davepickering

Spending to support Scotland’s vulnerable children slashed by more than a third

SCSC calls for greater resourcing

Spending cut of £1,934 per pupil from 2012/13 for those identified with additional support needs (ASN) – 33.9 per cent cut over a decade
More than doubling in the number of pupils with ASN from 2012
Cut of 546 in the number of ASN teachers

An alliance of leading providers of specialist children’s services, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), has called for greater resourcing to support children and young people with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems.

The call comes as new figures contained in a parliamentary answer to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth MSP, reveal that average additional support for learning (ASL) spend per pupil has slumped by over a third (34.8 per cent).[1] This comes against a perfect storm of escalating numbers of pupils with ASN, against the backdrop of cuts in support.

While the SCSC supports a presumption of mainstreamingfor pupils with ASN, meaning that they are educated in a mainstream school unless exceptional circumstances, without adequate resourcing there is an obvious impact on those with ASN, fellow pupils and teachers.

The SCSC is calling on the Scottish Government to work with local authorities to increase funding to support the needs of vulnerable children and young people, including greater provision of specialist ASN teachers, educational psychologists, behaviour support staff and classroom assistants.

The figures highlight that average spending per pupil on ASL by local authorities in Scotland (primary, secondary and special education) has fallen from £5,698 in the 2012/13 financial year to £3,764 in 2022/23 (in real terms). This amounts to an overall cut in spending of £1,934 per pupil, representing a 33.9 per cent drop.

This fall is against the backdrop of a 104.8 per cent increase between 2012 and 2022 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,011 to 241,639, amounting to 123,628 individuals. Those with ASNcurrently represent more than a third of all pupils (34.2 per cent).³

Between 2012 and 2022 the number of full-time equivalent ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,390 to an all-time low of 2,844, a decrease of 546 teachers, representing a cut in numbers of 16.1 per cent.⁴

Against the backdrop of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, with its disproportionate impact on those with ASN, this cut in support has created a perfect storm for those with ASN.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is devastating to note cuts in spending supporting those with ASN, and we would urge the Scottish Government to adequately resource the provision of the likes of specialist teachers, educational psychologists and classroom assistants.

“We are facing a lost generation of children with ASN, and it is vital that they get the care and support they need, when they need it, especially given the impacts of the Covid-19 and cost-of-living crisis. This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap, as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods.

“We are experiencing a mental health emergency, and have also witnessed dramatic increases in classroom disruption, impacting on pupils and teachers alike. This is in part due to increased levels of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties post-lockdown.

“The Scottish Government and local authorities must work together to provide adequately resourced support across Scotland for those children and young people with ASN, representing some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. “

External Affairs Secretary to visit USA

‘Celebrating Scotland’s ties with North America’

External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson will visit Washington, D.C. and New York City this week to promote Scotland to North America as a place to live, work, study and do business. He will also take part in a range of other diaspora and cultural events, including this year’s Tartan Day parade in New York City.

Tartan Day (6 April) was officially declared by the US Senate in 1998 to honour the contributions that American Scots have made to the US. The days leading up to the annual parade up 6^th Avenue have since become known as ‘Tartan Week’ with a range of events held across the USA to celebrate Scottish arts and culture, as well as traditional music, food and drink.

The External Affairs Secretary’s engagements will include:

meetings with tech companies who are investing or planning to invest in Scotland
a meeting with the World Bank to discuss Scotland’s funding for inclusive education projects in partner countries in Africa
a Scottish Development International showcase of high-quality Scottish food and drink products to US buyers and distributors with the aim of increasing export sales
a discussion hosted by the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society to discuss their new research into Scottish links of enslaved Americans and their descendants – a project supported by the Scottish Connections Fund
cultural events including the Tartan Day Tattoo in Washington, D.C., New York’s Tartan Day Observance in Bryant Park, the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan at the Brick Church on the Upper East Side and the annual Tartan Day parade up 6th Avenue with this year’s Grand Marshal Dougray Scott.

Mr Robertson said: “Tartan Week is an opportunity to celebrate the Scotland’s historic ties with North America, which flourish to this day through cultural exchange, trade, investment and tourism.

“The US is Scotland’s most important international trading partner, as our largest export destination and source of inward investment, and our third biggest market for non-EU international students, with over 6,300 US students choosing to study here in 2021/22.

