Official statistics have been published for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods for the period from December 2018 to 28 February 2021.
More than 162,800 Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods applications have been approved, with a total of £53.8 million paid to clients since launch.
Three cash payments make up Best Start Grant. These are Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Early Learning Payment, and School Age Payment.
Best Start Foods is a prepaid card that can be used in shops and online to buy healthy foods for pregnant mothers and children under three-years-old.
Since launch, more than £17.1 million of payments have been awarded for Pregnancy and Baby Payment, £13 million for Early Learning Payment, £10.1 million for School Age Payment and £13.6 million paid through Best Start Foods.
Authorised applications for December 2020, January 2021 and February 2021 for all payments stand at 4,755, 4,545 and 5,480 respectively.
Social Security Scotland began taking applications for Scottish Child Payment in November 2020. As part of the application process, individuals can choose to make a joint application for Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Grant, and Best Start Foods.
Details on how to apply for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods are available at MyGov.scot.
Disadvantaged young people across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and Falkirk have received a financial boost with the launch of a new partnership between Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids and Charles River Laboratories.
The pharma company has presented the charity with a donation of £10,000 and pledged to raise more vital funds in the future. The donation will go directly towards the next grant round of funding, supporting community groups and families – many of whom are facing a financial emergency in the pandemic.
As part of the partnership, colleagues at Charles River Laboratories have signed up to take part in the Virtual Kiltwalk as well as Cash for Kids’ own Virtual Tour de Forth event. They’ll also provide a team of volunteers for the next Mission Christmas campaign in December.
Edinburgh-based Director at Charles River Laboratories, Morag Myers, said:“After such a challenging year for fundraising, we are hopeful that this initial donation of £10,000 will go a long way to help families in our local community and have a positive impact on the lives of children and young people.
“At Charles River, our purpose is clear, and our passion is strong: together, we create healthier lives. One of our key values is Care and one of the ways that we demonstrate this is by supporting the communities where we work and live. By Supporting Cash For Kids we are looking forward to doing just that.”
Charity Manager at Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids, Victoria Hendry, added:“2020 was a hugely challenging year for our charity, with events and numerous fundraisers cancelled, but it was thanks to the efforts of our individual and corporate supporters that we were able to re-open grant funding towards the end of the year.
“We’ve already supported more than 7,000 children in 2021, with over £110,000 in financial support so far.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the Scottish team at Charles River Laboratories for their generous donation and commitment to go even further for us in the future. The pandemic has proved to us that every single penny we raise can make a difference. Their donation will change lives for the better and help Cash for Kids reach and help even more young people right across the region.”
The service made nearly 2,500 referrals to external agencies such as the police and local authorities from April 2020 to March 2021, compared with 1,781 in 2019/20.
Referrals are made when concerns reported to the helpline are considered to be serious enough to warrant further investigation or if it is felt a family needs support.
The figures echo concerns from the charity’s frontline teams that the pandemic has increased the risks of abuse and neglect, with children both more vulnerable and out of sight of people who can keep them safe.
The NSPCC is now warning that with most children back in schools and society, the hidden harms they experienced during the lockdowns will become visible.
The charity is calling for the Governments across the UK to invest in a positive future for children by ensuring their catch-up plans go beyond education.
In the short term, they must address the harm and trauma children may have faced in the past 12 months, but Governments must also use the opportunity to invest in keeping children safe and well in the future.
The charity believes that investing in support for very young children must be a priority for the next Scottish Government, because this is a particularly vulnerable stage in life when foundations for lifelong health and wellbeing are built.
It is crucial that there is substantial investment in public services – universal and specialist – so all parents in Scotland are supported to give their children the best start in life.
This includes worries about parental alcohol and substance misuse, domestic abuse and parental mental health.
This was followed by:
Physical abuse, which increased by 42% to 490 referrals
Neglect, which increased by 2% to 422 referrals
Emotional abuse, which increased by 15% to 289 referrals
A parent from Scotland who contacted the helpline said: “I was recently let go from my job and I haven’t been coping well with the stress of it all. I’ve been drinking more than I used to and me and my wife argue almost every day.
