Month: February 2024

Surgeons launch campaign to tackle sexual misconduct in healthcare 

NHS Education for Scotland and NHS England Education & Training back awareness raising work 

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) has launched a powerful UK-wide campaign to raise awareness and encourage zero tolerance of sexual misconduct in healthcare. 

The ‘Let’s Remove It’ (#LetsRemoveIt) campaign has been activated in response to the alarming findings uncovered by the Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery (WPSMS) and the Surviving in Scrubs group, which highlighted the harassment and sexual abuse faced by many in surgery. 

The campaign will be driven by a newly formed action committee within RCSEd, The Hunter Doig Group, named after two pioneering women in surgery and consisting of 30 female representatives dedicated to wiping out sexual misconduct and serving as mentors, advocates, and guardians of a new era of respect within the medical profession. 

It comes as a report by the WPSMS highlighted how a staggering 89% women and 81% men have witnessed sexual misconduct in the surgical profession in the last five years. 

The ‘Let’s Remove It’ campaign will include: 

·       An online hub of resources and signposting for support 

·       Hard-hitting posters and billboards around UK hospitals 

·       An updated Code of Conduct developed for members of RCSEd  

·       A series of webinars on dealing with sexual misconduct, women in surgery and related topics 

Clare McNaught, Vice President of RCSEd, who is leading the campaign, said: “This behaviour simply must not happen and the culture that has allowed it to happen must be wiped out. 

“Our campaign says ‘Let’s Remove It’ – we are all in this together and can unite to eliminate sexual misconduct in surgery.  

“Sexual misconduct in any form is an assault on dignity and encompasses a range of unwanted actions that create an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment for survivors.   

“This can include sexual comments or jokes, displaying sexualised pictures, inappropriate emails, texts or WhatsApp messages, unwelcome physical contact, enhanced career opportunities offered for sex, sexual assault, and rape. 

“It’s also important to understand that although sexual misconduct is predominately experienced by female staff, it can affect any healthcare worker.” 

RCSEd President, Professor Rowan Parks, said: “We’re acutely aware of our role as a College in supporting cultural change to ensure a safer, more inclusive workforce where respect is non-negotiable. 

“By launching our ‘Let’s Remove It’ campaign, we say ‘No more’. No more turning a blind eye. No more accepting the unacceptable. This must be a watershed moment for our profession.”  

NHS England Education and Training and NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are backing the campaign’s roll-out.  

Sheona MacLeod, Director of Education and Training in NHS England, said: “We are working hard to improve the learning and working environment in the NHS and are very supportive of this campaign that aims to remove sexual misconduct from surgical teams.

“The NHS needs to welcome surgeons from all backgrounds and genders and harmful cultures must change.”  

Professor Emma Watson, Executive Medical Director at NES, said: “We are very supportive of this important campaign that aims to remove sexual misconduct from surgery in Scotland.

“Education and training in our NHS are about more than technical skills – respectful, safe, inclusive conduct is just as crucial and a culture that does not support this must be wiped out.” 

The campaign focussing on sexual misconduct builds on RCSEd’s ongoing work to eradicate bullying and undermining in surgery and highlight the destructive impact such unacceptable behaviours have on clinicians and patient care.   

NSPCC launches inaugural gaming festival to help tackle child abuse

  • The NSPCC’s ‘Game Safe’ festival features a range of workshops and an in-person esports safeguarding conference which covers child protection within the gaming industry.
  • Professionals, parents and gamers are invited to attend sessions which educate individuals on how to keep children safe when gaming online.
  • Childline continues to be here for young people who are concerned about experiences on gaming platforms.

Staff from NSPCC Scotland will lead a workshop on keeping children safe while gaming as part of a new ‘Game Safe’ festival.

The children protection charity is inviting professional, parents and gamers to attend the festival, which aims to raise awareness and educate parents, carers and professionals on how to keep children safe while playing games online, as well as provide opportunities to fundraise for the charity.

The NSPCC’s ‘Game Safe’ festival features a range of workshops and an in-person esports safeguarding conference which covers child protection within the gaming industry.

