First Minister explains new regulations

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, yesterday (Friday 8 October):

Good afternoon, and thanks for joining us. I will start with the usual report on the daily COVID statistics.

The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 1,246.

That is 16.2% of people newly tested, and takes the total number of cases to 37,033.

440 of the cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 306 in Lanarkshire, and 192 in Lothian. 

The remaining cases were spread across 9 other health board areas.

I can also confirm that 397 people are currently in hospital – that is an increase of 20  since yesterday.

33 people are now in intensive care, that is  2 more than yesterday.

And I regret to say that 6 additional deaths have been registered of people who first tested positive during the previous 28 days. The total number of deaths, under the measure used in these daily figures, is therefore now 2,544.

Today’s total – and indeed all of the deaths that have been recorded in recent days – reminds us, and should remind us, again that Covid is a virus that is deadly for some people, as well as being really dangerous for others.

This is not a virus that we can be complacent about or just allow to spread unchecked, however much we might wish it was and I think that is an important point in the context of everything else I will say today. But let me at this stage pass on my condolences to everybody who has lost a loved one to this illness.

Now, I have a couple of points I want to update on today. First of all, let me report that two more walk-in testing centres have opened this week.

A new centre opened in Old Kilpatrick in West Dunbartonshire yesterday, and a centre is opening for bookings in Stirling shortly.

We are continuing to work with the UK Government to increase the number of walk-in sites across the country, and several more – including centres in Dundee and Inverness – are due to open later this month.

These add to the five walk-in centres that are already in operation – two in Glasgow and one each in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and St Andrews. These five centres, that are already operational, are within walking distance of student campuses, and therefore will be especially useful for students. But I want to stress that all walk-in centres are open to all members of the public. You can book a test by going onto the NHS Inform website.

As always, please don’t use public transport to travel to any testing centre.

If you do not have a car – and can’t walk, or cycle to a testing centre – please book a home testing kit through NHS Inform.

And remember, because this is an absolutely crucial point for all of us to understand, that you must start to self-isolate from the time you start to experience symptoms of Covid – you must not wait until you get a test result before you start self-isolating.

That is a really important point to make sure that we are doing everything we can to break the chains of transmission.

My second theme today, as you would expect, relates to the new regulations which come into force later today and tomorrow.

The regulations applying to hospitality will take effect at 6pm this evening – those relating to other premises like snooker and bingo halls take effect tomorrow. They will all  be in force until Sunday 25th October – in other words, across two weeks and three weekends.

First – and with the exception of five central belt health board areas that I will come onto shortly where tighter restrictions will apply – pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes will only be able to operate indoors on a very restricted basis.

They can only open indoors from 6 am to 6 pm, for the service of food and non-alcoholic drinks.

They can however continue to serve alcohol outdoors up to the existing curfew time of 10 pm.

In addition, hotel restaurants will be able to serve residents indoors beyond 6 pm, but will not be able to serve alcohol.

In all cafes, restaurants and bars that will remain open, the existing rules on meetings will continue to apply – so that means no more than 6 people can meet, and they should come from no more than 2 households.

However there is an exemption to these rules – and this exemption applies in all parts of Scotland – for weddings that have already been booked and of course for funerals. The current rules for these will continue to apply.

As I indicated earlier this week, we are introducing stricter restrictions in five health board regions: Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley.

I think you probably only need to look at today’s figures to get a sense of why we have taken that difficult decision. I mentioned that there are 440 new cases in Glasgow today, 306 in Lanarkshire, 192 in Lothian.

Numbers in Forth Valley and Ayrshire and Arran are lower – at 53 new cases in Forth Valley and 84 in Ayrshire and Arran – but they are still very high for the population of those areas.

And given that people live and work across all five areas, there can be a ripple effect between them, which is a further reason that tighter restrictions apply to all five of these health boards.

So in these areas, all licensed bars and restaurants will be required to close indoors and outdoors from 6pm this evening, though takeaways will be permitted. There is again an exception for hotels serving food and non-alcoholic drinks to residents.

Now I want to address a frustration about what I understand some see as a lack of clarity over the exemption for cafes – which are being allowed to stay open even in the central belt during the day as long as they don’t serve alcohol.

