Call for Scottish budget to address mental health pandemic for children and young people

A coalition of leading independent and third sector children and young people’s service providers has called on the Scottish Government to deliver a “budget for mental health” this afternoon.

The call from campaign group, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), comes in advance of today’s Scottish Budget and Children’s Mental Health Week (1st-7th February). It comes amid growing concerns over a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people, whose mental health is being impacted by the pandemic. 

The SCSC has urged greatly increased investment in services for children and young people to tackle a current mental health pandemic and called for a national crusade to address this.

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on young people’s mental health and wellbeing, with the recent Prince’s Trust long-running annual survey of young people’s happiness and confidence returned the worst findings in its 12-year history. It found that more than a quarter (26 per cent) say that they feel unable to cope with life since the start of the pandemic.

In addition, half of the young people interviewed said that their mental health has worsened, with more than half (56 per cent) said they always or often felt anxious. 1

Even prior to the pandemic cases of poor mental health were at unprecedented levels, representing one of the greatest health challenges of our time, and there is a growing number of vulnerable children who cannot access services. With a new lockdown and a return to home schooling, even some children who would not have accessed children’s mental health services normally will need support this year.

However, just over 50p in every £100 of the NHS budget is being spent on specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). A frighteningly low figure despite the fact that mental health services are literally creaking at the seams due to greatly increasing demand. 

Research indicates that 10 per cent of children and young people (aged five to 16) has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem (around three in every classroom) – however, it should be noted that these figures are some years out of date and it is widely believed that numbers have increased and will increase further given the impacts of COVID-19.

Recent statistics however point to the fact that only one health board in Scotland is treating children and young people within an 18-week waiting time and more than 1,000 have been waiting over a year to be treated.

The SCSC has also called for greatly increased investment in services and for a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention. This includes on-demand counselling services in GP surgeries and greater community support generally, reducing the need for referral to under-pressure specialist CAMHS. 

A spokesperson for the SCSC said: “Our children are remarkably resilient, but the statistics on the mental health of our young people does create a compelling case for a national crusade to address what is a mental health pandemic representing one of the greatest public health challenges of our time.

“We are urging the Scottish Government to make the forthcoming budget a budget for mental health for our children and young people. Unless the government takes urgent action to improve access to services, this young generation will be destined for a future of mental ill health, with a resultant societal impact. 

“There must be significantly increased investment in and greater collaboration between the public, private and third sectors to deliver adequate mental health support. We must also use this as an opportunity to radically transform our mental health services, both for now and for the future, refocusing on prevention and early intervention.

“This mental health crisis is one we can address, but it will require a similar energy, drive and commitment to that which was demonstrated for COVID-19 if we are to achieve this and prevent this generation of young people giving up on their futures – and themselves.”

£25 million for regeneration projects

Go-ahead for Granton Station and Nourishing Leith Hubs

More than £25 million is going to disadvantaged and remote communities around Scotland to support regeneration and employment projects. Two Edinburgh projects, Granton Station Enterprise Hub (above) and Nourishing Leith Hub, will receive funding of over £2.2 million.

The money from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) will go to 26 projects all over Scotland to tackle inequalities and deliver inclusive growth.  

Over 400 business and organisations will benefit from the projects which will support or create more than 1220 jobs as well as thousands of training places by refurbishing and bringing back into use 26 empty buildings to provide space for community enterprises.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “Together with COSLA we have invested almost £200 million through this fund since 2014 in support of locally-led regeneration projects which help to build the resilience and wellbeing of communities. I am pleased that a further 26 projects will benefit from the fund as we look to a period of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have had to lead our lives locally, pulling together more as communities, to see off the many challenges arising from coronavirus. This latest round of investment into local projects continues our ongoing support for vibrant and accessible town centres and communities.”

Earth in Common (formerly Leith Crops in Pots) were delighted to hear that their funding application has been successful at last. The Leith initiaitve recieves £944,744.

