This Mother’s Day, treat Mum to an unforgettable dining experience with the bold and vibrant flavours of Latin America at Somewhere by Nico.
Available for a limited time only in both the Glasgow and Edinburgh venues, this exclusive offer lets you celebrate in style with three delicious dishes and a Latin American cocktail of your choice for just £35 per person.
What’s Included:
A selection of three Latin American-inspired dishes
A Latin American cocktail of your choice
Live music from Verde to set the perfect atmosphere
When & Where:
Edinburgh: Live music from Verde 2pm – 4pm
Glasgow: Live music from Verde 6pm – 8pm
How to Book:
This exclusive Mother’s Day offer is available to book in the Glasgow and Edinburgh venues through the below links:
Decline in the number of specialist ASN teachers to a record low
More than doubling in the number of pupils with additional support needs since 2014
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, has raised concerns over cuts in specialist support being provided to those with additional support needs (ASN).
The call comes as new figures from the Scottish Government’s annual teacher census indicate that the number of specialist ASN teachers has fallen to a record low of 2,837 in 2024.1
In contrast, the number of those pupils with ASN has soared to a record high, now amounting to 40.5 per cent of the pupil population. 2 This includes those with mental health problems, learning disability, autism and dyslexia.
These numbers have been increasing for years. Indeed, more than doubling(102.4 per cent) over the last decade to 284,448 pupils, a rise from 140,501 in 2014, when those with ASN represented 20.8 per cent of all pupils.
Between 2014 and 2024 the number of ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,077 to 2,837, a record low and a decrease of 240 teachers.
In 2014, while each ASN teacher was supporting 40 pupils with ASN, by 2024 this figure had risen to each teacher now supporting 100 such pupils.
Against a background of spending cuts and reduction in specialist support, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and local authorities to ensure that those with ASN, who are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods, are getting the care and support that they need.
The coalition has also raised concerns about the effectiveness of a presumption of mainstreaming, meaning that all pupils are educated in a mainstream educational environment unless exceptional circumstances apply, without the necessary support.
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need. This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods.
“With cuts in support, including in the number of specialist teachers, it is going to be extremely challenging to reduce the current inequalities faced by those with ASN.
“While we also support the presumption of mainstreaming, which means that all children and young people are educated in a mainstream educational environment unless exceptional circumstances apply, it is clearly difficult to see how this is functioning properly given the fall in specialist support and increase in the number of those with ASN.
“The Scottish Government and local authorities need to 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. “
“The Haven passes the baton to SAMH, leaving behind a wonderful legacy, proving Scotland’s mental health crisis can be reversed.” – Roslyn Neely – CEO, Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity
A walk-in wellbeing and resilience pilot, developed to tackle Scotland’s mental health crisis will come to an end in the summer, after demonstrating unquestionably that early intervention can reduce mental health challenges among children and young people.
The Haven opened at The Fraser Centre, Tranent in September 2023 under Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity’s ‘No Time To Wait’ strategy. It later moved to bigger premises in Haddington due to demand, and since opening the service has attracted 3,461 visits. Of these, 2,041 were children and young people and 1,420 were their affected family members.
Roslyn Neely, CEO of Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity said: “We are incredibly sad that our pilot wellbeing and resilience service is coming to an end, but that was always our intention, as a charity we couldn’t fund this forever.
“However we will close our doors with a huge sense of pride in what The Haven has achieved and a promise to all families receiving support that we will not turn our backs on them, we will continue to provide vital assistance, ensuring that the care and connection established through The Haven remain a core part of our work.”
Scotland’s national mental health charity, Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH), has recently announced The Nook, a network of mental health support hubs, which will build on the foundations laid by ECHC and the team at The Haven, marking a significant step forward for mental health support in Scotland, and beyond.
Roslyn Neelycontinued: “We are delighted that our work will now contribute to a long-term, sustainable national approach to Scotland’s mental health crisis.
“The Haven passes the baton to SAMH, leaving behind a wonderful legacy, proving Scotland’s mental health crisis can be reversed, and we celebrate the fact that a major organisation like SAMH is stepping in to continue this important work.
“Their ability to advocate for long-term government support means that children’s mental health remains firmly on the national agenda, and we wholeheartedly support this.”
The Haven is a groundbreaking two-year pilot which has successfully supported hundreds of families who have a child struggling with their mental health. Critically, it uses a walk-in format with no waiting lists.
The Haven takes a unique whole family approach, supporting not just the individual struggling with mental health challenges, but their parents, grandparents, siblings and carers.
Scotland’s first Festival of Movement will soon come to Linlithgow! We are delighted to now reveal the full programme for the day.
Join us across Linlithgow, from the West Lothian Cycle Route to The Cross, on Saturday 29 March for a free, fun-filled day of opportunities to get moving, from in-line skating to led cycles, as well as talks, discussions and creative workshops for all ages and abilities.
