The next meeting of the EDINBURGH ASSOCIATION of COMMUNITY COUNCILS will be an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on Thursday 20 January at 7pm to update the EACC Constitution.
Other items include on the agenda include best practice for community council treasurers and police reports at CC meetings.
Police Scotland has released an image of a male they believe may hold information which might assist in relation to an incident that occurred at Giles Street at around 4.30am on Saturday, 9 October, 2021.
The male is described as being in his late 30s, of average build with short dark hair.
Detective Constable Greg Manley said: “I would urge the male, or anyone who has information relating to him, depicted in the image to make contact with the Police.
“Members of the public can contact Police Scotland via the 101 non-emergency telephone number quoting incident number 0758 of Saturday, 9 October, 2021.
“Alternatively, calls can be made anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
From today (Monday 17 January), people with COVID-19 in England can end their self-isolation after 5 full days, as long as they test negative on day 5 and day 6.
People self-isolating with COVID-19 will have the option to reduce their isolation period after 5 full days if they test negative on both day 5 and day 6 and do not have a temperature, from Monday, 17 January
Individuals who are still positive on their rapid lateral flow tests must stay in isolation until they have had 2 consecutive negative tests taken on separate days
This will support essential public services and keep supply chains running over the winter
From Monday 17 January, people with COVID-19 in England can end their self-isolation after 5 full days, as long as they test negative on day 5 and day 6.
The decision has been made after careful consideration of modelling from the UK Health Security Agency and to support essential public services and workforces over the winter.
It is crucial that people isolating with COVID-19 wait until they have received 2 negative rapid lateral flow tests on 2 consecutive days to reduce the chance of still being infectious.
The first test must be taken no earlier than day 5 of the self-isolation period, and the second must be taken the following day. If an individual is positive on day 5, then a negative test is required on day 6 and day 7 to release from isolation.
It is essential that 2 negative rapid lateral flow tests are taken on consecutive days and reported before individuals return to their job or education, if leaving self-isolation earlier than the full 10-day period.
For instance, if an individual is positive on day 5, then a negative test is required on both day 6 and day 7 to release from self-isolation, or positive on day 6, then a negative test is required on days 7 and 8, and so on until the end of day 10.
Those who leave self-isolation on or after day 6 are strongly advised to wear face coverings and limit close contact with other people in crowded or poorly ventilated spaces, work from home if they can do so and minimise contact with anyone who is at higher risk of severe illness if infected with COVID-19.
The default self-isolation period continues to be 10 days, and you may only leave self-isolation early if you have taken 2 rapid lateral flow tests and do not have a temperature in line with guidance.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “After reviewing all of the evidence, we’ve made the decision to reduce the minimum self-isolation period to 5 full days in England.
“These 2 tests are critical to these balanced and proportionate plans and I’d urge everyone to take advantage of the capacity we’ve built up in tests so we can restore more freedom to this country, whilst we are keeping everyone safe.”
Existing public health measures remain in place, including:
staying at home if you feel unwell
getting a test if you experience any COVID-19 symptoms
wearing a face covering in crowded, enclosed spaces
working from home if possible
maintaining social distancing and regular hand washing
taking up the offer of the free COVID-19 vaccine
Self-isolation may continue in certain circumstances, such as for those who work with vulnerable people. A full list will be published in guidance in due course.
Vaccinations remain our best defence against COVID-19, offering substantial protection against infection and hospitalisation – and the government continues to urge the public to get boosted as soon as you’re eligible.
In line with this announcement, the government will also consider the guidance for close contacts of people with COVID-19, including around the advice for fully vaccinated contacts to take daily rapid lateral flow tests for 7 days.
NHS England has also announced that the first 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to book their booster jabs or attend a walk-in vaccination centre from today.
ENABLE Scotland launches campaign to address the ‘human rights emergency’ of hundreds of Scots who have learning disabilities being forced to live far away from their families or stuck in hospital.
#MyOwnFrontDoor calls for urgent change to uphold the human rights of all adults with learning disabilities in Scotland to live in the community of their choice by 2023.