The reason for this café exemption is quite simple, it is to give people – particularly those who might be living alone and also working from home – somewhere they can still meet a friend for a coffee and a chat. And we judge that as important to help reduce the loneliness and isolation that comes with some of these restrictions that are in place right now.

But, and this is the other side of this balance, we are deliberately trying to reduce the volume of places that people come together so that we can stop the virus spreading, so we’ve got to draw any exemption really tightly.

That’s why we are not allowing premises like restaurants to decide to just stop serving alcohol, become cafes and therefore stay open – that would undermine the purpose of these restrictions.

But we did realise there was a potential anomaly for existing cafes that have an alcohol licence even though serving alcohol is very incidental to their business. What I announced the other day would have forced these cafes to close. In some areas – particularly rural areas – they might be the only cafe in a village.

So we decided to try to resolve this in a very targeted way. And in the 24 hours that we have been doing so, I readily accept that that has resulted in a lack of clarity.

But sometimes that’s the price we have to pay right now for trying to be as flexible as possible. It would have been easier and would have given much greater clarity just to stick to the position yesterday that cafes with a licence had to close.

But we decided to try to strike a different balance.

I can confirm that the Regulations being published today, I think they have just been published before the briefing started, have a definition of cafe which applies regardless of whether or not they have a licence. And that definition is –

“An establishment whose primary business activity, in the ordinary course of its business, is the sale of non alcoholic drinks, snacks or light meals.”

Now that is a definition based on what a cafe already does. It doesn’t allow a restaurant to now turn itself into a cafe.

I think business owners will know whether their establishment fits that definition or not. But any doubts or questions that any have should be discussed with local environmental health authorities.

I know how tough this is and I can’t tell you how sorry I am to be standing here in a position where we are requiring some businesses to close again. I am desperately sorry for that, and I know how desperately difficult this is for people trying to make a living, keep businesses they have worked to build up going and of course take care of their staff.

But government – all governments – are trying to strike right now almost impossible balances between lives and jobs.

And speaking for the Scottish Government, we are trying to do that as best we can. As I’ve said all along we will not always get it perfectly right but we are trying our best to get through this as well as we can.

Let me turn now to the other central belt restrictions that will be in place for the next two weeks.

Snooker and pool halls, indoor bowling alleys, casinos and bingo halls will close in those areas for two weeks, from tomorrow.

Contact sports for people aged 18 and over will also be suspended – with an exception for professional sports.

Indoor group exercise activities will not be allowed, although the current rules will remain in place for under-18s, and gyms and pools can remain open for individual exercise.

And outdoor live events will not be permitted in these five areas for the next two weeks.

And in general, we are advising people who live in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley not to travel outside the health board area that they live in, if they do not need to. Similarly, people in other parts of Scotland should not travel to those areas if they do not need to.

That said, we are not imposing mandatory travel restrictions at this stage. And we are not asking people to cancel any half-term breaks that they might have. But we are asking people, if you don’t need to travel – don’t do it at this stage.

Finally, if you live in these five health board areas please limit public transport to essential purposes only, for example, going to school or to work, if you are not able to work from home.

Now, I know that businesses who are affected by these temporary restrictions rightly want to know details of the compensation package that we are developing to support them for the next two week period.

We intended to publish details on the allocation of our £40 million support fund this morning. But we are now expecting an announcement from the Chancellor later today on furlough which might have an impact on our proposals, I hope they will have a positive impact on our proposals – so we will publish details after we have clarity on that. I would call on the UK government to ensure that whatever it announces today on furlough applies in Scotland from tonight.

However, I do now want to outline the three strands of the additional Scottish Government package:

  1. Support for employment – this was intended to top up the existing furlough scheme. However, it is this aspect that might be impacted – we hope positively – by the Chancellor’s announcement later today.
  2. We will give a cash grant over and above any employment support for each business that is being required to close or reduce their operations. This is likely to be at the same level as the support provided in Aberdeen when we had the local lockdown there – and that was, depending on rateable value, grants of £1000 or £1500.
  3. We will make available a discretionary fund for local authorities to distribute to businesses that are in need of support but might not fall into the categories that I have already covered.

