In a visit to Stornoway, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care met children and family services to hear about their vital work and positive role in the local community.
Mr Neil Gray attended two services delivered by Action for Children, including a schools wellbeing service, and a perinatal and infant mental health service.
The visit offered a chance to meet with staff, children and families to hear the impact of the services on their lives such as helping maintain positive family relations and reducing negative mental health.
At the Nicolson Institute, he met with Action for Children’s Eilean Siar Wellbeing Service, funded via Community Mental Health funds, which offers early intervention mental health and wellbeing support to secondary school pupils in the region.
The Children and Young Persons Planning Partnership has responsibility for the allocation of these funds, based on assessed local service need.
Founded in April 2022 the service works in The Nicolson Institute in Stornoway, Sir E Scott in Harris, Lionacleit School in Uist and Castlebay Community School in Barra, and supporting around 60 young people each year.
Later the MSP for Airdrie and Shotts met with the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Service – known as ‘Blueprints’ locally – which supports mums, dads and families through mental health difficulties, anxieties and depression from pregnancy up to when a child is three years old.
Established in January 2021, the service – funded by Inspiring Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government –quickly became vital during the covid pandemic when there was a heightened need to help maintain strong family relationships, and received referrals from health visitors, community nursing teams and social workers, as well as some self-referrals.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said:
“I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet with staff at Action for Children in the Western Isles, and to find out more about the support they provide through the Blueprints Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Service and the Eilean Siar Wellbeing Service.
“The Blueprints Service is an example of how the third sector plays a key role in helping families access support from pregnancy to early years.
“Action for Children’s Wellbeing Service for secondary school pupils is one of more than 300 community-based supports focused on prevention and early intervention and funded by the Scottish Government.
“Services like these play a significant role in supporting the mental health of our children, young people and families, making sure they can get the help they need when and where they need it.”
Jack Libby, Chief Social Work Officer, said:
“Projects such as those delivered by Action for Children are part of a suite of interventions designed to provide vulnerable children and young people with the earliest and best possible support, with the desired outcome being that children and young people have increased coping strategies, providing them with greater resilience as they transition into adulthood.
“The funding from the Scottish Government has made these programmes possible and as a Children’s Services Partnership, we are most grateful for such funds being available.
“It is important that all levels of government understand the unique complexities of delivering children’s services in an island setting.
“I am glad that Mr Gray was able to see firsthand the strong partnership working carried out in the Western Isles and I hope that this visit will help inform future discussions and policy decisions.”
Joining the visit, Fiona Steel – national director for Scotland at Action for Children, said:
“The visit is a welcome opportunity to showcase our work and its positive impact on children and families, as well as highlight the importance of partnership working in the region.
“It’s great to join the Cabinet Secretary visiting an island community, where we know rural communities often have unique challenges in accessing support services.
“Through our school mental health service, we’re proud to deliver early intervention mental health support to help reduce more serious issues later in life and take pressure off other local services.
“In addition to mental health support, Action for Children delivers a range of services in the Western Isles including short breaks and long-term residential care, drug or alcohol support and many more, so our team’s varied expertise is a huge benefit when helping families access the right support.”