A new campaign launches today to unlock the door for hundreds of adults with learning disabilities to have the right to a home they choose and to live in the community of their choice, as Scotland’s largest member-led charity calls on society to address the “human rights scandal” facing people with learning disabilities in Scotland.
ENABLE Scotland’s latest campaign – #MyOwnFrontDoor – is being led by the charity’s 12,000 strong membership and supporter network to address what it describes as a “level of discrimination that we do not expect and would not expect other people in our society to bear“.
Due to lack of support to live in their own communities close to their loved ones, official data reveals that over 1,000 adults have been sent by Scottish local authorities to live ‘out of area’, meaning not in their home local authority area. Beyond this, a further 67 people are living in hospital. 22% of these people have been there for more than 10 years.
Despite a Scottish Government report highlighting this issue in 2018, which recommended that better specialist social care support should be available across Scotland to support these individuals to live in the community of their choice, there has been no monitoring of progress, and ENABLE Scotland fear that the situation has deteriorated further.
The campaign is calling for urgent action to end hospital living for people with learning disabilities; and to put immediate plans in place to ensure that all people in delayed discharge or who have been displaced ‘out of area’ are supported to return to live in the home they choose and the community they choose, close to the people they love by 2023.
Already the charity supports 6,000 people to live independently across Scotland, including some people who were previously living in hospital or other institutional settings for many years, or who have been fighting for their rights to live closer to their families.
People, like Nova, who ENABLE Scotland helped to support to move back to Scotland from England and live in her own house, close to her family. Before ENABLE Scotland got involved, Nova, who is in her early forties, was offered a placement in a care home for the elderly and it took more than a year to support her to get her own keys to her own front door.
Launching the campaign, John Feehan, an adult who has a learning disability and who is an active member of ENABLE Scotland, said: “It can be so hard to speak up for yourself when you have a learning disability. It is even harder to make people listen.
“That is why I am speaking out. It makes me so angry that other people who have a learning disability are stuck in hospital, or being forced to live far away from their families. This has been going on for too long now.
“Some people think that people who have a learning disability are not able to live in local communities like everyone else. They think that that it is easier for them to be locked away in hospital, or to live with lots of other people who have a learning disability.
“That isn’t true. It is only because the right support is not there – it’s not the person’s fault. Anyone can live anywhere with the right support. If they don’t want to be where they are, people need help to get back to live close to their families or to get out of hospital – right now.”
Jan Savage, Director of ENABLE Scotland, said: “This is a human rights emergency. It is a national scandal – hidden in plain sight. People who have a learning disability – brothers, sisters, sons and daughters – are being forced to live far from home, to “live” in hospital, or to live in care settings where they are uncomfortable and unhappy.
“I am sure that people will be shocked to learn about the situation our fellow citizens find themselves in. But they should be reassured that better is possible.
“Clear and decisive action is now required to adopt a ‘Community First’ principle to end the practice of people being sent out of area; to nationally invest in high quality, consistent, specialist social care support to be available in every community; and to stop building new multi bed units for people who have a learning disability. These are not the solution – they perpetuate the problem.
“We cannot wait any longer. People who have learning disabilities are being subjected to a level of discrimination that we would not, and do not, expect other groups in our society to bear.
“We are determined that this campaign will start a movement for change as each and every one of us stand up for the human rights of all people with learning disabilities in 2022. The keys to unlocking their own front door are in our hands.”
John Dalrymple, Director of Radical Visions, said: “Everything we know about the disastrous effects of segregation and exclusion and all the evidence we have about good social care practice argues for an immediate halt to the placement of people in institutions.
“Everything we say we believe about basic humanity, independent living and universal human rights compels us to support campaigns like #myownfrontdoor and ensure that in future no-one is denied a home of their own.”
A new campaign report from the charity – My Own Front Door– proposes five key steps that public bodies must take now to unlock the right to an own front door for people who have a learning disability.
The five keys are:
Close all Assessment and Treatment Unit (ATU) beds and end the practice of Scottish citizens being sent out of the country.
Immediately implement a Community First principle for the commissioning of support for all adults and children who have a learning disability in Scotland – ending the commissioning of multi bed units.
