VSA Annual Report... · VSA’S VISION IS TO BUILD A STRONG AND CARING COMMUNITY. 1in 10 children...

Suppporting vulnerable people in Aberdeen 24/7, 365 days a year.

ANNUAL REPORT 2016

VSA

VSA’S VISION IS TO BUILD A STRONG AND CARING COMMUNITY.

1in 10 children aged 5 to 16 have a clinically diagnosed mental health disorder.

16,000 school children and young people in Scotland have a Learning Disability.

older adults require some kind of care whether in their own home, a care home or long term hospital care; the demand for services is ever increasing.900,000

1/3 of the 100,000 ‘avoidable deaths’ amongst under 75’s in the UK involve someone with a mental health disorder.

2,240 children have been identified in a caring role in Aberdeen city.

With hundreds of staff, hundreds of volunteers and valuable support from the local community; VSA’s services touch

the lives of thousands of the most vulnerable local people every year.

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WELCOME 04/07

Lady Joan Catto, Chair / Dr Kenneth Simpson, Chief Executive, VSAFinance and Trustee info

TRUSTEES’ REPORT

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES 08/11

Nursery, Family Support and Parenting Assessment

ADULT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES 12/19

Learning Disability, Older People and Mental Health

EDUCATION AND LEARNING 20/25

Linn Moor Campus

CARERS AND SUPPORT PEOPLE 26/31

Young Carers & Adult Carers

WORKING TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE THE BEST OF LIVES 32/37

Fundraising and Engagement

SUMMARY INCOME & EXPENDITURE 2015-2016 38

THANKS TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS

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CONTENTS

WELCOME FROM THE CHAIR Lady Joan Catto, MBE

The VSA Ball has been running for over a decade and in the last 6 years has raised in excess of £600,000, thanks to our most generous sponsors, supporters, organisers and attendees.

My thanks go to all of you for your commitment and determination in providing the best of care for the individuals we support.

We must also celebrate the excellent work of our services; throughout 2015/16 we have again received some of the highest possible grades from the Care Inspectorate, who have recognised excellence in many areas of our service delivery.

The investment, commitment and hard work required in achieving and maintaining these grades are a brilliant example of our strategy made real.

As always, a sincere thank you must go to all our supporters and donors for enabling us to continue our mission to provide the best of care for the people we support. Two friends of VSA deserve special mention.

Our honorary President, Fiona Kennedy, brings her talent and enthusiasm to enjoyable fundraising events for VSA. Her “Nae Ordinary Burns’ Supper” is now a regular and much enjoyed feature of the local

social calendar, while “Sing Sing Sing” choir competition brought VSA to a new and enthusiastic audience and group of participants.

A sincere thank you must also go to Garreth Wood who has been a valued contributor to our work over a number of years. In 2010, Garreth made a long-term commitment to support VSA by becoming the main sponsor of our annual ball for a three-year period.

We were delighted that he decided to extend this partnership and now after 6 years of welcome support and generosity from Garreth and the Speratus Group, the VSA Ball has raised in excess of £600,000. Our annual ball continues to go from strength to strength.

This year’s colourful Bollywood Ball enticed guests of all ages to join in the fun, embracing this glamorous theme. An impressive £100,000 was raised on the night, supporting the development of our mental health services and vulnerable people on their journey of recovery.

The last twelve months have been particularly busy and eventful, yet rewarding for VSA. I am, as always, very proud of our hard working staff and volunteers, whose passion to deliver exceptional care continues.

We could not have done this without the support of all our guests, sponsors and donors.

Through the Wood Family Trust and latterly Speratus’ Boozy Cow venture, VSA has also been fortunate to receive direct support, which has touched the lives of people accessing our Children & Family and Adult & Community Services, enhancing the lives of hundreds of local people. This support has been invaluable and we look forward to new and exciting ventures.

The coming year will inevitably pose a number of significant challenges to VSA in an uncertain political and economic climate. Whatever the future brings, we remain committed to our strong and caring community providing the very best of care for the most vulnerable in our society.

VSA has been in existence, and delivering services to the people of Aberdeen, for in excess of 145 years and we have now grown to become the largest city based social care charity in the United Kingdom. The longevity and growth of the charity is a remarkable story of success and has been achieved through our dedication to volunteering, development of professional staff, partnership working, the wise use of resources and investment in strong systems of administration.

Key to the endurance and accomplishments of the organisation has been the ability to respond and adapt to changes in the external environment and the willingness of staff, volunteers, managers and Trustees to ensure that VSA is at the forefront of change, addressing gaps in the provision of care and offering practical help to those who are marginalised by society. All of this flows from a charity built upon strong values and principles, which has married good stewardship with quality, enabling services to be provided on a sustainable basis and people to be supported with consideration, respect and humanity. Although there is a great

degree of uncertainty in the wider economic and political environments, our sound financial management will provide a strong platform to continue to meet the needs of our community.

Over the past 10 years VSA has embarked on an incredible journey to ensure the people of Aberdeen receive the best of care in a meaningful and appropriate way for their situation. Our commitment to this, means we have adapted and changed in response to external factors and have remodelled service management and corporate support in order to plan, provide and monitor high quality service delivery, and to ensure that support systems are modern and effective. Change has been continuous, enabling us to be innovative in responding to service demands, particularly during a long period of economic instability.

