Day: March 30, 2020

Plans in place to support vulnerable pupils

Plans to ensure learning continues for Edinburgh’s vulnerable young people are being put in place across the Capital.

Two dedicated hub schools opened today for identified children with complex additional support needs, including those of key workers.

A programme of activities, planned in conjunction with the pupils’ own class teachers, will be delivered by staff from special schools and supported by teams from the Additional Support for Learning service (ASL). Both schools will continue to be open over the Easter holidays.

Other children and young people with additional support needs are being supported by their schools through a combination of video conferencing, online learning activities and learning packs which have been sent home by their schools.

Class teams are in regular contact with these pupils to support their wellbeing and ensure their learning continues with 250 iPads being allocated to allow face to face contact for vulnerable children.

Our schools are teaming up with psychological services and other partners to provide further family support, advice and remote learning for vulnerable pupils. The ASL service has shared a list of recommended resources and contact details with schools, early years settings and families to support children with complex needs.

The ASL teams have also put in place bespoke one to one support for our children, young people and families with the highest need with a large focus being on the outdoors. To achieve this they will be using the hubs they have set up at Urban Nature and our own Seaview Centre.

Th council is currently working with partners to ensure that provision is available for children with complex additional support needs whose parents are key workers, and our children with the most complex needs, over the Easter holidays.

Information about this will be shared directly with parents next week.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “Our special schools and the Additional Support for Learning service have been working extremely hard to make sure parents and carers for children with additional support needs have been supplied with online and digital resources along with home learning materials.

This is clearly a very worrying time for everyone in the city but even more so for those families with children who have additional support needs. The team have pulled out all the stops to ensure learning can continue for these young people and support for keyworker families continues.

Depute Leader Cammy Day said ‘Opening the two schools means that those young people with the most complex needs will continue to receive learning and their parents and carers are being supported.

This is very much a team effort and I would like to thank all partners for their support for our vulnerable learners during this challenging time.

Stand-by vets needed at LOVE Gorgie Farm

LOVE Gorgie Farm is looking for volunteers with vet and animal caring experience who wish to assist the farm team in taking care of the animals to get in touch.

Although the farm is currently operating as a foodbank and it is closed to visitors amid coronavirus outbreak, their team made of three is still working behind closed doors to maintain the site and take care of the animals until the situation goes back to normality.

LOVE Gorgie Farm is now looking to build a contingency plan to secure the welfare of the animals by building a database of volunteers who would be able to step in if a scenario was given where any members of the team fell sick or needed to self-isolate.

LOVE Gorgie Farm, which opened its doors to the public last month, decided to temporarily close earlier this week in order to ensure the safety of its visitors, staff and animals.

It is currently operating as a foodbank for the most vulnerable and delivers free breakfast every morning to the children of the community now that schools are closed.

Lynn Bell, CEO of LOVE Learning, education and social care charity operating LOVE Gorgie Farm said: “The fact that we are closed to the public does not mean that the farm is not operational. We still have our dedicated team working very hard to ensure the welfare of farm.

“To do this, it is vital that we have a contingency plan in case anyone in the team falls sick or needs to self-isolate, so that our animals are well looked after.

“We understand that in this particular moment in time there is an enormous pressure on front line workers, and these of course includes veterinarians.

“Taking this into consideration, we are only asking those that would like to volunteer to register with us and if at any point we need their help we will get in touch with them.

“We are overwhelmed by all the support and generosity we have received from the community during these critical times. It has certainly surpassed all our expectations and we are sure that their invaluable help will continue to amaze us as we work through this crisis.”

Those wanting to get in touch with the farm should contact gorgie@l-o-v-e.org.uk

Tenants ‘tuck in’ to new development shop

AN Edinburgh housing development has opened an inhouse shop to help older and vulnerable people keep stocked with vital supplies in light of Scotland’s lockdown response to COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff at Bield’s Castlebrae Glebe in Craigmillar have taken it upon themselves to open a tuck shop within the development to enable tenants to get basic groceries without stepping a foot outside their home.

Sharon Tomany, Development Manager at Castlebrae Glebe, said: “We thought of opening a shop within the development after the government’s announcement advising people to stay at home.

