Day: September 16, 2020

MPs to present concerns to Ministers on support for households during COVID-19

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Westminster’s Petitions Committee will hold a hybrid e-petitions session tomorrow (Thursday 17 September) to put concerns to Ministers on support for households during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The session, which will be open to Members across the House, follows the Committee receiving a series of popular petitions calling for support for households in light of the pandemic. 

Watch the session here from 2.30pm on Thursday 7 September 

Read the petitions to be discussed:  

The Westminster Hall-style debate will be held in one of Parliament’s committee rooms, with the option of participating via video-link, and will give Members across the House the opportunity to debate and question Government Ministers on the issues being raised by petitioners.  

Ministers attending to answer questions will include Luke Hall MP (Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government), Will Quince MP (Minister in Department for Work and Pensions) and John Glen MP (Treasury Minister).  

More than 347,000 petitioners have now signed parliamentary petitions relating to supporting households through the coronavirus crisis, as the Government continues to adapt the support system being offered across the country.  

The session comes as the Petitions Committee continues to press Government Ministers on their response to the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Hybrid e-petitions sessions have been devised as sittings in Westminster Hall – the traditional debating Chamber for e-petitions – are still suspended as part of Parliament’s arrangements for adapting to Coronavirus and ensuring the safety of people on the Estate.

Westminster Hall debates are anticipated to resume from 5 October.  

Get involved

Work begins on energy-efficient housing developments

Work is underway to build brand new affordable homes in Bingham and Parkview in North East Edinburgh.

The Council-led developments – which will complete in Autumn 2021 – will be built by construction firm CCG (Scotland) Ltd. CCG has delivered a number of award-winning new homes for the Council at Leith Fort and in Greendykes and is also progressing a major development of affordable housing in Craigmillar, which received its first new tenants this summer.

Both new sites promise to provide modern and energy efficient homes for social rent as part of Edinburgh’s ambitious 20,000 affordable homes target. In addition to delivering new homes, CCG will provide apprenticeships, engage with local schools and colleges and provide community investment funds in Bingham and Parkview.

Construction is now underway in Bingham along Duddingston Row at the former home of Lismore Primary School. Work will also start at Parkview next month at Peffermill Road, the former site of the Parkview Care Home, bringing a derelict brownfield site back to life.

The homes will benefit from improved energy efficiency and a reduced carbon footprint, saving residents on fuel bills, and will have access to high quality green space. Included in the design is a mix of one, two and three bed flats, colonies and houses, with 70 homes across the two sites (40 in Bingham, 30 in Parkview). 

Councillor Kate Campbell, Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “Every new social home counts because housing need is exceptional in Edinburgh – there’s nothing better than seeing council houses being built and knowing that it won’t be long until they become people’s homes.

“With so many families in need of a new home, and construction so important to our economic recovery from Covid-19, the homes and jobs being delivered by our ambitious house-building programme will make a real difference to people’s lives.

“But we have to keep delivering more. We have 3,500 new homes in design development right now, with 800 homes already under construction across the city. Soon, we’ll be setting out our investment plans for the next 10 years, to make sure that we continue to provide much needed homes, create jobs and support local communities with tangible benefits like apprenticeships, community hubs, parks and improved public spaces.”

Councillor Mandy Watt, Edinburgh’s Vice Housing and Economy Convener, added: “Everyone has the right to a safe, warm home. That’s why our strategy for the future is about investing more in our communities, upgrading our social housing and building thousands of new affordable homes in Edinburgh. 

“And it’s not just about bricks and mortar – we’re seeing other benefits and improvements that we can bring to local areas. These developments in Bingham and Parkview will benefit lots of people in many different ways. They’ll help to regenerate the area and provide better public realm, better greenspace and funding for neighbourhood projects. They’ll benefit the long-term future of our environment too, thanks to their low carbon footprint and focus on energy efficiency.”

CCG Managing Director, David Wylie, said: “CCG’s commitment to providing quality, energy efficient homes is a philosophy shared by the City of Edinburgh Council. Our partnership has continued to deliver a lasting legacy across the region by not only supporting the supply of new affordable homes but also creating jobs, apprenticeships and localised investment.

“The commencement of Bingham and Parkview is another important milestone for us both and we look forward to working with the Council as we head into 2021 and beyond.”