Euan Graham (above), a Local Campaigns Officer in Scotland, will lead an online workshop on 7th February. More than 900 people have signed up so far.

The festival, taking place on the 5th – 11th February, is launched with several key partners. Vodafone has partnered with the festival and will feature across the week to promote the work they are doing with the NSPCC to ensure every child has a happy and safe online life. Also supporting is The British Esports Federation, who is advising on the esports activation.

The festival comes as a recent report by the NSPCC saw an 82% rise in online grooming crimes against children in the last 5 years. With 89% of children in the UK playing video games, the NSPCC is committed to ensuring that online protections extend to gaming platforms. 

One of the key opportunities within the festival is the Safeguarding in Esports Conference, an in-person event being held at Confetti X in Nottingham on the 9th February. This gives esports industry professionals the opportunity to learn more from safeguarding experts about how to protect children who take part in esports competitions. There are also virtual tickets for those unable to attend in person.

The conference features a panel of experts who will share insight on the world of esports, including: 

  • NSPCC’s CEO, Sir Peter Wanless
  • Wolves FC / Wolves Esports Head of Safeguarding, Lisa Carter
  • Child Protection in Sport Service Head, Michelle North
  • Sport England Head of Children, Alex Moore

Alongside the esports conference, there are a variety of online workshops for parents, carers and professionals working with children. These sessions will tackle the topic of keeping children safe when gaming online. 

All events will be designed to equip people with the tools and confidence they need to protect young players, bring together key industry stakeholders to improve safeguarding practices across the sector and encourage everyone to fundraise for the charity. 

Visitors will also be able to bid for exciting auction prizes. During the week, creators and streamers will be offering prizes during livestreaming, including state-of-the-art gaming furniture and equipment. Another prize is the opportunity for two winners to watch the senior Cymru men’s team train as they prepare for the Euro 24 play off, semi-final against Finland. 

Tickets for all Game Safe Festival events can be found here. 

Childline counsellors are listening to concerns from children who contact the free helpline, as well as hearing how young people play games online to relax, they are also hearing cases of abuse in the virtual world.

The most commonly mentioned gaming consoles in 2022/23 were Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo (including the Switch) and the top gaming sites discussed Minecraft, Roblox and Fortnite. 

One boy aged 18 told Childline: “I’m contacting Childline today because of something I’ve seen online… I was invited to a Discord group chat room by someone on Reddit who I didn’t know and in this group chat they were sharing naked photos of underage children!

“I left the chat as soon as I realised what it was and reported it to Discord. But then I discover that Discord had banned MY account?! Now I’m scared I’m going to get in trouble for it even though I’ve not done anything wrong!”

One young person aged 13 told Childline: “During the break from school I was spending lots of time on Roblox. These two older guys were talking to and flirting with me, they complimented my selfies but then made me send sexy pictures to them. I feel so stupid for doing it.

“My parents helped me report it and everything, but I don’t want to go back to school now. I feel like everyone knows what I did.”

Euan Graham, Local Campaigns Officer at NSPCC Scotland, said: “Gaming and technology is a huge part of young people’s lives, so it is crucial parents and carers to better understand what their children enjoy about gaming so they can better support them to navigate these digital spaces safely.

“Gaming is an increasingly social activity, meaning it is more important than ever that parents and carers have the skills and resources to keep children safe while gaming.

“Parents and carers will finish the workshop with more confidence and knowledge and come away with practical skills to ensure they are well equipped to help keep their children safe.”

Lewie Procter, Associate Head of Gaming at the NSPCC, said: “The NSPCC is thrilled to announce the launch of Game Safe, our new gaming festival. A huge number of young people use gaming platforms, and so it is crucial that they are designed with child safety in mind.

“The NSPCC is dedicated to protecting children from abuse both online and in person. Our esports conference is a fantastic opportunity for professionals to learn more about the industry, and the role we all have in keeping young people safe.”