“We thought it would be a good idea to open the little shop as many of our tenants became slightly worried about not being able to get the required shopping essentials during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“It is important to pull together as a community during these tough times and we are doing everything we can to keep Castlebrae Glebe a happy and safe place at a stressful time for many of our tenants.”

Tenants can purchase a wide range of items at the tuck shop style shop, from biscuits to toilet roll to shower gel. An extra effort will also be made to source specially requested items, if it is possible to source them.

Lynne Douglas, Chief Executive at Bield, said: “As an organisation we are looking to do anything we can to help our customers during this tough time, while following government guidelines.

“It is lovely to hear our developments pulling together as a community to help each other – introducing an inhouse shop is a small way our amazing staff and volunteers are looking to make this time that little bit easier.

“We appreciate the continued understanding and support of customers, families and staff as we work together to positively contribute to Scotland’s response to coronavirus.”

To find out more about Bield and its developments, visit www.bield.co.uk  or follow on Facebook @bieldhousingandcare and Twitter @BieldScotland

Cab app offers 50% discount for NHS heroes

The UK’s leading black cab app, FREE NOW, together with Edinburgh’s taxi drivers is launching its “NHS Heroes” booking option to offer 50% off taxis for NHS workers in Edinburgh. The initiative aims to allow anyone working for the NHS to get to and from hospitals safely and quickly.

With cabbies being integral in keeping the city moving, FREE NOW has developed tech to specifically enable reduced prices for NHS workers with its new “NHS Heroes” booking option.

The initiative follows a survey of London black cab drivers that use the FREE NOW app, where an overwhelming 97% wanted to offer their support for NHS workers during this crisis. Following driver demand, the black cab app is now rolling this out to Edinburgh.

FREE NOW does not make any profit from these jobs and the company is also speaking to the Government to explore what more can be done to support NHS staff.

Vandana Prashar, Head of Operations at FREE NOW said: “As many public transport options are reduced to align with social distancing measures, our doctors, nurses and all NHS front line staff are reliant on alternative options to get to hospitals to help those in need. 

“It is a testament to Edinburgh’s black cab drivers that they are willing to step up, even when their earnings are taking a hit in these uncertain times to help NHS staff.

“The divider screens between driver and passenger in black cabs help to limit human contact, they are also easy to clean, and all black cab drivers have unrivalled knowledge of the city helping to get NHS workers to and from work in as little time as possible.”

The NHS Heroes booking option is available in London, Oxford, Reading, Nottingham, Edinburgh and Manchester.

FREE NOW is also offering a similar service in Spain and looking at how this can be rolled out to the 10 countries it operates in across Europe.

The NHS heroes booking option is available for all NHS workers and will run in the FREE NOW app for the foreseeable future.

Anybody wishing to sponsor Black Cabs for NHS staff further can do so here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/freenow-nhsheroes?utm_term=QjxgaAng9

Free hospital TV for patients

Patients in six hospitals across Scotland, including Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary, are to receive free bedside television for the next three months.

While restrictions are in place for visiting patients in hospitals, and in recognition of the impact this could have on the wellbeing of patients, the Scottish Government has agreed a package with broadcast providers Hospedia to give free TV to all inpatients for the next three months.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “We know that being in hospital can be a lonely time, and even more so when your visitors are significantly restricted.

“Doing what we can to limit the spread of Covid-19 is the right thing to do, but we also need to make sure we’re taking care of the wellbeing of our hospital in-patients wherever we can.

“That is why for a temporary period of three months, we are covering the cost of providing bedside television to every hospital in-patient in Scotland. We are asking our patients and visitors to work with us to save lives by helping limit the spread of coronavirus.”

There are approximately 3,400 bedside units which can use Hospedia televisions across six Scottish hospitals, which can cost a patient £7.90 per day.

The hospitals covered by Hospedia include sites in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Grampian, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Highland, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Lothian.

All other hospitals in Scotland will continue to have existing TV services provided by the local health board free of charge.

The agreement to suspend television fees follows the announcement earlier this week that all parking charges will be waived for three months at the three hospital car parks in Scotland where charges remain – Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Ninewells Hospital in Dundee and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Coronavirus: crackdown on fake news

Specialist units across the UK Government are working at pace to combat false and misleading narratives about coronavirus, ensuring the public has the right information to protect themselves and save lives.

