Tag: COSLA

£50m to recruit extra school staff

Targeted funding to recruit 1,000 new teachers and 500 pupil support assistants in the next academic year has been announced today by Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville.

The additional £50 million will support COVID-19 education recovery as schools return to full time face-to-face learning. The announcement meets another commitment for the first 100 days of this government.

In addition, £65.5m permanent funding will be allocated annually to councils from 2022-23, which will help remove barriers to councils employing these additional staff on permanent contracts and meet the local needs of children and young people.

Ms Somerville said: “Our vision for COVID recovery and our priorities for Scottish education remain unchanged. Recruiting more permanent staff will be one of the cornerstones of recovery alongside the health and wellbeing of pupils and staff intensified support for reducing inequity, and enabling the highest quality of learning and teaching.

“The £50 million funding will allow councils to recruit more teachers and pupil support assistants next year. Looking further ahead, the additional £65 million annual funding delivered as part of the local government settlement will support councils to recruit these additional staff on permanent contracts.”

COSLA Spokesperson for Resources Councillor Gail Macgregor said: “This additional baselined funding is a welcome resource as we progress into education recovery. Prioritising the educational, as well as, health and wellbeing needs of our children and young people is essential for us all.

“Having the ability to recruit both teachers and support staff with certainty is one part of how we can ensure Councils can deliver the most effective experience for all.

“We do however, look forward to continuing to work with Government to address broader recruitment and retention needs that supports the delivery of high quality education to all.”

Since the start of the pandemic 2,700 additional teachers and support staff have been recruited through £190 million from the Scottish Government.

The government’s commitment to recruit 3,500 additional teachers and pupil support assistants during this Parliament, including this 100 days commitment, is over and above those already recruited using this funding.

‘Transformational’: Increasing free early learning and childcare

Up to 130,000 children will be able to benefit from 1,140 hours of free early learning and childcare (ELC) each year from this month.

Available to all three and four-year-olds, as well as two-years-olds who need it most, the flagship commitment will save families childcare costs of around £4,900 per child each year.

Many children in funded ELC already access 1,140 hours. Legislation came into effect on 1 August to make the expanded offer available across Scotland.

The expansion from 600 to 1,140 hours of funded ELC was made possible by a close working partnership between the Scottish Government, local authorities and ELC providers across Scotland, underpinned by a landmark multi-year funding agreement.

Delivery of the 1,140 hours offer, which will bring Scottish Government funding for ELC in 2021-22 to over £1 billion, marks another commitment for the first 100 days of this Government.

The Scottish Government has also provided local authorities with £476 million of capital over the last four years, which has enabled them to refurbish, re-purpose and extend hundreds of existing nursery settings, as well as providing over 150 new facilities across Scotland.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made the announcement during a visit to Fallin Nursery, Stirling, where she met staff and children.

The First Minister said: “All children deserve the best start in life. Providing access to free, high-quality early learning and childcare enriches children’s early years and provides them with skills and confidence for starting school and beyond. It also supports parents’ ability to work, train or study.

“I am delighted to announce that every local authority in Scotland has assured us they are ready to deliver the 1,140 hours offer by the start of the new term – a truly transformational offer that will benefit children and families all over the country.

“Getting to this point, especially given the challenges of the pandemic, has taken a mammoth effort and I’d like to thank local authorities and private and voluntary sector providers for helping to make it happen.”

COSLA Children and Young People’s Spokesperson Councillor Stephen McCabe said: “This announcement is good news for families across Scotland with children able to benefit from almost double the amount of funded childcare later this month.

“These additional hours will be transformative for families, ensuring children have more time to play and learn while parents and carers will have more opportunities to work, study or volunteer.

“The delivery of the 1,140 hours expansion of early learning and childcare is the result of hard work by councils and our partners, who have made huge efforts to deliver against the extremely challenging and ever-changing nature of the pandemic.” 

