Director's Report
North Ayrshire Council · 11 December 2025
Back to Integration Joint Board — 11 December 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Integration Joint Board 11th December 2025 Subject : Director’s Report Purpose : This report is for awareness to advise members of North Ayrshire Integration Joint Board (IJB) of developments within North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership (NAHSCP) Recommendation : IJB members are asked to note progress made to date. Direction Required to Council, Health Board or Both Direction to :- 1. No Direction Required X 2. North Ayrshire Council 3. NHS Ayrshire & Arran 4. North Ayrshire Council and NHS Ayrshire & Arran Glossary of Terms NHS AA NHS Ayrshire and Arran IJB Integration Joint Board HSCP Health and Social Care Partnership CARE Culture – Agency – Respect – Equity COSLA Convention of Scottish Local Authorities OT Occupational Therapy 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 This report informs members of the Integration Joint Board (IJB) of the work undertaken within North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership (NAHSCP), nationally, locally and Ayrshire wide. 2. BACKGROUND 2.1 This report provides IJB with up to date information on recent activity across the HSCP since the last IJB. The report will also provide COVID related information by exception.
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3. CURRENT POSITION National Developments 3.1 Grant Funding to Help Reduce Inequity in Cancer Care Macmillan Cancer Support has launched a new £1.5m grants programme for voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations who can help reduce inequity in cancer care. This pilot programme is called the Macmillan CARE (Culture • Agency • Respect • Equity) Grants Programme. Grants are for between £50,000 and £150,000 over one or two years and focus on three main areas of health inequity: • Cultural Responsiveness: Making cancer care more sensitive to diverse cultural needs • Shared Decision Making: Empowering people to actively participate in their care • Dementia-Friendly Cancer Care: Supporting those living with both cancer and dementia The application process is now open and will close on Friday 23 January 2026. If you know of any groups who may be interested in applying, they can find out more on the Macmillan website. 3.2 The Promise Scotland Update The Promise Scotland has updated its logo to help give more clarity over what the organisation is, as well as the difference between The Promise Scotland and The Promise. The Promise is that all Scotland’s children and young people will grow up loved, safe and respected so that they will realise their full potential - with The Promise Scotland being the organisation set up to help Scotland achieve that. The new logo has a tagline and graphic to represent the organisation’s role in supporting those working to keep The Promise, and you can download it via the organisation’s new Partner Pack.
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A new website for the Oversight Board for The Promise has created, with its own style and branding. The Promise Scotland also restructured and revamped its website, providing a clearer focus on what it does, the areas it works in, and how it supports people to keep The Promise. 3.3 Local Government Promise Annual Report 2025 COSLA also launched the ‘Local Government Promise Annual Report 2025.’ On 19th November 2025. 2025 marks the halfway point in Scotland’s journey to Keep The Promise - a commitment made in response to the Independent Care Review to transform the lives of babies, children and young people experiencing care by 2030. This milestone encourages reflection on the achievements over the last 5 years, as well as the barriers to change and what needs to happen next. As we reach the halfway point, this report offers a powerful reflection on both the achievements and the realities of delivering change. Local Government remains deeply committed to supporting babies, children, young people and families. Across Scotland, councils are delivering vital services shaped by strong relationships with local communities and a clear understanding of their needs. The report is available on the COSLA website here: Local Government Promise Annual Report 2025 | COSLA 3.4 Scotland’s New HIV Learning Hub HIV charity Waverley Care launched HIV Informed on World AIDS Day. This free online learning hub has been developed in partnership with NHS Scotland, people living with HIV, and funded by the Scottish Government as part of its national commitment to end new HIV transmissions and tackle stigma. To support the launch of this online learning hub Waverley Care have created a communications toolkit to make this as easy as possible, with ready-to-use materials for websites, newsletters, and social media. The toolkit includes: • Key messages to help you talk about HIV Informed • Short videos highlighting real-life experiences of people living with HIV • Social media posts and graphics to raise awareness • Email signature graphics to show support and engagement • Template emails and suggested copy for internal communications • Website copy and guidance for partner sites These communication resources are available to download from: HIV Informed
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While huge progress has been made in HIV treatment and prevention, stigma and outdated attitudes still persist in some health and social care settings. Research shows that people living with HIV can still face discrimination or inappropriate treatment — experiences that can make them reluctant to access care or share important health information. This can have serious consequences for their health and wellbeing. 3.5 Mental Health and Substance Use Toolkit Healthcare Improvement Scotland has recently launched the Mental Health and Substance Use Toolkit. This is for people working within mental health and alcohol and drug recovery services. The toolkit provides accessible, evidence-informed tools and resources that staff can use to improve care. The National Mental Health and Substance Use Protocol Explore the National Mental Health and Substance Use Protocol for guidance on local interface documents and systems of care for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions. 3.6 State of Caring : The Cost of Caring in Scotland 2025 On Carers Rights Day, Carers Scotland launched its latest research: State of Caring: The Cost of Caring in Scotland 2025. Their findings revealed: • 48% have cut back on essentials like food and heating because of their caring role – a 71% increase on last year’s research. • 35% have taken on debt just to make ends meet. • 40% have reduced working hours or left employment, • 39% report poor mental health and 30% poor physical health. • 50% are providing more care but just 13% had received a formal break from caring • Parent carers of children are particularly hard hit, with 62% cutting back on essentials and 56% taking on debt to make ends meet. Unpaid carers are providing more care with less support, facing financial insecurity, deteriorating health, and restricted life opportunities. You can read the full report here: https://www.carersuk.org/media/yqzk0fjv/state-of- caring-the-cost-of-caring-in-scotland-2025-web-version.pdf
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3.7 Publication of Health and Care (Staffing)(Scotland) Ministerial Report 2024/25 The first Annual Ministerial Report on the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 has now been published. This report marks an important milestone to ensure safe and effective staffing decisions across Scotland’s health and care services, following the full commencement of the Act on 1 April 2024. The Act provides a statutory framework to support the delivery of high-quality care and improved outcomes for people who use services, underpinned by guiding principles that place the wellbeing of both service users and staff at the heart of decision making. Contributions from Health Boards, Local Authorities, and Integrated Authorities informed the significant work undertaken to embed the duties of the Act into policies and practices. This commitment has been essential in creating a culture of openness, transparency, and continuous improvement in staffing decisions. The Annual Ministerial Report provides an overview of progress to date, highlights achievements, and sets out areas for continued focus as we move forward together. You can access the report here. North Ayrshire Developments 3.8 Compassionate Care Award Congratulations to Elaine Tizzard, who has just received an Isabella Kimmett Compassionate Care Award. Presented twice a year, the awards celebrate nursing, midwifery, allied health professionals, GP and care home staff who have shown outstanding compassionate care. Elaine, who is an OT Technical Instructor based at the Honeycomb in Woodland View, was nominated for consistently going above and beyond in her role, demonstrating an exceptional level of compassion and empathy. The nomination also describes how she supports her patients holistically, giving extra time to really listen, with her colleagues also valuing the support she gives the team in terms of wellbeing.
