possible by some fantastic collaborative efforts. As well as providing core funding towards the running of CrossReach’s Visitors’ Centre at HMP Perth, it has also allowed us to agree to support the new Centre at HMYOI Polmont until the end of 2016 as it grows and develops its own support service for some of Scotland’s most overlooked families.”
Spotlight
2016 is the ‘Year of Listening’ Director of Children and Family Services Viv Dickenson explains why CrossReach is committed to listening to the people we support CrossReach’s Sunflower Garden is an inspiring service for children affected by parental substance misuse, offering them many ingenious and creative ways to have fun, make friends and explore their challenging family situations. It is therefore significant that the feedback offered by one young person on his experience was not about the activities on offer, nor about the fun had, but touched on something much deeper - that need within us all to be heard and understood: “I have been listened to. Come to Sunflower so that you know you are not alone.” In March, The World Health Organisation published a report about increase in the prescribing of
The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry will spend the next few years listening to the evidence of survivors of childhood abuse in care settings, so that survivors’ experiences can be validated and understood and ensure that children in the future can be better protected. As a provider of care to children for more than 100 years we will be co-operating with the inquiry and supporting survivors as appropriate. Viv Dickenson
them to rebuild confidence and develop useful tools to overcome other difficulties when they strike. Listening does help with healing past and present hurts, but we recognise it also has an equally important place in shaping the future. In a world where 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 10 children will experience a mental health problem the CrossReach counselling services are not alone in having a solution to offer. You will see the theme of meeting people in their darkest places, listening and seeking to understand reflected throughout this edition of CrossReach News. Our Care and Education Services (which were recently favourably reviewed by Care Inspectorate for the way
In a world where 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 10 children will experience a mental health problem, the CrossReach counselling services are not alone in having a solution to offer. antidepressants to children and young people. Jacqui Lindsay, manager of CrossReach Counselling Lothian which offers counselling and support to children in schools across East Lothian, spoke on BBC’s Good Morning Scotland. She affirmed the place of antidepressants in supporting the mental health of some young people, but based on her experience, talked about the need to offer a credible alternative which helps children understand the root cause of their anxiety or depression and to help
in which children were listened to) are pioneering a new approach to helping traumatised children express themselves in collaboration with Street Cones. Other examples featured are the 30th anniversary celebrations at Simpson House, the ongoing work of the Perth Prison Visitors’ Centre, and the launch of the Confidential Conversations Service. Listening does help with healing from past and present hurts but we recognise also has an important place in shaping the future.
The importance of listening to children and young people to shape policy was recently also highlighted by Children’s Commissioner Tam Baillie as he worked up the 7 rules of participation for children affected by disability. One of our young people from The Mallard was part of a small team of children involved in feeding his experience into the report which is published on the CCYP website. Speaking about the resource Tam comments: “The rules support the principles that children and young people of all ages and abilities have the right to take part in decisions that affect them, and that they have useful contributions to make.” 2016 has been named the Year of Listening (YoL). Backed by Breathing Space, Scottish Government and other supporters, YoL hopes to make an impact on positive mental health and throw out the challenge to be better listeners, at home, at work, and in our friendships. CrossReach will continue to take on that challenge in every sphere of our work. Will you? If you want to contact the inquiry you can do so by e-mail: information@childabuseinquiry.scot or by telephone on: 0800 0929 300, or by post: PO Box 24085, Edinburgh. EH7 9EA.
