The creation of a £1.3bn well-connected, sustainable new coastal town at Granton Waterfront in Edinburgh has reached yet another major milestone.
A contract for pre-development work to refine and finalise the design of a sewer source low carbon heat network solution to serve thousands of homes, local facilities and the many other commercial and social enterprise businesses planned for Granton Waterfront is set to be awarded by the City of Edinburgh Council in the coming weeks.
Following a competitive procurement process Vattenfall Heat UK Ltd is being proposed as the preferred bidder and the Finance and Resources Committee will consider a report on the award of this contract at its meeting on Tuesday next week. It is anticipated the contract will be signed by both parties in the coming weeks.
The energy company, known for its work supporting many areas throughout the UK find net zero solutions, will work with the Council to finalise the plans for this heat network.
The aim, subject to future further approval from the Finance and Resources Committee, is for an agreement for the company to build, operate, finance, manage and maintain the network over the following 40 years.
This is a significant milestone for the Council and the Granton Waterfront area to help Edinburgh reach net zero by 2030.
As well as supporting the Council’s commitment to build new affordable homes over the next 10 years, the Granton Waterfront £1.3bn regeneration project has exemplar urban design which will also champion low carbon transport and active travel.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “It is fantastic to see work continuing at pace at Granton Waterfront, the largest sustainable regeneration project of its kind in Scotland.
“As well as helping the Capital reach net zero by 2030, awarding this contract is the next step towards finalising the right heat network solution for our tenants and others moving into the area to provide them with a cost competitive low carbon heating source.
“The homes being delivered in the area are being designed to be well insulated and energy efficient which will also be a huge benefit to everyone living there, particularly those facing fuel poverty.
“Work is also continuing to transform the iconic gasholder in the area into a place for the wider community and visitors to play and relax. Arts and social enterprise charity WASPS has moved into the eye catching former Granton Station building now refurbished and taking pride of place at the heart of the community, with a spacious attractive public square. And we’re currently building hundreds of energy efficient affordable homes which will be ready for tenants to move into next year.”
Eoghan Maguire, Director of Heat Networks – Scotland at Vattenfall Heat UK said: “Granton Waterfront is an ambitious long-term project that will act as a blueprint in urban development and regeneration in Scotland. District heating will enable the Granton Waterfront development to deliver on its pioneering and climate conscious ambitions for its residents.
“Vattenfall has responded to the low carbon district heating proposals for Granton Waterfront and is proud that these have been recommended for approval by the City of Edinburgh Council. We are excited to work with the City of Edinburgh and its partners to help deliver on the city’s net zero by 2030 targets.
“The Granton Waterfront heat network aims to capture heat that would otherwise be wasted from the sewer system and could serve the community of 3,000 new homes, as well as existing buildings. The network will adopt a future proofed design, meaning expansion to the northwest of Edinburgh would be possible.”
Officers investigating shots being fired in Edinburgh have revisited the scene two weeks on.
Around 10.15am on Thursday, 2 November, 2023, Police were called to a report of shots being fired at a block of flats on Greendykes Road in the city.
Officers carried out enquiries at the time and identified shots were also fired towards the same building, about 4.30am the same morning.
There were no injuries during either incident, however windows were damaged.
This continues to be treated as a targeted attack.
Yesterday morning, officers from Gayfield CID returned to the area as part of their enquiries.
Detectives spoke to a number of motorists and pedestrians in an attempt to jog their memories and gain additional information that could help trace two people on bicycles in the area around the time of both incidents.
Detective Sergeant Gavin Howat said: “The response from the public has been encouraging and information gained yesterday, and over the last two weeks, will no doubt assist in our enquiry to identify the suspects.
“I am again appealing to anyone who has any information which may assist us and who hasn’t already spoken to police to get in touch.
“Any piece of information, no matter how small, could be relevant.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting incident 0961 of 2 November, 2023. Alternatively, information can be passed to Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.
New staff will be in post by the end of the year to help customers this winter
Scottish Gas has a £100 million support package available – the largest of any UK supplier – and staff will be given additional training on helping customers who are struggling with energy costs.
