Day: February 26, 2021

Care workforce specialist answer to sector’s staff problems

Radical changes need to be made to the planning and recruitment of social care workers in Edinburgh to offset an impending care crisis.

With the role and value of social care at unprecedented levels owing to the pandemic, Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership [HSCP] is being urged to look at digital workforce mapping technology to support the care of the region’s most vulnerable citizens.

The call is being made by innovative care workforce specialist Netli who has developed a range of solutions – working in consultation with multiple industry organisations – to resolve the serious challenges faced in Edinburgh.

Netli has provided Edinburgh HSCP with a detailed proposal offering to support the provision of local care services and is seeking talks with senior officers and department heads to outline the plan in more detail.

The move follows a call in an Independent Review for a National Care Service to be formed, which also underlined the importance of better workforce planning and development to reduce the impact of ever-worsening recruitment and retention problems.

It is estimated that 36,000 people in Scotland do not have access to the care they need. Care UK estimates over 1.4 million people across the UK currently have unmet care needs, with delayed discharges due to the lack of social care costing the NHS more than £500 every minute.

Stephen Wilson, CEO and co-founder of Netli, said that as the sector is not growing fast enough – due to inherent difficulties with recruiting and retaining staff – it is unable to keep up with the increasing demand for care services caused by an ageing population. A care crisis is not just looming, but is happening right now.

Stephen said: “People are already being denied vital care – but that position is only going to get worse if we don’t change the failed ways of the past and look to digital technology to sort out this workforce problem.”

Netli’s solution involves collating workforce data from care providers and making this available to HSCPs like Edinburgh HSCP in real-time. This would offer detailed information to help HSCPs with current and future workforce planning, identifying risks and threats within the industry, comparing and benchmarking against regional and national data, and identifying the necessary supports for care providers.

Stephen Wilson, CEO and co-founder of Netli, said: “Our proposal will enable HSCPs like Edinburgh HSCP, and those across the country, to gather and access valuable data which will help them to understand how to better manage the planning, recruitment and retention of social care staff.

 “For example if we can monitor what impact Brexit, Covid or a closure of an individual care provider will have, it means you can react and impose a solution before serious damage is done.

“Having continual access to real-time workforce data, combined with the other integrated workforce tools we have devised, will help to attract applicants to the care sector, improve staff retention and mitigate the risk of provider failure, lost revenue and unmet needs.”

Around 206,000 people work in social care in Scotland, but the Scottish Social Services Council predicts the social care workforce must grow by 2.2% each year.

However, the sector had around 14,000 vacancies and growth has stalled at just 1.2%. It comes as the Scottish Government acknowledges that “recruitment and retention of staff working in the social services sector has long been seen as key to improving service provision, standards and outcomes”.

Stephen said: “The facts speak for themselves: we need to radically improve the way we manage and process recruitment in the social care sector.

“But, crucially, as well as the pandemic shining a new light on the importance of good social care, it has also provided a platform to showcase a career in social care like never before.

“The new respect and value that social care now has should act as a trigger to encourage people in say, retail, hospitality or travel who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic, to take up new roles in social care.

“So when the UK opens up post-Covid, social care can be a key sector to support the economic recovery of the nation. “

Netli plans to contact all HSCPs in Scotland – as well as consulting with the Scottish Government – with the aim of securing country-wide support and take-up of its services. They also want to speak to care providers who can become ambassadors to press for change with local authorities.

Stephen added: “We believe we can play a key role in helping HSCPs and Scottish Government to ensure the continuous provision of consistent and uninterrupted care in communities across the country.

“Every person employed into the care sector will positively impact the lives of at least three people in need of support. This year, Netli wants to help at least 10,000 people to gain employment in the care sector who, in turn, will support 30,000 people.

 “But if we secure the wide scale take-up from local authorities, and from those in Scotland, that we are looking for, we could see 100,000 jobs being created.”