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Simpson House at 30 A former townhouse in Edinburgh’s Queen Street has been helping people with addictions for the past 3 decades as Hugh Brown reports
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Simpson House in Edinburgh is perhaps best known as being the building where Sir James Young Simpson discovered the properties of chloroform as an anaesthetic in 1847. However, less well known is the fact that in August last year Simpson House celebrated 30 years of changing the lives of people endeavouring to work through the various challenges that substance use brings to them and their families. Simpson House has been a champion of recovery services since it began, allowing people to work through difficult issues at their own pace and once more live life to its full potential. Working through an addiction can be a painful experience, and the photographs taken by CrossReach Recovery Volunteer, Timothy Aikman, displayed at a special exhibition on the day of the centre’s 30th anniversary gave a fascinating insight into the lives of people undertaking their own journey of recovery. The impact on children in a family where a parent is involved in substance use can be profound and severely limit their ability to flourish. The Sunflower Garden Service, based at Simpson House was begun in 2003, born out of the work with adults and in recognition of the difficulties their children were experiencing. It aims to help children find ways of coping with their experience of parental substance misuse through building confidence and expressing and managing their worries, feelings and fears. 10 year-old Callum who came to the Sunflower Garden had this to say: “If you are feeling sad or angry it helps to come to Sunflower and
Photograph courtesy of Timothy Aikman
“Coming to counselling was the hardest and scariest thing I have ever done in my life but it is also the best thing I have ever done.”
Sir James Young Simpson
meet other people. I have been listened to. Come to Sunflower so you know that you are not alone.” The quality and importance of this work with both adults and children was recently recognised by City of Edinburgh Council as they sought to change delivery models in the capital in order to streamline and improve services offered to people living with a substance misuse issue. Both services
have been successful in partnership bids to deliver therapeutic support for the next three years, along with a wider range of services which will continue to be charitably funded. As a result they will be able to continue to bring hope in what can be the darkest of places. Here’s a testimony from one of the many hundreds of people who have been helped by Simpson House in the past 3 decades: “Before I came to Simpson House I had a barrier that no one got through, I didn’t trust people. Now I realise that I am in control of the barrier and who I let through. Coming to counselling was the hardest and scariest thing I have ever done in my life but it is also the best thing I have ever done.”
Ecumenical Holiday Club CrossReach’s ‘Working Together – Building Communities’ #WTBC group teamed up for an ‘Innovation & Aspiration’ brainstorming session back in December 2014 to start planning community projects, one of which was titled ‘Ecumenical holiday club’. The plan for an ecumenical holiday club started when Bel Reynolds (member of Central Church) suggested the idea to the Family Worker at Portobello and Joppa Parish Church Michelle Brown. They saw this as an opportunity to bring together the area churches to provide summer ministry to local children while also providing an opportunity for the children and young people to get to know each other better. Launched in July 2015, the Portobello Holiday Club was jointly organised and run by six churches: Central’s Portobello Missional Community, Portobello Baptist Church, Portobello and Joppa Parish Church (Church of Scotland), St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, St. Mary Magdalene’s Catholic Church and St Mark’s Scottish Episcopal Church. For four days, 76 children and 40 volunteers filled the halls at the PJPC buildings
on Bellfield Street and the church and gardens of St Mark’s. Using the Scripture Union curriculum called Waste Watchers, with the theme of ‘Transformation,’ the children participated in worship, games, arts and crafts, bible study, gardening, drama and music with a few surprises along the way. The strong environmental theme really resonated with the children and volunteers as a space in St Mark’s
grounds was transformed into a beautiful garden that the children can visit whenever they want to. Michelle Brown said: “It was a fantastic week and a great joy to see this holiday club take shape. As our first one was a great success, we are excited to plan it again for July 2016.” To find out more visit: www.portyjoppachurch.org
Daisy Chain Young Parents Group Service Manager Kenny Fulton explains how the group is changing the lives of young parents in Govanhill: “We realised that we have been supporting more and more young parents at Daisy Chain Early Years Project with many of them coming from more excluded and disengaged communities. We talked with a number of partners about the challenges facing these parents in continuing their education and about how things could be done differently. Now a collaboration between CrossReach’s Daisy Chain Early Years Project and Glasgow’s Young Parent Support Base at Smithycroft School provides a specialist, accessible group for young parents to help them fully engage in education and community services.” Kenny shares the story of 14 year old Gina who attends the Young Parents
Support Group with her 18 month old daughter Anica: “Gina and Anica live in a small flat along with Gina’s mother and father and her many siblings. Inevitably the house is very crowded and this was making it hard for Gina to spend quality time with her child. The Young Parents Support Group provided a unique place for Gina to play and interact with Anica - something which isn’t easily available
for her elsewhere. Both grew in social skills and confidence and the positive changes in their mental and physical health were remarkable. Gina hadn’t been in education for a couple of years (before and after having Anica) but was very keen to go to school. With the support of Smithycroft School she was enrolled at a local secondary. The social worker from Smithycroft spoke with her pastoral care teacher and arranged a more flexible timetable so that she could attend the Young Parents Support Group on a Tuesday and ‘Loc de Joaca’ (a specialist play service) on a Monday morning. This has helped Gina to attend school and also participate in the other community services which support her. It’s all aimed at giving young parents and their children the best opportunities to succeed.”
