A Holyrood Committee has raised concerns about a lack of detail in a Bill which proposes a move away from a crisis management approach to a preventative approach to homelessness in Scotland.
The Social Justice and Social Security Committee has been scrutinising the homelessness and domestic violence aspects of the Housing (Scotland) Bill. While the Committee supports the principles of the proposals in the Bill, it wants the Scottish Government to outline how the measures will work in practice.
The practicalities of the “ask and act” duty, which calls on relevant public bodies to ask a person about their housing situation and to take action to prevent homelessness, were one aspect the Committee would like to understand in greater detail.
The Committee’s report asks how the Scottish Government will ensure that relevant bodies do not just refer people to the homelessness officers in their local authority.
The report also notes that there are problems with the Bill’s costings, as laid out in the Financial Memorandum. The Committee calls for this to be updated.
Collette Stevenson MSP, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said:“Our Committee agrees with this Bill’s goal of shifting Scotland’s approach to homelessness away from crisis intervention towards prevention.
“However, we do share witnesses’ concerns about the lack of detail in the Scottish Government’s plans. In particular, we would like to see more detail about how the ‘ask and act’ duty will operate in practice.
“We also acknowledge concerns raised about the Financial Memorandum. Our report recommends that the Scottish Government consult with stakeholders again and update costings as appropriate ahead of the Stage 1 debate on the Bill.”
The Committee also backed proposals in the Bill to support people affected by domestic abuse, although its report requests more information about the measures in the Bill will interact with other relevant policy and legislation.
In particular, the Committee heard that the Bill is linked to the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021. As the Act has not commenced in full, the Committee calls for a detailed plan and timeline to confirm when the laws in the Act will come into force.
Garden Centre rolls out series of free October events
Dobbies Garden Centres is embracing the autumn season with a series of free-to-attend events at its Edinburgh store throughout October, including Grow How, Little Seedlings Club and Little Seedlings Holiday Club.
These seasonal activities aim to inspire gardening enthusiasts of all ages to embrace the wonders of autumn, while learning valuable gardening tips and taking part in fun, hands-on activities.
Kicking things off is Dobbies’ Grow How session, taking place in the Edinburgh store on the first Saturday of the month (5 October), then every Wednesday throughout October at 10:30am and 3:30pm.
Dobbies’ gardening colleagues will show participants how to channel their creativity to decorate their doorway for autumn and Halloween.
The session covers the best pots and plants for dressing doorsteps, shade-loving plants for porches, and vibrant autumn annuals for a cottage garden feel.
Attendees will also explore ideas for hanging baskets, window boxes, doormats, garden lighting, and crafting autumn wreaths using homegrown vegetables.
Dobbies’ Little Seedlings workshop, taking place on Sunday 6 October in the Edinburgh store, is for children aged 4-10 and will be delving into autumn as a season. Kids will explore the seasonal changes in nature, learning why leaves change colour and how animals prepare for hibernation during the colder months.
They’ll also discover the journey of seeds and what happens after fruit and vegetables are harvested. The workshop includes a craft activity where children will make their own leaf fossils, adding a fun, hands-on element to their autumnal learning experience.
Taking place the third week of October at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store, the Little Seedlings Holiday Club brings fairytales to life and explores how to bring a little bit of magic to the garden.
Children will learn the origins of some of their favourite fairytales like Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel and Beauty and the Beast. The workshop will include an interactive storytelling session, toadstool-making craft and fairy garden creation, ensuring a magical experience for all.
Dobbies’ Events Programme Manager, Ayesha Nickson, knows just how important it is to keep the kids entertained over the school holidays and is anticipating high demand for these autumnal workshops.
She said: “Our fantastic range of free autumn events in our Edinburgh store are aimed at giving families a fun and creative activity to get involved in. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or simply looking for some family fun, we have something for everyone.”
To learn more about Dobbies’ free autumnal events at its Edinburgh store, visit dobbies.com/events.
Still time to sign up for our webinar with @readyscotland on Wednesday 25 September to talk about how Community Councils are supporting people through local emergencies – and find out how you can contribute to a new survey on the issue.
Top tips for helping children set off on two wheels
Teaching a child to ride a bike can be daunting and frustrating for all concerned, but Balanceability is helping parents and carers get their little ones moving on two wheels, in support of Cycle to School Week, 23 – 27 September.
By downloading Balanceability’s Parent Guide and following its top tips for learning to ride two-wheels, stress can be replaced with fun and children can set off to school or nursery with confidence.