The £9.5m investment will be funded by the Council with £4.1m in grant funding from the Scottish Government.

Social care recruitment event to be held in Edinburgh

Leading Scottish care provider LOVE Care is organising an event in Edinburgh to boost recruitment into the care sector amid the economic and unemployment turmoil presented by Covid-19.

Taking place on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd of October at LOVE Gorgie Farm, the organisation seeks to attract a wide range of candidates, from those new to the sector to senior and experienced care workers, as well as social care students.

Based in Hamilton but active across Scotland, LOVE Care, part of social business the LOVE Group, offers a wide range of professional care services, tailored to individual service user needs and undertaken by highly trained carers.

Interested candidates can sign up to the event online that will take place at Edinburgh’s famous urban farm, which was acquired by the charitable arm of the LOVE Group earlier this year. The farm serves as the local base for the social business to run its professional training programmes in the social care and education fields.

Attendees will meet with senior staff, learn about the available positions and the selection process. Once hired, they will receive ongoing mentoring, training and development opportunities to provide them with an exciting and rewarding career path, with positions across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

In addition to Real Living Wage pay and fully funded qualifications, salaries are reviewed yearly, reaching up to £12 per hour after two years of employment. Those with previous experience can apply for more senior positions and higher salaries.

Although the main theme of this event is recruitment, LOVE Care is also inviting experienced workers to share their experiences in the sector and their opinions on how the sector should improve. Their testimonies will be the base to shape ongoing discussions between the organisation and the Scottish Government on how the care sector should be transformed.

Lynn Bell, CEO of LOVE Care said: “This recruitment event comes against one of the greatest public health challenges in recent history combined with the economic uncertainty presented by the pandemic.

“We are looking for people with different levels of experience that are passionate and truly committed to improving other people’s lives. In return, we offer rewarding job opportunities, with one of the most competitive salary schemes in Scotland and support career progression through ongoing training and development to ensure career progression to managerial roles.

“Covid-19 has highlighted something we have always been vocal about and that is the essential role that social care workers play in taking care of the most vulnerable members of our society, and as such they deserve more gratitude and better working conditions.

“The event will have a dedicated area for attendees to share views on how the care sector should be transformed and help shape ongoing discussions with the Scottish Government on what needs to be done in this respect.

To comply with Covid-19 health measures and guarantee the safety of staff and visitors, interested attendees should sign up and select a timeslot prior to attending the event at www.lovecare.scot

Invisible Cities launches round-the-world subscription box for little travellers!

‘Invisible Cities World Tour’ boxes feature a selection of location-themed products

Invisible Cities, a social enterprise that trains people who have previously experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own city, has launched an exciting new subscription box for would-be-adventurers!

Created in collaboration with Strawberry Lemonade Events and Party in the Post, each box is themed on one country and is delivered straight to your door every three months.

Month one sees a curated box that aims to ignite sentiments of Scotland, the birthplace of Invisible Cities.

For tiny travellers and eternal explorers, the first destination box includes:

  • Invisible Cities World Tour Passport, where pioneers can collect stamps for all the countries ‘travelled’ through the subscription box (Scotland will be the first stamp)
  • An activity book which includes a recipe card
  • A Unicorn Cookie Cutter
  • A colouring page and set of colouring pencils
  • A unique Scottish game
  • Exclusive story time with Paul (QR Code)
  • A Scottish postcard

With inclusivity, compassion and most importantly community at heart, for every box purchased Invisible Cities will be donating activity books and games to children in temporary accommodation as well as those currently living through tough situations. 

Zakia Moulaoui Guery, Founder & CEO of Invisible Cities CIC said: “We believe everyone should learn in a fun and engaging way, no matter where they live, or what their circumstances.

“Through our boxes, we want to spark love for travelling in children and raise awareness of some of the issues countries are facing, whether that be homelessness or inequality. Each box is an adventure, it’s unchartered territory, it’s finding a second home – every child should get the opportunity to feel the excitement that brings.”

So, what do our voyagers think? 

“We loved the story from Paul. We really need to do his tour in Edinburgh!“ – Nicola (mum).

“I’m really excited to be making cookies with my new cookie cutter. My favourite part of the box is the colouring sheet and I can’t wait to get my next box!” – Jessica (aged 8).