Nicki Lyons, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at Vodafone UK, said: “As a partner of NSPCC, we are proud to be supporting the Game Safe Festival 2024 and bringing more people into the online safety conversation through the event.  

“At Vodafone we have been committed to the online safety space for 14 years and have been working with the NSPCC since early 2023 to create new resources and support via the Vodafone UK Digital Parenting platform, helping equip parents and carers with the information and tools they need to help ensure children are safe and happy online. 

“We’re proud to be launching a new online toolkit together in the coming weeks to further support families feeling confident about starting their online journey together.”

Any adults concerned about a child’s safety or wellbeing can contact the NSPCC Helpline at help@nspcc.org.uk or by calling 0808 800 5000.

Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk.

Healthy Heart Tip: Maintaining your new healthy habits

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

At the beginning of 2024 you may have created a new healthy resolution for the year and now is the time to start thinking about how to maintain it. Creating a new habit or stopping an old one can be difficult, and with motivation at its lowest during the winter months, it can be easy for habits to slip.

A study found that on average it takes 66 days to make a habit become an automatic part of your routine.

Here are some tips to help you change your short-term habit into a long-term one:

Goal setting

When setting your goals, it can be beneficial to make SMART targets to help you maintain them.

  • Be Specific, do you want to increase the amount of walking or running you do, or do you want to eat more fruits and vegetables?
  • Make sure your goal is Measurable, track your progress and success.
  • Make it Attainable, this will help you to achieve your goal.
  • Keep it Relevant, make sure it helps you reach your longer-term health goals.
  • Ensure it’s Time-bound, set an end date to achieve your goal.

Track your progress

By tracking your progress, you can monitor your improvements, motivate yourself to go further and stay accountable for your actions.

It is also a good way to adjust or change your approach to your goal if needed, helping you to achieve it. It is easy to track your progress, you can record it in a journal or make a spreadsheet.

Support

Having the support of friends and family can help you to achieve your goals.

Having a strong support network will provide you with encouragement and guidance in your journey.

You could try and get them to set their own goals too and do it together.

Security Minister visits visits Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland

MBE VR MP Tom Tugendhat Minister of Security visited the Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland in Edinburgh this week alongside centre partner Police Scotland, to discuss current and next steps to support Scotland’s businesses when it comes to combatting cyber fraud.

As cyber and fraud crime continues to raise major concerns throughout the country, the National Cyber Security Centre announced last week that they strongly urge UK businesses to strengthen their cyber security measures as much as possible.

The Triage Hub aims to bring cyber security partners, including Police Scotland, leading financial institutions and Cyber Fraud Centre – Scotland’s incident response team together to collaborate, share intelligence, disrupt large criminal gang activity, deliver support to victims and recover stolen funds.

Chief Superintendent Conrad Trickett, Police Scotland’s lead for its Policing in a Digital World Programme, said: “The visit by the UK’s Security Minister recognises the important role played by Police Scotland, the Cyber and Fraud Centre and other partners, including our national law enforcement colleagues, in tackling the increase in cybercrime and fraud across the country, not just Scotland.

“The nature of criminality continues to change, and we know criminals will take every opportunity to exploit our communities. Police Scotland is also changing and continues to work in partnership with organisations such as the Cyber and Fraud Centre to advise businesses and the wider community on how to prevent becoming a victim of cybercrime and investigate any reported crimes.

“The recent success of the Cyber and Fraud Triage Hub shows what can be done and underlines the collective commitment to keeping people and businesses safe in the digital world while continuing to disrupt the activities who commit crimes in this environment.”

Read more here: https://cyberfraudcentre.com/uk-security-minister-visits…

Anchor Inn shooting: Fourth person arrested and charged

A fourth person has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of a 38-year-old man in Granton.

Emergency services were called around 11.50pm on Sunday, 31 December, 2023, after a firearm was discharged in West Granton Road.

Two men, aged 38 and 39, were taken to hospital. The 38-year-old man, Marc Webley, was pronounced dead a short time later.

A 20-year-old man has now been arrested and charged in connection with the incident. He is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow -Friday, 2 February, 2024.

