Children can once again get active at Edinburgh Leisure’s Clambers soft play at the Royal Commonwealth Pool when it reopens tomorrow (Thursday 24th February) after its five-week closure for a major refurbishment.
Clambers has a new frame for babies, toddlers, and juniors, with an aquatic theme and is designed so parents can supervise easily, and children can play freely, all within a securely gated area.
There are slides, an upper storey football pitch and many more exciting features to explore. Its party room has also been rebranded; its Café Refresh has been upgraded with new tables and chairs; its café servery extended and the reception desk has been replaced.
When Clambers reopens there will no longer be the requirement to pre-book sessions – parents, carers and guardians can just rock up and there are now also 90-minute sessions to enjoy, in addition to the 60-minute sessions.
Edinburgh Leisure’s two other soft plays – Scrambles at EICA: Ratho and Tumbles at Portobello, will also be removing the need to pre-book sessions, which will come into play from Tuesday, 1st March. In addition, 90-minute sessions will also be added.
Lynne Bauba, Manager at Royal Commonwealth Pool said: “It seems that we are finally moving towards some sort of normality, and we are delighted to be reintroducing our 90-minute sessions, in addition to our 60-minute sessions – so, you can now enjoy our soft plays for longer.
“It is worth noting though that if you’re visiting at peak times, you may only be able to enjoy our soft play for a shorter 60-minute session rather than 90, or you may have to wait a little until space becomes available. It will be worth the wait though as the new look Clambers is looking fabulous. We can’t wait to welcome you back.”
Scotland’s first Easter Bunny Grotto opens at new Easter Festival
Cracking Easter Egg-stravaganza from Conifox Adventure Park
‘Family run, for family fun’ Conifox Adventure Park, near Edinburgh celebrates spring with the launch of its new Easter Festival, an inclusive fun, family event introducing Scotland’s first Easter Bunny Grotto.
The Easter egg-stravaganza features a whole host of characters and activities including the Bunny Grotto – a fully immersive, theatrical sensory experience for kids from three years upwards.
In line with the Park’s ethos of providing fun events suitable for all, visitors with Additional Support Needs (ASN) will have access to exclusive sessions adapted to allow them to enjoy the exciting spectacle in a more relaxed atmosphere.
The Easter Festival runs from April 2nd to 24th with a cast of characters including Baxter Bunny, The Easter Bunny, the Big Bad Wolf, Professor Eggbert and friends.
The visitor journey starts at the Magic Shed, the gateway to Hoppity Hollow, home of the Easter Bunny. Then it’s on to the Spring Garden to meet Hoppy, learn about the Big Bad Wolf, the trouble he’s causing and how to help save Easter.
Visit Professor Eggbert in the Easter Egg Factory, where he’ll be busy making egg-straordinary creations with his Easter Egg Machine. But the sneaky Big Bad Wolf has mixed up the special ingredients and the professor needs visitors’ help to get production back on track.
Then meet the Easter Bunny himself in his Bunny Bedroom where the Big Bad Wolf has sabotaged his alarm clock. It can only be powered by singing the Easter Bunny Song which visitors will learn, thanks to Easter Bunny’s helper Fluffy.
Families will then have the chance to have their photo taken with the Easter Bunny before taking on the challenge to name all the famous rabbits in the Rabbit Hall of Fame.
There is even more fun in store with: the Egg-mazing Trail in the Magical Maze where solving the puzzle earns a Cadbury’s chocolate egg and look out for rare golden eggs to win a special jumbo Easter egg – if the Bad Wolf hasn’t found them first; Easter-lympics, when children can challenge each other and the big kids to the egg and spoon and sack races, tug-of-war and more; an Easter Disco throughout the day when everyone can dance along to family favourites with Baxter Bunny; Easter Footgolf when Easter Eggs replace footballs and so much more!
During the exclusive Additional Support Needs Day on April 13th the festival will run with reduced capacity to provide plenty of open space, music and light displays will be muted and children will be able to interact with lots of sensory activities. These special sessions are exclusive only to families with ASN. Group bookings are available on request.