Invest nationally in a Specialist Provider Network to improve local support in every area in Scotland.
Maintain a national at-risk register and ensure that everyone identified on this has a plan by 2023 to come home to the community of their choice.
Create a national Community Living Panel to ensure oversight and accountability of decision making about individual placements.
As part of this campaign, the charity is offering support and advice to any individual or family who is affected by this issue, and is asking members of the public to raise the issue directly with their local MSPs.
To join the movement, act, share, speak up and get informed, please visit:
Over 30 public and school libraries across Scotland have been awarded Scottish Government funding to deliver a range of innovative projects including initiatives to tackle climate change and promote sustainable development – but none of them are in Edinburgh.
The Public Library Improvement Fund and the School Library Improvement Fund are annual awards set up by the Scottish Government and administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council. This year nearly £400,000 has been awarded through the two funds.
Sustainable projects backed by the Public Library Improvement Fund include East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure’s The Root Cause Project, which received £14,240 to transform an outdoor space at Thornliebank library into a sustainable community allotment and multi-functional space.
Funds for school libraries were awarded to projects championing anti-racism and anti-discrimination.
These included Prestwick Academy Library and Ayr Academy Library’s project Read Woke Primaries to curate a wider range of contemporary fiction written by, and about, people from minority groups.
Culture Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “Libraries play a key role in our communities and our schools and projects funded through these awards will help to improve the services they can offer.
“Promoting sustainability is integral to our Net Zero ambitions to tackle climate change and our public libraries are an important focal point for conversations and taking action.
“And as part of our wider approach to creating anti-racist environments in school, it is great to see school libraries engaging our young people on the importance of belonging, inclusion and social justice.”
Pamela Tulloch, Chief Executive at the Scottish Library and Information Council, said: “As we begin to rebuild our society following the pandemic, school and public libraries are an essential part of the recovery process to ensure our future social and economic well-being.
“We’re particularly proud to provide funding awards to projects that promote sustainable development in public libraries and champion anti-racism and anti-discrimination across school libraries as examples of how libraries can make a valuable contribution to Scotland’s social fabric.”
The total amount for projects from the two funds comes to £398,142.
South Ayrshire Libraries Jock Tamson’s BairnsAmount Awarded: £9,200
South Ayrshire LibrariesClimate for ChangeAmount Awarded: £26,610
Stirling Libraries in partnership with Stirling University Making a Difference – Amount Awarded: £46,568
West Dunbartonshire Libraries Towards a Sustainable Future – Amount Awarded: £21,435
West Lothian Libraries in partnership with Heriot Watt University Eco-Ableism – Amount Awarded: £6,000 Total: £198,657
School Library Improvement Fund awards
Aberdeen School: Dyce AcademyProject: Hear a Story / Tell a Story – Award: £4,000
School(s): Aberdeen City Libraries / Harlaw Academy with Holocaust Educational Trust Erika’s suitcase – Award: £8,000
Angus School: Arbroath Academy plus othersProject: OPEN – a book, your eyes, your world – Award: £1,630
Borders School: Arbroath Academy plus othersProject: OPEN – a book, your eyes, your world – Award: £1,630
School: Eyemouth High Project: Get Woke – Award: £8,150
Dumfries and Galloway School: North-West Community Campus NWCC Project: Bringing Diversity, Racial Equality to the NWCC Young adult Book Group – Award: £8,150
East Lothian School: Musselburgh Grammar Project Award: Digital Storybag – Award: £4,900
School: Lethams Mains Primary with EL Council – Project Award: The Borrowers Bus – Award: £9,000
Falkirk School: Bonnybridge Primary – Project: Bonnybooks: For a’ Jock Tamson’s Bairns – Award: £24,940
Fife School: Bell Baxter ClusterProject: Racial Equality Transition ProjectAward: £9,000
School: Carleton PrimaryProject: The Same Page – connecting families to promote diversity and equality. – Award: £5,500
