Spinal Injuries Scotland (SIS) is a national voluntary organisation concerned with new and long-term spinal cord injured people, their relatives and friends, along with those involved in the management, care and rehabilitation of the injury and provides a wide range of services including:

  • Freephone advice line.
  • Peer support – volunteers are positive role models who demonstrate that there is still life after a spinal cord injury.
  • Mentoring – to support and guide members as they set and work towards their goals for their personal journey.
  • Link scheme – putting members in contact with people in their area who have been through a similar experience.
  • Legal and welfare advice – referring members to legal and welfare experts.
  • Spinal Injuries Scotland Grants Scheme – a limited number of small grants available to members with a spinal cord injury, considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Stay at Clober Farm – Our specially adapted holiday accommodation near Glasgow.

SISLogo

SIS provides immediate support through the office based information service and operates a self-referral information line. They also provide a legal and welfare rights advisory service. Their peer support volunteers, who are able to discuss all aspects of living with a spinal cord injury, undertake twice weekly visits to the Spinal Injuries Unit at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

SIS supports members’ efforts to secure their rights and entitlements through a legal and welfare referral service provided in partnership with Digby Brown Solicitors. This provides free legal advice and discounted legal services including: welfare rights representation, personal injury claims, personal injury settlement trusts, power of attorney, guardianships, wills or executory matters, buying or selling your house, independent financial advice and family law and divorce.

In addition there is liaison with other similar voluntary and professional organisations so that the issues surrounding spinal cord injury are recognised and understood.

Peer Support

Peer Support is at the heart of what SIS does. Drawing upon personal experiences of the challenges of living with a spinal cord injury, the peer support volunteers are able to provide support to those in the spinal unit as well as those in the community. The peer support team has a wealth of knowledge about living life with a spinal cord injury and each has a different experience they are happy to discuss. Volunteers are carefully screened to ensure that they have the understanding, skills and competencies to be able to deal with the often difficult and complex issues that are raised by the newly injured.

A member of the peer support team attends the review clinics at the spinal unit. The spinal unit in Glasgow is the only one in Scotland and outreach clinics are held throughout the country.  SIS attends six outreach clinics, providing information, advice and support as appropriate. This is quite challenging given the time and distance involved.

Education Projects

SIS is also involved with a number of Education Projects:

–    Safe Drive Stay Alive road safety event (education programme targeted at

    secondary school pupils as a thought provoking message to young drivers).

–    Young Drivers road safety event (targeted presentation to sixth year pupils, where

    representatives share their experiences of being involved in a road traffic collision).

–   Glasgow Caledonian University (presentations to medical students and involvement in

    redesign of nursing programme delivery for the upcoming intake of nursing students).

–   Glasgow University (presentations to nursing students about the rehabilitation programme in the spinal unit and the process of preparing for discharge).

–    Scottish Government Blue Badge consultation (board members and volunteers contributed to debate on proposed rules for the new Blue Badge scheme).

Clober Farm

clober-farm-sis

Spinal Injuries Scotland was bequeathed this Grade C listed property in Milngavie near Glasgow and converted it to fully accessible accommodation. Situated close to Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, Clober Farm remains a jewel in the crown for SIS.

Designed with wheelchair users in mind and providing the enviable combination of level access, a wetroom, hoist, shower chairs and specialised bed, together with an adapted kitchen and accessible garden, it affords those holidaying the opportunity to experience a degree of independent living to a level seldom achievable elsewhere.

Further details on Clober Farm can be obtained via our website: www.sisonline.org

Our website, quarterly magazine and Facebook presence enable us to reach further, sharing our knowledge and advice on any matters which our members raise. These encompass the realities of independent living with spinal cord injury and extend to advice on issues such as holidays at home and abroad, sports, hobbies and mobility aids.

More:

For more information contact the Spinal Injuries Scotland office on:

Tel:  0141-427 7686

Freephone: 0800 0132 305

www.sisonline.org

Charity Reg No:  SCO15405