A recent survey of bike-riders* by Balanceability revealed that most people learnt to cycle with help from their dad (55%), while 13% were self-taught, 11% taught by their mum and just 2% of cyclists learnt to ride at school. One in five cyclists surveyed said they learnt to ride a bike before school age, with the majority (61%) confirming they learnt to ride when they were primary school age.
Balanceability offers a sustainable programme for schools to promote the physical benefits of cycling for children as young as 2½ years old, as well as providing a fun and engaging activity, but it believes that parents and carers can also play an important role in getting children cycling.
Samantha Wright, Commercial Manager for Balanceability, part of the TTC Group a pioneer on road safety education advises: “We recommend taking the first step to cycling on a balance bike, as it helps children learn and gain confidence on a bike more quickly.
“Whilst using stabilisers does work, children can become reliant preventing them from developing balance skills. Once stabilisers are taken off the child needs to learn how to balance and steer all over again which can also affect their confidence on a bike.
“On a balance bike, children learn to balance naturally, more quickly than when reliant on stabilisers, setting them up for a smooth and easy transition to pedal bikes when they’re older.
“Cycling is fun, it’s good exercise and when children cycle to school and nursery instead of being driven it reduces air pollution and brings environmental benefit.
“By following our tips, it will help children transition from a balance bike to a pedal bike successfully.”
The Department of Transport’s Bikeability Level 1 is for children 6+ years, with other Government cycle programmes aimed at children 10-11-years-old, so Balanceability fits as the precursor.
The UK’s only afPE-approved learn-to-cycle programme, Balanceability offers packages for schools, local authorities and leisure sites for children aged 2½ years and upwards.
The programme teaches children how to ride without stabilisers, giving them important gross motor skills, core stability and plenty of fun through physical activity.
Balanceability Top Tips for helping children set off on two wheels
Get to know the bike – Simply sitting on the stationary bike is an important first step for young children, getting them comfortable with the bike and giving them the all-importance confidence to get started on their cycling adventure.
Pick your path – A smooth, relatively flat traffic free space is perfect for practicing on a balance bike – Avoid steep slopes when they are starting out.
Utilise all opportunities – If you are going for a short walk, you could let your child bring their bike along with you on the path. Most balance bikes are small and light enough to carry if they run out of cycling steam before you get back home.
Boost balance – Learning to balance doesn’t all have to involve the balance bike. When you’re out and about in a safe environment such as a playground, encourage your child to jump, hop, climb, balance safely on low objects and walk along narrow lines like a tightrope.
Take it slow – Trying to rush or push a child learning to balance on their new bike will only end in tears – not necessarily the child’s. Pressure will cause frustration and slow their progress.
Be child-led – Let your child set the pace. They may need to walk while standing over the bike for a while before they are able to sit and walk, this is an important stage of learning to ride so don’t rush them to sit.
Praise progress – Help to boost their confidence by praising their efforts and any progress – however small, and even if you’re finding it a frustratingly slow process!
Know when to move on – Once your child is confidently zooming around obstacles and lifting their feet off the ground while they go, it may be time to try learning to pedal. You will need to ensure the new bike is the right size and the seat is set to the correct height, or it will be too difficult and knock the new cyclist’s confidence.
Ask the pros – Many schools and Early Years settings run Balanceability balance bike training courses for children as young as 2 ½, even providing the bikes on which they learn. Children enjoy learning with their teacher and their friends and pick up the skills quickly.
Schools can purchase a Balanceability Pack which includes all the equipment, resources and training required to deliver the sessions as a sustainable programme. Balanceability can be run by teachers indoors or outdoors as part of the weekly regular PE activity and has been developed to fit into school lesson planning.
The programme offers children the ability to become competent cyclists at an early age through the development of balance and control, with 94% of children aged 4 to years 6 years old able to safely ride a pedal bike at the end of the programme.
We are excited to invite you to our Doors Open Day
on Saturday 28th September & Sunday 29th September 10am – 4pm
Join us for a day filled with fun activities, delicious food and music. Explore our vibrant community, tour the building and grounds and dabble in some of the workshops on offer.
Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to celebrate with us and be sure to arrive in time for the Unveiling of our new Oyster Mural at 11:00 on Saturday !
We will be open from 10am – 4pm on both Saturday 28th September and Sunday 29th September 2024.
You can find our more details about the event and sign up to workshops here :
Scotland’s largest vaccine manufacturer, Valneva Scotland Ltd, joined fellow life sciences companies to mark World Patient Safety Day on Tuesday (17 September) and pledge its support to continue efforts to improve patient safety globally.
Valneva marked the day by lighting its Manson manufacturing building in Livingston orange, supporting the campaign to ‘cast an orange glow across the globe’ to highlight the importance of correct and timely diagnosis for patient safety.
Greig Rooney, Managing Director at Valneva Scotland Ltd said: “As a company that develops, manufactures, and commercialises prophylactic vaccines for infectious diseases, we are committed to safety.
“People are at the forefront of everything we do, they are the reason we work in this sector and so it is great to be able to highlight it today.”
Valneva is a founding member of Scottish Patient Awareness Council which aims to foster Scottish life sciences growth through united patient empowerment for a healthier future.
The recent Scottish Government report highlighting the work done to date on improving the lives of care-experienced children and young people is to be welcomed. There is however much to be done.
‘The Promise’ is a commitment that by 2030 all care-experienced children in Scotland will grow up loved, safe and respected, with the ability to reach their full potential.
Those in this category represent some of the most vulnerable members of our society, experiencing considerably fewer life chances than their peers, with poorer health and educational outcomes.
Recent data reinforce this, noting that the figures for exclusion of pupils who have been looked after in the past year are still between five and six times as high as the levels found across the total pupil population. This is despite a commitment that all formal and informal exclusions of care-experienced pupils would end. Scotland is still very far away from achieving that.
As a society, if we want to build a care system which has love and respect at its very heart, we must provide the resources necessary to ensure that that this group of individuals get the vital care and support they so desperately need.
Only through this can we ensure that ‘The Promise’ is kept.
Students across Lothian are encouraged to ensure their vaccinations are up to date before heading off to college or university this year.
Infectious diseases such as meningitis, septicaemia (blood poisoning) and measles can spread easily in universities and colleges. Vaccination offers the best protection against these diseases, which is why it’s important to check your vaccines are up to date.
Students are 11 times more likely to develop invasive meningococcal disease, which causes meningitis and septicaemia. The meningitis ACWY (MenACWY) vaccine helps to protect against these very serious diseases. Students who have missed having the vaccine, can get it up to the age of 25 years.
Parts of the UK and other countries in Europe have been seeing an increase in the number of people getting measles, and evidence suggests students are at higher risk. That’s why it’s important to check you’ve had two doses of the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella and has saved over 4,500 lives across the UK.
Pat Wynne, Nurse Director for Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, said: “These diseases can be severe and, in some cases, life threatening.
“Students are at increased risk due to the large amounts of mixing with new people in enclosed spaces. Increasing cases of measles and meningococcal disease in particular were observed earlier this year.
“Vaccines are the best way to ensure you’re protected and these are offered for free on the NHS in Scotland. These vaccines are offered as part of the routine childhood immunisation schedule however if they’ve been missed, it’s not too late to catch up.
“Ideally, they should be given at least two weeks before the new semester starts.”
There is also still time to get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. It helps protect against HPV-related cancers including head, neck and cervical cancer and also protects against over 90% of genital wart infections. Most students will have had the HPV vaccine at school if eligible but if not, students may still be able to get it up until the age of 25.
If you are under 25 years and you’ve missed any vaccinations, call the Vaccination Enquiries Line on 0300 790 6296. If you are 25 or over, call your GP practice. They can check your records and arrange a referral if it is required.
International students may be able to get additional vaccines that were not available where they lived before.
From medieval times through the industrial age and into the future, this mini tour highlights Granton’s heritage.
Spanning quarrying to castles and electric cars, Granton has been at the forefront of bringing innovation and wealth to Edinburgh. While most of its industries have now vanished, we hope to keep its heritage alive in describing what was once a hive of activity.
Participants will also visit the National Galleries repository as part of Doors Open Day and explore the theme of ‘Routes, Networks and Connections’.
The outdoor walk will commence at 11.30am at Madelvic House and will end at 13.00pm at the National Galleries of Scotland’s Granton repository (the Art Centre). Participants will then visit the indoor heritage exhibition provided by granton:hub’s history group, followed by the indoor artworks visit which will start at 13:15pm.
Please note: this tour includes 2 visits, between 11.30-13.00 and 13.15 -14.30pm and breaks will be provided. Participants are asked to attend both events.
This walk is in collaboration with the National Galleries Scotland 2024 Doors Open Day.
Please arrive at granton:hub at around 11.25am, before the start of the tour.
For details on the NGS visit please check this website:
Songs from your childhood
Songs that remind you of friends
Songs that make you feel happy
Songs that are linked to your faith
Songs that are associated with your sports team
Songs from your favourite films and TV shows
Next weekend!