Netli’s proposal to Edinburgh HSCP  – titled ‘The Continuous Provision of Consistent and Uninterrupted Care’ – consists of three integrated solutions to cover the entire lifecycle of the care workforce:

CareJob.co – a job board specific to vacancies in care, developed to increase recruitment into the sector;

Workforce – an end-to-end recruitment and HR system built specifically to speed up and improve the recruitment and retention process for care providers; and

Workforce Portal – a database of available care workers, giving care providers 24/7 access to a permanent pool of staff to reduce the risk of staff shortage.

The company, which rebranded to Netli from its previous name Novacare in preparation for its planned expansion this year, has developed its product offering over the last five years in direct response to the care industry’s demands for bespoke support and solutions.

Media collaboration offers opportunities to writers from under-represented backgrounds

A new initiative co-funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and supported by the New Statesman and Daily Mirror aims to increase opportunities for aspiring writers and journalists from under-represented backgrounds.

A WRITING CHANCE is a UK-wide programme, delivered by New Writing North and literature organisations nationally, with research from Northumbria University. It is looking for fresh perspectives and great stories from people whose voices have historically not been heard in publishing and the media.

Through mentoring with established writers and journalists, bursaries, insight days, broadcast and publication with by-lines, A Writing Chance seeks to prise open a persistently elitist industry to encourage access for all.

A Writing Chance is a positive intervention, designed to discover new talent, support new writers from under-represented backgrounds to break into the creative industries, and empower publishers and editors to make space for a broader range of perspectives.

Who gets to write for the British media we all read?

The media may be one of the most competitive industries to break into, but it isn’t a meritocracy. For many new writers, progress does not always correspond to their talent and those with huge potential are often held back by a range of barriers.

A London-centric industry; unpaid and low-paid internships; the casualisation of jobs; and a reliance on personal contacts make finding work in the media far more difficult for people from working-class and lower income backgrounds. What’s more, people from these backgrounds often face intersecting challenges due to historic under-representation in the media, including but not limited to ethnicity, disability, sexuality, gender identity, age and religious beliefs.

  • 47% of authors and writers are from the most privileged social starting points, contrasting with only 10% from working-class backgrounds. Office for National Statistics’ Labour Force Survey, 2014
  • 12.6% of those working in publishing come from working-class social origins, compared with a third of the population as a whole. Cultural Capital: Arts Graduates, Spatial Inequality, and London’s Impact on Cultural Labor Markets, 2017
  • Newspaper columnists, who significantly shape the national conversation, draw from a particularly small pool, with 44% attending independent school (compared with 7% of the population) and 33% coming through the independent school to Oxbridge ‘pipeline’ alone (compared with less than 1% of the population who attend Oxbridge). Sutton Trust, Elitist Britain 2019
  • Just 0.2% of British journalists are Black (compared to 3% of the population) and 0.4% of British journalists are Muslim (compared to nearly 5% of the population). City University, 2016

Husna Mortuza, Deputy Director of Advocacy and Public Engagement, Joseph Rowntree Foundation said: “We are delighted to support ‘A Writing Chance’. This powerful project will bring new voices to the public, and address inclusivity in our media and publishing industries head on.

“Far too often, talented storytellers from working-class backgrounds have found it difficult to break into the industry whether through lack of support, networks or space to develop their craft. This project aims to better understand the many barriers that budding writers from under-represented groups face, and to create opportunities for more non-fiction and creative writers to be part of the industry.

“Hearing a diverse range of voices from across society matters, and both writers and readers will benefit from a widening of the lens. I look forward to reading some new work and fresh perspectives on the year we’ve just lived: Life in 2020-2021.”

Alison Phillips, Editor-in-Chief of the Mirror, said: “At the Mirror we understand the power of having a voice and holding people accountable.

“Ensuring that everyone has access to that power will only make the national conversation that much more interesting and effective. I can’t wait to see the new talent this project uncovers.”

