Thousands of veterans to benefit from new UK-wide support network

Veterans across the UK will have easier access to essential care and support under a new VALOUR system being announced today, as part of the Government’s commitment to renew the nation’s contract with those who have served through the Plan for Change.

  • As nation prepares to celebrate VE Day, the Government announces new UK-wide veteran support system, called VALOUR.   
  • New VALOUR network will deliver easier access to care and support with new regional networks connecting housing, employment and health services in every corner of the UK. 
  • Backed by £50m of funding, VALOUR will foster the enterprising spirit of veteran charities, better connect local and national services and ensure veterans’ support is truly data driven.  

Veterans across the UK will have easier access to essential care and support under a new VALOUR system being announced today, as part of the Government’s commitment to renew the nation’s contract with those who have served through the Plan for Change.  

£50m of funding will establish a new network of VALOUR-recognised support centres across the UK and and deploy Regional Field Officers to connect local, regional and national services – while harnessing the power of data to shape better services.  

Defence Secretary John Healey MP and Veterans Minister Al Carns are announcing the new service during VE week, marking a major milestone in meeting this government’s manifesto promise to fully implement the Armed Forces Covenant.    

The new Regional Field Officers will bring together charities, service providers and local government to provide more evidence and feedback driven support for veterans, across housing, employment, health and welfare.  

The first VALOUR support centres will be operational next year, tailored to the specific needs on the ground and focused on the demands for each location. This could include advice on how to book GP appointments, access welfare or support with housing issues. 

The Ministry of Defence is announcing today it will invite veterans to help design VALOUR through research, focus groups and feedback. While VALOUR will initially focus on veterans, the service is designed to be scaled up to support the wider Armed Forces community in the future.  

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said: “The nation owes a duty to those who’ve served to defend our country, and it is only right that the Government steps up our support to them. The Armed Forces set most people up for success in life but when veterans need help then support is too often a postcode patchwork.  

“Our plan to develop a UK-wide veterans support service will work with enterprising health, employment and housing charities and it is backed by the one of the largest ever Government funding commitments to veterans.  

“This Government is delivering on our Plan for Change and renewing the nation’s contract with those who serve.”

VALOUR will harness the power of data to shape better service provision and ensure the right type of support is available for veterans at a local level.   

As the delivery arm, field officers will work with local services including local government bodies, to share best practice and guidance. This will include applying the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, the nation’s promise to support the armed forces community and their families, which will soon gain legal footing as part of the manifesto commitment. 

Veterans Minister, Al Carns, said: “As a veteran who served for 24 years, I recognise the unique challenges they’ve faced and the skills they possess. This new investment will ensure that every veteran, regardless of where they live, can access joined up support services in the way they need it.   

“We are creating the UK’s first ever data-driven framework for veterans’ services, ensuring our resources are channelled to where they’re most needed and can make the greatest difference to those who have courageously served their country.”

Director General of the British Royal Legion, Mark Atkinson, said:  “The Royal British Legion welcomes today’s announcement to improve and better coordinate government support for veterans under VALOUR.

“Whilst there are a range of government services already in place for veterans, these services can vary depending on where you live and your access to information about the services available. Improved coordination across health, housing, employment, and mental wellbeing services is crucial to helping veterans lead successful lives.  

“We look forward to working closely with government and partner organisations to help turn these commitments into meaningful change.”

Over the past year, the Government has delivered for veterans, including by removing the local connection requirement for veterans seeking social housing and awarding £3.5m of new funding for homelessness services. The recent launch of Op ASCEND has been critical in ensuring veterans can get onto the career ladder and access meaningful jobs. 

Letters: Deaf Awareness Week

Dear Editor,

Deaf Awareness Week

In May we mark Deaf Awareness Week, when we celebrate deaf culture and raise awareness about how we can make the world a more deaf-friendly place.

Everyone has big dreams, but deaf children grow up in a world that doesn’t really understand their needs. The barriers they face can often hold them back from fully realising their incredible potential. Help us change all that.

The National Deaf Children’s Society champions the rights of the UK’s 50,000 deaf children and their families. And you can do your bit too, by following some simple deaf awareness tips or even learning one or two useful signs in British Sign Language. You’ll find little bit of deaf awareness goes a long way, and you can find out all about it on our website, www.ndcs.org.uk  

Please join us in our call for more support for deaf children and their families. With the right support, anything is possible for deaf children.