“Sometimes the rows happen in front of our two-year old daughter – I’m worried what affect it must be having on her.
“Me and my wife have tried couples counselling in the past but it didn’t really work for us. I really want to get my anger under control so I’m hoping you might be able to help.”
Undertake a Scotland-wide needs assessment to build a true picture of infancy across the country and where there are gaps in support, or systems which need to change.
Follow the blueprint set out in the Independent Care Review’s Promise report, build intensive family support provision, considering specifically what support families with young children need.
Invest in specialist services which support the parent-child relationships so all parents in Scotland are enabled to give their children the best start in life.
Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC CEO, said:‘”We’ve been hearing first-hand about the immense pressures families have faced during the pandemic and the heavy toll that has taken on children and young people. For some children, this has included experiencing abuse, bereavement and other harm.
“The record number of contacts to our helpline reinforces the need for Governments across the UK to put children at the heart of their recovery plans. These must go beyond education and address the harm some have experienced so the pandemic doesn’t leave a legacy of trauma for children.
“But this isn’t just a job for our Governments. Everyone has to play their part in keeping children safe. And that’s why we’re planning Childhood Day on 11 June when we’ll celebrate childhood and encourage people to get involved in making sure all children grow up happy and safe.”
The campaign will celebrate childhood by bringing the nation together to play, raise money and help keep children safe. It will put a spotlight on what it is to be a child, whilst also showing we must work together to prevent abuse and protect children.
Young swimmers are celebrating their return to swimming lessons – and at the same time are showing how healthy activities can return post-lockdown – with the reopening of ten pools in Edinburgh.
Following months of closure caused by the pandemic, Edinburgh Leisure has been able to facilitate the return of 4,370 children to the national Learn to Swim Framework.
Edinburgh Leisure operates pools at Ainslie Park Leisure Centre, Drumbrae Leisure Centre, Gracemount Leisure Centre, Dalry Swim Centre, Glenogle Swim Centre, Leith Victoria Swim Centre, Portobello Swim Centre, The Royal Commonwealth Pool, Queensferry High School and Currie High School.
The Learn to Swim Framework, a partnership between Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water, is delivered by Leisure Trusts and aquatic providers enables children of all ages to become safe and confident swimmers.
Edinburgh Leisure has welcomed back 4,370 children and young people from babies through to Club level from 26 April 2021 – the first lessons in the area since pools had to close in December following an initial re-opening in September at the end of the first national lockdown.
Angela McCowan, Aquatics Development Manager at Edinburgh Leisure said: “We are delighted to be welcoming so many children and young people back to our pools across the city. Not only is it a great opportunity for them to get active again but they are learning critical life skills, which will keep them safe in and around water.”
New measures have been put in place, including social distancing, additional hygiene procedures, instructors teaching from poolside and children arriving to lessons ‘Beach Ready’ with their swimming costumes on under clothing.
Around 85% of the 39 Learn to Swim Framework providers are set to resume their programmes over the coming weeks and Edinburgh Leisure will open 10 pools for lessons.
The Learn to Swim partnership between Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water was extended for a fourth year in 2020 following its success in creating a 100,000-strong new generation of safe swimmers.
Euan Lowe, Scottish Swimming chief executive officer, said: “After a long period of various closures and restrictions, we’re thrilled to see children return to the water.It’s great to see their excitement and eagerness to get back into the water. We look forward to seeing lessons resume right across the country over the coming weeks.
“It is also encouraging to see the nation’s youngsters take a lead in showing that health and leisure activities can be resumed post-lockdown. We know from recent studies and advice from the World Health Organisation that the properties of chlorine make pool environments safe spaces during this pandemic to participate in sport and exercise.
“The Leisure Trusts and aquatic providers involved with Learn to Swim has shown what can be achieved when everyone works so closely and diligently together.”
Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs with Scottish Water, said: “It’s fantastic to be in a position now where we can restart the programme and enable more children to become strong and confident swimmers – especially in the lead up to summer.
