Highland, Scotland

Partner organisation: Centre for Rural Health, University of the Highlands and Islands (formerly UHI Millennium Institute)

contact details

For details of the Highland Steering Group click HERE

Summary of Activity

O4O is working with four Highland communities to establish services to help older people. These communities are:

• Ardersier
• Assynt
• Tongue
• South West Ross

Research is also being carried out to monitor the impact of O4Os on individuals, communities and statutory service providers.

Case Study now available - click HERE to view.

Communities

Ardersier

O4O has two streams of work in Ardersier which are inter-related. The first is an oral history DVD project. A video camera and editing equipment were purchased by the Community Council with support from local Councillors’ Ward Discretionary Budget. Approximately 20 interviews have been filmed and footage is being edited by a volunteer to produce DVDs.

Follow this link for more details of the Ardersier Heritage DVD Project.

The second strand of work is around using a social enterprise model to develop community assets to provide services for the community. The community has set up a company called ARDCO. A number of ideas for development will be scrutinized in terms of demand and feasibility, including a heritage centre which would link with the work of the DVD project. For more information CLICK HERE.

Assynt

An event was held in March 2009 where architects worked with the community and representatives of housing associations, local community organisations, NHS, Highland Council and others to start to explore options for supported homes for older people. The event took place as part of the O4O media launch - click HERE for further information.

Initially, the work in Assynt involved an investigation into different models of supported accommodation and research into the views of older people about where they would want to move to, if and when they were no longer able to live in their current home. However, as a result of uncertainty about the future of service provision at the Assynt Centre, O4O has supported the community to look at options for community run services. Social Enterprise training was provided in October and November 2009 by the Social Enterprise Academy. Recently the local authority indicated that the Assynt Centre may be closed but have agreed to support the community to develop a new type of service.
 

Tongue

The community’s priority for service development to help older people was community transport and a service called T4T - Transport for Tongue, Melness & Skerray - has been set up. Applications for funding were made by the community group supported by O4O, and T4T has successfully obtained a Highland Council Community Transport grant. The need for transport in the area was increased by the withdrawal of the post bus service.

T4T has three strands. The first is an informal service putting together those who need a lift with those who can give a lift. The second strand of the scheme is a community car scheme which is a more formal way of using volunteers to provide transport. Volunteers can claim expenses and users of the scheme pay fares. The third strand of T4T is to look at transport needs within and around the community and to investigate sustainable ways of providing transport services.

T4T has benefited from advice from Sheila Fletcher from the Community Transport Association and has had advice from Highland Council and HISEZ.
 

South West Ross

O4O work in South West Ross is currently under review.

Research

Questionnaire

At the beginning of 2009 the O4O questionnaire was sent to nearly 2500 people aged 55 and over asking about aspects of health and community participation. A response rate was 58% indicating high interest in the research. The survey indicates that:

• 87.7% of respondents said they had done a favour for a neighbour in the past 6 months
• 85.6% had received a favour from a neighbour in the past 6 months
• 13.4% provided unpaid personal care to someone
• 49.9% would be willing to use their skills further to help other people in their community and 38.9% indicating that it depends on circumstances
• 82.1% think that their community is a place where neighbours look out for each other
• 79.9% of respondents strongly agree or agree that working together people in your neighbourhood can influence decisions that affect the area
• 33% have taken part in a community project within the last three years
• 24.3 % have organised a new service in a community.

Further data analysis revealed that there are a number of factors that relate to people’s participation indicating its relation with self assessed health, age, access to a vehicle and a level of education. The data shows that:

• As self-reported health status declines the proportion of people participating also decreases (there is a gradient)
• As age increases, participation decreases
• Those with access to a vehicle are more likely to participate
• Those with professional qualifications and university degree are the most likely to participate

At the time of conducting survey, 33.6% of respondents were aware of O4O.

The O4O survey will be sent again in 2010 to evaluate and measure the impact of the O4O project. Moreover, it will measure any changes that have occurred over the time of the O4O project.

Interviews will soon be held in communities to assess the impact of participation in volunteering to help older people - and receiving services - on health and community members' helping each other. Data on services provided by NHS and Council for older people in rural communities and service costs are being gathered.

Community Interviews

In July/August 2009 26 interviews were conducted in the four communities with people aged over 55, who were involved in their local O4O projects. At least 6 interviewees were chosen from each community – two who were involved from the start, two who got involved and two potential users of the proposed service. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed. The transcriptions are currently being analysed and results will be available later in the year. The purpose of the interviews was to assess the progress and impact of each project in its community and to record the experiences and views of both participants and those who might benefit from the future service. The questions covered areas such as: what the community is like for older people, whether their project was needed, what impact has it had on the community, what benefits might be seen in the future and how people felt about having an active role in the community.

Links

For websites giving further information on the areas covered by O4O Highlands, click HERE.

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