If VSA is to continue to flourish for the next 150 years, this journey must continue. It is essential that we continue to review external and internal situations and capabilities, and to plan and adapt to the changing needs of people in Aberdeen and the NorthEast of Scotland.

In order to survive, thrive and offer secure and sustainable services, VSA must continue as a leading provider of Adult Services, Children & Family Services and Life Long Learning opportunities, expanding its reach across Aberdeen City.

We cannot do this on our own. We need the continued support of local authorities who refer people to our valued services, and also the support of hundreds of firms, individuals and groups across the city and shire as well as Trusts and other organisations to help us raise the funds that we need – nearly £17 million every year – to ensure that we can continue to provide the best possible services to the most vulnerable people in our local communities, offering them the opportunity to live the ‘best of lives’.

WELCOME DR Kenneth Simpson, VSA Chief Executive

VSA has been in existence, and delivering services to the people of Aberdeen. We have grown to become the largest city based social care charity in the United Kingdom.

As Chief Executive of VSA, I’m delighted to be able to head up a team of dedicated staff and volunteers who provide services to thousands of our most vulnerable people.

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VSA

14 5 yrs

FINANCE AND TRUSTEE INFO

Reference and administrative details

Charity Name Aberdeen Association of Social Service

Operating Name -VSA

Charity Registration Number SC 012950

Company Registration numberSC 018487

Registered office and Principal office 38 Castle Street, Aberdeen, AB11 5YU

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2016The Trustees are pleased to present their Trustee report together with the audited financial statements for the year to 31 March 2016.

Directors and Trustees 2015 - 2016The directors of Aberdeen Association of Social Service (the charity) are its Trustees for the purpose of charity law and throughout this Trustee report are collectively referred to as the Trustees.

The Trustees of Aberdeen Association of Social Service who were in office during the year and up to the date of signing the Financial Statements were:

Lady J Catto, MBE Chair Mrs. A Hunter Vice-ChairMr. N E Harper Treasurer Mr. A F Gall Mrs. C Inglis Elected as a Trustee at AGM 2015Mr. C D CampbellDr. D McMurray Resigned November 2015 Mr. F DalgarnoMr. H Ouston Elected as a Trustee at AGM 2015Mrs. J Lishman Ms. K BeveridgeMrs. K Sinclair Elected as a Trustee at AGM 2015Mr. S SmithDr. K Simpson Company Secretary

PatronHer Majesty the Queen

Honorary President Dr. Fiona Kennedy Clark OBE, DL

President The Lord Provost of AberdeenCouncillor George Adam

Vice Presidents Mr James Stevenson, Mrs Maggie Wilson

Chair of the Board of Trustees Lady Joan Catto, MBE

Vice Chair Mrs Alex Hunter

Treasurer Mr Neil Harper

Chief Executive/Company Secretary Dr Kenneth Simpson

Honorary Law Agent Burness Paul LLP

External Auditors RSM UK Audit LLP

Aberdeen Association of Social ServiceOperating as VSA

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24/7 VSA staff and volunteers work 24/7 to provide the ‘Best of Care’ so that local people can live the ‘Best of Lives’.

Read some of the stories from 2015 of how VSA has impacted the lives of thousands of local people.

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16,000 school children and young people in Scotland have a Learning Disability.

Richmondhill House Family Service

Richmondhill House, which is registered with the Care Inspectorate

(CS200300161), offers families support with parenting skills and personal

development, while undergoing a parenting assessment. Richmondhill has

continued to focus on improving outcomes for children and promoting

healthy relationships between parents and baby/child through a

programme of attachment led practice.

Delivering Service Improvement

Our Children and Family team has developed a bespoke assessment and

outcomes tools-asset, based on building community capacity, which has

provided an accessible and flexible service for families.

Innovating Service Delivery: Involvement in Public Social

Partnership (PSP) - Building Blocks

A successful early year’s support service has been set up at Richmondhill

through the Aberdeen Family Public Social Partnership. With opportunities

for staff to learn about alternative service delivery models through the

PSP process.

Maisie Munro Children’s Centre

Our Nursery at the Maisie Munro Children’s Centre in the West End of

the city promotes inclusion for children with additional support needs

and their peers in a small and nurturing environment. We recognise the

importance of giving every child the best start in life and supporting

parents to achieve this.

"The safety and wellbeing of the child is paramount, and careful consideration is given to each family in order to determine the most appropriate, and the least restrictive, means of assessment necessary in order to provide a comprehensive assessment whilst ensuring the safety of the child."

Family Support Worker,

Richmondhill House

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES Nursery, Family Support and Parenting Assessment

25% of our pre-school nursery places are available for children with additional support needs.

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VSA

TRUSTEES' REPORT

Debbie and Martin were referred

to VSA’s Family Services team due

to a related child protection issue

identified through their Scottish

local authority social work team.

The Smith family, which included their

twins Kaitlin and Kyle were referred

to Richmondhill House Family Service

for a 12 week family assessment.

The overall aim of this child centred

service is to provide a balanced,

asset based assessment of parenting

ability, capacity and risks, which is

underpinned by the need to make

informed decisions relating to the

long term outcomes for the children.