A spokesperson for the community project said: “Our team are over the moon with this news today! After many years and huge effort we finally done it. Our pixies went on one small outing today and look what they managed to achieve. Must have been all that fairy dust. They ‘Saved the PAV’!”

COSLA’s Environment and Economy spokesperson Councillor Steven Heddle said: “This work has never been more important as we look to rebuild from the devastating impact of COVID-19. Recovery from the virus must be fair to our communities and promote inclusivity, growth and wellbeing.

“The innovative projects announced today can empower our communities to deliver better places to live and work.”

While many of the awards are for projects based in urban areas, there’s funding for initiatives in some far-flung communities too

Among the projects being funded this year is The Old Clyne School Redevelopment Project in Brora, Highland. It will redevelop a derelict C-listed building to become a community-owned museum and heritage centre, and to be a base for the Clyne Heritage Society.

Dr Nick Lindsay, Chairman of the Clyne Heritage Society said: “This is the best news that we could have hoped for, in what has been a very difficult year. This should unlock the final ‘brick-in-the-wall’ funds from other funding partners, so we can deliver this major development for Brora.

“We can now fulfil our dreams by regenerating the Old Clyne School into a must-visit destination, transforming a current eyesore into a welcome attraction for the whole community and future generations.”

Tougher border controls … but not tough enough, says First Minister

The UK government has announced further action for outbound and inbound passengers to minimise travel across international borders and reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission – but Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the measures just don’t go far enough.

While the focus is on protecting the UK’s world-leading vaccination programme, this action will reduce the risk of a new variant of the virus being transmitted from someone coming into the UK.

The measures announced today include:

For those wishing to travel out of the UK

  • Declaring reason for travel: anyone who does not have a valid reason for travel will be directed to return home and may face a fine. The reason for travel will be checked.
  • Increased police enforcement: there will be an increased police presence at ports and airports, fining those in breach of the stay at home regulations. Anyone without valid reason for travel will be directed to return home and may face a fine.
  • Reviewing travel exemptions: the list of travel exemptions will be urgently reviewed so that only the most important and exceptional reasons are included.

For those seeking to enter the UK

  • Managed isolation in hotels: this will be for those arriving from countries where we have imposed international travel bans and who cannot be refused entry. They will be required to isolate for ten days without exception and more details will be provided in due course.
  • Police checks: police are carrying out more physical checks at addresses to make sure people are self-isolating.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “There are still too many people coming in and out of our country each day. The rules are clear – people should be staying at home unless they have a valid reason to leave. Going on holiday is not a valid reason.

“As we have done throughout this global health emergency, we will continue to take all steps necessary to protect the public and help prevent the spread of the virus.”

These new measures are on top of the restrictions already in place, all of which help reduce the risk of importing a new variant.

  • Refusing entry: we will continue to refuse entry to non-UK residents from red list countries which are already subject to a UK travel ban.
  • Entering the UK: passengers arriving in the UK need to provide evidence of a negative pre-departure Covid test. There is also the requirement for people arriving from abroad to self-isolate on arrival, and the requirement to complete a passenger locator form, with fines for those who fail to comply.
  • Detecting new variants: we will help other countries to access to the UK’s world-leading gene sequencing capabilities to help with early identification of any new and dangerous variants of the virus.

All measures will be kept under review and further action will be taken to protect the public if needed.

Pre-empting the Westminster announcement, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told yesterday’s media briefing that she feared the UK Government’s plans don’t go far enough and that Scotland may introduce tougher measures.

Miss Sturgeon said: “Now, the second point I want to cover today relates to travel, since there is a lot of speculation about a UK Government that will be made later on this today. So I want to reiterate some of the points the Deputy First Minister made to parliament yesterday that some of you may have heard.

“Travel restrictions will be very vitally important in the coming months. Travel restrictions will be a key way in which we help to stop new cases and in particular, new variants of this virus being imported into Scotland.

“As we found out to our cost over the summer, the virus travels when people travel – and there will be a need for restrictions even after vaccination is much more widespread.

“And indeed at a time when there is rightly a focus on lessons learned, that we should be learning from earlier stages of the pandemic, this is one that I would highlight that we should have perhaps done more of at an earlier stage to restrict travel across our borders.