“With our partnership with Scottish Swimming into its fourth year, we look forward to seeing thousands of youngsters continue to both start and enjoy their lessons.”
The Learn to Swim Framework is aimed at youngsters from birth to 11-years-old and provides consistently high-quality teaching which progresses through a series of lessons and levels over a number of years.
More information on the Learn to Swim Framework can be found on the dedicated website: www.learntoswim.scot
Join us at Collective for a weekend of free, socially distanced, outdoor play and crafty activities for local families and under 12s.
Taking inspiration from Christian Newby’s new large-scale textile work in the City Dome, Collective Play: Warp/Weft invites children and families to take part in creative play and fibre art activities across the site!
Throughout the weekend:
Try your hand at weaving with artist and maker Rhona Jack as the City Observatory pillars become a giant loom!
Claim your free fibre craft and play pack, designed by Rhona with everything you’ll need to make your own tapestries using recycled materials
Visit Christian Newby’s exhibition, Boredom>Mischief>Fantasy >Radicalism>Fantasy: learn about the tools Christian used to create his textile work, and see how many different motifs you can spot in the tapestry
Collective PLAY: Warp/Weft is free, donations welcome, but booking either a morning or afternoon slot via Eventbrite is required.
Every care has been taken when organising this event to ensure the safety of visitors, staff, and to adhere to COVID-19 government guidelines:
Pre-booked tickets for a morning or afternoon session will allow us to maintain a safe number of visitors to Collective Play at all times.
Materials packs have been carefully packaged using sanitised hands and will be yours to keep after the event.
Children and adults will be asked to sanitise their hands before taking part in the giant weaving activity, and numbers will be limited to ensure social distancing.
All play will take place outdoors. Collective is based in a large public park, Calton Hill and, after taking part in the on-site activities, we encourage families to take their materials packs out into the park to explore.
Tickets are limited and previous events have sold out so early booking is recommended – all details and booking link are on our website here:
Rhona Jack is a multi-disciplinary artist, living and working in Dundee, whose practice is formed by a combination of sculpture and fibre art, often blurring the lines between art, craft and design.
She graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in 2017 and is currently a Committee Member of GENERATORprojects.
Recent exhibitions include ‘Wear and Tear’ (Nomas* Projects, Dundee, 2021), ’Women in Print’ (Zane Bennett Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, 2020), Platform (City Art Centre, Edinburgh, 2020), Reduct (Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, 2020), Satellite (Summerhall, Edinburgh, 2018), Inside:Outside and An Isolated Process (both MERZ Gallery, Sanquhar, 2020).
Local charities in the Lothians helped Aldi donate 12,088 meals to people in need over the Easter school holidays.
The supermarket paired up its stores with local charities, community groups and foodbanks to donate surplus food, prioritising donations to those focused on feeding children.
Around 36 tonnes of food were donated throughout Scotland, with more than 61,000 meals, including over 47,500 meals for children, donated to causes supporting families and children in need.
The donation is part of Aldi’s commitment to donate 10 million meals across the country in 2021, in partnership with community giving platform Neighbourly.
So far this year, Aldi stores across the UK have already donated more than two million meals to good causes.
Mary Dunn, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK,said: “We’re proud to support good causes in the Lothians, helping them to provide meals to those in need over the Easter period.
“At a time when more people are experiencing financial hardship and food insecurity due to Covid-19, we are committed to doing what we can to donate more meals in 2021 than ever before.”
Steve Butterworth, from Neighbourly, added:“The school holidays are often a busy time for the nation’s charities and food banks. I’m sure Aldi’s donation will have been a massive help for so many of these vital organisations.”
New research shows how much is needed to live the life of the UK’s average household
One person would need to earn £42,781, while a couple would need to be paid £18,714 each
A UK household would need one person to earn an annual salary of £42,781 to be able to live an average life.
The average household is made up of 2.4 people, and has annual outgoings of £30,571, while also saving £2,160 per year, according to statistics from the ONS.
Research from IVA Advice reveals that a single breadwinner in the household would need to earn £42,781, giving them an after tax income of £32,731 to account for the UK’s average spending and saving.