During the Smith’s time at

Richmondhill, child protection,

enhancement of parenting skills and

support for Debbie and Martin to

sustain family life in the community

was key, along with ensuring social

inclusion when they returned to the

community they live. During their

12 weeks living in Richmondhill

House, Debbie and Martin were

offered a supportive and nurturing

environment, in which they built their

knowledge in relation to child care

skills and the development needs of

Kyle and Kaitlin. At the end of the

assessment period, Richmondhill

staff provided a comprehensive

report on the Parenting Capacity and

Risk Assessment to the referring

Social Worker.

After a successful placement, it

was recommended that Debbie

and Martin maintain care of their

twins, which has kept the family unit

together. The Richmondhill team

are now supporting Debbie and

Martin with the transition back into

community life, which is the next

stage in the Smith family journey.

CASE STUDYThe Smith Family Story (names have been changed

for confidentiality)

Debbie and her partner Martin were struggling to keep their family together, as first time parents they had no experience of parenting and neither of them had come from a background of a secure and stable family environment.

"We are delighted that Debbie and Martin have now made a successful transition back into their family home with their children.

Our family support team are still working with them on an outreach basis and are delighted at the progress they are making."

Family Support Worker,

Richmondhill House

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Maisie Munro Children’s Centre / continued

VSA’s Maisie Munro nursery actively integrates children with additional

support needs and their mainstream peers, we feel this is important for

all the children as they develop and grow alongside each other. We provide

a play based curriculum that builds on the child’s previous experiences

to promote future learning developments so that children become

successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and

effective contributors.

In 2015 we have promoted inclusion of children with additional support

needs (ASN), by making 25% of our pre-school places available to children

with ASN. We have also set up a small service user participation group

established within Children and Family Services.

23 'Families' The Contact Centre at Maisie Munro, provides early intervention to support families and allows children to have contact with their non-resident parent in a relaxed and nurturing environment.

In the past year the Centre has received and facilitated contact for 23 families.

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES Nursery, Family Support and Parenting Assessment

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26,000 Adults in Scotland have Learning Disabilities and need support.

"We do not see disabilities as a barrier, and always find ways to ensure the tenants enjoy the rights and responsibility of citizens and live ordinary lives."

Craigton Grove Manager

Providing the best of care, while promoting independent living

and social integration

Our services strive to provide the best of care by ensuring the individuals

accessing them have every opportunity to live the best of lives. Our

approach is always needs-led by placing the individual at the centre of

what we do, assisting them in having every opportunity to lead fulfilling

and meaningful lives.

Our Adult and Community Services fall under three main areas:

Services for individuals with a learning disability

Services for older people

Mental wellbeing services

Learning Disability

VSA recognise that everyone with a Learning Disability is an

individual. Different people will have different areas in their lives that

may require support.

Craigton Grove and Easter Anguston Farm

Craigton Grove and Easter Anguston Farm, are VSA’s two services which

support Adults with additional support needs. Easter Anguston Farm is a

working Farm near Peterculter, which offers vocational training for adults

with additional support needs. Service users gain life skills along with skills

in animal husbandry, horticulture, agriculture, catering and retail. This year’s

Strawberry Fayre was held on the 18th of June and was a great success,

giving the trainees a chance to put their skills into practice in the Café

serving customers, explaining to the public about the different types of

animals and selling plants and produce in the retail shop.

ADULT & COMMUNITY SERVICESLearning Disability, Older People and Mental Health

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VSA

TRUSTEES' REPORT

David is a tenant at VSA’s Craigton Grove, his football journey began on the 6th February 2015 when he attended his first football session at Sheddocksley Sports Centre, which is run by Sports Aberdeen and coached by Aberdeen Football Club Community Trust Coaches.

The sessions ran for a nine week trial period and were so successful in gaining regular numbers of individuals to attend, that they now run every Friday during the school term.

In May 2015 David reached out to his fellow footballers who attend the football sessions and their support workers and families, and while working closely with his Co-worker, a fellow footballer Bobby and his support worker, they began making arrangements to hold David’s first 5 a side football tournament.

"I wanted to start my own football team, so one day I can join a proper football team like Manchester United or Liverpool. My first football tournament was good, but I was aware myself and my team had to try harder in the next one, so we could win. At the start of the Marie Curie football tournament we got off to poor start, but we got better and made the semi-final. I know everyone in my team played their best, but it was not our turn to win the trophy, as we missed out on the final by one point."

David McGettigan

CASE STUDYDavid’s Story

‘At the beginning of 2015 David set himself a goal:

"I want to start my own football team, where I am team captain and have my name printed on the back of my football top."

Learning Disability - Craigton Grove

Craigton Grove is a Housing Support/Care at Home Service, which

promotes independent living. Independent living is all about people with

additional support needs having the same choice and control in their lives

as other people. And like David McGettigan’s story, also means having the

right support to fulfil your goals, which has been a big focus of our work

this year.

Applying Scotland’s Learning Disability Strategy

In line with Scotland’s strategy for people with a learning disability, our

services have a focus on the ‘Keys to Life - http://keystolife.info. Integrating

this strategy into our work has been a focus for our team this year, with

very positive outcomes for those we support.

Keys to Life Strategic Outcomes 2015 – 17:

A Healthy Life

People with learning disabilities enjoy the highest attainable standard of Living, Health and Family life.

