Thursday 15 September 2022

Unfortunately, due to some circumstances out with our control we have rescheduled our Golf Day to Thursday 15 September 2022, and it will not go ahead on 31 March as originally planned. 

JCS are disappointed to have to make this change at short notice, but the safety of our supporters, attendees, volunteers and staff remains our priority.  The good news is there is still time to tee up your team, secure a sponsorship slot and to practice your putting!

Teams of four will enjoy breakfast on arrival before taking on 18-holes on the stunning, coastal King Robert the Bruce course at Turnberry in Ayrshire.  Entry is £400 per team and also includes a snack bag per player, two-course meal and prize giving!  If you’re not so lucky on the course on the day all guests will also have the chance to pick up a prize in our prize draw, with all funds raised going towards the vital services that JCS provide.

For more information on sponsorship or to book your team, email Robyn on robynf@jcarescot.org.uk.

 

All health and social care services in Scotland have a duty of candour. This is a legal requirement which means that when things go wrong and mistakes happen, the people affected understand what has happened, receive an apology, and that organisations learn how to improve for the future.

An important part of this duty is that we provide an annual report about the duty of candour in our services.  JCS are pleased to have this week published a short report describing how our care service has operated the duty of candour during the time between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021.

We hope you find this report useful.

Burns Night Firewalk postponed

 

Unfortunately, with continuing uncertainty around COVID-19 restrictions, emerging variants and our priority to keep our supporters, staff, volunteers and wider community safe, we have made the difficult decision to postpone our Burns Night Firewalk.

 

We have secured the alternative date of Sunday 6 November 2022, and hope that it will be safer to go ahead with our event then.

 

All participants have been contacted to confirm the change of date and good news – there are still places available to take part!!  Get in touch with our team by emailing robynf@jcarescot.org.uk for more information or to register now.

 

Kitchen upgrade at Jewish Care Scotland Walton Centre

 

Members of the community returned to Welcome Wednesday at Jewish Care Scotland’s (JCS) Walton Centre this week to find the facilities had been upgraded.  The sessions were temporarily moved to Giffnock Shul while the boiler was replaced at JCS, but attendees were pleasantly surprised to see the kitchen serving area within the Day Care Centre had been upgraded during the closure too!

 

JCS Board member and volunteer Jennifer Watson worked with fellow Welcome Wednesday volunteers and a small subcommittee from the Board of Trustees to deliver the upgrade during the temporary building closure.

 

The new-look centre was revealed at Welcome Wednesday, a drop-in café session facilitated by JCS volunteers. Anyone can drop in to socialise as well as to enjoy refreshments including specialty coffees, thanks to the new machine installed by local company Coffee for Life.

 

Registered Manager at JCS, Vicki McPhee said, “We were delighted to be able to surprise the community with this upgrade when Welcome Wednesday returned to May Terrace.  It has really opened up the space, not only improving ventilation but enabling our volunteers and staff to better interact with attendees.  Welcome Wednesday is a great opportunity for people to get together and feel connected with the community and to enjoy a great cup of coffee with friends.”.

 

Welcome Wednesday takes place at JCS, May Terrace every Wednesday between 12 and 3pm (excluding Wednesday 29 December 2021).

 

JCS Service update

15 December 2021

 

In light of the recent updated guidance from the Scottish Government, the management team at JCS have taken the decision to continue to run our vital services with some amendments to increase safety and reduce risks to our community, volunteers and staff.  JCS, and the Scottish Government, recognise the importance of maintaining social interaction and connections on our mental wellbeing.

 

Following the First Minister’s update on 14 December we have reviewed our current risk assessment for Welcome Wednesday and updated it with the additional measures outlined below:

• We have reinstated our previous capacity for the space of 42 to ensure physical distancing can be maintained
• We will continue to encourage physical distancing  between attendees and groups from no more than three households sit together
• All volunteers are already asked to conduct an LFT prior to carrying out their role and we are extending this ask to all attendees to test themselves before attending.   If anyone needs support to access tests please contact our Community and Wellbeing team for further information and advice by emailing hello@jcarescot.org.uk
• We will be able to accept card donations only at Welcome Wednesday.

 

In addition,  our Covid Secure procedures and risk assessment have been reviewed in line with guidance regarding provision of care received from the Scottish Government  and the Care Inspectorate and we continue to provide building-based and community services in line with this.

These additional measures, together with our existing safeguards, allow us to manage the risk as far as reasonably practicable.  We will, of course, regularly review the situation, both for our drop in and Registered services.

 

 

This week leaders of the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council (GJRC) met with the Jewish Care Scotland (JCS) leadership team to share ideas, discuss current projects and opportunities to work more closely in the future.

The GJRC shared recent successes including their involvement in a community-led Afghan Refugee Project and the many events planned around the upcoming COP26 conference. JCS recounted the triumph of the recently launched Welcome Wednesday sessions and there was a positive energy around the shared values of the individuals and organisations involved.

Conducted online, the meeting is the start of collaborative working between the two organisations who each represent and support the Jewish Community in Glasgow and beyond. The GJRC represents the Glasgow Jewish community externally and internally working with agencies including Police Scotland and the Scottish Government, while JCS provides care and support directly to those who need it.

JCS Chief Executive Julie Marshall, “It was great to meet with our colleagues at GJRC this week to learn about their objectives, and current projects. It is clear that GJRC and JCS have a lot of shared goals which are designed to benefit the Jewish community in Glasgow and beyond and I look forward to working more closely with them in the future.”

