Category: Uncategorized

Two-year pay offer to Agenda for Change staff in Scotland

8% pay increase for nurses, midwives and NHS workers in 2025-26 and 2026-27

Nurses, midwives and other healthcare staff across Scotland have been offered a pay increase of 8% over two years to ensure they continue to be the best paid in the UK, Health Secretary Neil Gray has announced.

The offer guarantees the pay increase will be one percentage point above inflation over same period.

If accepted by trade unions, it will see pay raises of 4.25% in 2025-26 and 3.75% in 2026-27. It involves an investment of more than £700 million over the two-year period and will ensure almost 170,000 NHS Agenda for Change staff – including nurses, midwives, paramedics, allied health professionals, porters and others – benefit from the pay rise which will be backdated to 1 April 2025.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “This is a strong two-year pay offer that has been agreed following constructive engagement with trade union representatives. It is guaranteed to remain above CPI inflation, which gives added reassurance to staff, and will ensure Scotland’s nurses, midwives and NHS staff have the best pay in the UK.

“This comes on the back of increased employer national insurance contributions following the UK Government announcement in October 2024. It directly increases the overall cost of pay by an estimated £191 million for Scotland’s NHS.

“I want to express my thanks again to Scotland’s hardworking healthcare staff for their continued hard work and commitment.

“The unions will now consult their members and I hope this offer will be accepted.”

Youth-led project to help keep children in Scotland safe online

A new youth-led project is being delivered by the NSPCC in partnership with the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) to help keep children safe online. 

The Amplifying Child Safety Online project aims to drive change to make the online world safer by putting children’s views and experiences at the centre of the conversation with decision-makers and those with responsibility for this issue.  

Technology is a valuable space for young people to learn, play, socialise and explore their interests. However, it’s becoming increasingly challenging for young people to stay safe online. 

The NSPCC believes that young people have a right to be safe online, but the organisation is concerned about the risk of them being exposed to a variety of online harms such as disinformation, pornography, misogynistic content and bullying.  

Ten young people aged 14 to 18 – including Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs) – are leading the campaign as Digital Safety Ambassadors. They are all passionate about ensuring that decisions made to reduce online harm for children and young people in Scotland take their opinions and experiences on board.  

The project will also work with members of the NSPCC’s online safety participation group – Voice of Online Youth and young people aged 11 to 18 from across Scotland who will take part in insight-gathering and workshops to co-design resources. 

Evan Rae (16), MSYP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, said: “I am most concerned about content such as disinformation, violence and pornography that are being pushed into young people’s feeds by the algorithms of big social media platforms.” 

Catriona Daw (16), MSYP for Falkirk East, said: “It’s important that young people are involved in making the internet a safer place as the only people who can truly know the dangers of the internet (that face young people) are me and my peers as we experience it firsthand.

“Leaving children and young people out of the discussion would lead to important issues being overlooked.” 

Joanna Barrett, NSPCC Associate Head of Policy for the Nations, said: “We believe children have a right to be safe online and their voices should be heard on the issues that matter most to them.  

“It is crucial that we hear from children and young people so we can identify what support they need to keep them safe and confident online.  

“Young people bring unique perspectives and valuable insights. By listening to and championing their voices, we can support decision makers and those with responsibility for child safety online to keep young people at the heart of solutions to preventing online harm.”   

For more information about this project visit: NSPCC Child Safety Online  

To get support and advice about keeping children safe online, visit: NSPCC Keeping Children Safe Online 

Young people looking for support on any of the issues mentioned, can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or visit Childline.org.uk. Childline is available to all young people until their 19th birthday.  

First Minister calls for new support for industry

UK Government must “meet the moment” with decisive action

First Minister John Swinney has called for a new package of support for industry from the UK Government in the face of global economic uncertainty.

As financial markets react to global events, Mr Swinney has called on the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to change their fiscal rules and commit to a package of investment to support business, workers and consumers.

The First Minister said: “We are currently enduring a time of global financial and economic uncertainty and volatility.  But while we are not immune to global trends, we can be confident in the strength of Scotland’s economy.

“Indeed, throughout my time in the United States since last week, there has been a clear confidence in Scotland as a place to do business and as a destination for investment. 

“However, the global economy is clearly going through a time of upheaval and it is vital that we see strong action to meet the moment, support Scottish industry and ensure workers and consumers are protected.

“My government will continue to do everything in our power to do that, but given where powers over the economy sit, this will require clear, determined and decisive action from the UK Government.

“The old economic orthodoxies of Westminster will not be enough to meet a moment of real global challenge.  The UK Government cannot meet this global uncertainty with austerity – we need to see a new approach which provides investment and support for industry as we are seeing in countries like Spain.

“It is now obvious that the era in which the UK Government’s fiscal rules were set is over.  The Prime Minister and the Chancellor must accept that new reality, end their outdated commitment to the fiscal rules and deliver serious investment to support industry.

“And in the face of this economic volatility, the last move any serious government would implement is a tax on jobs.  The increase in employer’s national insurance contributions was always the wrong move – but the Prime Minister should not risk further economic damage by making it more difficult for business to take on or keep staff.   The Chancellor should abandon the national insurance hike immediately.

“The events of the last few days require truly bold action from the Prime Minister.  He cannot simply respond to an unprecedented situation by continuing with a plan set in completely different circumstances and which already looks doomed to failure.”

Charter for Budget Responsibility: Autumn 2024 – GOV.UK

Housing Bill amendments lodged to strengthen tenants’ rights

Amendments to the Housing (Scotland) Bill have been lodged by the Scottish Government setting out how rents will be capped in rent control areas.

The proposed measures will help protect tenants facing cost of living pressures and rising energy prices, whilst providing appropriate protection for the property rights of landlords and supporting investment.

Rent increases in control areas would be limited to the CPI annual rate of inflation plus 1%, up to a maximum increase of 6%. If approved, the rent cap will apply both to rent increases during the term of a tenancy, and in between tenancies, in areas where rent control is applied.

Ministers will determine which areas should be subject to rent control in order to protect tenants. The amendments build on a package of renters’ rights already in the Bill including the right to keep pets and to decorate rented properties without having those unreasonably refused.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Eradicating child poverty remains this government’s top priority and having a home can make a direct contribution to achieving this.

“Ensuring families can have secure and affordable homes that meet their needs is part of our approach to tackling the housing emergency. These measures will also help protect tenants against a backdrop of a continuing cost of living crisis and rising energy costs. We are doing what we can with the powers that we have as we know our policies are working to improve the lives of families in Scotland.

“Scotland already has some of the strongest rights in the UK for tenants, but we want to improve the renting experience even more to create an affordable, high-quality and fair rented sector.

“We have been working closely with tenants’ organisations to develop provisions in the Housing Bill to improve renters’ rights, including a system of long-term rent controls that is fair for tenants and encourages investment in the sector.

“Our rented sector is a crucial part of tackling the housing emergency and these measures provide important certainty for tenants.”

PYCP Easter Holiday Activities

🩷🧡💛 Our Easter Programme is here!! 💛🧡🩷

🐰From Next Week we will be running our Easter Programme, please read carefully as some groups and times are different from their usual!

🐥To attend, all children and young people must have a completed consent form – if you have done this from September 2024 you will be covered.

🌸Parents/Guardians will be contacted by staff to confirm spaces on trips, please do not send your child to a trip if you have not been spoken to as they will be unable to attend.

🍫PY Lunches will be on Mon-Fri during the two week holiday, NOT including Friday 18th and Monday 21st – These lunches are for children and young people only.

New temporary library proposed at Davidson’s Mains Primary School

Modular building will provide essential services for local community until longer-term solution agreed

A new temporary library is being proposed at Davidson’s Mains Primary School, providing Blackhall Library’s key services while plans are developed for a long-term replacement for the previous building at Hillhouse Road.

Blackhall Library has been closed since September 2023, following the discovery of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RACC).

Options to replace the RAAC in the longer term are complex due to the extent of work required, the potential costs and the wider condition of the building. 

The Council’s latest budget, agreed last month, includes a planned £15m to sustainably replace Blackhall Library.