A 32-year-old man and 25-year-old woman have previously been arrested and charged in connection with the incident. Both appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 8 January, 2024.

A 33-year-old woman was also arrested and charged in connection with the incident. She was released pending further enquiries.

Eat Out Edinburgh returns for 2024

Bigger than ever before with a full month of incredible offers from the city centre’s best bars and restaurants throughout the month of March, Eat Out Edinburgh has announced its return for 2024.

From weekend brunch, to business lunch, to dinner and drinks, Eat Out Edinburgh is designed to bring friends, family, and colleagues together from across the Lothians for the chance to explore new cuisines and try special occasion restaurants for an accessible price while supporting the city’s vibrant hospitality sector.

With an incredible response from both diners and restaurants in 2023, this year’s campaign will be doubled to four weeks, allowing diners twice the time to take advantage of set menu deals and curated offers from venues throughout the capital’s dedicated Business Improvement District (BID).

Run by Essential Edinburgh, the campaign highlights both established city favourites and exciting newcomers on the food scene with a host of restaurants, cafés, and bars from Princes Street to George Street, to Charlotte Square and St James Quarter to take part. Over 40 venues are expected to take part this year, with many restaurants returning for another year after a successful 2023

Interested businesses within the BID are encouraged to sign up for the 2024 campaign as soon as possible, whether they participated in 2023 or would like to be a part of the 2024 campaign for the first time.

A full list of participating Edinburgh venues and offers will soon be available to browse on Eat Out Edinburgh’s website, with special tasting menus, events and exclusive offers for city centre workers to increase footfall throughout the campaign period.

Lothian Buses returns as a partner for 2024 with city centre offers open to Lothian Bus employees, and promotion for the event to be shown on bus screens across the city throughout the campaign.

Emily Campbell Johnston, Senior Manager of Marketing & Communications, Essential Edinburgh, said: “2023’s Eat Out Edinburgh event was a huge success, with a fantastic turn out filling tables throughout the city centre so well that we saw a great opportunity to make this year even bigger, and create a month-long celebration of the city’s growing food & drink scene.

“With some of Edinburgh’s most exciting new restaurants opening in the BID, we anticipate an even wider range of venues taking part this year, with menus and offers to suit any occasion – giving locals, city centre workers and visitors from further afield a reason to get out, have fun and support the industry.”

For more information, and to keep up to date with the campaign, visit: 

http://www.eatoutedinburgh.co.uk/

New figures suggest Scots youngsters are leading in lifesaving CPR skills

Dad saved by his children urges others to learn vital skill   with BHF this Heart Month

Scots are leading the way in CPR with 71 per cent having learned the skills to save a life, compared to over half (57 per cent) of respondents across the UK. 

New figures released today by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland, show even more – 82 per cent – in the 16-26 age group (Gen Z) know how to perform CPR. Half (50 per cent) of this age group have learned the vital skill in school. 

Almost all respondents who have learnt CPR in locations other than school (98 per cent)1 believe it is important that CPR be taught in schools. 

The figures have been revealed as the medical research charity calls on the whole nation to learn CPR during Heart Month in February, with the message to help protect the heart of someone you love.

With around 80 per cent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happening in the home, you’re often likely to perform CPR on a loved one.     

https://twitter.com/i/status/1752005729924329572

Despite the success in Scotland, a survey carried out for the BHF by Censuswide, also suggests an alarming number of households in Scotland still don’t have anyone who knows how to perform CPR.

Of those respondents who answered that they hadn’t learnt CPR, just over half (51 per cent) said that no-one in their household had learnt the lifesaving skill.    

The survey also found generational differences in CPR awareness in Scotland:    

·                Gen Z (age 16-26) is best trained in CPR, with 82 per cent having learnt, compared to 75 per cent of Millennials (age 27-42), 67 per cent of the Gen X generation (age 43-58) and 65 per cent of the baby boomer (age 59-77) generation.  

·                95 per cent of Scots believe that learning CPR is important1, yet only 49 per cent of respondents could pick the correct first step of CPR – making sure it’s safe to approach and checking for a response from an unconscious person.   

