Mortonhall baby ashes: compensation scheme approved

The City of Edinburgh Council has approved proposals for a settlement scheme developed with the solicitors representing 129 parents who have raised legal claims in relation to past practices at Mortonhall Crematorium.

The scheme reached with Thompsons Solicitors, who are representing those parents, was put to councillors at a meeting of the City of Edinburgh Council yesterday. It provides for payments of £1,000 and £4,000 depending on circumstances, together with payment of legal expenses.

Sue Bruce, Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The agreement reached today allows us to settle the claims from parents represented by Thompsons, and means they do not need to pursue their cases through the courts.

“The issues that have emerged in relation to practices at Mortonhall have understandably been distressing for affected families. I want to reiterate my apology on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council and give reassurance that we are taking forward all of the recommendations made by Dame Elish Angiolini in her report to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.

“We have been working closely with parent representatives on the Mortonhall Multi-Agency Working Group which is progressing well. Designs have now been produced for potential memorials which are available to view on the Council website.” (see below)

Mortonhall: Memorials

Designs for potential Mortonhall memorials have been revealed in a new report by the City of Edinburgh Council.

In line with parents’ wishes two memorials are being proposed, one at Mortonhall Crematorium and another at a location still to be identified in the city.

The draft designs are detailed in theMortonhall Action Plan: Update report which was discussed by city councillors yesterday.

The report also outlines the progress made by the Mortonhall Multi-Agency Working Group which was set up by the Council to take forward the recommendations set out in Dame Elish Angiolini’s Mortonhall Investigation Report.

That report was commissioned by City of Edinburgh Council to investigate practices involving infant cremations at Mortonhall Crematorium, and findings were published in April 2014. A further report by Lord Bonomy on behalf of the Scottish Government, was published in June 2014 and made national recommendations on these issues.

The multi-agency working group, chaired by Sue Bruce, Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council, has met six times and made positive progress on all of the recommendations.

These include: immediate improvements in record keeping including adopting the nationally agreed definition of what constitutes ashes, consistent use of cremation trays and positive dialogue with affected parents around memorials.

The Council has been working with SANDS Lothian, SiMBA, MACC and affected parents since the summer of 2014 on suitable ideas for a memorial. Parents have been consulted over potential sites and a number of those affected selected Mortonhall as the preferred option.

However, the group also acknowledged that some families expressed strongly that that they did not wish to return to Mortonhall so it has been agreed an additional site would be identified elsewhere in the city.

The Mortonhall Multi-Agency Working Group has been working closely with independent garden landscape designers to develop a range of initial design options, on which parents are being asked to give their views. The designers have waived their initial consultation fees in support of this project.

Sue Bruce said: “I am personally very encouraged with the progress made by the working group in dealing with both Dame Elish and Lord Bonomy’s recommendations. I would like to pay tribute to the willingness of all the participants, especially the parent representatives, for all their efforts.

“I’d also like to acknowledge my appreciation of the ongoing contribution in various forms from all affected parents. This continuing dialogue will ensure that we continue to focus on their needs.

“We now have potential memorial designs and we are asking the parents to consider which ones they would like us to take forward. We want to make sure the designs reflect their wishes and I would ask families to let us know their thoughts.

“The families’ dedicated campaigning has made a major contribution to the Council’s action plan and the Infant Cremation Commission report by Lord Bonomy which will result in legislative change across Scotland.

“We will continue our work on the group to ensure that nothing like this can happen again and that the highest possible standards are adhered to at Mortonhall.”

Sara Fitzsimmons, Executive Charity Director of SiMBA, has been a member of the multi-agency group since it first met last year.

She said: “Sitting on the group has reassured me that parents’ views and considerations are first and foremost throughout all discussions. You can see the progress being made implementing Dame Elish’s recommendations, one of those being the memorials. It was the parents’ decision that there should be one at Mortonhall and a second one away from the grounds.

“A sub group was set up so the voices of parents who chose to be involved at this time could be heard and their suggestions have been included in the proposed garden designs. It’s really good to see this progressing and for the first memorial to be completed this year – a tangible place for parents and their families.”

The multi-agency group consists of representatives from the Scottish Government, NHS Lothian, SANDS Lothian, Sands UK, SiMBA, Mortonhall Ashes Action Committee, funeral directors, Edinburgh Crematorium Ltd and council officials.

