A number of community centres will be providing a variety of children, youth and adult work next week as part of a phased approach by the City of Edinburgh Council to opening up more public services.
The centres at Jack Kane, South Bridge, Royston Wardieburn, Ratho, Clovenstone, Pentland and Goodtrees will be open in a limited way from Monday 12 July.
More community centres will have limited opening over the coming weeks as management committees liaise with the Council over what services can be provided in line with the latest health advice.
Up to now community centres had only been accessed to support essential services such as food poverty programmes, support for vulnerable groups and regulated childcare. From Monday there will be access for key youth groups and other children and adult activities.
The activities being provided are in addition to the Get into Summer programme of events which aims to children and their families to play, socialise and re-connect over the summer holidays.
Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “It’s absolutely vital for our citizens that our community centres are able to welcome them back as soon as possible so it’s welcome that we’ve been able to accelerate their opening.
“They’re a focal hub for our communities and you can’t underestimate the positive effect they have on people of all ages who benefit enormously from using them.”
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I’m sure people will be pleased to hear that essential services such as youth work along with other activities will soon be resuming in our community centres.
“These buildings are much-loved local spaces, like our libraries and sports venues, and the important role they will play in the city’s recovery from the pandemic is immeasurable.”
The Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) is seeking a bank of childminders to match with the parents and carers of school age children, who are looking to get back into employment.
The ‘Access to Childminding’ (A2C) service received £250,000 of funding from the Scottish Government’s Access to Childcare Fund, announced within the School Age Childcare Progress Report earlier this year, and aims to help move more parents and carers into employment by matching them with professional childminders in their local area who can provide flexible childcare, before and after school.
The scheme is being piloted initially initially in City of Edinburgh, Dumfries & Galloway, Fife, Midlothian and North Lanarkshire, with the aim of it becoming more widely available across the country.
A2C aims to help increase household income and families will benefit from high-quality, flexible childcare provided locally. In turn, it can help childminders to increase their business sustainability by providing access to new families who may have been unaware of how flexible childminding can support their family life.
SCMA is seeking around 100 childminders across the five pilot areas to take part, who have capacity within their setting to provide before and after school care.
Edinburgh childminder, Liz Stewart, who is taking part in Access to Childminding, said: “I’m participating in Access to Childminding because I know that finding affordable, high quality childcare locally can be difficult – especially for families who need flexible before and after school care which fits around their working day.
“I thought A2C was really great way for me to help parents who are finding childcare a barrier to getting back into work. I hope it makes a difference to know that childminding through A2C could support them.
“I’m also really excited to welcome any new families to my setting who may not have previously considered childminding as an option. Other childminders in Edinburgh who might be interested in putting themselves forward should go for it! I found the process of signing up to take part really easy and there wasn’t too much paperwork, which was great.”
Janine Ryan, Head of Childminding Services at SCMA, said: “One of the barriers to parents being able to move into employment is being able to find affordable childcare locally.
“We believe A2C will really support that initial step into employment for parents with school age children – and they’ll have peace of mind that their child is receiving professional, high-quality and nurturing childcare, while they take that exciting step back into work.
“A2C is also a fresh, new business opportunity for childminders in Edinburgh. It provides the potential for them to enhance their service by introducing new families who may not otherwise have considered using a childminder. We would really love to hear from childminders who would like to give it a try”
Funded placements are offered for up to 12 weeks for before and after school care during term-time, as well as during holiday periods. This initial time period provides a realistic window for children, families and childminders to develop relationships and helps build a foundation for long-term support.
The 12 week period also offers a bridge whilst parents settle into their new job, receive a salary and become eligible to apply for childcare benefits, where appropriate.
It is also anticipated that the parent could continue the placement with the childminder once the funding ends, as they will be able to make the payments themselves once they are receiving a regular income.
Janine continued: “92% of childminders achieve ‘good’ or above across all quality ratings at inspection by the Care Inspectorate. Evidence has shown childminding can enhance a child’s early learning, confidence and their social development.
