News

SPPC response to loneliness and isolation consultation

The SPPC has submitted a response to the Scottish Government's consultation A Connected Scotland: Tackling social isolation and loneliness and building stronger social connections.

Launch of new report: A Road Less Lonely

The Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care and Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief have published a new report looking at how to encourage more supportive attitudes and behaviours relating to death, dying and bereavement in Scotland.

A Road Less Lonely, Moving forward with public health approaches to death, dying and bereavement in Scotland explores some of the different areas that can shape people’s experiences of death, dying and bereavement. It focuses particularly on:

• Death education and bereavement support in schools.
• Workplace culture and policies.
• The role of communities.
• The practicalities of planning ahead for deteriorating health and death.
• Personal skills and knowledge relating to death, dying and bereavement.
• Mass media campaigns.
• Socio-economic disadvantage.
• Funeral poverty.
• Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief, Scotland’s public health palliative care alliance.

To Absent Friends: Evaluation Report

November 2017 saw another successful edition of To Absent Friends, a people's festival of storytelling and remembrance. An evaluation report of the festival, based on feedback from event organisers and attendees, is now available.

The evaluation concludes that:

• The festival helps build communities, addressing social isolation and loneliness. Attendee feedback shows how much they valued the community aspects of the festival.
• A little money goes a long way. Small grants act as an impetus for activity among groups who otherwise might not participate.
• Dedicated staff time is valuable. Extra resource at the SPPC has increased activity and secured more publicity.
• The festival is connecting with disadvantaged groups. There is an appetite for this kind of event within a community development framework.
• Regulars return to the festival. Many groups participate each year, making the festival sustainable, and strengthening community connections.
• Witnessing successful events helps inspire others. Potential event organisers can now be pointed to many different event concepts that work.
• Concerts are a popular concept. Attendances at concerts were higher than at other types of events.
• Media profile could be higher. The grassroots nature of the festival means local media coverage for individual events is easier than securing a national profile.
• Different approaches work for different audiences. Careful management of expectations and handling of sensitivities means events can be created that work for a wide range of audiences and situations.

A downloadable copy of the report is available here.

Public Health Priorities for Scotland

The Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care has submitted views for consideration in the public engagement exercise on Public Health Priorities for Scotland.

The engagement exercise is being undertaken by the Scottish Government and COSLA.

The SPPC response proposes that:

• Public Health Reform discussions should be reframed to talk not just of improving ‘health’ but of improving ‘health and wellbeing’.
• “Adjusting to the needs of an ageing population” should be a Public Health Priority.

The full submission is available here: SPPC submission relating to the development of Public Health Priorities for Scotland.