Early Years Scotland Chief Executive Jane Brumpton said: “Children and families will now have access to more funded hours of early learning and childcare than ever before.

“We know that investing in the earliest years of a child’s life is crucial to a child’s positive development, and has long-lasting impacts on outcomes in health, education, and positive life chances.

“Early Years Scotland very much welcomes this duty coming into force, and will work closely with Scottish Government and our members to support the rollout of this important policy.”

Funded early learning and childcare (ELC) is available to all three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds.

Nutritional support for young children in Scotland

Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme launched

A scheme to provide children in eligible pre-school settings with milk and a portion of fruit or vegetables launched yesterday (1 August). The Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme replaces the UK Nursery Milk Scheme, making more healthy produce available for more children.

All pre-schoolers who spend two hours or more a day in eligible childcare settings registered with the scheme will be entitled to a serving of fresh milk.

Unlike the UK scheme, a piece of fruit or portion of vegetables will also be offered and children who cannot drink cow’s milk for medical, ethical or religious reasons will be offered a specified non-dairy alternative.

More than 3,000 childcare settings and over 116,000 children are already signed up to the new scheme and it is anticipated that more will register to benefit in year one. The Scottish Government is expected to provide around £9 million to £12 million funding to local authorities, depending on uptake, to administer the scheme in the first year.

Eligible settings who register will receive up-front payments via their local authority.

Children’s Minister Clare Haughey said: “We know that diet impacts on children’s health and their ability to learn. This scheme not only provides eligible pre-school children in Scotland with access to excellent sources of nutrition but we hope it will set up healthy eating habits for life.

“With this expanded and improved offer, the Scottish Government has gone further than the UK scheme. Working in partnership with COSLA and other key partners, we are investing in children’s outcomes, providing increased money up-front, and offering a wider range of healthy produce while supporting our vital Scottish food and drink sector.”

COSLA Children and Young People Spokesperson Councillor Stephen McCabe said: “The provision of milk and healthy snacks to children is an important part of ensuring that they can get the best from their learning and contributes to their overall health and wellbeing.

“The scheme will provide for children at a crucial stage in their development and we have worked in partnership to ensure that as many children as possible benefit.”

100 Days until COP26

Scotland makes international pledge to help deliver the Paris Agreement 

With 100 days until COP26 comes to Glasgow, Scotland has set out how it will help meet the global goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The indicative Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) published today (23 July) outlines Scotland’s contribution to preventing warming of more than 1.5 degrees.

Scotland is understood to be the first government that is not a formal party to the Paris Agreement to publish an indicative NDC.

While only parties to the Paris Agreement may submit NDCs, the Scottish Government committed to publishing an indicative NDC as an sign of Scotland’s commitment to joining and leading the international effort on tackling climate change. Its publication was a 100 day commitment for the government.

The indicative NDC reflects Scotland’s distinctive framework of statutory emissions reduction targets, in particular our world-leading 2030 target to reduce emissions of all major greenhouse gases by at least 75%. It also sets out our approach to achieving these ambitious targets, with a commitment to deliver a just transition at its heart.

Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson said: “With COP26 coming to Glasgow, Scotland has a unique opportunity to show leadership on climate action on the international stage.

“I’m proud to publish this pledge, setting out how Scotland is contributing to the global aims of the Paris Agreement. By highlighting our own action, we hope to inspire others to raise their ambition.

“COP26 represents the world’s best chance – and possibly one of our last chances – to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. We are working hard with our delivery partners to make sure the event is safe and secure and to create a platform for agreeing decisive climate action.”

As part of the climate agreement negotiated in Paris in 2015, signatories must publish NDCs – plans that set out their action to contribute to the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees ( with “further efforts” to limit it to no more than 1.5 degrees).

While taking centre stage at November’s international event is something to look forward to, the Scottish Government has pressing local issues to deal with before then. The number of Covid cases in Scotland remains worryingly high and 22 deaths were recorded yesterday – the highest figure for four months.