There are over 3100 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in Scotland. Tragically, just one in ten people survive, a statistic the BHF Scotland is determined to improve by giving everyone the opportunity to learn CPR.     

Performing immediate PR and defibrillation in the event of a cardiac arrest can be the difference between life and death.     

The charity’s free and innovative online training tool RevivR can teach CPR and the correct steps of defibrillator use in just 15 minutes. Quick CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival.    

Learning CPR came second only to budgeting, in a list of important life skills1: 

Q: How important, if at all, do you think it is to learn the below life skills? 

Learning to budget 98% 
Learning CPR 95% 
Learning to disinfect a cut 94% 
Learning to do laundry 92% 
Learning to use a washing machine 91% 
Learning to change a light bulb 88% 
Learning to change a tyre 85% 
Learning DIY 81% 

Michael’s story 

A group of people in matching sweaters Description automatically generated

The Welsh family celebrate Christmas 2023

In the early hours of 2 January last year, Alison Welsh, from Broughty Ferry, Dundee was woken by the sound of husband Michael, 55, making a terrible noise. 

“I thought he was snoring but when I turned round, he was purple and staring at me. I screamed for the children, who ran through, we got him off bed and started CPR immediately,” she recalls. 

Her son Christopher, now 30, took the lead, beginning CPR, assisted by sister Rachel, 23, and his girlfriend Chloe, 27, who was staying at the house. All three had been members of their university canoe clubs, where they’d learned to do CPR. 

“While I was on the phone to the ambulance the three of them just took over,” adds Alison. “They were incredible, taking it in turns when they got tired. Without them, Michael would not be here today. There are genuinely no words to express what my children did to save their dad, and how amazing they are. Every day we wake up thankful that he is here.” 

Michael has not had any problems since the episode but now has a defibrillator fitted to monitor his heart rhythm and to deliver a shock if a dangerous, abnormal heart rhythm is detected. 

He says: “Learning CPR is a simple activity that can mean the difference between life and death. I was one of the lucky ones, thankfully people were around who knew what they were doing.”  

1’Very important’ and ‘Quite important’ answers combined  

   

Applications open for Scottish Charity Awards 2024 

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is calling for voluntary organisations and individuals across the country to apply for its annual Scottish Charity Awards.  

Now in its 18th year, the Scottish Charity Awards are designed to celebrate the best of the voluntary sector, and to highlight the incredible organisations, inspiring people and innovative projects that have made an immeasurable difference to the communities they support over the past year.  

Applications are now being accepted for 2024, with SCVO placing particular importance on hearing from voluntary organisations and individuals that reflect the diversity of this essential sector.  

All registered charities, social enterprises, campaigning groups, community interest companies and people who work/volunteer in these spaces are eligible to enter. 

This year SCVO has also tried to make the awards simpler and more accessible to as many people and organisations as possible, with a number of improvements to the application and judging process – including the introduction of a new Small Charity of the Year award in recognition of charities with turnover of £500k and below.  

The award categories are Charity of the Year, Small Charity of the Year Trustee of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Employee of the Year, Partnership of the Year, Campaign of the Year, Community Impact, Climate Impact, and Digital Difference; with the winners to be decided by a panel of judges.  

All finalists will also be entered into the running for the People’s Choice Award, giving members of the public a chance to vote for their favourite finalist to win.

SCVO received an overwhelming response last year with hundreds of applications and over 14,000 votes cast for the People’s Choice Award, and hopes that even more organisations will be inspired to apply this year.   

This year, SCVO will be bringing its celebratory awards ceremony, hosted by Sally Magnusson, to Glasgow on 20 June.   

Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), said: “In these stormy times, it’s great to have something to look forward to. The Scottish Charity Awards always light up our calendars and remind us of the invaluable, inspiring work voluntary organisations across the country are doing every day.  

“Being shortlisted for an award spotlights your story and celebrates the massive contribution of people and organisations to our communities and our country.  