Despite covering the typical outgoings of a UK household, the salary itself is 37% above the national average.
According a range of job websites, positions paying an average of £42,781 per year include the role of Team Leader in Warwickshire County Council, an environmental engineer in Strood, and a Pharmacy Manager in West Bromwich.
Alternatively, if two people are bringing in a salary, they each need to earn £18,714 a year, which equates to a net wage of £16,366 each. The annual income is 18% below the national average, but two people earning the amount would be able to live the UK’s average lifestyle.
Jobs in which people can make around £18,714 a year include a Forklift Counterbalance Operative, a Production Factory Operative, a JD Sports Fashion Assistant Manager, or a Legal Assistant.
The average UK household budget breaks down to £2,548 a month, with some of the biggest monthly costs including housing, i.e. paying a mortgage or rent, at £309, food and drink at £279 and recreation and culture, such as pet and TV fees costing £205.
The study was conducted by IVA Advice to raise awareness of the importance of keeping track of household finances.
Commenting on the study, a spokesperson for IVA Advice said: “These figures show that a person needs to earn a considerable wage for their household to live the UK’s ‘average’ life.
“People often feel under pressure to have the newest and best things, never mind just the ‘average’. So it’s not surprising that people can easily overspend and find themselves in debt trouble very quickly.”
Sustrans Big Pedal is back! The UK’s biggest cycling, walking, wheeling and scooting challenge takes place between 19 and 30 April.
Keeping children active is more important than ever and because we don’t know exactly what the rest of 2021 will bring in terms of Coronavirus restrictions, pupils are able to to compete regardless of if they are learning at school or at home.
Big Pedal is back for 2021. Our long-running competition to get more people travelling actively to school has been changed so that children learning at home can take part.
It’s the UK’s largest cycling, walking, wheeling and scooting competition for primary and secondary schools.
The competition has now been running for 11 years.
And this year it’s fronted by Dame Sarah Storey, British Paralympian and 38-time world champion in cycling and swimming.
Big Pedal 2021 will run from19 to 30 April 2021.
It will see young people across the UK compete with one another to make the most journeys by cycling, walking, scooting or using a wheelchair.
The theme of this year’s competition is ‘Amazing Journeys’.
And we’re encouraging pupils to see their local areas from a different perspective and learn about the benefits of active travel.
The coronavirus pandemic and national and local lockdowns have meant that many of us are spending more time at home.
So we’ve adapted Sustrans Big Pedal 2021 to become more flexible to the world around us at the moment.
Children will be able to take part in the competition and supporting activities whether they are travelling to school or learning at home.
The importance of staying active during lockdown
Regular physical activity is vital to promote good physical and mental health.
And guidance from the UK’s Chief Medical Officers recommending children partake in 60 minutes of physical activity each day.
New data from Sport England suggests there has been a decline in the physical activity levels of children due to the pandemic.
Almost a third of children in England are engaging in less than 30 minutes of daily physical activity in the 2019 – 2020 academic year.
But our Big Pedal challenge is an easy way for families to stay active whether schools are open or not.
Keeping active to help protect the NHS
Dame Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner for the Sheffield City Region said: “I am delighted to be involved with the Big Pedal in 2021, and delighted it will be pandemic-proof this year too!
“Health has been in the spotlight over the past year, like never before, and getting out for a cycle ride has been one of the few activities that have been unaffected by the various restrictions.
“Staying active is one of the ways we can all play our part in protecting the NHS throughout our lives.
“Active people are less likely to fall into ill-health and suffer from the many diseases caused by not getting enough exercise.
“I really hope to see as many people as possible involved this year.
“It will be a fantastic way to start the Spring and to give ourselves a challenge in what has already been a challenging start to the year.”
Sustrans CEO, Xavier Brice said: “We’re excited that the Big Pedal is returning for 2021, after what has been a truly difficult year for all.
“And the need to make time to incorporate physical activity into our daily routines seems important now more than ever.