Deborah Gammell, Conifox Adventure Park’s Business Development Manager, says: “Springtime and Easter are magical times and we want everyone to be able to join in the fun with us and our amazing Easter characters.
“Promoting inclusivity is part of our business values and we’re delighted to offer group discounts and are looking forward to welcoming families and groups with ASN. If anyone has specific needs, we’d love to hear from them and will do as much as possible to help with their visit.”
All Easter tickets include access to Conifox’s Outdoor Adventure Park, at Kirkliston on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Tickets for the Indoor Activity Centre must be purchased separately.
The mental health of pregnant women, new mothers and their families, including those affected by miscarriage, stillbirth and the death of an infant, has been highlighted by a Scottish Parliament Committee.
The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s inquiry into women’s mental health experiences before, during and after the birth of a child (otherwise referred to as the perinatal period) highlights a number of issues faced by new mothers over the support they have received, particularly during the pandemic.
In particular, the inquiry found there was a sharp rise in birth trauma incidences reported since the pandemic began. The Committee calls on the Scottish Government and NHS Boards to redouble their focus on delivering services that directly address birth trauma.
The Committee also looked into the of support for those suffering from miscarriage, stillbirth or death of an infant. During its inquiry, the Committee received evidence of some women affected by baby loss who reported being treated close to women giving birth to healthy babies, causing additional trauma to the women affected.
The report calls for accelerated action to establish specialist baby loss units and, in the meantime, for new national protocols to be set up “that ensure families affected by baby loss are consistently treated with respect and compassion and in a trauma-informed way”.
Alongside a focus on community care, the Committee also examined access to specialist Mother and Baby Units (MBUs), of which there are currently two in Scotland. The Committee emphasises the benefits of providing wider access to MBUs for new mothers with complex needs and they express support for the creation of a new MBU serving the north of Scotland.
Gillian Martin MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said:“Up to 20% of women in Scotland experience negative mental health impacts before, during and after giving birth and the aim of our inquiry was to shine a spotlight on this important issue and to see what more should be done to support these women.
“We heard of concerns in certain health board areas with the support structure in place for parents and families impacted by miscarriage, still birth and the death of an infant, and feel more action is needed to give them appropriate support.
“We had discussions with some new parents affected by baby loss who felt they didn’t receive the standard of care they are entitled to expect. That is why we are calling for every effort to be made to accelerate the establishment of specialist baby loss units
“The evidence we received suggests that during the pandemic, there was a sharp rise in incidences of birth trauma. In many instances this was a direct result of COVID-related restrictions, which limited the support women were able to receive from partners and families before, during and after giving birth.
“Our inquiry heard about the benefits of Mother and Baby Units for women who have complex mental health issues in the perinatal period and the Committee would like to see a concerted effort to widen access to these units in conjunction with the community care offer.
“We think there is a strong case to set up a new Mother and Baby Unit serving the north of Scotland but we also need to focus on issues around staffing, resources and general awareness to maximise the positive impact of perinatal mental health services and third sector organisations who support mothers.”
The Convener added:
“The extensive evidence we have gathered during the course of this inquiry has shown the importance of a preventative and community based approach to perinatal mental health. It is clear that only through accessible, joined up care across both the third sector and statutory services, women and families can get the care they need at this critical time.
“We’d like to put on record our thanks to all of the women who spoke with us and shared their stories.”
Other findings in the report include:
• concern that many women and families are currently having to wait longer than 6 weeks to access perinatal mental health support;
• the increased barriers faced by women and families from minority ethnic backgrounds, or for whom English is not their first language, and those from particularly vulnerable or at risk groups, to access perinatal mental health services;
• the critical role that stigma plays in perinatal mental health and the resulting reluctance for individuals to fully engage with healthcare professionals;
• a call for the Scottish Government to ensure further education institutions deliver perinatal mental health training as core training for all midwifery and nursing students as a priority.