“I want to encourage greater connections, and greater trade and investment between our countries, which is why I’m meeting a range of existing and potential investors during my time in the US.

“As a showcase of Scottish culture and heritage in the US, Tartan Week is also a major opportunity for our culture and creative sectors to reach new audiences and markets, in line with our recently published international culture strategy, and our Scottish Connections Framework, which aims to strengthen Scotland’s links with our diaspora throughout the world.”

Barnardo’s B-Wild project helping young people back into education

Young people struggling to attend school and to develop relationships with their peers are being helped back into education and are learning to open up thanks to a pioneering nature-based project being run by the country’s leading children’s charity.

Since 2020 – and thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund – Barnardo’s Scotland has been implementing its B-Wild project in eight localities across the country. B-Wild, which allows the young people to get out and about in nature and explore what the world has to offer.

It provides greater attachment to nature and increased self and social awareness. More than 800 children and young people aged between one and 24 have been supported to have therapeutic experiences in nature.

Claire Reid, B-Wild Project Co-ordinator at Barnardo’s, said: “One of the referral criteria for B-Wild is low or no attendance at school. We have a lot of young people on the programme that, for a number of reasons, find it difficult to attend school.

“Also, all participating young people struggle with peer relationships and making friends. The project offers children, young people and families the chance to benefit from outdoor learning, outdoor play and therapeutic practice in nature.

“And the results have been very positive indeed. Many of the young people attending B-Wild sessions have bonded and made friends with others on the programme. Others have very much found their ‘voice’ and developed some really important communication skills.

“Of course, in this process they have developed a stronger connection to nature and a desire to protect it – something that is more important than ever.”

Claire Reid added: “B-Wild looks different in every service. From supporting expectant parents with wellbeing walks in nature spaces; to messy outdoor play for babies; and from allowing primary children to build confidence as they learn about nature through games, play and exploration; to supporting teenagers to develop bushcraft skills while also building an emotional vocabulary for their experiences.

“B-Wild might be families tree planting in a local green space or parents learning how to connect with their children while rock pooling on the beach. It allows Barnardo’s practitioners to support children, families and young people to build their confidence, have fun, develop relationships with others and a relationship with nature, too.”

B-Wild Project Worker Kenny Fulton outlined an example of how the nature-based work can support the young people with real-life issues. He said: “The young people were engaging in an activity using natural materials and outlines of people to show how different emotions are felt in the body. They chose their own emotions to depict ‘grief’ and ‘scared’.

“All young people were incredibly insightful and engaged. Two young people dug a hole in the area of the heart to show how empty grief feels. Others used prickly leaves around the body to show fear. It was very brave and trusting of the young people to share their feelings and experiences in the group setting.

“One young person who does not typically talk about emotions at all shared a memory from early childhood of feeling scared. They shared how this memory was traumatic and how they had blocked it out, laying a stick across the head to represent this. This was a very significant moment for this young person as they grew in understanding of themselves and their life experiences.”

And one young person who attended B-Wild sessions added: “I can talk about things when I’m out on one of these trips. I can talk more here than I do with my counsellor. I can look at things about me in nature and I can talk.”

Another young person, Josh*, was able to join a B-Wild group run by our Edinburgh Together service through his school. Josh was not often able to attend school and struggled to make friends or connect with others – his life was all about gaming.

B-Wild project workers reached out to Josh and helped him get used to the woodland he would be learning about through the project. At the end of the programme, he had gone from a young person who didn’t spend any time outdoors to one who was passionate about nature.

Josh’s mum said: “When Josh started B-Wild he didn’t have anything else in his life. He rarely managed school, didn’t have friends and spent most of his time lost in gaming.

“Through B-Wild he has blossomed. For the first time, he has friends, he looks forward to B-Wild sessions and even talks to me about them when he comes home. It’s the first time in a long time I’ve heard him talk about something other than gaming. He has even bought himself a microscope. I’m so grateful he has had the opportunity to be part of B-Wild with Barnardo’s.”

B-Wild, which takes place in Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Inverclyde, Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire (with Fife coming on board later this year), was awarded funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2020. The project was originally due to run until the end of this month, but that has now been extended to March 2025.

