Equally Valued

In this episode, host Esme Pringle delves into Scotland's efforts to fulfil its human rights obligations for individuals with learning disabilities.

With the deadline for the Scottish Government's Coming Home commitments approaching, we'll assess progress and looming challenges. From the Scottish Mental Health Law Review to proposed legislation like the Learning Disability, Autism, and Neurodiversity Bill, and a new Human Rights Bill for Scotland, there's much ground to cover.

Joining us are esteemed guests:

• Sam Smith, CEO of C-Change Scotland
• Rosie Smith, Director for Glasgow at People First
• Rob Gowans, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the Health and Social Care Alliance

Together, we'll explore actionable steps for Scotland to enact positive change and tackle the most critical rights violations facing people with learning disabilities in our country. Tune in for this crucial discussion!

Despite dementia and Alzheimer’s ranking among the top causes of death for women in Scotland, the attention given to this issue in the Women's Health Plan has been sparse. Drawing parallels to the emphasis placed on heart health in women, we question why brain health has been relegated to the sidelines.

Join us as we explore the gaps in research, diagnosis, and support for women affected by these conditions. Our esteemed guests, including Irene Oldfather from the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland, Jennifer Hall from Alzheimer Scotland, and Thea Laurie from the National Dementia Carers Action Network, offer invaluable insights and perspectives on this pressing issue.

Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and stigma faced by women with dementia, the importance of tailored support for carers, and the necessary steps to ensure that women's brain health receives the attention it deserves in future health policy initiatives.

Join us on a special episode of the Equally Valued Podcast as we delve into the inner workings of the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE), unveiling their new 5-year strategy and visionary approach for the future. Explore how this leading organisation, with over 3,000 national and local third sector members, collaborates with the government, NHS, and various sectors to shape Scotland's healthcare landscape. Our thought-provoking discussion with ALLIANCE leaders uncovers their vision for the future and the transformative initiatives driving their impact. Gain insights into the ALLIANCE's dynamic operations, where individual voices and experiences take centre stage. Discover the intersection of health, social care, policy, and Scotland's future in this captivating episode.

In this episode of Equally Valued, we explore some of the key issues currently impacting health inequalities in Scotland including drug deaths, housing and child poverty. We take into account information published in the recent, 'Leave No-one Behind Review' from the Health Foundation and ask where do we go from here? Some of the solutions may be already underway through the delivery of social describing and this episode will explore this approach to health inequalities.

Our guests for this episode are Ashley Mclean, Parliamentary and Policy Officer at the Poverty Alliance and Alison Leitch, Community Link Worker Assistant Service Manager for the Edinburgh region.

In this episode of Equally Valued, we will be speaking with colleagues from the third sector, academia and individuals with lived experience around fuel poverty. War in Ukraine and supply chain issues caused the Government and the media to warn of an unprecedented increase in fuel costs. Individuals and families across the country were set to be affected with it hitting our society’s most vulnerable the hardest.   

In April 2022 the Equally Valued podcast explored this unfolding issue. We recorded the impact it was set to have, and discussed the ways in which the Scottish and UK Government could prevent unnecessary hardship. Now in the midst of winter, we aim to consider the current situation for people in Scotland who are struggling to heat their homes and the impact on their health and wellbeing. We look at the actions and support delivered by Government and what more could and should be done.

The episode has been a video-recorded special as part of the ALLIANCE's Digital Gathering 2023 activity.

In this episode of Equally Valued, we will be speaking with leaders and experts of integration of health and care across Scotland – what has worked, what hasn’t and what could the National Care Service mean for the future relationship between health and social care? We will consider the evidence supporting integration in Scotland and beyond since the development of health and social care partnerships almost a decade ago, and the future of joint working under the new legislation. We will look at the barriers and the successes of the current integration agenda and to what extent integration remains firmly on Scotland’s agenda – and whether it should be a continued focus – during this next round of health and care reform.

We are grateful to be joined by:

• Dr Ron Culley, CEO of Quarriers and formerly the chief officer of Western Isles Health and Social Care Partnership and Chief Officer of Health and Social Care at local authorities organisation COSLA
• Anne Hendry, Director of the International Foundation for Integrated Care’s Scotland Hub and who has held national clinical lead roles in Scotland for policy and improvement programmes on integrated health and social care
• Jim Guyan – currently sits on Shetland Integration Joint Board as a carers representative
• Kevin Stewart MSP - Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care with the remit for health and social care integration.

In this episode of Equally Valued focus on the role of the climate emergency on health and wellbeing for people across Scotland and what a net zero NHS in Scotland might look like. From extreme weather events and rising fuel costs to NHS projects and community action work addressing the impacts felt, we’ll be exploring the intersection between climate and health.

We speak with a range of guests from across the healthcare landscape, from community networks, third sector, academia and the NHS, to discuss those intersections. Our guests also share examples of ways in which they, and colleagues, and responding to the climate crisis. 

We welcome: 

• Professor Stephen Peake, Climate Professor for Scotland's Open University 
• Dr. Shauna Golden, NHS Lothian Lead for Environment and Sustainability
• Philip Revell, Convener of the Scottish Communities Climate Action Network (SCCAN)
• Sara Maclean, Operation Manager for Argyle and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust (ACT)

Equally Valued brings together the insights of the ALLIANCE, Scotland’s largest health and social care third sector organisation, with the journalism of healthandcare.scot. Each episode will focus on a particular issue affecting the health and care of individuals living in Scotland.

A lot has changed with regards to the National Care Service since the Feeley Reports original recommendations. In this episode of Equally Valued, we take a look at how things currently lie with the largest social care reform in a generation. 

We speak with an advisor to the Independent Review of Social Care, Dr Jim Elder-Woodward, who is also a service user and former commissioner, manager and researcher of social care support. Jim shares his views on how the legislative process has unfolded so far and where it falls short in delivering the necessary outcomes for people receiving care.

The conversation moves to a roundtable discussion with our hosts, ALLIANCE Chief Officer, Sara Redmond, Senior Policy Officer, Hannah Tweed and healthandcare.scot Publisher, John Macgill. The group look at the key areas where action can still take place by Scottish Government to provide individuals with transformative change to how services are delivered.

Equally Valued brings together the insights of the ALLIANCE, Scotland’s largest health and social care third sector organisation, with the journalism of healthandcare.scot. Each episode will focus on a particular issue affecting the health and care of individuals living in Scotland.

What is the impact of poverty and wealth inequality on health and wellbeing and will the Scottish government’s promise to deliver a fairer, less punitive system go far enough? 

We speak with Ben MacPherson, the Scottish Minister for Social Security, to understand Scotland’s future plans for social security as more benefits are devolved as well as leaders within the sector, including those from organisations representing people with disabilities and their carers. What is the importance of direct payments and what more can be done to support children, unpaid carers and people with disabilities?

Health inequalities in Scotland have long been documented. After April 1st 2022, experts said these inequalities would begin to get much worse. There was no new pandemic coming, but our energy prices were going to rise by over 50% causing many to drop into fuel poverty and sending others even further into the uncertainty of whether they could eat or heat. If you are an unpaid carer or live with a long term condition, how do you handle this burden?

In this first episode of Equally Valued, we speak to experts from across the spectrum of health and care to find out what the rising fuel costs mean for individuals most at risk and in need of support. From academics and third sector leaders to unpaid carers and professionals working on the front lines in communities, these voices provide an insight into the consequences of fuel poverty and what Scotland's leaders need to do to help.

Music credits

Beauty Flow by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5025-beauty-flow

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license