Bill strengthened with new list of criminal content for tech firms to remove as a priority
List includes online drug and weapons dealing, people smuggling, revenge porn, fraud, promoting suicide and inciting or controlling prostitution for gain
New criminal offences will be added to the bill to tackle domestic violence and threats to rape and kill
Flagship UK laws to protect people online are being toughened up with new criminal offences and extra measures to force social media companies to stamp out the most harmful illegal content and criminal activity on their sites quicker.
Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries has announced extra priority illegal offences to be written on the face of the bill include revenge porn, hate crime, fraud, the sale of illegal drugs or weapons, the promotion or facilitation of suicide, people smuggling and sexual exploitation. Terrorism and child sexual abuse are already included.
Previously the firms would have been forced to take such content down after it had been reported to them by users but now they must be proactive and prevent people being exposed in the first place.
It will clamp down on pimps and human traffickers, extremist groups encouraging violence and racial hate against minorities, suicide chatrooms and the spread of private sexual images of women without their consent.
Naming these offences on the face of the bill removes the need for them to be set out in secondary legislation later and Ofcom can take faster enforcement action against tech firms which fail to remove the named illegal content.
Ofcom will be able to issue fines of up to 10 per cent of annual worldwide turnover to non-compliant sites or block them from being accessible in the UK.
Three new criminal offences, recommended by the Law Commission, will also be added to the Bill to make sure criminal law is fit for the internet age.
Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “This government said it would legislate to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online while enshrining free speech, and that’s exactly what we are going to do.
“Our world leading bill will protect children from online abuse and harms, protecting the most vulnerable from accessing harmful content, and ensuring there is no safe space for terrorists to hide online.
“We are listening to MPs, charities and campaigners who have wanted us to strengthen the legislation, and today’s changes mean we will be able to bring the full weight of the law against those who use the internet as a weapon to ruin people’s lives and do so quicker and more effectively.”
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “The internet cannot be a safe haven for despicable criminals to exploit and abuse people online.
Companies must continue to take responsibility for stopping harmful material on their platforms. These new measures will make it easier and quicker to crack down on offenders and hold social media companies to account.”
The new communications offences will strengthen protections from harmful online behaviours such as coercive and controlling behaviour by domestic abusers; threats to rape, kill and inflict physical violence; and deliberately sharing dangerous disinformation about hoax Covid-19 treatments.
The UK Government is also considering the Law Commission’s recommendations for specific offences to be created relating to cyberflashing, encouraging self-harm and epilepsy trolling.
To proactively tackle the priority offences, firms will need to make sure the features, functionalities and algorithms of their services are designed to prevent their users encountering them and minimise the length of time this content is available. This could be achieved by automated or human content moderation, banning illegal search terms, spotting suspicious users and having effective systems in place to prevent banned users opening new accounts.
New harmful online communications offences:
Ministers asked the Law Commission to review the criminal law relating to abusive and offensive online communications in the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and the Communications Act 2003.
The Commission found these laws have not kept pace with the rise of smartphones and social media. It concluded they were ill-suited to address online harm because they overlap and are often unclear for internet users, tech companies and law enforcement agencies.
It found the current law over-criminalises and captures ‘indecent’ images shared between two consenting adults – known as sexting – where no harm is caused. It also under-criminalises – resulting in harmful communications without appropriate criminal sanction.
In particular, abusive communications posted in a public forum, such as posts on a publicly accessible social media page, may slip through the net because they have no intended recipient. It also found the current offences are sufficiently broad in scope that they could constitute a disproportionate interference in the right to freedom of expression.
In July the Law Commission recommended more coherent offences. The Digital Secretary today confirms new offences will be created and legislated for in the Online Safety Bill.
The new offences will capture a wider range of harms in different types of private and public online communication methods. These include harmful and abusive emails, social media posts and WhatsApp messages, as well as ‘pile-on’ harassment where many people target abuse at an individual such as in website comment sections. None of the offences will apply to regulated media such as print and online journalism, TV, radio and film.
The offences are:
A ‘genuinely threatening’ communications offence, where communications are sent or posted to convey a threat of serious harm.
