Contents
Loneliness
The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S5M-03950, in the name of Rhoda Grant, on triggers for loneliness. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes the growing interest in dealing with the problem of loneliness, including in areas of the Highlands and Islands; notes the launch of the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness; welcomes the publication of Trapped in a bubble: An Investigation into the Triggers for Loneliness in the UK by the British Red Cross and the Co-operative Group; notes the biological, psychological and behavioural impacts of loneliness; believes that the problem of loneliness requires a society-wide response, and notes the calls on the Scottish Government and others to take action on this issue.
17:34
I thank all those who signed my motion for their support in bringing this debate to the chamber. I also thank the Co-operative Group and the British Red Cross for their “Trapped in a bubble: An investigation into triggers for loneliness in the UK” report, which highlights the issues of loneliness and which led to tonight’s debate.
It might seem strange to some that the Co-op is involved, but it has a rich history of community work and that is what makes co-operatives stand out. Scotmid, which is headquartered in Edinburgh, supports hundreds of community groups around Scotland, including ChildLine. In 2015, the Co-op asked its members to identify an issue that they wanted to pursue. They voted to tackle loneliness and the Co-op chose the British Red Cross as its partner. Funds were raised—exceeding the £3.5 million target—to tackle the issue. The report was published and they are now looking to develop projects, of which five are in Scotland and two are in the Highlands and Islands region—in Brae and Inverness.
I also thank the Co-operative Party and the many other organisations and individuals who took time to send briefings or to write to me to share their experience.
We all assume that loneliness impacts in old age, usually as a result of bereavement or illness. However, the report looks at several different groups, including young mums, people with mobility limitations, people with health problems, those who have recently divorced or separated, people whose children have left home, retired people and those who have been bereaved.
What surprised me was that some of those things could be seen as positive developments—for example, the birth of a child or the freedom of retirement—but they are also life changing. They can change a person’s social circle and identity. With the birth of a child, a person becomes a parent instead of being an individual, and their priorities change, which puts them out of kilter with their social network. Retirement can mean freedom, but many of us are defined by what we do.
The report found that being lonely has biological, psychological and behavioural impacts. While we can understand the psychological and behavioural impacts of loneliness, it is not fully recognised that loneliness has biological impacts on a person’s health. The impact of loneliness can be linked to cardiovascular health risks, increased death rates, high blood pressure, signs of ageing, symptoms of depression and the risk of dementia. At the extreme, loneliness is linked to suicide.
The report concluded that there was a lack of support available. There appeared to be stages of loneliness, from the disruption of a life-changing event to someone’s ability to adapt to that. It found that 79 per cent of people experience loneliness at some point in their lives. We need to recognise the triggers and to ensure that advice and support are available at key stages in life—for example, at the birth of a child—to avoid loneliness becoming extreme. We need to look at the different stages of loneliness and provide support to overcome it, for example lunch clubs and social outings for older people, and befrienders for those who cannot get out easily.
When loneliness becomes chronic, more organised interventions are required to address the harms that loneliness has caused. It takes time to build confidence, but there are many organisations that can help. We are getting better at recognising the triggers. Many employers now recognise the need for transition into retirement and they help their staff to adapt.
With people moving to find work, traditional family structures are no longer in place, which leads to isolation and loneliness for old and young. Some people juggle supporting ageing parents with helping to bring up grandchildren only to find that both roles disappear from their lives around the same time, leaving them with a lack of purpose and empty days to fill. We all need to be needed, to feel useful and to have a role to play.
Befriending Networks, in the summary report on its 2015 health and loneliness roadshow, concludes:
“There was a widespread perception among participants that any practice currently aimed at tackling loneliness happens mostly by chance”.
It goes on:
“Nor is there currently any formal commitment from local or national government to develop strategies or dedicate funds to reducing, let alone preventing, the alarmingly high levels of loneliness documented in the research.”
The Jo Cox commission on loneliness was set up after the MP’s death to examine ways of tackling loneliness and it is a fitting addition to the work that she started. Jo Cox was passionate about tackling loneliness, which she put down to three issues: an ageing population, changing family structures and a Government policy of inadequate care services.