Simon Want,

Head of Policy and Influencing, the National Deaf Children’s Society

www.ndcs.org.uk

The National Deaf Children’s Society

  • There are more than 50,000 deaf children in the UK; three babies are born deaf in the UK every day.
  • The National Deaf Children’s Society is the leading charity dedicated to creating a world without barriers for every deaf child.
  • We aim to make every moment count in the life of a deaf child, from the moment their deafness is identified to their first day at school and beyond, both in the UK and around the world.
  • We empower families to make informed choices and champion their child, offer specialist support and bring families together so they feel part of a supportive community.
  • For more information about the work of the National Deaf Children’s Society and to download the free My NDCS app, featuring tailored information, support and resources, please visit www.ndcs.org.uk
  • For advice and support, please contact us via our Helpline on 0808 800 8880 (voice and text), on SignVideo (signvideo.co.uk), by email on helpline@ndcs.org.uk or through online chat at www.ndcs.org.uk/livechat.

Urgent water safety advice issued

Survey reveals dangerous mistaken belief

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) is issuing urgent water safety advice to parents after a survey revealed a misconception that could be playing a role in an increasing number of children drowning. 

More than half of parents surveyed (55%) believe they would hear if their child was struggling in water as they think they would thrash about and make a lot of noise. 

The water safety charity is warning that child drownings happen quickly and silently. Leaving a child’s side for a moment can be enough time to miss a child quietly slipping under the water. 

RLSS UK has launched its spring campaign, ‘Splash Safety at your Pad’, which was created in response to the charity’s Child Drowning Update. The report, which was written in collaboration with the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD), found that across a four-year period, 51 children drowned at home in England – amounting to over one child a month, on average. 

The campaign will be running throughout May and is focusing on water safety in outdoor spaces at home, such as paddling pools, ponds, hot tubs and more. 

Matt Croxall, Interim Charity Director at RLSS UK, said: “The importance of our campaign was highlighted when we discovered such worrying statistics surrounding parents’ understanding of water safety risks. 

“We want to take these misconceptions and educate more families to be aware of the risks, so they can keep their children safe around water at home, particularly as the weather warms up and more people are out enjoying their gardens. 

“Our latest campaign, focusing on water safety advice across outdoor spaces, will ensure parents have a greater understanding around the importance of supervising their children when in and around water at home.” 

In the last four years, 86% of child drownings occurred when the child was left unsupervised.

As the experts in water safety education, RLSS UK has issued the following advice to ensure that families can enjoy water safely in their outdoor spaces: 

Stay together  

Young children should always be kept within arm’s reach. Never leave your child unattended or under the supervision of child siblings.   

Secure  

Almost 90% of parents of under 5s have at least one potential water hazard in their outdoor space at home1. Lock doors and gates to outdoor spaces to prevent unsupervised access.  

Prepare  

Get any towels, toys, nappies and dry clothing ready to go before children start their water play. This will ensure you won’t need to leave their side.  

Avoid distractions…  

…such as using a mobile phone when children are playing in or around water. In a group of adults, appoint a ‘water watcher’ to ensure children are supervised at all times.   

Empty it out, cover it up  

After your children have enjoyed splashing about in their paddling pool, empty the water out straight away to avoid accidents.   

In the case of larger pools and hot tubs, ensure that the cover is securely replaced immediately after use to prevent children from accidentally falling in.   

Tidy   

When you’ve finished playing, it’s best to totally clear up your space – turn off the hosepipe at the tap to block access.  

Clear away or turn over paddling pools and any other water containers, like buckets, as these can unexpectedly fill up with water if it rains.   

For more helpful advice and tips for staying splash safe at home, including bath time visit the campaign pages on the RLSS UK website: www.rlss.org.uk/splash-safety 

NHS Lothian working to improve workplace culture in Women’s Services

As part of the ongoing programme of improvement work in women’s services, NHS Lothian has commissioned a report to help strengthen its ‘valued and dedicated’ teams.

Researchers worked with staff over a number of weeks to provide clear insight about their views on workplace culture and how it impacts them. 

It comes as part of an intensive improvement programme after concerns were raised in a whistleblowing report about patient safety and working culture within women’s services in NHS Lothian.

Patient safety was obviously prioritised and a tremendous amount of work has since been carried out to robustly review all aspects of care and workforce, including working patterns, training and environment. There has also been investment in 31 additional midwives and other staff in the directorate. 

The focus has now turned to the concerns around working culture and the need to improve support for hard-pressed frontline staff.

Caroline Hiscox, Chief Executive, NHS Lothian, said: “Our colleagues are the backbone of NHS Lothian and the improvement work in women’s services continues to be taken extremely seriously.

“That is why I asked our Deputy Chief Executive and our Director of People and Culture to provide Executive leadership for the improvement programme which includes oversight of these next steps to ensure staff can trust in our commitment to them.”

