Enhanced support for people in emotional distress

Programme described as “world leading”

All 31 Health and Social Care Partnerships have now signed up to a programme which supports people experiencing distress.

The Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) service was first launched as a pilot seven years ago and provides support to people who present to emergency services or in primary care settings in a distressed state. Since then, more than 75,000 people have been helped.

The programme can offer people an initial call within 24 hours. They are then provided with up to two weeks of one-to-one support with a specially trained practitioner to help address issues which might be contributing to their distress, such as money worries and relationship problems.

Frontline staff in Police Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, Accident and Emergency Depts, Primary Care and NHS24 can refer people who present to them in emotional distress – and if assessed as appropriate – to third sector organisations which provide compassionate and personalised support.

People in distress who speak to a call handler at NHS24, Police Scotland or the Scottish Ambulance Service can also be referred for DBI support, from anywhere in Scotland. 

Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “In developing our world leading DBI programme over 75,000 people across Scotland have received the right support at the right time and in the right place.

“This innovative referral pathway and collaborative approach has helped reduce pressures in the Scottish Ambulance Service, A&E and Police Scotland, allowing frontline staff to focus on other responsibilities. 

“By investing £24 million in the programme since 2016, the Scottish Government has ensured a Scotland-wide approach has been taken to help people cope when they are in a distressed state.  It is clear that this help provided to people is invaluable.”

Professor Rory O’Connor, Professor of Health Psychology at University of Glasgow, President of the International Association for Suicide Prevention and co-lead for the intervention and training components of DBI, said: “DBI is an incredible achievement.

“Tens of thousands of people in distress have received immediate, compassionate support since its launch in 2017. DBI is a remarkable team effort by colleagues up and down the country, driven by the shared purpose of delivering compassionate, connected support to people when they need it.

“I am so proud to be involved in this world-leading mental health intervention.”

Kirstie McCulloch, who received support and now works for DBI said: “I was experiencing severe panic attacks, anxiety, and depression, due to the Covid lockdowns. NHS 24 helped me when I had a severe panic attack, and I came off the call feeling less distressed. I still needed some support, so I was referred to the DBI service, which in my local area is run by SAMH.

“I was a little unsure initially, but the support was invaluable. By the end of the two-week service, I felt I had a better perspective on how to move forward. I asked my practitioner how they came into the role, and I knew this was something I would like to do for others.

“In the 18 months I have worked here, I have delivered compassionate support and helped people get back on their feet. I get huge satisfaction from this role.

Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said: “Policing is often the first response when people need help. Our mission is to keep people safe and we’ll always respond to threat, harm and risk to ensure public safety.

“Our involvement in mental health incidents and supporting vulnerable people has a significant impact on this organisation and is beyond where policing should be. That’s not the best support for those who need help and it’s not delivering best value for the public.

“DBI enables trained officers to identify when someone needs support and signpost them to the right service, allowing them to redirect to tackling threat, harm and risk and preventing crime.” 

First Minister: Government “from the ground up”

Vision for progress in St Andrew’s Day address ahead of 2025-26 Budget

First Minister John Swinney will use an address ahead of St Andrew’s Day to outline his vision for government – and his determination to deliver government from the ground up.

The First Minister will set out the need for collaboration and consensus-building to deliver solutions to some of the problems facing communities in Scotland.

Speaking ahead of next week’s Scottish Budget, the First Minister will commit the Scottish Government to prioritising funding and investment needed to build on his four priorities – eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, investing in public services and tackling the climate emergency.

The First Minister is expected to say: “Scotland is best served when we collaborate, when we build consensus and work together across sectors, across disciplines and across cultures.

“The need to do so has never been more urgent. For the issues we face now are complex, pervasive and entrenched – and they are mounting. 

“In these last seven years, we have seen global challenges stacked upon global challenges. From Brexit and COVID-19, to international conflicts, economic crises and climate disasters.

“On top of this, we have seen domestic problems, such as delayed discharge and the availability of housing, become more and more acute, due to rapidly increasing need in our society.

“Yet, too often – and particularly in politics – discussions and the public discourse are dominated by surface solutions, because they are the few that can gain consensus.

“The temptation then arises to throw money and strategies at a problem, or simply to find someone to blame for it, because the hard work of finding true consensus, of peer reviewing ideas in good faith, can feel unrealistic in our increasingly polarised reality.

“We must maintain enough hope and energy to work together, to understand the root causes and the complexity of problems and to find the right solutions.

