Month: March 2017

Testing times ahead for new councillors

New councillors elected in May face major challenges and need to focus on improving long-term planning, says the Accounts Commission.

In its 2017 overview published today, the local government spending watchdog outlines a long-term decline in Scottish Government real terms funding which makes up around 60 per cent of council income.

At the same time, there continue to be increasing pressures on services, particularly in social care and education which together account for over 70 per cent of council spending.

The report says councils overall have maintained or improved their performance in the face of these challenges. However, public satisfaction is declining and complaints are increasing. Looking ahead, they need to better involve their communities in service design and deliver.

There are wide variations between councils. Some have grasped the nettle in finding new ways to provide services more efficiently. Others have been slower off the mark. Councils have made savings by cutting jobs but half of them still don’t have organisation-wide workforce plans.

Councils must learn more from each other and collaborate better to improve services and reduce costs.

Councillors elected in May must have the necessary training and tools to do an increasingly complex job determining local priorities, overseeing delivery of essential services and working in partnership with other public bodies to improve outcomes for communities and individuals.

Ronnie Hinds, deputy chair of the Accounts Commission, said: “New councillors will require time to settle in and develop skills to make strategic plans, consider options for service delivery and scrutinise how well this is happening in practice.

“But they have four years ahead of them, and they need to plan effectively for the longer term, work with their communities to decide key priorities and then make that plan happen.

“We hope our report is helpful to councillors and officers as they strive to maintain or improve services for the public with reduced resources.”

The report: nr_170307_local_government_performance

The Scottish Greens have commented on the report. Andy Wightman, the Scottish Greens’ local government spokesperson, said:

“Audit Scotland is right to highlight these challenges. The Scottish Greens are committed to strengthening local democracy in Scotland and that’s why we led a debate on the subject only a few months ago. We will also be publishing proposals later this week on a fiscal framework that details how the financial relationship between Holyrood and local government can be improved.

“The six Green MSPs, who were elected on a manifesto pledge to campaign to devolve decisions and budgets to a more local level, will continue to call for councils to have more powers to implement new structures for local democratic participation.”

Letters: Public support for truly public services

Dear Editor

One of the problems and difficulties most working people have is making ends meet. In most cases, and for many years, wages have been heavily restricted but prices have risen and local services have been repeatedly cut back.

It is no wonder people are searching about for solutions, or in some cases someone to blame. The press, television, etc. have entered the fray in a devisive way, fuelling the blame game on individuals or groups, not dealing with the basic causes of being unable to manage.

To survive, everyone needs electricity and/or gas supplies for heating, cooking and lighting – yet the main supply of these basic needs are in the hands of just six companies who extract millions upon millions of pounds for shareholders: money that could be used by the industries to benefit everyone.

This is a crazy way to run essential services; one most people would agree should be changed.

To survive, most people need transport by rail, bus or tram to access their workplace, paying high fares to do so. Again, these essential services are mostly operated by private companies – and again, most people would agree this should be changed.

These two industries, energy supplies and passenger transport, should operate for the benefit of all. Millions of people would agree with this and vote for it.

The Conservative Party and UKIP will never put working people before the shareholders, the Labour Party would and will do so. This puts the real reason for the non-stop anti-Labour, anti-Jeremy Corbyn campaign into perspective.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Dying from inequality

The suicide rate is three times higher among the poorest Scots, according to a report released today by Samaritans. In the week that Philip Hammond is expected to deliver another austerity Budget, Samaritans are calling for more to be done to tackle inequality.

James Jopling, Executive Director of Samaritans in Scotland, writes:

In 2015, 672 people took their own lives in Scotland. It’s clear however, that some people are unequally bearing this burden.

It is simply not acceptable that the risk of a person taking their own life is substantially increased according to how disadvantaged they may be.

We have made significant progress in Scotland in bringing the suicide rate down. In the ten years from 2002, when the first Choose Life Suicide Prevention Strategy was published, there was an 18 per cent fall in the suicide rate. Yet despite real progress, a significant difference in rates between the most and least deprived people in Scotland persists.

Latest figures for Scotland show that the rate of suicide was three times higher in the most deprived tenth of the population compared to the least deprived tenth.

Increasingly, Samaritans are working with others to benefit those on the margins of society.  We are providing our services in foodbanks, in homeless drop-in centres and other locations where contact from us with people in crisis can play a role in helping them manage the situation they find themselves in.

For the first time, Dying From Inequality sets out exactly what contributes to suicide risk in disadvantaged people and communities. This gives us the vitally important opportunity to galvanise other agencies and decision makers into action. So, we’ll be talking to those who can influence change in housing, stigma, lifestyle behaviours and many of the other factors highlighted in the report. We’ll be talking about Scottish solutions, in a Scottish policy and political context, with key agencies that can help us affect change.

As a starter, we think we need to target local suicide prevention work in areas of deprivation within individual local authorities. We need the forthcoming suicide prevention strategy in Scotland to be joined up with welfare, education, housing and employment policies in Scotland.  When we see large employers downsize or shut down, and local and national government seek to help, let’s make sure that help includes consideration of the mental health of the employees affected during a very difficult period in their lives.

We’ve also previously had targets to train NHS staff in Scotland to recognise and understand individuals who are in distress and may be suicidal, we believe we need this kind of programme to be extended to those agencies who might be dealing with people struggling financially, such as welfare agencies or financial services companies.  An effective and appropriate response could make all the difference.

Because it’s simply not right that so many people struggling with deprivation and poverty across Scotland find taking their own life as the only way out.

Samaritans Dying from inequality report – summary

 

 

Young Scot chief to chair new women’s advisory council

Louise Macdonald OBE, Chief Executive of Young Scot, has been appointed as independent Chair of the Advisory Council which will raise awareness of gender issues, champion the rights of women and girls, and advocate for changes that can be made across society to deliver equality. Continue reading Young Scot chief to chair new women’s advisory council

Scotcash heading east

Award-winning Community Development Finance Institution Scotcash to expand into Edinburgh

Glasgow based social enterprise Scotcash are to make their award-winning inclusive and ethical financial services available to people in Edinburgh for the first time.

With support from Oak Foundation and The Virgin Money Foundation, Scotcash will open a new branch in Edinburgh later this year. 

Since opening in 2007, Scotcash has been tackling financial and social exclusion in Glasgow by targeting and working with people who face barriers to mainstream financial services.

As well as offering affordable loans, Scotcash helps their customers to set up basic bank accounts, connect with local credit unions to begin savings accounts, and referrals for vital money advice. 

Nancy Doyle, Executive Director of Virgin Money Foundation said: “Tackling the root causes of disadvantage is key to regenerating communities across the UK. Our new fund aims to enable activity that can have a positive ripple effect beyond its immediate context and help community hubs to flourish, learn from one another and export best practice.” 

Sharon MacPherson, Chief Executive, Scotcash said: “We are delighted to be awarded funding. This will go a long way towards helping financially excluded citizens in Edinburgh access the financial products and services they need. We know that many people with low incomes pay much more than better off families because they can’t access banking, affordable credit or savings. This award will allow Scotcash to expand our already successful services to Edinburgh and promote financial inclusion across local areas where these services are needed most.” 

A further expansion of Scotcash services is also planned for Inverclyde in the future as part of a separate project. 

Since its launch 10 years ago, Scotcash has retained over £5m in the community through like for like customers savings on interest and has been recognised with accolades from the Guardian, COSLA, and the Giordano Dell’Amore Microfinance Good Practices Europe Award.