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Edinburgh Reporter
6 days ago
- Health
- Edinburgh Reporter
Stafford Centre – still facing massive cuts to funding
As The Stafford Centre on Broughton Street faces cuts of their core funding, Miles Briggs, MSP, visited the centre which provides mental health care. The home of Change Mental Health is just one of those third sector bodies which is threatened with a massive cut in funding by the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board (EIJB). Along with others affected Mr Briggs warned earlier this year that the cuts, proposed to save £60m+ by the EIJB, could make Edinburgh the only city in Western Europe without third sector community mental health provision. The MSP has written to both the Chief Officer of the EIJB and the First Minister, as well as raising the issue in parliament on several occasions. Last month Miles Briggs attended a public meeting hosted by the Thrive Collective to discuss the impact of the cuts with providers and users of mental health services. The Thrive Collective provides community mental health services through charities such asChange Mental Health. Nick Ward, CEO of Change Mental Health, has strongly criticised the approach taken by the EIJB, highlighting the flaws in both the economic and clinical rationale behind the cuts. The City of Edinburgh Council announced £3 million of emergency funding in May for third sector services facing cuts. Change Mental Health did not feature on the list of 46 organisations which will receive this support. Mr Briggs has previously said that the funding formula used to allocate money to NHS boards, NRAC, was not fair to the Lothian region. NHS Lothian has consistently received less funding each year than population growth would require, according to the government's own funding formula (NRAC). He pointed out that the shortfall for 2024/25 is more than £10m, exacerbating a £150m shortfall over the last ten years. Lothian has the fastest growing population in Scotland, currently circa 916,000, and will represent 84% of Scotland's predicted population growth over the period to 2033. However, its funding remains at -0.6% below NRAC parity. Miles Briggs said: 'I'd like to thank the Change Mental Health team for inviting me to the Stafford Centre. It was fantastic to meet all the staff and chat to some of the users of this amazing service. 'This space means a lot to the people who come here. I share their concern that the support available here could be taken away from them by the proposed cuts to Edinburgh's third sector. 'These cuts have significantly distressed some of the most vulnerable people in our city and, if taken forward, could result in Edinburgh being one of the only western European cities without third-sector community mental health provision. That would be totally unacceptable. 'I have repeatedly asked the SNP and the EIJB to rethink their strategy, and I urge the First Minister to engage with my request for cross party communication on this matter.' The EIJB meets in August under its new Chair Cllr Tim Pogson. The decision about cuts was postponed at the last meeting under previous chair Katarina Kasper. Our video below was filmed at the public meeting on 26 May when it was still believed the EIJB would decide what to do on 17 June. Like this: Like Related
Daily Record
29-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Mum who lost home caring for anorexic daughter hopes life-saving charity has future
"It's the centre of my life at the moment... Some people have been here for 15 years. It scares me for some of the people that might lose this support." A mum who lost her home while caring for her anorexic daughter says a Scots charity threatened with closure is a "life saver". Janet Kramer battled anxiety and depression after her daughter started intensive treatment for the eating disorder. The 70-year-old credits Redhall Walled Garden in Edinburgh with helping her recover, saying it became the "centre" of her life. But the community garden, tucked in a glen off Lanark Road, is entirely maintained by people struggling with mental illness and is now at risk of closure due to funding cuts. Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board (EIJB) announced its intention to slash £2.2 million in funds to social care charities, meaning the garden, along with other charities in the Thrive Collective, could be hit. Janet told Edinburgh Live: "Caring for someone who has mental illness can also affect the person who's caring. I was a mess. I went to the Carers Council for some support and they recommended Redhall. "I can't even tell you how it's helped me, because it gave everything that I lost back to me. "I feel safe here. It's not just gardening, because a lot of us are all in the same position. We all have mental health issues and we understand each other because we don't have to explain constantly, as you probably do to the outside world." Janet spends three days per week with the charity, learning horticulture and helping maintain the grounds. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. She added: "I don't need anxiety medication. I don't need physical therapy. I get that here. I don't feel isolated. It dispels that feeling of being cut off from the world. That's incredibly helpful to me to be able to put my own mind to right so I can support my daughter, who is getting better, so she relies on me. It's not a guilty indulgence coming here. It's a necessity. "It's the centre of my life at the moment, and has been for the last four years. Some people have been here for 15 years. "It scares me for some of the people that might lose this support because it's a lifesaver, and I'm not being overdramatic." The EIJB has proposed cancelling Redhall's contract, which would leave dozens of trainees in the lurch. Claire Reynolds, senior service manager for the Scottish Action for Mental Health, says Redhall prevents people being sent to Edinburgh's already-overwhelmed statutory services by providing preventative mental health services. The SAMH boss said: "[The EIJB cuts] are a radical disinvestment of community mental health services in Edinburgh. This isn't a chipping away of services, it's a complete eradication of mental health supports that people go to. "We are very concerned about the human impact and of loss of life (this would cause) through people's mental health deteriorating to the point where they are needing hospital." Councillor Tim Pogson, Chair of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board said: "The IJB funds a range of non-statutory services with third sector providers, through block contracts and service level agreements. "We are currently carrying out a review of this spend, with the aim of reducing annual spend by £2.2 million. We are taking time to consider this proposal to assess the data and evidence on the impacts of any changes, and to consider the concerns raised by providers, service users and others. "The level of funding Edinburgh's IJB receives has not kept pace with the increased demand and cost for our services. We are also being asked to care for people with more complex needs. As a result, the EIJB has had to make cuts of around £100m over the last three years which has been very challenging. "We recognise the contribution that our third sector providers make and the concern this may cause, however we are now in a position where unfortunately difficult decisions have to be made in order to protect the essential support we provide for some of Edinburgh's most vulnerable people. "This review will enable us to focus scarce resources on the provision of core, statutory services which help keep the people who most need our help safe and well cared for, while allowing our partners to meet their legal duties." "We really want the Health and Social Care Partnership to consult with the people affected by these changes instead of the radical removal of all support at the same time." A petition has been launched by Scottish Action for Mental Health to protest services like Redhall.
Scotsman
24-06-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
Labour-led cuts plan is shameful badge of dishonour for capital
Angus Robertson at Redhall Walled Garden This week I was pleased to join Edinburgh and Lothian MSPs at Redhall Walled Garden along with Thrive Collective, the partnership of community-based mental health providers that delivers prevention-focused support to people across the city – the very services now facing the axe under Edinburgh's new mental health plans. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... We stood in united and urgent opposition to the Labour-led proposals from the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) to slash almost all community mental health funding in the capital. If these cuts are implemented, Edinburgh could become the only capital city in Europe without local government-funded mental health support. That would be a shameful badge of dishonour for Scotland's capital, and one we must do everything possible to prevent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Let's be clear: The proposed £2.2 million cut to block-funded mental health contracts would devastate services that meet people where they are – often those with severe mental illness, people living under Compulsory Treatment Orders, or with conditions like Huntington's. Organisations such as Redhall Walled Garden and those within the Thrive Collective have long delivered vital early intervention services, keeping people out of hospital, in employment and engaged with family and community life. Now they are facing an existential threat. What's most disturbing is that this is not an isolated misjudgment, but part of a broader pattern. From Westminster to the City Chambers, Labour appears committed to carrying on the austerity agenda of the Conservatives. Cut quietly, cut deep and only reconsider when public outrage makes the cost too high. It's a cynical, backwards approach to public service and one that is failing the people of Edinburgh. Labour in Edinburgh, backed by their coalition partners, has demonstrated that they are no better than the service-slicing Tories who came before them. The SNP warned about this trajectory and, sadly, those warnings are now being realised. In the EIJB, SNP Councillor Vicky Nicolson, along with only three others, voted against these devastating proposals. Her powerful speech before the vote reminded us that small investments in community support prevent far greater costs – social, human and financial – down the line. Vicky's experience in community-based prevention work shows exactly what we risk losing: support that prevents homelessness, keeps families together, and stops people falling into crisis. But such outcomes are only possible if the resources – the staff, community spaces, third sector organisations – still exist. Once dismantled, these services will not be easily rebuilt. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The consultation process was, frankly, a disgrace. Rushed through in four weeks with a belated and inadequate easy-read version, many participants – including people with learning disabilities – said they could not provide an informed response. Their voices were not heard. Worse still, there has been little attempt to reflect their input in the final plans. The third sector, again, was brought in late and left feeling tokenised, not trusted as the experts they are. Organisations like Health All Round and Big Hearts are among those already bruised by earlier EIJB decisions. Now, the axe swings again. At the very moment when mental health support should be expanding to meet rising demand and cost-of-living pressures, Labour has chosen to retreat. The SNP will continue to fight these short-sighted, harmful cuts – in Edinburgh and in every part of government. We will always stand up for the poorest and most vulnerable, protect prevention and early intervention, and ensure Scotland's capital is a place where mental health support is a right, not a privilege. Angus Robertson is SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central and Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Secretary
Edinburgh Live
29-05-2025
- Health
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh woman fears 'life-changing' charity will disappear from funding cuts
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A woman who dropped out of university amid a battle with mental illness says an Edinburgh charity at risk of critical funding cuts 'changed her life'. Lauren Stonebanks, 45, atteded four and a half years of medical school at the University of Edinburgh before dropping in 2002 out when her mental health "deteriorated". The Meadowbank resident went through a slew of diagnoses in following years - including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder - before an Edinburgh charity turned her life around. Lauren discovered CAPS in 2011 and has been an active member of the independent advocacy organisation for 14 years. However, the charity is looking down the barrel of extensive funding cuts from the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board (EIJB), which announced its intention to make £2.2 million in cuts to social care charities. CAPS offers individual and collective advocacy, providing safe spaces to explore shared issues. Lauren soon found a community of accepting people with similar experiences. According to advocates at CAPS, they provide the only pathway for people diagnosed with personality disorders in Edinburgh and the Lothians. They worry that without their services, people with personality disorders will not have access the life-saving community that CAPS facilitates. (Image: Edinburgh Live) After receiving a diagnosis for borderline personality disorder, Lauren said she was initially devastated. She later was re-diagnosed as having ADHD and autism, but says CAPS taught her to battle the stigma associated with her original diagnosis. She said: "I spent two weeks feeling absolutely dreadful. There's not much good said about people with borderline personality disorder. It's all bad. That's what I was being taught in the late 90s and early noughties. "[CAPS] changed my life because it showed positives. It just changed my entire perspective on it. I wasn't toxic, I wasn't a monster. I wasn't manipulative and evil. I was somebody in a lot of pain and trauma, and just as deserving of compassion." Through CAPS' commitment to collective advocacy, Lauren began using her lived experience with mental illness to educate social care professionals on how to work positively with people with personality disorders. She began delivering training for mental health nursing students at Napier University as well as occupational therapy students, art therapy students, clinical psychologists, and social workers. She also organises exhibitions and advocates for LGBTQ and minority ethnic people. Lauren added: "I can make a difference to the attitudes of all those people." Prior to CAPS, she reported being too shy to speak to people. She continued: "It made such a difference." CAPS services are facing the axe this year with potential funding cuts from the EIJB and millions of pounds of funding cuts to social care charities on the docket. When Lauren found out about the proposed cuts, she said: "I cried, and then I got angry. "[At CAPS] I've gained a family. My [biological] family was kind of emotionally abusive and not accepting of my sexuality or gender identity. They also didn't [understand] the mental health stuff and kind of blame blamed me." She spoke on the change in her confidence CAPS has afforded her in her 14 years of involvement: "I used to run away if I had to give presentations, I would flee and speak in front of people. It gave me the confidence to actually challenge the diagnosis." Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. Katharina Kasper, Chair of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board said: "The IJB funds a range of non-statutory services with third sector providers, through block contracts and service level agreements. We are currently carrying out a review of this spend, with the aim of reducing annual spend by £2.2 million. This will enable us to focus scarce resources on the provision of core, statutory services which help keep the people who most need our help safe and well cared for, while allowing our partners to meet their legal duties. "We have decided to take more time to consider this proposal until the IJB meets on August 26. This is to make sure we have taken the time to fully understand the services being provided, to assess the data and evidence on the impacts of any changes, and to consider the concerns raised by providers, service users and others. "We recognise the concern this may cause, however we are now in a position where unfortunately these difficult decisions have to be made in order to protect the essential support we provide for some of Edinburgh's most vulnerable people."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Meeting to decide the fate of 'lifeline' mental health services in Edinburgh pushed back