Tom Power, Director of People and Culture, NHS Lothian, said the report identified positives and negatives in workplace culture, revealing extra support is needed to address issues in the directorate to bring it into line with the organisational values.

He added: “Our improvement plan prioritised patient safety and care to give us assurance that we were providing safe care to women and babies.

“Now, in this latest round of work, we are focussing on our teams and our leadership to make sure staff feel supported at work, safe to raise concerns and able to thrive.

“We commissioned this independent research because we wanted to leave no stone unturned in our efforts to get a truly comprehensive picture of the experience of our teams in Women’s Services.”

The review praised frontline staff for their dedication, compassion and teamwork and noted the strong sense of peer support and collaboration among clinical staff, to help maintain safe, high quality care.

However, the findings also indicate relationships with leaders were often strained, causing problems with general work wellbeing, stress and even bullying or perceptions of unfair treatment and frustration.

He added: “I apologise to those who have been let down at work and reassure them that we are determined to support them better to do the job they love.

“During the focus sessions, many of our staff talked about their role in women’s services as being a “calling”, such is their level of dedication to providing care for women and babies.

“I would like to reassure women and their families, as the report make clear, that they and their babies will receive high-quality care from our committed and professional staff.”

The findings and suggested actions have been discussed directly with teams and they have been merged into the overall improvement plan which began in August 2024.

It began after a whistleblowing report raised questions about patient safety and working culture within women’s services. It also focussed on a rare incidence of maternal death which is the subject of a forthcoming Significant Adverse Event (SAE) review.

NHS Lothian continues to await the outcome of the SAE and address any recommendations from that, however actions in relation to the whistleblowing concerns are already underway.

All aspects of patient care and workforce as well as staff working patterns, training and environment have been reviewed. Engagement with staff was immediate and an improvement plan was designed with staff in an open and transparent process.

This work with the independent consultancy was part of that wide-ranging programme.

ELREC: Efficient and Healthy Cooking Course at Heart of Newhaven

Following the successful completion of five sessions, our Efficient Healthy Cooking Project is now launching sixth round starting on May 13th.

Limited spaces are available, if you’re interested in joining, please get in touch.

#cooking

#eathealthy

#flexibletime

Over 150 children and young people take part in The Big Sports Day

In a first-of-its-kind event for the city, over 150 children and young people from Special Schools and mainstream primary and secondary schools took part in The Big Sports Day.

The event was held at the Saughton Athletics Track and invoilved children and young people with with a physical disability learn,ing difficulty or autism.

Organised by the City of Edinburgh Council’s Active Schools team and Youth Work Development Workers based at Gorgie Mills school, children and young people took part in a range of sports, facilitated by a range of trusted providers, including: football, frame running, cycling, tennis, karate, rugby, archery, cricket and lots more.

Groups of pupils rotated around three or four specific activity stations catering to their individual needs and abilities. Edinburgh College students volunteered their support on the day.

The event was partly funded through the Edinburgh 900 fund with a one -off amount secured to run The Big Sports Day event.

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener, said: “It is truly fantastic to see that this community event was attended by so many learners from across the city and to hear that a great time was had by all!

“Having fun through sport and keeping active is an important part of the curriculum across all Edinburgh schools and it’s brilliant that learners had the chance to try out a range of different sports.”

Wildfire Danger Warning remains in place today

VERY HIGH TO EXTREME WILDFIRE WARNING

Wildfire Warning

A very high to extreme risk of wildfire is in place across parts of Scotland from 28 April – 4 May.

Avoid using anything involving a naked flame.

Please act responsibly.

Visit https://ow.ly/Vm6g50VJ045 for more info.

Teen Triple P group opportunities for parents and carers of 11 – 16 year olds

Teen Triple P is a positive parenting programme suitable for parents, carers and grandparents of pre-teen and teenage children. Teen Triple P can help parents and carers to:

  • cope positively with some of the common issues associated with raising a teenage
  • build stronger relationship with their teenager
  • resolve conflict in the family, manage problem behaviour and help keep their teen stay safe.

We welcome applications directly from parents and carers or someone can apply on their behalf.

Applications can be made by completing our online application form found here https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/teentriplepform

Venue: Pentland Community Centre 21 Oxgangs Brae, Edinburgh EH13 9LS

Starting Wednesdays 7 May – 18 June. 12.30-2.30pm.

Venue: Royston Wardieburn Community Centre, 11 Pilton Dr N, Edinburgh EH5 1NF

Starting Thursdays 8 May – 19 June. 9.45-11.45am.