“There are many parents who may be new to this form of childcare and may not be familiar with its benefits. The A2C project provides a unique opportunity to sample how using a local childminder could really help to support them to take that step back into work, whilst providing a safe, reliable, home-from-home childcare environment for their children.”
Eligible families can apply for a grant of at least £120 to help with the cost of school uniforms.
The Scottish Government and local authority leaders have reached an agreement to increase the national school clothing grant to a minimum of £120 per eligible primary school pupil and £150 per eligible secondary school pupil. This will be supported by £11.8 million of additional funding to local authorities.
The announcement marks another commitment for the first 100 days of this Government.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “School uniforms can place a significant financial burden on families, some of whom are already facing additional hardship as a result of the pandemic.
“This school clothing grant will help to relieve some of that pressure for around 145,000 families and it will help to ensure that all children can go to school feeling comfortable, confident and ready to learn.”
COSLA Children and Young People’s spokesperson Councillor Stephen McCabe said: “Councils and schools are working to tackle the costs of the school day, ensuring that all children are able to fully participate in their education.
“Working with the Scottish Government, we are pleased that the national minimum school clothing grant has been increased and that families can get extra support as we continue on the road to recovery from the pandemic.”
Eligible families can apply for the school clothing grant through their local council.
Sistema Scotland has announced that a new Big Noise programme will begin in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh in spring 2022. The project will work in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council and with Clovenstone, Canal View and Sighthill Primary and Nursery Schools.
Big Noise Wester Hailes will work initially with all children in Primary 1 and 2. Over the course of its first year, the programme will expand to reach all nursery to Primary 3 age children, approximately 400 participants in total across the community.
Big Noise will grow year on year, retaining the involvement of the children as they age, and introducing the next generations of nursery and Primary 1 children. It will ultimately work with babies through to school-leavers in Wester Hailes, as well as offering opportunities to stay involved in the programme as adults.
Big Noise is a high-quality music education and social change programme, where the symphony orchestra becomes a community which supports children and young people to gain vital life skills such as confidence, resilience, creativity and aspiration.
Through music and nurturing relationships, from infancy to adulthood, Big Noise supports participants’ wellbeing and helps them reach their full potential.
The programme also aims to strengthen the amazing communities where it is based; developing relationships with participants and their families based on mutual respect, trust and a commitment to work together and tackle inequalities for the long term.
While there are currently four Big Noise programmes, operating in Raploch (Stirling), Govanhill (Glasgow), Torry (Aberdeen) and Douglas (Dundee), this will be the first Big Noise programme to be based in Scotland’s capital city.
Independent evaluation of the Big Noise model by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health has shown that taking part in Big Noise helps children to improve their concentration and language skills, enhance their problem solving and decision making, increase their self-esteem and develop strong friendships and support networks.
Benny Higgins, Chairman of Sistema Scotland, said: “Sistema Scotland believes that all children and young people have great skills, talents and potential. We also know that many of Scotland’s communities face long-standing inequalities and challenges that make it extremely difficult for children to achieve their hopes, ambitions and dreams.
“The impact of Covid-19 has greatly exacerbated these inequalities. Now more than ever, we must think and act creatively to ensure Scotland’s children are given the opportunities and support that they deserve.
“Our charity is committed to ensuring that more children and communities across Scotland are able to take part in Big Noise and I am delighted that Wester Hailes will be the home of the next Big Noise programme.”
Councillor Ian Perry, Education, Children and Families Convener for City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I am extremely pleased to welcome Sistema Scotland to Edinburgh.
“I very much look forward to seeing the Big Noise programme in action, working with and supporting children, young people and families within the Wester Hailes community.”
Nicole Killean OBE, Chief Executive of Sistema Scotland,said: “We are greatly looking forward to starting a new Big Noise programme in Wester Hailes which will work in partnership with children, young people, families, schools and the community for many years to come.
” We also hope to work alongside local charities and community groups to bring additional support and value to Wester Hailes.”
