New funding for veterans

The Scottish Government has pledged £750,000 to support a group of veterans’ charities.

The Unforgotten Forces consortium, which is made up of 16 separate charities, will receive £250,000 each year for the next three years to help with their work.

The consortium, which is led by Poppyscotland and focuses on improving the health, wellbeing and quality of life for veterans aged 65 and older, was previously supported by the UK Government.

However, existing funding arrangements are due to cease at the end of June 2020.

Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans Graeme Dey has now agreed to provide the three year funding package to support the consortium.

In addition, he is writing to HM Treasury to request the UK Government makes a substantial contribution to the consortium to enable the continuation of its work.

Mr Dey said: “The work that these charities are doing for Scotland’s community of older veterans is having a remarkable and positive impact. As Minister for Veterans I have great admiration for them.

“In recognition of their efforts, the Scottish Government is providing £750,000 of funding so that they can continue to support our older veterans for a further three years.

“I am also calling on the UK Government to meet their responsibilities to veterans in Scotland by joining with us in providing further substantial funding to the Unforgotten Forces consortium.”

Poppyscotland Chief Executive Mark Bibbey said: “This new commitment from the Scottish Government will go a considerable way to ensuring our older veterans receive the support they desperately need in the years ahead and on behalf of the partner organisations I thank them for this generous award.

“Unforgotten Forces would not have come about without substantial funding from HM Treasury’s Aged Veteran Fund and it is our sincere hope that the ongoing discussions with the UK Government will result in the future of the consortium being secured.”

Support for BBFC initiative to help homeschooling families keep children safe

Free educational resources available on the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) website to help parents with homeschooling
Initiative supported by Government and leading charities, including Barnardo’s, PSHE Association and Childnet
Check the age rating and accompanying ratings info of BBFC rated films or episodic content on the BBFC’s website and free app

Coronavirus is changing daily lives, and in facing the current crisis parents are finding themselves faced with the task of homeschooling their children to keep them safely indoors.

The BBFC has a range of free educational resources, case studies and tools available online, which can help children to access fun, interesting and age-appropriate material. The BBFC’s age ratings, ratings info and resources can also help families more generally choose content well, and avoid potentially distressing material.

CBBFC is the BBFC’s dedicated website for children, which parents can use as a tool to help their children understand what content is right for them, how their choices affect them and those around them, and how to choose films and TV shows well.
The BBFC’s Parents’ Guide to Age Ratings is designed to help parents and carers navigate content with their children. Films, TV shows and websites can make a huge difference in children’s lives, and for children’s healthy development and own sense of wellbeing staying safe online is crucial.
Families can check the age rating and long ratings info – which describes in detail the category defining issues – for BBFC rated content on the BBFC website and free app, keeping their children safe online.
Children can have a go at being a BBFC compliance officer, and rate a trailer themselves. Using the BBFC classification guidelines, children need to think critically about the content in the trailers, consider the audience, and can compare their answer with the actual age rating and ratings info.
Written in partnership with the PSHE Association, the BBFC’s PSHE free resources outline useful ways for parents to use films to talk about films with their children. Parents can download free worksheets, discussion points and lesson plans.
Parents can check out a round up of case studies on the BBFC website, which suggests films to watch and each gives insight into the classification process, as well as suggested discussion points so that parents can help their children begin to think critically about film.
The BBFC has published a list of educational films and TV shows that are available to stream now on video on demand platforms.

Faye Harcourt, Director of Marketing and Outreach at the BBFC, said: “We are here to help families and young people choose content well. In these difficult times, families are inevitably spending more time online — for homeschooling, entertainment or spending time together as a family.

“It is hard for parents to monitor closely what their children are watching online in normal times but now it is even more challenging. For children’s healthy development and parents’ peace of mind, staying safe online and learning how to avoid content that might upset or disturb is crucial.

“Our dedicated children’s website, CBBFC, has the tools to help parents understand how to keep children safe online and how to teach them to view content that is appropriate to their age. But also it has some fun resources which are enjoyable as well as educational. Film is a great medium to start getting your children thinking critically, as well as giving them an understanding of how what we watch affects us and the people around us.”

This initiative and round up of free resources from the BBFC is welcomed by Government and children’s charities from across the UK.

Minister for Digital and Culture, Caroline Dinenage, said: “As we stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives, it is important that parents and children can access appropriate content for their age.

“The government is completely committed to internet safety and I am delighted to see initiatives like this support our work.”

Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said: “The internet is a fantastic tool for parents who are homeschooling their children during the lockdown, and also for streaming their children’s favourite TV programmes at the end of the day. But with so much content available it can be difficult to know what is safe for children.