Venue: St Augustines High School, 208 Broomhouse Rd, Edinburgh EH12 9AD

Strating Thursdays 8 May – 19 June. 6.00-8.00pm.

Festival commission celebrates our Love of  Trees

Monday 5 May, 8.15pm, Traverse Theatre

Musicians Donald Hay and Mary Macmaster are pictured in front of the remains of the 29m high  Himalayan Cedar at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. Their new song The Cedar  Silent is a tribute to the cedar and will premiere as part of For the Love of Trees, at the Traverse Theatre on Monday 5 May, 8.15pm.

This year’s festival commission For the Love of Trees celebrates the  songs and tunes associated with our nation’s woodlands and trees and  includes the premiere of The Cedar, Silent which was written as a tribute  to the 29m high Himalayan cedar (Cedrus deodara) at the Royal Botanic  Garden in Edinburgh that came down in Storm Éowyn earlier this year.  

Specially commissioned by Soundhouse who programme Edinburgh  Tradfest, For the Love of Trees is produced and performed by harpist Mary  Macmaster and drummer Donald Hay, who are joined by an incredible  line-up of talented musicians: Amy MacDougall (vocals, sampling),  Mairearad Green (accordion, pipes, vocals), Pete Harvey (cello) and Ciaran Ryan (banjo/fiddle/guitar). 

Mary Macmaster is an award-winning harpist, singer, and ambassador for  Scottish music who has previously collaborated with the likes of Sting,  Northumbrian pipe virtuoso Kathryn Tickell, English folk legend Norma  Waterson and many more. 

Mary is a founder member of The Poozies (still going strong after 35  years), Macmaster/Hay with Donald Hay, Shine with Alyth McCormack  and Corinna Hewat, and Sìleas with Patsy Seddon. In 2013, she and  Seddon were inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. 

For this commission Mary has chosen a variety of tunes related to trees,  plus there are four new compositions written specially for the concert including The Cedar, Silent. The tunes include everything from a  traditional Irish reel The Island of Woods by the wonderful Irish/American  fiddler Liz Carroll; to Scottish lament Cumha Crann Nan Teud The  Lament for the Harp Key; The Trees by rock band Pulp; and Chraobh nan  Ubhall a traditional Gaelic waulking song. 

Speaking about the commission musician Mary Macmaster said: “I chose trees for this commission because I love trees – everyone loves  trees don’t they? Also, one of my favourite ever books is The Overstory, by  Richard Powers. It’s a massive, magnificent story. It really inspired and 

affected me. Trees are in the earth and in the air. They are older and more  still than humans could ever be and yet we treat them like commodities. 

If only we could hear what they are saying to each other – and they do  communicate, through their roots and along the lines of mycelium that  connect them.They will be here when we have gone, no matter what a  mess we make of our beautiful world.” 

Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producer of Edinburgh Tradfest said: “Mary  Macmaster is one of Scotland’s finest musicians and composers so we  were absolutely thrilled that she agreed to take on this year’s festival  commission.

“She has picked a stellar line-up to join her on 5 May so we’re  sure it will be a concert to remember. The subject matter is very close to  our hearts and that set list includes tunes from across the centuries is  surely fitting.

After all, many the trees we look at today have been here long  before us and will survive long after we are gone.”  

For the Love of Trees is on Monday 5 May starts 8.15pm at the Traverse  Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh EH1 2ED. £16/£13 with special  guest Fiona Soe Paing whose new album SAND, SALT FLINT is inspired by the ballads of and locations around the northeast of Scotland.

Her  performance will include visuals from Isla Goldie. 

About Mary Macmaster 

Best known for her pioneering work with the metal-strung clarsach and the  fantastic Camac electro-harp, Mary Macmaster is also a fine singer of  Gaelic and English language songs. During the last twenty years she has  been at the forefront of the revival of the Scottish harp and has been an  ambassador for Scottish music, touring throughout the world with Sìleas,  The Poozies and Donald Hay, a brilliant percussionist. 

Mary has collaborated live and in the studio with many wonderful musicians  including the Northumbrian pipe virtuoso Kathryn Tickell, English folk  legend Norma Waterson and the amazing Sting. Mary’s influence on and  contribution to the Scottish music scene and her role in the clarsach revival 

in recent decades has been recognised by the Scottish Music Hall of Fame  (Hands Up for Trad / Saltire Society), into which she was inducted in 2013. Edinburgh Tradfest 2025 runs until Monday 12 May.

The full programme  includes a stellar line-up of traditional music, talks, adult and children’s  music workshops, ceilidhs, films, and storytelling thanks to continued  support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, and the  William Grant Foundation. 