First Minister John Swinney is set to announce £25 million of funding to local authorities to invest in the renewal of play parks across Scotland.
All councils will receive a share of the funding to improve the standard of existing play parks – helping to ensure children have access to safe environments to play and socialise in.
The funding is supported by the Play Vision Statement and Action Plan for 2025 – 2030, which has been published today.
Speaking ahead of a visit to Woodhead Park in Kirkintilloch, as part of the East Dunbartonshire Travelling Cabinet event, the First Minister said: “Playing is key to a child’s healthy development, and by enabling councils to invest in outdoor play parks, we will ensure families can access a safe, high-quality place to play within their communities.
“This is all part of my driving mission to eradicate child poverty. Other steps we are taking include investing £3 million to develop mitigations for the UK Government’s two-child benefits cap, £37 million to deliver the expansion of the free school meals programme, and putting more money in families’ pockets through the Scottish Child Payment.”
COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People, Councillor Tony Buchanan said: “COSLA welcomes today’s launch of the Play Vision Statement and Action Plan, play is very important not just for the enjoyment it brings, but also for the part it plays in developing children and young people’s social skills, interests, and curiosity.
“It also assists in developing relationships between parents, carers and other children and young people. The Play Vision Statement and Action Plan provides a good roadmap for how play can be encouraged and supported.”
Marguerite Hunter Blair, CEO Play Scotland and Chair of external Play Strategy refresh group said: “We are delighted to be celebrating this clear commitment from the Scottish Government to play opportunities and experiences for all our children and young people.
“It is fantastic that children’s rights and voices are at the heart of this new vision for play alongside an enthusiastic cross-sectoral collaboration.
“The clear message coming from the versions of the plan that children have co- produced is simple – more play and better play is good for everyone.”
The 54th Travelling Cabinet will meet at Kirkintilloch Town Hall today – Monday 24 March – and hear from the local community at a public discussion at 2pm.
The NSPCC is releasing this data as part of its Listen up, Speak up campaign, aiming to inspire a million people to take action to keep children safe.
The SSC (A Club for the Youth in Scotland) is one of many businesses, community groups and organisations across Scotland who have taken part in Listen up, Speak up workshops.
New findings reveal that 96% of adults surveyed in Scotland believe that emotional abuse in childhood can have a lasting psychological effect well into adulthood.
A YouGov survey of 4,242 UK adults, commissioned by the NSPCC – including 352 in Scotland – also gave participants a series of behaviours and asked them to correctly identify what was deemed as emotional abuse.
In Scotland, on average one in six participants (17%), failed to correctly identify examples of emotional abuse. The scenarios where adults failed to identify emotional abuse correctly included:
Being overly controlling of a child’s life (25%).
Never showing any emotions in interactions with a child (21%).
Pushing a child too hard or not recognising their limitations (26%).
The research also found that more than two thirds of adults (69%) of adults in Scotland surveyed had not done any training or reading to help them recognise the signs of emotional abuse.
Emotional abuse – which is any type of abuse that involves the continual emotional mistreatment of a child – can often be difficult to recognise, sometimes showing limited external signs.
Research suggests that 1 in 15 children in the UK will experience emotional abuse, highlighting just how prevalent the issue is, and it is a topic that young people contact Childline about on a regular basis.
Last year the NSPCC service delivered almost 3,000 counselling sessions to children and young people where emotional abuse was the main concern, a 5% increase compared to 2022/23.
One girl, aged 17, told Childline: “Mum’s never hit me, but it still feels abusive. She always tells me she hates me, that I’m selfish, that I’m stupid.
“When she’s angry she breaks my stuff and blames it on me. She controls my friendships too; she says no one would want to be my friend anyway. I feel so defeated and drained living with this every day.”
This new data highlights the importance of free resources, like the NSPCC’s Listen up, Speak up workshops and online tips and advice. The SSC (A Club for the Youth in Scotland) welcomed safeguarding experts to lead these free, educational workshops.
The SSC is a volunteer-run organisation that organizes summer camps and other events for children and young people in Scotland.
Listen up, Speak up provides simple tips and advice on signs a child might be at risk and steps that can be taken to help. The tips can be found online, and anyone can take part in a workshop run for free by local NSPCC teams, either in person or online.
Through a series of everyday scenarios, participants learn some of the signs that a child might be at risk, showing that not all situations are black and white, how to approach difficult conversations, and who to contact if they are concerned about a child or their family.
The NSPCC local campaigns team delivered 557 LUSU workshops in Scotland.
As part of their partnership with the NSPCC, The SSC, has committed to ensuring their volunteers and members across the region are familiar with Listen up, Speak up.