“The online world must be as safe as the offline world and we cannot expect children to protect themselves. It’s vital that parents have discussions with their children about what is safe for them to watch and why. The BBFC’s website is a useful resource for parents to help assess what’s safe for their children and to help them start conversations at home.”

Sally Martin, PSHE Association Subject Specialist said: “With growing technological developments surrounding film and video content, young people are increasingly required to manage their own viewing habits.

“This is especially true at the moment, where families are spending more time indoors — watching films and media content online is a popular leisure-time activity. These BBFC resources give pupils or children in Year 5-6 (aged 9-11) the opportunity to discuss relevant scenarios, rehearse the skills of decision making and managing peer influence, and understand how age ratings can support safer choices around the media they consume.”

Will Gardner, CEO of Childnet International, said: “In these unprecedented times, where families are finding themselves indoors much more, it’s more important than ever to give children the skills they need to stay safe online.

“We know it can be challenging for parents to keep an eye on their children’s online habits, but these resources from the BBFC can help children make informed decisions about the content they choose to watch.”

The BBFC will continue to highlight movies on their social media channels: their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram which are being broadcast that families in lockdown can watch together, with fun quizzes for children and parents alike.

Protect your passwords, protect your business

Businesses and projects in Edinburgh are being advised to put in place stricter rules around passwords to protect staff and systems, as the country switches to home-working amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Following UK Government advice for businesses to work from home where possible, due to the rise in cases of COVID-19, the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) is warning employers how this can increase an organisation’s vulnerability to cyber-attacks.

This was demonstrated just weeks into the COVID-19 outbreak, with scammers already capitalising on fear and system frailties, and scams relating to the virus costing UK businesses nearly £970,000.

SBRC is advising businesses to quickly and easily increase their security by using password manager software and implementing a two-factor authentication.

Declan Doyle, Ethical Hacking Consultant at SBRC, said: “We’ve seen a huge increase in the number of phishing scams since the outbreak of the virus – including fraudulent emails targeting businesses about fake Government tax rebates and Coronavirus funding.

“Criminals are very smart, and as much as we can find, identify and shut down scams, the best course of action is to tell people what to look out for and give them advice to follow to minimise the risk of falling victim to these traps. Increasing your online security is one way to do this.”

Eamonn Keane, Chief Operating Officer for Cyber and Innovation at SBRC, said: “The last thing any business battling the impact of coronavirus needs right now is a crippling cyber-attack.

“The prospect of thousands of temporary home workers, potentially accessing a range of vital business servers and applications from vulnerable home internet connections, or using old or inadequate laptops or PCs, is a scary one.

“One of the easiest ways for businesses to avoid cyber-attacks is to set up a password manager to secure, store and generate passwords for your team which can be accessed across various devices.

“Attackers use different techniques beyond hacking to discover passwords, including phishing, automated guessing using the most commonly-used passwords, manual guessing and intercepting networks. Password managers and two-factor authentication can easily put a stop to a lot of these tactics.”

Andy Maclaren, Head of IT Services at SBRC partner, Consider IT, said: “Password managers typically generate a long, secure and unique password for each website a user logs into, avoiding reusing passwords across different websites.

“This way, if a particular website’s database is hacked or leaked, attackers won’t be able to use the same log in details to access all of the other services your email address has signed up to.”

Two-factor authentication asks users for their password as normal, but also asks users to provide a second piece of information such as a code sent to an email address, or a fingerprint scan on a phone.

Eamonn added: “Two-factor authentication is just another way of ‘double-checking’ you are who you’re claiming to be when you’re logging into business accounts – meaning even if someone hacks or gains access to your password, they won’t necessarily be able to access your accounts.

“At SBRC, we endeavour to maintain Scotland’s reputation as a safe place to do business, so we will do everything we can to keep our partners, members and the public as up to date as possible in these uncertain and ever-changing times.”

The Scottish Business Resilience Centre is a non-profit organisation which exists to support and help protect Scottish Businesses.

To ensure Scotland remains a safe place to live, work and do business, SBRC will be regularly sharing COVID-19 developments and advice from Scottish Government, their partners and members as they happen.

Over the coming weeks SBRC will be holding a series of 60-minute webinars aimed at helping Scottish businesses prepare and survive the human and commercial impacts of COVID-19.

SBRC maintains a unique connection to Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Scottish Government, which gives the organisation exclusive access to the latest information to advise citizens and businesses how to interact safely.

Employers can also reach SBRC by emailing enquiries@sbrcentre.co.uk.