Choice & Control

People with learning disabilities are treated with dignity and respect, and protected from neglect, exploitation and abuse.

Independence

People with learning disabilities are able to live independently in the community with equal access to all aspects of society.

Active Citizenship

People with learning disabilities are able to participate in all aspects of community and society.

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Older adult services

VSA currently supports over 500 older adults in Aberdeen City with varying

degrees of support needs.

Our services include:

Housing with Support

Day Care Service for Adults with a diagnosis of Dementia

Respite for Carers of Older Adults

Residential Care Homes

Activity Centres for the over 55’s

Older people are an asset to this country and preparing for an increasingly

ageing population is one of the government’s biggest national challenges.

In line with the Government’s Reshaping Care for Older People

Strategy, VSA has been working in Partnership with Scottish Care on

an Enablement Project.

An Enabling approach focuses on what the person can and wants to

do and not on what they are unable to do. A move towards enablement

ensures that we are working in an outcome focused way taking on board

the individual goals and wishes of the people we support.

Enablement should be the care ethos of all services, through co-production

we can work more collaboratively to enable people to continue to socialise

and maintain their independence and quality of life.

Enablement is underpinned by a desired reduction in dependency and aims

to support older adults in regaining/maintaining, self-management skills and

seeing themselves as an asset. The evidence suggests that when using the

‘Enablement Philosophy’ individual outcomes are achieved.

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900,000 Older people receive some kind of care whether in their own home, a care home or in long term hospital care.

PAGE 17

"I have suffered with depression for many years; being diagnosed when I was 15.

Doctors put me on anti-depressants and I was admitted to hospital for

treatment, which they felt best to keep me in a safe environment after

many suicide attempts.

I have been living at St Aubin’s for 5 months now; this has really helped me

get my independent life back and has led me to voluntary work, which has

given me back control of my own life.

I like living at St Aubin’s for many reasons, I have been able to develop my

baking skills, and I have my own Guinea pigs and I also like being around

people that care.

My hope for the future is that I can have my own place and securing work

I may be able to move on with my life.

If I hadn’t come to St Aubin’s and had remained in hospital, I think

I would have gone downhill again. I found that hospital made me feel

more depressed. St Aubin’s has lifted me up, it’s a different environment

and a fresh start for me."

CASE STUDYLayla's Story St Aubin’s resident

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1in 4British adults are diagnosed with at least one mental health problem each year

1in 10 Children aged 5 to 16 have a clinically diagnosed mental health disorder.

450M People are affected by mental health issues worldwide.

1/3Of the 100,000 ‘avoidable deaths’ amongst under 75’s in the UK involve someone with a mental health disorder.

"The service operates to an outreach model of care that is recovery focussed. They are aware of the importance of early signs, monitoring and of ensuring that service users maintain their contacts with health professionals.

Staff were highly motivated and keen to provide a high quality of service meaning that service users could be confident in the skills of the staff they were working with and that staff would be able to support them."

Quote from Care Inspectoratereport 2015

Mental health services

VSA supports over 100 people with a diagnosis of mental illness in

Aberdeen City. Services vary depending on need, from outreach services

delivered in the community, to residential care homes.

All our mental health services focus on supporting recovery and building

resilience of people…..Not just on treating or managing symptoms. The

recovery model aims to support people with mental ill health to set goals

and develop relationships, which will give meaning to their lives.

We recognise that whilst people may not have full control over their

symptoms they can have full control over their lives.

VSA’s Outreach Service was first registered with the Care Inspectorate

in 2015. The first inspection of this service in November 2015 resulted in

grades of 6’s ‘Excellent’ for all quality themes.

A copy of the inspection report can be found on the following website:

www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/care-services

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" It is great to see how taking part in new challenges and experiences helps to build new skills, self-esteem and resilience in each person. Supporting the tenants to make choices in what they do and the pleasure this brings to them is extremely rewarding."

Staff member - Rowanlea

Improving Life Skills with Focussed Learning

VSA provides exceptional outcome driven educational opportunities for

individuals with additional support needs. Our education and learning

services provide individualised and person-centred packages of care and

education that focus on life, academic and vocational skills development.

Linn Moor Campus

Linn Moor Campus has a long history of providing specialist residential care

and education for children and young adults with autism, related conditions

such as social and communication difficulties, and learning disability.

At Linn Moor, we continue to promote the ethos of continued learning in

the context of ‘Living an Ordinary Life’. Some of the children, young people

and adults on the campus live lives that are extraordinary in their ability

to cope with potentially aversive situations. They have developed skills of

tolerance and understanding, which given their difficulties associated with

their diagnosis, would have been seen as unachievable for them previously.

In learning skills that promote a more inclusive lifestyle, they are able to

access experiences and opportunities open to other young people and

adults in society.

During the year we have focused on four main areas that are now central

within our teaching and education programme. We have developed the

Stepping Stones programme with a clear focus on developing life skills

that begins the preparation for adulthood and a life out of school and work

experiences. Life beyond school has been an area which has proved very

problematic for young people who have been supported for many years

by staff with the knowledge and expertise to support complex and varying

needs. When they have moved on from school to a setting where this level

of understanding is not always available, it has been very challenging for

them to settle in adult placements. In promoting communication skills and

independent abilities, we aim to reduce and hopefully eliminate difficulties

that have led to adult placement breakdown.

