Get involved in shaping local care and health services

A different approach to providing social care and community health services is to be developed and trialled in Orkney.

The aim is to put local communities at the heart of decision-making when it comes to working out how to deliver services that best meet local needs.

To get the process underway, public meetings to gather ideas will be held later this month in Stromness, Dounby, Sanday, Kirkwall, Deerness and St Margaret’s Hope.

“The approach we are keen to explore is called Community Led Support,” said Maureen Swannie, who is leading the project for Orkney Health and Care.

“In essence it’s all about people from local communities sharing their local knowledge and understanding of local needs with us – and getting closely involved themselves in planning how services are delivered in their area.

“This approach has proved successful elsewhere in the country and we are very pleased that Orkney will now be helping to pioneer the development of services tailored to the needs of local areas across our community.”

Maureen added: “At the meetings we’ll be talking to folk about how they can get directly involved with us in shaping social care and community health services for their area.

“We’ll be asking what works well, what could be improved, and how we go about achieving that in partnership with other groups and organisations – and most importantly with our local communities.

“These taster sessions will give people the chance to hear more about Community Led Support and how they can get involved in a project that will make a real, positive difference to people’s lives in Orkney.”

All are welcome at the meetings, which take place in:

• Stromness in the John Rae Room at the Warehouse Buildings on Monday 27 May from 09:30 – 11:00.
• Dounby at the Milestone Church on Monday 27 May from 12:00 - 13:30.
• Sanday at the Community School on Monday 27 May from 18:00 - 19:30.
• Kirkwall in Room 2 at Kirkwall Town Hall and Community Centre on Tuesday 28 May from 10:00 - 11:30 and 12:00 - 13:30.
• Deerness at the Community Centre on Tuesday 28 May from 15:30 – 17:00.
• St Margaret’s Hope at the Cromarty Hall on Tuesday 28 May from 18:00 – 19:30.