The Mortonhall Investigation report was commissioned by Sue Bruce on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council in January 2013 after concerns were raised about practices at the crematorium. The remit was to establish the facts regarding practices relating to the cremation of babies at Mortonhall Crematorium and to learn lessons that will ensure best practice for the future.

Dame Elish interviewed bereaved families, current and former members of crematorium staff, representatives from funeral directors, staff from other crematoria, support groups and health professionals and took opinion from experts in the field of human anthropology, law and forensic accountancy. The report, with annexes, extends to over 600 pages in total.

#StrongerNorth update: Young people and our community

#Stronger North: working with our young people

Work with primary aged children

As part of a new role created by Total Craigroyston Team, it was agreed that a youth worker would work in four of the local primary schools to deliver a programme called ‘Respect in the Community.’

The aim was to help primary aged children understand the importance of safety in the community, publicise all the activities that are available after school and help them make good choices about what they do with their time after school.

The youngsters make a map of their community in the first session, showing where many of the positive activities take place. They look at what makes a safe community for everyone and think about they can keep themselves safe as well as looking out for others.

At a later stage they have the opportunity to identify where they feel safe themselves or not. We’ve found that many of our primary children are very well aware of and have experienced some of the issues that make them feel unsafe.

A big part of the programme is helping children develop the skills to make good decisions especially where they might feel tempted by friends to take part in behaviour that causes distress to others. In small groups they think about developing a community campaign about combating anti-social behaviour and then present their ideas to their classmates.

The programme has gone down very well with P5, P6 and P7’s in Pirniehall and St David’s, has just started in Craigroyston Primary and will be starting very soon in Forthview.

Reward Scheme

We’ve developed a loyalty card so that youngsters who are positive participants in youth clubs and sports clubs can gather points and receive a reward. It will run until Easter to see if it will be successful. So far Ainslie Park Leisure Centre and Craigroyston Community High School has offered free swims for individuals and families and each of the youth organisations involved has agreed to run a special reward night for those involved.

Teenagers

As well as all the youth clubs and sports opportunities that are available in the community , we have developed some out of hours sessions for teenagers – offering them the opportunity to get involved in activities later at night in an effort to combat the idea that there is nothing to do. If these sessions go well then more can be offered. These activities are taking place in Spartans and Pilton Youth and Children’s Project.

Face North (above) is a special project, working with some of the young people who are involved in anti-social behaviour and so far we have been able to involve these young people in working at Towford, the bothy owned by My Adventure. To help get the Bothy ready for use by local groups and organisations they have helped with basic maintenance, cleared ground, laid paths, chopped down and replanted trees and completed some minor repairs. They have also painted the kitchen area in Pilton Youth and Children’s Project and will soon be doing some environmental work on the cycle path.

The Mentors in Violence Prevention Programme is being implemented in local High Schools as well as in the local community. This gives older young people the training and skills to work with younger ones and help them think through how they would handle a wide range of tricky incidents giving young people and the community the confidence to speak up against and challenge issues such as bullying or other types of anti-Social behaviour.

Sessions for parents will be run towards the end of February – look out for dates or contact Community Learning and Development worker Sarah Neal if you are interested in attending. Her number is 552 5700.

Safer Internet seminar

Last chance to book – you do not have to be working online to make use of this session, or be an ‘expert’ in social media!

As in previous years, as part of Safer Internet Day 2015 we will be hosting a seminar especially for youth workers on Tuesday 10 February at Gilmerton Community Centre from 6– 8pm.

Booking is essential for this event as there are only limited spaces at the centre. The seminar is open to all youth workers across the City, Council or voluntary sector, paid staff or volunteers.

For the seminar, Liz Ely from Zero Tolerance will present their research on young people’s attitudes and then take us through some of the useful approaches that they have developed for youth workers in their ‘Under Pressure’ resource.

http://zerotolerance.org.uk/sites/all/files/Peer%20Research_1.pdf
http://zerotolerance.org.uk/UnderPressure

This promises to be an engaging seminar in an area of concern for many young people, parents and workers. To book your place, please email:

gavin.crosby@edinburgh.gov.uk

with your name, email address and organisation.