There is a lack of support for the voluntary sector, yet voluntary organisations run many wonderful projects. Some organisations that try to do that are small and local, and others are large national organisations. Examples include friendship services in Inverness; the Nairnshire mentoring service, which is part of Arthritis Care Scotland; the Leanne Fund in Stornoway, which provides support for young people with cystic fibrosis who are leaving home; befrienders throughout Scotland; mother-and-baby and mother-and-toddler groups; carer support groups; and many more—the list is long. They are run by volunteers who give their time to care and support those who face loneliness as they try to fill the gaps that Government has left.
The Jo Cox commission has highlighted the need for people to be proactive. Its start a conversation campaign seeks to make us all part of the solution by taking time to speak to a neighbour or family member who is alone. We can take it further.
Caroline Abrahams of Age UK said:
“a simple thing like saying hello and having a chat can brighten up an older person’s day.”
Sadly, Scotland’s modern culture does not encourage spontaneous conversations with strangers—more is the pity, because we all lose out. One of the things that I love about going door to door is the conversations that we have, which are not all about politics. We get a short insight into the lives of some wonderfully colourful individuals.
The voluntary groups that I have talked about are just examples, and I am really sorry that I have missed out so many, but that shows the range of organisations that are trying to meet the needs of people of all ages who are affected by loneliness. We need people in all walks of life to identify people who are at risk of loneliness and to signpost them to support before it impacts on their health.
We also need Government, local and national, to play its part. It needs to support voluntary groups and to help co-ordinate their efforts, as well as identifying where gaps exist.
We need to consider the funding of services. Voluntary organisations tell us of the problems of planning and delivering services on a year-to-year funding basis, and we need to give them more security. We also need to consider service provision for groups of people who are vulnerable to loneliness to ensure that every new mum is signposted to a playgroup and every old person has access to social interaction. We need to recognise that a five-minute care visit does nothing to alleviate loneliness, and to recognise that social interaction is as important as being fed and dressed.
The voluntary sector is doing its bit. We need Government to support it, and we all need to play our part by starting a conversation.
17:42
I thank Rhoda Grant for securing the debate. She is a long-standing campaigner on an issue that touches many lives in all our communities. As Jo Cox herself said,
“Young or old, loneliness doesn’t discriminate.”
From the child who is bullied at school to a new mum to a pensioner who has outlived their husband or wife, the feeling of loneliness can hit any one of us at any time in our lives. That is a key point, as Rhoda Grant said, which the “Trapped in a bubble” report by the Co-op and the British Red Cross, which is referred to in Rhoda Grant’s motion, revealed. The report also revealed that
“Over nine million people in the UK”
across all adult ages are either
“always or often lonely.”
A survey by Action for Children found that 43 per cent of 17 to 25-year-olds who used its service had experienced problems with loneliness, and less than half of that same group said that they felt loved. The charity also reported that almost a quarter of the parents who were surveyed said that they were always or often lonely. Age Scotland, with its excellent Christmas campaign—no one should have no one at Christmas—revealed that almost 50,000 older people in Scotland faced Christmas day alone. Loneliness and isolation are a stark reality for around 100,000 older people living in Scotland today.
As the Co-op and the British Red Cross point out, the causes of that loneliness are complex. As Rhoda Grant highlighted, it is often caused by a trigger, such as divorce, poor health, retirement or bereavement.
Our community can also have an impact. For example, poor transport links in a rural area can add to a person’s feeling of loneliness and isolation, and the very society that we live in today can be a driver, with people working longer and living in a more antisocial way. As a result of that, the solutions can be equally complex in their variety. As the research by the Co-op and British Red Cross found, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to tackling loneliness.
In the very short time that I have, I want to focus on one group: older people. The Jo Cox commission spotlights that group as being at greater risk of loneliness and isolation. I will highlight the work of one organisation in my region and the lessons that we can take from that work in tackling loneliness. The organisation is the Food Train, which I suspect is familiar to many members. It was established in 1995 by Labour Party stalwart Jean Mundell after a community survey of older people found that many were struggling with their weekly grocery shopping. A partnership of local shops and volunteers was formed to do older people’s shopping and deliver it to their homes. The success of the service saw it expand beyond Dumfries thanks to funding from the Scottish Executive, and by the time that Jean sadly passed away in 2006, the service was operational across Dumfries and Galloway.
