The NEN – North Edinburgh News – Page 3171 – The community media resource for north Edinburgh

‘A country of extraordinary compassion’: UK to welcome up to 20,000 refugees

‘this is a country of extraordinary compassion, always standing up for our values and helping those in need.’ – Prime Minister David Cameron

The Scottish Government has welcomed Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement that Great Britain is to give refuge to up 20,000 Syrian people and has offered to work with Westminster to tackle the humanitarian crisis.

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, the Prime Minister said: “Britain already works with the UN to deliver resettlement programmes and we will accept thousands more under these existing schemes. We have already provided sanctuary to more than 5,000 Syrians in Britain and have introduced a specific resettlement scheme, alongside those we already have, to help those Syrian refugees particularly at risk.

“But given the scale of the crisis and the suffering of the Syrian people it is right that we should do much more. So Mr Speaker, we are proposing that Britain should resettle up to 20,000 Syrian refugees over the rest of this Parliament.

“In doing so we will continue to show the world that this is a country of extraordinary compassion always standing up for our values and helping those in need.”

The Scottish Government has repeatedly called on the UK Government to play a part in a co-ordinated European response to this emergency humanitarian issue and has pledged to take a fair and proportionate share of refugees in Scotland.

Responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement, Scotland’s Minister for Europe and International Development Humza Yousaf said:

“As made clear by the First Minister at last week’s emergency humanitarian summit, Scotland is willing to take our fair share of refugees to help some of the most vulnerable people in need.

“We welcome the Prime Minister’s shift in attitude and late recognition that the UK has a role to play as an important first step. The 20,000 refugees over five years should not be seen as a cap or an upper limit and we must also play our part in responding to the crisis on the southern European coast line.

“We believe that the UK Should opt in to the EU relocation scheme and while the Prime Minister has made clear that the year one resettlement will be funded from the UK international aid budget, we seek urgent clarification on the impact that this will have on the work of existing aid projects.

“The refugee situation is at crisis point now and stretching UK support and refugee intake over the next five years means a number of people who could be helped immediately will be left without the vital help they need.

“We want to work constructively with the UK Government and the First Minister has again, today, written to the Prime Minster outlining the proceedings of Friday’s summit which focused on looking at some of the practical issues involved in integrating those who come here to seek protection.

“Today, I met with the Scottish Refugee Council to discuss the immediate service provision required to take in refugees and tomorrow I will chair the first meeting of the taskforce which will bring together stakeholders from across Scotland in the areas of local government, housing, health services, language support, transport and social services and will co-ordinate Scotland’s humanitarian and practical response.

“This is first and foremost a humanitarian crisis and it requires a humanitarian response. The overwhelming support we have seen from the Scottish people over the past few days shows our willingness to help the most vulnerable in the world.”

All change! Community health set for shakeup

‘People will see a better service and be able to be treated in the local community’ – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

The role of general practice in our health service is set for a significant shakeup, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced during a visit to Wester Hailes yesterday.

Over the next two years, ten health centres across the country will form ‘community care teams’ and test different ways of delivering healthcare including:

Local surgeries working together for faster appointments
GPs and health professionals – such as physiotherapists – working together in multidisciplinary teams so that patients see the right professional quickly
Local centres providing treatments which patients currently have to travel to hospital to receive – including short stay in-patient beds for assessment and treatment.

Two of the test sites will trial a new type of doctor to head up the multidisciplinary teams – and a small number of GPs will have the opportunity to receive an additional year of training to give them the skills to take on the new role and work across primary and acute care. Nurses and other health professionals will also have the chance to develop new skills as part of the plans.

The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met with patients and GPs at Wester Hailes Health Centre which is part of a group of seven GPs across Edinburgh working together. They have also linked up with other healthcare providers to work more closely with the local community and tackle the underlying causes of health inequality – such as substance abuse, mental health issues, employability and social isolation.

Ms Sturgeon said: “People deserve the very best treatment at the right time and in the right place – and that’s as close to home as possible.

“We have already taken steps to integrate health and social care and now transforming our GP services and local health centres is the next step. That means you will see the professional who can best help you and, in some cases, your local GP will soon offer the type of treatments that previously only hospitals could deliver.

