Volunteers needed to help build bridges

of care at home for adults over the age of 65, too many people spending long periods of time in care homes, and a lack of technology to allow people to live independently at home for longer, such as community alarms.

The report also highlighted a lack of strategic leadership and a disconnect between senior managers and staff in the wider partnership.

It added: “Staff worked in a collaborative way but expressed a desire to progress to an integrated workforce, and frustration at the delay in this.

“As a consequence of the aligned, rather than integrated structure, there were a number of different clinical and care governance and management groups.

“This contributed to a lack of clarity about the role of the groups, duplication of work, a lack of communication between groups and inefficient use of senior staff time.”

In terms of its finance, the integrated joint board was criticised for not detailing how money spent had contributed to achieving health and wellbeing outcomes, and contained A charity offering activities and support for people with learning difficulties in the Crieff area is on the look out for more volunteers.

Strathearn Building Bridges looks to give those with learning difficulties a better quality of life.

However, more volunteers are needed to help the group run smoothly.

A spokesperson for Strathearn Building Bridges said: “A registered Scottish charity since 2013, we’ve recently become a Scottish Charitable “no information about budgets or expenditure at locality level”.

The partnership added there is a new management team, who are keen to make improvements.

Robbie Pearson, chief executive of Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said: “Inspectors found that the partnership had not made progress against all of its strategic priorities between 2016 and 2019.

“Workforce planning and complex care were not given sufficient attention and the partnership had not been realistic about its capacity to implement its plans.”

However, the partnership was praised for reducing levels of bed blocking in hospital, and the report said in other areas of business it was performing above average.

Perth and Kinross’ population of over 75s is expected to increase by 33 per cent between 2016 and 2026, meaning there is expected to be a surge in those living with dementia and other long-term conditions.

The report praised the partnership for reducing levels of bed blocking, especially among those over the age Incorporated Organisation, which is enabling us to extend the bridges we’re building into a better quality of life for people with learning and other disabilities and their parents and carers.

“Our aims are to enhance integration, reduce isolation and raise community awareness.

“We organise and support a range of sport, leisure and social activities most weekday evenings for our members in the Crieff and Strathearn area.

“Other events include barbecues, craft of 75, from a previous historic high, however it added it is “too soon to ascertain if this reduction will be sustainable”.

Gordon Paterson, who heads up the Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “The inspection findings reflect the health and social care partnership’s internal self-evaluation, which indicated the need to improve on strategic planning and performance reporting and to develop a more integrated organisational structure.

“The health and social care partnership is committed to achieving the necessary improvements and is already taking significant action on this.

“The report highlights many areas of good practice and recognises the quality of our staff and the excellence of the care we deliver across the people and communities served by the health and social care partnership.”

He added there had been a “significant change” to the leadership team, with his appointment and new chief executives. workshops, discos, bowling and trips away.

“Above all we rely on the support of a brilliant team of local volunteers.

“We’re looking for more volunteers willing to give a couple of hours at least once a month to support members within groups, be a great role model, keep members safe and have fun.”

Those interested in volunteering are asked to email building-bridges@hotmail.com to get an application form.