As I say, we will publish details of that once we have clarity of the first strand which we hope to get from the Chancellor later on.  The restrictions which are coming into force today are significant, there is no way in which I can suggest otherwise. But the case numbers we have seen in recent weeks – including, increasingly, the figures now for people being hospitalised – show why these restrictions are necessary.

We have to stop the virus from spreading further. And having already restricted meetings between households in each other’s homes, the most important additional step we can take is to restrict people meeting up in places like bars and restaurants.

These measures still allow for some social contact in cafes as I have already outlined. And they do not prevent people from taking the half term holidays that they had already  booked, or from going ahead with weddings which have already been planned. We have tried to minimize the impact on your lives as much as possible while still doing as much as we need to do to get this virus under control.

But for a period, and this is why for a period of just over two weeks, we will remove some of the major opportunities the virus has to spread. And we do believe this can have and will have a significant impact on transmission.

And so I know these steps are unwelcome – and believe me when I say they have been imposed with the greatest reluctance – I would urge all of you to stick with them. The only alternative to restrictions like this right now is a continuing surge in COVID, which would take more lives and probably in turn require even tighter restrictions in the weeks and months to come.

Now in addition to the temporary restrictions which come into place this weekend, and this is the point I will end on – I would urge everyone to continue to stick with the existing rules and guidance.

None of us should be visiting each other’s homes at the moment – except for specific purposes like childcare. That is a really tough restriction but it is perhaps the most important way we have of stopping this virus jumping from household to household.

When we do meet – outdoors, or in cafes – the maximum group size is 6, from a maximum of two households.

In addition, only car-share if it is essential.

Work from home if you can.

Download the Protect Scotland app, if you haven’t already done so.

And finally, please remember FACTS – FACTS comprises the basic rules that if we all follow take away the opportunities for the virus to spread. So:

  • Face coverings
  • Avoid crowded places.
  • Clean hands and hard surfaces
  • Two metres distance from people in other households.
  • and Self isolate, and get tested, if you have symptoms.

I know this is tough, I really do know this is tough and none of what the government is doing right now is being done lightly. I do not want to be standing here imposing restrictions that limit the freedoms we all love and take for granted but this is, as it was at the very start of this pandemic, about saving lives and keeping each other as safe and as well as we possibly can.

We will get through this, it will pass, that much I do know, but I know it will pass easier and possibly more quickly if we pull together, stick together and look out for each other by doing all of these really important things. So my deep gratitude to all of you for that. Jason is now going to say a word of two before he and I turn to questions as usual.

World Mental Health Day: a message from The President

Dear Friends

Ingrid Daniels

World Mental Health Day, a programme of the World Federation for Mental Health, was observed for the first time on 10 October 1992.

The world is experiencing the unprecedented impact of the current global health emergency due to COVID-19 that has also impacted on the mental health of millions of people. We know that the levels of anxiety, fear, isolation, social distancing and restrictions, uncertainty and emotional distress experienced have become widespread as the world struggles to bring the virus under control and to find solutions.

The current worldwide pandemic arose against an already dire mental health landscape that saw mental health conditions on the rise across the globe. About 450 million people live with mental disorders that are among the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide (WHO’s World Health Report, 2001).

One person in every four will be affected by a mental disorder at some stage of their lives while mental, neurological and substance use disorders exact a high toll on health outcomes, accounting for 13% of the total global burden of disease (WHO, 2012).

The World Health Organization (2018) states that every 40 seconds someone dies by suicide. Annually, this represents over 800 000 people that die by suicide, which is more than people dying by war and homicide put together.

For every suicide, there are many more people who attempt suicide every year. A prior suicide attempt is the single most important risk factor for suicide in the general population. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15 to

29-year-olds while 79% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Every suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and entire countries and has long-lasting and devastating effects on the people left behind.

This bleak picture necessitates that we ensure that mental health is prioritised now more than ever before.

The World Economic Forum (2018) noted that mental health disorders are on the rise in every country in the world and could cost the global economy up to $16 trillion between 2010 and 2030 if a collective failure to respond is not addressed.