Caroline Clark, The National Lottery Heritage Fund Director for Scotland, said: “It is wonderful to see the success of the Barnardo’s B-Wild project and to hear first-hand accounts from project workers and participants on the powerful, positive impact it is already having in young lives.

“Supporting greater inclusion, diversity, access and participation in heritage is one of the four investment principles, this project is a great example of why that is important. It is thanks to National Lottery players that we can support this work.”

In the past year, Barnardo’s in Scotland provided essential support to more than 11,500 children, young people, parents and carers through more than 150 specialised community-based services and partnerships across the country.

The charity works to ensure that every child has the best possible start in life.

To donate, volunteer or fundraise, please visit www.barnardos.org.uk/get-involved/raise-money.

Foster with Edinburgh information event this Thursday

Drop-In at WAVERLEY COURT, East Market Street from 5 – 7pm

Retired but looking for a new challenge? We need patient and kind individuals with the skills to train as foster carers for children and teenagers who need safe, loving homes.

Excellent support package.

More information at: https://edinburghfostering.org.uk

UK Government ‘rewards work’ with £833 a year boost for Scottish workers

Average worker in Scotland will be £833 better off a year as government cuts taxes
Over 2.4 million workers in Scotland will benefit as National Insurance cuts hit pay packets this month
27 million employees to benefit across the country from tax cuts that reward work and grow the economy

The typical worker in Scotland will be £833 better off thanks to successive cuts to employee National Insurance contributions (NICs), which hit pay packets this month.

27 million workers across the UK will see a boost to their take-home pay from 6 April, with over 2.4 million people to benefit in Scotland alone.

The savings are a result of successive cuts to NICs announced by the Chancellor, slashing the main rate of employee NICs from 12% to 8% and the main rate of self-employed NICs from 9% to 6%.

These cuts are possible because the economy is turning a corner, thanks to the government’s decisive action to bring inflation down from 11.1% to 3.4%. The government is sticking to its economic plan and in the longer-term, it has the ambition to cut NICs further, ending the unfair double tax on work.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said: “The tax cuts coming into force this week show that our economic plan is working, putting £833 a year back into the pockets of working people across Scotland.

“People will start to see this saving in their pay packet this month and, when it’s responsible to do so, we will go further – ending the unfair double tax on those who earn their income through work.”

Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said: “It’s fantastic that this second 2p cut to National Insurance, on top of the first 2p cut in January, is putting more money in the pockets of hard-working Scots from today. Around 2.4 million Scottish workers will be £833 per year better off, on average.

“It’s all part of our plan to increase prosperity and grow the economy. And with inflation expected to fall to target next quarter, our measures are working.”

Taking the NICs reforms across Autumn Statement and Spring Budget together, this is an overall tax cut worth over £20 billion per year, the largest ever cut to employee and self-employed National Insurance.

Due to the combined cuts to employee and self-employed NICs, the OBR forecast that total hours worked will increase by the equivalent of almost 200,000 full-time workers by 2028-29 and help grow the economy.

These changes mean that for single individuals on average salaries, personal taxes would have been lower in the UK than in France, Germany and every other G7 economy, based on the most recent OECD data.

First instalment of £300 million to reduce waiting times

New funding alongside actions to increase productivity

First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced an initial £30 million of targeted investment for Q1 of the new financial year, as part of a £300 million plan over the next three years, to help reduce inpatient and day-case waiting lists.

Backed by planned additional investment, this targeted approach will help drive down waiting lists by an estimated 100,000 patients over three years.

Visiting the National Treatment Centre in Fife, one year on since its official opening, First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “As I set out last October, we are committed to accelerating treatment in our NHS and reducing inpatient and day-case waiting lists by an estimated 100,000 patients over the next three years, backed by planned investment of an extra £100 million annually.

“This initial investment of £30 million will target reductions to national backlogs that built up through the pandemic, including orthopaedic treatment, diagnostics for cancer referrals and patients with the longest waits.

“This is all part of our programme to drive up productivity and tackle waiting lists, supported by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery.

“Together, our actions will further enable NHS Scotland to maximise capacity, build greater resilience and deliver year-on-year reductions in the number of patients who have waited too long for treatment.”