A 12-week community engagement exercise will open after the Easter break to consider options (including refurbishing the existing building, rebuilding it or relocating to another site) to help find the preferred longer-term solution.

It is estimated it could take three to four years to deliver the final solution.

A mobile library service has been provided since Blackhall Library’s closure, but the limited space means it isn’t possible to deliver the full range of library services that residents expect.

The new temporary building is planned to open in the autumn, with construction works beginning in the summer break to avoid disruption to the school.

It will include provision for both children’s and adult libraries alongside dedicated areas for teens, studying and a multi-purpose meeting space. The building will be fenced off from the rest of the school site with segregated access. Opening hours are still to be determined, but will be different from school hours to prevent congestion at the start and end of the school day.

A number of improvements are also proposed at Davidson’s Mains Primary School as part of the scheme. These include improving the path outside the existing school gate and library site entrance to address concerns around congestion, cutting back hedges blocking the pavement opposite the school, and improving the junction crossing point either side of school entrances with a new continuous footway to make this safer for pedestrians. Parking restrictions immediately outside the school boundary will also be strengthened.

Further improvements to the school and wider area are being considered and a working group involving the project team, the school management team and parent council representatives has been established for the duration of the project.

Councillor Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “We know how important it is that people across Blackhall and Davidson’s Mains have access to quality local services in places that are convenient and accessible for them.

“That’s why we’re proposing a temporary library at Davidson’s Mains Primary School until a long term solution can be delivered. At the same time, we’re improving access around the school site to create a safer environment for everyone.

“We want to make sure the school and local community are involved in how the service is delivered and the types of activities that will take place at the replacement library. The school will be able to make use of the facility, and we hope that the closer relationship with the school will bring wider benefits for learning for all.

“We also want to ensure that the longer-term solution delivers the best possible outcome for everyone who uses these services, and we look forward to hearing from residents and people across the local community when we launch our consultation on the full replacement for Blackhall Library in the spring.”

The Council is submitting a Planning Application for the temporary facility. The working group, with the school and Parent Council representatives, will continue throughout the process of delivering the temporary library facility and associated improvements.

Wider community engagement and consultation on the longer-term solution for the library will commence after the Easter break, with details to be published in due course.

Offences against retail workers: Two women face Court

The East Retail Crime Task Force has launched following increased offending against retailers.

Two women (both 42) arrested in separate incidents will appear in court facing 25 charges including theft, police assault, breach of bail and offences against retail workers.

Strengthening Scotland’s NHS?

New plan to focus on delivery

Health Secretary Neil Gray has set out how the Scottish Government plans to improve access to treatment, reduce waiting times and shift the balance of care from hospitals to primary care through the publication of the Operational Improvement Plan.

Through the additional £200 million investment contained in the Budget to reduce waiting times and improve flow through hospital, we will create 150,000 extra appointments and procedures using greater use of regional and national working.

By introducing a seven-day service in radiology, using mobile scanning units and additional recruitment, 95% of referrals will be seen within six weeks by March 2026, reducing backlogs in MRI, CT, ultrasound and endoscopy procedures.

To improve flow in acute hospitals and support increases in community care, we will expand Hospital at Home to at least 2,000 beds by the end of 2026, meaning the service, which provides hospital level care in the comfort of the patients home, will become the biggest hospital in Scotland.

By this summer there will be specialist staff in frailty teams in every A&E department in Scotland. Flow Navigation Centres, which direct patients to the most appropriate service for their condition, will be able to refer patients to more services, reducing the number of people who have to wait in A&E.

Investment in primary care will make it easier for people to see a doctor, dentist, optometrist or community pharmacist, and £10.5 million will be invested in general practice to take targeted action to prevent heart disease and frailty. 

Digital services will be expanded to modernise services and improve efficiency, with the Digital Front Door app launching in Lanarkshire in December. This launch will be followed by a national roll-out in 2026, allowing people to securely access their hospital appointments, receive communications and find local services. Over time it will be expanded to include social care and community health services.

On a visit to Kirklands Hospital’s Flow Navigation Centre, Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “This plan details how the Scottish Government will deliver a more accessible NHS, with reductions to long-waits and the pressures we currently see. It shows how we will use the £21.7 billion health and social care investment in the 2025-26 Budget to deliver significant improvements for patients.

