The Citizens Assembly will resume online following a break due to COVID disruption. We will reconvene on 5 September and will report to the Scottish Government and Parliament by the end of the year.
The Assembly’s remit will be unchanged.
You may recall that before the pause, members had made substantial progress in developing a shared vision for the future of Scotland, and had considered key challenges to building a sustainable country.
Members also examined Scotland’s finances and taxation, and discussed how decisions are taken for and about Scotland.
The Assembly will now complete its work across these areas, while also considering the impact of COVID-19.
The interim report, The Journey So Far, was published yesterday alongside a comprehensive set of articles and videos summarising the work.
A planning application by S1 Developments for the St Joseph’s Nursing Home site at Gilmore Place has been granted unanimously – subject to conditions – by the city council’s Development Management Sub-Committee yesterday.
The committee voted in favour of a 230-bed student scheme, over 29 cluster flats, on the former Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home site. This C-listed main building includes a chapel.
The proposed project will see communal facilities installed in the retained and refurbished chapel, while existing east and west outbuildings and extensions will be demolished and replaced with new three storey accommodation around a retained landscaped courtyard. These buildings will be of high-quality stone and zinc and this will be a predominantly car free development with provision for 230 cycle parking spaces.
The proposal ensures an effective new use for a unique listed building and its grounds whilst causing the least possible harm.
The potential to deliver the site for another care home was not considered suitable for modern requirements, and upgrades to meet Care Commission standards were prohibitively expensive. Delivering housing was severely constrained by a number of factors including access constraints and the layout of the site.
The introduction of new build elements in order to deliver a viable proposal will only deliver a 4 per cent increase in the current building footprint, while the delivery of a high-quality courtyard will see a 12 per cent increase in the green space.
The site is in an accessible location and close to university facilities.
Provision of new purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) will support the growth and development of the higher education sector in Edinburgh. In doing so it will increase the range and choice of accommodation offered to students.
The current ratio of approximately three students per one bed space in Edinburgh, demonstrates the demand for new purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA).
A spokesperson for S1 Developments, said:“I’m delighted with the decision taken today by councillors. As an Edinburgh-based family company, we are thrilled to see this exciting project given the green light and look forward to breathing new life into this former nursing home.
“Redevelopment will restore the existing care-home building into high quality student accommodation, allowing the retention of the central chapel in its existing form.
“We look forward to getting these proposals underway and to continue working with council officials and the local community to deliver them.”
As schools return in Scotland, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding working parents they could save up to £2,000 per child per year to pay towards after-school clubs and other childcare services.
Around 110,000 families in Scotland are eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, which can cut thousands of pounds off childcare bills.
All families have to do is pay into their Tax-Free Childcare account and for every £8 that they deposit, the UK Government immediately makes a top-up payment of an additional £2.
The scheme is open to working parents, including the self-employed, who earn between the minimum wage and £100,000 per year and have children aged 0-11 years old. Families with a disabled child, aged 0-17 years old, can receive up to £4,000 in government support each year.
Families in Scotland can choose from childcare providers that have signed up to Tax-Free Childcare, including nannies, nurseries, childminders or after-school clubs.
HMRC’s Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary, Angela MacDonald, said: “As more parents across the country return to work and kids head back to school following the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, there has never been a better time to sign up to Tax-Free Childcare.
“It takes just minutes to set up an account on our Childcare Choices website and soon you could be receiving up to £2,000 per child towards the cost of childcare each year.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland, Iain Stewart, said: “Tens of thousands of families in Scotland are eligible to access savings towards after-school clubs and other childcare services thanks to the UK Government’s Tax-Free Childcare scheme.
“As more parents return to work and children to Scotland’s schools following the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, I urge people to make full use of the support. The scheme is part of a significant package of measures that the UK Government has in place to help families in Scotland.”
You can find out more and apply through the Childcare Choices website. It includes a Childcare Calculator that compares all the government’s childcare offers to check what works best for individual families.
Tax-Free Childcare is just one example of the support available to families in Scotland from the UK Government. More information on other schemes such as Help To Save and Marriage Allowance can be found on the Delivering for Scotland website.