Each box will see games, gifts and unique items to collect, all themed around a new, must-visit country. Available for a one-off yearly subscription of £90 (for four boxes per year), or individually at £24.95, your round-the-world tour is just a hop, skip and a letter box away…

For more information visit https://invisible-cities.org/shop or join them on Facebook, Twitter (@CitiesWorldTour) or Instagram (invisiblecitiesworldtour).

Living in Scotland in 2019

A National Statistics Publication for Scotland.

Community feeling remains strong in Scotland with more than three-quarters of adults (78% in 2019) reporting a very or fairly strong sense of belonging to their neighbourhood. This figure has remained at this level since 2012.

  • 85% of adults agree they can rely on friends/relatives in their neighbourhood for support
  • 90% of adults agree they would assist neighbours in an emergency

Most people feel safe in Scotland.

  • 83% of adults feel very or fairly safe walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark – this figure remains similar to when the question was last asked in 2017.  This figure varies depending on how people rate their neighbourhood.   61% of adults who rated their neighbourhood as a very poor place to live felt a bit or very unsafe walking alone after dark in their neighbourhood.

Satisfaction with housing is high. 

Nine in ten households are very or fairly satisfied with their housing.

The proportion of younger households aged between 16 to 34 in owner occupation was 38% in 2019, an increase of approximately 50,000 since 2014.

Satisfaction with public services presents a mixed picture

Over seven out of ten adults (73%) were satisfied with schools and 68% with public transport in 2019, having increased from 71% and 65%, respectively, in 2018. Eight in ten adults (80%) were satisfied with local health services in 2019, a decrease from 81% in 2018. Satisfaction with local health services, schools and transport have decreased from peaks of 88%, 85% and 76%, respectively, in 2011.

Over half of all adults (53%) were satisfied with all three services in 2019, similar to the previous year but down from a peak of almost two-thirds (66%) in 2011.

There is increased internet access.  The proportion of households with internet access was at a record high of 88% in 2019, with 97% of users accessing it at home. Internet use amongst older adults aged 60+ has since 2007 increased from 29% to 66%.

Most people can access satisfactory outdoor space such as parks, woods, rivers, coasts but people living in more deprived areas are less likely to live within a five minute walk.  Most adults (66%) lived within a five minute walk of their nearest area of green or blue space in 2019, around the same proportion since 2016. A smaller proportion of adults in deprived areas lived within a five minute walk of their nearest green or blue space compared to adults in the least deprived areas (62% compared to 67%). 73% of adults were very or fairly satisfied with their nearest area of green or blue space.

The trend of declining religious belonging continued in 2019, with 56% of adults reporting that they did not belong to any religion.  This coincided with a sharp decrease since 2009 in the proportion of people who report that they belong to the Church of Scotland, from 34% to 20% of adults.

Scotland’s Chief Statistician yesterday published the Scottish Household Survey (SHS) 2019 Annual Report as well as the Scottish Household Survey (SHS) 2019 Key Findings.

The Scottish Household Survey also published all 2019 statistical data on the interactive dashboard Data Explorer, containing comparable SHS data from 1999 to 2019. For the first time the Data Explorer releases both national and local data on the same day.

Scottish Household Survey 2019: supplementary analysis

The Scottish Household Survey has been designed to provide reliable and up-to-date information on the composition, characteristics, attitudes and behaviour of Scottish households and individuals since 1999.

Edinburgh locals encouraged to take part in Great British Beach Clean

This year marks two decades of the Marine Conservation Society surveying and cleaning Edinburgh’s Cramond beach, with volunteers showing up year after year to support the charity’s efforts.

The Marine Conservation Society’s annual Great British Beach Clean is a crucial event that helps the charity keep track of plastic pollution, monitor the condition of coastal areas, and campaign for important policy changes. The work done by volunteers along Cramond beach, and the data collected, has contributed to a number of successful campaigns and policy changes to stop litter at source.

This year, the Marine Conservation Society needs more people than ever to organise their own small, private and local beach cleans. The Great British Beach Clean starts this week, running from 18th – 25th of September.

Cllr Lesley Macinnes, Environment Convener, said: “Our waste teams are all working really hard throughout Edinburgh to keep the city clean so we really appreciate seeing local people getting involved in these events and taking ownership of and responsibility for the environment they live in.