Recently, I had the privilege of joining Food Train for the day and helping the amazing volunteers with their deliveries. I am delighted to see that, just beyond its 21st birthday, Food Train has expanded across Scotland into West Lothian, Stirling, Dundee, Glasgow, Renfrewshire and North Lanarkshire. As well as expanding its geography, Food Train has expanded its services by adding Food Train Extra, which is an additional home support service.
More recently, it has added a third service called Food Train Friends, which is an award-winning befriending service whose volunteers help those who are experiencing isolation and loneliness through telephone contact, one-to-one home visits and group outings and activities. The concept is simple, but we should not underestimate the difference it makes to the older people whom the volunteer befrienders reach out to by taking them out, simply having a chat on the phone, or popping round for a coffee. That work has a hugely positive impact on people’s wellbeing and happiness.
Frankly, such work could be life saving, because we know that loneliness kills. Loneliness increases the risk of mortality by 10 per cent and it has been likened to a 15-a-day smoking habit. It increases stress, anxiety and depression, and it doubles the risk of dementia. It manifests itself in physical health by raising blood pressure, thus contributing to heart disease, stroke and sometimes cancer. It can also impact on our behaviour and reinforce or exacerbate problems such as alcohol misuse. That impact on health was recognised by the Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee’s excellent 2015 inquiry into age and social isolation, which led to the Government committing funding and to a later cross-party commitment to develop a national strategy.
When the minister sums up, I hope that she will be able to update members on when we are likely to see that strategy. I also hope that she will give a commitment that providing greater support to the voluntary sector, which delivers befriending projects such as Food Train Friends, will be at the very heart of that strategy.
17:47
First, I thank Rhoda Grant for bringing forward this important debate.
Loneliness is a serious issue in society, but because it is behind closed doors, it is sometimes ignored and does not often receive the attention that it deserves. I welcome the work that was done by the British Red Cross and the Co-operative Group on their report; I also welcome the launch of the Jo Cox commission on loneliness.
The British Red Cross and the Co-operative Group have compiled an important piece of work that highlights loneliness and informs us just how widespread the issue is right across parts of society that we do not normally associate with it. The report highlights, correctly, that loneliness is something that anyone can feel. As the report states,
“loneliness can happen across life stages, genders, and backgrounds and is not solely connected with later life.”
The report usefully gives statistics on those who deal with loneliness, and helps us to identify the types of support that people say that they want, which tend to be face-to-face services. A classic example of that relates to advances in medicine. I recently had to deal with a case in my role as chair of the integration joint board in Argyll and Bute. Advances in medicine meant that there was a reduction in the number of visits that nurses made to people who live in rural areas. Instead of attending to a person’s needs twice a week, the nurses went only once a week, which meant that they saw that person only once. That had a detrimental effect on people’s lives and shows that such advances can have good and bad outcomes.
An organisation that I work with is doing great work. Legion Scotland offers a befriending service for veterans of all ages and their families right across the country. Service personnel and their families move around a lot and the lifestyle that they live is very different from that of much of society. When they leave the services, they can struggle because they do not share life experiences with those who have not served in the forces. They might not have many ties to the local area that they move into and think that no one understands them, and that leads to loneliness for many.
Legion Scotland does something that is very important in combating loneliness: it introduces veterans to other veterans so that they have someone in the local area with similar experiences to talk to and socialise with. That is just one organisation that I know of and deal with; there are many others doing brilliant work, but they need more support.
The type of work that Legion Scotland does can be extended to other groups who are facing loneliness but are sometimes ignored when it comes to dealing with the issue, such as young new mums or people who have recently been divorced or who have separated—all groups that were highlighted in the report.
It is incredibly important to people to have someone to talk to who is going through or who has gone through the same things. Knowing that they are not the only one going through loneliness can bring great comfort.