This offence is designed to better capture online threats to rape, kill and inflict physical violence or cause people serious financial harm. It addresses limitations with the existing laws which capture ‘menacing’ aspects of the threatening communication but not genuine and serious threatening behaviour.
It will offer better protection for public figures such as MPs, celebrities or footballers who receive extremely harmful messages threatening their safety. It will address coercive and controlling online behaviour and stalking, including, in the context of domestic abuse, threats related to a partner’s finances or threats concerning physical harm.
A harm-based communications offence to capture communications sent to cause harm without a reasonable excuse.
This offence will make it easier to prosecute online abusers by abandoning the requirement under the old offences for content to fit within proscribed yet ambiguous categories such as “grossly offensive,” “obscene” or “indecent”.
Instead it is based on the intended psychological harm, amounting to at least serious distress, to the person who receives the communication, rather than requiring proof that harm was caused. The new offences will address the technical limitations of the old offences and ensure that harmful communications posted to a likely audience are captured.
The new offence will consider the context in which the communication was sent. This will better address forms of violence against women and girls, such as communications which may not seem obviously harmful but when looked at in light of a pattern of abuse could cause serious distress. For example, in the instance where a survivor of domestic abuse has fled to a secret location and the abuser sends the individual a picture of their front door or street sign.
It will better protect people’s right to free expression online. Communications that are offensive but not harmful and communications sent with no intention to cause harm, such as consensual communication between adults, will not be captured. It will have to be proven in court that a defendant sent a communication without any reasonable excuse and did so intending to cause serious distress or worse, with exemptions for communication which contributes to a matter of public interest.
An offence for when a person sends a communication they know to be false with the intention to cause non-trivial emotional, psychological or physical harm.
Although there is an existing offence in the Communications Act that captures knowingly false communications, this new offence raises the current threshold of criminality. It covers false communications deliberately sent to inflict harm, such as hoax bomb threats, as opposed to misinformation where people are unaware what they are sending is false or genuinely believe it to be true.
For example, if an individual posted on social media encouraging people to inject antiseptic to cure themselves of coronavirus, a court would have to prove that the individual knew this was not true before posting it.
The maximum sentences for each offence will differ. If someone is found guilty of a harm based offence they could go to prison for up to two years, up to 51 weeks for the false communication offence and up to five years for the threatening communications offence.
The maximum sentence was six months under the Communications Act and two years under the Malicious Communications Act.
Professor Penney Lewis, Commissioner for Criminal Law, said: “The criminal law should target those who specifically intend to cause harm, while allowing people to share contested and controversial ideas in good faith.
“Our recommendations create a more nuanced set of criminal offences, which better protect victims of genuinely harmful communications as well as better protecting freedom of expression.
“I am delighted that the Government has accepted these recommended offences.”
SOCIAL Security Scotland is urging families to apply for Best Start Grant School Age Payment before the deadline and to apply for help with early learning costs.
Eligible families with children born between 1 March 2016 – 28 February 2017, are being encouraged to apply for the School Age Payment before applications close on 28 February 2022.
Parents or carers enrolling children in nursery this year have also been urged to check whether they are eligible for a one-off payment to help with early learning costs.
For Early Years Payment, eligible families who are in receipt of certain benefits or tax credits with a child who is aged between 2-3 and a half years old. Parents or carers who are eligible for the Early Learning Payment receive a one-off grant of £252.50
The money can be used to help pay for clothes, equipment, bags, books or anything else which is helpful for people caring for children in that age range.
Eligible families for School Age Payment may be parents or carers who are in receipt of certain benefits or tax credits with a child who is old enough to start school.
School Age Payment is a payment of £252.50 per child and is designed to support children at a key stage in their life.
It is not directly linked to taking up a school place. As such, even if the child’s school start has been deferred until next year, or if the child is not going to start school at all, parents or carers should still apply for the payment by 28 February 2022. If they do not apply by this time, they will not be able to receive the payment.
Social Security Scotland wants to ensure that everyone who is entitled to money for Early Learning or School Age Payment receive it and we would welcome support from our stakeholders to make sure people don’t miss out on these payments.