Sam Laidlaw, mother of three from Wester Hailes, said: “Big Noise coming to Wester Hailes is such a great opportunity. Taking part in Big Noise will help the children grow their confidence.
“I’m excited to see the joy in the children’s faces as they explore music and movement. They will also come away from the programme with the ability to play a musical instrument by the time they leave high school which is great.
“I think Big Noise will help bring the community together and bring people together from different areas of Wester Hailes. I think it will bring a sense of pride to the community.”
Nicola Benedetti CBE, internationally-renowned violinist and official Big Sister to the participants of Big Noise, said: “Sistema Scotland’s consistent dedication to quality and expansion is an inspiration to all of us and I am so excited that they are finally in Edinburgh with this new Big Noise programme at Wester Hailes.”
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
Gardening for Good Health
Gardens and greenspaces have been hugely important to many people during the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, with many people finding their refuge through gardening.
Here we explore some of the health and mental wellbeing benefits of gardening:
Stress relief
Gardening is a fantastic stress reliever and can cultivate feelings of empowerment, connection, and calm. Being in touch with nature and the great outdoors can help you feel more removed from the daily stressors of life.
Work out
Gardening is exercise and working in a garden can use every major muscle group in the body. While activities such as raking and cutting the grass may be light exercise, shovelling and digging can be counted as vigorous exercise.
Grow your own
There is nothing quite like eating your own fresh home grown produce! Not only are many fruits and vegetables very easy to grow, but they are also more nutrient-dense, free of pesticides and tasty. By growing your own, you are also helping to preserve the environment.
Get the kids involved
It can sometimes be a challenge to get children to eat healthy foods and enjoy them. Growing vegetables not only teaches children valuable lessons about the work that it takes to grow them, but it can also help them to gain a keen interest in eating them too.
Work with what you have
Whether your patch is large or small, a raised bed, a community garden or window box – make the most of it by researching the best plants for your space and sunlight exposure. You can grow a range of things with very little space and maintenance, whilst still reaping the benefits.
Cut in spend of £1,052 per pupil with ASN since 2012
‘Postcode lottery’ of spending between local authorities on ASN
Increase of just under 100,000 in the number of pupils with ASN since 2012
Cut in the number of ASN teachers to an all-time low
An alliance of leading independent and third sector organisations, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), has called for greater resourcing to support children and young people with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems.
The call comes as new figures contained in a parliamentary answer reveal that spend per pupil with ASN has slumped dramatically, while the number of specialist teachers supporting them has dropped to a new low and the number of pupils with ASN has escalated dramatically.
The figures highlight that average spend per pupil on additional support for learning by local authorities in Scotland (primary, secondary and special education) has fallen from £4,276 in 2012 to £3,224 in 2020 (in cash terms).
This amounts to an overall cut in spending of £1,052 per pupil, representing a 24.6% drop.
Spend per pupil ranges from £1,737 in Edinburgh to £5,849 in the Shetland Islands, pointing to a ‘postcode lottery’ in spend across local authorities (see Notes to Editors for figures per local authority).
This fall is against the backdrop of an 82.9 per cent increase since 2012 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,011 to 215,897, amounting to 97,886 individuals. Those with ASNcurrently represent just under a third of all pupils (30.9 per cent).
Between 2012 and 2020 the number of full-time equivalent ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,389 to 2,836, a decrease of 553 teachers, representing a cut of 16.3 per cent and an all-time low.
Against the background of Covid-19 and its disproportionate impact on those with ASN, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and local authorities to ensure that those with ASN in Scotland’s schools receive the care and support they need.
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need, especially during and as we come out of the current Covid-19 crisis. This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap as we know that those with ASN disproportionately come from lower income families and areas of deprivation.
“Such a situation is clearly challenging in an environment of austerity and evidence of cuts in spending per pupil with ASN and in the number of specialist teachers supporting this group.
“It is vital that the Scottish Government and local authorities work together to provide the necessary resourcing to address the needs of those children and young people with ASN, who represent some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. “
A £4 million per year fund to help improve the lives of care-experienced young people will continue up to 2024-25.
