Community Navigator Home Support
mPower Community Navigators offer a free service to anyone living in the Western Isles aged 18+ years, particularly those with a long-term condition, to help them live well, safely and independently in their own homes.
The service, through its Community Navigators, supports people with a range of issues in their lives which may affect their health and ability to manage in their home. This may include people who are lonely, socially isolated or simply feeling low and may be finding it difficult coping. The Community Navigators may also be able to assist people with practical difficulties that are affecting their health which could be financial worries, difficulties in heating their home or problems accessing digital services.
It does this by:
- linking people up with local activities and services which support health and wellbeing in their own community
- supporting people use technology to look after their own wellbeing, health and care.
Examples of what we offer:
- Try-before-you-buy scheme for digital equipment (e.g. Samsung Tablets, Alexa and KOMPS) to enable people to find out how things work and if suitable to them.
- Provision of Dongles to enable internet access in homes without WiFi.
- Support to help you access health services online ie. Near Me, Sleepio and SilverCloud.
- Support to help you get access to online services and information that matters to you, ie. local shopping, Church services and digital library loan service.
- Support to help you get access to local community services that help you remain independent and connected to your community.
mPower offers a try-before-you-buy scheme to help individuals see what suits them best. Some of the products we can loan include:
Samsung Tablets – This is a tablet computer, commonly referred to as a Tablet. It is a mobile device with a touchscreen display used with a rechargeable battery.
Alexa – This is a virtual assistant directed by your own voice and offers music playback, making to-do lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, and providing news, weather, traffic, sports, and other real-time information.
KOMP – This is an easy-to-use communication device to help up to eight people stay connected with family members via an app on their phone, and share photos, messages and video calls. Suitable for seniors or those who wanted limited functions.
Dongle – enable internet access in homes without WiFi.
Additional support with use of technology can be provided by Community Navigators who are ‘Digital Champions’.
If you are concerned about staying safe online and would like additional information, please visit Age Concern (link to Staying safe online – tips for older people | Age UK) and Police Scoland (link to: Protecting yourself from cybercrime. – Police Scotland)
The service also offers people free access to a range of online support tools to help with many common problems people may face particularly when managing their long term health conditions. People can use these on their own or with help and encouragement of our Community Navigators. The Community Navigators can help you with any technology needs for using such online resources or with tips and techniques in progressing through the online courses.
Below is a selection of the online courses we offer support with currently:
Sleepio
Sleepio is an online sleep improvement programme based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) which is clinically tested and accredited in the UK by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
It works by helping you to fall asleep, stay asleep and feel energised through the day, learn to regain control of your sleep and address the root of stubborn sleep issues without medication.
Participants complete 6 practical sessions to help improve sleeping patterns naturally. This may reduce or avoid the need for sleeping pills (any changes to medication would only be done in discussion with a patient’s GP).
Those signing up to Sleepio in the Western Isles will have access to the online App for an initial period of 6 weeks to complete the programme and thereafter for up to a year. The Sleepio app uses daily sleep diaries and weekly 20-30 minute tailored sleep guide sessions based on personalised sleep scores and CBT techniques.
You will have access to weekly community chats with sleep experts where you may discuss any sleep-related questions with psychologists in the sleep field and also speak with others suffering poor sleep and users who have completed the programme.
Direct access is available for people living in the Western Isles is: www.sleepio.com/nhs If people express interest in Sleepio on social media they are asked for their email addresses which are forwarded to mPower for the CNs to issue the web address and offer ongoing support.
Further information on the online Sleepio App is available at: www.sleepio.com or by contacting the NHS Western Isles Community Navigator Service by emailing: wi.mpower@nhs.scot
Note. Your contact details will be passed to the NHS Western Isles Community Navigator Service to get in touch via email with you about the programme.
Silvercloud
Silvercloud is a platform providing access to a number of online mental wellbeing programmes, mostly based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques that help people to overcome common mental health problems.
Following an initial assessment participants are set up with access to appropriate modules which can help with sleep, stress, building resilience, grief and other challenging and distressing emotions and situations.
The programme also includes content to support you with common mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety, phobias while specific modules are available to help with mental health aspects of living with long term conditions such as COVID-19, health anxiety, social anxiety, chronic pain, Coronary Heart Disease, Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis and lung conditions. The programme guides you through a range of coping techniques including mindfulness, relaxation and other strategies for managing distress.
Usage of these programmes is overseen by a Community Navigator by emailing: wi.mpower@nhs.scot who:
- monitors and reviews client progress (including questionnaire collection)
- provides feedback, guidance and encouragement, via regular written and/or phone reviews
- arranges Wellbeing Programs (if required) which can also be used in self-help/unsupported mode while mental health modules can be setup following referral from your clinician.
Beating the Blues
Beating the Blues is an online learning programme for coping with depression and anxiety using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and has been made available by the Sottish Government for availability through GP referral.
Beating the Blues has 8 sessions with each lasting approximately 50 minutes to teach you to think differently about yourself and the things that happen to you. It also gives you some ‘doing techniques’ which help you manage aspects of your life better.
Participants will be directed by their GP to the NHS Western Isles Community Navigator Service who will assist them with being set up on the system and provide encouragement and assessments on progress. Further information is available at www.beatingtheblues.co.uk/what-it-is/#beatingblues or by contacting the NHS Western Isles Community Navigator Service.
iESO
iESOis an online tool which offers a series of appointments for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) which is delivered by therapists via online messaging.
The programme offers help with range of mental health difficulties including anxiety, stress, depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), social anxiety and phobias.
Participants can access iESO themselves via the iESO website.
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- LAST REVIEWED ON: January 5, 2021