"Our son has entered adulthood at Rowanlea with an active and fun life, doing all the things he loves with the support and care he needs. As a parent it gives me great peace of mind."

Parent of Rowanlea tenant.

EDUCATION AND LEARNING Linn Moor Campus

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VSA

TRUSTEES' REPORT

CASE STUDYElliot’s Story

Elliot is a young man living in Rowanlea. He is a sociable, engaging young man who enjoys spending time out in the community.

We encourage Elliot to go out into the community with the support he needs to be able to cope with this. He now attends a 7-9pm club on a Thursday, which is a social night out in Aberdeen. Elliot really enjoys all the music and the other people who go to the club and loves being out and about!

Elliot was supported by our staff to go on a holiday with his family. He went to stay in a cottage in Perthshire and he went on outings with his family and his support staff. Elliot loved this holiday and spending time with his family who are really important to him.

"I just wanted to express my heartfelt thanks and praise for the staff at Rowanlea for taking Elliot on holiday. It is a big ask in a demanding job to give up four days, 24/7 away from your own home. It just wouldn’t have happened without them, and wouldn’t have gone so smoothly, but for their lovely and generous personalities. Elliot has truly had a lovely change of scene."

Elliot’s mum

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Education Department

We have refreshed the Outdoor Learning programme with an allotment and

eco garden; on Wednesday’s we learn in the woods around a campfire and

use our outdoor classroom where all children have an opportunity to take

part. This approach highlights children’s personal development in areas

such as social skills, learning to cope in all weathers and learning outdoor

crafts within the woods.

The third programme is working in partnership with a wide range of

community services. This supports children to learn to manage change

through attending external workshops at Camphill and being involved in

community integration at all levels.

The fourth programme is the provision of the SQA Awards for our older

children and adults working in partnership. This had been successful to

date and this year we are delighted that some of our young people have

achieved the first level awards.

Linn Moor has a culture of ‘no barrier is too great to overcome’ and we

continue to raise our aspirational ambitions for everyone we support

through our empowering way of thinking, working and support. This year

the children, young people and adults have had very successful holidays,

outings and events which have allowed families to be involved and

participate. We continue to seek work opportunities and are looking at how

we might best develop our Campus’ adult service, through the introduction

of a ‘job coach’ role to support employment.


Current Position

We are in the position now of having the adult service at Rowanlea full

and for the one vacancy we will have in August in the children’s service,

we have three referrals. It is likely that both adult and children’s services

will be filled in August. Given the current financial climate and the push for

children, young people and adults to be placed in their own local authority,

the fact that we have such a level of interest from across Scotland is

testament to our positive reputation and the continual improvement in the

work we do at the Campus.

We are in the process of introducing a new Head of Care to the Campus,

who comes to us with many years of experience of delivering training and

in leading and developing services for children and adults. We welcome her

insight and look forward to further developing the skills of the staff team.

Fundraising achievements at Linn Moor Campus

This has been a great year for the young people and staff at Linn Moor who

have had fun learning and raising money for extra curriculum activities:

Dylan arranged a ‘Press Ups Challenge’ to raise money to go-karting in

Perth—staff had just as much fun as Dylan doing this !

Parents, families staff and volunteers raised the £10,000 needed to buy

and install our ‘Magic Carpet’. It was chosen by the children and young

people at Linn Moor and has been a huge success.

Leaving school and end of

term barbecue

Joe has come to the end of his school life

and has graduated from Linn Moor. He

has come such a long way to becoming

the confident, achieving and extremely

popular young man he is.

We hope that for Joe, the sky is the limit!

"We would like to thank you for all your

care and expertise working with our son

over the years. We know that he has had

a wonderful education experience with

you all and you will be missed, not just

by him but also by us, his family. From

us, thank you for all your dedication and

support."

Joe’s Parents


Rownalea House - Supporting

Young People with the Transition

to Adult Life

The recently opened Rowanlea

service, situated on the Linn Moor

Campus, has been designed for

young people from the age of 18,

who may have lived in a residential

school like Linn Moor or care setting

and who aspire to have a place of

their own.

At Rowanlea we believe that skilled

transition from school age to

adulthood with a continuing learning

opportunity is fundamental to a rich

and satisfying life. Our supported

living service at Rowanlea enables

young people to take that step

towards independence through

an encouraging, stimulating and

supportive environment, in which

they can enjoy a challenging and

interesting introduction to adult life.

Transition programmes are individual

to each young person, combining life

and social skills learning, with care

and support.

Our goal at Rowanlea is to provide

meaningful life experiences and the

development to individuals using an

‘ordinary life’ approach. We achieve

this by helping the people in our care

to have meaningful days built around

their interests, abilities and routines.

Rowanlea provides a safe, homely

setting for adults in their own

tenancies to be supported to take

care of their home, belongings, the

hens and the garden and of course

to have fun.

The adults make good use of

the local shops, businesses and

community facilities and are well

accepted within the local community.

They enjoy going for a pub lunch and

contribute to the local economy. We

are always looking for ways to further

develop our service to develop

small social enterprises. We have a

workshop in which we have a range

of activities on offer to our tenants,

and this year we have been working

on a log splitting and furniture

restoration projects, providing

meaningful work opportunities

which they are enjoying.