Jason Cowley, Editor of the New Statesman, said: “For too long the world of journalism has favoured a privileged minority. The New Statesman, which thrives on discovering new voices, is delighted to lend its support to this vital scheme to redress the balance.”

A Writing Chance is now open for application until 26 March 2021. A group of ten new and aspiring writers of journalism, fiction and creative non-fiction will be selected for the programme, which includes the opportunity to have work published in the New Statesman or Daily Mirror (in print or online), or broadcast as part of a new podcast series.

Full details of A Writing Chance are available at AWritingChance.co.uk

Funding boost for Corstorphine Cougars

The City of Edinburgh Council and Corstorphine Cougars RFC is celebrating a £50,000.00 funding boost from SUEZ Communities Trust and the FCC Communities Foundation for a rugby pitch drainage project at Union Park.

Corstorphine Cougars Rugby Club lease two rugby pitches from the City of Edinburgh Council at Union Park in Carrick Knowe.

One of the pitches is floodlit to facilitate evening training sessions. The growth in playing numbers in recent years has meant that the pitch is regularly in demand 7 days a week.

The club’s success, notably in recruiting primary and secondary schoolchildren (girls and boys) and senior women players, has been undermined by poor drainage effectively making it unusable for long periods during the winter months.  

This funding will enable the installation of an environmentally sustainable drainage solution (SuDS) at the park. The project is planned to be completed in late March by Groundwater Dynamics using their patented EGRP technology. 

Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener welcomed the news: “As a Council we are committed to promoting and supporting access to sport and physical wellbeing and this is a fantastic result for Union Park.

“I look forward to seeing work get underway to install the environmentally sustainable draining solution and seeing the pitches being enjoyed all year round.

“We will continue to work with sports clubs across the capital to look at how we can best manage facilities.”

Stewart Pilkington, Corstorphine Cougars RFC President, said: “We’ve been very successful in growing the club in the last few years.

“This project will be a game changer in improving the club’s training and playing facilities as we push forward with our development plans and continue to encourage participation in rugby in the west of Edinburgh. We are very grateful to each of the funders for their valuable contributions.”

SUEZ Communities Trust and FCC Communities Foundation each contributed £25,000 through the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund to the £65,000 project.

Funding from the City of Edinburgh Council’s North West Locality Community Grants Fund, the Scottish Rugby Union, Friends of Scottish Rugby and the rugby club itself made up the balance.

Barratt apprentices excel after overcoming COVID-19 challenges

Starting a new working life and career during a global pandemic has been a huge challenge for thousands of young people across Scotland. Last August at Barratt East Scotland, four new apprentices started as part of the housebuilder’s regional 11-person brickwork team.

Alan Turnbull, 24 from Edinburgh, had previously been working as a labourer with a local contractor. After the promise of an apprenticeship fell through, Alan decided to take the leap and apply for one with Barratt. “I’m someone who wants to be proud of the work they do and be able to show something for it, so the opportunity of working for a big company like Barratt really tempted me.”

Ciaran Grieg, 17, did a multi-skills course at college and enjoyed the bricklaying aspect, so decided to look for opportunities in the construction industry. “It just happened that Barratt was building a new site across from where I stayed and were looking for bricklayers, I really lucked out. I’d also heard lots about their apprenticeship programme so decided to go for it.”

Seven months in, they’re now working at a number of Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes developments across the east of Scotland helping build a range of two, three and four-bedroom homes.

Both Alan and Ciaran were surprised about how hands-on their experience has been so far and can already see the positive impact their role has around the wider teams. Alan said: “Because I’ve done well, I’ve been able to be a lot more involved than I would have usually, that’s meant building a lot more and allowing the other tradesmen to do their tasks easier and quicker.”

Although construction has been able to continue with enhanced safety measures under government restrictions, Barratt has adapted its apprenticeship programme using tools that haven’t always been traditional in the housebuilding sector.

