Day: January 4, 2026

Digital experts warn some businesses are ‘woefully underprepared’ for the PSTN switch off

The clock is ticking and the countdown is on. In January 2027, BT Openreach will shut down the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN), the technology behind analogue landline phones.

But with just 12 months remaining until the big switch-off, the digital experts at Workflo Solutions are warning some businesses are woefully underprepared for this landmark change. 

The PSTN switch-off has been deemed necessary because the network of traditional copper lines is no longer equipped to handle the demands of today’s advanced digital world. Bandwidth limitations restrict its ability to support features such as video conferencing and data sharing – crucial tools for modern businesses – and maintaining this ageing infrastructure has become increasingly expensive and impractical.

Any equipment that currently uses the PSTN will stop working in January 2027. From phonelines to security alarms, door entry systems to CCTV, any technology that relies on the old copper lines will be affected.

And so businesses across the UK have been urged to move to a single, digital Internet Protocol (IP) network that primarily uses full-fibre connections.

Described by Workflo Solutions as the next generation of business communication, IP leverages the power and flexibility of the internet to deliver voice, data and video services over a single, high-speed fibre optic network. This shift to IP signifies a major technological leap forward in terms of speed, reliability and functionality.

Commenting ahead of the switch-off, Workflo Solutions’ managing director Michael Field said; “For sectors heavily reliant on traditional telephony, such as healthcare, telecare and security, it is essential that their critical services remain uninterrupted while alternative solutions are implemented.

“They need to act now to ensure a smooth transition to digital technologies to avoid disruption to their operations.

“Worryingly, there are still some businesses that are woefully underprepared for the switch-off. The move to IP-based networks is unavoidable, and postponing preparations might cause last-minute issues.

“So we’re urging all businesses to act now, review their current systems and begin implementing the necessary updates to ensure a seamless transition to a more advanced, efficient and versatile communication network before they get left behind.”

Earth in Common: Leith Croftathon

We are so excited to see runners signing up, doing what this community does best, coming together!

Join the fun and get yourself involved. Be part of the solution. We need you!! ❤

Not a runner, don’t worry, you can walk it all if you like, or you can create a relay team and there will be lots of other fun activities over the weekend including a junior fun run for the small people and a more competitive version for the teens if they sign up.

Scan the QR code to learn more. ❤

Mum waves goodbye to 40 years of secret smoking thanks to free NHS service

An Inverclyde woman enjoyed her first smoke-free Christmas in 40 years thanks to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s free stop smoking service.

Mounting pressure from her sons and daughter, combined with the increasing cost of cigarettes, meant Patricia Weir from Port Glasgow was facing an uphill battle to justify her partially-private habit of smoking – something she’d done with close friends and at home regularly for 40 years.

However, after struggling to shake off what felt like a lingering hangover after her son’s wedding this summer, Patricia, 62, knew something was wrong and it was time to make a change.

Patricia said: “I was in the hospital five or six times this year and I came home after my son’s wedding in the summer and didn’t feel right.

“I didn’t feel great on the Monday and by the Tuesday, I still wasn’t myself. When it got to the Wednesday, I still wasn’t right, and my son took me to hospital. I discovered my kidneys weren’t functioning and I had sepsis. I knew then that it was time to stop.”

One call to NHSGGC’s stop smoking service, Quit Your Way, and Patricia was set up with free behaviour change support as well as free stop-smoking medication Varenicline through her pharmacy, and she hasn’t looked back since.

Like all smokers, Patricia had her own unique behaviours to change on her journey to going smoke free. For her, it was breaking away from the secrecy she’d built up around her smoking.

She’d only do it around certain people and in specific places, like late at night on her own.

However, with the help of Alison Workman, NHSGGC’s Quit Your Way stop smoking practitioner in Inverclyde, and Varenicline, Patricia has successfully completed her 12-week quit and is now smoke-free.

Patricia added: “There was a lot of work for me to do to change those habits. My family didn’t like it, it was affecting my health, I was embarrassed about it, and I couldn’t justify spending that money but I still had to make a choice to stop.

“I had to do that and I’m proud of that. I’m chuffed to bits with myself and I’m really grateful for Alison’s help, and the team at the pharmacy were great as well.

“I feel in more control of my life, and I genuinely now enjoy the fact that I don’t smoke.

“I’d highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about stopping. Everybody’s different and there are all these different products to help you. I knew about Varenicline, and I knew I would be able to do it with that, so I have genuinely quit in my own way.”

Alison said: “Patricia found a way to quit that suited her and that’s why it worked. We decided Varenicline would be the right medication to curb her cravings, but the most important part was her desire to change.

“If you can make the commitment to change, we can support you to see it through. Patricia is living proof of that and is now smoke-free for Christmas after 40 years. We’re very proud of her and I’m sure her family are too.”

If you’d like to find out more about Quit Your Way, visit www.nhsggc.scot/your-health/quit-your-way or call 0800 916 8858

Call for urgent action as the number of legal plans for vulnerable children in Scotland slump to a new record low

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education for vulnerable children and young people, is calling for urgent action from the Scottish Government and local authorities following a dramatic reduction in the number of legally binding co-ordinated support plans (CSPs) for children and young people with complex or multiple additional support needs (ASN).

Recent data from the Scottish Government show that the number of pupils with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems, has surged to 299,445 in 2025 – representing 43 per cent of Scotland’s pupil population – up from 153,143 (22.5 per cent of pupils) in 2015.1.