Briggs: New measures to keep us connected

A range of new measures have come into force to help the country to stay digitally connected during the coronavirus.

Ofcom, the regulatory authority for telecommunications, has announced new commitments to help broadband consumers during this difficult time.

These include:

Working with customers who are finding it difficult to pay their bill to ensure they are treated fairly and supported appropriately.
Removing all data allowance caps on all current fixed broadband services.
Ensuring that vulnerable customers receive alternative methods of communication if priority repairs to fix landlines and broadband cannot be carried out.
Offering new generous mobile and landline packages to ensure people are connected such as free calls or data boosts.

These commitments, effective immediately, will be delivered by the major internet service and mobile providers, namely BT/EE, Openreach, Virgin Media, Sky, TalkTalk, O2, Vodafone, Three, Hyperoptic, Gigaclear, and KCOM.

Universal Service Obligation

From the 20^th March, households also now have a legal right to request a decent, affordable broadband connection from BT under the new Universal Service Obligation (USO).

Lothian residents can check if they are eligible for an upgrade at www.bt.com/uso or by calling BT direct on 0800 783 0223.

Those eligible may be able to use a 4G Hub or will have work done up to £3,400 free of charge to install a fixed line connection.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “During the Coronavirus lockdown, being connected to the rest of the world is more important than ever, for working from home and staying connected with friends and family.

“These measures by Ofcom will ensure that people can remain connected during this pandemic. A number of household in Edinburgh and the Lothian’s will be finding it financially hard at the moment and companies have a responsibility to treat their customers fairly.”

Drylaw food donations urgently needed

Drylaw Rainbow Club Day Centre is looking for donations of stock for it’s community food bank.

They are particularly short of tinned meats and potatoes but all donations would be gratefully received.

The goods are used to make up food and essential groceries packs that are being distributed to elderly, vulnerable and isolated residents across the area.

You can drop off at Drylaw Church on Groathill Road North between 10am-2pm.

If you know anyone in Drylaw or Telford who needs help, telephone 0131 343 6643 to talk to a member of staff or leave a message and we will get back to you.

One Year No Beer steps up to support frontline workers

Local Edinburgh start up, One Year No Beer, has sacrificed salaries to ensure a free service to support NHS staff, frontline support workers, all key workers, the unemployed and anyone who needs additional help in taking a break from alcohol during this challenging time.

The bold decision follows reports that confirm alcohol sales in the UK are up 22% in March.

Ruari Fairbairns, founder and CEO of One Year No Beer, said: “We are currently experiencing the worst global pandemic of our lifetime, which has caused two-thirds, if not more, of adults across the UK to experience anxiety.

“The major problem here is that people are using alcohol as a coping mechanism and this is probably the worst thing that they could do because it is a depressant. We want to help people to look after their mental health and live a better life.”

The brand’s plea follows a recent statement from a World Health Organisation (WHO) expert who warned that alcohol is an “unhelpful coping strategy” for the possible stress and isolation of coronavirus lockdown.

Fairbairns continued: “The NHS is under increased pressure and this is only set to worsen in the next few weeks as we hit the peak, so in addition to this, the last thing we want people to do is incur any other alcohol-related health issues resulting in an urgent trip to hospital.

“Reducing your alcohol intake and making positive decisions about your health are both great ways to help keep the NHS safe and protect others, all from the safety of your home.”

Recent research has also revealed that there has been a huge rise in mental health calls, as well asGP’s highlighting an increase in domestic violence and according to step counters, steps are down 50-100% inEurope, suggesting that as a result of COVID-19, people are exercising less and drinking more.

Professor Kevin Moore, one of London’s leading liver specialists with more than 35 years of experience comments: “There is so much positive research and work going on right now in the fight against COVID-19, but it’s vital that people don’t overlook the hugely negative impact that alcohol could have during these challenging times.

“It is well known that excessive alcohol consumption can lead to liver disease and various cancers. What is less well known is that people who drink excess alcohol are more likely to develop pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

“That makes it almost certain that if you drink too much alcohol, you are more likely to develop COVID-19 and complications. Further since, alcohol impairs your immune system, if you develop COVID-19 infection, the chronic use of alcohol will impair your ability to recover from infection.”

Passionate about transforming the world’s relationship with alcohol, One Year No Beer will offer its 28-day intervention programme free for all support staff, all key workers, all unemployed and anyone else who needs additional help during these challenging times.

The digital network, which has been designed to transform behaviour and support mental health, will also include full access to the Challenge Group community, offering daily support as well as online meetings.