Ray Gibson, brickwork manager at Barratt East Scotland, looks after the apprentices in his department: “The apprentices have done really well so far despite the different circumstances.

“Because face-to-face classes in colleges are currently on hold, we’ve often adapted the way we work with them. Through a WhatsApp group, I have given them weekly challenges, where they upload pictures and short video clips of what they have been doing.

“These challenges put them in squads who then take the apprentices under their wing, giving them as much training and opportunity with practical experience as possible. Social distancing has made it difficult for the apprentices to learn from other teams, as we’ve had to place them in smaller squads. So these chat groups have worked well to bring them together and form a sense of camaraderie.”

Both Alan and Ciaran said a highlight of the job were the teams they were put in. “Although it’s been odd with social distancing and not being able to mix with the whole site, working with my team has been a highlight. We have a great laugh and it makes learning on the job a lot easier,” said Alan.

“I really enjoyed the experience of meeting new people and I’ve managed to make a fair few friends during the apprenticeship,” added Ciaran.

Different from previous years, the interview process saw each applicant in a group setting, to get a better insight on their ability to work well with others, as well as having to carry out a demonstration of their own individual skills.

“By establishing them in a squad, we hope that by the time they finish their placements they stay with Barratt. I’m pretty confident that this will be true for the apprentices in their third and fourth years and I’d like to think that those in their first years want to move into management,” said Ray.

When asked about his future plans, Ciaran said: “My aim for the next few years is to keep improving my skills and hopefully stay with Barratt.

“If I had to give one piece of advice to someone starting, it’s to go for it. It’s been great learning on the job and from people around me with years of experience. But also, don’t get too cheeky and respect your elders.” 

Apprenticeships are an integral part of Barratt Homes, as they recognise the importance of developing and retaining a budding workforce, offering career opportunities in the areas that they build in, while addressing the current skills shortage.

Available to people who have just left school or college and are looking for a new challenge, apprenticeships are also open to those who have already started working towards a career in housebuilding.

Barratt East Scotland will be recruiting eight apprentices in September of this year and January 2022.

A total of 26 new starts will form part of Barratt Developments Scotland’s 2021 intake, in a number of positions across the business, from Sales and Land graduates as part of their ASPIRE Graduate Programme, to bricklayer and carpenter trade apprentices.

To find out more about apprenticeship programmes with Barratt Homes visit https://www.barrattcareers.co.uk/early-careers/apprentices

14 Edinburgh-based projects receive funding in latest round of Open Fund awards

14 projects based in Edinburgh have received funding in the latest round of Open Fund awards from Creative Scotland.

They are among 58 projects across Scotland which are sharing over £1.6 million of National Lottery and Scottish Government funding.

These funds are supporting creative people, projects and organisations across Scotland to adapt and respond to the current changing circumstances brought about by Covid-19 and helping to sustain creative development at this challenging time.

Among the work supported in Edinburgh is Building Bridges, a major new programme from Artlink Edinburgh and the Lothians that will make connections with and for people with complex disabilities, addressing their experience of isolation and marginalisation, which has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis.  

The programme will be centred on art reaching people in their homes and communities as part of newly established creative networks, with cultural productions that create exciting challenges for a diverse group of artists. 

Jan-Bert van den Berg, Director, Artlink Edinburgh and the Lothians, said: “Artlink are very pleased to receive this major support from Creative Scotland at such a challenging time.

“The experience of the pandemic has had a devastating impact on people with complex disabilities and their carers. The Building Bridges programme will continue to build on the incredibly inventive work that artists have supported over the last 11 months and strengthen the growth of creative community involvement.”

Edinburgh-based Neo Productions will develop a new play with music, written by Neo Vilakazi, about black American anti-slavery hero, Frederick Douglass.  

Born in 1818, Douglass became an eminent human rights leader and the first Black citizen to hold high rank in the U.S. government. To an American audience, Douglass is perhaps the most famous fugitive from slavery, but in Britain and Scotland in particular, he is less well known, despite the fact he achieved great celebrity status in the mid-19th century, including while on a two year speaking tour of Great Britain and Ireland. 