“I can confirm that ten test sites will run over the next two years so we can see the most effective way to introduce these new ways of delivering community based healthcare across Scotland.

“Nobody wants to go into hospital if they don’t have to and with these new plans, people will see a better service and be able to be treated in the local community.

“This is good for patients and good for the NHS – GPs in particular will see their role develop in a significant way.”

The ten sites – in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fife, Tayside, Forth Valley, Campbeltown, West Lochaber, Islay, Mid-Argyll and Clackmannanshire – will share aims that are based on some simple principles:

To deliver as much care as possible at or close to home.
To ensure that care is delivered by the individual or team with the most appropriate skills, helping individuals plan for their care.
To ensure that people are only admitted to hospital when they are in real need of hospital treatment.
To ensure that when someone is admitted to hospital their journey out of hospital is planned and straightforward.

City gets set to welcome top cyclists

Edinburgh hosts Stage Four of the Aviva Tour of Britain cycling race on Wednesday. Cyclists will travel 218km from the Scottish capital to Blyth, Northumberland (see route), leaving the city at 10am.

Cyclists will face a spectacular journey through the heart of the city, starting in Holyrood Park, winding past the Scottish Parliament and up the Royal Mile towards Edinburgh Castle.

The race will descend Johnston Terrace and travel through the Meadows before passing Arthur’s Seat and heading out of the city. After leaving Edinburgh, the race will move on to East Lothian.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Edinburgh’s Festivals and Events Champion, said: “This will be the first time in history that the UK’s most prestigious cycling race traces the winding streets of the Scottish Capital to launch the event north of the border. It’s going to be a spectacular sight!

“As the starting point and host city of the Scottish stage and with the dramatic backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, Palace of Holyrood House and ancient volcano Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh is the place to be to experience the thrill of the Tour of Britain.”

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland said: “Scotland is gearing up to welcome the Aviva Tour of Britain and the top international cyclists and enthusiasts it brings with it from around the world.

“Scotland is the perfect stage for events with a global reputation for cycling and I’m certain the stages unveiled today will offer up some of Scotland’s most iconic and picturesque locations as a backdrop across the handlebars, as well as a fantastic spectator experience for all ages.”

Chief Executive for Scottish Cycling Craig Burn added: “Scottish Cycling is continuing to see an upsurge in interest in all areas of cycling. The Aviva Tour of Britain is a great showcase for cycling in Scotland and the hard work of the daily activities of our 178 clubs and the 600 plus events staged annually by our clubs and members.”

The Aviva Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event giving cycling fans the opportunity to see the world’s best teams and riders competing on their door step.

Over twenty of the world’s top teams are taking part in the competition. Heading the lineup in Edinburgh for the event is Dutch cycling champion Dylan Van Baarle, who returns to the Tour of Britain to defend his title.

The Dutchman won the 2014 edition of Britain’s biggest bike race, snatching victory from Michal Kwiatkowski and Sir Bradley Wiggins. He will wear the #1 at the head of the six rider Team Cannondale Garmin line-up

Another confirmed participant is 2009 Champion Edvald Boasson Hagen who will lead the MTN Qhubeka p/b Samsung team, which also includes 2013 stage winner Gerald Ciolek.

Team Sky’s versatile Italian sprinter Elia Viviani (above) timed a late challenge to absolute perfection when he pipped Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel to win the opening stage of the Aviva Tour of Britain in a dramatic finish in Wrexham yesterday.

The race moves on from Clitheroe to Colne in the Ribble Valley today and Stage Three will see the cyclists battle it out in The Borders tomorrow. Then on Wednesday, it’s Edinburgh: it promises to be quite a sight – don’t miss it!

Follow news of the Edinburgh event on Twitter using #TOBEdinburgh.

Holyrood: ‘Welfare reforms are not working’

Controversial reforms to the benefits system are failing in their objective of encouraging the unemployed into work, according to new research published this week.

A report published by the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee has found “little support for the view that welfare reform is having important and positive impacts on the labour market in Scotland”. The reforms are estimated to take £1.5bn out of the Scottish economy, equivalent to £440 a year for every adult of working age, as evidenced in previous research for the Committee.