The Promise Partnership Fund enables organisations to better support children and young people in or on the edges of care, as well as families who need it.
The fund is open to private, public and third sector organisations and care-experienced people will help make the final funding decisions.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney has also welcomed publication of The Change Programme, which sets out what needs to happen over the next year to ensure Scotland keeps its Promise to improve the lives of children and young people in care.
Mr Swinney said: “The Promise Partnership Fund is an important because it provides additional resources to help organisations make the changes needed to enrich the lives of children and young people in or on the edges care.
“I have written today to Fiona Duncan, chair of The Promise Scotland, welcoming publication of The Change Programme and committing to using that document as a lever to accelerate real and meaningful change to #KeepThePromise.
“We will continue to work with The Promise Scotland, with service partners and importantly children and families to ensure we drive forward the transformational change that is required to make Scotland the best place to grow up where all children are loved, safe, respected and realise their full potential.”
The Promise Scotland publishes Change Programme ONE
Today The Promise Scotland publishes Change Programme ONE. It is a plan of action for the coming year and follows on from the publication of Plan 21-24 which mapped and sequenced the 80+ calls to action in the Independent Care Review’s conclusions and identified five priority areas for the coming three years.
The collective buy-in to the change demanded by the Independent Care Review created an authorising environment for this approach to sequenced, collaborative implementation across multiple sectors and agencies towards a single, shared long-term vision.
This is new territory for Scotland.
The content of the Change Programme comes from the engagement The Promise Scotland is having with the organisations that have responsibility to change shape first or most for Scotland to #KeepThePromise. They are referred to in the Change Programme as ‘lead organisations’.
Many of the meetings to discuss the promise included multiple agencies, reflecting the joint working taking place across local partnerships to support children and families, demonstrating a sustained, shared commitment for doing things differently. The focus of the conversation was: what is happening now, what is planned and what is getting in the way of progress.
The Promise Scotland has made an assessment of the work against three categories. In nine areas, work is underway; in fifteen areas work is underway but does not yet appear sufficient; and in one area there is little or no work underway.
This is the first Change Programme and it was produced in the shadow of COVID-19, but it clearly shows there is a lot to do. The Promise Scotland Oversight Board will consider it, review mismatch and lack of alignment between national and local, system and service, practice and culture, etc.
This is the tricky part. When folk have to stop saying they support change and ACTUALLY change.
Some may feel criticised by the Change Programme, bruised by their report card. Others would like to have been more involved in its creation, but for them to operate radically differently commissioning, policy etc. has to change. And others saying they are doing what they can but the limitations of the operating environment won’t let them do more. The Oversight Board has to consider all of this.
Navigating this new territory has never been more important.
Many of the children and families who weren’t previously well served by public services have been the hardest hit over the last fifteen months, feeling even more acutely the effects of poverty, abuse and neglect, the impact of poor housing, the challenges of loneliness and addiction. And suffering the greatest loss of life.
The pandemic intensified, but did not create poverty and trauma. These families, as well as many others who were previously coping but due to changes in circumstances outwith their control, may now need help. So too might the thousands of new parents, as COVID-19 chronically restricted their access to social and professional support networks.
A profound risk of these consequences is that more children enter Scotland’s ‘care system,’ when, with support, families could stay together and thrive. They cannot be fearful of asking for help and it must be there when they need it.
The long-term impact of the last year on our children and young people is, as yet, unknown. Not being able to get out to play with friends or see family, instead worrying about loved ones whilst trying to keep up with schoolwork, sometimes without the kit needed to learn and in accommodation not conducive to learning, has been devastating. There have been too many lost opportunities to take part in activities like sport, music, art, sleepovers, with volunteering and work experience placements vanishing.
But here’s a difficult truth: those circumstances are not far from the everyday, pre-pandemic reality of children and young people who experience the very worst of Scotland’s ‘care system’. Eighteen months on from the Care Review there is no excuse for that ‘care system’ not to be gone for good.
