SIS AT QENSIU

Spinal Injuries Scotland (SIS) has worked in partnership with NHS Staff for over 30 years to provide Peer Support to patients in the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit (QENSIU) and at Outpatient Clinics Our staff work alongside the National Spinal Unit where weekly unit visits are coordinated by our Peer Support Officer - Laura Our role is to provide nonclinical support to patients and assist NHS staff by helping rehabilitate patients and prepare them for going back to their family and community

Our Peer Support Team and Volunteers use their own experience of a spinal cord injury in a positive way to provide support to patients and their families Our main focus will continue to be one to one Peer Support where individuals can be open and honest about their concerns and fears, hopes and aspirations, secure in the knowledge that everything is treated in the strictest confidentiality, and is used to shape the focus and direction of individual support plans.

Our team in the Unit consists of a Peer Support Officer, Peer Support volunteers and our newly appointed IT Assistive Advisor, Richard Copeland Our Team are in 5 days per week and we offer support to patients and their families, onsite at their bedsides, to help them come to terms of living with their SCI

“The support provided by SIS to patients and their families of the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit is absolutely outstanding such as peer support and organising social activities. The staff of the Unit are very grateful for the positive, helpful, and professional approach of our SIS partners. We wish SIS the very best and look forward to many more years of collaboration.”

We also take part in weekly sessions with the NHS in Rehab and Education sessions which are delivered to patients, covering topics like relationships, bladder, bowel, and discharge planning – to name a few Our Peer Support team take part in Educating NHS staff, advising what patient care should look like This takes place within the Unit for new staff and at Caledonian University & Napier University with master’s degree OT and Adult Nursing degree students

We organise and fund an Annual BBQ for patients, their families and friends to come along down at Castle Semple Patients can try something new that they never thought they would ever be able to do after an injury, giving them hope, aspirations and proving that life is not over

All the work we do while patients and their families are in the unit is to prepare them for discharge. As our Team all have an SCI, we understand the challenges that they face Once they are home, we reconnect with the patient to ensure that they are coping well and link them to the Outreach Peer support Team, who are located all over Scotland for onsite Peer Support if they need it

Come and meet our Team!

My role is dedicated to the peer support we provide at the start of someone’s journey I lead a fantastic team of volunteers and together we offer a bespoke service at the Spinal Unit

Richard Copeland - Assistive Technology Advisor

Whilst in the Unit, I work in partnership with Occupational Therapy staff determining the kinds of equipment and assistive technology that individuals require to carry out specific tasks. The equipment needed will depend on the level of injury If someone is quadriplegic, or tetraplegic, the degree of mobility of the head, neck, arms, and hands will determine what equipment is needed Some people require voice or eye-controlled systems, such as Dragon, others merely positioning brackets for phones or laptops, and appropriate manual aids, with headsets for vocal communications

5

First and foremost, we offer an ear for those at the start of their SCI journey My team and I, all who live with a spinal cord injury, can all relate to this life changing injury and the challenges and emotions it can present We are available from the very acute stage if requested, but typically we are available from rehabilitation stage of the journey We support the patients and their families throughout their hospital duration, whenever they need us, offering our practical advice, support and information where appropriate My team attend the Unit’s Patients Education programme most Thursday afternoons to offer our take on daily living with an SCI There are 15 different topics we cover and support

The Unit also host a family & friends day and this is an overview of the patient education programme to allow them to learn about spinal cord Injury and ways to support and understand their loved one better when they leave hospital The sessions have two purposes, one is to inform about how SIS can assist and the other is to tell our stories in a positive way to bring some hope and answer any questions from a former patients point of view

We host social evenings once a month in the day room which can include a meal, quizzes, live music and themed nights Family and friends are welcome too It’s a welcome break from rehab and a time to relax for an hour or two

When that patient is ready for discharge, we continue that support through our outreach team and their services They cover the whole of Scotland and host virtual and face to face coffee meets that allows members to interact, socialise and get involved in their community We have events throughout the year that offer more ways to socialise and to try out some of our fun water sports, biking and more activities that are all accessible

I also attend hand therapy sessions with the OT department, offering assistive support to allow patients to use technology to connect with loved ones and carry out specific tasks If they are struggling with a piece of technology such as their phone, tablet or laptop I can then make suggestions for techniques or software that will help them to use their technology to its full potential. This has an amazing effect on their feelings of confidence and general wellbeing

For many it’s the feeling of empowerment, not having to ask a nurse or family member to carry out a simple task to allow them to make a phone call, have a chat online, do internet shopping or banking We believe that with the proper resources being made available, and personalised support given to use them, peoples’ quality of life is enhanced immeasurably

Currently we are trialling a new virtual reality experience It’s a very immersive type of game where the patients put on a pair of goggles and are transported to another world They play a rhythm game in which they have to move their arms to the beat, it’s a lot of fun but also a great form of physio for the patients.