The other course of action that the report highlighted was the smaller, simple acts that we can each take to help to combat loneliness in our society, such as speaking to our neighbours, family and friends and just asking how they are. Such acts are simple but they can have a massive effect. Starting a conversation is one of the things that the Jo Cox commission wants to do. I hope that, as individuals and as members of this Parliament, we can lead the way and set an example in helping society to fight loneliness.
17:51
I congratulate Rhoda Grant on securing a debate on an issue that is so significant in contemporary Scotland. I am sure that everyone in the chamber has experienced loneliness at some point in their lives, but what happens when loneliness becomes a chronic condition?
We are all aware that there is a clear link between loneliness and poor mental health, with lonely individuals increasingly prone to depression and even suicide. One study has shown that lonely people have a 64 per cent greater chance of developing clinical dementia.
However, let us not forget that loneliness can also affect physical health, with research showing that a lack of social connections is as damaging to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. In fact, loneliness is associated with an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease, diabetes and strokes.
I am sorry to interrupt, but could you move your microphone closer? Thank you.
That obviously has an impact not just on individuals but on society itself—how compassionate we are as a society—and, more prosaically, on our public services, as lonely individuals use more medication, have a higher incidence of falls and have increased risk factors for requiring long-term care.
When considering the factors that lead to social isolation, it is easy to forget how many social connections we experience through something as simple as going to work—sharing a smile with a fellow commuter, having a coffee with a colleague, or even arguing with our boss. It is therefore understandable that a major life transition such as bereavement, the diagnosis of a serious health condition or retirement could trigger loneliness.
Thankfully, we are now more aware than ever before of the effects and causes of loneliness, which means that we are beginning to see effective, targeted action to support lonely individuals in our communities. We must celebrate the positive work of organisations such as the three towns and Largs OIR groups in my constituency. These groups offer opportunities in retirement to the over-50s, building on the skills and voluntary contributions of their members. They offer a wide range of activities, from French lessons and hill walking to ballroom dancing, that enhance the mental and physical wellbeing of all their members.
To make them even more effective, such grassroots community initiatives are supported by Scottish Government policies and actions to tackle social isolation nationally. By developing partnerships between Scotland’s public services and the third sector, we can design a cohesive strategy that is informed by the opinions of the people who need our services the most.
We must also address the mistaken belief that loneliness is a problem that touches only older people’s lives. As the British Red Cross and Co-operative Group report demonstrates, loneliness can affect anyone at any stage in life. In fact, in 2010, a report by the Mental Health Foundation found that loneliness was most common between the ages of 18 and 34. It is harder for people in that age group to seek support, as they are mostly too old to access youth services and too young for initiatives that engage with the elderly population.
Isolation by smartphone and the internet is a growing problem. Young disabled people as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teens and those from ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to experience social isolation. Chronic and persistent bullying has been known to cause intense loneliness, reduced self-esteem and increased social anxiety in later life. Despite the social media myth that we are all more connected than ever before, many of our young people struggle to develop meaningful relationships and connections that allow them to feel supported and part of a community. That is why the Scottish Government has committed to training all teachers on equalities issues to increase their confidence in tackling prejudice-based bullying. In addition, in 2017-18, we will see spending on Scotland’s mental health services exceed £1 billion for the first time. We can further develop positive strategies by including young people in the dialogue on social isolation and loneliness.
I trust that the Scottish Government will continue to recognise loneliness as a public health priority. I encourage everyone in Scotland to speak openly and honestly about mental health and to support one another in our communities.
Once again, I thank Rhoda Grant for bringing the debate to the chamber.
17:55
I am happy to contribute to a very important debate. I declare an interest as a Co-operative Party member who is supported by the Co-operative Party as an MSP. I congratulate Rhoda Grant on securing the debate and on the way in which she outlined the challenges that the report represents.
I welcome the report by the Co-operative Group and the British Red Cross because it highlights the important issue of loneliness. That speaks to the co-operative movement’s job not being simply to say how much it cares about things, but to identify practical solutions. The Co-operative Group has engaged its members and employees in this practical but very important issue.
We know that, in polls, people rate fear of loneliness in old age as being second only to fear of dementia. It is something that perhaps troubles us all as we get older. What will life be like in our old age? Loneliness is part of that sense of concern.