A formal meeting to decide on proposed funding cuts to an Edinburgh mental health charity's "lifeline" services has been pushed back. The proposals put forward by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) would see a potential £188,000 funding cut to The Stafford Centre on Broughton Street. Change Mental Health, which encompasses the Stafford Centre, say that these cuts would make it impossible for the vital centre to continue to operate. Now, the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (EHSCP) have decided to further delay formal consideration of their proposal until the IJB meets on August, 26. READ MORE: Edinburgh mental health charity raises alarm on 'lifeline' services facing the axe READ MORE: Two Edinburgh drivers hit with ASBOs for excessive revving In an email to services that would be impacted by the intended £2.2 million in cuts to social care charities, Christine Laverty, the chief officer of the EHSCP, said: "I wrote to you on April 4 regarding the review of your contract or service level agreement with the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, letting you know that the decision on contract-related savings would be taken to the Integration Joint Board (IJB) on 17 June. "Since then, many of you will have attended Integrated Impact Assessments (IIAs) to understand and consider the impact of these proposed savings. There are still some IIA meetings to take place over the coming weeks, to ensure that each group of contracts is considered consistently and potential impacts are captured. "I want to thank you all for the time and effort that you have put into these meetings. Your input has been invaluable and has really helped us to ensure that this process is carried out as fairly and robustly as possible. "I want to be sure that we have taken adequate time to fully understand the data and evidence relating to each individual contract or service level agreement, and that we have considered the concerns which have been raised by providers, both through the IIA sessions and separately. "On that basis, I have discussed with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the IJB and we have agreed to further delay formal consideration of this proposal until the IJB meets on 26 August 2025. "I am aware that this delay may increase uncertainty amongst providers, staff and service users, however, it will help ensure that recommendations to the IJB are robust and evidence-based." The decision comes after a public meeting held on Monday, May 26 organised by service providers impacted by the EIJB cuts. The meeting was attended by EIJB members, such as Chair Katharina Kasper and Vice Chair Tim Pogson, who fielded questions from service users. During the forum, EIJB members were implored to halt the cuts and give more time to consult with affected organisations. CEO of Change Mental Health Nick Ward, told Ms Kasper: 'We're not given meetings. We're told to go through a process with a tick form asking the most basic questions. We are not being treated as partners, we are not being treated as equals, and that is the problem.' The Stafford Centre provides drop-in mental health services such as counselling, peer support groups, and art therapy, and deliver targeted support to vulnerable groups through specialised programmes, such as offering support to men - who are at higher risk to suicide - and to veterans. Edinburgh Live previously spoke to Jim Hume, director of public affairs and communication at Change Mental Health. At that time he said: ""The Stafford Centre is essential. It supports people with post traumatic stress, with serious mental illness. It supports people with financial worries with their mental health. It's a lifeline for many people - there are 640 individuals every year supported at that centre. "There was a change with Covid. It had a lasting effect. Depression during Covid doubled. And anytime there is uncertainty with finances - money is tight at the moment - it can affect mental health." Without the EIJB funding, Jim says Change Edinburgh could not run the Stafford Centre. He continued: "We'd have to find funds, but it's not possible in such a short period as they're talking about. "We're calling for there to be more time to consider options - rather than leaving people behind in the process." In an effort to protect the centre's vital mental health services, a petition has been launched. It reads: "The Stafford Centre has been a beacon of hope and support in Edinburgh, offering tailored mental health services that cater to the unique needs of each individual. "For years, it has been a safe space for those dealing with mental health challenges, providing therapy, counselling, and a supportive community." More information on the petition and how to sign it can be found here. If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@ or visit their site to find your local branch.