“We have been in discussions with the UK Government for some time about improving border controls. In those discussions, we have raise the issue of Quarantine Hotels, where people who are returning to the UK can self-isolate.

“The Scottish Government believes that a comprehensive system of supervised quarantine is required for this next stage of the pandemic, to mitigate against the risk of new cases and new variants being imported into the country.

“I’ve just taken part in a 4 Nations call and I’ve been briefed on what the Prime Minister is likely to announce later on. I’m not going to preempt his announcement. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to do so but clearly there is speculation in newspapers.

“But I think I do have a duty at this point to say that I am concerned that the proposal does not go far enough and I’ve made that point very strongly in the 4 Nations discussions that we’ve just had today.

“So while the Scottish Government will initially emulate the UK Government’s steps on enhancing quarantine arrangements, we will be seeking urgently to persuade them to go much further and indeed to move to a comprehensive system of supervised quarantine.

“Given the obvious practical issues involved, we are very clear that our preference is to have consistent quarantine rules across the UK. But if there is no agreement to go further on a 4 Nations basis, we will be considering going further ourselves and we will set out any such additional measures next week.

“I know that talk of travel restrictions is tough to hear, for everybody, but particularly tough for many businesses and so we’re also asking the UK Government to work with us to provide additional support for the aviation sector, which is of course directly affected by further restrictions.   

“Fundamentally, though, we believe that tougher travel restrictions – however unwelcome they are for all of us – are essential to managing the risk posed by new variants, and to new cases coming into Scotland.

“And, as I said, I think that they will become increasingly important, as case levels in Scotland, we hope, continue to fall and that makes it all the more important that we do everything that we can to protect against the risks of reimportation.

 “As I said, we are likely to set out further steps next week but for now, let me reiterate that no one should be travelling overseas right now unless for absolutely essential purposes.“

Silverknowes fires: man charged

A 30-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a series of fire raising incidents in North Edinburgh.

He has been charged in connection with a number of fires in the Silverknowes area in the early hours of Wednesday, 27 January and he is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court later today (Thursday, 28 January).

Police appeal following deliberate fires in Silverknowes & D Mains

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information following a series of fires in Silverknowes and Davidson’s Mains early this morning

A number of incidents were reported to Police Scotland in the area between 4.55am and 5.55am.

These included four vehicles on Silverknowes Eastway, Silverknowes Avenue and Cramond Road South as well as within a property of Main Street, Davidson’s Mains and a post box on Silverknowes Road.

Nobody was injured in any of the incidents. Each of the fires is being treated as deliberate and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.

Detective Sergeant Dougal Begg of Edinburgh CID said: “Our enquiries into this series of incidents are ongoing and we are working to establish the full circumstances.

“We would urge anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity to come forward as soon as possible.

“In particular we would be keen to speak to anyone with dashcam footage or private CCTV in the area.

“If you have any information which help our investigation please call 101, quoting incident 0341 of 27 January, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

SJIB: ‘overwhelming support’ for regulation of electricians

The Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB) says there is now “overwhelming industry support” for regulation of the electrical industry and is urging more professionals to make their voices heard.

The leading construction body insists protection of title is vital to protect consumers across Scotland – and points to a recent consultation in which 90% of respondents said they were in favour of the measure.

The consultation by MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston, which closed in November, received 141 submissions, 121 of which were fully supportive, 10 partially supportive, one neutral, three partially opposed and only three opposed.

Fiona Harper, The Secretary of the SJIB, said: “It was heartening to see such a high level of responses from a wide cross-section of the industry and to see so many organisations and individual electricians taking a real interest in the future of our industry.

“It was equally pleasing to see that the vast majority of the responses have been positive about the need for some form of regulation, and that there is overwhelming support for protection of title for the profession of electrician.

“The responses show that there is a real appetite to deliver a bill through the Scottish Parliament as soon as possible to secure the safety of consumers and the integrity of the electrical sector in Scotland.”