Fairbairns concludes: “We are giving away our 28-day challenge for free over the coming weeks because we genuinely believe that this is the right thing to do.

“We strongly believe that NOW, during this pandemic, is more important than ever to look after ourselves and one of the ways we can do this is by reducing our alcohol intake.

“Like most businesses right now, we are having to adjust to the current situation. Our team is working tirelessly to deliver this offering and I feel so grateful that all of our staff have agreed to take a salary sacrifice so that together, we can continue to support everyone in this time of need.”

For more information visit and to get your 28-day challenge for free, visit https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/

Which? urges clarity on financial help for bank customers

Which? is calling on the financial regulator to urgently provide greater clarity on temporary measures to help people struggling financially because of coronavirus, as new research reveals the huge toll the outbreak is expected to take on people’s finances.

A survey by the consumer champion carried out between 20-22 March, just before the government asked people to stay at home to stop the spread of coronavirus, highlights that significant numbers of people are expecting to struggle with their finances over the next year.

With the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) set to introduce temporary measures tomorrow designed to help consumers falling into financial difficulty as a result of the crisis, Which? can reveal people of all levels of working status are now expecting their household finances to worsen over the next 12 months, with those who work part time reporting the highest level of concern.

Taking the proportion of people expecting their financial situation to get better and subtracting the proportion who expects it to get worse, confidence among part-time workers was at -56 percentage points. The figure stands at -36 for those in full time work.

Of those that are retired, confidence in the future of their household finances stood at -49 for those on a state pension only and -45 for those with a private pension.

The research also shows that consumer confidence in the economy has plummeted. When asked whether the economy would be better or worse in 12 months’ time, confidence fell from -17 in February to -78 in March.

Worryingly, the financial impact of coronavirus follows a period in which large numbers of people were already reporting having cut back on spending, with 39 per cent of consumers in 2019 reporting that they reduced spending on essential items or took money from savings to cover their spending.

This indicates that a significant number of people may have already been close to the point of relying on credit to help manage their personal finances, and the impact of coronavirus could have pushed them to the point where they now need to depend on existing credit cards, loans or overdrafts.

Measures proposed by the FCA last week, due to come into force on Thursday, are designed to provide a temporary solution for consumers who until now have been financially stable. These include a temporary payment freeze on loans and credit cards as well as zero interest on existing overdrafts up to £500, with both put in place for three months.

However, while Which? is generally supportive of the plans, reassurance is needed that the measures can be consistently applied for customers across all banks, and that customers who take up these options will be fully aware of any longer term implications of using them.

This requires the FCA to be as explicit as possible about precisely when the payment holiday period starts – whether it is from the proposed launch date of 9 April, or from the moment the consumer requests support at any point during those three months.

There also needs to be a clear, industry-wide exit strategy for the temporary measures, which must ensure that customers do not end up in unnecessary financial hardship.

There is particular concern about how consumers will be moved off of their £500 interest free overdrafts after three months.

The consumer champion says it is vital that banks do not immediately place consumers back to their original arranged overdraft and rates at the end of any holiday period, and the FCA should consider “easing off” interest-free overdraft arrangements in a way that does not affect credit scores.

The consumer champion believes that greater transparency will make it easier for people to access services online and make it clear that only those in the most urgent need should seek to directly contact their financial institutions. This should reduce the burden on call centres, providing a greater chance of consumers getting the help they need in good time.

Gareth Shaw, Head of Money at Which?, said: “The impact of the coronavirus outbreak is going to cause a sharp shock to huge numbers of people across the country, and many who were previously in good financial health will now require help from their banks to see them through the coming months.

“While the FCA has taken positive steps to provide assistance, there needs to be urgent clarity so that banks can apply this support consistently for everybody who is eligible, and customers can decide whether these measures represent the best option available to them.”

Student nurses step up to join coronavirus workforce

Thousands offer their skills to support response

More than 2,000 final year nursing and midwifery students have stepped forward to join the NHS Scotland workforce during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has praised the commitment and enthusiasm of those who are taking on frontline roles early, ahead of formally joining the workforce at the end of August.

So far around 12,000 students and returners from health and social care have come forward to offer their skills and expertise during the pandemic.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We are asking a lot of nursing and midwifery students to step up at this unprecedented time when they have already experienced significant disruption as they come to the end of their courses. Their skills and experience will be vital in the coming months as we work to save as many lives as possible.

“Our response to the COVID-19 outbreak is going to require a huge effort across all areas of health and social care. It is still possible for others to offer their support, and if they are willing and able I would encourage them to do so.

“The commitment and enthusiasm of these volunteers, as with all of our NHS workers, deserves recognition and the gratitude of every one of us in Scotland.”