How Tax-Free Childcare works:
Working parents can apply, through the childcare service, to open an online childcare account. The scheme is available for children under the age of 12, or under the age of 17 for children with disabilities.
If you or your partner have an ‘adjusted net income’ over £100,000 in the current tax year, you will not be eligible. This includes any bonuses you expect to get.
For every £8 that families pay in, the UK Government will make a top-up payment of an additional £2, up to a maximum of £2,000 per child per year (or £4,000 for disabled children). This top-up is added instantly and parents can then send payments directly to their childcare providers. The maximum government top-up is £500 per quarter for each child, or £1,000 if the child is disabled.
All registered childcare providers – whether nannies, nurseries, childminders or after-school clubs – can sign up online to receive parents’ payments through Tax-Free Childcare.
Parents need to sign back in every three months and confirm their details are up-to-date, to keep getting government top-ups.
Families who were already signed up to Tax-Free Childcare but have fallen below the minimum income requirement due to COVID-19 will continue to receive financial support until 31 October. Critical workers who may exceed the income threshold for the 2020-21 tax year due to working more to tackle the pandemic, will continue to receive support this tax year. More information.
Round the clock paediatric inpatient services in St John’s Hospital will resume this Autumn, NHS Lothian announced yesterday.
The service will be reinstated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from October, to enhance the care already provided to children in West Lothian.
The details were agreed by NHS Lothian board members at their meeting yesterday (Wednesday August 12).
It means that inpatient paediatrics will be extended from functioning four nights a week, to seven days and nights by October 19.
Dr Tracey Gillies, Medical Director, NHS Lothian, said the children’s ward was now in a position to fully re-open after a number of new staff were recruited to the team.
Dr Gillies said: “We are really pleased that we are able to fully reinstate children’s inpatient services 24/7 in St John’s Hospital. It is testament to the teams who have pulled together to make this happen.
“We have always said that we could only restore the full service when it was safe and sustainable to do so and that has been our priority throughout.
“Parents and children will not have to do anything differently and many may not even notice a difference. However it does mean that patients who require to remain in hospital over a weekend will be able to do so at St John’s, instead of routinely being transferred to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.”
Two permanent Consultants and one locum have been recruited to the team at St John’s, following successful rounds of recruitment in June. A small number of ward nurse vacancies are in the process of being filled, meaning that staffing in the unit will be further strengthened.
The availability of Advanced Paediatric Nurse Practitioners has also increased, giving added resilience to the staffing rota.
The Paediatric Programme Board (PPB), which was established to help develop and implement a strategy to deliver safe and sustainable services, was told at its most recent meeting that the unit had sufficient cover to provide a safe and sustainable rota for out of hours and weekend shifts.
It was also agreed that the programme board will now be dissolved because it has fulfilled its remit.
It comes just weeks after the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health published its most recent review into the service and praised NHS Lothian for its “considerable and impressive efforts” to restore the 24/7 service.
NHS Lothian invited the RCPCH to return and undertake a second follow up review of progress since their original Review and Report in 2016. The visit took place in February 2020 and the College’s Report was received at the end of May 2020.
Parents and families are not required to do anything differently as a result of the change and will still access care in the normal way, through NHS 24, their GP or the Emergency Department.
If children are very sick or require specialist intervention, they will continue to be admitted to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, in line with the normal protocols.
The Office for National Statistics yesterday announced that employment in the UK fell by the largest amount in over a decade between April and June.
The ONS stated that employment decreased in the UK by 220,000 on the quarter and this has been no more acutely felt than in Edinburgh, which has been one of the hardest hit cities in Western Europe.
At the start of lockdown, The City of Edinburgh Council asked employment service Next Step Edinburgh to respond and they are currently supporting hundreds of people who have lost work. Next Step Edinburgh has been providing employment support for people in and out of work since April 2019, but since March they have adapted their service as registrations from people affected by COVID 19 job losses has increased.