The research was conducted for the Committee by Christina Beatty and Steve Forthergill of Sheffield Hallam University and Donald Houston of the University of Glasgow. It sets out detailed analysis of the link between employment figures and the various welfare reforms.

Michael McMahon MSP, Convener of the Welfare Reform Committee, said: “This research presents firm evidence that welfare reforms are not working.

“Thousands of people in Scotland have faced upheaval in their lives as a result of these changes, yet they are not leading to more people entering the job market.

“Just as our Committee has already heard from witnesses, the report also shows that people are fighting on several fronts to make ends meet as they are hit by cuts to multiple benefits. This tallies with research we published earlier this year that concluded that parents and people with disabilities were being hit hardest by welfare reform.”

The report also argues that it is economic recovery, in the form of improved consumer spending and higher borrowing, that has contributed to higher employment levels (and reduced numbers of unemployed people in Scotland), rather than welfare reform.

Larger than average reductions in unemployment in the places hit hardest by welfare reform also happened in previous economic upturns. This makes it impossible to attribute recent trends to welfare reform.

Mr McMahon continued: “The most deprived areas of the country are contributing the most savings to the welfare budget. Yet rather than this shining a spotlight on the success of welfare reform it only serves to highlight that these areas are losing out financially against other, better-off parts of the country.”

Evidence was based on the impact of reforms introduced before 2015, however the report considers the likely impact of the £12bn of further welfare cuts recently announced by Chancellor, George Osbourne MP. It concludes that it is hard to see this new round of reductions having any greater impact on the labour market. Given that reductions to tax credits account for around half the additional planned saving, and that a large proportion of these cuts falls on in-work claimants, a reduction in the numbers on out-of-work benefits seems even less likely as a result of the new round of welfare reforms.

Professor Fothergill said: “This research delivers a severe blow to the Westminster government claims about the positive impact of welfare reforms on the labour market, not just in Scotland but potentially across the rest of the UK as well.”

Professor Fothergill will appear before the Committee on Tuesday (8 September).

Four arrests following ‘substantial’ drugs recovery

Muirhouse man arrested following drugs raids

Police in Edinburgh have arrested four people this week in connection with the recovery of a substantial amount of controlled drugs in the city with a combined street value of over £53,000.

A warrant was executed at a residential address in Muirhouse where amphetamine worth around £30,000 and around £1000 worth of cannabis was recovered. A 25-year-old man has been arrested and charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act in connection with this recovery.

Officers also executed a search warrant at a residential address in Lauriston Street, where they found heroin with a street value of around £5,200, various drugs paraphernalia and a large quantity of cash. A 50-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man were arrested and charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act. They have been held in custody.

During a separate search, a drugs warrant was executed at a residential address in Westfield Avenue where more heroin with a street value of around £17,200 was seized along with cocaine and a large sum of cash. A 24-year-old woman has been arrested and charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Detective Sergeant Gary Reid said; “These searches removed a significant amount of illegal drugs from our streets and highlights that Police Scotland continues to tackle those involved in organised crime within the city.

“We will continue with a robust approach to tackle crime in the communities we police and I would appeal for the public to provide us with the information we need to disrupt those involved in criminality.

“This information may be provided to your community officers, through contacting police on 101 or alternatively in anonymity by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Scotland responds to humanitarian crisis

‘we as a nation have to step up and respond in a way that matches the scale of this tragedy’ – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

An operational taskforce is to be established to co-ordinate Scotland’s practical response to the humanitarian refugee crisis following yesterday’s Edinburgh summit convened by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The First Minister said Scotland stands ready to welcome refugees, as she confirmed that the task force would urgently engage organisations across Scotland to establish capacity in a range of matters such as housing, health services, language support, transport and social services.

The First Minister announced that Europe and International Development Minister Humza Yousaf will chair the group, which will also examine how Scotland can harness the goodwill of the public in Scotland with many of the humanitarian organisations already reporting a huge number of offers of practical help from individuals and groups across the country.

Ms Sturgeon said that yesterday’s summit had been positive and productive with people who have sought sanctuary in Scotland invited to give their own personal testimonies about the practicalities of settling in a new country.