Places will be limited to one per centre in the first instance, any spare places will be offered up to others nearer the event.

Places may be available to non-youth work agencies (e.g. housing, social workers or teachers) but priority will be given to youth work staff.

Influencing your Parliament

Scottish Parliament Community Conference this month

Local people keen to have their voice heard by their MSP and the Scottish Parliament can discover how to run a social media campaign, secure media stories on the issues that affect them, petition the Parliament and even hold their own Holyrood event, by attending a conference at Dumfries’ Easterbrook Hall on Saturday 21 February.

At the Scottish Parliament Communities Conference, local MSPs Elaine Murray and Alex Fergusson will share expert advice on how to help your MSP help you, with interactive workshops run throughout the day, led by MSPs and the Scottish Parliament’s expert staff.

Engagement can result in a wide range of actions, including parliamentary debate, changes to law and policy direction.

Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries said: “When an issue matters, and when it is within Holyrood’s power to help, engaging with MSPs and the Scottish Parliament can be a direct way for individuals, community groups and organisations to be heard.”

He went on: “We want to make sure that people from across Dumfries and Galloway know how to engage with us, their local MSPs, and to know that the Scottish Parliament belongs to them. The conference is all about helping make sure their voice is heard. I hope to meet many people from across the South West who feel strongly about an issue, so I can share a range of ways the Scottish Parliament can help make a positive difference to people’s lives in their local community, or even throughout Scotland.”

Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire said: ““We’re looking forward to meeting as many local community organisations, charities, social enterprises, tenants and residents groups, local campaign organisations, volunteers and youth groups as possible. But we also want to hear from individuals with an important issue to share. Only by hearing from people who have perhaps never been involved with the Parliament or politics before can we continue to raise the profile of a wide variety of important issues and give the people of Dumfries and Galloway a voice.”

In addition to Ms Murray and Mr Ferguson, other MSPs leading workshops on the day include Chic Brodie, MSP for South Scotland; John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland; Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland and Aileen McLeod, Minister for Environment, Climate Change & Land Reform.

Joyce Harkness is a campaigner and social enterprise manager from Hightae near Lochmaben. She said: “It’s great news that the Communities Conference is coming to Dumfries. I would encourage anyone who wants to kick-start getting their voice heard at the Scottish Parliament to come to Easterbrook Hall on the 21st.

“I’ve attended Scottish Parliament community workshops in the past and they’ve been invaluable. When I was campaigning for better rural transport for older people across Dumfries and Galloway, working with the Parliament really helped get our issues raised in a positive way. The MSPs and Parliamentary staff really listen and have great ideas and practical advice that’s specially tailored to your campaign. The sheer range of ways you can engage with Parliament can be a real eye-opener.”

PoPP goes North Edinburgh!

Positive Parenting Programme

The first North Incredible Years programmes are detailed below. (Flyer and application form also attached).

Please share this information widely with your colleagues and the parents and carers you work with. Please also consider carefully if any family you are working with would benefit from this support and discuss making an application with them. Please submit any application forms to helena.reid@ea.edin.sch.uk

West Pilton & North West

Circle Haven Project Craigroyston Primary School

Wednesdays, 9-11.30am from 25 February. Crèche available.

Royston Wardieburn Community Centre Pilton Drive North

Thursdays 12.30-2.30pm from 26 February. Crèche available.

Leith & North East

Craigentinny Early Years Centre, Craigentinny Primary, 4 Loganlea Drive, EH7 6LR

Thursdays 9-11.30am from 5 March. Crèche available.

For further info contact Helena Reid helena.reid@ea.edin.sch.uk or calling 07795127954. Helena would also be happy to arrange an awareness raising session with any staff team.

PoPP leaflet

PoPP for Parents Application Form

Too grand! STV Appeal support for PYCP

Pilton Youth and Children’s Project (PYCP) has received £2000 from the STV Appeal 2014. The funding is welcome news for the local project and will support PY’s clubs and groups throughout the year.

The STV Appeal team’s Natalie Wright called in at The Greenhouse last week to present the cheque and met children from PY’s P5 – P7 Club.

PYCP provides a wide range of services and activities – from open clubs and groups to community and school-based individual support in North Edinburgh. Each provision is designed to meet the needs of a particular age and peer group, and activities are tailored to meet these needs in consultation with the children and young people involved.