Paul Forsyth is a self-employed taxi driver who was badly hit by the effects of lockdown: “As I was a self-employed taxi driver, lockdown affected me really badly.
“All of the work dried up and I was forced to turn to the government schemes for the self-employed, only to find out I was ineligible and one of many who have been excluded by the UK Government’s measures.
“I was left with no income and was unable to work. Luckily Next Step Edinburgh provided me with vital support during this time and helped me apply for an Edinburgh Trust Grant, this gave me some breathing space.
“Now lockdown has eased I am back driving but my adviser Ross has kept in touch throughout. I’m so glad this support was available.”
Capital City Partnership has been working with key organisations to coordinate a response to the crisis. Their Deputy Chief Executive, Kate Kelman said: “We know that people and businesses are finding it really hard just now and the impact on jobs and the economy is likely to be far-reaching.
“Along with our Joined up for Jobs network of provision, Next Steps has literally ‘stepped up’ to support individuals who are facing redundancy and job insecurity. Their high-quality help and guidance will ensure that Edinburgh residents can progress quickly into fair, sustainable work.”
Lesley Morrison who is a Service Manager for Community Renewal, the charity who deliver the Next Step Edinburgh service, explained: “We don’t believe in a one size fits all approach – everyone is different, and we listen to what each client’s needs and together we come up with a plan.
“Some people just need a job right away and we can link them with employers we have relationships with. For everyone else, we work with them, so they are ready for when the job market recovers; whether that be refreshing a stale CV, helping with applications or directing them to vocational training if they are considering a career change.
“Whatever is needed, we are here – and if we can’t support all their needs, we will link with specialist organisations who can help them whilst we continue to support their employment needs.”
The City of Edinburgh Council continues to fund Next Step Edinburgh to support people to secure and progress into employment. Additional funding was made available through City Region Deal has also allowed the development of a jobs website – www.c19jobs.org – which directly assists those who have faced redundancy or job insecurity due to the current crisis.
Councillor Cammy Day, Depute Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said:“As the economic impact of the pandemic on Edinburgh unfolds, we’re doing all that we can to help people facing financial hardship. We know that this crisis is far from over and we stand ready to help our most at-risk residents.
“The Next Step Edinburgh employment programme is in place to support anybody facing redundancy or job insecurity in Edinburgh. I’m pleased we’re able to fund this service in order to support people back into careers as quickly as possible.
“The project is part of a package of measures we’re working on right now to prevent long-term unemployment in the coming months and years, including an expanded Edinburgh Guarantee. Hailed by the Scottish Government as a really good example of the type of work cities can do to successfully tackle unemployment, our Edinburgh Guarantee has been supporting disadvantaged young people for years.
“We’re looking to expand this offer even more in light of Covid-19. We want to use it to help people of all ages who might face additional barriers to employment and we’re calling on employers to sign up and support us.”
Lesley warns that the journey ahead won’t be straightforward, but stresses that nobody has to face it alone – there is support available: “Next Step Edinburgh’s advisers will do everything they can to support you.
“We are working with employers recruiting right now but we understand those jobs may not be right for some. For those people we will collaborate so they will be front of the queue when the job market recovers.”
Anyone looking for support can find the contact details on Next Step Edinburgh’s website – www.nexstepedinburgh.org
Local charities and good causes impacted by COVID-19 are being urged to apply for up to £20,000 in funding.
Organisations can apply to Postcode Neighbourhood Trust for grants between £500 and £20,000 from now until Wednesday 19th August, when applications will close.
Groups looking to increase their resilience, adapt or expand their services as a result of the pandemic should apply. Funding will support a variety of activities, including covering core costs.
Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “Over the past few months we’ve seen the important role grassroots good causes play in communities across Britain.
“There will be challenging times ahead so I’m delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery can support these organisations with this funding opportunity. Up to £4 million will be awarded in grants through Postcode Neighbourhood Trust, so I encourage small, local charities to make sure they get an application in by the 19th August.”
A minimum of 32% of each ticket goes directly to charities. Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised more than £600 million for over 8,500 good causes across Britain and internationally since 2005.