The Rapid Response Unit, operating from within the Cabinet Office and No10, is tackling a range of harmful narratives online – from purported ‘experts’ issuing dangerous misinformation to criminal fraudsters running phishing scams.

Up to 70 incidents a week, often false narratives containing multiple misleading claims, are being identified and resolved. The successful ‘Don’t Feed the Beast’ public information campaign will also relaunch, to empower people to question what they read online.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “We need people to follow expert medical advice and stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. It is vital that this message hits home and that misinformation and disinformation which undermines it is knocked down quickly.

“We’re working with social media companies, and I’ll be pressing them this week for further action to stem the spread of falsehoods and rumours which could cost lives.”

When false narratives are identified, the government’s Rapid Response Unit coordinates with departments across Whitehall to deploy the appropriate response. This can include a direct rebuttal on social media, working with platforms to remove harmful content and ensuring public health campaigns are promoted through reliable sources.

The unit is one of the teams feeding into the wider Counter Disinformation Cell led by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, made up of experts from across government and in the tech sector.

The Cell is engaging with social media platforms and with disinformation specialists from civil society and academia, to establish a comprehensive overview of the extent, scope and impact of disinformation related to coronavirus.

The Culture Secretary will be contacting social media companies this week to thank them for their good efforts to date, assess the progress made and discuss what other potential measures can be put in place to ensure accurate, honest information consistently reaches users of their platforms.

Penny Mordaunt, Paymaster General, said: “Holding your breath for ten seconds is not a test for coronavirus and gargling water for 15 seconds is not a cure – this is the kind of false advice we have seen coming from sources claiming to be medical experts.

“That is why government communicators are working in tandem with health bodies to promote official medical advice, rebut false narratives and clamp down on criminals seeking to exploit public concern during this pandemic.

“But the public can also help with this effort, so today we implore them to take some simple steps before sharing information online, such as always reading beyond the headline and scrutinising the source.”

The public can help stop the spread of potentially dangerous or false stories circulating online by following official government guidance – the ‘SHARE’ checklist (see below).

This includes basic but essential advice such as checking the source of a story and analysing the facts before sharing.

Certain states routinely use disinformation as a policy tool, so the government is also stepping up its efforts to share its assessments on coronavirus disinformation with international partners.

Working collaboratively has already helped make the UK safer, providing ourselves and our allies with a better understanding of how different techniques are used as part of malicious information operations – and how to protect against those techniques more effectively.

These measures follow recent advice from the National Cyber Security Centre, which revealed a range of attacks being perpetrated online by cyber criminals seeking to exploit coronavirus earlier this month.

This included guidance on how to spot and deal with suspicious emails related to coronavirus, as well as mitigate and defend against malware and ransomware.

To help the public spot false information, the UK Government is running the SHARE checklist and Don’t Feed The Beast campaign.

This gives the public five easy steps to follow to identify whether information may be misleading:

  • Source – make sure information comes from a trusted source
  • Headline – always read beyond the headline
  • Analyse – check the facts
  • Retouched – does the image or video look as though it has been doctored?
  • Error – look out for bad grammar and spelling.

Extra protection for tenants

Private and social tenants will be given increased protection from eviction during the coronavirus pandemic.

Emergency legislation will increase the minimum notice period for private and social tenants to up to six months depending on the grounds used, helping to protect them from eviction.

The Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill, to be introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 31 March, will contain substantial further powers and measures to ensure essential public services can continue throughout the coronavirus outbreak.

Constitution Secretary Michael Russell said: “Our lives are being affected as we all play our part in trying to slow the spread of coronavirus and follow the essential public health advice to stay at home.

“For some households and businesses there will be financial difficulties ahead and that could include struggling to pay the rent.

“While all tenants experiencing issues with rent arrears should firstly explain their circumstances to their landlords, this new emergency legislation will provide an important backstop to prevent evictions and relieve the financial pressure people may be facing.

“We are also encouraging all landlords to be as flexible as possible during this unprecedented time and would urge them to also seek assistance if necessary by speaking to their lenders about mortgage breaks.