“Every year I’m blown away by the diversity, dedication, expertise and passion that runs through every part of our sector and I’m sure 2024 will be no different – maybe even better! Prove me right and enter or nominate for this year’s awards.” 

Applications are open until 12pm on Friday 15 March 2023 and can be completed on the SCVO website: scvo.scot/scottish-charity-awards/apply.  

Nicole Scottsville, co-founder and chair of 2023 Charity of the Year Diversified, added: “Since winning Charity of the Year at the Scottish Charity Awards 2023, our organisation has gone from strength to strength and it has brought national recognition to the work we do.  

“As a small and young charity, we never expected to win Charity of the Year, and were absolutely thrilled that we did! Winning such a prestigious award has helped us demonstrate to our wider community that we are passionate about what we do and that we provide exceptional services to our autistic youth community.” 

Council cash for polystyrene recycling

The City of Edinburgh Council has been awarded £19,000 to support the recycling of Expanded Polystyrene at Household Recycling Centres.

The £70 million Recycling Improvement Fund (RIF) was launched by the Scottish Government in 2021 to provide grants to local authorities for improving recycling infrastructure and services. The Council has been awarded funding under the Small Grants Scheme which is targeted at strengthening local authority collection systems.

Following successful trials at our three household waste recycling centres (Seafield, Craigmillar, Sighthill), the funding will support the continued collection of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS).

EPS, a lightweight foam material, is rarely recycled and would otherwise need to be disposed of by energy recovery, which involves burning the waste at high temperatures.

The funding will see the creation of an external storage area at one of the council sites which will be more space efficient and help to make the collection permanent.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Committee Convener, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve secured essential funding to improve our recycling services. As Scotland’s capital, we’re determined to play our part in the global fight against climate change by managing waste in the most sustainable way possible.

“Our target to be a net-zero city by 2030 is bold and ambitious but we’re continuing to make progress. Recycling is something we can all do to help Edinburgh reduce its emissions and create a healthier planet for ourselves and future generations.

“We must work together with the Scottish Government to achieve our shared ambitions and support both Edinburgh and Scotland’s transition to net-zero.”

Zero Waste Scotland’s Recycling Improvement Fund Manager David Gunn said: “We’re proud to be working with the Scottish Government to support the City of Edinburgh Council to access Recycling Improvement Fund grants and to work with them to successfully implement their project.

“By recycling as much as possible, we can all help reduce carbon emissions, tackle climate change, and ease the pressure placed on the planet.

“The council’s award will help improve its recycling infrastructure and services, benefitting residents and taking Scotland forward on its journey to becoming a circular economy.”

 Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “Recycling has a huge role to play in Scotland’s response to the climate crisis.

“Since launching in 2021, hundreds of thousands of people across the country have benefitted from projects supported through our £70 million Recycling Improvement Fund – one of the biggest investments in a generation to modernise recycling in Scotland.

“I am delighted that this latest round of funding will make it easier for many more households across Scotland to recycle their waste, boosting local recycling rates.”

Edinburgh Leisure: It’s never too early to start getting active


Unlock your key to unlimited soft play

Inspire kids to get the active habit. With Edinburgh Leisure’s Young Explorer soft-play membership, children get to sample the world of sport and fitness from an early age.

For new customers signing up to become a member in February,April is completely free. And for existing members referring a friend, if their friends join, the existing member will also receive a free month in April.

From only £17.99* per month, the Young Explorer Soft Play Membership offers incredible value, fantastic flexibility and of course, will keep little ones entertained and burning off energy as they explore the amazing soft plays.

Little adventurers can visit as many times as they wish, enjoying unlimited fun at any of Edinburgh Leisure’s three soft play venues across the city at Clambers at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, Tumbles at Portobello, and Scrambles at EICA: Ratho.

Edinburgh Leisure’s play frames are suitable for children up to ten years old and there are frames for babies, toddlers, and juniors up to 10 years.  Each venue has a café where healthy snacks and tasty treats can be enjoyed.

With great member benefits, the Edinburgh Leisure soft play is only available to buy online:

https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/softplaycampaign