Cat Robertson, SSC chairwoman, said: “The Listen up, Speak up training was a great experience for the volunteer youth workers of the SSC.
“We believe that all young people should have access to safe, fun and positive experiences – not only at our summer camps and events but in every aspect of their lives.
“The workshop was accessible, interactive and highly relevant to the role of our team.”
NSPCC’s CEO, Chris Sherwood, said: “It is concerning that on average one in six adults in Scotland are unable to correctly identify emotional abuse. We know that emotional abuse can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on children’s wellbeing and development, affecting their mental health, and relationships well into adulthood.
“The NSPCC is here to support any child who has experienced any kind of abuse. We are also fully committed to creating a nation of adults who are passionate about preventing harm from happening to a child. With our Childline service delivering almost 3,000 counselling sessions about emotional abuse last year alone, we understand the scale and seriousness of this issue across the UK.
“That’s why Listen up, Speak up is so vital. In just 10 minutes, we can help adults learn to recognise both the obvious and subtle signs a child might be at risk and take action to support them. Every adult has the power to make a difference.”
Join us for CREATE calm, an inclusive play sessions for children, this Friday 21st March at 2.45pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.
Experience the joy of play in a welcoming, supportive space! Our CREATE calm taster sessions are for local families with children aged 0-7 that might benefit from a smaller group and a calm, quieter experience.
This could include children with disabilities or health concerns; autism; neurodivergent; those struggling with school or other learning environments; challenging family or care circumstances; or other social or emotional support needs.
No diagnosis or referral needed – parents, carers, and siblings are welcome!
Safe, accessible play space
Activities tailored to sensory needs and interests
*By ‘local families’ we mean families living in the community surrounding North Edinburgh Arts, which includes areas of Muirhouse, Pilton, Drylaw and Granton.
Call for greater resourcing as spending to support vulnerable children in Scotland is slashed by just under a third
Spending cut of £1,708 per pupil from 2013/14 for those identified with additional support needs (ASN) – 30.1 per cent cut over a decade
Number of pupils identified with ASN has almost doubled (97 per cent increase) over the same period
Postcode lottery in spending across local authorities for those with ASN
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, has warned of a potential lost generation of children and young people with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems, and called for greater resourcing to support this group.
The call comes as new figures contained in a parliamentary answer to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth MSP, reveal that average additional support for learning (ASL) spend per pupil has slumped by just under a third (30.1 per cent) over the last decade.[1] This comes against a perfect storm of escalating numbers of pupils with ASN and cuts in support.
The SCSC is calling on the Scottish Government to work with local authorities to increase funding to support the needs of vulnerable children and young people, including greater provision of specialist ASN teachers, educational psychologists, behaviour support staff and classroom assistants.
The figures highlight that average spending per pupil on ASL by local authorities in Scotland (primary, secondary and special education) has fallen from £5,558 in financial year 2013/14 1 to £3,850 in 2023/24 [2] (based on 2023/4 prices). This amounts to an overall cut in spending of £1,708 per pupil, representing a 30.1 per cent drop.
This fall is against the backdrop of a 97 per cent increase between 2013 and 2023 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 131,593 to 259,036, amounting to 127,443 individuals. Those with ASNrepresent more than a third of all pupils (36.7 per cent).3
There is a wide variation in spending on pupils who need additional support, ranging from £2,624 per pupil in the Scottish Borders to £7,470 in North Lanarkshire, highlighting a postcode lottery in spending across local authorities.
A recent report from Audit Scotland has called on the Scottish Government and local authorities to fundamentally rethink how they plan, fund and staff additional support for learning as part of core school education in Scotland.
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is devastating to note cuts in spending supporting those with ASN, and we would urge the Scottish Government and local authorities to increase resourcing to support the greater provision of the likes of specialist teachers, educational psychologists and classroom assistants.
“We are facing a lost generation of children with ASN, and they must get the care and support they need, when they need it, especially given the impacts of the Covid-19 and cost-of-living crisis and the escalating mental health emergency. This is also key if we are to deliver genuine inclusion in the classroom and close the educational attainment gap.
“Our schools are also witnessing dramatic increases in classroom disruption, impacting on pupils and teachers alike. This is in part due to increased levels of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties post-lockdown, and we must ensure the necessary resourcing is delivered to address this.
“The Scottish Government and local authorities must work together to provide adequately resourced support across Scotland for those children and young people with ASN, who represent some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. “
Scotland’s first Festival of Movement will soon come to Linlithgow! We are delighted to now reveal the full programme for the day.
safety 
sessions – valuable advice on the challenges of the digital world our kids live in
7-8pm online 
for parents/carers of kids with ASN
Safe, accessible play space
Activities tailored to sensory needs and interests
Opportunities for family bonding and connection
Families can explore and play at their own pace
Tea, coffee & snacks provided