Chief Nursing Officer Fiona McQueen said: “I want to thank each and every student who has volunteered their support so far. The response we have received shows the incredible spirit of our future NHS workforce – your dedication is truly inspirational.”

Adam McVey: I’ve never been prouder

My street, like most, has been out applauding the efforts of those frontline NHS workers fighting the virus that has temporarily changed the way we live our lives (writes city council leader Councillor ADAM McVEY).

The gratitude and thanks to our doctors, nurses and other NHS staff is universal. It’s been inspiring to see the community spirit in these unprecedented times. It’s not just our collective applauding but the willingness of so many of our citizens to roll up their sleeves and volunteer to help those in our community in need.

Thousands of Edinburghers have signed up through readyscotland.org and volunteeredinburgh.org.uk to help make and deliver food or pick up prescriptions for those who can’t access themselves to help our City with in this enormous effort to keep all of us safe. Thank you to everyone who is putting their community and City first by doing what help they can.

Just as important as what we’re doing is what we’re not doing. For now some of our liberties have been curtailed, we’ve been asked to avoid contact with our loved ones, avoid travel and to change how we do everything like the way we work. The advice from the experts is that by staying at home we can reduce the spread of the virus and save lives.

Pictures of Princes Street, Royal Mile, Leith Walk, Dalry Road- all usually bustling with people – are empty. It’s a strong sign that we’re all listening to the message. So, to all of us who are giving up so much of what we would normally do and staying indoors, thank you.

As well as the community response, the public, private sector and third sector response has been heartening too.

Every part of the City has worked quickly to help the most vulnerable in our City and collaboration between organisations has been more than ever before.

Government and Council working with organisations like streetwork to fund and deliver safe places in our hotels for people experiencing homelessness is just one example of hundreds of the kind of coming together and “get things done” attitude which has been so important in acting swiftly to protect our more vulnerable citizens.

This too has also been about what hasn’t happened as much as what is happening. The businesses that have closed have done so knowing it will cause them serious issues. Indeed, our summer festivals have postponed until 2021 with huge impacts for our City as yet undetermined.

Thank you to the organisations who have thrown themselves feet first into solving these mammoth challenges and those who have taken bold decisions to help keep us safe.

The Council will keep you as best informed as we can on our dedicated COVID-19 webpage, which you can access from the Council’s homepage. It has information for businesses, parents, high risk residents and information on key services which are subject to change.

Our effort as a Council has been to try and sustain as many of our core functions as possible but it hasn’t been easy. Staff numbers are down across the board due to many reasons attached to COVID-19 and it’s meant having to make changes and service reductions in areas like waste as well as the many public service we’ve had to suspend altogether.

Thank you to the people of Edinburgh for their understanding as we try our best to keep delivering for you.

I want to save my last thank you for the Council staff. It’s hard to put into words the dedication our Council officers have shown over the last few weeks but it has epitomised public service.

Our City would simply not be able to function without them. Those who have worked long days without taking a day off to make sure our City planned properly for everything we needed.

Those who are out day after day doing their jobs in essential services to keep green spaces open for our daily exercise, our bins emptied or key buildings cleaned and open. I’ve never been prouder of Edinburgh Council and I hope the City joins me in thanking our staff for all they are doing for us.

This article first published in Monday’s Edinburgh Evening News

More funding for our frontline pharmacies

Additional funding of £5.5 million will be provided to community pharmacies to help them cope with increased pressures from coronavirus.

Pharmacy workloads almost doubled during March – with increased prescriptions, staff overtime and a higher level of consultations all resulting in additional costs for the service.

The additional funding will be added to the network’s March payments.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “I want to thank all community pharmacy teams for their incredible hard work throughout this pandemic. They are doing an invaluable job to ensure people continue to receive vital medicines and care through this period of unprecedented challenge for the NHS.

“Given the exceptional situation we are in, I have taken the unusual step of asking community pharmacies to remain open on Good Friday and Easter Monday – where it is possible to do so. This will help to alleviate some pressure from out-of-hours services.

“Working with the Community Pharmacy Scotland we have agreed this initial package of additional funding for community pharmacies to help them meet some of the costs of responding to COVID-19 and to allow them to continue to meet the increased demand on their crucial services.”

The additional funding is intended to help with costs including:

• additional staff hours and locum costs
• the increased amount of medicine prescriptions
• modifications to premises such as installation of protective screens
• additional cleaning costs
• increased phone consultations

Last month it was announced that community pharmacists would perform an enhanced role during the COVID-19 outbreak.