“We want to increase the number of appointments, speed up treatment and make it easier to see a doctor. By better using digital technology, we will embrace innovation and increase efficiencies.

“This plan is ambitious but realistic, and builds on the incredible work of our amazing health and social care staff across our health boards, to deliver real change.”

NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan

Community Council Elections 2025 – 2nd call for nominations

Community Council Elections 2025 – 2nd call for nominations

Nomination forms can be downloaded by clicking on the community council name above (an example completed nomination form is available here)

Local Interest Group Nomination Form are also available here (an example completed Local Interest Group nomination form is available here)

Completed nomination forms can be returned by:

  • email to community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk (see tips below).
  • post to the Governance Team, The City of Edinburgh Council, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG.
  • hand in to Waverley Court reception.

The quickest method to return completed nomination forms is by email to the Governance Team at community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk 

If candidates choose to return by hand or by post please ensure sufficient time is allowed for the nomination form to be received before the deadline at 4pm on Thursday 17 April 2025.  

Nominations close at 4pm on Thursday 17 April 2025.

Our webpages have been updated with the Notice of Community Council Election 2025.

Please share with your networks to encourage nominations for the above 8 Community Councils.

Completing a nomination form

Please review the example Nomination Paper for Community Council Elected Representative and the example Local Interest Group Registration and Nomination Form.  All sections in yellow must be completed.

Declaration of Acceptance

If successful, candidates will be required to sign a Declaration of Acceptance at the first community council meeting declaring that, having been elected to the office of Community Councillor they

A copy of the Declaration of Acceptance can be viewed on our website.

Community Council election timescales (for the above 8 Community Councils)

Here is a breakdown of the important dates:

  • nomination period runs from 27 March 2025 until 17 April 2025. This is when candidates can nominate themselves to stand for election as a community councillor for one of the 8 community councils detailed above.
  • Poll date (if needed) will be 15 May 2025. A poll will only be held in a community council area if there are more people nominated than places on the community council.
  • new community council term will start on 28 March 2025. It will last four years.

Nominations are for the 8 community councils agreed in the new Scheme for Community Councils and new boundaries which were approved by Council on 26 September 2024. The Scheme and Boundaries agreed on 26 September 2024 took effect on 28 March 2025.

The other 39 community councils in Edinburgh received sufficient nominations to form during the previous nomination period and have had their election results published and will establish once the new terms starts on 28 March 2025.

CEC Governance Team

Care Home directors compete in charity cook-off

Staff and residents at Strachan House and sister home, Queens Manor in Edinburgh are celebrating because their wonderful Regional Directors, Wendy McGowan and Dannie Tsoneva, from Barchester’s North East and Scotland Division, are stepping completely out of their comfort zones to compete in the Barchester Charitable Foundation Cook Off 2025.

Swapping their business suits for chefs’ whites, Dannie and Wendy are going head-to-head with two Regional Directors from each of Barchester’s four other divisions to cook up a storm and raise a vital funds for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation.

The Foundation helps connect vulnerable people and those living with a disability to community groups in their local area by providing grants to improve mobility and quality of life. 

Each year the Foundation distributes thousands of pounds to individuals, small community groups and charities across England, Scotland and Wales.  In 2024 the Foundation achieved a donation milestone of £335,000 which enabled the charity to provide vital help to a staggering 239 small groups and charities, plus 104 individuals in one year alone.

Wendy and Dannie are keeping their cards very close to their chests regarding what they will be cooking but they have been practising hard! 

Wendy comments: “Dannie and I are passionate about the Foundation and we’re both relishing the chance to be able to raise funds and give back. 

“I’d class myself as a solid home cook so I think we’ll go for a classic menu and all will be well!”

General Manager of Strachan House care home, Fran Fisher said: “We are all so proud of Wendy and Dannie for taking part in this challenge, they really are amazing – is there nothing they can’t do! They will raise so much money for the Foundation, we think they are absolute super stars!   

To support Wendy & Dannie visit:  Dannie & Wendy’s JustGiving page