Please encourage any clients in your networks to apply for School Age Payment before the 28 February deadline and for Early Years Payment when enrolling their child into nursery.
OWNERSHIP of an Edinburgh childcare company has been handed over to its 150 dedicated staff in what is believed to be a sector first in Scotland.
Kidzcare has announced its transition to employee ownership with 100% of the company shares now placed into an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) by owner Anne-Marie Dunn who co-founded the successful business in 2001.
The childcare specialists operate four nurseries, four breakfast clubs and six after-school clubs for children, offering options across Edinburgh, from Portobello to Bruntsfield and Fox Covert.
Ownership Associates, a specialist adviser to businesses considering establishing an EOT, provided support to the Kidzcare owner and employees throughout the process in what is believed to be the first business in the Scottish childcare sector to transition to employee ownership.
Anne-Marie Dunn said: “I’m delighted to be able to reward these dedicated and loyal employees by gifting them a share of this brilliant business. The staff at Kidzcare have supported me throughout this journey and I couldn’t reconcile myself to the idea of passing it on to anyone else.
“As I looked to withdraw from the business, I wanted to find an option that rewarded and empowered the staff into the future. As soon as I heard about employee ownership, I was instantly convinced that this was the vehicle to make it happen.
“By becoming employee owned, I am confident that Kidzcare’s values of safety, child development, fairness and kindness will continue, greatly benefiting the children we look after and the people who look after them.”
The business turns over £3 million a year and provides high quality childcare for more than 500 children a day around the city.
Anne-Marie added: “Our current HR Manager, Julie MacKenzie, who has been with us for more than eight years will take more of a managing director role as I gradually step back in the next few months.
“We have planned for a seamless transition so the business can smoothly enter its next chapter, and crucially, we are in control of how that happens best for all stakeholders.
“The transition into employee ownership has been very easy. Business transactions like this can be daunting and complicated but I have been so lucky to have a team of experienced advisors in Lindsays and Ownership Associates. They have guided me every step of the way. Nothing was a problem for them.”
Carole Leslie of Ownership Associates, who has worked on the transition of more than 80 businesses to the succession model, said: “It has been a great experience assisting Kidzcare to make the move to employee ownership. It was clear that this was the obvious option for the company and I’m certain the firm will fast see the benefits of this model of ownership.
“It has provided an exit plan for Anne-Marie, potentially life changing differences to her staff, and most importantly ensured that the quality of care for children remained at the heart of the business.
“This is a shining example of the business model benefiting everyone involved in the company. It also highlights the strong positives it can have on an industry like childcare.”
Douglas Roberts of Lindsays added: “Kidzcare has a brilliant reputation in Edinburgh and it was an honour to help the company with the legal aspects of its move to employee ownership.
“Parents trust the staff at Kidzcare to look after their children and Anne-Marie trusts her loyal employees to keep the values and high standards of Kidzcare. It was clear that employee ownership was ideal for Anne-Marie’s succession plans and I’m sure Kidzcare will hugely benefit from being employee owned.”
Ownership Associates works exclusively within the employee-owned sector, supporting companies on their move to employee ownership and working with established employee-owned businesses enabling them to maximise the ownership advantage.
Children in Lothian at risk from COVID-19, along with children living with an immunosuppressed person, are now eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination.
Launched yesterday, dedicated clinics especially designed for to cater for children will operate across the region. They will be open between 8.30am – 4.30pm, seven days a week, for pre-booked appointments only.
Jane McNulty, Director of Nursing for Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, said: “We are delighted to offer these clinics to the youngest people in our community.
“These clinics will be operated by specially trained paediatric vaccinators in a clinical environment, which will allow children, parents and guardians to discuss the vaccination process in a calm environment.”
The vaccination will first be offered to children with a higher COVID-19 risk factor and children living in the household of an immunosuppressed person, it will then be offered to the wider child population in due course.
Those eligible for the vaccination will receive a letter from NHS Lothian in the coming days with details about how to book an appointment through the National Vaccination Helpline. Parents and guardian do not need to actively contact NHS Lothian to arrange an appointment.