Glasgow S -Award: £11,120School: Barmulloch Primary & ALNProject: Digital and Family Learning HubAward: £13,000School: Lourdes SecondaryProject: Inclusive Storytelling for Healthy Minds – Award: £15,870
Moray School: Forres Academy Project: Equality, Inclusion, Diversity, and a Mentally Healthy School – Award: £3,750
North Ayrshire School: Auchenharvie cluster and Strathclyde UniProject: Keep the Heid’n’Read Even Mair! – Award: £16,400
Perth and Kinross School: Breadalbane Community Library/Breadalbane AcademyProject: Read It Racism – Award: £4,220
South Ayrshire School(s): Prestwick Academy Library and Ayr Academy Library (in collaboration with 9 primary school libraries)Project: Read Woke Primaries – Award: £44,000
South Lanarkshire Schools: St Andrew’s and St Bride’s HighProject: Equal Voices using anti-racist and diverse texts in extra-curricular group discussion – Award: £5,125 Total: £199,485
Personal Finance Expert at CashLady.com, Paul Wilson, shares his top tips on how Brits can reduce their fuel usage and save money this Energy Savings Week:
It looks like energy prices are likely to rise higher than ever before in 2022. Making sure you’re getting the best deal has never been more important, and taking steps to cut back your fuel usage should be on everyone’s agenda.
Even small changes can help put some money back in your pocket and big tasks, like moving to a new tariff, are worth looking into. This Energy Savings Week, why not try some of these nine ways to reduce your fuel usage and help keep your finances on track.
1. Draught excluders
Make sure your doors aren’t letting out valuable heat and letting in the cold. You can buy permanent solutions that attach to the bottom of your door, or decorative excluders that are a quick and easy option. Draught excluders are an inexpensive and effective way to quickly tackle any lost heat from your home.
2.Seal your windows
In the same vein as draught excluders, making sure your windows are sealed against the cold is a quick win. Older houses especially can have less efficient windows. Window sealing strips can be bought from most DIY stores and are available in various styles to also complement home decor. Additionally, if you have curtains, use them! Lined curtains will keep your room warm in winter and cooler in summer, meaning less need to rely on your heating or cooling systems.
3.LED Bulbs
The initial outlay may be a little steeper when it comes to LED bulbs. However, they use 75% less energy than their incandescent counterparts, so it’s a switch worth making. They also last longer and so you won’t need to buy them as often which results in long-term savings and less waste.
4.Plan and prepare
Simply being mindful of how and when you use energy can lead to some simple savings. Many of us have our heating on a timer; regularly reassess if the times you use the heating still make sense. Perhaps you still have the same settings you had over the Christmas break, but now you’re home less during the day. There may also be evenings when you’re out and don’t need the heating at all. Turn it off before you leave so you aren’t wasting unnecessary energy.
5.Be mindful
Just as you can plan and prepare when to have your heating on, you can also consider where in the house you actually need the heating. If the spare room is used for the rare times you have guests, then you can turn that radiator off and shut the door. Radiator valves are also there to be used. Smaller box rooms may be fine with a lower setting. Not everyone you live with will like the same level of heat; children’s rooms may need a lower temperature if they tend to get hot in the night. Think carefully about how you are using your heating, not just when you use it.
6.Other appliances
There are a whole host of things we use daily in our homes that burn fuel. Make sure lights are switched off when rooms are not in use, put post-it notes on the switches as a reminder if needs be. Try not to use the dryer as this is a huge energy burner, instead put clothes on radiators that are being used anyway. Washing your laundry in large loads rather than little and often is another way to be more efficient. Consider batch cooking some of your weekly meals and freezing them. That way, you’re having to cook less which means using the oven less.
7.Credit where it’s due
Find out from your energy company if you’re in credit. If you have regular meter readings and pay by direct debit, you may have been paying too much. This can result in you being in credit. You can choose to carry this credit over, which may reduce your monthly bills, or you can ask for a refund. Energy companies have to issue a refund if you are in credit and you could save this towards future bills or just put it aside for a rainy day.