The Change Programme is not an exhaustive list of all that is happening across Scotland. Everyday people and organisations are supporting children and families, caring for the children in Scotland’s care, championing their rights and helping make sure they go on to have a fulfilling life. They are doing what they can right now.
So, when you read it – and I hope you do – please think about your role, your responsibility and do what you can. Today, tomorrow and everyday.
We are more likely to get to where we all want to if we travel together and towards the same vision.
On 31 March 2021, The Promise Scotland published Plan 21-24, the first of three overarching plans, outlining five priority areas of change, each with actions.
Those actions must be completed by 2024 for Scotland to stay on track to #KeepThePromise it made to its children and families, in full, by 2030.
The Change Programme will ensure these actions are taken. Between now and 2024, a Change Programme will be updated regularly to capture the work underway to #KeepThePromise, in each priority area of change.
It will record change as it happens, monitor progress, identify gaps and risks. Change Programme One tells us:
What is happening now
What is happening next &
What needs to happen
Change Programme One will be used to:
Identify, celebrate and amplify positive change
Link up siloed groups, services and individuals so they can work together
Provide extra support to organisations that need it
By March 2022 The Change Programme will be fully online, reflecting change in (as close as possible to) real time, providing a single window onto the cross-sector, multi-agency approach to collaborative implementation that is required.
Change Programme ONE is a live plan of actions that will constantly adapt and change over time and when needed, to best #KeepThePromise.
The Change Programme includes commitments made by organisations from all across Scotland, reflecting what they are doing differently, based on what matters most to children and families.
The NSPCC’s Childline has delivered 305 counselling sessions to young people in Scotland about gender identity and sexuality in the past year.
In more than 170 of these counselling sessions, young people mentioned coming out as a concern – an 11% increase from the previous year.
The children’s charity has released this data to mark Pride Month. Childline currently has around 370 volunteer counsellors, across its Glasgow and Aberdeen bases, who have heard first-hand how tough the past year has been for many children and young people due to challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic. Many have struggled with local lockdowns and being cut off from their usual support networks, while others have been worried about returning to school.
However, some young people described the lockdown as a time of reflection and a chance to take stock, and finding confidence to come out to their friends and family. Some also talked about feeling worried about the reaction they would get from other people.
A young person who spoke to Childline said: “I want to tell somebody that I’m gay but I just can’t find the courage to. I don’t want people to judge me or treat me any differently if they find out. Some people really hate gay people and I’m scared of what will happen if I tell someone”. (Girl, aged 12)
As restrictions continue to ease, it remains vital that all children and young people know where they can access help and support.
This Pride Month, Childline reminds young people that the service is here for them. All children can speak to a trained volunteer counsellor over the phone, via email or on a one-to-one chat on the Childline website.
The NSPCC also has information on it’s website for parents and carers on how to talk to children about their sexuality and advice on how to help keep them safe.
Lauren Burke, Childline Glasgow team manager, said: “At Childline, we know that coming out or speaking about sexuality and gender identity can be really challenging.
“Many children and young people who have spoken to our trained volunteer counsellors have described their time under lockdown as a period of reflection, a chance to think about important issues in their lives, both recent and historic.
“Some children with sexuality and gender concerns revealed that lockdown had been particularly hard for them, as they’d been cut off from their usual support networks. Whereas others told Childline that lockdown had given them the confidence and freedom to come out to their friends and family.
“No matter what a young person’s experience is with coming out or speaking about their gender identity or sexuality, at Childline we believe every young person has a right to be listened to and speak about any worries or questions they may have without feeling judged.
“If a young person feels unable to speak to a trusted adult in their life then we would encourage them to speak to Childline.”
Adults concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111.
Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful, is delighted to award five schools in Edinburgh City with an Eco-Schools Green Flag.
The international award recognises nurseries and schools which have demonstrated a commitment to the Eco-Schools Scotland programme and over two years have engaged their whole school community in local environmental action.