£64 million for local heat and energy efficiency projects

A programme to tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency will receive an extra £9 million of funding this year to support a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and help fuel poor households save money on their heating bills.

The Scottish Government’s Area Based Scheme (ABS) programme will provide over £64 million in 2021/22 – up from £55 million the year before – to enable every local authority in Scotland to deliver energy efficiency measures to fuel poor households and communities.

The work forms part of a £1.6 billion investment over the next five years to transform the heat and energy efficiency of buildings. The Scottish Government’s draft Heat in Buildings strategy sets out a vision for more than one million homes to be using low and zero emissions heating systems by 2030.

ABS projects have helped deliver energy efficiency improvements to more than 100,000 homes since the programme launched in 2013. That has generated cumulative savings for household fuel bills worth over £900 million while reducing CO2 emissions by over 3.4 million tonnes.

Local ABS projects plan to install low and zero emissions heating systems in more than 500 homes this year, as well as insulation and other improvements such as solar panels and battery storage.

Net Zero and Energy Secretary Michael Matheson visited Hillpark in Glasgow to announce this year’s ABS funding plans.

Mr Matheson said: “We are wholly committed to ending Scotland’s contribution to climate change and, crucially, doing so in a way that is fair for everyone and leaves no-one behind.

“Reducing emissions from heating our homes is one of the most important things we can do to ensure we become a net-zero society by 2045. It will require us all to take action and everyone across Scotland will need to play their part in making sure our homes and buildings are fit for a net-zero future.

“We are committed to rapidly scaling-up action, but doing so in a way that ensures that our fuel poverty objectives and our commitment to tackling climate change work together, ensuring a fair and just transition to net zero.

“I am pleased to confirm increased funding for this year’s ABS programme, which continues to support on-the-ground delivery of projects making a tangible and positive difference – not just to greenhouse gas emissions, but to people’s lives.”

Councillor Kenny McLean, City Convener for Housing, Neighbourhoods and Public Realm at Glasgow City Council, said: “The ABS programme in Glasgow has made a huge impact in many households in Glasgow, lowering energy bills and reducing carbon emissions.

“The increase in funding will allow continued economic, environmental and social benefits to be delivered as a result.”

Area Based Schemes are delivered by local authorities targeting fuel poor areas and communities. ABS funding also targets the `hardest to treat’ properties requiring external wall or complex cavity wall insulation, making homes warmer and less expensive to heat.

By leveraging investment by private and social landlords, ECO finance and Scottish Government funding, ABS projects have been particularly successful in delivering improvements for multi-occupancy properties such as flats and tenements, as well as whole streets.

Government announces increased funding for affordable homes

Scotland’s councils are to share more than £3.2 billion in grant funding over five years to deliver more affordable homes. 

Local authorities will benefit from an increase of more than £541 million on the previous five year allocation – an uplift of more than 20%.

Housing Secretary Shona Robison said: “We have already delivered more than 102,000 affordable homes since 2007. Building on this, our aim is to deliver 100,000 affordable homes by 2032, with at least 70% of these for social rent.

“Meeting this ambition will require continued collaboration across the private and public sectors. I’m pleased to be increasing significantly the available affordable housing grant funding for council areas to help with this important work.

“The five-year allocations will provide the certainty and assurance the housing sector needs to deliver the ambitious affordable homes target set out in our Housing to 2040 strategy.”

COSLA Resources spokesperson Councillor Gail Macgregor said: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to contributing to the cost of affordable housing in Scotland. The priority for councils, and housing associations, is ensuring rent affordability and warm, safe, comfortable homes for current and future tenants.

“As we look to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, councils are working side by side with their communities.  We maintain a focus on our shared ambitions around tackling child poverty and climate change, alongside building more houses.”

The City of Edinburgh Council also welcomes the announcement from Scottish Government on a five-year funding package for local authorities and housing associations in Scotland to deliver new affordable homes.

