PAMIS (Promoting a more inclusive society) are delighted to be on of 49 organisations to have been awarded funding from The Health and Social care Alliance Self-Management. PAMIS is the only charity that solely supports children, young people (CYP) and adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and their families to lead healthy, valued and included lives. The announcement was made by Humza Yousaf MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and Professor Ian Welsh OBE, Chief Executive of the ALLIANCE at their annual Conference. This investment from the Self Management Fund, administered by the ALLIANCE, is made possible by the continued support and investment from the Scottish Government of £2 million annually, as well as an additional investment of £150,000 from the William Grant Foundation.

The £56,742 award over two years will support PAMIS’ progression with the postural care programme. People with poor body have a greater risk of developing serious health complications including difficulties with breathing, skin breakdown, pain and can be a contributory cause of preventable deaths. This project will support families of people with a profound learning and multiple disability (PMLD) to learn about how to protect body shape and how to develop a digital passport (an electronic flip through book) that will support the family and the person with PMLD to tell people how to care for them.  PAMIS will be working across the NHS areas Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Dumfries & Galloway, Ayrshire & Arran, Highland, Lothian and Shetland making connections with families and Allied Health Professionals. This project also supports the ambitions of the new Scottish postural care strategy Your Posture Matters.

Professor Ian Welsh OBE, said:

“These projects reflect the substantial need that has arisen as a result of the pandemic and the restrictions taken which has led many children and adults living with long term conditions to experience a deterioration in their overall health and wellbeing.”

Michelle Morrison – Postural Care lead for Pamis, said:

PAMIS is delighted to have received funding through The Health and Social Care Alliance self-management fund which will enable us to progress the postural care programme which has been led by families of people with a profound learning and multiple disabilities. Learning how to protect body shape we know is instrumental in preventing serious health consequences so supporting families to develop their knowledge and skills is essential. This project combines two key family led PAMIS programmes – postural care and the PAMIS digital passport and will engage many new families who need these resources. It comes at a fantastic time as the Scottish postural care strategy Your Posture Matters is launched. Again, PAMIS and the  families we work with were instrumental in the development of this and although it has taken many years we are really proud to be a part of ensuring the message about good postural care saving lives is heard far and wide. We really hope this will reduce the number of avoidable deaths in this group and get us all to realise that good postural care is everybody’s business.”