PYCP carry out open access youth work plus promotion of good health and well being. The project offers targeted and referred support work to children and young people in need. There is also a Preventative Opportunities Programme which supports young people by engaging their whole family in activities, outings and workshops together.

The STV Appeal is committed to making a difference in the lives of children and young people living in poverty in Scotland. Across the country, 220,000 children live in poverty and figures from the Campaign to End Child Poverty show that in Edinburgh it’s actually 21.1% of children. Pilton Youth and Children’s Project is one of the projects the STV Appeal is supporting in Edinburgh.

Since launch in 2011, the STV Appeal has raised over £8.2 million with 297 big and small grants distributed to projects across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland, providing much needed support to over 37,000 children. The money raised is distributed to provide practical help like food and warm clothes; create opportunities for training and employability; and enable social and emotional support for those who need it most.

PYCP youth and children’s worker Mark Hunter said: “As someone who has been part of PYCP for the past ten years, I have witnessed firsthand the positive impact that the project has made in the lives of so many young people, their families and the community around them.

“I think PYCP is unique in the way that it is there for children when they start their school career aged five and continues to be there for them until they are 18 and beyond. It is really important that we can provide opportunities for all children and young people in Pilton to have fun with their friends and take part in organised activities, all free of charge.

“Because of that we are ideally placed to offer additional support to those who want it and support all young people to reach their potential. Being part of PYCP has been immensely rewarding for me and I’m excited to see how the next ten years pans out too.”

Rob Woodward, STV CEO and trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “The money donated to the STV Appeal remains in Scotland and will help bring about a positive change to the lives of vulnerable children and young people on our doorstep. With the help of the extraordinary fundraising efforts taking place in communities across the country we have raised an incredible £2.6m in 2014 allowing us to make grants to 297 projects. We are extremely grateful to everyone who supported this year’s Appeal.”

Sir Tom Hunter, trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “Yet again the people of Scotland have cast their vote – end child poverty. Through the STV Appeal we are attempting to deliver sustainable solutions to do just that. It is simply unacceptable in modern Scotland to still have young people debilitated by poverty, through this project and many more the people of Scotland are doing their level best to combat poverty.”

Sir Ian Wood, trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “The generosity of the people in Scotland who provide such great support to the STV Appeal is incredibly encouraging and heart-warming. However, it is deeply concerning that there continues to be a significant requirement across Scotland for financial support for child poverty.

“Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce, a commission I chaired recently, has the overarching aim to enable Scotland’s young people to move into sustainable employment upon leaving education. But how can they achieve positive destinations if they have a less than adequate start in life?

“I sincerely believe that the grants donated by the STV Appeal can have a significant impact on the lives of Scotland’s young people and make a real contribution to eradicating child poverty in Scotland.”

The STV Appeal 2015 is now well underway with an exciting line-up of fundraising activities planned. Watch this space!

Letter: Putting Children First

Dear Sir/Madam

Sadly this time of year sees a rise in the number of people seeking help from family solicitors to divorce or separate. We want as many parents as possible to know about the help available from the Family Decision Making Service.

We know that children cope better with separation when their parents work together to reduce conflict. We also know that’s not easy and that’s why we are here to help.

Three well-respected children’s charities work together to deliver this one-stop-shop service covering legal advice, support to make parenting plans and emotional support. Our help is completely confidential and free of charge.

More information and help is available at ww.familydecisionmaking.org.uk or by calling 08000 28 22 33

Yours faithfully
Alan Forgie
Family Decision Making

Majority believe childcare should be shared

‘This Edwardian notion that women should stay at home while men go out and support the family has simply no place in this day and age.’ – Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg

More than half of the UK believes that childcare should be shared equally between parents, a survey by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has found.

The findings show a marked move away from the old attitude that the bulk of childcare responsibilities should be borne by the mother. Some 53% of those questioned said that childcare should be the equal responsibility of both parents while a further 22% believe that a couple should have the right to choose how they divide caring responsibilities, depending on their circumstances.

Just under a quarter of those surveyed believe that childcare should be the mother’s main responsibility, with more than half of men thinking that childcare should be shared equally, compared to 50% of women.

