Epilepsy Fieldwork Service

We provide an Epilepsy Fieldwork Service that covers Grampian and Fife. Four Fieldworkers each cover a geographical area of Grampian and one in Fife; a Fieldwork Manager is responsible for the service in both.

Fieldworkers work in the community with people with epilepsy, their families and carers, and other professionals who support them. We provide information and support especially after a new diagnosis but it is surprising how many people have been living with epilepsy for years and have very little understanding about the condition. We advise about a healthy lifestyle and encourage clients to manage their condition.

This advice and support also includes family members, for example children may be young carers for a parent with epilepsy. And they need support.

We advise on benefits, housing, employment, and signposting people in the right direction to get specific help. For forms such as Disability Living Allowance, others including benefit offices, ask our help in completing these, as epilepsy can present in so many different ways and the psychological effect of seizures, or not knowing when they will  have a seizure, cannot be underestimated. Our knowledge of epilepsy is essential to convey this on many generic forms.

Clients can seek help with employers, we can advocate on an employees behalf when epilepsy becomes an issue in the workplace. We offer advice to employers so they know what appropriate steps to take should an employee have epilepsy.

Training, in epilepsy awareness and the administration of rescue medication is provided to schools, nurseries, workplaces, families, carers and voluntary and statutory organisations. We provide support to some GP practices with epilepsy review clinics and attend the nurse and consultant-led clinics where we give information and advice and can follow up issues that are discussed.

We seek to raise awareness of epilepsy and by doing so reduce the stigma that people with epilepsy still face. We work with people in a holistic manner, encouraging them to be involved in decision making and planning the next step. This means joint working with families, health, social work and other voluntary organisations to improve the quality of life for people referred to the service.

If someone in our areas has been referred to the Scottish Epilepsy Centre, we can provide support both before and following their assessment.

For some, our intervention may be brief and they can continue with their life having the information and support they need. For others, our input will be longer term, especially if they have epilepsy plus any co-existing condition, such as a learning disability, mental health problem or physical disability.

We also are involved with local support groups based in Banff, Ellon, Elgin, Buckie, Peterhead and Kirkcaldy each of whom set their own agenda and activities.

The service is provided free to clients and is partly funded by the NHS and Social Work. The remainder of the funding needed comes for voluntary donations and Quarriers.

Find an Epilepsy Fieldworker near you