Cancer 360: Tech reform to transform cancer diagnosis

Cancer 360 brings patient data into one central system, so clinicians can prioritise those most in need and see patients quicker

  • Millions of patients to receive faster cancer diagnosis, helping slash treatment delays as groundbreaking new tech rolled out on NHS as part of major reform to health service
  • For first time, all NHS trusts will have access to technology that brings key patient information together so medical teams can easily spot those in need of urgent attention
  • The £2bn tech investment from the Autumn Budget will drive essential reforms, freeing up staff time and saving lives, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change

Millions of cancer patients will receive a faster diagnosis, helping cut treatment delays and boost survival rates as the government rolls out pioneering new technology across the NHS through the Plan for Change.

Currently, there are over 2 million people living with cancer, many of whom face a complex journey of tests, appointments or treatments. But a trailblazing new tool – dubbed Cancer 360 – brings all that data into one central system, so clinicians can prioritise those most in need and see patients quicker – with the technology set to benefit millions over the next 5-10 years.

This government inherited a broken NHS. Lord Ara Darzi’s independent investigation found the NHS in ‘critical condition’ – with surging waiting lists and deteriorating national health – and set out the need to improve cancer waiting time performance and cancer survival.

Cancer 360 represents the crucial reform that must accompany investment, shifting the NHS from analogue to digital, by creating a simple dashboard showing clinicians all the information they need about their patients in one place. Instead of having to gather vital information about each cancer patient from various systems, spreadsheets, emails, and records.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “This government grasped the nettle and made difficult but necessary choices to invest £26 billion into our NHS – a move that is already helping millions of patients and will help millions more.

“It’s a long road, but we’re already getting our NHS back on its feet, giving patients over 3 million more appointments, hiring 1,500 new GPs and starting the roll out of new tech that will save lives.

“It is only this government’s Plan for Change that will deliver for patients and make our NHS fit for the future.”

The real-time tool will help teams to easily track a patient’s progress, avert delays, and even produce personalised treatment plans. It will dramatically reduce paperwork and help ensure vital warning signs aren’t missed. 

Cancer 360 is a prime example of the government’s commitment to reform – doing things differently by harnessing digital innovation to improve patient outcomes.

Following recent expansion of the NHS App, which has already stopped 1.5 million hospital appointments being missed and saved 5.7 million staff hours since July 2024, Cancer 360 demonstrates how we are continuing to drive the NHS from analogue to digital, giving patients better care and more control over their healthcare journey.

The investment comes from the Autumn Budget – where the government made difficult but necessary choices to put £26 billion in our NHS. This includes the biggest increase in NHS spending since 2010, excluding COVID-19 years – including £1 billion for digital transformation projects and £121 million for the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP). While this investment is crucial, it’s the reforms in how we use these resources that will truly transform cancer care.

The new tool is built into the FDP, which brings patient information together from across separate systems into one safe and secure environment. Since April 2024, hospitals using the platform have typically performed 70,000 more procedures and reduced unnecessary hospital stays by almost 19% – treating more patients and freeing up valuable bed space.

Suraiya Abdi, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Chelsea and Westminster Foundation Trust said: “The implementation of Cancer 360 has enabled my team to monitor and safely carry our patients through their cancer pathway.

“The tool enables us to have in-depth conversations at our weekly meetings regarding a patient’s next step as well as allowing us to escalate queries directly to other teams for faster turnaround.

“The tool has reduced the amount of admin time spent by our cancer team therefore enabling them to focus on the patient journey. I have witnessed an improvement in performance, team spirit and most importantly patient experience.”

The government’s National Cancer Plan will transform the way we approach this disease, improving care and bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.

Through the Plan for Change, the UK government is driving forward work to develop innovative treatments and technologies for patients.

Last month the Prime Minister announced plans for a new health data research service, to transform access to NHS data so clinical trials can be fast-tracked to accelerate the development of the medicines and therapies of the future, in turn helping boost the UK’s world leading life sciences sector and drive growth. 

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence also recently announced thousands of cancer patients will benefit from new artificial intelligence which detects skin cancer. In addition, it was confirmed that the NHS will become the first health system in Europe to offer a new injectable form of nivolumab – one of the most widely used cancer treatments in England. 

This forms part of the government’s wider ambitions to cut waiting lists under its Plan for Change.

With a total of 3 million additional appointments already delivered 6 months early, the government is exceeding its own targets and driving down waiting lists at pace, which have fallen for 6 months in a row and by 219,000 since July 2024 – evidence that reform and investment together can deliver real results for patients.