The research was carried out ahead of the introduction of Shared Parental Leave (SPL), which will apply to parents of babies born or adopted from 5 April 2015. The new rules mean that parents can split 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay between them in the baby’s first year. SPL also lets parents suggest a flexible pattern of leave to their employer and allows for up to 3 separate blocks of leave, but employers can agree to more.

When parents were questioned, two-thirds said that they would have considered sharing parental leave if it had been available at the time. This was higher amongst fathers, of whom three-quarters said they would have considered it compared with 63% of women.

For those considering having children in the future, 4 in 5 said they would consider taking Shared Parental Leave when they became parents.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “This Edwardian notion that women should stay at home while men go out and support the family has simply no place in this day and age. We need a modern Britain and a fair society that works for families, not against them.

“We know that mums and dads want more flexibility and choice when it comes to juggling their home and work lives and we’re listening and taking action.

“That’s why we’ve introduced Shared Parental Leave so that parents can make their own decisions about how to raise their family, whether it’s giving women the choice to go back to work earlier or men the opportunity to spend more time with their children.”

Employment Relations Minister Jo Swinson said: “Becoming a parent is an amazing, life-changing event. Helping new parents negotiate the balance between their work and family responsibilities will benefit employers through greater staff retention and loyalty.

This survey shows people are rejecting dated stereotypes about the roles of men and women. Parenting is a shared endeavour and couples want more flexibility when they are adapting to the demands of a new baby. Shared Parental Leave will let couples choose how to share their childcare responsibilities in whatever way works best for them, and enable both parents to spend time developing that vital bond with their baby in the early stages.”

When men were asked what they thought the main benefits of shared parental leave would be, 6 in 10 said they thought they would form a closer bond with their child. However almost half (44%) said it would feel fairer, and 39% said they could let their partner get back to their job or progress their career.

Over half of men (57%) thought that being more involved in the baby’s life would be a good thing for their whole family, and around a third felt it would strengthen their relationship with their partner.

Brendan Lynch, a 31 year old legal caseworker from Cardiff, took 3 months of leave to care for his son Isaac, while his wife Laura went back to work. He said: “The bond you get with your child is the best thing about it. Getting to experience looking after a child full-time is invaluable – I understand his likes and his personality so much better. Within the 3 months I was looking after him he had changed so much. It’s great that both my wife and I got to see different aspects of his development.”

Still time to get it right …

Getting It Right For Every Child introduction and refresher course

There is still time to book your place on the GIRFEC introduction and refresher course on 27 January at Spartans Community Football Academy.

This training session will be of interest to all staff working with children and young people and/or parents/carers. It will be of particular interest to those who wish to build confidence in the Getting It Right approach and for those who have had no previous training or wish to update/refresh previous training.

To book your place contact tracey.devenney@edinburgh.gov.uk or telephone 0131 529 5073.

Record year for early years campaign

PlayTalkRead, the Scottish Government’s early years campaign, has reached a record number of families in 2014, it was revealed today.

Visits to the website over the year were 122,965 – an increase of 50 per cent on 2013 and a 219 per cent increase on 2012. More than 43,000 people visited Benji and Bessie, the PlayTalkRead buses in 2014 – an 11 per cent increase on last year.

PlayTalkRead encourages parents and carers to play, talk and read with their young children every day to give them the essential skills, motivation and abilities that will make it easier for them to keep learning throughout their lives.

This year also saw the pilot of a sensory playbus for children with disabilities or emotional and behavioural difficulties as part of the campaign – the first of its kind in the country.

Commenting on the campaign, Acting Minister for Children Fiona McLeod said: “As a former librarian, I’m delighted to see so many families have got involved in the PlayTalkRead campaign by either visiting the buses or the website. I hope they’ve been inspired by some of the ideas.

“Playing, talking and reading are fun ways to spend time with children from the very earliest age and helps build bonds. The PlayTalkRead buses and website are a great source of ideas and inspiration on how to turn daily routines into exciting new games.

“As a government we are determined to identify what works and ensure that the best ideas are promoted and supported more widely. That’s why we are taking the principles of PlayTalkRead and Bookbug and extending them into early primary school to develop a new Read, Write, Count campaign to boost literacy and numeracy in the critical first years of school.”

More information, including bus tour dates and locations, can be found on the PlayTalkRead website: www.playtalkread.org