Groups that may not be suitable for funding through Postcode Neighbourhood Trust can apply to one of three other trusts, also supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. People’s Postcode Trust, Postcode Local Trust and Postcode Community Trust all support different themes and more information can be found at the website for each:
Sell out event has just added new dates to their programme
The only live comedy event being held in Edinburgh this August
This is a truly unique comedy event coming out of Leith, created by Leith for Leithers. It is likely to be the only live comedy event happening in Edinburgh this August.
Invisible Cities, a social enterprise supporting people who have experienced homelessness, have joined forces with Leith Comedy Festival to create ‘Funshine on Leith’ – a comedy walking tour with a difference.
Leith Comedy Festival has added new dates to their programme following the immediate sell out of the initial batch of tickets, which were released last week.
The additional dates and times for bookable tours include:
· Thursday 20th August 5pm
· Saturday 22nd August 12 noon and 3pm
· Sunday 23rd August 12 noon and 3pm
· Thursday 27th August 5pm
· Saturday 29th August 12 noon and 3pm
· Sunday 30th August 12 noon and 3pm
Paul has written the tour especially for Leith Comedy Festival and during this rich, colourful walking event, he takes his guests on a journey around Leith, sharing historical curiosities, personal anecdotes and juicy details that will make your jaw drop.
Zakia Moulaoui Guery, founder of Invisible Cities says: “Paul is one of our most experienced Edinburgh guides and his work is constantly praised by 5 star reviews online from our customers.
“He designed this tour specially for Leith Comedy Festival and it is nothing but different, thought provoking, fun and a bit outrageous! For Invisible Cities, it also marks our definitive return after so many months not being able to do tours, so we are all excited to see Paul in action!”
Award-winning tour guide, Paul, who has been with Invisible Cities for two years, said: “I am excited to showcase Leith in a different way and be part of Leith Comedy Festival. After several months of not being able to do our tours.
“It’s great seeing guests again who want to learn and have a good time with us!”
Rosalind Romer, Director of Leith Comedy Festival commented: “I took my one-year-old to Paul’s Trainspotting Tour (to his horror and the bafflement of onlookers) and loved his stories about the best and worst of Leith.
“I was thinking and laughing about the stories for days afterwards, so it’s really exciting for Leith Comedy Festival to be working with Paul and Invisible Cities to create this brand new tour, based on the funny side of Leith.
“We hope it will bring a little festival magic to Edinburgh in August. We are currently the only live comedy event happening in Edinburgh in August, and creating an event that’s live, funny and legal has been a challenge. But we’ve done it.”
The tour contains strong language and adult themes, including sex and drugs. For more information and to book tickets visit: https://www.leithcomedyfest.com
The Action Earth campaign, run by national charity Volunteering Matters, has officially launched its 2020 grant giving scheme, encouraging volunteers to get involved in planting activities and habitat builds designed to enrich local nature and help tackle the current climate emergency.
The campaign, which is funded by Scottish Natural Heritage, offers easy to access grants of up to £500 for environmental activities across Scotland.
Volunteering Matters Action Earth grants are available to any group of volunteers carrying out practical environmental improvements or wildlife habitat creation in their local green spaces. Previous projects have included wildflower meadow and pond creation, woodland renovations, shared foraging projects and the establishment of new community gardens or food growing areas.
Projects should offer a safe volunteering experience and will have to adhere to Scottish Government guidance and safe practice around Covid-19. Groups should only apply once they are certain that activities can be supervised and carried out safely within current and developing recommendations.
Volunteering Matters Action Earth is especially keen to hear from projects whose work benefits disadvantaged communities especially in urban areas or in places with reduced local amenity. Last year, 167 projects benefited from Action Earth grant funding, and 7,240 volunteers were involved in improving biodiversity in their community.
Volunteering Matters Action Earth also offers enhanced £500 grants to projects which significantly benefit people with defined health needs. This could include people with learning or physical disabilities, dementia, mental health issues or other medical conditions.
SNH Chief Executive Francesca Osowska said: “We all benefit from nature in so many ways – and we all have an important role to play to create a nature-rich future for Scotland.