“We don’t know exactly what the rest of 2021 will bring in terms of coronavirus restrictions.
“But we’re delighted pupils will be able to take part, regardless of where they are learning.
“Active travel has proven its worth over the past year, with more people looking for socially distanced ways to move around and remain active in lockdown.
“As we look towards life after Covid-19 and schools returning as normal, we hope to see local authorities use the next stage of funding announced in November for cycling and walking.
“We need to continue to make it easier for families to travel actively to school.
“More people travelling actively for essential everyday journeys such as the school run means fewer cars on the road.
“And this helps to ease congestion and reduce air pollution around school gates”.
Join in the Big Pedal fun
Another fun and easy way to get involved in this year’s Big Pedal is to enter our family competition.
Share pictures or short videos of you and your children getting active between 19-30 April using #BigPedalWin on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Make sure you’re following @Sustrans on your favourite social media platform for the latest news about this competition.
Whether you’re doing the usual school run or just need some inspiration for keeping the family active in lockdown, we’ve got you covered.
Polling shows majority of adults in Scotland would back end-to-end encryption in private messaging if children’s safety is not compromised
NSPCC chief calls for a reset of the debate to protect the safety and privacy rights of children
Home Secretary to address NSPCC event on end-to-end encryption
The NSPCC is warning that private messaging is the frontline of child sexual abuse online and is calling for an urgent re-set of debates on end-to-end encryption.
The call comes as polling shows the Scottish public support for end-to-end encryption of private messages would double if platforms could demonstrate children’s safety would not be compromised.
An NSPCC/YouGov survey found 29% of adults in Scotland support using end-to-end encryption on social media and messaging services, but this jumps to 59% if it was rolled out only if and when tech firms can ensure children’s safety is protected.
A total of 183 adults in Scotland were surveyed between 31st December 2020 and 4th January 2021.
Major tech firms currently use a range of technology to identify child abuse images and detect grooming and sexual abuse in private messages.
But there are fears that Facebook’s proposals to end-to-end encrypt Facebook Messenger and Instagram would render these tools useless, with estimates that 70% of global child abuse reports could be lost.
In 2018 these reports resulted in 2,500 arrests and 3,000 children being safeguarded in the UK.
A major NSPCC roundtable attended by the UK Government Home Secretary, Priti Patel, will today (Monday) bring together child protection, civil society and law enforcement experts from the UK, US, Canada, Ireland and Australia.
The charity will call for an urgent reset of the debate around end-to-end encryption which they say has increasingly become an ‘either or’ argument skewed in favour of adult privacy over the safety and privacy rights of children.
More than half (52%) of adults in Scotland believe the ability to detect child abuse images is more important than the right to privacy and more than a third (39%) think they are equally important. Only 3% say privacy should be prioritised over safety.
94% support social networks and messaging services having the technical ability to detect child abuse images on their sites.
95% support a technical ability to detect adults sending sexual images to children on their services.
Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive, said: “Private messaging is the frontline of child sexual abuse but the current debate around end-to-end encryption risks leaving children unprotected where there is most harm.
“The public want an end to rhetoric that heats up the issue but shines little light on a solution, so it’s in firms’ interests to find a fix that allows them to continue to use tech to disrupt abuse in an end-to-end encrypted world.
“We need a coordinated response across society, but ultimately the UK Government must be the guardrail that protects child users if tech companies choose to put them at risk with dangerous design choices.”
A re-set debate should focus on demonstrating the impact that end-to-end encryption will have on engineering away platforms’ ability to find abuse in private messaging, and how this can be avoided.
The current debate predominantly focuses on the impact of end-to-end encryption for law enforcement, which emphasises the investigation of abuse after it has already taken place – rather than focussing on the loss of platforms’ ability to detect and disrupt abuse much earlier.
At the roundtable, the NSPCC will share new research and analysis about the implications of end-to-end encryption for child protection and call for tech firms to refocus their approach through safer design features and investment in technology.
It says tech firms should strive to achieve a new settlement that balances properly the benefits and risks of end-to-end encryption, underpinned by legal safeguards through regulation.