Healthy Heart Tip: Reducing your salt consumption

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

Healthy Heart Tip: Reducing your salt consumption

Consuming too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, a major risk factor for developing heart diseases. Salt is a source of sodium which is essential for a healthy body and diet. However, when we consume too much it can have a negative effect on our cardiovascular system and kidneys.

Did you know that one tablespoon of soy sauce contains almost 3g of salt? The NHS recommends no more than 6g of salt a day, this is around one level teaspoon. This includes salt that is already in our foods, plus any that’s added during or after cooking.

Here are some tips to help you reduce your salt consumption:

Reduce processed food consumption

Processed, ultra-processed foods and packaged foods are often responsible for much of the salt you eat. Eating a diet based on fresh foods, fruits and vegetables will help to reduce your salt intake and improve your heart health.

Processed foods are those that undergo any deliberate changes before being sold, for example, washing, cutting, canning, freezing or adding preservatives. Whereas ultra-processed foods, undergo extensive processing and end up looking nothing like their original state. They often have additives, artificial flavours and colours, sweeteners and preservatives added to them.

Always check your food labels when purchasing packaged foods. Green and amber on the traffic light system labels are healthier as they tend to be lower in salt. Try to avoid labels with red on them where you can.

If possible, try and make the foods from scratch, this way you know exactly what’s going into it. It may help to batch cook and freeze some of the meals for convenience.

Choose lower-salt alternatives

Try low, reduced salt or sodium versions of foods and sauces. These are often available for soy sauces, jars of sauce and stock.

If possible, buy tinned vegetables, pulses or fish in water instead of brine, this will reduce your salt consumption further.

For a food to be classified as low in salt, it needs to have 0.3g salt or less per 100g. Between 0.3g and 1.5g of salt is classed as medium salt content, whilst 1.5g salt or more per 100g is seen as high salt content.

Don’t add salt to your food

Herbs and spices such as parsley, oregano and chilli powder are a great alternative to use than salt.

You could try adding lemon, garlic and wholegrain mustard for extra flavours in your cooking too.

Experiment with your flavours and enjoy your cooking.

Letters: Saving our Songbirds

Dear Editor

With spring in the air, Cats Protection and Songbird Survival have teamed up to offer advice on the best ways to help reduce hunting of songbirds by pet cats in the hope of protecting the threatened population.

A survey of 1,000 cat owners, conducted by Songbird Survival, revealed almost half of cat owners (46%) aren’t aware of ways to reduce cat predation.

Hunting is a natural, innate behaviour for cats and they feel driven to do it. Not all cats hunt and it generally reduces as they age. However, just a few simple strategies can protect birds and benefit your cat’s welfare too.

Spring is a particularly vulnerable time for songbirds as we are in the nesting and breeding season, which runs up to July as they gather materials to make nests and fledglings begin to leave their nests.

It’s important to protect songbird populations from decline and cat owners and bird lovers alike can make a big difference by putting up nest boxes as well as not using pesticides in their gardens.

Top tips for reducing hunting:

Play with your cat for 5-10 minutes every day as it allows them to exhibit their natural hunting behaviour and reduces their motivation to seek out prey. Pick out a toy that mimics prey movement – such as a fishing-rod toy
Feed cats with a premium, meat-rich food as it’s been scientifically shown to reduce hunting tendencies
Keep cats in at night to help songbird populations and to reduce the chances of your cat being involved in a road traffic accident.

For further advice, please visit Songbird Survival’s Get EduCated campaign at https://songbirdsos.org/get-educated or Cats Protection’s website at www.cats.org.uk/garden-and-outdoors

Yours faithfully,

Nicky Trevorrow, Cats Protection Behaviour Manager

Susan Morgan, CEO of Songbird Survival

New figures reveal the growing popularity of Edinburgh’s ‘Resident Rewards’ scheme

More than 5,400 people took advantage of exclusive offers available only to residents within the City of Edinburgh Council area last year.

The Forever Edinburgh ‘Resident Rewards’ programme, which is run by the City of Edinburgh Council, partnered with over 50 local businesses to offer residents exclusive ‘Rewards’ with key leisure and hospitality businesses, visitor attractions, tours, and festive events around the city.

In 2023, the scheme saw an uplift of 195% in bookings of its monthly ‘Star Reward’ and an increase of 88% in the number of residents benefiting from the programme compared to 2022.

In the last year, it has helped residents to make a combined saving of £66,114.