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Counselling
Confidential Conversations
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A concerned teacher watches one of his bright and outgoing students slowly withdraw into himself, struggling to maintain grades. His repeated attempts to share his concern with the student’s parents, who are going through a prolonged divorce, have not been reciprocated. He has initiated every wellbeing intervention the school has to offer, but as the student’s behaviour is not aggressive and his basic needs are being met, he is not able to offer the boy what he really needs, involved parents. This is not the first time a student has been negatively impacted by problems at home, except this time he is struggling to manage his sadness and frustration. He has become increasingly short with colleagues and his frustration is compromising his relationship with his family. No-one wants to hear how much this bothers him - seeing a student lost. According to the Health and Safety Executive, work-related stress accounts for 35% of all work-related ill health. The occupations with the highest prevalence of work-related stress are those employed in the health and social care professions, welfare and housing professions and customer service. More businesses are recognising that implementing wellbeing initiatives, such as access to counselling services, doesn’t just benefit workers but has a reciprocal effect of improving performance and productivity in the workplace. The number of businesses in the UK providing mental health services through Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) has risen by 69% since 2008, and in 2013 nearly 47% of the UK population was covered by an EAP benefits programme. However, for third sector and smaller businesses (most of which fall under the most at-risk occupations for work-related stress) the challenge is finding an EAP service that is flexible enough to adjust to the financial constraints and limitations of their operations and still provide vital mental health services to their workforce. In response to this need, CrossReach has launched a flexible Employee Assistance Programme called
According to the Health and Safety Executive, work-related stress accounts for 35% of all work-related ill health. ‘Confidential Conversations’. Confidential Conversations is structured to provide dual support to both employers and employees, by partnering with employers to create a unique plan for implementation and promotion of its wellbeing services and by providing quality counselling services to employees in a confidential and neutral environment. The services are uniquely structured to support employees as and when they need it, with short-term one-on-one counselling that offers support through intense periods, or external supervision sessions
where an employee can explore personal challenges that impact on their work in an environment that is removed from the workplace. Confidential Conversations is currently being supported by CrossReach Counselling: Lothians at our Edinburgh and Dunbar locations, with a long-term plan to roll it out to other CrossReach counselling centres. Confidential Conversations doesn’t require an upfront investment to retain its services. Employers have a choice on the number of sessions offered and are only billed for the services provided. As Confidential Conversations is part of the not-for-profit services of CrossReach Counselling, all proceeds go directly to support not just the mental health needs of workers employed in local businesses, but also to making mental health services available to everyone who needs them. For more information, contact Confidential Conversations on: 0845 561 0112 or by e-mail at: confidential. conversations@crossreach.org.uk.