We are faced with an international mental health crisis and have been forewarned over the past two decades of this imminent catastrophe. This has been compounded by the need for psychosocial support and mental health interventions during this time.

Thus, the drive for universal health coverage (UHC), articulated as a key target in the sustainable development goal for good health and wellbeing, is motivated by the desire for health equity across the globe (United Nations. Sustainable development goals: 17 goals to transform our world. New York: United Nations; 2015).

Universal health coverage means that all people have access to the quality mental health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship.

We believe this is possible and it starts with strong primary health care that adopts a whole-of-society approach to health and wellbeing that is centred on the needs and preferences of individuals, families and communities. To make health for all a reality, governments need to invest in mental health.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization stated: “The world is accepting the concept of universal health coverage. Mental health must be an integral part of UHC. Nobody should be denied access to mental health care because she or he is poor or lives in a remote place.”

This statement necessitates that under the current global health emergency no-one should be denied mental health care. Psychosocial support and mental health national plans need to address the mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on citizens.

It is therefore of great significance and importance that the theme for World Mental Health Day 2020 will be:

Mental Health for All
Greater Investment – Greater Access

Mental health is a human right – it’s time that mental health is available for all. Quality, accessible primary health care is the foundation for universal health coverage and is urgently required as the world grapples with the current health emergency.

We therefore need to make mental health a reality for all – for everyone, everywhere.

The time for actions is now.

I believe this call to action will be strengthened through our alliances, collaborations and partnerships to ensure that investment in mental health is prioritised, particularly during this time within the content of COVID-19.

It is also a time in which we can capitalise on the resilience displayed by individuals and communities who relaunched, regenerated and rediscovered themselves and their communities to be responsive during a time of crisis, as well as a time of great reflection and finding creative solutions and interventions to facilitate a mental health response in an emergency context despite social distancing or “lockdown”.

We invite you to join our call to action in highlighting the need for greater investment in mental health particularly during this global health emergency and thereafter. World Mental Health Day isn’t simply a one-day event.

We need to start now and continue our call to ensure that no-one is left behind. A great opportunity is provided to focus on the call for greater investment in mental health for all as we lead up to 10 October.

Together we are stronger and together we can make a big difference all over the world.

World Mental Health Day aims to raise awareness in the global community about the critical mental health agendas – with a unifying voice through collaboration with various partners – to take action and to create lasting change through the messages we promote.

We are all in this together and together we can bring about mental health for all.

Best regards

Dr INGRID DANIELS

President, World Federation for Mental Health

COVID demo at Holyrood: Police urge protesters to stay away

Police Scotland is urging people not to gather for a planned demonstration against the ongoing coronavirus restrictions at the Holyrood Parliament building today.

Superintendent David Robertson, of Edinburgh Division, said: “We are aware of a proposed demonstration in Edinburgh in relation to the ongoing restrictions in place to help prevent the spread of coronavirus and save lives.

“Anyone thinking of taking part is strongly urged to find alternative ways to protest rather than attending mass gatherings, for example through digital means.

“Police Scotland will have a proportionate and appropriate response should this event go ahead and will act decisively to enforce the law if required.

“We are asking people to take personal responsibility to do the right thing and remember the purpose of these measures is to aid the collective effort to stay safe, protect others and save lives by preventing the virus from spreading.”

Deaths following Covid outbreak in Western cancer ward

A number of people – understood to be fewer than five – have died in the Western General Hospital following an outbreak of Covid-19 on a cancer ward. Six other patients have also been confirmed with the virus.

NHS Lothian is investigating the outbreak and the oncology ward has been closed to new admissions and discharges to allow tests to be carried out.

Patients and staff are being screened for the virus as part of the health board’s response.

Public health expert Prof Linda Bauld told BC Reporting Scotland: “Infections do happen, not just for Covid, but the cause is always that someone has brought in the infection normally from outside, then it does spread.

“I know that the NHS has been working incredibly hard to develop Covid-secure areas, including priority testing for cancer patients. Obviously we just need to get to the bottom of why this happened.”

An incident management team (IMT) has been set up and strict infection control measures have been put in place on the ward.

All patients have been informed of the outbreak and contact tracing is being carried out.