We arrange for individual work

placements and the tenants are

undertaking SQA qualifications in

recognition of their achievements.

The Linn Moor Campus Learning

Centre, will be further developed

with new opportunities for learning

through 2016.

PAGE 25


55 young carers are being supported by VSA this year.

VSA provides support to hundreds of adult and young carers throughout

Aberdeen City and has specialist support for mental illness, including

weekend day care and home support for those suffering from dementia

and for their Carers.

Young Carers

The Young Carers service is currently working with 55 young carers

within the City. According to the Scottish Government it is estimated that

there are 44,000 carers under the age of 18 years in Scotland. Given this

estimate it is clear that there are a large number of unseen young carers in

Aberdeen City. With our population size this could mean as many as 4,400

young carers within the city alone.

We have undertaken some great work with Young Carers this year and a

review and development of the Young Carers Service has been part of our

focus, helping build for the future provision of support requirements for

local Young Carers.

The recent service review involved the current group of 55 service users

and staff and has resulted in a number of positive changes to improve the

service, which include:

Change of venue - we no longer offer a single centrally based service.

Our plan is to move forward to broaden the reach of the service through

working with Young Carers in their local communities.

Time limited support- we are transitioning to universal services and support

for Young Carers when they need additional support in their caring roles.

CARER AND SUPPORT SERVICES Young Carers & Adult Carers

It is estimated that there are currently 2,160 unseen young carers in Aberdeen City.

VSA

TRUSTEES' REPORT

2,240 children have been identified in a caring role in Aberdeen City.

PAGE 27

CASE STUDYCara’s Story (name has been changed for confidentiality)

Cara is a 17 year old who lives at home with her mother and her 10 year old brother.

Her mother has MS and is now dependent on a wheelchair for mobility. In addition to this her brother has an autistic spectrum disorder, which means that Cara has caring responsibilities for them both. Cara is in her 6th year at school and hopes to go on to further education.

Her day starts at 6am when she wakes to start her routine of personal care for her mother, preparing breakfast, keeping laundry and household tasks up to date and ensuring that her brother is up and ready for school. Cara also has additional financial responsibilities within the home that would not be expected for a young person of her age. This is because her mother has spent short spells in hospital due to her illness.

Cara admits that she is often anxious and distracted at school because she worries about her mum falling when she is away from home. School are aware of her caring role and Cara is happy with the communication between her Guidance teacher, her Advisor for the Carers Service and herself, and comments that she finds this reassuring.

Cara has received support from the Young Carers (YC's) Service for a number of years. She enjoys the opportunity to speak with other young people and knowing that she is ‘not alone’.

Cara has also been supported to have short breaks away from some aspects of her caring role and these have been facilitated by the Young Carer (YC's) Service.

"I love spending time with other children my age who are also Carers; we play games, chat about school and its really good to share our experiences. I care for my mum who has MS and there is another boy who cares for his mum too, it’s good

to see I am not alone."

Cara, age 17

"My mother suffers from dementia and we care for her at home with our family. We have two small children and at times it can be challenging to care for mum and still give the attention my children need from their mother. The weekend day care service that VSA provides has been a god send to our family. It has really taken the pressure off and given us some quality time as a family to go out of the house and not worry about mum, who we have confidence is

being well looked after."

Adult Caring for a parent with dementia.PAGE 28

Young Carers / continued

Eligibility criteria- we will no longer offer

the same level of service to all Young

Carers referred to the service. This will

allow us to prioritise service provision

and offer proportionate and timely

support to Young Carers. We will also

quickly identify Young Carers who

meet Social Work thresholds. Although

we currently work with a small number

of 5- 8 year olds, we would not

regard the Young Carers service as

appropriate provision for a child of this

age who has caring responsibilities.

Children under the age of 8 years will

be referred to Social Work.

Assessments and outcomes

framework – has been updated and

underpinned by GIRFEC (Getting

it Right for Every Child), which is

Scotland’s approach to supporting

children and young people. It is

intended as a framework that will

allow organisations who work on

behalf of Scotland’s children and

their families to provide a consistent,

supportive approach for all. All Young

Carers currently involved with the

service will be reviewed using the new

assessment tools. This framework

is on the eight wellbeing indicators

commonly known as SHANARRI –

Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured,

Active, Respected, Responsible and

Included which will be used as a

tool to support Young Carers in their

pathway through the service.

Readiness for Carers (Scotland)

Act 2016

To address the Carers (Scotland)

Act 2016, VSA has taken a personal

outcomes approach to develop a

robust assessment tool based on the

SHANARRI model and additionally

measuring the impact of the caring

role. This will allow us to work

alongside children, YC’s and their

families to develop individual action

plans. We anticipate that this will

support any statutory responsibilities

that may result from the Carers Bill.

Identifying “Hidden Carers”

and supporting communities to

become “Carer aware”

Our Young Carers (YC's) Service has

received a higher number of referrals

from St Machar and Northfield ASG’s

this year and we are investigating

whether this is evidence of higher

levels of YCs in these areas, or

whether there is actually a need

for additional resource in raising

awareness / identifying young people

with caring roles across the City. Links

with Aberdeenshire Young Carers

Toolkit will support our awareness

efforts in the coming year.


