Human trafficking is a serious crime that causes lasting harm. Ensuring victims receive the right support is essential.
A new consultation seeks views on whether the guidance on support available to adult victims is clear, practical, and helpful.
Consultation now open by @Edinburgh_CC on ‘North Edinburgh Connections’ active travel scheme (Ferry Road-Pennywell Road-West Granton Road).
You can see the plans and comment (closing date 9 June) here:
I wanted to follow up with some additional information after our community pop up event on the 7th March.
I’d like to pass on our thanks to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh again for hosting us. It was a beautiful sunny day and it was a great spot to have our information stand.
We spoke with many members of the local community and some passing visitors. Thank you if you managed to make it along, it was really lovely to meet some members of the Community Council and the Friends of Inverleith Park in person as well as welcome partners from The City of Edinburgh Council. We received some valuable feedback and comments.
Keep updated
I’d like to highlight the Climate Ready Craigleith StoryMap for information on the current projects. This includes some of the images of the proposals on Arboretum Place we shared on Saturday in case you were unable to attend.
Click here to visit the Climate Ready Craigleith project website
We’re now in the consultation stage of our Community Asset Transfer, and this is your last chance to have your say before the survey closes this Sunday.
Every single response makes a real difference. The more people who take part, the stronger our case for securing the land our Centre sits on, and protecting it for the future of our community.
You can get involved by:
– Completing the online survey here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/drylaw
– Filling in a paper copy at the Centre
It only takes a few minutes, but your input helps us hugely.
Please take part and share this post to help us reach as many people as possible before Sunday!
Thank you for your continued support.
Edinburgh has changed dramatically since the current community plan (LOIP) was last revised. We need people working in the third sector to share their insights at an in-person event:
Thursday 26th February, 9.30am – 12.30pm
at Norton Park Business and Conference Centre
AGENDA:
09:30am – 10:00am
Registration, breakout group signup and refreshments
10:00 am – 10:15am
Overview of the refresh of the Community Plan (2018-2028)
10:15 am – 12:15 pm
Facilitated Round Table Discussions
12:15 pm – 12:30 pm
Summary and close
Register: https://tinyurl.com/47vv5mn6
Our communities need change!
The UK Government will give parents and carers greater clarity and support as the Prime Minister announces immediate action to make the online world safer for children.
Speaking to parents and young people later today [Monday 16 February], the Prime Minister will make clear this government will act at pace to keep kids safe online as they navigate a digital world that did not exist a generation ago, and one that is shaped by powerful platforms, addictive design and fast-moving technologies.
The new measures announced today include crackdown on vile illegal content created by AI. The government will move fast to shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law. This will ensure the Act keeps up with rapidly evolving harms.
This follows government action to call out abhorrent non-consensual intimate images being shared on Grok, which subsequently led to the function being removed.
The Prime Minister will also make clear today that his government is taking new legal powers to lay the groundwork for immediate action following its consultation on children’s wellbeing online. The Government is committed to following the evidence, and these powers will mean we can act fast on its findings within months, rather than waiting years for new primary legislation every time technology evolves.
That means being able to act quickly on measures like setting a minimum age limit for social media and restricting features like infinite scrolling that are harmful, in line with the consultation. The law is crystal clear: the distribution of nude images of children is already illegal. But the government will also consult on how best to ensure tech companies can safeguard children from sending or receiving such images in the first place.
The consultation will also confront the full range of risks children face online. This includes examining restrictions on children’s use of AI chatbots, as well as options to age restrict or limit children’s VPN use where it undermines safety protections and changing the age of digital consent.
The government will also strengthen protections for families facing the most devastating circumstances, by ensuring that vital data following a child’s death is preserved before it can be deleted, except in cases where online activity is clearly not relevant to the death.
This marks a clear shift in how the UK approaches child online safety, meaning the UK can continue to be a world leader in keeping children safe online.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “As a dad of two teenagers, I know the challenges and the worries that parents face making sure their kids are safe online.
“Technology is moving really fast, and the law has got to keep up. With my government, Britain will be a leader not a follower when it comes to online safety.
“The action we took on Grok sent a clear message that no platform gets a free pass.
“Today we are closing loopholes that put children at risk, and laying the groundwork for further action.
“We are acting to protect children’s wellbeing and help parents to navigate the minefield of social media.”
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “I know that parents across the country want us to act urgently to keep their children safe online. That’s why I stood up to Grok and Elon Musk when they flouted British laws and British values.
“We will not wait to take the action families need, so we will tighten the rules on AI chatbots and we are laying the ground so we can act at pace on the results of the consultation on young people and social media.
“We are determined to give children the childhood they deserve and to prepare them for the future at time of rapid technological change.”
The children’s digital wellbeing consultation will launch next month and will be guided by what parents and children say they need now, not in several years’ time.
Ministers are already engaging with parents, young people and civil society groups, and the message has been consistent and clear that parents want support and fast.
To help parents immediately, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has launched the ‘You Won’t Know until You Ask’ campaign. It offers practical guidance on safety settings, conversation prompts parents can use with their children, and age‑appropriate advice on dealing with harmful content, including misogynistic material and ragebait.
Chris Sherwood, NSPCC CEO, said: “We welcome the Prime Minister’s promise to act quickly and decisively to hold tech companies to account and make the online world safer for children. The status quo can’t continue, and without real change the pressure for an under‑16 social media ban will only increase.
“Much of what is being proposed mirrors what we have been pressing for: proper age‑limit enforcement, an end to addictive design, and stronger action from platforms, devices, and AI tools to stop harmful content at the source. Delivered swiftly, these measures would offer far better protection than a blanket ban.
“We also strongly support putting children’s voices at the centre of this debate. They understand both the benefits and risks of being online and – after their insights have been overlooked in discussions so far – their experiences must now help guide the decisions made in the months ahead.
“We need urgent action and an ambitious agenda if the Government is going to take on tech bosses and make a difference for children and young people.”
Andy Burrows, Chief Executive of Molly Rose Foundation, said: “Parents are right to demand urgent action on online safety, and we strongly welcome the Government’s ambition to move quickly and decisively to tackle appalling and preventable harm.
“This announcement should reassure parents that change is on the way. It means that children and families could see much needed safety improvements within months, including action against high-risk AI Chatbots and new measures to prevent girls from being coerced into sending nude photos.
“This a welcome downpayment but the Prime Minister must now go further. Sir Keir Starmer should commit to a new Online Safety Act that strengthens regulation and that makes clear that product safety and children’s wellbeing is the cost of doing business in the UK.”
SHARE YOUR VIEWS ON DRYLAW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP PLANS
DNC are in the process of trying to buy the land that we sit on – we currently own the building, but not the land.
We would love to hear your views about this.
If you could spare ten minutes to complete our survey we would be most grateful.
This can be accessed at bit.ly/Drylaw
We are hosting two drop in events over the next week: one TONIGHT – Thursday 12th February from 6pm – 8pm and one on Monday lunchtime (16th February) between 10:30 – 1:00.
Please come along and view the space and give us your views.
We really would appreciate it.
Drinks and snack will be provided at both drop ins.
Rik Hodgson
DRYLAW NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE
Views are being sought on proposed changes to the Code of Practice for how Scotland’s police officers use stop and search powers.
The Code covers the conduct, recording and oversight of stop and search activity. The Scottish Government is legally required to periodically review the Code and has now published a consultation on a proposed update.
The revised Code aims to strengthen protections for children and vulnerable individuals, provide clearer guidance on the steps officers must take before, during and after a search, and introduce enhanced requirements on data recording, oversight and accountability.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said the proposed changes would ensure the Code continues to support effective policing while maintaining public trust and confidence in the appropriate use of stop and search powers.
Ms Constance said: “Stop and search powers remain a vital tool for police to tackle crime and keep people safe, provided it is exercised lawfully, proportionately and with respect for an individual’s dignity and rights.
“The revised Code aims to improve clarity, transparency and safeguarding, while strengthening safeguards for children and vulnerable people, with clearer guidance on the steps officers should take before, during and after a search.
“The consultation is an opportunity to listen, reflect and to strengthen public trust. I encourage everyone with an interest in justice, equality and community safety to take part.
“Their views will help ensure the Code remains robust, fair and fit for the future – supporting effective policing while upholding the rights and freedoms that define our society.”
Consultation of the revised Code of Practice on the use of stop and search in Scotland
DRYLAW NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE PLANS COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP
Our community has an incredible opportunity right now: the chance to own the Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre and the land around it, and shape it into something truly special for everyone who lives here.
But to make it happen, we need as many local people as possible to fill in the community survey. Your ideas, your hopes, and your experiences matter.
The more responses we get, the stronger our case becomes – and the more likely it is that we, as a community, take ownership of the space and its future.
Imagine what this could mean …
A place where families can spend time together
Safe, welcoming spaces for children and young people
New activities, events, and facilities shaped by you and your neighbours.
A centre and grounds designed around the real needs of local people.
This is about more than a building. It’s about building a better future for Drylaw; a future shaped by the people who live here, who care about the place, and who want to see it thrive.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey:
Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre – bit.ly/Drylaw
Paper copies are also available at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre if that’s easier.
Let’s show what Drylaw can do when we come together.
Let’s build something amazing – for our families, our neighbours, and the generations still to come!
Views are being sought on measures to speed up the delivery of new homes as part of the Scottish Government’s response to the housing emergency.
The measures would help accelerate building on sites allocated for development or which have planning permission. They include fiscal incentives to discourage delays and initiatives to fine tune the system to work better for SME housebuilders.
The 2026-27 draft Scottish Budget includes record funding of £926 million for the affordable housing supply programme and a national housing agency, More Homes Scotland, is being set up to help meet the housing need.
Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee said: “Since 2007, the Scottish Government has supported the delivery of 141,000 affordable homes, including 101,000 for social rent.
“But we know that Scotland urgently needs more homes and planning permission is already in place for a significant amount of housing land. We need to encourage construction to start or re-commence on those sites.
“This consultation seeks views on how incentives, clearer expectations and – where appropriate – stronger interventions could help local authorities, developers, landowners and communities undertake and complete more housing developments, more quickly. It builds on existing work to tackle stalled housing sites, support public sector led development, and strengthen planning capacity across Scotland.”
The Accelerating Home Building in Scotland consultation is open for responses until 30 April.