Against this backdrop, there has been a staggering 63 per cent drop in the number of pupils receiving CSPs over the same period. 2

In 2015, there were 3,128 pupils with a CSP, but by 2025, this figure had plummeted to just 1,165, representing only 0.4% of those identified with ASN and just 0.2% of the overall pupil population.

So-called co-ordinated support plans (CSPs), prepared by local authorities, are the only education plans that are legal documents.  These provide guarantees of entitlement to additional resources and legal redress, placing statutory duties on local authorities to review and ensure that the provisions are met.

The fall comes despite a Scottish Government promise that there would be no reduction in the proportion of pupils receiving them since their introduction through the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004.

A concern raised by the SCSC is that local authorities are reluctant to issue CSPs because they are seen as cumbersome and time-consuming, resource-intensive, and subject to enhanced scrutiny.

This is all set against the backdrop of under-investment in services, with many local authorities now reluctant to provide legally enforceable support due to cuts in health, education, and social work provision.

If the needs of the child or young person are not believed to have been met, non-statutory alternatives are often offered in their place, with families or carers not being offered the option of a CSP.

The SCSC has called for a number of actions from the Scottish Government and local authorities, including:

● Expanding access to CSPs, ensuring all eligible pupils receive a legally binding plan.

● Reviewing and removing barriers preventing the effective use of CSPs.

● Improving collaboration between local authorities, health, education, and social work services to ensure statutory duties are being met.

● Investing in resources and training to raise awareness and understanding of CSPs among families, carers, and professionals, including targeted training for local authority and school staff

A spokesperson for the SCSC said: “We are calling for urgent action from the Scottish Government and local authorities following figures highlighting a dramatic decline in the use of CSPs, which are designed to support those with the most complex needs. 

“This is despite a Scottish Government assurance that they would not fall, and against the backdrop of a dramatic increase in the numbers of those with ASN, including those with more complex needs.

“This gap between the growing number of children with ASN and the declining number of CSPs is simply not justifiable. The threshold for receiving a CSP is already challenging to meet, and local authorities are using vague terminology to deny children the support they need.

“By not providing this legally enforceable provision, many of these vulnerable individuals are being failed and not getting the support they are entitled to, meaning that they are not achieving their full potential.

“This is of particular significance given the devastating impact of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis. The Scottish Government, local authorities and other agencies need to collaborate to ensure that those requiring a CSP receive it, with the necessary resourcing in place to support this.

“With those with ASN drawn disproportionately from poorer neighbourhoods, if we are to close the educational attainment gap genuinely, they must get the care and support they need, when they need it.”

1 Scottish Government, Pupil census supplementary statistics 2025 and 2015, table 1.5. Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/pupil-census-supplementary-statistics/

(accessed 2nd January 2026).

2 Ibid., table 1.6.

Venezuela: Starmer shies away from criticising illegal US action

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued the following statement yesterday:

‘The UK has long supported a transition of power in Venezuela. We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate President and we shed no tears about the end of his regime.

‘I reiterated my support for international law this morning. The UK government will discuss the evolving situation with US counterparts in the days ahead as we seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people.’

Other political leaders have been braver in their condemnation:

First Minister John Swinney has commented on the unfolding situation in Venezuela, urging the international community to ensure that de-escalation, diplomacy and democracy are the foundations of what follows.

YOUR PARTY leader Jeremy Corbyn said: The US has launched an unprovoked and illegal attack on Venezuela. This is a brazen attempt to secure control over Venezuelan natural resources.

“It is an act of war that puts the lives of millions of people at risk — and should be condemned by anyone who believes in sovereignty and international law.”

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Senator Bernie Sanders’ statement on President Trump’s actions in Venezuela

Former Democrat US Presidential candidate Kamala Harris said: “Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable.

“That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise.

“We’ve seen this movie before. Wars for regime change or oil that are sold as strength but turn into chaos, and American families pay the price. The American people do not want this, and they are tired of being lied to.

“This is not about drugs or democracy. It is about oil and Donald Trump’s desire to play the regional strongman. If he cared about either, he wouldn’t pardon a convicted drug trafficker or sideline Venezuela’s legitimate opposition while pursuing deals with Maduro’s cronies.

“The President is putting troops at risk, spending billions, destabilizing a region, and offering no legal authority, no exit plan, and no benefit at home.

“America needs leadership whose priorities are lowering costs for working families, enforcing the rule of law, strengthening alliances, and — most importantly — putting the American people first.”

SCOTTISH GREENS: ‘Trump’s illegal invasion and occupation of Venezuela must end. We stand in full solidarity with the people of Venezuela.

“This kind of blatant US imperialism cannot be allowed to stand.’

The UN has issued the following statement:

‘The Secretary-General is deeply alarmed by the recent escalation in Venezuela, culminating with today’s United States military action in the country, which has potential worrying implications for the region.

‘Independently of the situation in Venezuela, these developments constitute a dangerous precedent. The Secretary-General continues to emphasize the importance of full respect – by all – of international law, including the UN Charter. He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected. 

‘The Secretary-General calls on all actors in Venezuela to engage in inclusive dialogue, in full respect of human rights and the rule of law.’

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL said: “Today’s military action by the Trump Administration in Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, raises grave concerns for the human rights of the Venezuelan population and most likely constitutes a violation of international law“.