Children and Family Services Since The Mallard in Springburn opened in 1995 the sensory room has always been a popular place enjoyed by children and young people. Service Manager Sandy Russell says: “The original sensory room is now 20 years old and was badly in need of a makeover. We invited Spacekraft, a company who specialise in sensory equipment, to provide us with ideas. Last year we completed the first phase of the transformation clearing the room and introducing new and up to date equipment including the LED colour wall that sets the mood of the room. The acoustic soft play plinth incorporating built in speakers that emits vibrations that can be felt by the young people and is ideal for relaxing muscles, stimulates circulation and aids the development of sensory awareness. Phase two of the room will be completed soon and will include a fibre optic carpet and a bubble tube as well as special seating. The push towards the £12,000 target was boosted by generous donations from the combined efforts of London based St Columba’s and Crown Court Churches through their Christmas
Listening 2016 is the Year of Listening
offerings and Killermont Parish Church in Bearsden who held a quiz night knowing what a difference it makes to the lives of one of the families in their own congregation. The reaction by the children, parents and staff has already been very positive – its new layout and equipment provides a larger space and a calm area for the young people to enjoy. A big thanks to everyone who has helped us in achieving this. We hope the new room will provide as much enjoyment to the young people as the original sensory room and last for another 20 years!”
Helping Get it Right for Scotland’s Children With the Children and Young people (Scotland) 2104 Act due to take full effect from August 2016 many organisations are now taking stock to ensure they are ready for all of the duties and responsibilities it will bring. The Scottish Government website: www.gov.scot/girfec is regularly updated with the latest leaflets and resources to help Get it Right for Scotland’s Children. They also have a knowledge exchange where organisations can share learning and good practice examples.
A Transforming Experience Living in a community house rather than a large children’s home has been a transforming experience for the lives of many young people coming through CrossReach’s Care and Education Services. With the service at Geilsland now fully moved off the campus in North Ayrshire we are looking forward to the move to new houses from Ballikinrain. The first of these houses, Finniescroft Farm in Lennoxtown is due to open later this spring. Meanwhile CrossReach continues to find new and different ways to help the children and young people living with us come to terms with the difficult situations which have brought them into care. One recent and exciting initiative has been a partnership with ‘Street Cones’ - a team of creative artists with experience of going through the criminal justice system.
They believe that performing, discussion theatre and film making are powerful tools which help individuals reflect on their own behaviour and engage in activities which enhance literacy and give opportunity for transformational experiences. They’ve been working with a group of young people in our school providing an opportunity to engage with their thoughts and feelings with a group of people who have overcome their own challenges and difficult experiences. Head of Education Kyle Fleming told CrossReach News: “We have seen significant changes in a number of the children who have been able to express their hurt, confusion or anger in a positive way and become more confident and happier people as a result.
Listening has become one of society’s buzz words: We are told to listen to children, to listen to our friends, relatives and colleagues. But what are we really being asked to do? Anne Goldie from CrossReach Counselling at the Tom Allan Centre in Glasgow gives us some ideas of what we can do to become better at ‘listening’. •
Active listening means that we listen with all of our senses and not just our ears. It means that we pay attention to every thing about the other person, not just what they say, and it means we also pay attention to ourselves and the effect the person is having on us. It is, in fact, a tall order.
• Active listening involves stopping anything else we are doing and giving the person who wants to talk all of our attention. •
We need to check that we have time and space to stop and listen and we need to be honest if we don’t. People appreciate someone caring enough to make time for them.
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We need to look at the person who wants to talk – are they upset, do they appear happy? The same as usual? Do they look the way we would expect in whatever situation they are in? What is their tone like? Flat? Anxious? Excited? Only now do we need to listen with our ears.
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We don’t need to respond with words, but we do need to let the person know our eyes, ears and hearts are open to them. We can do this by leaning forward in our chair, by holding eye contact and most of all by not interrupting.
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When we do speak it is helpful just to tell the person a little of what you have heard from them. Active listening does not in volve giving advice, at least until we are very sure that the other would welcome it.