Neo Vilakazi said: “I’m delighted to be given the opportunity by Creative Scotland to bring to life the story of Frederick Douglass’ time in Scotland, at a point where Scottish history is being closely re-examined to find BAME voices that have been suppressed in the past.  

“We hope that telling this story will shine a light not only on Mr Douglass’s time in Scotland but will contribute to making Scotland a much more tolerant place for all who live in it.”

Iain Munro, CEO, Creative Scotland said: “As we face ongoing challenges resulting from Covid-19, the Open Fund supports Scotland’s arts and creative community to continue to innovate and engage with people across the country.

“These awards also help enable individual artists, creative practitioners and organisations to develop and present new work, and sustain creative development.

“Thanks to the generosity of National Lottery players, who raise £30 million for good causes across the UK every week, and funding from the Scottish Government, these awards are helping to sustain the great value that creativity brings to our lives.”

A full list of recipients of Open Fund awards is available on the Creative Scotland website.


The fund has no deadlines, and full eligibility criteria and application guidance can be found on the Creative Scotland website.

Image credit: Work from the Art Games project Artlink Edinburgh and the Lothians have been running in St John’s Hospital, Livingston with artist Vanessa Lawrence and The Collective Matter range produced by KMAdotcom.

Walk For Autism 2021 reaches £100,000 in sponsorship pledges

RECORD BREAKER: AUTISM INITIATIVES’ BIGGEST FUNDRAISER TO DATE

With more than 1,400 people pledging to ‘Walk for Autism’ in 2021, Autism Initiatives’ annual fundraising campaign has hit its biggest milestone in its four-year history.

Walkers across the UK and Ireland have raised a monumental £100,000 in the past five weeks, with hopes to double that amount before the challenge takes place next month.

Officially starting on March 26, walkers will undertake 10,000 steps a day for eight days, ending on World Autism Awareness Day.

Walkers can fundraise from the moment they sign up, with famous faces such as Bridgerton actor Simon Lennon and strongman competitor Tom Stoltman supporting the campaign.

Head of Enterprise at Autism Initiatives Jon Gordon said: “We were delighted to reach over 1,000 signups for our fourth annual Walk for Autism campaign but it’s the money raised that really does make a difference to the lives of so many people across the UK and Ireland.

To have exceeded our target with over £100,000 raised so far is just brilliant and we can’t thank our walkers enough for their dedication this year. It is so inspiring to see people rising to the challenge and doing something so positive in the midst of the pandemic.

“We’ve seen evidence of comradery and friendship from walkers across the UK and Ireland each with a different story to tell, and all joined by something personal that has inspired them to participate. Although we’re overwhelmed and incredibly grateful for contributions this year, we just know that there is more to be done to make the biggest impact possible when it comes to supporting autistic people.”

The campaign will officially end on World Autism Awareness Day (April 2), an internationally recognised day that occurs every year encouraging individuals and organisations to take measures to raise awareness about autism throughout the world.

Jon said: “World Autism Awareness Day is an incredibly important day to us, and to our walkers, but we aim to help raise awareness of autism and provide support where it’s needed around the clock, every day of the year.

“Money raised from the campaign will support a range of projects by Autism Initiatives which improve the quality of life of both autistic adults and children.”

Walk for Autism is a fundraising campaign led by charity Autism Initiatives Group (registered charity number 1170634) who have been working to improve the lives of autistic people and their families across the UK and Ireland for almost 50 years.

For more information, or to sign up visit www.walkforautism.co.uk

Three youths charged following tram stop incidents

Three youths have been charged in relation to recent antisocial behaviour and damage on and around buses and trams in Edinburgh.

A 12-year-old boy and two 13-year-old boys were identified and traced by officers in the South West of the city and have been charged with a number of offences including smashing a bus window, throwing excrement at a member of staff and an offence under the Edinburgh Tram Act 2006.