We know from our own experience, and from speaking to other individuals, the impact that loneliness and social isolation have on people’s health and wellbeing, and on their very sense of themselves. It is not just that people are lonely; it is also hard to admit to being lonely. There is a sense that it shows a deficit in oneself—that the person has not managed to organise their life in such a way that they have people around them. People’s feeling of not even wanting to ask for help or to admit the problem is part of the challenge that we face in wanting to address the matter. There is a sense of failure such as all of us might have felt at some point in our lives—in this case because the person has failed to make connections with others.
It is important to highlight, as Kenneth Gibson did, that loneliness is not just an issue for elderly people. Significant life events can cause loneliness—divorce, bereavement or retiring and no longer being in the workplace. It can happen even at points when we would imagine that loneliness would be the last thing that a person would feel. Young mums, at the very point in their lives where they have a new wee person to look after, can feel separate from others and feel that people do not understand the challenges that they face.
The report is very important in that it highlights that loneliness can be experienced in all sorts of places and at all sorts of times, and that we should all be alive to that fact. It also identifies practical things that can be done. It recognises a role for employers in supporting employees at times of stress and difficulty, whether they are due to bereavement or anything else.
A very practical thing that the Co-operative Group suggests is that the people who work in its funeral business should reach out to people who are bereaved and tell them about support groups and folk from whom they might want to take comfort. Others could draw on that suggestion, as well.
The issue, I think, is one of community, because we know what is in our communities. There are churches, community groups and strong neighbourhoods where people look out for other people, but perhaps some people fall through the net.
We want to celebrate the work of the third sector, but we also have to recognise that those groups can fall by the wayside in tough financial times. The lunch groups, the person who takes a person out to the library or makes sure that they attend church are the things that go by the board. That is why I believe that it is short-sighted to target local government for cuts, because cuts work their way through to this problem.
Something as simple as reorganising the bus system to make it rational for the person who owns the bus company might mean that an elderly person will no longer use the bus and go out, because doing so might involve two or three journeys rather than one. People can retreat from the organisations that might support them.
There are questions about awareness and about resources, but it should be understood that there are, within our communities, people who want to help. It is essential that such groups are supported in the very important work that they do in addressing the problems of loneliness and isolation. There is also a fundamental challenge to us all, simply as citizens and good neighbours, to do our part to support people who feel isolated or lonely and who might, for the want of a kind word, continue to be so.
17:59
I join members in congratulating Rhoda Grant on securing the debate.
Members have mentioned the impact of loneliness and social isolation on physical health, and Kenneth Gibson was particularly correct to focus on their mental health impacts. I therefore welcome the fact that Maureen Watt will respond to the debate.
I also join members in thanking the British Red Cross and the Co-operative Group for shining a light on the problem of loneliness and for demonstrating how complex it is. It impacts at the level of the individual. A change in circumstances that might arise from a change in health, work status or whatever can trigger social isolation at any stage.
There are also community aspects. On withdrawal of services, Johann Lamont made a valid point about removal of transport links. I am very well aware that that has an impact in rural areas in particular, but not exclusively.
Societal changes have been referred to. Perhaps there is the assumption that people are better connected now and that the risk of isolation is therefore less than it was in the past. However, that is misplaced.
All those things show why loneliness and social isolation impact on so many individuals of all ages. As the report highlights, loneliness is not just an older person’s issue. I have acknowledged that it is also not simply a rural issue. However, as Rhoda Grant’s motion acknowledges, there are particular aspects to consider in the rural context: there are certainly aspects in the islands context that are particularly difficult to address and which perhaps need more nuanced and tailored solutions.
I am particularly grateful to the Big Lottery Fund for the investment of £0.5 million last year through the “Investing in communities: supporting 21st century life” programme, and for the five years of funding for the work that Voluntary Action Orkney does in befriending, to which a couple of colleagues referred earlier. That has had a massive impact on not just older members of the community in Orkney, but right through the generations. It has grown and adapted over the years, and can now be expanded as a result of that funding. The impact that I have seen for myself on individuals, families and wider communities has been nothing short of life changing.