Patients who would normally return home for the weekend have been asked to remain in the hospital to reduce the risk of further transmission.

Dr Donald Inverarity, consultant microbiologist and chair of the Incident Management Team, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased and I would like to express our sincere condolences.

“The situation will continue to be reviewed and monitored very closely.

“Patient safety is our main priority and while we understand that the request not to go home for the weekend may be upsetting, it is necessary.

“It will help reduce the risk of onwards transmission and protect their families and the wider community. I would like to thank patients and their families for their co-operation and understanding.”

High street recovery from lockdown stalled in September as summer ended, says Centre for Cities

Consumer spending fell in almost every city and large town in UK as Autumn approached

  • Double digit drops in visitor footfall for many UK tourist destinations this September
  • Almost everywhere saw a fall in consumer spending as summer concluded
  • But the 10pm curfew made little change to visitor numbers, with a number of areas still above pre-lockdown levels of footfall

The recovery of the UK’s high streets stalled in September as many cities’ and towns’ summer booms ended. This is according to the latest data from the Centre for Cities High Streets Recovery Tracker in partnership with Nationwide Building Society.

Overall footfall in the centres of cities and large towns increased by just one percentage point last month. This is 17 percentage points lower than the increase seen in July and August.

Consumer spending in city and town centres also fell almost everywhere – in many places significantly. While Bournemouth had the biggest increase in visitors this summer, in September the amount of money being spent there fell by 46 percentage points – the most of all the cities studied.

Additionally, Bournemouth and many other tourist destinations such as Blackpool, Brighton, York and Edinburgh saw large drops in the numbers of visitors in September as the summer holidays ended, raising concerns that their initial recovery from Covid-19 may have been short lived.  

Cities and large towns showing the biggest drops in footfall this September
RankCityPercentage point fall in footfall in September
1Bournemouth-31
2Blackpool-25
3Swansea-16
4Brighton-14
5York-14
6Edinburgh-12
7Southampton-11
8Southend-10
9Cardiff-10
10Liverpool-10
UK urban average: 1 percentage point
Cities and large towns showing the biggest drops in spending this September
RankCityPercentage point fall in spending in September
1Bournemouth-46
2Middlesbrough-43
3Blackpool-39
4Birkenhead-29
5Liverpool-28
6Brighton-28
7Wigan-26
8Newport-25
9Preston-25
10Cardiff-24
UK urban average: -9 percentage points

Data from the end of September suggests little indication that the 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants had an effect on footfall, which overall has not fallen as a result of the measures. 

Cities and large towns showing the biggest drops in footfall this September
Cities with the highest footfall as a percentage of pre-lockdown averageCities with the lowest footfall as a percentage of pre-lockdown average
Rank  Rank  
1Basildon1321London35
2Chatham1292Manchester51
3Birkenhead1233Cardiff51
4Blackpool1164Birmingham55
5Burnley1125Oxford55
6Doncaster1086Liverpool59
7Telford1077Edinburgh60
8Southend1058Leeds61
9Wigan1039Glasgow62
10Bournemouth10210Newcastle65
UK urban average: 64%

The persistently low numbers of people going back to work in city centres, particularly in big cities, reinforces the concerns for the future of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars that depend on office workers for custom.      

On average, across large cities and towns just one in five workers have now returned to their place of work. In London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds and Oxford the figure is even lower – at around 15%. Meanwhile in Basildon and Mansfield, the figure has reached almost half. 

Centre for Cities’ Chief Executive Andrew Carter said: “Many places in the UK benefited from the good weather, Eat Out To Help Out and domestic holiday makers. But it’s clear that this was a seasonal boom and with winter approaching, Covid cases rising and the prospect of more local lockdowns, policy makers need to think hard about how to support places through the difficult months ahead.

“The Job Support Scheme and related measures will help but, as the Chancellor said, it can’t support every job. However, there is a still risk that many of the local amenities that many of us have made use of this summer could be lost in the months ahead. So, I’d like to see the Chancellor set out how he proposes to protect these for us to enjoy once again when it is once again safe to do so.

“Greater devolution of powers and responsibilities, such as those expected in the postponed devolution white paper would have been one way for to help places help themselves so the Government should press ahead with doing this as soon as possible.”

Aldi is donating food to charities in Edinburgh and the Lothians over Christmas

Here’s how to apply …

Aldi is once again embracing the season of goodwill by calling on charities, community groups and food banks in Edinburgh and the Lothians to register now to receive surplus food donations this Christmas Eve.  

Last Christmas, Aldi donated nearly 48,000 meals to good causes throughout Scotland, and expects to increase this number for Christmas 2020. The meals will support those in need at a time when more households are experiencing financial hardship and food insecurity as a result of the pandemic.  

Thanks to Aldi’s successful partnership with Neighbourly, a community engagement platform that links businesses to food banks and charities, all of Aldi’s 92 Scottish stores now donate surplus food seven days a week, all year round.  

Christmas provides an opportunity for even more charities to benefit from the initiative, and any charities and community groups in Edinburgh and the Lothians with the resource to help can get in touch to register for a festive food donation from Britain’s fifth largest supermarket.  

Charities will be paired with local Aldi stores and can collect fresh and chilled food products that are near the end of their shelf life – including fruit, vegetables, fresh meat, fish and bread – ahead of stores closing on Christmas Eve.  

Luke Peech, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK, said: “Our Christmas food donations scheme plays a big role in supporting those in need during the festive period and is something we are very passionate about. This is our fourth year running the initiative and we look forward to working with local charities in Edinburgh and the Lothians once again.  

“Last year we were able to help thousands of people across Scotland, and this year we’re hoping to extend this even further in what has been a challenging year for so many.”  

Steve Butterworth from Neighbourly, added: “Sadly, charities and local causes are expecting record demand for their services this Christmas because of the pandemic and its impact on communities up and down the country. 

“We’re sure there are lots more groups out there that could put the food to good use, so we’d encourage them to get in touch.” 

Organisations do not need to be a registered charity to apply but must: 

  • Have a level two hygiene certificate gained in the last two years 
  • Be able to transport and store chilled food products after collecting them on Christmas Eve at 5pm 

Those interested in working with Aldi this Christmas should contact Neighbourly at aldichristmas@neighbourly before 7th December 2020. 

World Mental Health Day: Six tips to help your child develop emotional intelligence

How to help your child find emotional intelligence

The global pandemic and lockdowns on top of all the usual life challenges can affect children just as much as adults. To mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October, former primary school teacher CATHERINE LYNCH of education resources experts PlanBee provides six stepping stones, and free downloadable resources, to help parents support youngsters to develop good mental health: 

  1. Name emotions and feelings 

Until someone has the vocabulary associated with emotions and feelings, they will not be able to explain how they feel or identify how others are feeling. Name emotions when your child experiences them, it might feel like you are stating the obvious, but you are giving your child an important tool to becoming emotionally intelligent. 

Photo Emotions Cards

Emoji Emotion Faces Cards

Synonym Booklet of Emotions

  1.               Explain the physical sensations linked to emotions and feelings

Help children to recognise how different emotions present in their bodies. Do they normally feel a bit sick when they are anxious? Do their shoulders feel tight when they are stressed? Do they become very busy when they are avoiding something? By helping them notice these physical representations of emotions they will begin to recognise when they are starting to feel something and might be able to react before their brains get flooded with the stress hormone cortisol. 

Design your own Emotion Emojis

Draw the Emotion

  1.               Understand when and why a feeling or emotion is felt

The better children become at naming and spotting their emotions the easier it will become for them to notice the triggers for their emotions. If they always get a knot in their stomach on the way to school and know it is because they feel anxious you can start to explore where the anxiety comes from. Are they worried about the moment of goodbye, is it walking into a formed group of people or is it something else? By pinpointing the cause of the feeling, you and your child will be able to understand it better. 

Feelings Check-in Cards 

Worry Monster Activity Sheets

Mood Tracker

  1.               Develop strategies to regulate emotions

When you and your child are able to notice, name and understand the source of a feeling or emotion you can begin to work out ways to help them regulate. Is a big calming and focusing breath needed? Or maybe a few star jumps? There isn’t one route to regulating the child’s emotions, what works best for your child will be something you need to figure out together. 

Meditation for Kids Guide

Mindfulness Colouring Sheets

  1.               Maintain boundaries to keep everyone safe

Rules that maintain safety should be non-negotiable. These will vary depending on the age and developmental stage of a child. When a child is feeling a big emotion, their brain will not be working in the same way it does when the child is calm. Expectations and language may need to be adjusted to help the child stay safe. Rather than seeing a rule as something that a child should be punished for breaking, work with your child to help them succeed in staying safe and maintaining the boundary.  

  1.               Relate with your child

Once they have calmed down and are able to listen, empathise with your child. Talk to them about a time you felt the same way and what happened. This will help them to understand their own feelings and feel like you understand and care about them. 

Here are a few practical examples of the steps 

Name, explain, understand, regulate, boundaries, relate

Excited

  1. “I can see you are really excited.”
  2. “You can’t stay still!”
  3. “I am wondering if you are excited about seeing your friend.”
  4. “Take a deep breath with me.” 
  5. “I can see you are finding it tricky to stay close by. Hold my hand as we cross the road to keep us safe.”
  6. “One time I was so excited I had so much energy that I thought I might be able to fly.”

Angry

  1. “I can see you are really angry.”
  2. “Your face is scrunched up and your fists are clenched.”
  3. “I am wondering if you are angry because someone didn’t let you play.”
  4. “Take a deep breath with me.” 
  5. “I cannot let you hit me. If you need to get your angry out try hitting this cushion or blowing away the clouds in the sky.”
  6. “Once I was so angry I wanted to throw everything I could see but your grandad helped me calm down by giving me play dough to squeeze.”

 Sad

  1. “I can see you are really sad.”
  2. “Your eyes are hidden and your shoulders are hunched.”
  3. “I am wondering if you are sad because it is time to leave.”
  4. “Would you like a hug?” 
  5. “It is ok to feel sad. We need to go home now to have dinner.”
  6. “I sometimes feel really sad about things ending too. Shall we make a plan to come back here again?”

As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup, so make sure you are getting the support you need to help you support the people around you.

Catherine Lynch is an experienced teacher, play therapist and senior manager at PlanBee, which creates teaching resources for primary school aged children (aged five-11). The resources have been created to meet the English National Curriculum objectives.

Thriving Box founder is Entrepreneur of the Year

The founder of The Thriving Box Co, Robbie Allen, has been named Pivot Entrepreneur of the Year for Scotland and Northern Ireland at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

Having been working as a digital marketing consultant prior to lockdown, Robbie launched The Thriving Box Co after losing all his clients within two weeks. It gives independent business owners the opportunity for their products to be put in the hands of newly engaged customers each and every month. Customers get to discover new amazing products and local businesses now have a steady stream of new customers and revenue.

Robbie Allen, founder of Thriving Box Co. comments, “Since launching in March 2020, we’ve placed almost £1M worth of business with local independent retailers across the UK and that’s something that we’re really proud of.

“By partnering with these local businesses and placing sizable orders with them, we can support their cash flow during these really challenging times. I’m glad that I have managed to adapt my business, and in doing so, support so many others.”

Now in its eighth year, the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in partnership with Starling Bank celebrates the hard work and inspiring stories of entrepreneurs in the UK, rather than the business’ balance sheet.

The Pivot Entrepreneur of the Year category was added in response to the outbreak of Covid-19 and subsequent lockdown measures. It celebrates those who have adapted their business to ensure they survive, and even thrive after, the crisis.

With Covid-19 restrictions preventing the regional finals taking place at a live event, Robbie won the award during a virtual award ceremony joined by finalists across every region.

In a video message to finalists, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “Entrepreneurs [have shown they] stay strong, even during a global pandemic. Coronavirus hasn’t stifled enterprise.

“Entrepreneurs are creating new businesses and adapting to the crisis, as seen in this year’s entries. And that’s what we need to happen if we want our economy to bounce back. We need all of you to keep inventing, keep taking risks, keep creating new businesses.

“It’s my job as Chancellor to celebrate, champion and support you. Congratulations to all the winners. Thank you to all of you for everything you’ve done.”