More than 700 local kids enjoyed Camera Obscura for free in March 2023, while over 850 residents attended the Johnnie Walker Princes Street Experience with a 40% discount during their dedicated month.

Residents Rewards Edinburgh was launched in December 2021 to reconnect citizens with the city’s best leisure, food and drink, and cultural experiences. Edinburgh residents can enjoy high-value monthly rewards, special resident prices at key attractions, 12 months’ validity on entry tickets, special previews of upcoming events, and half-price and free entry to attractions at specific times in the month and year.

Last year, Forever Edinburgh enhanced the programme by introducing several new Reward offers including Resident Previews, Half-price & Free days, Annual Passes, and Resident Rates.

Since 2021, the Resident Rewards microsite has been viewed nearly half a million times and has also generated over 35,000 business leads, demonstrating the strength and potential of this market-leading programme.

Councillor Cammy Day, leader of the City of Edinburgh Council said: “It has been a fantastic year for Resident Rewards, with new businesses and brand-new attractions signing up to give back to Edinburgh residents. It’s wonderful to see so many people taking advantage of these exclusive rewards and exploring their own city for less.

“Whether you live locally or visit from halfway across the world, there is so much more to Edinburgh than many of us find time to discover. These rewards provide the perfect chance to try something new while supporting the local economy and I’d encourage other local businesses to get involved.”

Claire Riddoch, Marketing Manager, Camera Obscura & World of Illusions said: “Taking part in the Residents Reward was a great success for Camera Obscura & World of Illusions.

“We are always looking at ways we can work with our local partners and audiences to give back something in return for their loyal support, especially after the last few hard years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We were delighted to welcome just under 700 local children free during March 2023, which contributed to a 56% overall rise in children visiting compared to March 2022 and 33% of our total visitors were from Edinburgh and Lothians, up 16% on 2022.”

The scheme’s popularity has continued to grow, with the Resident Reward microsite now the 4th most popular page on The Official Guide to Edinburgh website. The programme is promoted through a targeted media campaign involving local partners such as Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams.

Resident Rewards is being fully funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and funding has been secured until March 2025.

In April, residents can enjoy a 25% discount at the Escape Room in the Department of Magic through the Monthly Star reward. Then, in May they can take advantage of an exclusive 30% discount on tours at the new Port of Leith Distillery, Scotland’s first vertical whisky distillery located in Leith.

To unlock exclusive discounts and rewards as an Edinburgh resident, go to:

https://edinburgh.org/residentrewards/

Participation in this programme is free for local leisure and hospitality businesses. If you’re interested in joining and offering exclusive rewards to residents of the City of Edinburgh through your business, please reach out to the team at: residentrewards@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Make it a double: Scotch Whisky Experience wins two Dual Green Tourism awards

The Scotch Whisky Experience on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile proudly raise a glass as they achieve two Green Tourism Awards in recognition of the steps they have taken as a business to put sustainability at the forefront of strategy.

The result of this approach; The Scotch Whisky Experience are the first whisky attraction in Scotland to receive both the Green Tourism and Green Meeting Gold Awards. This accreditation highlights The Scotch Whisky Experience’s ongoing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and to provide visitors with an immersive experience while striving to be as sustainable as possible.

Demonstrating the importance of sustainability for business growth, The Scotch Whisky Experience has also been awarded the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce High Growth Business of the Year Award 2024.

This accolade celebrates businesses demonstrating profitability, innovation, and growth. The Scotch Whisky Experience’s performance over the past twelve months, coupled with its £3.5 million investment in the visitor experience, demonstrates their unwavering commitment to sustainable business practices while telling the story of Scotland’s national drink.

According to a report by the Scotch Whisky Association, ‘the contribution of the Scotch whisky industry reached £7.1 bn in 2022 and is the second most productive sector in Scotland, just behind energy including renewables.’*

Susan Morrison, Chief Executive at The Scotch Whisky Experience, said: “We work hard to take positive actions across the whole business with a real focus on people, their experience and our environmental impact.

“We are very proud to have achieved GOLD status with Green Tourism while being recognised for substantial growth by Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce.”

The Scotch Whisky Experience brings whisky to life, showcasing the heritage and craftsmanship behind the iconic spirit whilst actively continuing to put sustainability at the forefront of the business.