Ms Harper, who is also Director of Employment & Skills at SELECT, the trade association, also urged electrician to take part in a second consultation on regulation, launched by Jamie Hepburn, MSP, the Minister for Business, Fair work and Skills, which closes on 12 February.

She added: “These consultations are a major step towards a safer industry and we look forward to welcoming a new dawn for electricians and their customers in Scotland.

“At present, anyone can claim to be an electrician and work on an electrical installation. It cannot be right that those who have completed a full apprenticeship and who work in the industry in a safe and competent manner, can be compromised by those who call themselves electricians but who have no or inadequate qualifications.

“Industry research suggests that the net benefits to Scotland from proper regulation of electricians will total around £58million. We would also benefit from higher electrical standards, a reduction in the number of injuries and deaths, better functioning installations, less need for call backs or for poor/unsafe work to be repaired, leading to improved customer satisfaction.”

The first consultation was set up by Highland and Islands MSP Mr Halcro Johnston in a bid to present a case for regulation in advance of a proposed Holyrood Member’s Bill.

The Bill would be the culmination of a long-running campaign by the SJIB, SELECT and other leading industry bodies to make sure that those who work in the industry do so in a safe and competent manner.

SELECT has spent the past few years campaigning with other leading trade bodies for the introduction of regulation, with its many supporters listed on the online Wall of Support.

In its own response to the consultation, the SJIB said regulation would “significantly enhance consumer, client and public protection and safety while deterring unqualified individuals”.

The body, which sets the standards for employment and apprentice training in the electrical contracting sector, also said any new scheme would bring significant economic benefits and would assist in the drive for a “sustainable skills base”.

In the response, Ms Harper said: “The promotion and utilisation of registered electrical contractors with industry-recognised qualifications would address the scale of poorly installed, defective and unsafe electrical work.

“The SJIB already administers the ECS [Electrotechnical Certification Scheme] which accommodates and recognises the diverse array of electricians operating within the electrotechnical industry. With some additional safeguards, the SJIB could develop a very robust scheme at little additional cost.”

Founded in 1969 by SELECT and Unite the Union, the SJIB’s duties include regulating between employers and employees, providing benefits for people engaged in the industry, and stimulating industry progress. In addition, it has oversight of employment, skills and proficiency, health and safety competence, wages and welfare benefits across the electrical industry in Scotland.

Edinburgh to gain two new Local Nature Reserves

Wester Craiglockhart Hill and Little France Park are both set to become nature reserves after plans were approved by the Culture and Communities Committee yesterday.

A Local Nature Reserve (LNR) is an area of land declared by a local authority because of its special nature interest and/or educational value. It is hoped the status, which is already held by seven sites across the Capital, will add more weight to funding bids and offer extra protection from future development.

The two sites, which cover over 55 hectares of land between them, are owned and run by the Council and managed by the Parks, Greenspace and Cemeteries Service in partnership with Friends of Parks groups and other partner organisations. 

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener said: “Edinburgh is already a wonderfully green city and we want to ensure it remains that way for generations to come.

“There are many benefits that come with designating these parks as LNRs and there is no doubt that the ongoing pandemic has reinforced how vital access to greenspaces is to us all. The declaration of these as LNRs means that they are not just protected but they will be managed and improved with the conservation of nature as a priority.”

Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener said: “I’m delighted that we are able to designate these two new sites as local nature reserves. These are areas of natural beauty, rich in wildlife habitats and eco systems, and it is important that we recognise these and look after them for everyone to enjoy.

“We will be working closely with a range of partners and enthusiastic friends groups to preserve these important areas for the benefit of our future generations.”

The selection and designation of LNRs is in accordance with the Edinburgh Biodiversity Action Plan. The Scottish Biodiversity Duty section of the plan contains an action to ‘Continue a programme of developing and designating Local Sites’.

New chapter for Edinburgh International Book Festival

The Edinburgh International Book Festival, which takes place this year from Saturday 14 to Monday 30 August, will do so in the beautiful indoor and open, grassy outdoor spaces of the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh College of Art on Lauriston Place.