The clinics are opening their doors following the publication and government acceptance of the advice of the UK’s four Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) to offer two doses of the Pfizer childhood COVID-19 vaccine.
All children will receive two doses eight weeks apart. A third primary dose is also being offered to children aged 5-11 years with a severely weakened immune system. The third primary dose will be offered from 8 weeks after the second dose.
Ms McNulty added: “We recognise that parents and guardians may have questions regarding the COVID-19 vaccination and we encourage them to visit the pages on NHS Inform where there is a range of information available.
“Alongside this, our paediatric vaccinators are one hand to answer any questions people may have when they attend their child’s vaccination appointment.
“Vaccination remains critically important in the continued fight against COVID-19 and we welcome the further expansion of the vaccination programme across Lothian.”
Established vaccination clinics for over 12s will continue to operate separately from these clinics, with NHS Lothian still encouraging all over 12s to get any outstanding vaccinations.
Over 18s can receive their 1st, 2nd and booster vaccinations at all drop-in clinics. Those aged 12-17 can also attend for their second dose if it has been at least 12 weeks since their first dose and they have not tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 12 weeks.
More information on the 5-11 vaccination programme is available on NHS Inform:
Childhood is a particularly important period for forming positive behaviours related to nutrition. Children who learn and practise positive eating habits from an early age are likely to make healthy choices when they grow up.
Here we explore some ways to help promote positive eating behaviours:
Stick to regular meal and snack times
A regular eating pattern forms the basis of a healthy, balanced diet.
Children love routine. Providing three meals, and two or three snacks a day is ideal for children.
Keeping mealtimes regular creates predictability and encourages a healthy appetite.
Set a good example
In the long term, children and young adults are most likely to learn from how we behave rather than what we tell them. The more we can be a role model about healthy eating habits the better!
Set an example to your child by showing them how you make healthy choices and how you practice positive eating habits; this could be something as simple as choosing to eat a wide variety of foods, or by ensuring you drink plenty of water.
Eat together at the table
Wherever possible allow your children to eat with you. Family mealtimes offer an excellent opportunity to teach children good eating patterns as well as a time to connect and talk to each other.
Make the meal table relaxed and enjoyable, free of pressure or tension and minimise distractions by turning off the television and keeping phones away.
Get them involved!
Children love to get involved in new things, so why not get them to help in the kitchen? Cooking with kids and getting them involved in the meal preparation process may encourage them to try new healthy foods.
Small children could be responsible for setting the table, any mixing or stirring and washing fruit and vegetables. Older children could get involved with preparing the shopping list, chopping, and peeling!
We hope this has given you some ideas to try with your family!
Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, is hosting a free sustainable workshop on Sunday 6 February in Edinburgh for the Little Seedlings Club to learn how to grow indoors.
Suitable for children aged 4-10, this workshop will take place in Dobbies’ Edinburgh store and will encourage children to take advantage of the cold winter months and start growing fruit, vegetables and herbs indoors.
Children will learn about what fruit and vegetables can successfully be grown indoors, the best technique for chitting potatoes to prepare for sowing and all the benefits and uses of indoor herbs.
Dobbies will also be educating children on the benefits of growing your own for their health and the planet. Home grown produce creates no plastic waste and also reduces food waste as you only harvest what you need. In addition to this, locally grown vegetables reduce carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels.
Sarah Murray, Partnership and Events Manager said: “At Dobbies we always look for ways to help our customers be sustainable and we’re delighted to be educating and encouraging the next generation of gardeners to use sustainable practices.
“Our gardening club allows children from all backgrounds to come together and connect with one another in a friendly group setting. Learning about the plants in their garden, wildlife and environment, we strive to nurture their minds with fun-filled activities.
“Our Little Seedlings Club is ever-popular and spaces are filled quickly. We’d encourage anyone looking to bring their children along to our Edinburgh store to book in advance to avoid any disappointment.”
Advance booking is required to secure your space for this free to attend event at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store.
For more information on how your little one can take part, visit:
