Edition 3 - July 2010 (500 KB PDF) - Angus Council

HIT!TEAMHEALTHIMPROVEMENTHealth Improvement Team NewsletterSOCIAL WORK and HEALTHNews fromthe Angus HealthImprovement TeamEdition 3 July 2010Dear All,We have a number of key healthtopics within our health improvementagenda – nutrition and healthyweight, physical activity, alcohol anddrugs, sexual health, smoking, mentalhealth and wellbeing – but I know Ifind it virtually impossible to separatethem all out and it’s totally impossibleto say which one is most important!Whatever we do to our body – ordon’t do - affects our physical andmental health; our mental healthaffects our physical health. It is rightand proper for us all to do as much aswe can to look after ourselves. Ifwe’re not well, how can we supporteach other? In these economicallychallengingtimes, it’s even moreimportant to take more control overour own health and, ultimately, thehealth of our own communities.Things that could make a differenceinclude seeking out locally-grown orsourced food – which results inreducing air miles, supporting localbusinesses (including farmers’markets), eating fresher food andmore of it. Eat more seasonally too –we have an abundant harvest on ourdoorstep in Angus: local berries,potatoes, carrots, fish, chicken andmeat. It might even mean you canwalk to a local shop or farm shop,instead of taking the car, reducingyour fuel costs. A few friends orneighbours could pitch in together tobuy in bulk or to help with transport –or even in a tiny town garden,you’d be amazed at what you cangrow yourself!Kind regards,Freda StewartHealth ImprovementPartnership ManagerAngus Social Work & Health/Angus CHPSt Margaret’s HouseOrchard LoanOrchardbank Business ParkFORFAR DD8 1WST: 01307 474814E: freda.stewart@nhs.netYoung people receiving their certificates at The Attic. Photograph courtesy of Andy Thomson, Brechin Advertiser.COOKING UP A STORM IN BRECHINYoung people from a Healthy Happy Communities project at The Attic in Brechin were presented withcertificates to mark their successful completion of a cooking course on Monday 31 May.The project is co-produced by the Angus Health Improvement Team, The Attic Project and the young peoplethemselves and aims to develop and improve their cooking skills. It’s important that young people know aboutnutrition and cooking and the six-week course will help the participants to make not only healthy food choices,but also equip them with the necessary food preparation and cooking skills should they leave home.Six young people from Brechin signed up for the cooking classes which were run by Fiona Bird ofStirrin’ Stuff, Kirriemuir.Brechin butcher Bruce Brymer supported the project by kindly donating local meat for healthybeef-burgers. To mark the end of the six-week course, the young people all received certificates ofachievement and hand-held blenders to assist their future culinary efforts at home.If you’d like to know more about Healthy Happy Communities or to become involved as a volunteer,please contact:Shona BurgeProject ManagerAngus Healthy Happy CommunitiesT: 01307 474872E: shonaburge@nhs.netBruce House 10k Fun Run/WalkThe HWL Co-ordinators at Bruce House recently held a 10k run/walk for staff, family and friends, whichwas part-funded by the Angus Healthy Working Lives small grant fund. The event, held on 22 March,was a great success and the 25 participants raised funds for two charities: Cancer Research UKreceived £821 and Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) received £316. Many thanks to allwho supported the Fun Run.Sandra ScottHWL TeamBruce HouseArbroathIf you’d like to submit an application for agrant to support your HWL activities, go to theHealthy Working Lives page on the Angus Councilintranet or contact Julie: BellJA@angus.gov.uk

TRAINING UPDATEA reminder about two important courses available now for staff in Angus...Health Improvement and Brief Intervention One-Day TrainingThe course will support you to grasp the dimensions and determinantsof health, by examining your own attitudes and values and some keymodels, then will look at different approaches to health improvementactivity and how these relate to work practice.NHS Staff DatesDate Time VenueTuesday 31 August 2010 9.00-16.30 Kings CrossHospital, DundeeThursday 25 November 2010 9.00-16.30 Kings CrossHospital, DundeeApplications to: Veronica Patullo at Kings Cross on 01382 424091 oremail veronica.patullo@nhs.netAngus Council Staff DatesDate Time VenueFriday 10 September 2010 9.30-12.30 Rooms A & B,Angus House, ForfarFriday 19 November 2010 9.30-12.30 Rooms A, BruceHouse, ArbroathAll Angus Council staff wishing to attend this training should contact Kirsty:McLeanKM@angus.gov.uk Further information is available from theEmployee Development site on the staff intranet.