She also confirmed that the discussions would be summarised and sent to the Prime Minister as part of a positive offer of support from Scotland as the UK responds to the migration crisis.

The First Minister said: “I want, as First Minister, to ensure that Scotland is playing its part in dealing with this humanitarian crisis. Today’s summit was a positive and productive first step with a sense that we as a nation have to step up and respond in a way that matches the scale of this tragedy.

“Scotland already has well established structures in place for integrating those who come here seeking asylum and we stand ready to welcome our fair share of people fleeing persecution. However, if we are to do this, there is no doubt that we do require a proper, co-ordinated approach.

“Today’s summit was focused on looking at some of the practical issues involved and I have now established a task force to co-ordinate Scotland’s response, working with local authorities, public agencies and third sector organisations to ensure that any refugees that come to Scotland will be able to integrate successfully. As a first step, I expect the task force to examine capacity in a range of services in Scotland, including housing, health and social services.

“The task force will also have a hugely important role in harnessing the many, many expressions of goodwill and offers of help from the public in Scotland, providing a focal point for that activity and ensuring that the wider Scottish community is able to play its part in welcoming people to our country.”

Ms Sturgeon went on: “During the talks today there was real clarity expressed around the UK Government’s need to play a part in a co-ordinated European response to the problem and agree to take a fair and proportionate share of refugees.

“We want to work constructively with the UK government and I welcome the additional steps that the Prime Minister has set out but there has to be much more detail given – for example we still don’t know how many refugees he is talking about or whether these are just refugees from Syrian camps or those in Europe.

“There are not any easy solutions to this, but all of us have a responsibility as human beings to recognise the extent of this humanitarian crisis and resolve together to do something about it. If we all play our part then the totality of that response might just have a chance of dealing effectively with the problem.”

City council pledges support for refugees

Europe’s escalating refugee situation has reached crisis point over recent days. Council leader ANDREW BURNS has pledged the continuing support of the City of Edinburgh Council as he appealed for donations to the city’s charity:

The world watched, several months ago, as thousands of refugees set up makeshift camps in desolate, far-off spots after fleeing their war-torn homelands.

Since then, we’ve been watching the reports of people living in horrendous conditions at the port of Calais as they desperately attempt to enter the UK.

Everyone has an opinion on how to react, from stopping anyone from coming here because we don’t have the resources or the room, to opening up the borders and welcoming those desperately in need.

Before, we could just turn off the images with a flick of the TV remote control – but the image of the body of a tiny, lonely child washed up on a beach in Turkey this week will haunt many of us for a long time. It summed up the desperation of those who are running for their lives.

How desperate must a person be to squeeze themselves, and their children, into airtight lorries, or on to open boats without life jackets, to make extremely dangerous and often futile journeys? We may struggle to imagine that feeling, here in the western world, but the horror of that photo has affected us all.

We may be far away, but there are still ways in which we can help.

In May of this year, having learned that close to four million people had already fled the country, the City of Edinburgh Council decided to get involved in the UK Government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme.

The scheme will allow us to welcome a number of families from Syria, all of whom will have been identified as being in the utmost need by the United Nations. The scheme prioritises help for survivors of torture and violence, women and children at risk, and those in need of medical care.

Participants will be housed here in the capital for the duration of the programme, with access to employment, health care and education.

Initial conversations have taken place within the Council (housing and social work) and with NHS Lothian and Police Scotland, who have confirmed their willingness and capacity to support Edinburgh’s involvement with the project.

Initial talks have also taken place to examine potential for wider social support through Edinburgh Churches for Sanctuary and Cities for Sanctuary networks.

The key measure of success will be that the number of refugees moving here will integrate successfully into the city in terms of their home, social and professional lives.

Let’s not forget – the families taking part in the relocation scheme don’t want to leave their homes behind. Imagine being forced out of your country and everything that is familiar to you, because life has become too dangerous for you to stay?

This is the humanitarian course of action. We are helping, in a very small way, amongst the most vulnerable and needy people in the world at this moment. Let’s try to stop any more needless deaths.

Our Edinburgh-based charity partner, Mercy Corps, is already on the ground helping Syrian refugee families, and other families in crisis around the world, get the food, water and shelter they need to survive.