• Often all people need is someone to care enough to try and understand. If you are interested in developing your listening skills further then check out the dates for the COSCA Certificate in Counselling Skills courses run at the Tom Allan Centre by logging onto http://www.crossreach.org.uk/ cosca-training for further information or by contacting the Tom Allan Centre, 23 Elmbank Street, Glasgow, G2 4PB. Tel: 0141 221 1535
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News in brief
Prayer Points
CARING ACROSS SCOTLAND
For those who wish to pray, please consider • The Convener of the Social Care Council Dr. Sally Bonnar as she delivers CrossReach’s report at the General Assembly in May • The new Confidential Conversations service as it aims to provide a programme of assistance to employees through counselling • Staff and volunteers at Simpson House in Edinburgh who have offered counselling to people with addictions for the last 30 years • People across Scotland who fundraise to help CrossReach continue to operate our care and support services • Our Children and Family Services which provide vital assistance to so many people when they most need it
Following the Parliamentary reception (see ‘News’ on page 2) Jim Eadie MSP took up the offer of visiting our services when he went to The Elms and Morlich House in Edinburgh. At Morlich, Service Manager Glen Brady showed him the area which has been transformed into a ‘1950s reminiscence home’ including a living room and an authentic post office to help stimulate memories for the residents, most of whom have dementia. Disorientation can be distressing for people who have dementia and for those who support them. One of the ways The Elms have addressed this is by creating themed areas in the home (beach, garden and transport). These have proved to significantly improve conversation and reminiscence of holidays and interests whilst reducing the sense of isolation and stress. As he left, Mr. Eadie commented that CrossReach provides a valuable service for older people in the south of Edinburgh.
• Perth Prison Visitors Support and Advice Centre and the work it does to keep families of prisoners in touch with each other If you would like to receive our free Prayer Diary three times a year, please call: 0131 657 2000, or download a PDF version from:
www.crossreach.org.uk
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Our Mission Statement In Christ’s name we seek to retain and regain the highest quality of life which each individual is capable of experiencing at any given time
The Moderator of the General Assembly Rt. Rev. Dr. Angus Morrison and his wife Marion visited Cumnor Hall as part of their tour of Ayr Presbytery. They met twins Anna and Andrew Fyfe, 3rd year pupils at Kyle Academy, who are doing part of their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award by volunteering at the care home. Their grandfather Bill Fyfe was a resident in Cumnor Hall before he died a few months ago.
Following a report by the World Health Organisation that there has been a 54% rise in prescribed antidepressants for under 18s, Jacqui Lindsay from CrossReach Counselling: Lothians was interviewed on BBC Radio Scotland. She said that while antidepressants can help to treat symptoms, the support CrossReach provides is a solution. The counselling service, without having to advertise, is in high demand. Referrals from GPs and other health care professionals have seen a 98% increase over the past 2 years: “Having taken measures to meet this unprecedented need by recruiting more qualified volunteer counsellors, our waiting list has been reduced to 2-3 months – but we want to do more. Over the past 10 years CrossReach, through charitable income, has supported the training a significant number of counsellors to obtain a diploma in Children’s Counselling, significantly increasing the availability of skilled and trained professional support for Scotland’s children and young people. With many agencies in the Third Sector already providing excellent services supporting young people to overcome depression, it is our hope that the Scottish Government will partner with us so that counselling is available to everyone who needs it.” In March, Cale House in Inverness celebrated 20 years of providing accommodation for vulnerable single homeless people by holding an ‘Open Afternoon’ in the service. The launch of CrossReach Personalisation Ambassadors took place in January with the first 8 ambassadors who will serve 23 services. They will begin to familiarise themselves with everything about Self Directed Support and start to work in their own services to build knowledge and confidence in Self Directed Support. By the end of 2018 it’s hoped there will be an ambassador for personalisation for every CrossReach service.