“Action Earth projects and volunteers are leading the way with their fantastic work to improve local biodiversity in communities across the country.
“We look forward to continuing to support this crucial work to improve the state of our nature, which we know is vital to help solve the climate emergency we all face.”
For those looking for inspiration for their projects, the Volunteering Matters Action Earth website has instructions on how to build bird boxes, bat boxes, frog hibernacula, hedgehog boxes and bee/insect homes.
More information is available and applications can be made NOW at the Volunteering Matters Action Earth website:
Projects helping young Scots overcome barriers to employment and education during the pandemic today celebrate over half a million pounds in new funding.
Intercultural Youth Scotland and Forth Valley Disability Sport are amongst nine youth-led groups that will help young Scots build confidence, develop new skills and realise their full potential, sharing in £659,935 from The National Lottery Community Fund’s Young Start Fund.
Thanks to £98,710 in funding the future of Intercultural Youth Scotland’s Restless Natives programme is assured for the next three years.
This work supports young Scots from minority ethnic backgrounds to overcome the challenges they face in accessing employment, education and volunteering.
Restless Natives will help more young people like Nisha Singh, 17, from Edinburgh, who has found the programme was a vital source of support during lockdown.
On leaving college this year Nisha had hoped to take on an apprenticeship as she left formal education. The COVID-19 crisis threw those plans into jeopardy leaving Nisha worried and stressed for her future.
Nisha said: “The help I’ve got from Restless Natives has made a huge difference to me. They stepped in and offered support with applications, online interviews, updating my CV, and from my mental health perspective it really helped as well.
“The youth practitioners are young and have experiences of struggling to get support through their education and employment too – so they really listen to young people’s needs. I felt supported and I knew where to go when I had any questions.
“It’s thanks to the help I’ve had from Restless Natives I have been accepted on to a graduate apprenticeship in my chosen field, software engineering, which starts this month.
“I’m so thankful this service exists. It’s so different from schools and is more accessible and comfortable to young BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Colour) Scots like me.”
Forth Valley Disability Sport(FVDS) also picks up £51,000 in funding today to expand its Step Out project supporting young people living with a physical, sensory or learning disability across the Forth Valley area.
The project uses sport and physical activity to help disabled young people make friends, develop life skills, and gain qualifications.
Welcoming the award is FVDS youth volunteer, Caitlyn Ross, from Denny, who started taking part in disability sport when she was just ten years old: “Over the years disability sport has truly changed my life for the better.
“I feel like I have found where I belong, and I am a part of something where I don’t feel judged and can just be me, so I’d like to say thank you to Young Start.
“Coming to Forth Valley Disability Sport has helped develop my confidence and self-esteem and I have made so many friends. It also led to me volunteering both here and with several other local organisations. I have also gained qualifications and expanded my knowledge in so many different sports.
“I’ve also had great opportunities to share my story around sports volunteering and I have my voice heard in the Forth Valley Disability Sports Youth Committee, the Scottish Disability Sports (SDS) Youth Panel and the SDS Young Start Programme.”
Graham Harvey, FVDS Branch Coordinator, said: “This grant from Young Start will allow us to continue to develop a wide range of opportunities within the Forth Valley area. FVDS greatly appreciates the support of The National Lottery Community Fund’s Young Start Fund to help the charity to change lives through sport and physical activity.”
Young Start awards dormant bank and building society cash to youth-led projects across Scotland and is delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund.
Announcing today’s funding totalling £659,935, The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland Director, Neil Ritch, said: “Young Start funding helps to support young people to build confidence, develop new skills and realise their own potential. Each project awarded today has made an incredible impact in the lives of the young people they support.
“They are great examples of how the youth sector has stepped up during the current crisis offering support in new ways. At a time when young people are concerned about their futures, I’m delighted that Young Start is working with projects like Intercultural Youth Scotland, and all these projects, offering renewed support into employment and education.”
Groups wanting to know more about Young Start, and how it can support them during these unprecedented times should visit