The five schools are: Brunstane Primary School (which has held a Green Flag since 2016), Liberton Nursery (which has held a Green Flag since 2011), Carrick Knowe Primary School (which has held a Green Flag since 2007), St John’s Primary School (which has held a Green Flag since 2013) and George Heriot’s Junior (a Green Flag school since 2007).
Brunstane Primary School was recognised for carrying out regular community litter picks and forming a pupil parliament group to address road safety concerns near the school.
Children at Liberton Nursery carried out regular litter picks in the woods where they have nature play time, recorded types of litter in a survey and carried out extensive work on biodiversity.
Pupils at St. John’s Primary School carried out an anti-litter poster campaign and whole school assembly and organised regular litter picks in a new park near the school ensuring it stays clean and welcoming. They also worked with the Woodland Trust to plant native trees around the school.
At Carrick Knowe Primary School, pupils organised litter picks with every year group, and ran class workshops on single use plastics.
George Heriot’s pupils increased the effectiveness of the school’s recycling and explored possibilities of hosting renewable energy sources at the school.
Through the Eco-Schools Scotland programme, Keep Scotland Beautiful aims to make environmental awareness and action to tackle climate change an intrinsic part of the life and ethos of schools, for both pupils and for staff.
The programme provides a framework to engage the wider school community in action and support aligned with the purposes of Curriculum for Excellence and Learning for Sustainability.
To complete the Green Flag journey each school has a choice of ten topics to engage with, from food and the environment, to litter, to energy. The schools also choose one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to link their Eco-Schools work to.
Barry Fisher, Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Congratulations to the Eco-Committee, pupils and staff at each of these schools, who have worked so hard schools, who have worked so hard to achieve their Green Flag Award, particularly during a time of unprecedented adjustment and change to education caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.
“This is a great achievement and testament to the resilience and creativity of both pupils and educators.
“Keep Scotland Beautiful is committed to supporting all our children and young people to develop the capacities, skills and attributes required to protect our planet for the future.”
More information about the world’s largest sustainable schools programme and Eco-Schools Scotland can be found at:
Dynamic Dinosaurs are coming out to play at Conifox Adventure Park!
Dynamic Dinosaurs from 5th – 11th July
Family run, for family fun, Conifox Adventure Park announces an event of the biggest proportions, as it invites some of the oldest visitors ever seen (even older than Grandad!) to stay and play.
From 5th to 11th July, come and meet the Dinosaur Rangers as they introduce four LIVE dinosaurs, teaching you fascinating facts and telling wild stories in a fun-packed 45-minute show. Little kids and big will get to see the dinos up close, petting them as well as having the opportunity to snap a photo to remember what will be an utterly off the ‘scale’ day.
Not to be missed, this limited-edition show will be home to two Velociraptors, a Triceratops and a T-Rex, all incredibly lifelike, roaming, roaring and waiting to be discovered.
James Gammell, director of Conifox Adventure Park is one big kid who cannot wait for this dino-mite adventure: “Can you roar like a T-Rex? Stomp like a Triceratops? Well, now is your chance to find out … !
“We are so excited to have four guests coming to stay with us this July, all of whom haven’t been seen for more than 65 million years. By the way, does anyone know what dinosaurs eat? Better get the rangers ready!”
After your voice is sore from roaring, guests are invited to journey around the dino area to find clues and collect a prize, whilst visitors (who haven’t been eaten) can complete the day (or start it before their adventure begins) with lots of family fun in the Adventure Park, with attractions including a: 9-Hole Footgolf Course, Pedal Go-Karts, Off-Road Pedal Tractors, Giant Sand Pit, Kid’s Pedal Tractor Farm, Springers, Giant Jump Pillow, Trampolines, Swings, Balance Beams, Rope Bridge and so much more!
Are you brave enough to step into our pre-historic world? We promise, nothing will Triceratop-it!
Find out more and book tickets here, or visit the Conifox Adventure Park Facebook page @conifoxadventurepark and website.