These incidents took place between 5 February and 15 February in the Westside Plaza and between Edinburgh Park and Balgreen Tram Stops.

Sergeant Scott Walker from Wester Hailes Community Policing Team said: “During the past few weeks we’ve received a number of reports of antisocial behaviour at bus and tram stops as well as damage being caused to buses and trams.

“A dedicated team of officers carried out enquiries to identify those who were responsible, during which they spoke to numerous witnesses and viewed CCTV footage.

“We’re pleased to report that three youths have been charged with five offences, and so far in an effort to prevent an escalation in unacceptable and dangerous behaviour, fifteen other youths have been spoken to in the presence of a parent or carer.

“I’d like to thank the public for their help in these enquiries and continued support, and would also like to reassure the residents of Edinburgh and those who use public transport that we will continue to tackle this kind of behaviour.

“This is a city wide issue that we face and our work continues across the division with similar initiatives. Local Community Policing Teams are working hard to identify those responsible in order to educate them on the potentially dangerous consequences of their actions when targeting public transport.”

Anyone wishing to report a crime should contact officers via 101, or in an emergency and when a crime is in progress, always call 999. Alternatively a report can be made anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Half of Scots see those who disagree on Covid as threat to country’s future

·         Community spirit dwindles as Scotland battles through final stretch of full lockdown – Covid disagreements lead to suspicion of neighbours  

·         Rifts over rules fuel mental health problems, from anxiety to trouble sleeping 

·         But 31% of people in Scotland still say it’s made them realise the importance of community 

·         Engage Britain launches national drive to bring communities together and put people in charge of tackling the country’s problems, including community conversations in Glasgow.  

New analysis has revealed a fractious and fearful nation battling through the final stretch of lockdown, as 60% of people in Scotland say those who disagree on the Covid rules are a threat to the country’s future.  

As new charity Engage Britain launches a national drive to help bring communities back together and put people in charge of tackling Britain’s biggest problems, it polled people in Scotland on how different views on Covid, such as taking the vaccine or lockdown restrictions, are impacting them.  

As the prolonged pandemic piles on the pressure, the community spirit people in Scotland summoned at the outset shows signs of fading. According to the poll, nearly as many Scottish residents said they’ve become more suspicious of people in their community with a different approach to the rules (23%), as those who think their community is pulling together (26%).  

And disagreements are directly fuelling mental and emotional problems for most Scottish residents (61%), who agreed their mental health had been affected due to other people’s compliance with the rules and restrictions. Some of these problems included increased anxiety (38%) and trouble sleeping (20%). 

But despite fractures and strains, 31% believe the pandemic has made them realise the importance of community. And ordinary people coming together in Covid’s wake will be crucial to our future success, according to Engage Britain.  

As communities in Scotland and across the country look to rebuild, the charity is launching a national drive to bring together people from all walks of life, drawing on different views and experiences to find answers to Britain’s biggest problems. The first issue ordinary people will tackle is their biggest worry – health and care.  

Following Engage Britain’s comprehensive analysis with the British public this consistently came out as people’s number one concern. Their biggest issues are getting the right access to health and care services and funding them properly.  

It will kick off with 100 online community conversations about health and care up and down the country, including discussions in Scotland planned for Glasgow. Then a panel of ordinary people will make decisions about priorities and engage with professionals like doctors, carers and nurses, to make plans for change. The end goal will be to get the public’s plans put into practice so everyone can get the health and care they need. 

Engage Britain Director, Julian McCrae, said: “The pandemic is piling a mountain of pressure onto people in Scotland, following huge changes which have already split families and communities across the whole of Britain.

“It’s desperately sad to see this causing anxiety, suspicion and sleepless nights for so many of us.  

“This could be a dangerous moment, if we don’t find a way to pull together. With so much at stake and things feeling out of our control, it’s hard to see past the stress of disagreements – but they can actually make us stronger.