“These solutions may not always be quick or easy – but that does not make them any less necessary. This is the approach that people should expect from a Swinney government.

“I want to bring people closer to their communities, which is particularly important in a country like Scotland, where the picture in the Central Belt or the Borders can be so different to the Highlands or the Islands.

“Being closer to our communities also makes it easier for us to bring those communities into policy-making: government from the ground up.”

NHS 24: Learn more about Whooping Cough

Coughs are irritating – they can disturb your sleep and make you feel quite unwell at times. But how can you tell the difference between a short-term cough or whooping cough?

Read on to find out more … 👇

Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and airways. Also known as pertussis, it is frequently described as the 100-day cough.

The first symptoms of whooping cough include:

👃runny nose

👁️ red and watery eyes

😩 sore throat

🤒 a slightly raised temperature

Intense bouts of coughing then begin around a week later. Coughing symptoms at this stage include:

✔️ bouts lasting a few minutes at a time

✔️ more common at night time

✔️ bringing up thick mucus

✔️ can cause vomiting

✔️ gasping for breath between coughs, which may cause a ‘whoop’ sound (not everyone has this)

Whooping cough can affect people of any age, although young babies under 6 months of age are at a particularly increased risk of complications. Treatment depends on the age of the patient and how long they have had the infection.

Vaccination can protect babies and children from whooping cough. The vaccine is offered to:

🔹 women after the 16th week of pregnancy

🔹 babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age (the 6-in-1 vaccine)

🔹 children by 3 years and 4 months (the 4-in-1 pre-school booster)

Find out more about when to seek help for whooping cough and details on the whooping cough vaccine by visiting NHS inform – useful links in comments!

Who’s serving up at The Pitt?

Hello Pitt Peeps!

It’s less than two weeks until we’re officially fully open so make sure that date’s in your diary – Friday, 6th December – and be one of the first down to Granton to check us out. And if you’ve been wondering who’s going to be quenching your thirst and filling your belly, our official Resident foodies will be:

Choola: Nepalese street food with a Scottish twist 
Fire Bowl: East Asian style street food 
Buffalo Truck: Delicious fried chicken with all the added delights 
Social Bite Does dessert: amazing sweet treats and lots of custard 
Lazeez: Authentic Lebanese delights (fully halal) and shish
Pulp Friction: Seasonal fresh fruit infused drinks, from mulled sangrias to frozen margaritas 
Barney’s and Newbarns: supplying the best locally brewed beers
Serving up Williams and Johnson coffee, savoury and sweets will be Long Shot Coffee. 

Don’t forget, The Pitt also has two saunas from Soul Water Sauna (booking opening soon), a weekly local produce market from Granton Community Garden, community and family areas, a co-working space and one of the best views in Edinburgh across the Firth of Forth. 

December opening hours: 
Friday 6th: 5pm-10pm
Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th: 8am-10pm 
Then weekly until 29th: Thursday to Sunday: 8am-10pm
Hogmanay, Tuesday 31st: 8am-2am – family friendly entertainment with free entry all day to The Pitt Market. Please note, the Hogmanay Extravaganza is a separate, ticketed event which is suitable for 16+ only. 

Entry to The Pitt Market is from the Granton Promenade. The Market will always be free to enter and is family and dog friendly every single day. 


Retail / Lifestyle Opportunity

Perfect for anyone who wants to trade and be part of a supporting community of entrepreneurs looking to kick start their business or any pop up ideas. 

More info HERE

We can’t wait to see you very soon! 

The Pitt team 

Spending watchdog disclaims UK Government’s accounts for the first time

  • The disclaimed audit opinion from the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), Gareth Davies, on the Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) 2022-23 is the first ever.
  • The cause is the severe backlogs in English local authority audits, with the consequence that there is inadequate assurance over material amounts throughout the WGA.
  • The WGA is a vital tool in the management and scrutiny of public spending, as it brings together all public sector assets and liabilities. It is essential that the steps being taken by Government to restore timely and robust local authority audited accounts are effective.  
  • The PAC Chair’s statement can be found here PAC Chair’s statement – WGA.pdf. The link to the WGA 22/23 can be found in the notes to editors. 

Backlogs in firms’ audits of England’s 426 local authorities have led to the National Audit Office (NAO) disclaiming the 2022-23 WGA for the first time.

As well as local authority accounts, the WGA combines the accounts of over 10,000 public bodies, such as central government departments, devolved administrations, the NHS, academy schools and public corporations.

Within his audit report, the NAO’s head, Gareth Davies, said he had been “unable to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence upon which to form an opinion”.

Just over 10% (43) of England’s 426 local authorities submitted reliable data to the WGA.

Of the near 90% of local authorities that failed to submit reliable data, 46% (196) submitted information that hasn’t been audited, and 44% (187) did not submit any data at all.

The Government is taking steps to address the backlog in audited accounts for English local authorities, including the use of fixed dates by which each year’s audits must be completed.

This process is unlikely to allow the disclaimer on WGA to be removed for 2023-24, but it does offer a medium-term solution to the problem.

The WGA is a vital tool in the management and scrutiny of public spending, as it brings together all public sector assets, liabilities, income and expenditure. This means that long-term costs to the public purse such as clinical negligence and nuclear decommissioning are visible to policy makers and Parliamentarians.

Gareth Davies, head of the NAO said: “It is clearly not acceptable that delays in audited accounts for English local authorities have made it impossible for me to provide assurance on the Whole of Government Accounts for 2022-23.

“It is essential that the steps being taken by Government to restore timely and robust local authority audited accounts are effective”.

  • The disclaiming of the WGA is in relation to local authority audit omissions and unaudited returns. The impact of this impact is so large and pervasive that the Comptroller and Auditor General is unable to give any opinion on the WGA at all. The C&AG continues to provide assurance over all central government departments via their statutory departmental accounts on an annual basis, and the disclaimer of the WGA does not impact upon the opinions he gives on those accounts.
  • The 22/23 accounts can be found here: WGA_2022-23_final_accounts.pdf 
  • Page 279 includes the audit certificate from the Comptroller and Auditor General. 

Children First uncover staggering 100 referrals a day for child mental health support

In the run up to Christmas, Children First is calling for action to address Scotland’s child mental health crisis after a recent freedom of information (FOI) request revealed a ‘staggering’ 100 referrals a day, on average, are being made to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). 

Scotland’s national children’s charity has described the figures as ‘a sad reflection of growing up in Scotland today’ after they declared a childhood emergency last month. At the time, a survey carried out by the children’s charity found 88 percent of adults were worried about children and young people’s mental health.  

Children First chief executive, Mary Glasgow, said: “The fact that a staggering 100 referrals for children are being made for children’s mental health support daily is a sad reflection of growing up in Scotland today. This Christmas thousands of children will wake up full of fear and worry. 

“Scotland’s children should be safe, loved and happy – not robbed of their childhoods. This must stop. As a nation we have a responsibility to protect their mental health and wellbeing and to ensure they receive the support they need. 

“We are calling on the Scottish Government to roll out more early help and support to stop children reaching crisis point and asking the Scottish public to get behind our Christmas fundraising campaign to protect Scotland’s children and keep them safe.” 

The news comes a week before the latest quarterly CAMHS waiting list statistics are released and a decade on from the Scottish Government committing to 90 percent of CAMHS referrals being seen within 18 weeks. That target has never been met.  

Mary Glasgow continued: “Ten years on the Scottish Government has not kept its promise to stop children getting stuck on waiting lists and children are often not getting help until they are in severe distress. We want to see more funding so that families can quickly get support for their children when they need it.  

“Our teams across Scotland are supporting young people who are frightened, worried and anxious and in desperate need of help.” 

One young person, Tessa* who was suffering panic attacks, anxiety and fear during a difficult time at home, shared her experience of being supported by Children First: “After I met Sharon* from Children First I felt that I had someone to turn to.

“I could talk to her and share my feelings with her. She helped me learn to cope with my anxiety. Before then I’d been bottling up everything but having Sharon to talk to felt like a weight off my shoulders.” 

Glasgow added: “At Children First we provide emotional, practical and financial support to help children and families when they need it most.

“We know Christmas time can be a strain for many families and the support we provide is needed now more than ever. We want children to have hope and a brighter future. Please donate today and give the gift of childhood this Christmas.” 

Donations to the Children First Christmas appeal can be made at childrenfirst.org.uk or by calling 0345 10 80 111. 

Anyone worried about a child in Scotland can contact the Children First support line by calling 08000 28 22 33 for free or visiting www.childrenfirst.org.uk. 

You can read Tessa’s full story here: Tessa’s story | Children First 

*Names have been anonymised to protect the identity of the young person quoted. 

Revolutionary swim teaching tool launches in Edinburgh

Visual cards break down barriers for inclusive swimming lessons

A PIONEERING visual teaching tool has launched in Edinburgh, making swimming lessons more accessible to everyone.

Supporting Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water’s vision to create ‘Generation Swim’, SwimPix – a collection of waterproof visual instruction cards- is helping to transform how Edinburgh Leisure and George Watsons swimming teachers communicate with their students.

The cards represent the latest learning development in the Learn to Swim National Framework, which currently helps around 81,000 children and adults learn to swim each week across Scotland.

SwimPix features multiple display options, including sequence boards and lesson planners, covering lessons through pictures which children with autism, hearing impairments, or where English isn’t their first language may find benefit – supporting the Framework commitment to creating inclusive, supportive and quality environments in which individuals can learn to swim regardless of their age, ability or skill level.

Alison Bell, Founder of Aswim, said: “SwimPix are a tried and tested teaching and communication tool for swimming teachers that helps create a more inclusive swimming environment.

“It’s great to see teachers using SwimPix and children having fun in the lesson with the cards.  It really reduces anxieties and helps children know what the teacher is asking them to do, therefore faster learning.”

Edinburgh Leisure and George Watsons are two of 37 Learn to Swim providers who are introducing the SwimPix cards in their lessons across 165 pools in Scotland.

Euan Lowe, Chief Executive Officer at Scottish Swimming, said: “By making swimming lessons more accessible through tools like SwimPix, we’re taking another significant step toward our mission of creating a generation of confident and safer swimmers.

“These visual teaching resources ensure that swimming really is for everyone – breaking down communication barriers and helping all children feel included and supported in the water.”

Peter Farrer, Chief Operating Officer at Scottish Water said: “Learning to swim and understanding water safety are vital life skills, especially in Scotland where we have so many miles of rivers, reservoirs, lochs and coastline to enjoy.

“Rolling out inclusive teaching tools like SwimPix is such a positive step, helping provide opportunities for every child to learn the vital knowledge and skills to help them feel safe in, on and around water – and help their parents and family network feel confident and comfortable in their swimming abilities.”

The initiative forms part of wider efforts to remove barriers to swimming across Scotland, with visual learning tools becoming increasingly important in inclusive education.

The Learn to Swim National Framework has already seen more than 100,000 children take part in lessons up and down the country and is targeting another 100,000 by 2025.

For more information on the Learn to Swim programme, visit:  

https://www.scottishswimming.com/learn-to-swim 

Worried this winter? Let’s chat.

If you are worried about heating bills and the cost of living this winter, the Citizens Advice network is here to help.

Continued high living costs and months of unaffordable energy bills means many of us are worried about managing payments again this winter. Sadly, too many of us are switching off the heating, turning to credit to cover essential livings costs, or feeling like there is no solution to unmanageable bills.

But the Citizens Advice network in Scotland is here for you with free, impartial and confidential advice.

Find your local CAB

Your first port of call should be contacting your local Citizens Advice Bureau to get free, confidential and impartial advice. One of our specialist advisers will be able to talk to you face-to-face, go through your situation and work out the next steps. They will be able to help communicate with your energy supplier, set up a manageable repayment plan or find out if you are eligible for any grants or discounts.

Get help online

Specialist services

  • If you are thinking about claiming Universal Credit for the first time, we can help. Our Help to Claim advisers are available by webchat or telephone (0800 023 2581, Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm) and can guide you through the process, whether you’re looking for answers to quick questions or step-by-step support to make your claim.
  • The Money Talk Team at your local Citizens Advice Bureau helps you maximise your income, look at options to reduce costs and offers specialist debt advice. To find out more, start a webchat here.
  • If you are elderly, have certain health conditions, are pregnant or have young children, you may be eligible for additional support from your supplier. Check if you are eligible for the Priority Services Register here.
  • You can also call Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282 for help with your home energy this winter.

Fair tax reforms key to fixing Scotland’s broken public finances

Scotland’s party leaders are being urged to unite and take bold, immediate action to overhaul the devolved tax system, to build a fairer, more prosperous, and sustainable future for all. 

In an open letter, Tax Justice Scotland, a newly formed campaign group which represents ​​over 50 Scottish civil society organisations, trade unions, economists, and academics, says that Scotland’s existing tax system is undermining public services while exacerbating economic and wider inequalities. They say it’s time to break free from short-termist tax policymaking.  

Campaigners say that a fairer, more effective devolved tax system is needed if the Scottish Government is to deliver on its legal commitments to cut child poverty and tackle climate change, while avoiding damaging cyclical emergency budget cuts. 