The report very forcibly makes the point that we need preventative, responsive and restorative solutions. The befriending service in Orkney ticks all those boxes, and there will be similar services in other parts of the country. Befriending can be preventative, but even once problems have emerged it can be responsive to them. It can also be restorative, where problems have been embedded for some time. The benefit of the funding that was provided last year and which will last over the next five years is that it will allow Voluntary Action Orkney to take the service out to the smaller isles that have been excluded from it to date. The report talks about the principles of good support. It talks about support that provides a sense of purpose and is local to individuals, free, face to face and has wider benefits for the community. In all those respects, the befriending service is to be highly commended.
I thank Rhoda Grant for securing the debate and allowing the complexities of the issue to be debated. I am sure that we will return to it many times in this session of Parliament.
18:04
I thank Rhoda Grant for securing the important topic of triggers for loneliness for a members’ business debate.
As we have heard, a recent study by the British Red Cross and the Co-operative Group produced some startling findings. For example, more than 9 million people in the United Kingdom reported that they are often or always lonely.
I know that we have heard some of this, but it is worth repeating. Loneliness can be the cause of numerous health issues, including depression and other mental health problems, it can increase the risk of cardiovascular ill health and dementia, and it can lead to problems that create a vicious cycle of poor diet, heavy drinking and increased smoking.
Feelings of loneliness can differ from person to person, and so can the triggers and the effects. The report studied some of the key triggers that result in people feeling lonely. I will talk about some. Mobility issues, especially where there are poor transport links, often mean that people find it hard to get out and meet other people—sometimes to the extent that they give up trying and withdraw further into themselves. Children leaving home is an issue that my friends and I can identify with. Although it is welcomed by some people, the transformation of a house from a place in which there are younger people, with friends coming and going, to a quieter environment, has been found to trigger loneliness in others.
The loss of a long-term partner through death or divorce is a common cause of loneliness in people of all ages. The situation in which a person who has spent a life and shared a daily routine with someone but then finds themselves alone is not one that I want to imagine. I know that many people discover that friends of the couple turn out to be friends of only one of the partners; the sudden loss of contact with people whom they once considered to be friends has also been shown to contribute to low self-esteem, which is another trigger for loneliness.
The 21st century has brought about a unique set of reasons why people lose normal everyday interaction with other people. For example, there has been a sharp rise in the number of people who opt to work from home. It is no longer necessary to go to the office, which has the result that it is no longer necessary to commute. Stopping off to do the shopping on the way home from work has been replaced by the supermarket delivering straight to the door.
Nowadays, we spend so much time on the internet that it is not uncommon to hear of people in the same house sending each other electronic messages rather than interacting on a human level. That is a very sad reflection of our modern-day society.
Loneliness can affect all age groups—from the teenager who withdraws into the virtual reality of computer games, to people who are on the edge of retirement. Many people count the days until they retire; it is often an eagerly anticipated event that gives people the long-awaited opportunity to spend more time with friends and family. However, for others, it may be the day when they lose contact with people, and when the routine that they have had for years disappears. One man described the day of his retiral as the first day of his loneliness, and another had such a busy working life that his only friends were his workmates.
We are all individuals; we all react differently to events. We are in an age when many people go to work, come home and close the door. Clubs and societies have difficulty attracting new members and gone are the days of the community spirit that once existed in tenement blocks and small villages. Record numbers of people live alone. Although, of course, not all are lonely, the potential for loneliness to grow is clear.
It is sad that we live in a society in which people can feel isolated and alone. I once again thank Rhoda Grant for securing the debate.
18:08
I, too, am a member of the Co-operative Party. I thank my colleague Rhoda Grant for bringing the issue to Parliament for debate, as well as the British Red Cross, the Scottish Co-op Party, Samaritans in Scotland and Age Scotland for their helpful briefings on the topic.
As we have heard, loneliness and social isolation can be a heavy burden for those experiencing it and can feel like an impossible barrier to overcome. As has been pointed out by members across the chamber, it is in everyone’s best interests that we tackle the problem of loneliness. The debate is highly relevant, because the research published by the British Red Cross and the Co-op Group shows that 86 per cent of people in Scotland agree that loneliness is a serious problem.