“Our staff will be supporting the event and making sure they have the equipment they need to be safe and we’ll dispose of the waste collected. We’ve noticed people have been dropping masks and gloves in the street as well as other litter, which can end up on our beautiful beaches, so please everyone, bin your litter or take it home with you.”

Max Coleman, Chair of Edinburgh Biodiversity Partnership: “Edinburgh’s shoreline provides a wonderful opportunity for contact with nature. As the problems of marine litter are now widely understood I hope record numbers of people will get involved with the Great British Beach Clean this September.”

Cramond’s coastal area is vulnerable to a build-up of plastic waste and debris given its position along the coastal causeway to Cramond Island. Commonly collected items have included thousands of wet wipes, plastic bottles, disposable barbecues and dog waste bags.

Over the last 20 years of beach cleaning and surveying at Cramond, over 1,200 dedicated volunteers have removed 197 bags of litter weighing over 950kg. This year, with the events running for a full week, even more litter can be collected and surveyed.

Calum Duncan, Head of Conservation Scotland at the Marine Conservation Society: “Whilst the ongoing tide of rubbish and plastic could be demoralising, over the years there has been a huge swell in public support for our projects. To see the public pushing for, and enthusiastic about, transformative change has instead been inspiring and motivating.

“As a result of the data collected by our incredible volunteers we have helped secure Scotland’s carrier bag charge, a ban on plastic-stemmed cotton buds, Scotland’s Marine Litter Strategy and the Deposit Return Scheme for cans and bottles due in 2022.”

To become a Beachwatch Organiser please visit the website here.

Find information on the Source to Sea Litter Quest here.

For more information or to contact the Marine Conservation Society please visit www.mcsuk.org

Community Wealth Building: Zoom event

Dear Colleagues

Please find attached a zoom invitation to a meeting looking at Community Wealth Building.

The meeting will be hosted by Lesley Hinds, Chair of North Edinburgh Arts, with guest speaker Councillor Joe Cullinane, Leader of North Ayrshire Council. Please find attached a link to North Ayrshire’s Community Wealth Building strategy for information prior to the discussion.

https://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/Documents/nac-cwb-strategy-brochure.pdf

I this is of interest, and that you will be able to join the discussion on the 22nd. No registration is needed, simply use the link in the attachment, however it would be useful if you can reply to me in advance if you are going to attend to give me an idea of numbers.

Yours sincerely

Kate Wimpress / Director

North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court, EH4 4TZ        

NEA North Edinburgh Arts is inviting you to a Community Wealth Building meeting, by Zoom.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9661004253

Meeting ID: 966 100 4253

Alister Jack responds to September Labour Market figures

The latest quarterly Scottish Government Workforce Information statistics have been published by Scotland’s Chief Statistician. These statistics cover the numbers of workers, staff sickness rates, and the diversity of staff up to the most recent quarter ending June 2020.

The statistics show that:

  • At the end of June 2020 there were 7,119 full time equivalent (FTE) directly employed staff, an increase of 627 on last year’s figure of 6,492 at the end of June 2019. The percentage of directly employed staff in permanent (98%) and temporary (2%) categories remained the same as last year.
  • There was an 8.3% increase in the number (headcount) of contingent (non-directly employed) workers. An increase of 111 workers, from 1332 at the end of June 2019 to 1443 at the end of June 2020.
  • The staff sickness level was 7.4 average working days lost (AWDL) per staff year in the 12 month period ending June 2020, compared with 7.7 AWDL for the same period last year. This equates to a loss of 3.3% of working days in the 12 month period ending June 2020
  • Just over half (53.6%) of the workforce were female, compared to 46.4% male. The proportion of female staff is similar to the same period last year (52.7% in June 2019).
  • At the end of June 2020, the majority of staff were aged between 30 and 59, broken down as follows: 16-29 (17.4%), 30-39 (24.3%), 40-49 (27.0%), 50-59 (25.0%), 60 or over (6.2%).
  • The proportion of directly employed staff providing diversity information on sexual orientation, disability and religion or belief has increased since the same period last year.

Responding to yesterday’s Labour Market Statistics, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “These figures are continuing to show the effect of the pandemic on jobs in Scotland, and the impact on individuals and families across the country. The UK Government has done everything possible to support people through this difficult time.