Adult Carers

Anyone of any age who helps a relative, friend or neighbour who cannot

manage without their support has taken on an unpaid caring role in

addition to their existing commitments. Some people have just started

looking after someone, others have looked after someone all of their life.

Many care for more than one person and sometimes their own health

is affected.

Our Aberdeen City Carers service works with many Adult Carers and

reflects the key principles of integration, National Health and Wellbeing

outcomes, specifically outcome 6 - “People who provide unpaid care are

supported to look after their own health and wellbeing, including to reduce

any negative impact of their caring role on their own health and wellbeing”

The rationale for this reflects the fact that services need to be planned

and delivered with an emphasis on maintaining the health and wellbeing

of Carers.

In order to achieve this we have been working this year on a

number of initiatives:

In partnership with others, sharing available resources

and premises

Making more innovative use of IT solutions, not only to

communicate with each other and share information but also to

reach Carer’s and support our staff in terms of mobile working

Promoting the uptake of Technology Enabled Care (TEC) to

support Health and Wellbeing needs of Carer’s and the

wider population

Building existing community assets to build community capacity

Using EPiC (Equal Partners in Care) principles to underpin

partnership working i.e. that Carer’s are identified, supported and

empowered to manage their caring role, enabled to have a life

out with their caring role, are fully engaged in the planning

and shaping of services, free from disadvantage or discrimination

related to their caring role, recognised and valued as equal

partners in care.

1in10 One person in 10 in Aberdeen has an unpaid caring role, meaning that almost 20,000 people in the area are informal or unpaid carers.

PAGE 30


CASE STUDYJulie’s Story (name has been changed for confidentiality)

Her husband has restless nights with his condition and Julie is always on hand through the night to help him, which means her sleep is broken too. The round the clock caring role that Julie has is having an impact on her general health and she is struggling keeping on her job. However she does not want to give up her work as this is her own time and she enjoys the company of her workmates.

When she is at home she feels restricted, but feels guilty if she leaves her husband to go shopping or to meet friends. Julie has emotional times when she is sad about her husband’s disability and worries about the progression of his illness and their future.

Julie feels she can’t speak to her family about her concerns, as this is putting her worries on to them and she wants to protect them. She also finds it difficult to attend any support groups to help her, as she is too tired after working and juggling her life as a Carer.

Julie received information about VSA Carer’s Resource Service and contacted a Carer’s Advisor, who then met with her to speak to her about her life and role as a Carer. Speaking with and off-loading her feelings to the Carers Advisor helped Julie express all her concerns and worries.

The Carer’s Advisor offered self-help tips and ideas to help her manage her role, and accept help from others.

Julie’s role has not changed, but she has moved on and now feels supported and listened to, without putting any burden on her family or friends. Julie now feels more able to cope in her role as a Carer and more able to ask for help, making her less isolated.

Julie is a 50 year old woman who cares for her husband who has Multiple Sclerosis.

She works part-time and also helps to look after her two small grandchildren whilst her daughter works.

PAGE 31

Working together for the ‘Best of Lives’

£17m£17 million is required every year to ensure that we can continue to provide the best possible services to the most vulnerable people in Aberdeen.

Working together for the ‘Best of Lives’

This years’ Highlights

Despite Aberdeen facing a particularly difficult time over the last twelve

months, it is clear from the support through the year that VSA holds a very

special place for many. We have continued to receive tremendous support

from Aberdeen’s local people, community groups, businesses and Trusts

this year. Whether you have made a donation, given your time, come to

one of our events, provided sponsorship or supported us in some other

way, your support has been valuable and we are truly grateful to you. Our

fundraising report can only highlight a fraction of what we have received

this year. It is only with your help that we can continue our good work

supporting our local community’s most vulnerable people.

The last year has seen an increase in company’s looking for corporate

volunteering opportunities and VSA are delighted to have this offer of

support to help us with the many projects we have across our charity. We

have seen some very enthusiastic groups this year who have helped by

painting fences at Linn Moor, creating new garden space’s at Northfield

Lodge, removing old shrubs and preparing for a new lawn at Westerton

Crescent and staffed the Café at Easter Anguston Farm. Their contribution

has directly improved the lives of the individuals accessing our services’.

VSA have had an incredibly busy fundraising year, we have held some truly

incredible events ourselves and we have once again been overwhelmed by

the huge number of local people that have chosen to take on a challenge

on our behalf. With your support we are able to fulfil our vision of building

a strong and caring community and with your help we will ensure every

person we support receives the best of care so that they can live the

‘best of lives.’

"Everyone had a great day and the gardening team were brilliant. Please pass on my thanks to them and also the whole team at Westerton Crescent, all of whom were very hospitable. It was a pleasure to help and I am sure everyone would be keen to take part in another voluntary

day with VSA."

Quote from Aberdeen Asset

Management

WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE ‘BEST OF LIVES’Fundraising and Engagement

PAGE 33

VSA

TRUSTEES' REPORT

VSA’s Bollywood Ball brought the Ardoe House Hotel to life in a sea of colour.

VSA’s annual ball took place at Ardoe House Hotel on Saturday

7th November 2015 and surpassed all expectations by raising over

£100,000. Our Bollywood themed ball welcomed over 300 guests to

enjoy a fantastic evening, before dancing the night away with many

dressing up in support of the glamorous theme.