GJRC President Paul Edlin said: “I’m delighted to be forging such a strong alliance between the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council and Jewish Care Scotland and we are looking forward to working together for the benefit of the Jewish community in the Glasgow area in a most productive way.”

This is an exciting time for both organisations, independently and jointly. Keep an eye on social media, online and in the press for future developments.

Volunteers are leading a new drop-in get together at JCS Walton Community Care Centre from Wednesday 6 October.  Welcome Wednesdays will be on each week from 1pm to 4pm offering a place for people to meet up. JCS Welcome Wednesday

 

The charity welcomed back clients to their day care service, the JCS Wellbeing Hub, in July and are delighted to now host more of the community at Welcome Wednesdays.

 

Lynsey Allan, Head of Service for Community and Wellbeing, said, “With so many changes to the way we support the community since 2020, we are delighted that our volunteers are leading on this initiative, allowing more people to get together.  Their commitment allows our team to continue delivering social support to those who need it at home, while Welcome Wednesdays will be a great place for the community to socialise.”

 

Welcome Wednesdays will run weekly from Wednesday 6 October. Anyone is encouraged to come along for a coffee and a catch up.  Attendees should note that this service is volunteer-led with no access to JCS staff.  If you’re interested in coming along and want to know more visit www.jcarescot.org.uk or email hello@jcarescot.org.uk. 

Since our annual appeal launched last month, we have been inundated with generous donations and continued support from our community.  With the recent and upcoming Jewish festivals and our AGM just taking place I wanted to take this time to reflect on the past twelve months and to look ahead to the new year.

 

Nobody could have guessed this time last year that we would still be living with COVID-19 so prominent in the news, on our minds or in our communities.  It continues to play a part in our daily lives, continues to affect our health as well as our wellbeing.  Professionally and personally, it can be overwhelming at times.

 

My team at JCS have risen to every challenge that COVID-19 has presented with compassion and conviction and they have continued to support those who need us when they needed us most, I am immensely proud of each of them.  We have adapted to caring for our community while living with this virus to ensure that we can be there for our community, be there to support their needs in the safest way possible.

 

We could never have predicted the restrictions and lockdowns that were imposed in 2020 and with so many uncertainties around controlling the spread of the virus still ahead, JCS are preparing for every possibility in the coming winter months.  That’s why we need your support now more than ever, we can’t do it alone.

 

As restrictions ease, we look optimistically towards the next 12 months as we continue to work with our clients, our community, and our volunteers to listen to what they need moving forward.  Our amazing volunteers will have a central role in creating a welcoming and united community atmosphere as we support them to run a new volunteer-led drop-in café.  This will free up our staff to continue to deliver registered day care and provide support visits in the home for our most vulnerable.

However, we remain poised to react to the reintroduction of restrictions or lockdowns throughout the winter months.  We know too well the impact that these measures can have on individuals, our wider community and our colleagues and we are ready to react if need be.

With your help, we will continue to provide and promote culturally sensitive support for anyone who needs us, we will care for our community by continuing to visit and check in on our most vulnerable members.  More than ever there will be a focus on improving emotional wellbeing and promoting social interaction as we welcome more of the community back to our centre and provide Kosher meals safely in a community setting.

 

We are doing everything we can, but we need your help.  Please consider donating to our Annual Appeal today and making a difference to our community not only now, but for many years to come.

 

We are delighted to have published a review of our activities, finance and community for 2020/ 2021. Our annual review includes information on how we’re funded.

 

We receive one-off donations, regular gifts and formal grants from Trusts and Foundations amongst other funding.  One of our biggest sources of funding is from the Jewish Blind Society. Their regular donations and support allows us to plan our services for the year ahead.  Thank you to the Jewish Blind Society all of their trustees for their ongoing support.

 

Despite unimaginable challenges from March 2020, JCS Chief Executive Julie Marshall said she is “pleased to see such positivity in the pages and photos of this annual review.  We’ve come together in ways that show the generosity of our supporters and the hugely positive impact that JCS has made to so many in the past year.”

 

You can read this years review here: JEWISH CARE ANNUAL REVIEW 2020 21

 

 

Rabbi Rubin is taking on the Jewish Care Scotland (JCS) Firewalk challenge on Sunday 23 January 2022 to raise vital funds for the Giffnock-based charity.

 

The charity launched the fundraising event in July and the adrenaline challenge will kick-start a year of fundraising events in 2022.  The event will take place at the Walton Community Care Centre, the charity’s headquarters, in Giffnock with participants taking on a short training session before braving the burning embers!

 

Rabbi Rubin, who has taken part in a similar event in the past, is looking forward to getting involved saying that, “It’s lots of fun and laughter!”.

 

Robyn Friel, Head of Fundraising at JCS, said “We are delighted to have the support of Rabbi Rubin for our first fundraising event of 2022.  After such a difficult time we can’t wait to get back to face to face fundraising events.

 

Our Firewalk coincides with Burns Night and we hope that friends and families of those taking part will come along, cheer them on and enjoy some Burns themed festivities too!”.

 

The charity are looking for participants to sign up and get involved for a r£20 registration fee and asking that they raise a minimum of £130 sponsorship.  You must be aged 16 or over to take part.  For more information on how to get involved, visit their website at www.jcarescot.org.uk or email Robynf@jcarescot.org.uk.