“Through the furlough scheme, the UK Government has supported more than 930,000 Scottish jobs, a third of the workforce, and we are taking decisive action though our ambitious Plan for Jobs.

“We have launched the £2 billion Kick Start scheme to create thousands of high quality jobs for young people, are doubling the number of work coaches to help people find work and are bringing in a £1,000 job retention bonus to help employers bring back as many furloughed workers as possible.”

The UK Government has loaned £2.3 billion to 65,000 Scottish businesses, put in place VAT cuts for hospitality and tourism businesses, and 6.3 million discounted meals were eaten at 8,543 establishments across Scotland as part of the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme in August.

Community spirit strengthens

Scottish Household Survey 2019.

Most people are happy with their neighbourhood, feel a strong sense of belonging and think their local heritage is well cared for, according to the latest Scottish Household Survey.

Concern about the environment has continued to grow, particularly among young people – the survey found that last year 69% of 16 to 24-year-olds agreed climate change was an immediate and urgent problem, up from 38% in 2013.

Meanwhile, more people were online than ever before, including older people, with 66% of over-60s now using the internet. However, the most common cultural activity was reading, with 62% of adults having read in the year before the survey was undertaken.

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTheScottishGovernment%2Fvideos%2F780891376097964%2F&show_text=0&width=476

The survey found that:

  • 94% of adults said their neighbourhood was a good or fairly good place to live, while 78% said they felt a strong sense of belonging there
  • satisfaction with local schools rose to 73% from 71% in 2018, while satisfaction with public transport increased from 65% to 68%
  • 86% of adults agreed that it was important for Scotland’s heritage to be well looked after, with 69% agreeing that the heritage of their local area was already well cared for
  • 90% were culturally engaged, either by attending or visiting a cultural event or place, or by participating in a cultural activity

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “I am pleased so many people have a strong sense of belonging to their neighbourhood, which contributes towards making Scotland a warm and friendly nation where everyone is welcome.

“Of course, this survey predates the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, but that sense of community spirit was vital during lockdown when we were all required to work together to help suppress the spread of the virus.

“The rise in digital connectivity will also have been hugely beneficial under lockdown, with more people than ever able to use the internet to buy essential supplies, keep in touch with friends or take part in cultural activities.

“As we set out in our Programme for Government, we are determined that our recovery from the crisis will be a green one. I share the concerns of so many people that climate change is an urgent problem, and through the 2019 Climate Change Act the Scottish Government enshrined in law its commitment to a just transition to net zero – in which wellbeing, fair work and social justice are prioritised and no-one is left behind.”

Scottish Household Survey 2019 Annual report

Scottish Household Survey 2019 Key Findings report

The Scottish Household Survey is the largest social survey of people across Scotland, giving them an opportunity to provide information to government on their experiences, views, attitudes and behaviours. 

The survey has run since the outset of devolution in 1999.  It provides robust data on a wide range of different topics, including housing, neighbourhoods, sport and physical activity, internet use/digital engagement, views on local services, culture, the environment, and volunteering, at both national and local authority level.

This year 10,580 households took part in the survey.

Comparable survey data from 1999 to 2019 has been published on an interactive Data Explorer. For the first time national and local data has been published on the same day.

Teenager robbed at knifepoint in Blackhall

Police are appealing for information after a 14-year-old boy was robbed at knifepoint in Blackhall.

The incident happened just after 9pm on Monday, 14 September, when the teenager was walking through a wooded area to the south of Ravelston Park, near to Blackhall Lawn Tennis Club.

There was a group of youths around a small campfire and three boys approached him. One suspect threatened the victim with a knife and took his mobile phone. Fortunately the victim wasn’t physically injured.

The first suspect is described as around 16-years-old, around 5ft 10in tall, skinny build, clean shaven with short brown hair and his right ear pierced. He was wearing a dark bomber jacket and camouflage pattern tracksuit bottoms.

The second suspect is described as around the same age and height, stocky build, clean shaven with ear length ginger hair. He was also wearing a dark bomber jacket.

The third suspect is described as around the same age and height, medium build with dark hair.

Detective Sergeant Mark McGraw, of Corstorphine CID, said: “We’re appealing to anyone who has any information about this incident or witnessed it to contact us.

“It appears it was completely unprovoked and we’re asking for the public’s help to identify those involved. Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 3667 of 14 September.”