We are delighted to have raised this fantastic sum of money and

our sincere thanks goes to our main sponsor, Garreth Wood, The

Speratus Group Ltd along with our other sponsors, Roemex and CNR

International. We would also like to thank the Ball Committee, who

once again generously gave up their time to help make the ball the huge

success it was. The evening was a major success with guests giving

generously for our sought after auction items. The star item was a VIP

weekend to the British Formula One Grand Prix at Silverstone, selling for

a staggering £6,000.

All funds raised this year will go towards supporting VSA’s Mental

Health services and the hundreds of incredibly vulnerable local people

being supported on their journey to recovery. One in four people in the

United Kingdom will experience a mental health issue in the next twelve

months; it really could be any one of us!

Thank you to everyone who attended, sponsored and donated.


PAGE 34

Sing, Sing, Sing!

For the first time this year, VSA embarked on the incredible journey that was ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’. The brainchild of our Honorary President Fiona Kennedy, OBE DL and music teacher Laura Pike.

The hope was to bring Aberdeen together through music in a unique amateur choir competition. The concept was simple - three months, two songs, one performance. After a fantastic effort by all involved, almost 900 members of the public came together at Aberdeen’s Beach Ballroom on Sunday 15th May 2016 for a spectacular evening of song, hosted by Fiona Kennedy herself.

Our esteemed judges Dr Roger Williams, Professor Paul Mealor and Lydia Hutchinson had the unenviable task of choosing a winner as our 10 choirs performed the two songs they had spent three months perfecting. After some deliberation the judges returned their verdict and announced that the St & Singers Choir of St James’s Place had emerged triumphant.

The evening was brought to a close with Choir Conductor, Laura Pike getting the entire audience and more than 150 choir participants to come together to perform a stunning finale, just before Aberdeen’s Lord Provost George Adam announced that the evening had raised, not only Aberdeen’s spirts but also a staggering £28,000 for the exceptional work VSA does in its mental health services.

A special thanks goes to Fiona Kennedy’s ‘Nae Ordinary Burns Supper’, Aberdeen City Council and Nyetimber for their generous

support of ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’.

London Marathon

In 2016 we were lucky enough to have 8 people running the London Marathon for us.

Team VSA consisted of Russell Willox, Paul Stainer, Andrew Jones, Scott Bichan, James Bailey, Cammy Sim, Ian Smith and George Taylor.

With a number of the team having taken on personal

challenges for us in the past, some of them had an idea

what lay ahead. However, we really can’t stress just how

much of a personal commitment each runner had to make

to be ready for this event. Not only did they train tirelessly,

but they committed a huge amount of effort to fundraising

for us, holding a number of events and encouraging friends,

family and colleagues to sponsor them.

We are delighted to say that on 24th of April they all took

on and completed the marathon……what an outstanding

achievement!

The only thing more impressive is how much they

collectively managed to raise, an amazing £13,000,

which will greatly help many of our children’s services.


96p in every £1 We’re very proud that from every £1 raised for VSA, 96p goes directly to charitable expenditure. That’s big news, and not many charities can make this claim.

Interim Finance Director, VSA

PAGE 37

SUMMARY INCOME & EXPENDITURE 2015-2016

5.13.64

PAGE 38

The Speratus Group LtdCNR InternationalFiona Kennedy & Nae Ordinary Burns SupperLaura PikeGraham ReadMarathon OilThe Wood FoundationArdoe House HotelFinnies the Jewellers IHS EnergyRoemexEsselmontsOriginal 106Sainsburys BerrydenFMC TechnologiesAberdeen Grammar SchoolTorry St Fitticks ChurchSodexoCentricaAberdeen City CouncilSt James’s PlaceAberdeen Wellbeing CentreEmployee Volunteering Scottish EnterpriseAnderson Anderson Brown LLPAberdeen Asset ManagementHydrasunJNCCUnion SquareSt. James Place Foundation

Thank you to our Ball Organising Committee 2015:

Garreth Wood, Matthew Finnie, Debbie Fotheringham, Maggie Wilson, Karen McKimmie, Jacqui Thomson and Judith King.

THANKS TO ALL OUR 2015 SUPPORTERS

This year we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our many corporate and individual supporters.

Thank-you to each and every one of you for your kind contributions whether in sponsorship, time, support or donations.

A Special thanks to:% INCOME

% EXPENDITURE

4% Investment, Training & other income

5% Voluntary income & Legacies

18 % Grants

73 % Board & Support Service charges

4% Other Support costs

5% Carer Services costs

6% Training & other Services costs

34 % Children & Family Services costs

51 % Adult & Older People Services costs

Audited Accounts: If you would like a copy of

our audited accounts, please contact VSA's

fundraising department on 01224 212012.

Patron: Her Majesty the Queen • President: Lord Provost of Aberdeen

Chief Executive: Dr Kenneth Simpson BA BSc MPA (Hon) DBA CMgr FCMI FloD FRSA

Registered in Scotland as Aberdeen Association of Social Service, operating as VSA.Company Registration No. 18487; Registered Scottish Charity Number SC 012950Head Office 38 Castle Street, Aberdeen AB11 5YU.

Telephone: 01224 212021 • www.vsa.org.uk • Email: [email protected]

VSA

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