Ahead of the publication of Scotland’s new Tax Strategy and the 2025/26 Scottish Budget, the Tax Justice Scotland campaign is warning Scotland’s finances are “beyond breaking point”, while urging leaders to “stop dodging the hard but necessary decisions” on tax reform for future stability. 

​​​​​The letter says: 

“Scotland’s finances are beyond breaking point. Tweaking the status quo on tax is not working; it’s failing our communities, our economy, and our planet. Inaction will condemn current and future generations to deepening inequality, crumbling public services and environmental collapse.

But you have the power to choose a different future.

To do so, you must choose to move beyond inadequate tweaks to our flawed tax system. It’s time to think beyond the narrow constraints of budget and electoral cycles to deliver a better and fairer tax system while ensuring those with the broadest shoulders carry the greatest weight of change.” 

While the recent UK Budget will boost public spending and somewhat ease immediate finance pressures in Scotland, this won’t put Scotland’s public finances on a sustainable path.

The campaign is urging the Scottish Government to leverage the upcoming Tax Strategy as a catalyst for overdue and essential long-term reform.

Tax Justice Scotland also sets out a series of immediate steps the Scottish Government should take, using devolved powers, to make progress towards a fairer tax system: 

  • Launch an immediate nationwide property revaluation, the first critical step to finally scrapping the outdated and unfair Council Tax. At the same time, Ministers must start the search for fairer, more equitable alternatives. 
  • Kick-start a bold plan to tax wealth more fairly, ensuring those with the most contribute their share to Scotland’s future. 
  • Make polluters pay for the damage they cause while encouraging greener, fairer business practices, including through reforms of existing Non-Domestic Rates and tax breaks. 

On behalf of Tax Justice Scotland, Lewis Ryder-Jones, Oxfam Scotland’s Advocacy Adviser, said: “​​Scotland’s finances are perpetually teetering on the edge of a perilous precipice. Poverty and inequality are rampant, public services are badly stretched, and the climate crisis is escalating. Fairer taxes, alongside a fairer economy, and ensuring public money is well spent, can and must do more to secure a fairer, greener future for everyone.” 

Tax Justice Scotland has been established to build public and political pressure for tax reforms in Scotland, as part of improved UK and global tax systems. 

​​​​​The letter coincides with growing global momentum on tax, with the leaders of G20 governments making a ground-breaking commitment to cooperate on taxing the world’s super-rich at a summit in Brazil last week.  

Bold, well-designed changes to devolved taxes could build on this global momentum, unleashing more resources to invest in healthcare, education, social security and climate action while reducing the widening gap between the wealthy and the rest of society in Scotland. 

Lewis Ryder-Jones added: “Scotland can lead the way in the UK and internationally. It’s time for our leaders to stop dodging the hard but necessary decisions, and instead start making the case that fairer taxes are good for the economy.

“We need grown-up tax governance that takes Scotland’s future seriously; moving beyond piecemeal, patchwork fixes and instead delivering a tax system that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.” 

Edinburgh Women’s Aid launch Christmas Appeal 2024

With your help we can support survivors this Christmas

We are collecting donations to provide vouchers to the women and children we support throughout the festive period. The provision of vouchers allows those we support to celebrate Christmas however they would like without the financial burden this time of year often brings.

£10 would contribute to the cost of a Christmas meal for a woman and her children living in refuge.

£25 would contribute to the cost of presents, activities, and trips over the holiday period to ensure that a child in refuge has a more enjoyable Christmas.

£50 would contribute to the cost of food, presents, and essentials for a woman and her children living in refuge over the Christmas holidays.

£75 would contribute to the cost of food and essentials over the holidays and beyond for women and children who have access to no other funds.

We have had extraordinary success in providing those we support with vouchers at Christmas for the past three years. The women who received these vouchers were thrilled that they were able to make choices about what gifts they and their children most needed or wanted.

Women told us:

‘Today I am going shopping and am excited to be able to choose presents for my children.

“I want to say a big thank you for your kindness, love, and the gift vouchers we received. I cannot express our joy and gratitude to you all.

“From our hearts we say a big thank you and know that we appreciate all your love and care so much.“

We’re also happy to support you in your own fundraising campaign for EWA. We’ve been so honoured by the heartfelt fundraisers our supporters have organised in the past.

For more information, please contact info@edinwomensaid.co.uk