Scottish Gas has announced it is growing its team of call centre operators in Edinburgh as it continues to provide even more help for customers this winter.
The energy provider is recruiting 350 new roles at its Edinburgh energy contact centre which will see total staff numbers rise to more than 480. Additional training on assisting customers in the UK with financial difficulty will also be rolled out across the team as the winter heating season begins.
The move is part of nationwide commitment to increase its existing customer service teams and hire more than 700 new call centre staff. These roles will all be in post by the end of the year with continued hiring taking place in January as part of the company’s aim to move all its call centre resource to the UK.
Last winter, Scottish Gas experienced an increase in call volume due to the energy crisis and invested £25 million in its customer services operations to meet this demand. Whilst energy prices have come down, the company still expects customers to need support so is continuing to boost its UK teams. The increased staff numbers will also mean longer opening times for Scottish Gas customers of 8am to 6pm on weekdays and 9am to 2pm on Saturday.
Scottish Gas has a £100 million support package in place to help customers who are struggling with energy costs – the largest voluntary support package offered by a UK supplier. Its customer services teams will receive additional training in how to help customers in financial difficultly including directing them to available support.
Chris O’Shea, CEO of Centrica, parent company of Scottish Gas, said:“Although energy prices have come down slightly, many of our customers are still struggling overall with the cost of living and need to speak to us for longer about their energy bills.
“Strengthening our call centre operations in Edinburgh will allow us to help more households across Scotland and the rest of the UK with expert advice and support during this time.
“I’m extremely proud of how our expert teams support our customers every day – in the past year they’ve helped over 1 million customers who’ve been struggling to afford their bills with additional support such as grants, debt relief and payment plans.”
Redirected HS2 funding to resurface more than 5,000 miles of road across England
driving to become smoother, safer and easier with £8.3 billion of redirected HS2 funding, enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of road
long-term plan to mend roads across the country, saving motorists up to £440 on vehicle repairs
biggest-ever uplift in funding for local road improvements thanks to funding from government’s £36 billion Network North transport plan
Millions of people will enjoy smoother, safer and faster road journeys thanks to the biggest-ever road resurfacing programme to improve local roads.
Today (17 November 2023), Transport Secretary Mark Harper has set out the allocations of an £8.3 billion long-term plan, enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of road across the country over the next 11 years. It’s one of the key cornerstones of Network North to improve journeys for all.
Across England, local highway authorities will receive £150 million this financial year, followed by a further £150 million for 2024/2025, with the rest of the funding allocated through to 2034.
Each local authority can use its share of the £8.3 billion to identify what local roads are in most need of repair and deliver immediate improvements for communities and residents. This is divided as:
£3.3 billion for local authorities in the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber
£2.2 billion for local authorities in the West Midlands and East Midlands
£2.8 billion for local authorities in the East of England, South East, South West and, for the first time in 8 years, London
The UK Government has already confirmed £5.5 billion up until 2024/25, for England outside London, which includes the £200 million announced by the Chancellor at the Budget in March. Today’s £8.3 billion nationwide boost comes on top of that and extends until 2034, providing long-term certainty to local authorities and helping to prevent potholes from coming back in the future.
The funding also comes on top of the local transport, road and rail budgets allocated at the last Spending Review and in addition to what local authorities were already expecting for the next decade.
Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “For too long politicians have shied away from taking the right long-term decisions to make life easier for hardworking families – tackling the scourge of potholes being a prime example.
“Well-maintained road surfaces could save drivers up to £440 each in expensive vehicle repairs, helping motorists keep more of the cash in their pocket.
“This unprecedented £8.3 billion investment will pave the road for better and safer journeys for millions of people across the country and put an end to the blight of nuisance potholes.”
Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said: “Most people travel by road and potholes can cause misery for motorists, from expensive vehicle repairs to bumpy, slow and dangerous journeys. Our £8.3 billion boost to repair roads across the country shows that we’re on the side of drivers.
“Today’s biggest-ever funding uplift for local road improvements is a victory for all road users, who will enjoy smoother, faster and safer trips – as we use redirected HS2 funding to make the right long-term decisions for a brighter future.”
According to the RAC, smoother, well-maintained road surfaces could save drivers up to £440 each in expensive vehicle repairs from pothole damage, helping motorists keep more of the cash in their pocket.
This £8.3 billion boost is particularly important when considering that, according to a survey from the AA, fixing potholes and investing in roads maintenance is a priority for 96% of drivers. These funds can also help boost road safety and encourage active travel, as smoother road surfaces will make it safer and easier for cyclists to use roads with greater confidence.
RAC head of policy, Simon Williams, said: “Drivers’ biggest bugbear of all is the poor condition of local roads, so the fact the government has found a significant additional pot of revenue should give councils the certainty of funding they need to plan proper long-term road maintenance, something we have been calling for many years.
“We hope local authorities will use the money in the most effective way possible by resurfacing the very worst roads, keeping those in reasonable condition in better states for longer through surface dressing and filling potholes as permanently as possible wherever necessary.
“This should in time go a considerable way to bringing our roads back to a fit-for-purpose state and saving drivers hundreds of pounds in the process from not having to fork out for frustrating repairs to their vehicles.”
To increase transparency and ensure the £8.3 billion leads to an increase in the number of roads being resurfaced, local authorities will be required to publish information on their websites on a regular basis explaining how they are spending the funding in their area.
The measure is a key part of the UK Government’s Network North plan, with money redirected from HS2 instead going to improve the daily transport connections that matter most to people.
It builds on tough regulations announced in April this year to crack down on utility companies causing pothole pain with botched streetworks, through stricter inspections and costs for the worst offenders – backed by further measures in our Plan for drivers announced just last month.
These include £70 million to keep traffic flowing, updating 20mph zone guidance for England to help prevent inappropriate blanket use and measures to speed up the rollout of electric vehicle charging.
Edmund King OBE, AA president, said: “Perilous roads blighted by potholes are the number one concern for drivers and a major issue for bikers, cyclists and pedestrians.
“So far this year, the AA has attended more than 450,000 pothole-related breakdowns. The damage caused can be a huge financial burden for drivers but is also a major safety risk for those on 2 wheels.
“The £8.3 billion plan can make a considerable difference in bringing our roads back to the standards, which road users expect, especially if councils use the cash efficiently to resurface our streets. As well as safer roads, eliminating potholes gives confidence to people wanting to cycle and instils pride of place within local communities.”
Network North will see £36 billion invested in hundreds of transport projects and initiatives across the country, and includes the extension of the £2 bus fare cap in England to the end of December 2024, as well as over £1 billion to improve bus journeys in the North and the Midlands.
Rick Green, Chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance, said: “This additional funding is good news for local authorities in England and is much needed to help them tackle the backlog of repairs.
“We have long been calling for surety of funding over the long-term and the fact that the DfT has committed to this money being available over the next 11 years should allow highways teams to implement more efficient works to improve local road conditions and enhance the resilience of the network once they have details of their allocation.
“This long-term investment will also help give the asphalt supply chain confidence to further invest in plant upgrades, materials innovation and technical advancements to support the development and delivery of lower carbon roads in line with the government’s net zero ambitions.”
Motor expert, Louise Thomas at Confused.com car insurance comments: “With temperatures dropping and rainfall at extreme highs at the moment, it’s likely that we’ll see more potholes appearing on UK roads. Potholes can be dangerous for road users, and can also cause unwanted damage to cars, leading to repair costs.
“While the prime ministers announcement could benefit millions of drivers, these changes won’t happen overnight. Our research reveals that for those who have had to pay for car repairs due to potholes, the average cost of repair was £174. And with the cost of living continuing to remain high this winter, added costs like this can be a continuous challenge and annoyance for many.
“Drivers can make a claim to help reduce how much they have to pay out for their repairs. And there are some easy steps to make a claim. They include:
1. Check for damage and gather evidence with clear photos or videos
2. Report the pothole to the local council
3. Ask a mechanic to confirm the damage and get a quote for the repair
4. Submit the claim to your insurer
“The new funding should mean less drivers will be affected by pothole damage over time. But if a claim does need to be made, our tips on how to make a pothole claim can help drivers through this process. That’s the case even if the claim is rejected.”
Take Santa’s lead ahead of ‘the Big Day’ and join in at the biggest club in town with Edinburgh Leisure’s new Winter Pass.
It has never been more important to look after your wellbeing so Edinburgh Leisure, a charity dedicated to creating opportunities for everyone to lead more active, healthy lives has launched a two-week Winter Pass, so you can try before you buy or just get active in the run up to Christmas.
A short-term alternative to a full-time membership, the two-week pass costs just £20 for 14 days. Available to buy online or in venue from 17th November to 18th December, the Winter Pass includes unlimited access to all Edinburgh Leisure’s 17 state-of-the-art gyms, 12 swimming pools, the Turkish Baths at Portobello Swim Centre, over 750+ fitness classes per week, and Europe’s largest climbing arena at Ratho, and represents excellent value for money.
The pass isn’t restricted to one pass per person either – if you wish to buy a second pass after your first pass expires, it’ll mean you’re doubly on the way to reaching those fitness goals ahead of the New Year. And the promotion is timely as experts continually agree that maintaining some level of physical activity in the run up to the festive season is important to boost immunity, manage stress and mental health.
Edinburgh Leisure’s facilities are second to none and offer choice and great value, across various city locations. Their gyms feature some of the latest fitness equipment and you will be assured a warm welcome, with helpful staff ready to help you reach your fitness goals.
So, gift yourself a wellness present and get one step ahead of those New Year fitness plans – that first trip back to the gym in January will be far easier.
Pupils in Edinburgh and at secondary schools across Scotland are learning all about filmmaking as part of a curriculum development programme being run by Screen Scotland.
Experienced film and screen educators are working with teachers in schools in Edinburgh, Argyll and Bute, Inverness, Dundee and Shetland to teach young people about practical film making and the wide range of work that goes into making film and screen content.
Fi Milligan-Rennie, Screen Scotland’s Head of Education said: “Screen Scotland is working towards film and screen education being available for every child in Scotland, in every school in Scotland and this expansion of the pilot programme into secondary schools is an important step on the way.
“The new Film and Screen curriculum is bringing filmmaking, as an expressive arts subject, into every classroom in our pilot schools. By engaging with the process of practical filmmaking pupils will learn about content creation, the craft and technical elements of making film and screen content, build skills as visual storytellers and develop capacities as collaborative and creative individuals and through the practice of film and screen production.”
Screen Scotland, which drives development of all aspects of Scotland’s film and TV industry, through funding and strategic support, is working with a wide range of partners on the programme, including the SQA, Education Scotland, the BFI, Industry Partners, and the Scottish Government.
Neil Millar, Senior Education Officer for Expressive Arts, Culture and Creativity atEducation Scotland said: “Education Scotland has been delighted to actively support the development of the pilot Film and Screen curriculum within the Expressive Arts offering of Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence.
“The educational and social impact of the pilot curriculum on schools, teachers and most importantly pupils, has been immense and I have been privileged to see the curriculum ‘in action’ across the country.
“This added dimension to Scotland’s curriculum builds on the vision and principles of Curriculum for Excellence as well as enabling the future-focussed knowledge and skills development that will sustain economic growth and drive accessibility and inclusion in a sector that is often seen as exclusive.”
Award-winning DirectorMark Cousinssaid: “I can hardly believe these new plans for teaching film in Scotland.
“Cinema remains one of the world’s most vivid cultural forms but has always been under-taught. One of Scotland’s best movie directors, Alexander Mackendrick, knew that film education was crucial. One of our greatest contemporary filmmakers, Lynne Ramsay, greatly benefited from film education.
“Now a new scheme will embed film education in schools? For kids as young as 3? We’ve wanted this for decades because it’s the best way to democratise film, to create new directors, to enrich Scottish visual culture.
“Scotland had a late start in film history. This imaginative, immensely valuable new programme will help us get ahead.”
Screen Scotland…Forthill Primary School
….Pic Paul Reid
David Smith, Director of Screen Scotlandadded: “If we want young people across Scotland to feel confident in making films and screen content, and exploring that as a potential career, it’s important that they get every opportunity to make films and learn about filmmaking.
“Many feel that a career in film or TV is beyond their reach, somehow reserved for other people. That’s far from true and we want to give them the knowledge and experience they will need to realise their ambitions whatever background they have, wherever they live.
“A film crew has so many different roles within it, good jobs that pay well but also really rewarding, creative jobs. We want everyone to feel it’s something they can feel confident doing. This, in turn, will continue Scotland’s growth as a thriving centre for film and screen, bringing proven economic benefits to the country.”
Cabinet Secretary for Culture Angus Robertsonsaid: “The Scottish Government believes culture is for all and this Film and Screen education programme will be an accessible pathway for Scotland’s next generation of filmmakers to pursue.
“We believe the development of the programme will provide a fresh opportunity for young people to learn the skills that could lead to a fulfilling and successful career in a thriving film and TV industry – a platform to showcase authentic Scottish storytelling and creativity.
“The Scottish Government will continue to work with Screen Scotland, and partners in the education sector, including Education Scotland and SQA to boost screen education across formal and informal education settings – it really will be an exciting programme to be involved with.”
Heart Research UK’s ‘anonymous heART project’ has raised an astonishing £101,779.50, auctioning pieces of A5 artwork produced by a host of internationally acclaimed artists, musicians and celebrities.
Famous artists like Julian Opie, Ralph Steadman, Zabou and the charity’s own patron Robert Smith (The Cure) were joined by hundreds of international artists to create over 540 pieces of unique artwork that were auctioned on eBay between the 3rd – 12th November 2023.
Though the list of contributors was available to all bidders, which artist created which piece was kept anonymous, and will soon be revealed now that the auction is over.
The charity’s patron, iconic rockstar Robert Smith has contributed to the auction for several years, and his pieces are always highly sought after. The four he created this year raised a staggering £18,173.98 in total.
Robert Smith said: “Thanks to all the artists and all the bidders this year’s ‘anonymous heART project’ was the best yet. It is such a great idea and such a great charity, I am very proud to be involved.”
The amount from this year’s auction is added to the £250,000 already raised since the project started in 2018 and will be used to fund pioneering research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart diseases.
Kate Bratt-Farrar, Chief Executive at Heart Research UK, said: “Thank you to all the artists who have contributed to this year’s anonymous heART project and bidders who have supported the project. This year has been the most successful yet and is one of our biggest annual fundraisers.
“It’s always wonderful to see how excited people are about the auction. It’s the perfect way for people to support lifesaving heart research whilst receiving beautiful pieces of art.
“We’d like to thank our patron Robert Smith and all of the other contributors for donating their time and for continuing to support this fantastic project.”
“But our message is clear: if you are fit, if you refuse to work, if you are taking taxpayers for a ride – we will take your benefits away.”
Changes are part of the new Back to Work Plan which will help up to 1,100,000 people with long-term health conditions, disabilities or long-term unemployed to look for and stay in work.
Additional support comes alongside tougher sanctions for people who don’t look for work, as part of the next generation of welfare reforms.
Includes exploring reforms of the fit note system, expansion of available treatment and employment support, and formal launch of the WorkWell service to help people start, stay and succeed in work.
The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride will unveil their Back to Work Plan– a package of employment focused support that will help people stay healthy, get off benefits and move into work – as part of the Autumn Statement.
Building on the ambitious £7 billion employment package from Spring Budget the Chancellor is using his Autumn Statement to outline a new Back to Work Plan, which will expand the employment support and treatment available and reform the ways that people with disabilities or health conditions interact with the state.
Getting more people into work and ensuring work pays remains a key priority for the government. It is important for growing the UK economy, managing inflation, controlling spending, and improving living standards. Getting more people into good jobs is also good for those individuals and the best route out of poverty.
The government is boosting four key programmes – NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support, Restart and Universal Support – to benefit up to 1.1 million people over the next five years and help those with mental or physical health conditions stay in or find work.
The new WorkWell service as announced at Spring Budget and delivered by the Departments for Work and Pensions and Health and Social Care is also being formally launched today and will support almost 60,000 long-term sick or disabled people to start, stay and succeed in work once rolled out in approximately 15 areas across England.
The prospectus that will be launched in the coming weeks will provide information for all Integrated Care Systems across England to develop their localised work and health strategy.
Ministers are also planning to trial reforms to the fit note process to make it easier and quicker for people to get specialised work and health support, with improved triaging and signposting. Since the pandemic the number of people inactive in the UK due to long-term sickness or disability has risen by almost half a million to a record high of 2.6 million, with mental health, musculoskeletal conditions and heart disease being some of the main causes.
Stricter benefit sanctions will also be enforced by the Department for Work and Pensions for people who are able to work but refuse to engage with their Jobcentre or take on work offered to them. Benefit claimants who continue to refuse to engage with the Jobcentre will face having their claim closed. The latest published data shows that there were 300,000 people who had been unemployed for over a year in the three months to July.
The announcement today forms part of wider plans to grow the economy expected in the Autumn Statement on Wednesday 22 November. The Chancellor is set to reveal a raft of changes to get the UK economy growing including getting people back into work.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, said:“We’re serious about growing our economy and that means we must address the rise in people who aren’t looking for work – especially because we know so many of them want to and with almost a million vacancies in the jobs market the opportunities are there.
“These changes mean there’s help and support for everyone – but for those who refuse it, there are consequences too. Anyone choosing to coast on the hard work of taxpayers will lose their benefits.”
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride, said:“We are rolling out the next generation of welfare reforms to help more people start, stay and succeed in work. We know the positive impact work can have, not just on our finances, but our health and wellbeing too.
“So we are expanding the voluntary support for people with health conditions and disabilities, including our flagship Universal Support programme.
“But our message is clear: if you are fit, if you refuse to work, if you are taking taxpayers for a ride – we will take your benefits away.”
The plans announced today set out how the government will tackle long-term unemployment by supporting Universal Credit claimants to find work while strengthening work search requirements for job seekers through all stages of their Universal Credit claim.
As a result of these reforms, no claimant should reach 18 months of unemployment in receipt of their full benefits if they have not taken every reasonable step to comply with Jobcentre support.
The plans to tackle long-term unemployment include:
Testing Additional Jobcentre Support in England and Scotland – testing how intensive support can help claimants into work who remain unemployed or on low earnings after 7 weeks into their Universal Credit claim.
Extending and expanding the Restart scheme in England and Wales for 2 years – expanding tailored, intensive support to people who have been on Universal Credit for more than 6 months rather than 9, helping them to tackle barriers to entering employment through coaching, CV and interview skills, and training. The scheme will be extended for two years until June 2026.
Introducing a claimant review point – Universal Credit claimants who are still unemployed after the 12-month Restart programme will take part in a claimant review point: a new process whereby a work coach will decide what further work search conditions or employment pathways would best support a claimant into work. If a claimant refuses to accept these new conditions without good reason, their Universal Credit claim will be closed.
Rolling out mandatory work placement trials – through the claimant review point, claimants who have not yet moved into work by the end of Restart will be required to accept a job or to undertake time-limited work experience or other intensive activity to improve their employability prospects. Failure to do so at this stage will lead to immediate sanction, with the full removal of the Universal Credit standard allowance.
Stricter sanctions for people who should be looking for work but aren’t – including:
targeting disengaged claimants by closing the claims of individuals on an open-ended sanction for over six months and solely eligible for the Universal Credit standard allowance, ending their access to additional benefits such as free prescriptions and legal aid;
rooting out fraud and error using the government’s Targeted Case Review to review the Universal Credit claims of disengaged claimants on an open-ended sanction for over eight weeks, ensuring they receive the right entitlement;
digital tools to track claimants’ attendance at job fairs and interviews.
Plans set out also include expanding key health and employment programmes, to benefit over half a million people over the next five years and help those with mental health conditions stay in or find work:
NHS Talking Therapies – increasing the number of people benefitting from courses of mental health treatment by an additional 384,000 people over the next five years and increasing the number of sessions available.
NHS Talking Therapies provides evidence based psychological therapies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), for treatment of mild and moderate mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders.
Individual Placement and Support (IPS) – aiming to help an additional 100,000 people with severe mental illness to find and keep jobs over the next five years. IPS is an employment support programme integrated in community mental health services. IPS employment specialists:
Work with people accessing the service to find them employment that matches their aims, interests and skills, and offer continued support once they are in post.
Integrate with the mental health team to support the individual with any issues that affect their work and recovery.
Build relationships with employers to negotiate job opportunities.
Universal Support in England and Wales – matching 100,000 people per year with existing vacancies and supporting them in their new role, an increase on the 50,000 people outlined at Spring Budget, also helping people with disabilities and from vulnerable groups.
Participants will access up to 12 months of personalised ‘place and train’ support. The individual will be supported by a dedicated keyworker who will help the participant find and keep a job, with up to £4,000 of funding available to provide each participant with training, help to manage health conditions or help for employers to make necessary accommodations to the person’s needs.
WorkWell – The service announced at Spring Budget 2023 is being formally launched to Integrated Care Systems across England and will help support people at risk of falling into long-term unemployment due to sickness or disability, through integrated work and health support. Integrated Care Systems across England will be supported to develop a localised work and health strategy, and then services will be provided in approximately 15 pilot areas.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Victoria Atkins, said:“We know that tailored work and health support initiatives can help break down the kinds of barriers that can make finding and staying in a job more difficult for those with mental health conditions.
“Backing them with further investment means they’re more widely available, enables personalised help and will get thousands back to work by overcoming any issues that may be preventing them from fulfilling their career potential.”
Kate Shoesmith, Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) Deputy Chief Executive, said:“Today’s announcements will help the Restart scheme keep making a real difference to people’s work and life chances.
“It contributes to efforts to overcome our labour and skills shortages and to further growing our economy. Bringing public and private employment services together is vital to get people into work and not look back.
“Our own award-winning Restart scheme, which sees recruiters work with employability services provider Maximus, has helped place 1700 long-term unemployed people into work since 2021.”
EDINBURGH COUNCILLORS CALL FOR IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE
We are horrified by the situation unfolding in Gaza, and are calling for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the blockade of Gaza to allow urgent and unconditional food, water, fuel and medical supplies to enter the area.
Under international law collective punishment is illegal, as is blockading food, medicine and fuel supplies to the civilian population, and we therefore recognise the actions of the Israeli Government to be war crimes.
We condemn the killing and hostage taking of Israeli civilians by Hamas; the ongoing blockade of Gaza and occupation of the West Bank by Israel, deemed illegal by the United Nations; and the killing of Palestinians by the current Israeli blockade, bombardment, and ground offensive into Gaza.
We call for the immediate release of all hostages, and safe passage for Palestinians and others seeking to leave Gaza and the West Bank, with a commitment that they will be able to return.
We recognise Israel’s actions towards Palestine as apartheid, in line with human rights experts such as Amnesty International and call for an end to the occupation of Palestine.
We assert that all forms of racism, including anti-Palestinian racism, antisemitism and Islamophobia have no place in our city and condemn any attacks on Palestinian, Jewish or Muslim people.
We welcome the demonstrations of support for an end to violence and freedom for Palestinians which we have seen across the city, the UK and the world.
As councillors in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city, we recognise the power our collective voices can have, and support calls for immediate action to secure a lasting and just peace for Palestinians and Israelis, with freedom and security for all, based on international law.
Signed:
Alys Mumford Scottish Green Party Ben Parker Scottish Green Party Susan Rae Scottish Green Party Claire Miller Scottish Green Party Alex Staniforth Scottish Green Party Jule Bandel Scottish Green Party Kayleigh O’Neill Scottish Green Party Steve Burgess Scottish Green Party Chas Booth Scottish Green Party Dan Heap Scottish Green Party Ross McKenzie Independent Katrina Faccenda Scottish Labour Margaret Graham Labour and Co-operative Party Amy McNeese-Mechan Scottish National Party Norman Work Scottish National Party Lesley Macinnes Scottish National Part