Over the next five years Edinburgh will receive £233.8m grant funding from a pot of more than £3.2 billion announced today which will be shared across all Scottish council areas.

Edinburgh is one of the most pressured housing markets in the country and needs more affordable homes to meet the needs of its growing population.  

City of Edinburgh Council’s Convener for Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work, Councillor Kate Campbell said: “This announcement of £233.8m funding for housing in Edinburgh from the Scottish Government over the next five years is hugely welcome. Having certainty over future funding puts us in a strong position to continue building that pipeline of social and affordable homes that we so desperately need.

“This will allow us to plan ahead and acquire sites, design and develop new homes and appoint contractors. And not only do we have certainty, we also have an increase of almost £44m from our baseline allocation over the last five years.

“Having recently met with the Cabinet Secretary to set out the challenges in Edinburgh, and the further investment we need, this is a positive response.

“We’ve also consistently received in-year allocations of extra funding when other local authorities have had underspends in their grant. Over the last five years this has amounted to about £40m. Our aim is to continue making the case for any future underspends to come to Edinburgh by making sure that we continue our strong track record on delivery of homes.

“And, because the need for permanent, secure and affordable housing in our city is so great, we’ll also continue to make the case for additional funding for Edinburgh from the national housing budget. But having certainty for the next five years, and an increase in funding, puts us in a fantastic position just now, and gives us a really strong platform to build from.”

Vice Convener for Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work, Councillor Mandy Watt, said: “We have ambitious plans to grow the number of homes we own, which we’ll do by purchasing homes and by building homes through our own housing development programme.

“Alongside this, we’ve got to find ways to deliver more affordable housing through our planning policies. Currently, the minimum amount of land for affordable homes is 25% of any major development. We are proposing that the minimum allocation is increased to 35%.

“As a Council, we’re committed to ending poverty and becoming more sustainable. Our house building programme will make a major contribution towards achieving that.”

Then Play On: Music tuition and core curriculum fees removed

Fees for children learning a musical instrument at school will be removed thanks to more than £7 million funding from the Scottish Government.

Councils will also receive £6 million to waive core curriculum charges which can be levied on families for things including materials for home economics or theatre trips associated with drama qualifications.

The agreement with COSLA covers the 2021-22 academic year and marks the delivery of two further commitments for the first 100 days of this Government.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “My priority is to ensure the best possible outcomes for all of Scotland’s children and young people, whatever their background.

“All children should have the best start in life and the ability to take part in core elements of education should never be limited by a child’s ability to pay.

“Today’s announcement means families will not see bills for musical tuition or core curriculum activities in the new school year. I will continue to work with COSLA and local authorities to develop a sustainable and funded model for future years.”

COSLA Children and Young People spokesperson Councillor Stephen McCabe, said: “Councils recognise the importance of instrumental music tuition for the learning and development of our children and young people.

“Where fees were in place for tuition this is due to a range of local pressures on core council budgets. The one year funding package agreed between COSLA Leaders and Scottish Government will allow for the removal of fees in the coming academic year and the maintenance of existing levels of provision, so that fees and charges are not a barrier to learning an instrument. 

“We welcome the commitment from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills to work with COSLA and partners in the sector to consider the intent, impact, and broader implications of this Scottish Government policy intervention and to develop a model for the long-term sustainability of  instrumental music tuition services across Scotland which must include sustainable funding arrangements for all councils.”

New learning resource to support young people’s mental health

The Scottish Government has unveiled a new online learning resource to help school staff support young people’s mental health.

Staff can learn more about factors influencing mental health and wellbeing; prevention-based approaches in schools and tips on how to end mental health stigma and discrimination.

The Mental Health Foundation, Children in Scotland and training provider Digital Bricks developed the resource that is open to all school staff in primary, secondary and special schools.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing is of vital importance and this resource is a significant addition to the suite of resources that school staff can access. It will provide essential learning and knowledge on mental health and wellbeing that schools can adopt and embed across all aspects of the school environment.