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3.9 Global Leadership Excellence Award Congratulations to Mark Fleming as recipient of the eMHIC Leadership Excellence Award for Scotland. As one of the highest honours in digital mental health, this award recognised Mark’s visionary leadership and steadfast commitment to advancing innovation in mental health, thereby improving timely access to mental health information, care, support, and treatment. This award is presented to only one recipient per country annually. Mark was not only honoured to be nominated in the first place but is delighted to have been selected to receive the award for 2025. Mark was unable to attend the International Conference and awards Ceremony in Toronto, Canada last week, however is award is in the post! 3.10 Supporting Communities to Plan Ahead Two successful community events hosted by Arran CVS and TACT brought residents together recently to learn about the importance of planning ahead through Power of Attorney arrangements and the Herbert Protocol. The sessions aimed to support individuals, carers, and families in preparing for the future and ensuring the wellbeing of vulnerable loved ones. Each event featured expert speakers who provided clear, practical guidance on legal and safeguarding measures, with discussions highlighting the benefits of establishing a Power of Attorney early - offering greater control over future decisions for individuals and peace of mind for families. Attendees also learned about the Herbert Protocol, a Police Scotland initiative designed to assist when a person with dementia or memory loss goes missing. Both events emphasised how these tools can offer protection, reassurance, and quicker responses in times of crisis. Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing their appreciation for the accessible, community-focused approach. More information about Power of Attorney and the Herbert Protocol can be found by clicking on the links below. Power of Attorney in Scotland (Age Scotland) Herbert Protocol (Police Scotland)
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3.11 Occupational Therapy Week North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership Assessment and Reablement Team hosted a coffee morning to celebrate OT Week. It was a fantastic event that attracted attendees from a wide range of organisations. We had valuable discussions with Pharmacy Technicians, VoiceAbility, Community Development Workers, Acute Mental Health OTs, the Douglas Grant Rehabilitation Service, Community OT, and Link Up Cameo. The morning was a great success, offering opportunities for positive conversations, networking, and promoting joint working. It provided a welcoming space for teams to engage, share ideas, and strengthen partnerships. 3.12 Delivering Social Care Services within Budget – Share your Views North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership has launchied a six-week consultation with individuals, families, carers and professionals to find out their priorities around how it delivers social care services within budget. NAHSCP is facing significant financial pressures, with demand for services continuing to rise at an unprecedented rate. With these challenges increasing and set to continue, some extremely difficult decisions must be made in the coming months as the Integration Joint Board works towards setting its budget for the coming year, which will affect the level and types of care NAHSCP is able to provide across many of its services. As such, the partnership wants to have open, frank and honest conversations with North Ayrshire residents around the challenges being faced, what this means for services, and how that might affect them, their loved ones, or the people they care for. To help NAHSCP consider its priorities and plan what frontline services look like as it navigates these challenges, the partnership is asking North Ayrshire residents, service users, staff, unpaid carers, community groups and care providers to take part in a consultation, where they can share their views and ideas on how best to prioritise the available budget to ensure those most in need are able to receive the care and support they need.
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There are a number of ways for staff, providers and members of the public to get involved, both online and in person. Our online public survey went live on Friday 5 December, and can be accessed until Friday 16 January. • A series of drop-in locality events are being held at the following dates and times, where members of the public can go along and discuss and share their views: Fullarton ConneXions, Irvine: Wednesday 7 January, 11am to 2pm Kilwinning Sports Centre: Wednesday 7 January, 4pm to 7pm Brodick Hall: Thursday 8 January, 1.30pm to 4.30pm Hayocks Community Centre, Stevenston: Tuesday 13 January, 11am to 2pm Bridgend Community Centre, Kilbirnie: Wednesday 14 January, 4pm to 7pm Clark Memorial Church, Largs: Thursday 15 January, 11am to 2pm IJB members are asked to share the consultation within their networks to ensure we are able to reach and hear from as many North Ayrshire residents as possible. 4. IMPLICATIONS 4.1 Financial None 4.2 Human Resources None 4.3 Legal None 4.4 Equality/Socio-Economic None 4.5 Risk None 4.6 Community Wealth Building None 4.7 Key Priorities None 5. CONSULTATION No specific consultation was required for this report. User and public involvement is key for the partnership and all significant proposals will be subject to an appropriate level of Consultation. Caroline Cameron, Director [Carolinecameron@north-ayrshire.gov.uk/01294 317723] Appendices Nil