Francesca James, founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, said: “Robbie has a wonderful entrepreneurial story and I’m delighted for him to win this award. He has shown exactly what it means to pivot your business.”

Anne Boden, founder and CEO of Starling Bank, said: “We’re entrepreneurs and we have spirit. We fight back and we’re very good at dealing with adversity. And Robbie is an example to us all, of entrepreneurs that are creative, innovative, and changing the world.

“I’m so excited that Starling, a business I founded in 2014 and now the Best British Bank, is sponsoring such an important Awards. And as one entrepreneur to another, congratulations to getting where you are this evening and best of luck for the future.”

The winners of each category will now go to the National Final of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, with a date to be announced due to restrictions on large events.

Scottish Government updates homelessness action plan

Night shelters will be replaced with rapid rehousing ‘welcome centres’ for people who would otherwise be sleeping rough this winter, in updated plans for tackling homelessness.

The centres will provide emergency accommodation for people who have no other options, encouraging them to move on to other services. People using the centres will be offered targeted support, including for wellbeing, health and social care issues, legal rights, employment and welfare.

Announced yesterday in an updated action plan for tackling homelessness, the centres are part of plans to phase out night shelters entirely by expanding rapid rehousing approaches such as Housing First that provide settled accommodation as quickly as possible.  

The Ending Homelessness Together updated plan also contains actions that will:

  • minimise the risk of evictions
  • strengthen protections for people experiencing domestic abuse
  • give people with lived experience of homelessness or rough sleeping a greater say in the development of policy
  • explore alternative routes to reducing migrant homelessness.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart, who co-chairs the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group, said: “Our vision is of a Scotland with no need for night shelters – where everyone has a home that meets their needs.

“Since our plan for tackling homelessness was first published in 2018 we have delivered on many of the urgent issues facing homeless people. The Scottish Government’s swift response to coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to a dramatic reduction in the numbers of people sleeping rough and we must not let the problem return.

“This updated action plan renews our commitment to ending homelessness and rough sleeping once and for all, particularly by expanding services such as Housing First that provide longer-term accommodation and give homeless people the time and space to establish new lives for themselves.

“We are also placing even greater emphasis on preventing homelessness in the first place, and our new rapid rehousing welcome centres and are a first step to ending the use of night shelters altogether.

“I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this updated plan.”

Cllr Elena Whitham, CoSLA’s Community Wellbeing Spokesperson and the strategy group’s other co-chair, said: “The pandemic has reminded us all of the importance of having a safe and comfortable home that meets our needs. However, we know that the impacts of the crisis have not been felt equally.

“People facing poverty, inequality and other social harms have felt the impact far more greatly. Local Government has shared the ambition to end homelessness and our resolve to do this is now stronger than ever.

“The updated action plan sets out an inclusive and human rights-based approach focused on preventing homelessness, responding quickly, working together with our partners across sectors, taking a person-centred approach which is tailored to reflect individual needs and circumstances.

“I am grateful to the partners who have contributed to this plan, in particular to those with lived experience of homelessness. We must not allow the deepening of inequalities in our response and recovery to the pandemic, and ending homelessness is vital in preventing this.”

Crisis chief executive Jon Sparkes, chair of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group, said: “The ambition shown by the Scottish Government in publishing a revised Action Plan is brilliant to see.

“It builds on unprecedented action throughout the pandemic to protect people experiencing homelessness, and shows renewed ambition – including a commitment to move away from night shelters. The outbreak has shown that we can tackle homelessness and end rough sleeping when the will is there.

“As the economic impact of the outbreak continues to be felt, it is more important than ever to prevent people from losing their homes in the first place, and ensuring that if they do, they are helped to find somewhere safe and settled straight away. These actions must be a priority to ensure that Scotland continues towards ending homelessness for good.”

LifeCare online quiz on Tuesday

LifeCare invites you to join in for the third of its online quizzes on Tuesday 13th October at 15.00.

Enjoy 60 minutes of fun, laughter and topics including the Movies, Nature and lots more.

The quiz will take place on Zoom and for details on how to join in, please contact Aleks, the Community Engagement Facilitator: alekspacula@lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk