Registered women’s charity, Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI), is celebrating its 90th year by relaunching its national railway safety project.
On 1-3 November, the charity – which has consultancy status at the United Nations – held its 90th conference at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh and used this milestone occasion to take a fresh look at a project first carried out 28 years ago.
First launched in 1996, ‘The Future of the Railways’ was an investigation into personal safety on the railways, which the charity’s members – known as Soroptimists – used to lobby the Government into taking action to do more to protect women on public transport.
It was launched in response to a Soroptimist being attacked on a train in the London area.
Soroptimists carried out grassroots research into the views and experiences of women passengers, as well as speaking to station managers and staff and visiting over 500 over-ground stations across Britain.
SIGBI published a report making recommendations to the UK Government on how to improve safety in stations, claiming the Government’s approach to passenger safety in railway stations was ineffective.
To further advance the work being done, the charity is kickstarting the project again – asking the same questions to the UK’s railway stations, to see how much has changed, as well as expanding it to airports and bus stations, to obtain a more detailed bigger picture of women’s safety across the country. The charity is also questioning whether the Government’s approach to passenger safety has moved on since 1996.
Over 500 women attended the three-day conference, with each day having a different theme – educate, empower, and enable.
Ruth Healey, President of SIGBI, said: “We’re so proud of the work our members have carried out over the last 90 years.
“The goal of all our projects is to stand up for women and girls, advocating for equal rights, opportunities, and representation. The relaunch of our railway safety project will be key in advancing this important issue and bringing it to the forefront of policy makers’ agendas.
“It was only in August this year that the British Transport Police reported that violence against women and girls on British railways has risen by more than 50% over two years.
“Clearly, more needs to be done, and urgently. We’re proud to be playing our part in helping to shape a safer environment for women when travelling.”
Soroptimists are carrying out ‘Bystander Awareness’ training in communities up and down the UK, in a bid to help identify and prevent violence against women and girls.
As well as panel discussions, and an address from Baroness Floella Benjamin, the charity also hosted its Best Practice Awards at the conference – a scheme which celebrates clubs’ projects.
At the conference, the charity also collected over 2,300 pants for Edinburgh-based charity, Smalls for All – a charity that collects underwear for people in the UK and Africa who can’t afford or access any.
Maria Macnamara, Founder and CEO of Smalls for All, said: “Giving pants and bras may seem like a small thing, but it can make a life-changing difference. Each month many teenage girls miss school, and women miss work, because of a lack of access to underwear means they’re forced to stay at home during their period.
“Demand remains huge in Africa, but, in recent years, has also increased significantly in the UK.
“We’re so grateful to have been part of the SIGBI conference to share our message and express our thanks to the Soroptimists for the wonderful donations they’ve made, both at this conference and over the years.”
Ruth concluded: “It’s been incredible getting so many Soroptimists in one room to reflect on what we’ve achieved, as well as to look ahead to the next phase of some of our key projects.
“It’s only by working together that we can empower women and girls to achieve their full potential and eliminate barriers and discriminations that hinder women’s progress.”
To mark the charity’s nine decades, Soroptimists are also completing a ‘90 for 90 years’ challenge – including everything from supporting foodbanks, to knitting for premature baby units, to donating items to domestic abuse charities, and more.
The city council and partners from across the city are marking Challenge Poverty Week.
Running from Monday 7 to Sunday 13 October 2024, Challenge Poverty Week is a national campaign highlighting the challenges people living in poverty are facing and how we can work together to make Scotland a fairer and more equal place to live.
The Edinburgh Tenants Federation held a free event at Norton Park Conference Centre on Monday, featuring stalls, support and guest speakers discussing Edinburgh’s housing emergency.
On Wednesday, End Poverty Edinburgh, a group of people with lived experience of poverty, held their second citizen-led conference at the Grassmarket Community Project, supported by the Council.
This year’s event focused on collective action to combat community exclusion, focusing on child poverty, health and wellbeing,
The Council will publish the results of the city’s latest annual poverty report tomorrow (Friday 11 October).
This report will provide the fourth annual overview on progress made by the Council and partners in response to the calls to action made by the Edinburgh Poverty Commission to end poverty by 2030, and will be considered by members of the Policy and Sustainability Committee later this month (22 October).
Throughout the week, a series of blogs will be shared by the Edinburgh Poverty Commission shining a light on council support and services.
Edinburgh Leisure is also highlighting the help and support it can offer people experiencing barriers to an active lifestyle, including the option of a Get Active Card which provides affordable access to venues for people in receipt of certain benefits.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “In a thriving Capital city like Edinburgh it is shocking that thousands of people are suffering from low incomes, high living costs and even homelessness.
“That’s why we’ve made it a commitment of this Council to do all that we can with our partners to end poverty. Challenge Poverty Week is an opportunity for us to focus our efforts and make sure people know where to turn to for support.
“We’ve made good progress delivering against the targets set by the Edinburgh Poverty Commission four years ago and we’re looking forward to publishing the results of our annual report later this week.
“The funding and the support we’ve put in place is making a real difference to people’s lives, but the cost of living has risen. We face a housing emergency, and we need to prioritise this work now, more than ever.”
Peter Kelly of The Poverty Alliance said: “We’re very pleased that Edinburgh is marking this year’s Challenge Poverty Week.
“In a rich country like ours, poverty is an injustice that weakens us all as a society. But we can solve it. We can redesign our economy to make sure people have incomes that are adequate enough to live a life with freedom and dignity.”
More information about events taking place across Edinburgh can be found on Eventbrite. Information, advice and support for residents experiencing or at risk of poverty can be found on the Council’s cost of living webpages.
THE agenda for Saturday’s Edinburgh Social Care Crisis Conference has been announced.
The conference has been convened by Edinburgh Trade Union Council and is sponsored by UNITE Edinburgh Not For Profit Branch, UNITE City of Edinburgh Council Branch, UNITE Lothian Retired Members Branch, Edinburgh EIS Branch and the Scottish Trades Union Congress.
The conference will be attended by three Edinburgh MSPs: Foysol Choudhury, Sarah Boyack and Daniel Johnson.
Des Loughney, Secretary, Edinburgh Trade Union Council says: “”The conference is open to the public, trade union and community health activists and social care users and paid and unpaid carers.
“There will be a discussion of the impact of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board cuts that are being implemented in this financial year (£55 million).
“We are concerned that prevention services will be cut and that rising demand (mainly due to demographic reasons) will not be met.
“The conference will conclude by a discussion on the way forward in campaigning for more resources for IJBs and how can we lobby for more resources to prevent current damaging cuts.
“We will consider how we can seek to change Scottish Parliament policies in the run up to the 2026 elections.”
A new mission announced by the Prime Minister will accelerate the use of AI in life sciences to tackle the biggest health challenges of our generation
Missed opportunity, say civil society organisations
A new mission announced by the Prime Minister will accelerate the use of AI in life sciences to tackle the biggest health challenges of our generation.
In a speech on Thursday, the Prime Minister announced that a £100 million in new government investment will be targeted towards areas where rapid deployment of AI has the greatest potential to create transformational breakthroughs in treatments for previously incurable diseases.
The AI Life Sciences Accelerator Mission will capitalise on the UK’s unique strengths in secure health data and cutting-edge AI.
The Life Sciences Vision encompasses 8 critical healthcare missions that government, industry, the NHS, academia and medical research charities will work together on at speed to solve – from cancer treatment to tackling dementia.
The £100 million will help drive forward this work by exploring how AI could address these conditions, which have some of the highest mortality and morbidity.
For example, AI could further the development of novel precision treatments for dementia. This new government funding for AI will help us harness the UK’s world-class health data to quickly identify those at risk of dementia and related conditions, ensure that the right patients are taking part in the right trials at the right time to develop new treatments effectively, and give us better data on how well new therapies work.
By using the power of AI to support the growing pipeline of new dementia therapies, we will ensure the best and most promising treatments are selected to go forwards, and that patients receive the right treatments that work best for them.
AI driven technologies are showing remarkable promise in being able to diagnose, and potentially treat, mental ill health. For example, leading companies are already using conversational AI that supports people with mental health challenges and guides them through proactive prevention routines, escalating cases to human therapists when needed – all of which reduces the strain on NHS waiting lists.
This funding will help us to invest in parts of the UK where the clinical needs are greatest to test and trial new technologies within the next 18 months. Over the next 5 years, we will transform mental health research through developing world-class data infrastructure to improve the lives of those living with mental health conditions.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunaksaid: “AI can help us solve some of the greatest social challenges of our time. AI could help find novel dementia treatments or develop vaccines for cancer.
“That’s why today we’re investing a further £100 million to accelerate the use of AI on the most transformational breakthroughs in treatments for previously incurable diseases.”
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelansaid: “This £100 million Mission will bring the UK’s unique strengths in secure health data and cutting-edge AI to bear on some of the most pressing health challenges facing the society.
“Safe, responsible AI will change the game for what it’s possible to do in healthcare, closing the gap between the discovery and application of innovative new therapies, diagnostic tools, and ways of working that will give clinicians more time with their patients.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclaysaid: “Cutting-edge technology such as AI is the key to both improving patient care and supporting staff to do their jobs and we are seeing positive impacts across the NHS.
“This new accelerator fund will help us build on our efforts to harness the latest technology to unlock progress and drive economic growth.
“This is on top of the progress we have already made on AI deployment in the NHS, with AI tools now live in over 90% of stroke networks in England – halving the time for stroke victims to get the treatment in some cases, helping to cut waiting times.”
Building on the success of partnerships already using AI in areas like identifying eye diseases, industry, academia and clinicians will be brought together to drive forward novel AI research into earlier diagnosis and faster drug discovery.
The government will invite proposals bringing together academia, industry and clinicians to develop innovative solutions.
This funding will target opportunities to deploy AI in clinical settings and improve health outcomes across a range of conditions. It will also look to fund novel AI research which has the potential to create general purpose applications across a range of health challenges – freeing up clinicians to spend more time with their patients.
This supports work the government is already doing across key disease areas. Using AI to tackle dementia, for example, builds on our commitment to double dementia research funding by 2024, reaching a total of £160 million a year.
The Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission is at the heart of this, enabling us to accelerate dementia research and give patients the access to the exciting new wave of medicines being developed.
Artificial Intelligence behind three times more daily tasks than we think
Most people believe they only use AI once a day when in fact it’s three times more
One in two of us (51%) feel nervous about the future of AI, with over a third concerned about privacy (36%) and that it will lead to mass unemployment (39%)
However, nearly half of people recognise its potential for manufacturing (46%), over a third see its role in improving healthcare (38%) and medical diagnosis (32%), and a quarter of people think it can help in tackling climate change (24%)
As the AI Safety Summit nears, over a third (36%) think the government needs to introduce more regulation as AI develops
The surge in Artificial Intelligence (AI) has left a third of us fearing the unknown, yet we have three times as many daily interactions with AI than most people realise, new research from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) reveals.
On average, the UK public recognises AI plays a role in something we do at least once a day – whether that be in curating a personalised playlist, mapping out the quickest route from A to B, or simply to help write an email.
However, hidden touch points can be found in search engines (69%), social media (66%), and streaming services (51%), which all discretely use AI, as well as tools such as Google translate (31%) and autocorrect and grammar checkers (29%).
Despite its everyday use, over half of us (51%) admit nervousness about a future with AI – with nearly a third of people feeling anxious about what it could do in the future (31%). Over a third are concerned about privacy (36%) and feeling it will lead to mass unemployment (39%).
Those surveyed who felt nervous, do so because of not knowing who controls AI (42%) and not being able to tell what is real or true with AI generated fakes (40%). They also expressed concerns that AI will become autonomous and out of control (38%). And that it will surpass human intelligence (31%).
But people do recognise and welcome the role it will play in revolutionising key sectors, such as manufacturing (46%) and healthcare (39%) and specifically medical diagnosis (32%), as well as tackling issues such as climate change (24%).
Dr. Gopichand Katragadda, IET President and a globally recognised AI authority, said: “Artificial Intelligence holds the potential to drive innovation and enhance productivity across diverse sectors like construction, energy, healthcare, and manufacturing. Yet, it is imperative that we continually evolve ethical frameworks surrounding Data and AI applications to ensure their safe and responsible development and utilisation.
“It is natural for individuals to have concerns about AI, particularly given its recent proliferation in technical discussions and media coverage. However, it’s important to recognise that AI has a longstanding presence and already forms the foundation of many daily activities, such as facial recognition on social media, navigation on maps, and personalised entertainment recommendations.”
As the UK AI Safety Summit nears (1-2 November) – which will see global leaders gather to discuss the risks associated with AI and how they can be mitigated through coordinated action – the research reveals 36% of Brits think the government need to do more to regulate and manage AI development, with 30% of those who feel nervous about AI, feeling that Government regulations cannot keep pace with AI’s evolution.
Those surveyed also shared their concerns on the lack of information around AI and lack of skills and confidence to use the technology, with over a quarter of people saying they wished there was more information about how it works and how to use it (29%).
Gopi added: “What we need to see now is the UK government establishing firm rules on which data can and cannot be used to train AI systems – and ensure this is unbiased.
“This is necessary to ensure AI is used safely and to help prevent incidents from occurring – and it is fundamental to maintaining public trust, which underpins the economic and social benefits AI can bring.”
The research for the IET was carried out online by Opinion Matters from 16 October – 18 October 2023 amongst a panel resulting in 2,008 nationally representative consumers responding from across the UK.
AI Summit dominated by Big Tech and a “missed opportunity” say civil society organisations
More than 100 UK and international organisations, experts and campaigners sign open letter to Rishi Sunak
Groups warn that the “communities and workers most affected by AI have been marginalised by the Summit.”
“Closed door event” is dominated by Big Tech and overly focused on speculative risks instead of AI threats “in the here and now”- PM told
Signatories to letter include leading human rights organisations, trade union bodies, tech orgs, leading academics and experts on AI
More than 100 civil society organisations from across the UK and world have branded the government’s AI Summit as “a missed opportunity”.
In an open letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak the groups warn that the “communities and workers most affected by AI have been marginalised by the Summit” while a select few corporations seek to shape the rules.
The letter has been coordinated by the TUC, Connected by Data and Open Rights Group and is released ahead of the official AI Summit at Bletchley Park on 1 and 2 November. Signatories to the letter include:
Major and international trade union confederations – such as the TUC, AFL-CIO, European Trade Union Confederation, UNI Global, International Trade Union Confederation representing tens of millions of workers worldwide
International and UK human rights orgs – such as Amnesty International, Liberty, Article 19, Privacy International, Access Now
Domestic and international civil society organisations – such as Connected by Data, Open Rights Group, 5 Rights, Consumers International.
Tech community voices – such as Mozilla, AI Now Institute and individuals associated to the AI Council, Alan Turing Institute & British Computing Society
Leading international academics, experts, members of the House of Lords
Highlighting the exclusion of civil society from the Summit, the letter says: “Your ‘Global Summit on AI Safety’ seeks to tackle the transformational risks and benefits of AI, acknowledging that AI “will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another.
“Yet the communities and workers most affected by AI have been marginalised by the Summit. The involvement of civil society organisations that bring a diversity of expertise and perspectives has been selective and limited.
“This is a missed opportunity.”
Highlighting the Summit’s lack of focus on immediate threats of AI and dominance of Big Tech, the letter says: “As it stands, the Summit is a closed door event, overly focused on speculation about the remote ‘existential risks’ of ‘frontier’ AI systems – systems built by the very same corporations who now seek to shape the rules.
“For many millions of people in the UK and across the world, the risks and harms of AI are not distant – they are felt in the here and now.
“This is about being fired from your job by algorithm, or unfairly profiled for a loan based on your identity or postcode.
“People are being subject to authoritarian biometric surveillance, or to discredited predictive policing.
“Small businesses and artists are being squeezed out, and innovation smothered as a handful of big tech companies capture even more power and influence.
“To make AI truly safe we must tackle these and many other issues of huge individual and societal significance. Successfully doing so will lay the foundations for managing future risks.”
Calling for a more inclusive approach to managing the risks of AI, the letter concludes: “For the Summit itself and the work that has to follow, a wide range of expertise and the voices of communities most exposed to AI harms must have a powerful say and equal seat at the table. The inclusion of these voices will ensure that the public and policy makers get the full picture.
“In this way we can work towards ensuring the future of AI is as safe and beneficial as possible for communities in the UK and across the world.”
Senior Campaigns and Policy Officer for Connected by Data Adam Cantwell-Corn said: “AI must be shaped in the interests of the wider public. This means ensuring that a range of expertise, perspectives and communities have an equal seat at the table. The Summit demonstrates a failure to do this.
“The open letter is a powerful, diverse and international challenge to the unacceptable domination of AI policy by narrow interests.
“Beyond the Summit, AI policy making needs a re-think – domestically and internationally – to steer these transformative technologies in a democratic and socially useful direction.”
TUC Assistant General Secretary Kate Bell said: “It is hugely disappointing that unions and wider civil society have been denied proper representation at this Summit.AI is already making life-changing decisions – like how we work, how we’re hired and who gets fired.
“But working people have yet to be given a seat at the table.
“This event was an opportunity to bring together a wide range of voices to discuss how we deal with immediate threats and make sure AI benefits all.
“It shouldn’t just be tech bros and politicians who get to shape the future of AI.”
Open Rights Group Policy Manager for Data Rights and Privacy Abby Burke said: “The government has bungled what could have been an opportunity for real global AI leadership due to the Summit’s limited scope and invitees.
“The agenda’s focus on future, apocalyptic risks belies the fact that government bodies and institutions in the UK are already deploying AI and automated decision-making in ways that are exposing citizens to error and bias on a massive scale.
“It’s extremely concerning that the government has excluded those who are experiencing harms and other critical expert and activist voices from its Summit, allowing businesses who create and profit from AI systems to set the UK’s agenda.”
Advocates for the real living wage will gather in Edinburgh today as the City Chambers hosts Scotland’s first Living Wage Places Network event.
Over 70 delegates from 16 UK towns, boroughs and cities will join the City of Edinburgh Council to call for employers to offer “a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work”.
Together, they hope to work towards making the Living Wage the norm in each of their local areas as part of the inaugural conference organised by the Living Wage Foundation and Living Wage Scotland.
Edinburgh’s selection as host city follows the Scottish Capital’s recognition as a Living Wage City in 2020. Over 630 Edinburgh-based employers have signed up to pay the living wage, building on a commitment made by the city to continue to boost the number of businesses which become accredited.
Councillor Jane Meagher, Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, is Co-Chair of the Edinburgh Living Wage Action Group and will open the event. She said: “We’ve had a record-breaking couple of years in Edinburgh for Living Wage sign ups and it feels like we’re witnessing a real movement.
“Edinburgh-based businesses want to help tackle low pay and insecure work, but we know that employers are under increasing pressure too. They are facing recruitment challenges and high energy bills.
“With the cost of living crisis serving as a stark reminder of what life on low pay means for workers, tackling in-work poverty together has never been more vital. We must work together to break down barriers and champion the true value of people’s jobs. Everyone deserves a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.
“Hosting Living Wage Places in Edinburgh is our opportunity to showcase how far we’ve come, learn from each other and work towards a future where the Living Wage is the norm. Thank you to everybody who is coming to join us.”
Kat Brogan, Managing Director of Mercat Tours and Co-Chair of the Edinburgh Living Wage Action Group said:“The Real Living Wage is a crucial element of ‘Real Living’ – a happy, healthy, fulfilling life.
“Our Action Group serves our LW aims in 3 ways. We celebrate LW employers who pay RLW and choose to go beyond, supporting Real Living more broadly in creative and practical ways that has real impact on their teams’ lives.
“Where employers want to reach this goal, we’ll provide advice and guide them to becoming LW employers. This will benefit their team, their business and Edinburgh as a thriving city which offers a quality experience for all.
“As members of the LW community, employers’ views are presented to local and national Government by the Action Group, a powerful advocate on behalf of LW businesses.”
Clare Goff, Senior Project Manager, Living Wage Places for the Living Wage Foundation, said: “We’re delighted to hold our inaugural Living Wage Places Network event in Edinburgh.
“Scotland is the birthplace of the Living Wage Places movement, with Dundee the first city to receive recognition in 2019. Since then, the Living Wage Foundation has recognised a further 15 cities, boroughs and city-regions for Making Living Wage Places.
“The Living Wage Places movement brings together the public sector, businesses and civil society to tackle in-work poverty and make the real Living Wage the norm in their place. This event will bring our network together for the first time to share learning and expand our impact.”
A prestigious evening Awards Ceremony recognising the best of the independent care at home and housing support sector will be held on Friday 13 May 2022 at Radisson Blu in Glasgow. The awards is an important opportunity to highlight the contribution of homecare during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Scottish Care, the representative body for independent social care services across Scotland and organisers of the event, are encouraging those working in the sector and the wider public to join the Awards Ceremony to recognise and celebrate the role of homecare workers.
Winners will be announced by the Awards Host – Pop Idol winner, Michelle McManus.
Awards will be presented over ten categories:
Emerging Talent Award
Care Services Coordination/Administration Award
Care Learning Award
Leadership Award
Outstanding Achievement Award
Care Worker of the Year
Palliative & End of Life Care Practise Award
Technology & People Award
Provider of the Year
Positive Impact Award
Dr Donald Macaskill, CEO of Scottish Care and the co-host of the Awards Ceremony said:“Over the past two years, thousands of women and men have left their homes every day to go out and care for and support others.
“They are the heart of our homecare sector and we all owe them a debt of gratitude. Homecare services allow people to remain independent for as long as possible in their own home. The homecare sector shows us caring and compassion at its best.
“The awards is an opportunity to recognise the dedication and professionalism of the workforce, every day of the week, regardless of weather, risk or fear.”
The awards have been hailed a huge success in recognising individuals, teams and companies, with more entries than ever flooding in each year from employers, homecare staff, service users and relatives nominating their peers, colleagues and local services.
The Care at Home and Housing Support Awards follows a full-day conference for the homecare sector with speakers including the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Humza Yousaf.
The title of the conference is ‘Home is best: the critical role of homecare and housing support’, bringing people together from across the sector to share their experiences from the Covid-19 pandemic and plan for the future of homecare in Scotland.
The conference will explore topics as diverse as the role of technology, the law and home care, social impact investment, registration and regulation, and recruitment and retention.
The conference, exhibition and care awards are the largest of their kind for the care at home and housing sector in Scotland.
With as many as 1 in 5 people thought to be neurodivergent, Scotland will host an international event exploring hard-hitting topics ranging from stigma to sexual taboos associated with neurodivergence and provide a platform for work that showcases the diversity and expertise of neurodivergent people.
The ‘It Takes All Kinds of Minds’ global event at the EICC in Edinburgh will run from 13 – 14 March 2023 bringing together more than 50 of the world’s top neurodiversity thinkers, alongside healthcare experts, policy decision-makers, educators, employers, and families. Neurodivergent people will be represented in every part of the programme and amongst the delegates.
Edinburgh will play host to the international conference organised by the Salvesen Mindroom Centre, an international centre of excellence focusing on all kinds of neurodiversity.
The neurodiverse speaker line-up will include neuroscientists and nutritionists, campaigners, clinicians, artists, actors, and activists.
Keynotes will include Professor Sue Gathercole, OBE, of the University of Cambridge – an expert in cognition and education, and Chair of the UK’s REF panel for Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, and Dr Kathy Leadbitter of University of Manchester, who has pioneered work on neurodiversity-informed early intervention.
Other key speakers include Swedish clinician and psychiatrist Dr Lotta Borg Skoglund, who has been commended for her research into gender and neurodiversity, as well as her efforts to break down stigmas faced by neurodivergent young people.
She will be joined by popular Scandinavian writer and speaker Pelle Sandstrak who uses humour to share experiences of living with Tourette syndrome, jewellery designer Charlotte Garnet who launched an “anti-anxiety” collection, and leading sexologist Professor Lotta Löfgren of University of Malmö.
Looking ahead to next year’s event, Sophie Dow, Founder of the Salvesen Mindroom Centre and Co-Chair of ITAKOM said:“Since launching in 2000, Salvesen Mindroom Centre has been committed to raising awareness of neurodiversity, supporting families and funding research to improve the lives of neurodivergent people.
“It Takes All Kinds of Minds is a conference like no other. It will bring together science and reality by drawing on personal, practitioner and academic experience from around the world. Uniting different perspectives will help us all to understand neurodiversity better and we look forward to welcoming guests from around the globe.”
Dr Sue Fletcher-Watson, Director of the Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre and Chair of the It Takes All Kinds of Minds conference, said: “Neurodiversity is such a powerful idea but its transformational potential is only just beginning to be explored.
“ITAKOM will provide a platform for experts to share their findings and ideas, and for collective exploration of how they can be applied. That’s why we’re bringing together lived, research and practitioner expertise at the ‘It Takes All Kinds of Minds’ event next year.”
Marshall Dallas, EICC Chief Executive, said:“We are thrilled that the ‘It Takes All Kinds of Minds’ conference has chosen Edinburgh and the EICC. As a pioneering hub for life sciences, Edinburgh is very well placed to host to this major international event in the field of neurodiversity.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone involved in the event to the EICC next March.”
The conference will run from 13 – 14 March 2023. Early-bird tickets are £195 for personal tickets, £295 for delegates with funding, and £137 for those on reduced incomes. They can be booked at itakom.org.
To mark the one-year countdown, Salvesen Mindroom Centre partnered with the EICC to host an event on Thursday, 24th March 2022 as part of the conference centre’s ‘EICC Live’ series.
‘EICC Live: Beautiful Brain’ featured world-renowned neurological experts and was the most popular event in the series to date, breaking previous sign-up records.
A prestigious evening Awards Ceremony recognising the best of the independent care home sector will be held tomorrow (Friday 1 April) at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow. The National Care Home Awards 2021 (rescheduled from November 2021) is an important opportunity to highlight the contribution of care homes and their staff during the Covid-19 pandemic.
88% of all care home support in Scotland is delivered by the independent sector, with these services caring for over 33,000 older individuals and employing nearly 46,000 people.
Scottish Care, the representative body for independent social care services across Scotland and organisers of the event, are encouraging those working in the sector and the wider public to join the Awards Ceremony to recognise and celebrate the role of care home workers.
Winners will be announced by the Awards Host – Pop Idol winner, Michelle McManus.
Awards will be presented over fourteen categories:
Ancillary & Support Staff Award
Meaningful Activity Award
Nutrition & Eating Well Award
Training, Learning & Staff Development Award
Emerging Talent Award
Outstanding Achievement Award
Management & Leadership Award
Palliative & End of Life Care Practise Award
Nurse of the Year Award
Carer of the Year Award
Specialist Service/Unit of the Year Award
Care Home Service of the Year Award
Positive Impact Award
Strategic Contribution Award
Dr Donald Macaskill, CEO of Scottish Care and the co-host of the Awards Ceremony said:“Over the past two years, care home staff have demonstrated resilience whilst adapting to the challenges of Covid-19. The dedication and professionalism of care home staff in supporting residents, families and each other has been exceptional.
“We have witnessed new innovative activity and unprecedented collaboration in care homes, with staff often going above and beyond the call of duty.
“The care home workforce has behaved with such dignity, compassion, professionalism and skill over the last few years, as they always do. The awards ceremony is a chance to say thank you and to recognise the particular skills of a few.
“But it is also a night to acknowledge all the individuals, teams and companies delivering care at an incredibly high standard in a challenging period and within an increasingly demanding work environment. We owe them a debt of gratitude.”
The awards have been hailed a huge success in recognising individuals, teams and companies, with more entries than ever flooding in each year from employers, care home staff, residents and relatives nominating their peers, colleagues and local services.
The Care Home Awards follows a full-day conference for the care home sector with speakers including the National Clinical Director, Professor Jason Leitch and the Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care, Kevin Stewart MSP.
The Scottish Care National Care Home Conference & Exhibition, which is now in its 22nd year has incorporated an awards ceremony for the last 17 years.
The conference will be the first in-person event hosted by Scottish Care since the start of the pandemic.
The title of the conference is ‘Care Chrysalis: An emerging future’, bringing people together from across the sector to share their experiences from the Covid-19 pandemic and plan for the future of care homes in Scotland.
The conference will explore topics as diverse as the role of technology, care home nursing, business and finance, restoring relationships, the importance of family, the role of creative arts in wellbeing and recovery, and workforce.
The conference, exhibition and care awards are the largest of their kind for the care home sector in Scotland.
As we recover from the pandemic, how do we build a world of work that gives everyone the dignity and fairness we deserve?
Every trade unionist is invited to join us online for three days of discovery and debate at Congress 2021.
What to expect
Between Sunday 12 September and Tuesday 14 September, union members across the UK are meeting online to discuss how we build stronger unions and mobilise for a new deal for workers.
We’ll have debates on investing in a green economy, with good unionised jobs. We’ll discuss tackling racism, highlighting the work of the TUC’s Anti-Racism Task Force. And we’ll campaign for an overdue pay rise for our key workers and an end to the scandal of fire and rehire.
We’ll hear from Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition, and TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady, as well as union leaders, activists and key workers. A full online fringe events programme offers everyone a deeper chance to engage on issues they care about.
Join us
Congress is open to everyone. We have a growing union movement, based on our work keeping members safe and protecting their rights and livelihoods throughout the crisis.
This is our moment to demand real change for working people.