‘COMMUNITIES IN CONTROL’Delivering the NHS Tayside Health EquityStrategy in AngusPartners in Angus have welcomed this strategy which focuses on equityrather than inequality. We feel that this positively discriminates towards thestrategic aim of bringing about health equity in a generation. The main thrustof this strategy is the need for a cultural change within NHS Tayside in‘Closing the Gap’ for health inequalities.Partners from the NHS, Angus Council and the voluntary sector have cometogether to co-produce an action plan which will breathe life into thestrategy. This plan will support those communities where there is alreadyresilience and target those where support is needed. There are five themes inour action plan: access, early years, promoting partnership working,understanding the needs of communities and community resilience. In Angus,we will make sure these themes link with the Single Outcome Agreement,investing our energy in community buoyancy and enablement.Where local services do not need to be delivered by health professionals,people will be helped to take back elements of care, co-producing services forthemselves and their communities with the NHS. Most of all, in Angus, wewant to make a tangible difference in health, employability, volunteering andenabling communities to identify their own needs and building on existingpartnerships to bring about a cultural shift. The challenge for us all will be inresponding flexibly and at a pace that matches community–driven initiativesI know this may sound quite abstract at the moment until we firm up thecontent of the action plan, but what’s important to note is that we alreadyhave many years’ experience and success in joint working within communitiesin Angus - the Health Equity Strategy is designed to support us all to take thiswork to a new level.Freda StewartHealth Improvement Partnership ManagerE: freda.stewart@nhs.netHealth Behaviour Change Training Using Motivational InterviewingThe three-day course comprises of two full days, with one full dayfollow-up four weeks later. Courses are free of charge with tea and coffeeprovided – however, participants should bring, or purchase, their ownlunch (dining facilities on-site). If this is the course for you then contactcoursebookings.tayside@nhs.net to register.Dates 2010 Time Venue10 & 11 August & 9.30-16.30 Esk Room16 September Ashludie Hospital,Monifieth6 & 7 September 9.30-16.30 Seminar Room& 11 OctoberRoyal VictoriaHospital, Dundee20 & 21 October 9.30-16.30 Room D& 23 NovemberStracathro Hospital15 & 16 November 9.30-16.30 Esk Room& 14 DecemberAshludie Hospital,Monifieth6 & 7 December & one day 9.30-16.30 Seminar Room 4in January 2011 – date TBAPerth Royal InfirmaryHIV Wake UpcampaignThis HIV social marketingcampaign is aimed at menwho have sex with menMen who have sex with men(MSM) are no different fromthe general population inbeing neither consistently safenor consistently risky when itcomes to sexual activity.Richard McIntosh is theSexual Health/Blood-BorneVirus (BBV) Senior Specialist inTayside. “While many menwho have sex with men maythink they are well informedabout HIV, in reality this isoften not the case,” Richardexplains. “This can lead tocomplacency and unsafesexual practices. In addition,fear of being rejected byfriends, family, and sexualpartners can deter some menfrom seeking information orasking for an HIV test. One infour men who have sex withmen say they don’t know anyone with HIV, but they may have had sex withsomeone who has HIV without knowing it.”The HIV Wake Up campaign is specifically targeting this group, toencourage use of condoms and testing.“Men may not be aware that the latest HIV treatment offers a greaterchance of living a long and healthy life, if the infection is diagnosed earlyenough,” Richard adds.There are digital on-line and campaign posters and 2 informationbooklets. One booklet gives information about HIV, how it is transmitted andalso encourages men who have sex with men to get tested regularly. Theother booklet is a simple guide to condoms and lubricant. To access theposters and leaflets promoting regular testing and condoms and lube, and todownload this briefing, see www.healthscotland.com/wishTo see the digital on-line information aimed at MSM, go towww.hiv-wakeup.org.uk2

CHOOSE LIFE –DON’T SUFFER IN SILENCEChoose Life leads the way in helping to preventsuicide in Scotland. Raising public awareness ofsuicide and encouraging people at risk to seekhelp play a big part in this, and since 2008,the ‘Suicide. Don’t hide it. Talk about it.’campaign has successfully been delivered atboth a national and local level. The campaigntackles the stigma associated with suicide andencourages people who are feeling suicidal totalk to someone they trust, or call a helpline likeBreathing Space or Samaritans.The high profile campaign reaches those atrisk – predominantly young men from lowersocioeconomic groups – in a variety of ways, suchas through posters, a radio advert, online advertson MSN Messenger and features in national/localnewspapers.The latest burst of campaign activity in Apriland May launched a powerful new TV advert thatgenerated the most successful media coverage todate, with almost 21 million opportunities to seeor hear about the campaign on TV, on the radio orin the newspapers.The hard-hitting ad helps to normalise suicideby showing an everyday man having suicidalthoughts, and visually shows the relief that talking about it can bring. Over 2,000 hits to the ad onYouTube have helped to create widespread awareness of the campaign, and Choose Life is confident thatongoing work at both a local and national level is helping people get people talking about suicide, whichis crucial in creating the right environment for people to get help.Samaritans 08457 90 90 90Breathing Space 0800 83 85 87Laura BlairCommunications ManagerNHS Health ScotlandGOINGBANANASFORFRUITYFRIDAYAs part of Cancer Prevention Week, staff andvolunteers at Whitehills Health and CommunityCare Centre supported the World CancerResearch Fund’s (WCRF UK) Fruity Fridaycampaign on 14 May. The focus for the daywas to highlight how a healthy diet andmaintaining a healthy weight and activelifestyle can help prevent cancer - in a fun way.Fruit was also on the menu at the Whitehillsdining facility - house specialities on offerincluded a ‘Fruity Curry’ and a ‘Tutti FruttiSurprise’ dessert, both of which turned out tobe bestsellers! For further info oncampaigns/events at our Health InformationPoints contact:Aileen TaitSenior Health Promotion/ImprovementSpecialistT: 01307 474820E: aileen.tait@nhs.netB-ACTIVE THIS SUMMERThroughout Angus this summer, local children will have the opportunity to takepart in a number of different sports and activities through Angus Council LeisureService’s Active Angus 2010 - Summer Sports and Activities. This programmestarts on Monday 5 July and runs until Friday 13 August.Here’s just a taste of things to come - for full details, please contactyour local leisure centre:• The Rural Summer Active Club will take place in across 4 days inLetham, Friockheim, Glenisla, Wellbank, Monikie and Edzell for childrenaged between 5-12 years old• The athletics Run, Jump & Throw programme for children aged 8-12years will run in Arbroath (20- 22 July), Carnoustie (27 – 29 July),Forfar (3 – 5 August) and Monifieth (10 – 12 August)• Two summer tennis camps will take place at Montrose Tennis Clubbetween 26 – 30 July and are suitable for children aged 6-9 years and10-14 years old• Golf coaching 7-14 year olds is taking place in Forfar and Brechin on aTuesday and Montrose and Arbroath on a Thursday. This year’sprogramme also includes three Clubgolf Mini Opens running in Carnoustie(Friday 30 July), Lochside (Friday 6 August) and Arbroath (Friday 13 August)• Angus Sports Development Team are offering P5-S2 boys and girls 2 x3-day basketball camps running from the 13 – 15 July at Saltire LeisureCentre, Arbroath and 27 - 29 July at Lochside Leisure Centre, Forfar• Hockey coaching sessions have also been organised at the astro-turfpitch at Arbroath Sports Centre from 20 – 22 July for 8-12 years• Rugby camps will be held in Montrose (July 6 & 7), Arbroath(12 & 13 July), Kirriemuir (12 & 13 July) and Carnoustie(10 – 12 August). These sessions will allow participants to run, pass,kick and - best of all - tackle• “Angus 4 Danz”, Leisure Services’ dance team, has a number ofsummer dance workshops taking place across Angus includingArbroath, Kirriemuir, Carnoustie, Forfar, Montrose and Brechin. Thisyear’s mini show will be entitled ‘Dreaming of Fame’• A full Scottish FA summer football programme will be held at Forfar,Montrose, Carnoustie, Arbroath and Kirriemuir and is suitable for boysand girls aged 3-12 years• A full and varied sport and recreation programme is also available forpeople with a disability throughout Angus. Activities for 3-7 year oldsand 17+ year olds include swimming, mountain-biking, dance,athletics and rounders and barbecue. In order to further develop theopportunities available to children with additional support needs theDevelopment Officer for Disabilities has developed links into variousprogrammes within the brochure. They are identified as beingsupported by Disability Sport Coaches. Please make this known at thetime of booking the activities.• This year will again see almost all of the activities in the bookletcoming under the b-Active membership scheme which will allow achild to attend as many activities throughout the holidays as theywould like for an outstanding £19.00 per month - less than £1 a day.That’s awesome value!For full details of the activities on offer over the summer please contactAngus Council ACCESSLine on 08452 777 778, go to www.angus.gov.uk/leisureor visit your local sports centre or swimming pool.3