“As we recover from this crisis, the public needs to have more of a say in the things that matter to them, using their different views, ideas and experiences to rebuild Britain.  

“For too long we’ve relied on our political system to make decisions which affect the lives of millions, but which are all too often taken without talking to them about it. No-one knows more than ordinary people what it’s like to live in Britain today.

“That’s why we’re asking people from all walks of life to come together and have their say on how to make life better for everyone after some of the toughest times our country’s ever faced.” 

Anyone can make their voice heard on how to build better health and care in Britain by taking part in an open conversation at engagebritain.org 

Window clean fraudster faces court

Police have arrested a man in connection with a series of frauds in the north east of the city.

The incidents happened between 7pm and 9pm on Monday, 22 February, 2021, and involved the man attending at addresses in the Ferry Road and Leith Walk areas and requesting money for window cleaning services which were never carried out.

A 44-year-old man has now been arrested and charged in connection with three incidents and is due to appear before Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.

Chief Inspector Murray Tait from Leith Police Station said: “I’d like to thank the public for their assistance with these enquiries and would remind people to be vigilant in respect of anyone who attends at your address seeking payment or to carry out any work.

“Our enquiries are continuing and anyone who may not have reported a similar incident to officers already should come forward “

Anyone wishing to report a crime should contact police via 101, or in an emergency and when a crime is in progress, always call 999. Alternatively a report can be made anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

EXCLUDED: People from deprived backgrounds still left out of community empowerment action, say Holyrood Committee

A Scottish Parliament Committee has criticised the implementation of the 2015 Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act saying that not enough has been done to empower people from deprived backgrounds to take action in their communities.

The report by the Local Government and Communities Committee reflected on the impact of two key areas of the act aimed at empowering communities: participation and asset transfer requests. They concluded there is clearly work to be done in raising awareness of both, particularly in disadvantaged areas.

The Committee say a lack of resources and support at grassroots level is hindering progress in empowering communities, with the Scottish Household Survey revealing only 18% of Scots feel they can influence decisions affecting their local area.

They say more must be done to identify how to overcome barriers to engagement and have called on the Scottish Government to work with public bodies and COSLA to help communities use their rights to challenge and influence decisions and services.

With only just over 60 participation requests made since 2017, the Committee says it doubts whether, as suggested by one local authority, that indicates high levels of satisfaction with local services and that local communities feel more empowered.

They say that institutional views amongst councils that participation requests denote “failure” are holding back progress and need to change, and have recommended that the Scottish Government introduces an appeals mechanism to improve the process.

The Committee welcome the generally positive view stakeholders have of asset transfer requests. But they express concern with evidence that these requests can run into a wall, when the asset belongs to, or is operated by, an Arms-Length External Organisation (ALEO).

The report asks for clarity from councils and ALEOs to agree who owns which assets, and to make this information accessible to help improve the process.

Speaking as the report was published, Local Government and Communities Committee Convener James Dornan MSP said: “Our extensive engagement work has made it clear to us that community wellbeing is synonymous with community empowerment. Engaged and empowered communities are essential if people are to feel they have a real say in how their community operates.

“We’ve heard a number of really inspiring stories showing community empowerment driving positive change but it’s clear more must be done to ensure communities across Scotland, and particularly those from disadvantaged areas, can be a part of this.

“The Committee is concerned by evidence we have received of bodies coming across as indifferent or even hostile to the rights communities have to influence decisions.

“Knowledge is power and there is no doubt more must be done to raise awareness of participation requests and asset transfer requests which can give communities the tools to feel empowered.”

He added: “We appreciate that councils have faced unprecedented challenges this year as a result of the pandemic, but we are disappointed that local government did not play a bigger role in our inquiry.

“We are also very concerned by the low level of compliance from local authorities and public bodies with the formal reporting requirements outlined in the 2015 Act and this must be rectified so we can monitor the levels of community engagement.”