“Although aimed primarily at school staff, it can also be accessed and used by anyone who wants to learn more about mental health and how to support children and young people.”

Councillor Stephen McCabe, COSLA spokesperson for Children and Young People, said: “The mental health and wellbeing of our children and young people must be a priority as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.

“Ensuring those working with young people, in all capacities, have access to resources that develop their understanding of, and equip them to appropriately support mental health would be crucial; I welcome this comprehensive resource providing training and information for all school staff.”

‘Transformational’ early learning and childcare expansion

More children receiving 1,140 funded hours

More than seven out of ten children in Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) are now receiving the full 1,140 funded hours.

The number of children has risen by 10,510 since February – an increase from 65% to 72%.

The latest data from the Improvement Service shows that at the end of April 2021, 118,068 children were accessing funded ELC. Of these, 102,410 children (87%) were accessing more than the statutory entitlement of 600 hours, and 84,606 children (72%) were accessing 1,140 hours.

Children’s Minister Clare Haughey said: “These figures show we are well on the way to offering all eligible children 1,140 hours of funded ELC from August 2021 –  a transformational policy that will benefit families across Scotland.

“Despite the pandemic having an impact on the construction of ELC facilities and recruitment plans across the country, local authorities have continued to make good progress in expansion plans. 

“At the centre of these plans is the drive to improve children’s outcomes and help close the poverty-related attainment gap, to improve the health and wellbeing of children and parents, and to support parents into work, study or training. I’d like to thank local authorities and all those who are continuing to work at pace to meet our target.”

Councillor Stephen McCabe, COSLA Children and Young People spokesperson, said:  “I welcome the progress that has been made towards the implementation of the 1,140 hours ELC expansion by August. This report shows that significant progress has been made by councils despite the continued challenges of the pandemic, including the national lockdown.

“We know that the additional hours will be transformational with children provided with more time to play and learn, while parents and carers will have more opportunities to work, study or volunteer. We are pleased we are on track for delivery later this year”.

Funded early learning and childcare (ELC) is available to all three and four year olds and eligible two year olds. From August 2021, the entitlement will increase to 1,140 hours a year (30 hours a week if taken term time).

The expansion of funded ELC, originally intended for August 2020, was paused in April 2020 to give local authorities the flexibility to focus on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early Learning and Childcare Expansion Delivery Progress Report, May 2021 (improvementservice.org.uk)

£20 million boost for summer programme provision

Children and young people most impacted by Covid will be supported by £20 million to create opportunities to socialise, play and ‘reconnect’ this summer.

Councils will receive £15 million and up to £5 million has been allocated to a coalition of 18 national partners to further strengthen and build on existing summer provision in addition to what is usually on offer. 

The support provided by councils will specifically target those aged up to 25 from low income households who may otherwise struggle to access such experiences during the holidays.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Scotland’s children and young people have experienced significant disruption to all aspects of their lives as a result of Covid-19, including their wellbeing; education and social connections. They have told us that their mental health was a primary concern as a result of the pandemic and that they need a range of activity to help them reconnect with their peers and friends.

“We have listened and taken action. The £20 million of funding will support children, young people, their families and carers to enjoy the summer. Through our partners – local authorities as well as our national organisations – the summer activity will focus on mental health and well-being of our children and young people whose lives have been impacted by Covid.”

Councillor Stephen McCabe, COSLA Children and Young People’s Spokesperson said: “Over the past year children and young people have shown such resilience as the pandemic has limited many of the activities and support usually open to them.

“We are pleased that this additional funding will allow local authorities to build on their own regular summer programmes for children and young people and boost opportunities for those who have faced the greatest challenges due to COVID-19.

“Councils will provide a range of activities depending on local needs and guided by what children and young people themselves say will make a difference.”