“This bill will provide substantial additional emergency powers to help the justice system, public services and the economy to cope. These measures, which will be strictly limited to the duration of the outbreak, are absolutely necessary to help us all through the coming months.

“The Scottish Government welcomes the very positive all-party discussions that have allowed this legislation to be drafted so quickly. These new measures will help us all as we work to tackle the virus.”

SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald has welcomed the Scottish Government announcement that private and social tenants in Edinburgh are to be given increased protection from eviction during the coronavirus pandemic.

Emergency legislation will increase the minimum notice period for private and social tenants to up to six months depending on the grounds used, helping to protect them from eviction.

The Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill, which contains substantial further powers and measures to ensure essential public services can continue throughout the coronavirus outbreak, will be introduced in the Scottish Parliament tomorrow (Tuesday).

SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald said: “We must all work together to meet this challenge, which is why measures to prevent evictions and relieve some of the financial pressure people in Edinburgh may be facing due to the coronavirus crisis are welcome. 

“The Scottish Government has also encouraged all landlords to be as flexible as possible during this unprecedented time, and I would urge them to also seek assistance if necessary by speaking to their lenders about mortgage breaks.

“No-one should face losing their home as a result of this coronavirus pandemic. The move to ban evictions during this crisis will bring security to people’s lives when they need it most.”

Coronavirus appeal: Don’t order unnecessary prescriptions

GPs and Pharmacists across Greater Glasgow and Clyde have faced a high demand for prescriptions since the COVID-19 outbreak began and the country’s biggest health board is urging patients to not request or fill unnecessary repeat prescriptions.

It’s an appeal that will be echoed across the country.

GP practices and community pharmacies continue to operate. Patients are asked to phone in the first instance for any queries that are not coronavirus-related. For any patients with coronavirus symptoms, they are urged to consult NHS Inform or call NHS24 on 111.

Alan Harrison, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said:  “A huge thank you to all GP practice and community pharmacy teams who continue to care for patients in extremely challenging circumstances.  

“But they are facing an unnecessary strain because individuals are requesting and filling prescriptions when they do not need to.

“That’s why we’re asking the public to please help us and not order unnecessary prescriptions. We’re all in this together.”

Scotland Cares: national volunteering plan launched

A new ‘Scotland Cares’ campaign has been launched to encourage people to volunteer during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

While the most important ask for the public remains to stay at home and follow the essential public health guidance, people who are healthy and not at risk can volunteer to provide practical or emotional help to those most in need.

A similar campaign launched in England last week has seen more than 750,000 volunteers sign up.

Those wanting to volunteer to support their communities have three options which are signposted from the Ready Scotland website:

• returning NHS workers will be directed to existing voluntary arrangements in NHS Scotland

• people wishing to offer their support to our public services, including the NHS and local authorities, will be directed to a site co-ordinated by the British Red Cross

• those looking for opportunities with other charities or community groups in their area will be directed to Volunteer Scotland for information

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We know there are a huge number of people who are already volunteering and many more with a desire to help their communities, public services and voluntary organisations. And for that we are incredibly grateful.

“This site means that those who are able to can contribute in a way which makes a real difference. It helps people to help each other, as we all get through this together.”

Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The Scottish Government is working closely with local government and a range of partners to co-ordinate the volunteering effort across Scotland.

“By providing this national portal we will be able to connect people to where their contribution is most needed in their local community, ensuring everyone can play their part in helping Scotland come through this pandemic.

“For some, that may involve roles responding to specific needs in health and social care. For others, it may be that we draw on their skills, enthusiasm and energy in the weeks and months to come.

“It is important to remember that the most helpful thing many of us can continue to do to help the NHS is to stay at home and follow all COVID-19 guidance.”

Volunteers who want to support their communities should visit www.ReadyScotland.org to find out how they can help.

The website is being constantly updated and provides advice on volunteering safely and the organisations to register an interest with such as Volunteer Scotland and the Red Cross.

Businesses who can offer support should email covid19response@gov.scot

In line with Scotland’s current stay at home rules the public can only volunteer to carry out tasks which involve leaving their home, once a day, if you are not required to be isolating and are not in any risk categories.

A similar campaign launched in England last week has seen more than 750,000 volunteers sign up.

Please check the latest advice at www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus