Uncategorized – Page 139 – The NEN

Councils and Trade Unions unite to oppose National Care Service Plans

Local Government trade unions Unison and Unite have joined with council representative body COSLA today (Wednesday 11th October) to call on the Scottish Government to reverse centralisation plans which would remove up to 75,000 staff from local authorities.

The Scottish Government’s draft National Care Service legislation, currently before Parliament, would see a large proportion of local authority staff, functions and assets transferred to a national structure overseen by Scottish Government Ministers.

These plans have left council staff, not only in social work and social care, uncertain over their future employer, their terms and conditions and their pay. These uncertainties risk years of disruption rather than contributing to service improvements.

COSLA and Local Government trade unions share concerns that the Scottish Government’s Bill would have a serious impact on the future of local democracy and the viability of Local Government in Scotland, with the legislation empowering Scottish Ministers to create and direct unaccountable local care boards to deliver services.

Both Local Government employers’ organisation COSLA and trade unions representing council staff oppose the Scottish Government’s centralising approach and have called for current plans to be redrawn ensuring local democratic accountability and the needs of local communities are at the heart of them.

Councillor Paul Kelly, COSLA Health and Social Care Spokesperson said: “Instead of investing to improve care services now, the Scottish Government are choosing to prioritise unnecessary expensive structural reform which will disrupt services, staff and our communities who rely on support.

“Local Government staff across social care, social work and community health have gone above and beyond to support local people over the past few years and are now faced with the added uncertainty that comes with these Scottish Government proposals.

“COSLA will continue to work with our trade union partners to support our staff across local authorities and stand committed to making improvements to services now.”

Tracey Dalling, UNISON Scotland Regional Secretary said: “The National Care Service plans leave tens of thousands of staff, not just in Local Government but across many public services, uncertain about the future of their jobs and their pensions.

“What is certain though, is that if the Scottish Government passes its legislation councils will be hugely reduced, both as democratic institutions and as employers. The outsourcing of jobs to the national care service, will be followed by jobs going in areas like IT, finance, facilities management and others.”

Wendy Dunsmore, Unite Industrial Officer said: “The Scottish Government’s proposals represent the biggest power grab in the era of devolution. Ministers will be able to unilaterally decide what services are to be delivered nationally or locally which is the direct opposite of local democratic accountability.

“There remains next to no detail on major elements of the National Care Service proposals including how local and special care bodies will work independently, and with each other, and crucially what this in reality means for the workforce.

“It’s counterproductive and an unnecessary waste of resources to introduce a process whereby we make local authorities a ’contractor’ for a service they already currently provide when money can be put into frontline services. Unite has been severely worried about the emerging framework surrounding the National Care Service and we have had every right to be.”

Cramond residents put their feet up at new care home salon

CARE residents have been offered the chance to indulge in an immersive salon experience as part of an activities rota aimed at improving residents’ wellbeing.

Cramond Residence has transformed one of its activity rooms into a purpose-built salon with a host of spa mornings planned throughout the month.

The indulgent experience will see residents drifting away to peaceful spa music while enjoying a hand or foot massage from experienced therapists.

Garylee Rushford, Lifestyle Coordinator at Cramond Residence, said: “The spa mornings are designed to be a relaxing and sensory experience bringing joy to our resident’s day while improving their overall wellbeing.

“At Cramond, we try to ensure that we bring a homely sense into every aspect of our care. We believe that residents shouldn’t forgo any of the activities that they might have previously enjoyed.

“No one should have to miss out on the benefits of a well-deserved massage. Not only will it help soothe the residents’ joints and muscles, but it will also help them switch off and forget about the stress of daily life.”

Included in the home’s current offering for residents and curated by its dedicated lifestyle team are bespoke physiotherapy sessions provided by boutique experts. The home combines luxury hotel living with the reassuring feeling of being in your own home.

Its jam-packed excursions and activities rota is centred around providing residents with fun and fulfilling lives with offerings aimed at stimulating both the mind and body.

Garylee added: “Our residents are encouraged to take things at their own pace and there is always something to see and do – whether it’s taking part in a class or other activity, going out on an excursion, being pampered in our luxury salon, or enjoying a film in the cinema.”

Located in Cramond to the north of the city, the care home was launched in 2018 to offer uncompromising nurse-led care, as well as respite and dementia specialist services, and provides small-group living for up to 74 residents in nine luxuriously-appointed homes.

Cramond Residence offer tours of their quality accommodation and facilities, allowing potential residents and loved ones to see the residence for themselves, meet the team and discuss requirements.

To find out more, call 0131 341 4037 or visit https://cramondresidence.co.uk/

Revealed: the UK local authorities where CCTV has QUADRUPLED since 2019

There are now 12,960 more CCTV cameras in the UK than there were three years ago
Almost seven in ten (69%) local authorities have increased their surveillance
Gwynedd and Wokingham councils have both upped their CCTV installations by over 300%

The number of public CCTV cameras in the UK has now risen to over 100,000, with some local authorities more than quadrupling their surveillance over the last three years.

IronmongeryDirect, the UK’s largest supplier of specialist ironmongery, issued Freedom of Information requests to local authorities and found that almost seven in ten (69%) have increased their CCTV presence since 2019.

Across the UK, there are now 108,533 public cameras, representing an increase of 14% (12,960 new devices). This doesn’t include privately owned equipment, such as cameras operated by businesses or members of the public, so the overall total will be even greater.

The biggest rise in CCTV has been in Gwynedd, in north-west Wales, where the council now operates 468 cameras, compared to 101 in 2019 – an increase of 363%. A new system has recently been installed that added multiple static cameras in locations where there used to be one pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) device.

Gwynedd Council is one of 16 local authorities that have more than doubled their CCTV over the last three years.

The local authorities that have increased CCTV at the quickest rate since 2019 are:

The biggest numerical increase was found in Liverpool, where there are now 741 more cameras than there were in 2019 (754 up to 1,495).

The London Borough of Hackney, however, has the highest level of surveillance. The council controls 3,119 CCTV devices, which is 815 more than any other local authority.

The councils with the most CCTV cameras in the UK are:

#	Local authority	CCTV cameras in 2022
1	London Borough of Hackney	3,119
2	London Borough of Hillingdon	2,304
3	South Lanarkshire Council	2,154
4	City of Edinburgh	2,027
5	Portsmouth	1,997

IronmongeryDirect spoke to Grant Fulton, CMC Operations Manager at Corps Monitoring, who predicts that the number of CCTV cameras in the UK will continue to increase: “As technology continues to advance, so too will the application of CCTV monitoring systems.

“Over the next few years, CCTV technology will improve our personal safety, the safety of our homes, businesses, assets, and far more.

“Currently, CCTV is mainly used for heatmaps and people counting but, in the future, CCTV-based facial recognition will be a significant part of our world, carrying major implications for personal device security and shopping.

“And as this technology increases, it drives down the cost of surveillance protection, making it more affordable and accessible than ever before.”

Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect, said: “CCTV is an integral part of modern-day society, and cameras have grown more commonplace in recent years as technology and connectivity have improved.

“The increases revealed in our research might raise privacy concerns, but generally CCTV benefits the safety and security of both the public and businesses, and the upwards trend is unlikely to stop anytime soon.”

To read IronmongeryDirect’s CCTV Capitals of the UK: 2022 Report, including the CCTV figures for every UK local authority, visit:

https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/blog/cctv-capitals-of-the-uk-2022

Rare Birds Books: 24 Days of Reading

Rare Birds Books launches new look advent calendar following sell out success in 2021!

Chocolate is so 2021; this year we are ushering in the festive period with a new era of advent calendar – one that offers romance, suspense, thrills and spills*.

Highly anticipated since its immediate sell out last year, home of female writing, Rare Birds Books has re-designed and re-launched its best-selling 24 Days of Reading (£50), a new way to celebrate advent.

To play along, you just need to open each day as normal, discovering an invitation to a new world behind every door, a secret blurb ready to take you on a journey. Each of the 24 descriptions corresponds to one of Rare Birds Books favourites from the past year, including 10 book club picks and 14 brand new titles; so, whether you’re a subscriber or a book worm, there is a story for you!

At the end of December, you choose your favourite four blurbs and using your personal code, redeem them for the four physical books! A gift that just keeps giving, the books will be despatched from 28^th December onwards, meaning you will be able to start 2023 with a host of new reading material.

With postage included, this is the perfect early present for the bibliophile in your life. And for those vivacious readers, don’t panic, your book choices will be revealed before you complete your redemption, meaning you can confirm you haven’t got any duplicates.

Pre-orders begin in September for guaranteed copies, with all calendars begin shipping in November. They will be available to purchase online via the website, in store and at Stylist Live weekend.

So, which story will you choose for yourself this Christmas?

*Still good when paired with chocolate!

24 Days of Reading Advent Calendar

For more information visit www.rarebirdsbooks.com

Miller Homes helps Edinburgh children get Home Safe this October

Homebuilder donates high-vis vests to school children

It’s Walk to School month, and leading homebuilder, Miller Homes, is helping children in Edinburgh travel to and from school safely by donating high-vis vests to children local to its West Craigs Manor development, as part of its Home Safe initiative.

After a successful two years in Scotland, Miller Homes has expanded its Home Safe campaign for a third year, this time across the entire UK. Children’s high-vis vests will be available to collect from the marketing suite at Miller Homes’ development on Craigs Road.

As the morning and afternoon walks get a little darker, it’s hoped the bright yellow bibs will ensure local children are visible to drivers whether they are walking, cycling or scootering to school.

According to the most recent Government reports, the national average for children who walk to school is 46%. This is likely to increase in 2022, as families look to be healthier and more energy efficient.

Lynsey Brown Regional Sales Director for Miller Homes Scotland East said: “Getting to and from school safely is such an important part of a child’s routine, and being active while doing it is great for both their mental and physical wellbeing.

“Our Home Safe initiative is designed to help kids to be as safe as possible on those journeys, educating them on the importance of being visible to road users, especially as the days get darker, which will encourage good safety habits for years to come.”

Suitable for all primary school children, the high-vis vests will be available on a first come first served basis and can be collected from the marketing suite at West Craigs Manor from Thursday to Monday, 10:30-5:30pm.

For more information on Miller Homes and the Home Safe initiative, visit the website:

https://www.millerhomes.co.uk/promo/homesafe.

Local healthcare heroes win prestigious NHS Lothian awards

Local healthcare workers at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh have been honoured for their exceptional work at a prestigious ceremony.

Sponsored by NHS Lothian Charity, the annual Celebrating Success Awards 2022 are nominated by fellow healthcare workers across the organisation.

Thomas Faulkner, Specialist Biomedical Scientist at the Western General Hospital won the Young Achiever award for going the extra mile in everything he does.

Although in the very early stages of his career, Thomas has played a huge part in the implementation of a new system and training in the laboratory. His team praised him for his dedication, commitment, energy, passion and enthusiasm.

Thomas said: “I’m very grateful to everyone who has nominated me. I was not expecting it so very happy that I’ve won.”

The Visible Haematuria One Stop Clinic Team at the Western General Hospital won the Best Example of Quality Innovation and Productivity Award.

The clinic is a collaboration between the Urology & Radiology department and Quality Improvement Support Team. It has greatly improved the patient experience and significantly reduced the time from referral to diagnosis for patients with urgent suspicion of cancer as well as the number of visits they make.

The Team said: “We’re very surprised but very thankful to have won this award.”

Calum Campbell, Chief Executive, NHS Lothian, said: “It is fantastic seeing staff being able to come together again and celebrate in person.”

“Even though we still face significant pressures across NHS Lothian, I continue to take pride in the work that our staff do 365 days a year. I want to extend my warm congratulations to all this year’s finalists for their achievements.”

Professor John Connaghan CBE, Chair of NHS Lothian Board added, “The resilience and dedication of staff over the course of last year and since the start of the pandemic has been remarkable. They have provided high quality care under the greatest pressure.”

“It is testament to the commitment of our staff that they continuously innovate in the delivery of care to our patients.”

“I’d like to say well done to all of our finalists as we celebrate success.”

For the full list of award winners, including some short winners film please visit the NHS Lothian Celebrating Success Winners page.

Scotland site managers win top award for house building quality

Scotland’s top site managers gathered to celebrate their achievements at NHBC’s Pride in the Job 2022 Awards which were held at The Hilton in Glasgow last week.

Organised by NHBC, the UK’s leading new homes warranty and insurance provider, Pride in the Job celebrates site managers who have achieved the very highest standards in house building. It is the most highly regarded competition in the house-building industry and a prestigious benchmark for exceptional site managers.

A series of regional events are taking place throughout the autumn, to announce the Seal of Excellence and Regional Award winners and celebrate the achievements of the Quality Award recipients.

Now in its 42^nd year, judging for the Awards is rigorous, with each site manager assessed across six key areas: consistency, attention to detail, leadership, interpretation of drawings and specifications, technical expertise and health and safety.

The competition is split between three categories: small, medium and large house builders, plus a multi-storey category for site managers working on projects of five storeys or more for multiple occupancy.

This year’s Regional winners were:

Small Builder category – Duncan Moon of Guild Homes (Tayside) Ltd, for their work at Strathmore Fields at Forfar.

Medium Builder category – Stuart Gillespie of Mactaggart & Mickel Homes Ltd, for their work at Greenan Views at Doonfoot.

Large Builder category – Eddie McCann of Taylor Wimpey East Scotland, for their work at Calderwood in East Calder.

Multi-storey category – Cathal Lamph of CALA Homes East, for their work at Waterfront Plaza in Edinburgh.

As well as their category wins, Mr Moon, Mr Gillespie, Mr McCann and Mr Lamph were each awarded a Seal of Excellence. A further ten managers across the region were also awarded a Seal of Excellence at the ceremony having gained a Quality Award in the first round of the competition in June. They were:

Gavin Bianchi of Taylor Wimpey East Scotland
Jeff Calder of Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Scotland
George Carty of Bellway Homes Scotland West
Victoria Chalmers of Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Scotland
Iain MacLaren of Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Scotland
Ewan MacLean of Barratt and David Wilson Homes East Scotland
Jim Martin of Miller Homes Scotland East
David McClure of Taylor Wimpey West Scotland
Colin McNeish of Miller Homes Scotland West
Michael Roarty of Barratt and David Wilson Homes West Scotland

Over more than four decades, Pride in the Job has underpinned NHBC’s core purpose of raising standards in house building by championing high-quality homes and protecting homeowners. By recognising the very best site managers across the UK, showcasing best practice and rewarding excellence, the competition celebrates the vital role that site managers play in ensuring new homes are delivered on time, on safe sites and to exacting construction quality standards.

Commenting on the Awards, NHBC Chief Executive Steve Wood said: “For more than 40 years Pride in the Job has been an important part of our work to help drive construction quality. Winning site managers tell us that it inspires them to give a little extra and to strive harder for ever-higher standards of house building.

“At NHBC we believe that the calibre of the site manager and the way they inspire their site team has the greatest influence on the quality of the finished home. By promoting friendly rivalry, showcasing best practice and rewarding excellence, Pride in the Job supports the delivery of homes of the highest quality.

“Congratulations to all the 2022 Pride in the Job Seal of Excellence and Regional Award winners. They are an inspiration to us all and should be very proud of the quality of new homes they are creating.”

The Regional Award winners will now go forward to compete for the ultimate prize in house building, the Pride in the Job Supreme Awards which will be unveiled at a gala ceremony in London in January 2023.

For further information and the full list of winners please visit: Pride in the Job 2022 | NHBC

Tesco to lock over a thousand every- day products at low prices until 2023

Inflation-busting move will support customers in the run-up to Christmas
Price lock underlines Tesco’s unwavering commitment to great value for its customers
Colleagues set to benefit too, with significant boost to hourly pay rates across UK stores

Tesco is today announcing a vast new price-lock commitment, freezing the prices of more than a thousand everyday products until 2023, and giving shoppers more ways to spend less and enjoy the festive season.

The products are all included within our mammoth Low Everyday Prices campaign, which covers a wide range of products and brands bought week-in, week-out – from cupboard staples and teatime favourites, to household and health & beauty products.

To help customers make their money go further during the festive season, we’re locking the price of more than a thousand of these products into the new year.

So whether it’s McCain Home Chips for those midweek dinners or a winter pick-me-up with Nescafe Original 3-in-1, our customers can count on Tesco’s price to stay the same until 2023 – helping them spend less on their shopping and more on friends and family this Christmas.

Low Everyday Prices is a key part of Tesco’s commitment to giving customers great value on their shopping – going hand-in-hand with our Aldi Price Match, great value own-brand staples with our Exclusively at Tesco brands and exclusive deals through Clubcard Prices, which together cover more than 8,000 products.

And it’s just one of the ways we’re helping customers make their money go further this Christmas. Our Clubcard Christmas Savers Scheme offers customers a bonus voucher of up to £12 when they save their Clubcard Vouchers towards their big Christmas shop. While our Toy Sale, launched this week, offers savings of up to 50% on kids favourites like Lego and Stickle Bricks, so that families can spread the cost of Christmas.

Tesco UK Chief Executive, Jason Tarry, said:
“We know times are tough for many customers right now, particularly as we head into the winter months. We hope this extended price-lock commitment gives our customers the certainty of knowing that over a thousand household favourites will stay at the same great price for months to come – helping them budget when they need it most.”

As well as helping customers, we’re today also announcing another major investment in our store colleagues – with the second hourly-pay increase this year, and a doubling of our colleague discount to support them this Christmas.

From 13 November 2022, the basic hourly rate of pay in our stores will increase by a further 20p to £10.30 (or £10.98 in London). This means hourly rates at Tesco will have increased nearly 8% this year – building on what was already a record single-year investment in store pay.

And on top of that, we’ll also be doubling our Colleague Clubcard discount to 20% during the key Christmas shopping period from 13-19 December.

This is just one part of our comprehensive package of benefits for Tesco colleagues, which also includes a recently enhanced selection of free food and hygiene products in the Colleague Rooms of our stores, so that colleagues can access a wider range of breakfast, lunch and snack items at no cost.

Notes to editors:

Examples of products covered by our price-lock commitment include:

Product	Current price – locked until 2023
TILDA PURE STEAMED BASMATI RICE, 250G	£0.95
SKI STRAWBERRY MOUSSE, 4X60G	£1.10
MCCAIN HOME CHIPS, 2.25KG	£4.30
ORAL-B PRO-EXPERT PROFESSIONAL PROTECTION TOOTHPASTE, 75ML	£1.99
HEINZ BAKED BEANS SNAP POTS, 4 X200G	£2.49
NESCAFE ORIGINAL 3-IN-1, 6 SACHETS 102G	£0.99
JOHNSON’S BABY COTTON BUDS, 200 PIECES	£0.95
ROBINSONS ORANGE SQUASH, 1L	£1.75

Low Everyday Prices includes over 1,000 products across larger Tesco stores. Excludes Express. Prices locked until 03/01/2023. Look out for the Low Everyday Prices roundel in-store and online.
A Clubcard is required to redeem Clubcard Prices offers included in Tesco’s toy sale.

NHS Lothian: Winter Vaccinations

If you are aged 50 to 64 with no additional risk factors, please wait to be contacted about your winter vaccination appointment. The flu and COVID-19 vaccines are being given to those most at risk first.

For more information visit http://nhsinform.scot/wintervaccines

Love Golf? Keep in the swing this winter

Unlimited monthly winter golf for just £27.50 per month

Wrap up warm, fill up your thermos and grab your clubs. Winter golf at the largest club in town returns on 1^st October. And with the unpredictable Scottish weather, you won’t have to rely on one course.

For die hard golf fans who want to keep in the swing of it, even during the winter months, Edinburgh Leisure’s golf membership can be bought online for just £27.50 per month. With minimal use of winter greens and no mats, it’s the ideal opportunity to keep your golf on par until the summer returns.

Winter membership prices stretch from 1^st October 2022 to 31^st March 2023 and allow access to Edinburgh Leisure’s six golf courses. Edinburgh Leisure’s 18-hole courses include Braid Hills, Carrick Knowe, Craigentinny, and Silverknowes. If you’re after a shorter then you can play our 9-hole courses at Portobello and the Wee Braids.

Payable monthly by direct debit, different membership options are available including access to all the courses, seven days a week; and a five-day membership, costing £22.50, with access to all courses Monday to Friday.

The membership also gives 20% off other Edinburgh Leisure activities including the gym, swimming, racquet sports and climbing, at the various Edinburgh Leisure venues across the city.

The Golf Membership is available to buy at any Edinburgh Leisure site and online – www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/memberships/golf.