The NSPCC is calling for a reset of the debate that allows parties to reach a balanced settlement on both safety and privacy by:
Considering the needs of all users, including children
Avoiding characterising children’s safety as a simplistic trade off against adult’s privacy
Reflecting children’s digital rights under international law
Tech firms respecting the full range of fundamental rights at stake, rather than privileging some over others
Considering how particular design features can exacerbate the risk of end-to-end encryption to children – e.g. Facebook algorithms that suggest children as friends to adults and plans to auto delete messages on WhatsApp
The UK Government Home Secretary will address the meeting a year after the NSPCC brought together 130 children’s organisations to call on Facebook not to proceed with end-to-end encryption until they can guarantee children’s safety won’t be compromised.
The NSPCC’s report End-to-End Encryption: Understanding the Impacts for Child Safety Online compiled research and interviews with experts from 17 organisations in the UK, US and Australia, including industry, government, law enforcement, civil society and academics.
Its policy briefing Private messaging and the rollout of end-to-end encryption – the implications for child protectionsets out the importance of a range of responses to ensure child protection can be maintained in end-to-end encrypted environments, through technological, civil society and legislative and regulatory action.
The Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has announced it will be offering pregnant women the COVID-19 vaccine, in line with the vaccine roll out plan for the UK.
This comes after the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) presented evidence to the JCVI on the impact of COVID-19 for pregnant women, leading the JCVI to recommend offering vaccination to all pregnant women in line with priority groups. This enables every pregnant woman to make an individual decision based on benefits and risks.
Up until this point, the COVID-19 vaccination has only been offered to pregnant women when their risk of exposure to the virus is high, such as health and social care workers, or if the woman has underlying conditions that place her at high risk of complications of COVID-19.
Clinical trials testing the vaccine in pregnant women are just starting, but robust real-world data from the US – where around 90,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated mainly with mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna – have not raised any safety concerns.
Therefore, the JCVI is advising that it is preferable for the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA vaccines to be offered to pregnant women in the UK, where available.
Professor Lucy Chappell, consultant obstetrician and COVID-19 vaccine lead for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “This announcement from the JCVI brings the UK into line with the US and other countries who have been offering the COVID-19 vaccine to pregnant women since December, and should provide reassurance to pregnant women, as well as those planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, that vaccination is an option for them.
“We are continuing to work with healthcare professionals so they are able to counsel pregnant women on the risks and benefits of having the COVID-19 vaccine based on their individual circumstances.
“We are also advocating for more data collection of pregnant women receiving the vaccine in the UK, and welcome the work that is going on to ensure that there is recording of pregnancy status in the national vaccination programme to enable linkage to outcomes.”
Dr Mary Ross-Davie, Director for Professional Midwifery and COVID-19 vaccine lead at the Royal College of Midwives, said:
“This is a sensible step by the Committee and one we welcome. It empowers pregnant women to make their own decisions about whether or not to receive the vaccine. Ultimately it will be a woman’s choice and midwives and obstetricians will be there to support them to make an informed decision that is right for them.
“It is now vital that the national vaccination programme, GPs and maternity services are supported to develop systems and procedures that support women who wish to have the vaccine to have it as easily as possible.
“We need to ensure that those providing counselling and information to women about the vaccine in pregnancy have up to date accurate information and have enough time to talk through questions and concerns with women.”
Dr Edward Morris, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “We are grateful to the JCVI for taking into consideration our evidence and updating the guidance around the COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy.
“Vaccination offers pregnant women the best protection from COVID-19, which can be serious in some women. We know pregnant women can get unwell with COVID-19; one in five pregnant women who become unwell and are admitted to hospital will have a premature birth.
“We believe it should be a woman’s choice whether to have the vaccine or not after considering the benefits and risks and would encourage pregnant women to discuss with a trusted source like their GP, obstetrician or midwife, or a healthcare professional in a vaccination centre.
“This move will empower all the pregnant women in the UK to make the decision that is right for them, at the same time that the non-pregnant population in their age group receive protection from COVID-19.”