Visit the Mercy Corps website to find out more about their work and to donate to their Humanitarian Response Fund. Please help them to rush lifesaving aid to people suffering in Syria and around the world.

Councillor Andrew Burns

Council Leader

Positive Pathways: training for carers

PASDA training for family carers of adults with autism

There are still some places left on this training – it has been run previously and there has been very positive feedback from the families who went through the training – but deadline for applications is THIS SUNDAY.

PP flyer

Applications have opened for Positive Pathways; positive behaviour training for family carers of adults with Autism (with or without a learning disability) who are living in Edinburgh and East Lothian.

This training will consist of 4 half-day training sessions held at Number 6 which will run every 2 weeks during an 8 week period. As well as the training sessions, carers will also receive 4 intensive 1:1 sessions. There will also be follow up sessions in October 2016.

A copy of the application form is attached – carers should complete this electronically and email to Pasda, but if this is an issue for carers Pasda will also accept handwritten applications.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 6 September and training starts the w/beginning Monday 5 October.

Anyone interested should contact PASDA directly: telephone 0131 475 2416 or email info@pasda.org.uk.

Visit www.pasda.org.uk to complete an application form.

PP application form

Get super connected: still time to take up broadband offer

Small to medium sized businesses in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Scottish Borders are being reminded that there is still time to apply for vouchers, which could connect them to superfast broadband.

The scheme has helped 442 businesses in Edinburgh with superfast connections so far. To date there has been a lot of interest in the scheme and businesses are encouraged to apply before funds run out.

Funding for the project is part of the UK Government’s £150 million super connected cities programme being delivered locally by City of Edinburgh Council.

Vouchers are awarded to businesses to help cover the installation costs of connecting to superfast broadband services up to the value of £3,000. Businesses pay the VAT costs and the ongoing subscription.

To qualify for a voucher, organisations should be small to medium sized located in the City of Edinburgh Council area, have fewer than 250 employees and a turnover of less than £40m. Further information and an application form can be found here.

Cllr Frank Ross, Convener of the Economy Committee, said: “The vouchers will provide much needed financial assistance to small to medium sized businesses in the city who don’t already have a fast connection. We have worked hard to secure this opportunity for local businesses and I would strongly recommend those without a fast connection apply for a voucher as high grade broadband is more reliable, faster and it will make your business more efficient and competitive.”

Further information

The voucher scheme is part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s Connected Capital Programme, which aims to improve Edinburgh’s broadband connectivity. Follow on Twitter @connectedinburg.
Businesses in Lothians, Fife and the Scottish Borders areas can access the vouchers through the Edinburgh scheme
In the vast majority of cases the voucher should cover the total installation cost but where it doesn’t, businesses will have to cover the difference themselves.
Edinburgh’s Connected Capital Programme is part of the£150m Super Connected Cities Programme which is being delivered through Broadband Delivery UK, which is part of the UK Government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Other projects forming part ofthe Connected Capital Programme are an outdoor wireless network delivered though a service concession contract, wireless hotspots in a number of public buildings. Wi-fi on the trams and buses is already in place

Superfast broadband is defined as speed of at least 30 Megabytes per Second (Mbps) and ultrafast is defined 80 to 100+ Mbps.

Breaking down barriers

ELREC wants your views

ELREC (Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council) has launched a project, funded by the Scottish government, that aims to increasing representation of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities in public life and the democratic process in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

The first step of the project is to identify the barriers which limit the participation by conducting a survey which will be then used to plan & design the next phase. We would like to request that you to complete the survey online; it will take around 15-20 minutes.

Your view is really important in order to determine further steps to be taken.

Please find the survey link here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/elrec

If you would like a hardcopy of the survey by post please get in touch. For any inquiries, please contact me by email: mrahman@elrec.org.uk or telephone 0131 556 0441. For more information see the project brochure by clicking here.

ELREC_Public_Life_Brochure

Thank you in advance for helping us with this project.

Mizan Rahman

Equality Engagement Officer

Edinburgh and Lothian Regional Equality Council (ELREC)

14 Forth Street, Edinburgh EH1 3LH

Tel: 0131 556 0441

Email: mrahman@elrec.org.uk

| www.elrec.org.uk