Click on the links to view. They should either appear in a new browser tab, or download as a PDF file into your Downloads folder
Message Received Wednesday 24th February
This message concerns voting in the Scottish Parliamentary elections of May 6th 2021 specifically in respect of the parents and guardians of under-16s on the Shielding List. See below for the corresponding letter for over 16s
IMPORTANT: PERSONAL
Your Community Health Index (CHI) number: [CHI NUMBER]
Information for parents and guardians
of under-16s on the shielding list
Voting safely in the Scottish Parliament election – 6 May 2021
If you are the person named at the top of this letter, please show it to your parent or guardian. This information is for them, as people have to be 16 or over to vote in the Scottish Parliament election.
Dear Parent or Guardian,
I’m writing to you about ways you and the other adults in your household can vote safely in the Scottish Parliament election on Thursday 6 May 2021. As you live with someone aged under 16 on the shielding list, the people in your household may wish to vote by post, or by asking someone you trust to vote on your behalf (a ‘proxy vote’). This is so that you can avoid a busy indoor space, such as a polling station, and reduce your risk of catching coronavirus (COVID-19). You might also want to discuss this advice with any other people you live with, so that they can help reduce your household’s risk by choosing to vote from home as well.
Apply early if you want a postal or proxy vote
Anyone who is registered to vote can apply for a postal vote or a proxy vote. I have enclosed information from the Electoral Commission which tells you how to apply. If you choose to vote by post, please make sure you post your application to your local Electoral Registration Office well before the deadline of 5pm on 6 April 2021 to make sure it arrives in time. Applications for proxy votes must be submitted by 5pm on 27 April 2021.
Current advice for people on the shielding list
At the moment, I am advising everyone on the shielding list to keep following the advice I sent in my previous letter. This includes my advice that they should not go into work or school if they live, work or attend school in a lockdown area.
Yours sincerely,
DR GREGOR SMITH
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
XX February 2021
IMPORTANT: PERSONAL
Your Community Health Index (CHI) number: [CHI NUMBER]
Voting safely in the Scottish Parliament election – 6 May 2021
Dear Patient,
I’m writing to you about ways you and the other people in your household can vote safely in the Scottish Parliament election on Thursday 6 May 2021. As someone on the shielding list, I would encourage you to vote by post, or by asking someone you trust to vote on your behalf (a ‘proxy vote’). This is so that you can avoid a busy indoor space, such as a polling station, and reduce your risk of catching coronavirus (COVID-19). You might also want to discuss this advice with any other people you live with, so that they can help reduce your risk by choosing to vote from home as well.
Apply early if you want a postal or proxy vote
Anyone who is registered to vote can apply for a postal vote or a proxy vote. I have enclosed information from the Electoral Commission which tells you how to apply. If you choose to vote by post, please make sure you post your application to your local Electoral Registration Office well before the deadline of 5pm on 6 April 2021 to make sure it arrives in time. Applications for proxy votes must be submitted by 5pm on 27 April 2021.
Current advice for people on the shielding list
At the moment, I am advising everyone on the shielding list, whether or not you’ve had the vaccine, to keep following the advice I sent you in my previous letter. This includes my advice that you should not go into work if you live or work in a lockdown area, even if you’ve had the vaccine. I will let you know if this advice changes as we learn more about the impact of the vaccination.
With this in mind, you may feel safer voting from home.
Yours sincerely,
DR GREGOR SMITH
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
Information from CAB for your attention and dissemination
There are a few emergency options available for Electric meter top ups, to get funds to top-up your meter the physical aspect of someone going into a person’s home to load the card or key on to the meter is an issue if they don’t have a friend, neighbour or family member to help.
Options for people with no money to top-up their pre-payment meter:
· The householder should contact their Utility company to see if they can help.
· They could apply to Scottish Borders Council for a crisis grant – if eligible.
· If Scottish Power customers CAB ( not sure who else) can apply to The Scottish Power Hardship Voucher Scheme. £30 in summer and £49 in winter on their behalf.
· The Scottish Government has allocated £444,500 to the Fuel Bank Foundation for emergency top-up credits to help tackle fuel poverty. Applic1ation is made through Home Energy Scotland.
· Again CAB can help with that. I have been told that any award will be available within a few hours after referral.
I have attached a referral form for any organisation wanting to refer someone to us for any help. This covers all the Border CABx. Just email the CAB nearest to where the person lives.
Central Borders covers Galashiels and all around. ( Stow, Lauder, Earlston, St. Boswalls, Newtown, Selkirk and Clovenfords)
Best wishes
Kathryn Peden Manager Central Borders Citizens Advice Bureau
111 High Street Galashiels TD1 1RZ 01896 753889
KathrynPeden@centralborderscab.casonline.org.uk
The referral form can be downloaded in PDF format from:
http://carlops.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/general-form-for-referrals-to-CABx.pdf
COVID-19 Vaccination Programme Update
Over 23,000 people have received their first dose of the Covid vaccine in the Borders so far.
All people aged 80 and over on our lists have now been offered a vaccination.
In line with the national rollout plan in Scotland Wave 2 commenced on 1 February. Our teams are aiming to offer the vaccination to the 24,000 people who are eligible in wave 2 by the 15th of February.
In the Borders vaccinations for Wave 2 is being delivered in GP Practices and some community venues. People who are eligible will be contacted to book their appointment. You will be advised which venue you will receive your vaccination at when you are contacted to book your appointment. Please do not contact your practice or our booking hub direct unless you receive personal correspondence inviting you to do so.If you are advised to contact your practice or our booking hub please be patient when trying to get through, someone will be with you as soon as possible.
Wave 3 will commence mid-February and will run to early May. The following groups will be eligible as part of this wave:
o all individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
o Unpaid carers, including all adult carers and young carers aged 16 to 18
o all those 60 years of age and over
o all those 55 years of age and over
o all those 50 years of age and over
NHS Borders will be delivering vaccinations in Wave 3 at the following venues in the Borders:
o Queen’s Leisure Centre – Galashiels
o Gytes Leisure Centre – Peebles
o Hawick Town Hall – Hawick
o Eyemouth Community Centre – Eyemouth
o Springwood Park – Kelso
We have worked with Scottish Borders Council to select these venues based on population size and demographic to ensure that those eligible are able to access their appointment when it is their turn.
Appointments for Wave 3 will be allocated and sent to those eligible by letter. Further details will follow in due course.
Nicky Berry, Director of Nursing and Operations said: “We are working incredibly hard to vaccinate as many people who are eligible in Wave 2 as quickly as possible and also administer second doses to those from Wave 1 in line with the national rollout plan. In addition, our team are preparing for Wave 3 which will commence in the coming weeks. This is a huge undertaking with extremely challenging timescales and we therefore ask the public to remain patient. It is important that people are aware that there will be variation throughout the Borders as practices and venues receive vaccine supplies and administer them to their local community.
“I would like to thank our staff and GP colleagues for their continued dedication and hard work to deliver the vaccination programme. I would also like to thank Scottish Borders Council and Live Borders for their support in providing venues in the community and also to Live Borders staff who are helping in these community venues welcoming and assisting people when they arrive for their vaccination.”
Up to date information about our vaccination programme is available on our website: http://www.nhsborders.scot.nhs.uk/covid-19-vaccination
January 6th 2020
There are three new messages from Scottish Borders regarding the new lockdown. Click on the links, and the PDF documents will either appear in a new tab or in your Downloads folder
Covid-19 – Shielding – Lockdown CMO letter for children FINAL 5 Jan 2021
Covid-19 – Shielding – Lockdown fit note for adults FINAL 5 January 2021
Covid-19-Shielding- LA Engagement- Lockdown Level 4 – QA Jan 2021
December 17th 2020
Message received from Margaret Smail (Communities Assistance Hub) Thursday 17th December:
There is a new British Red Cross calendar of activities for older people. Click here for details
Tweeddale Learning Community Partnership Bulletin December 2020 – Click here for details
December 4th 2020
Message received from Margaret Smail (Communities Assistance Hub) Friday 4th December following online meeting with Community representatives:
CAH holiday hours: 21st December – 24th December (3pm) as normal
25th-28th December public holidays. Any emergency requests will be dealt with by Social Work Emergency Duty Team
29th– 31st December(3pm) as normal
1st January – 4th January public holidays. Any emergency requests will be dealt with by Social Work Emergency Duty Team
5th January business as usual.
Everyone indicated that there would be volunteer cover over the holiday period. On current trend things remain quiet but we may see referrals coming through the Test &Protect welfare calls to people self isolating. Please let me know if there is no volunteer cover in your community.
Margaret agreed to send out link to Scottish Government Dashboard to get the latest Corona virus figures (updated every day at 2pm)
It is an ever evolving picture but figures for Covid remain low in the Borders and across Scotland there is a reduction in numbers at present. Scottish Borders remains in Tier 2
The first Covid vaccinations in the Borders are due to be given to First Responders and emergency NHS staff at the BGH on Tuesday 8th December
Margaret has some supermarket cards to be used to support those most in need with food shopping. Please get in touch with me if have any individuals or families in your communities who would benefit from these.
There were some great examples given of work going on during this time in local communities as well as activities etc. planned for the festive period. I have attached a form from the Food Foundation as a template . I would be grateful if you could very briefly give details of what is going on in your own community which I will share with you all.
Margaret will continue to send out regular updates.
It was agreed that a monthly meeting would be useful. Margaret to send out a Teams meeting request for the 2nd Thursday of every month (once I work out how to do it!)
Public Health Updateable Dashboard:
http://carlops.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Public-Health-Scotland-Dashboard-QA-002.pdf
Update 4/12/20: http://carlops.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/RC-2020-Update-1.pdf
November 2020
Message received 18-11-2020 includes Borders-wide information about the following:
- Turas (Gaelic singing group) events
- Play #yourpart by helping SBC to shape budget plans:
- Citizen Rights Scotland: new EU settlement Scheme
- Children’s Parliament final report from national wellbeing survey for 8 to 14 year olds
- Drink Wise Age Well Programme
Click the following link to view or download the PDF:
——————————————————————————————————–
30th October. The following documents relate to a single letter received from SBC. Click on the link to download as a PDF file
http://carlops.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/VitaminD-and-General-Health-Advice.pdf
Guidance related to the 5 Levels of Covid-19 protection:
http://carlops.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Protection_Levels.pdf
Shielding: http://carlops.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Shielding.pdf
For the entire letter click the following link:
http://carlops.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Shielding_-Health_and_Wellbeing-_Protection_Levels.pdf
October 2020 The Warm and Well Initiative
Warm-and-Well-Borders-Project-Briefing.pdf
Warm and Well Borders will target vulnerable groups specifically through health and social care partnerships, to provide support and advocacy, and to tackle fuel poverty. Project officers will broaden referral pathways working cooperatively with the local voluntary sector, social housing providers, and community health and social care practitioners to extend the reach of the project and share project results. Warm and Well Borders will be delivered through a partnership between Scottish Borders Council, Changeworks, three local Citizens Advice Bureaux, Home Energy Scotland, health and social care teams and community health organisations.
Home Energy Scotland (