8.Your tariff
Traditionally, moving onto a company’s default tariff has been the most expensive option. As soon as your fixed tariff is coming to an end, you should speak to your energy company about a new deal. However, with energy prices now so high, the capped default price may actually be cheaper than the fixed option. Do your homework and find out if you may now be better off staying with the default tariff until prices (hopefully) decrease, or if your specific usage means you would be better off with a new fixed deal.
9.Change providers
As with moving to a different tariff, switching providers is now not as cut and dried as it used to be. As many as 20 energy firms have gone bust recently, so you need to make sure you choose a provider that is stable. Use price comparison sites to see if moving companies could be a good thing, but be sure to do your sums first and don’t assume it will lead to savings. You should also only switch at the end of your contract as, quite often, firms charge an exit fee if you still have several months left on your deal.
Paul Wilson is a Consumer Finance Expert at Financial Conduct Authority authorised and regulated credit broker Cash Lady.
Known as ‘Blue Monday’, the third Monday of every January is said to be the ‘saddest day of the year’ based on a number of factors, including debt levels, weather and post-Christmas gloom.
However, not all the evidence behind the day is accurate and the annual event could actually have a negative impact on those struggling with their mental health, argues Christina Papadopoulos, GP at digital healthcare provider, Livi.
The origins of Blue Monday:
“The concept originally appeared in a travel firm’s press release to sell holidays in 2005. It was supported by Cliff Arnold, psychologist and life coach, who supposedly developed an algorithm for when the saddest day of the year would occur. It was said to be based on the weather, levels of debt and time since Christmas, among other contributors.”
Scientific research to support Blue Monday:
“It is important to remember that there is no scientific research to support Blue Monday. It originated as a PR stunt and many marketers continue to use the term in order to boost sales of items like holidays or health and wellbeing products.”
Implications of Blue Monday on mental health:
“Depression can affect people all year round, regardless of the day. Everyone will have good and bad days throughout the year and putting so much emphasis on one day could imply that depression only occurs one day a year, when in fact, many people live with the condition for months or even years. For people living with depression, the concept of Blue Monday can trivialise a serious condition.
“The build-up to Blue Monday and the day itself can also create anxiety among those living with mental health conditions, creating a sense of pressure to ‘overcome’ the day.
“Retrospectively, Cliff Arnold himself recognises how his Blue Monday concept is unhelpful and has the potential to become a self-fulfilling prophecy – a sociological term used to describe a prediction that causes itself to become true.”
“Starting conversations about depression and other mental health conditions is important and Blue Monday can help to prompt these, but we must remember that these conversations are just as important every day.”
Blue Monday and SAD:
“Blue Monday is not the same as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). While many people don’t enjoy the winter months, for some the shorter days can have more serious effects. A lack of sunlight has shown a correlation with symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in some people. This is a type of recurring depression with a seasonal pattern. Many of the symptoms of SAD are similar to those of depression:
· Persistent low mood and irritability
· Loss of interest in everyday activities
· Feelings of despair or worthlessness
· Lethargy, sleeping for a long time and finding it hard to get up
· Craving carbohydrates and putting on weight”
Identifying depression:
“Everyone gets low from time to time, but we start to call that feeling depression when it becomes persistent over weeks or months and starts to have a serious impact on your life. When we’re depressed, we may be aware of feelings of sadness, even despair, and we may feel lethargic, have disturbed sleep or eating patterns, and be generally less resilient in the face of normal knock-backs and life events.
“For very mild symptoms of depression, simple things such as self-help books, regular exercise, a good sleep regime, mindfulness and reduced alcohol intake can help. Sometimes depression symptoms are manageable and pass with time, but sometimes they aren’t, and it’s important to get help – ideally before you reach a crisis point.”
Seeking help and knowing what’s available:
“Sometimes, you may need professional support to help manage mental health conditions. If you regularly feel overwhelmed and your symptoms are affecting your day-to-day activities, book an appointment to speak to a doctor or therapist where you feel most comfortable, whether that’s digitally or in-person.
“Your doctor or therapist may suggest talking therapy or cognitive behavioural therapy to help, as well as medication. Remember your doctor is available to help all year round, not just on Blue Monday.”