Me and My Job Crispin Longden is Supporter Development Manager and proud Blue Peter badge winner! When did you join CrossReach? I joined CrossReach in November 2015 following four years with Christian Aid in their Edinburgh office. Before that I was an investment fund manager for many years. What do you do at CrossReach? My job title is Supporter Development Manager and I am based at CrossReach’s central offices at Charis House in Edinburgh. My role is pretty much ‘what it says on the tin’ - to build and nurture relationships with existing and potential supporters of CrossReach. As for the management aspect, similarly that is to build and nurture relationships and effective collaboration with my fellow members of the Supporter Development team. What is it about this particular role at CrossReach that attracts you? I consider myself extremely blessed to have joined CrossReach at a time when the opportunity for us to demonstrate to a wider audience the impact of our work has never been better. All across CrossReach, such as with the Children and Family Services featured in this edition, wonderful instances of life lived to the full are jumping out. My team and I have two tasks: firstly, to communicate these instances to the Church of Scotland membership and beyond, and, secondly, to harness people’s gifts of money,
Is your faith important to you? Yes. I am an active member of my local Church of Scotland, singing in the choir, participating in leading worship and convening our Finance & Stewardship Committee. From this I draw inspiration for my attempts to act out Christian values in my daily life. CrossReach’s mission is to ‘seek to retain and regain the highest quality of life which each individual is capable of experiencing at any given time, in Christ’s time and talents so that the results of what name’. Every time I meet with one of our dedicated services staff going quietly and we achieve are sustained. confidently about their tasks, or talk with Is it difficult having to ask people one of our passionate supporters, I am for money? reminded of this mission. It’s difficult not If by that you mean pushing a hard sell, to translate my faith into action when I see then ‘yes’ but that’s not what responsible others all around me doing just that. fundraising is about. Everyone has Share something about you that few experienced the pleasure which comes people know… from giving someone a well-chosen gift. I gain free entry to Edinburgh Zoo because And much of that pleasure is down to I’m the proud owner of a Blue Peter badge! knowing that the gift is something which I received it for submitting a penguin made the recipient will really appreciate and from a fir cone and acorns which graced the use. So with responsible fundraising, by shelves behind Trace, Singleton and Noakes sharing with a supporter how their gift will (betraying my age there!) for several be received and the amazing things it can achieve. As it says in Luke 6:38, “give, and it editions of the programme. I also treasure will be given to you. Good measure, pressed my accompanying carefully type-written letter from Biddy Baxter. Oh, and I also have down, shaken together, running over, will a Competition Winner’s badge, but that’s be put into your lap. For with the measure a story for another time… you use it will be measured back to you.”
I wish to support CrossReach by donating £................................. on a single monthly annual basis If single: Please post us a cheque (payable to CrossReach) or donate online at www.CrossReach.org.uk If monthly: I would like to make my donation on the 1st/15th (delete as appropriate) of each month starting: ........../........../................ If annually: I would like to make my donation on: ........../........../................ and each year thereafter Your account details Name of bank: ........................................................................................... Address of bank: ........................................................................................ ...................................................................... Postcode: ............................. Account number:........................................................................................ Sort code: ...................................................................................................
Your personal details Name (inc title): .......................................................................................... Home address: ............................................................................................. ................................................................... Postcode: .................................. Phone number: ............................................................................................ Email address: ..............................................................................................
To the manager (Bank/Building Society): Please pay Bank of Scotland, 38 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2YR on the date indicated above and thereafter until further notice the sum indicated above for the credit of CrossReach Account No 00227186, Sort Code 80-41-21 If you pay tax, please sign this form and the tax office will give us 25p for every £1 you donate. I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of UK Income Tax and/or Capital Gains for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all charities that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. I understand that the charity will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I give. Please notify CrossReach if you want to cancel this declaration, change your name or home address or no longer pay sufficent tax. Signature: .................................................................. Date: ...../...../........... If you have any questions, call our Supporter Relations team on 0131 657 2000. Please send this completed form to: Supporter Relations, CrossReach, Charis House, 47 Milton Road East, Edinburgh, EH15 2SR
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