Full programme details will be announced in June, but Book Festival fans can expect a range of live online author talks, workshops and readings as well as, if circumstances permit, some events for live socially-distanced audiences. 

This new strategic partnership with the University of Edinburgh gives us use of the ECA’s buildings and grounds in August. The University will operate catering and bar provisions if permitted by the Government’s Covid19 guidelines during the Festival.

EIBF Director, Nick Barley, explains this important move: “While we are now experiencing a full lockdown in Scotland which is challenging for so many people on so many levels, we very much hope that the combination of this, together with the ongoing vaccination programme, will bring the virus under control by August.

“While 2020 proved extremely challenging for the Book Festival it also opened up some extraordinarily exciting opportunities.  Building on the success of our online Book Festival we can now announce that we will be entering into a new strategic partnership with the University of Edinburgh that will enable us to inhabit this innovative space in 2021 with facilities to create events for both digital and, if circumstances permit, physical audiences.

“Covid19 has created a huge tectonic shift in the way that live events, ourselves included, can reach their audiences. With in-person ticket sales impossible to forecast this August, we simply can’t justify incurring the costs of the tents and infrastructure we’d normally put into Charlotte Square Gardens. It is highly probable that most events will take place online, and the need for broadcast studios is more likely than large venues for an audience.   

“In the grassy courtyard of Edinburgh College of Art we will, if rules allow, recreate the elements of the Book Festival that our audiences love – bookshops, cafes and open spaces in which to come together safely offering the ‘oasis of calm’ for which the Book Festival is renowned. The College offers excellent studio and theatre facilities for both online broadcasting and potential events with a socially distanced audience.

“We intend that this strategic partnership with the University will be a long-term arrangement, and the Book Festival will continue to occupy their spaces when a Covid-free Festival, with audiences able to enjoy live events in person, can be staged.

“However digital events will continue to be a key part of future Book Festivals, enabling us to reach truly global audiences as well as those closer to home who face barriers to attending the event. We are excited that our hybrid festivals of the future will engage with authors and audiences around the world in a more environmentally responsible way.”

It’s a new chapter for the Book Festival. Look out for more announcements in the coming months, with full programme details to be revealed at the end of June.

Support for students in hardship

Students experiencing hardship as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19) will be supported by £20 million of Scottish Government funding. A further £10 million has also been allocated to universities and colleges for income lost in providing rent rebates.

To complement the additional £30 million, the Scottish Funding Council is also repurposing £5 million of student support funding towards discretionary funding for FE students in the college sector.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “The impact of the pandemic on students has been significant. Not only has there been disruption to their education, we know that many students face financial difficulties with accommodation, associated costs or challenges in getting jobs. This additional £20 million will help to alleviate the financial pressure and stress facing many of our students.

“We are also supporting institutions, many of which have lost revenue by giving students rent refunds or rebates, with an additional £10 million.

“This announcement builds on the £37 million package of support the Scottish Government has already provided to support students during the pandemic.”

Matt Crilly, President of NUS Scotland, said: “NUS Scotland welcomes this crucial support from the Scottish Government at a time when students are struggling. We know many of the traditional sources of student income have been decimated during the pandemic, so it is a relief to know there will be additional funding for those experiencing hardship.

“This support is essential in helping Scotland uphold its commitment to fair access to education. While Scotland has made important advances in recent years towards widening access to further and higher education, the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities and threatens to erode this progress. This funding helps ensure we are not only supporting students from all backgrounds into education, but also helping them stay in education.”

Shona Struthers, chief executive officer of Colleges Scotland, said: “We welcome any additional funding to support college students across Scotland at this incredibly difficult time.

“Many of our students are learning from home and with additional financial hardship caused by the pandemic – we are sure that the much-needed additional funds from Scottish Government will prove beneficial to students during this lockdown period. Colleges Scotland will work on behalf of the sector to highlight ongoing challenges.”

Details on how this £20 million assistance for students will be distributed will be confirmed shortly.

More information on the support available for students is available online.