We are only beginning to understand that loneliness could have as negative an impact on our nation’s health as smoking, as Colin Smyth pointed out, and that it carries as strong a risk as obesity. We all know the serious challenges facing our NHS and public services over the next couple of decades due to the increasing pressures of an ageing population. The impact of loneliness in old age is a looming public health crisis that must be addressed. As Mike Adamson, the chief executive of the British Red Cross, said in his foreword to the “Trapped in a bubble” report,
“It’s quite clear that loneliness and social isolation is a crisis we cannot ignore, causing untold misery and, ultimately, unnecessary pressure on hard-pressed statutory services.”
I therefore welcome the growing attention to and interest in dealing with the problem, especially the Scottish Government’s commitment to establish a national social isolation strategy. I welcome Samaritans Scotland’s call for the strategy to be cross-departmental and inclusive of external organisations and agencies, and I repeat my call to the Scottish Government to include an evaluation of the suicide prevention strategy.
As Colin Smyth pointed out, a one-size-fits-all approach will not do. There are actions and small steps that we can all take, as individuals, to do what we can to reduce loneliness in our day-to-day lives, but if we are to tackle loneliness and isolation effectively, support must also be given to organisations such as the third sector groups to which Rhoda Grant referred, which deliver targeted support to people who need it, and to older people in particular.
I am fortunate enough to have such an organisation in the area that I represent, Central Scotland. The Lightburn Elderly Association Project—LEAP—provides a fantastic befriending service to older people in South Lanarkshire and runs the hands on project. The service relies on the dedication of volunteers, who befriend older people who are experiencing social isolation. The project makes a difference to people’s lives by reducing their isolation, increasing their confidence, developing their friendships and improving their overall mental wellbeing.
Small gestures and the targeted intervention of a volunteer can have a transformative effect. One older person who has benefited from the service, said:
“My volunteer encourages me to get out the house for a wee walk and I am trying to go a bit further every week. I really look forward to her visits and feel less isolated ... and this has made such a difference to my life.”
Another said:
“Coming to the men’s group breaks up my day and alleviates my depression. I enjoy the great company and support of the volunteer and other men and sharing stories. I don’t know what I would do without it.”
Those are powerful words.
The focus on isolation among older people is important but, as we heard from Kenneth Gibson and other members, and as the Jo Cox Foundation recognises, it is not just age that can lead to isolation. I recently met Community Volunteers Enabling You, or COVEY befriending, which is based in Hamilton in my area, to discuss the excellent befriending and support work that it does with young people and their families. One young person who benefited from COVEY’s work said:
“I can’t believe I am now going out again, I never thought I would want to go and do things, but the support has built up my confidence and I now want to get my life back”.
I used to be a volunteer befriender with COVEY when I was a student at university, so I appreciate how rewarding the experience can be.
We should celebrate the work of such organisations at every opportunity. I am grateful that tonight’s debate and the forthcoming national action aimed at tackling loneliness will drive change.
18:13
I thank Rhoda Grant for bringing this important issue to the Parliament for debate this evening, in the form of her motion, and I thank all the members who have spoken so well in the debate.
There is undoubtedly an increasing awareness and recognition in our society of the importance of meaningful and sustainable social connections for individuals’ health and wellbeing. The “Trapped in a bubble” report adds evidence in that regard.
Some members will recall the good work of the previous session’s Equal Opportunities Committee in its inquiry into age and social isolation. The committee sought to get under the issues that can lead to people becoming lonely or socially isolated. According to Age Scotland, the inquiry was the first of its kind in the world. That is surprising, when we think about it, and it is a sign that the debate in Scotland is ahead of the curve on this issue, as it is on so many issues.
When the committee’s findings were published, I recall that they generated a significant amount of media interest, along with the recognition that social isolation and loneliness are major public health issues of our time.
We also recognise the impact that a lack of social contact can have on the health and wellbeing of individuals, the reality of which is felt across all spaces and sectors of society.
Members who have spoken in the debate have identified that there are many different factors that can trigger loneliness in different people. That is why many voluntary groups set themselves up in their communities. I do not share Alison Harris’s doom-and-gloom perception, as there are still many groups in our communities that help to prevent social isolation, such as mother and toddler groups that come out of antenatal classes. Just last week, I visited the Juno project in Sighthill, which is for mums with postnatal depression. Many such groups evolve in our communities.