QUIT WITH KIRSTYMy role as Smoking Cessation Officer is to providesupport to Bruce House staff who wish to give upsmoking. I’m here to provide information about howthey can stop and what resources are out there tohelp them quit. I keep in touch with Kenny Grewar,Smoking Cessation Co-ordinator for NHS Tayside inAngus, so if I require any resources such as leaflets,then Kenny is always there to help. I attended the NHS training for SmokingCessation last year, which was really helpful and lots of fun.Recently we supported No Smoking Day and displayed posters andballoons, leaflets and some freebies to promote the day and I always getinvolved when we do our annual Healthy Living event for our Healthy WorkingLives awards here in Bruce House. Posters are displayed on our staff noticeboards, all year round, to make any smokers aware that I am here to help!Unfortunately, at present there is no one who is willing to give up (justyet) but perhaps my powers of persuasion can help change their minds! Ifyou do work at Bruce House and are reading this thinking you’d like supportto give up smoking, then please do get in touch with me.Kirsty BownassClerical Officer and Smoking Cessation OfficerT: 01241 435133 Ext: 5133E: BownassK@angus.gov.ukEAT WELL,WALK WELL– AND CYCLEWELL @WHITEHILLS!Carolyn Aitken (left) and Alison Lyall with theWhitehills Healthy Eating Recipe BookWhitehills Health and Community Care Centre, Forfar, is registered for HealthyWorking Lives as a site, bringing staff in the NHS, Angus Council and thevoluntary sector together as a single team.HWL team members, Carolyn Aitken and Alison Lyall, along with LyndaKemp, have produced a limited edition book, The Healthy Eating Recipe Book,which is available now. An initial print run of 50 copies has been made andthey are on sale to Whitehills staff at £2.50 per copy. The HWL team memberswill be promoting this and copies will be available via team members.“This is a bit of an experiment for us,” said Lynda. “We’ve done it withoutfinancial support from anywhere and we’re keen to see how sales go beforeprinting more – who knows, maybe it’ll be a best seller! The idea was toencourage staff to try delicious new recipes, with a healthy twist!”Another first for Whitehills took place on 10 June – the HWL of WalksSummer Walk and Picnic. At the time of going to press, the 4-weekprogramme is attracting interest. Stress management and relaxation sessionshave been taking place on a monthly basis – the last in the current calendar ison 7 July and we’re keen to continue these.A new cycle locker and cycle shelter are now in place, thanks to fundingfrom Sustrans and the Whitehills Arts and Environment Endowment Fund.If you’re based at Whitehills and want to become more involved in theactivities to support Healthy Working Lives, speak to your line manager orcontact Lynda Kemp on Ext. 61335 or email lynda.kemp@nhs.netTAKE A HIKE!Infrastructure Services isdoing its HealthyWorking Lives as awhole department,bringing together roads,economic development,environmental andconsumer protection,planning and transport.Recently, a group fromthe Roads Division andsome friends (15 in total)Tracy on a high!mustered at Glen Doll car park toundertake some light exercise.On Sunday 22 May 2010, atapproximately 0900 in glorioussunshine, the group set off, followingthe South Esk around the glen,passing Moulzie Craig, following thewell-worn track to the waterfall atBachnagairn. Onward and upward,the group continued up the zigzagpath, to reach their goal - thesummit of Broad Cairn.The spectacular views from the top made for a wonderful dayout in the wild open country. After a short break, it was back to the car parkand onto the Clova Hotel for some liquid refreshment.We managed a distance of approximately 20 kilometres and a climb of998 metres – we all agreed that it was a good exercise and can’t wait for thenext walk in June!Congratulations, too, to Tracy Milne who bagged her first Munro, and wasa complete novice to this form of exercise.This was such a success, we’re planningmore walks over the summer, in June(arranged for 19 June , from Glen Doll toMayar), July and August – if you work inInfrastructure Services and would like tojoin in, please contact me for more details.Steve HuntInfrastructure ServicesHuntSM@angus.gov.ukRace for Life at OrchardbankQuite a few colleagues at the Angus Council Orchardbank campus inForfar took part in various Race for Life activities in June. To boost their fundraisingefforts for breast cancer research, as part of our own Healthy WorkingLives activities, staff across the Orchardbank site took part in a lunchtimewalk around Forfar Loch on Wednesday 16 June and a coffee break in the carpark on Friday June 18. Over 60 took part in the walk – here we are at thestart point! We raised over £380 across both events and sponsorship.4If you have news or photos about Healthy Working Lives or any other health improvement activity for this newsletter, please send them to Julie Bellby email to BellJA@angus.gov.uk The deadline for our next issue is Friday September 24 2010.