I agree with all the comments that have been made so far in the debate. Does the minister recognise that cuts to local government budgets and local communities put the squeeze on third sector organisations that look to the public sector for funding to support people? She mentioned day care to address loneliness, for example. Does she recognise that those cuts have an impact?
If the member can wait a minute, I will tell him what support we are giving to the organisations that he mentions.
The committee’s inquiry made several important recommendations that the Scottish Government accepted. Most importantly, we included in our manifesto a commitment to develop a national strategy for tackling social isolation and loneliness in order to address those issues. My ministerial colleague Jeane Freeman is leading on that work and has already had constructive dialogue with many older people through various older people’s organisations. She is also engaging with younger people and other groups in developing the strategy, and a draft for consultation will be published later this year.
Alongside developing a strategy, we have taken practical action. For this financial year, we introduced a one-year £500,000 social isolation and loneliness fund, which focused on supporting grass-roots, community-based projects to tackle social isolation with a range of groups. Thirty-six organisations were successful in gaining grants from that fund. Some excellent work has been done and we will consider the learning that has been gathered from that for future funding arrangements.
More broadly, we have just rolled out three-year funding for equality organisations, many of which do vital work in tackling these issues across Scotland’s communities. Our £20 million empowering communities fund is supporting community-led projects to tackle the social isolation that is experienced by older people. We have also supported efforts to strengthen volunteering across Scotland, including with £8 million of funding for our third sector interfaces, which, among other things, are tasked with volunteer development.
I was pleased that Colin Smyth mentioned the Food Train and how it has expanded from Dumfries and Galloway. When I was the Minister for Public Health, I visited the project in Dundee, where students and others are making meals for older people—particularly recently widowed men who have perhaps not been involved in cooking before. I was impressed with that volunteer service, which people really appreciated. I am sure that, like me, other members have men’s sheds in their areas, which go a long way towards helping not just men but others. I am a regular visitor to the men’s shed in Portlethen, in my constituency.
Rhoda Grant’s motion rightly refers to the particular challenges that are faced in the Highlands and Islands. It is vital that the forthcoming national strategy recognises the challenges that exist for those who live in remote and rural communities. Being able to get out and about is a major determinant of whether people are able to build and sustain social connections. I am sure that Rhoda—who, like me, comes from a rural area—knows how much people in those communities support others to get out and about, to get their shopping and to get to appointments.
It is important that we continue to support the concessionary travel scheme for older and disabled people, the funding for which we have increased to more than £200 million in this financial year. The support that is provided to community bus projects is important in that area, too.
There is increasing recognition that, if we tackle issues of loneliness effectively, that could lead to a breakthrough in our preventative approach. As Minister for Mental Health, I am deeply aware of the impacts that those issues have on mental health, which is why we are making close connections between our mental health strategy and our work on social isolation. In relation to what Liam McArthur said, our manifesto commitment on the
“ask once, get help fast”
principle is extremely important. That might be a low-level intervention, such as peer support or putting people in touch with individuals and organisations. The befriending service that Liam McArthur mentioned is important, too.
There is broad consensus that addressing such issues is critical to improving public health and ensuring that people can live longer, healthier lives. We need to look holistically at social isolation and loneliness, and we must offer a range of interventions that create a platform for people to build meaningful and sustainable social connections.
Since the inquiry, stakeholders have continued to champion the importance of this agenda. At the Gathering 2017, which was held last month, Voluntary Health Scotland hosted a seminar on the development of the strategy that was very well attended. Next month, the Scottish Government will bring together a range of stakeholders to inform our thinking and tell us what they think needs to be reflected in the strategy. It is vital that the strategy is developed in partnership with others.
You must conclude, minister, or we will overrun our time.
Okay.
As many members have said, it is really important for all of us—as friends, neighbours, colleagues and human beings—just to say hello. Even a smile helps with preventing loneliness and social isolation.
Thank you very much.
Meeting closed at 18:22.Previous
Decision Time