Tag: COSLA

Ambitious for Scotland?

Programme for Government 2026-2031

Patients will receive better care, with shorter waits, as a result of the most significant structural reform of our NHS in the devolution era, First Minister John Swinney announced yesterday, as he unveiled a major modernisation programme of Scotland’s public services.

Setting out his Programme for Government, the First Minister pledged that all the actions of his government would be focused on delivering lasting improvements to people’s lives as he presented a package of measures to help with the cost-of-living crisis.

The First Minister said the Scottish Government would also continue to drive improvements in the priority areas of eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, investing in public services and tackling the climate emergency as he outlined work to reduce NHS waiting times and action to tackle violence against women and girls.  

Key announcements include:

  • Replacing the current 14 territorial health boards with two strategic health boards which – alongside other measures – will free up more time and capacity for treatment
  • Delivering a national breakfast club for all primary schools from August 2027 and, by 2031, providing childcare support 52 weeks a year for children from nine months old to the end of primary school
  • Tackling poverty by increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £40 per week for eligible babies under 1 during 2027-28
  • Investing £205 million in winter heating payments for pensioners, families with disabled children and struggling households
  • Recognising that hostility to women and girls is a serious societal problem by defining misogyny as a distinct form of prejudice and abuse
  • Expanding the £2 bus fare cap beyond the Highlands and Islands to the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport area from Monday 7 September followed by a national roll-out by the end of this Parliament  
  • Improving public services by removing unnecessary duplication and overlap, getting resources more directly to the frontline services
  • Over the next three months, with partners, reach a clear shared direction on substantial reform to local governance, including social care
  • Bringing the national environment public bodies into a single overarching body to make environmental interventions more impactful
  • Supporting better jobs and higher incomes by making Scotland a better place to invest and do business

First Minister John Swinney said: “This ambitious Programme for Government has radical and widespread public service reform at its heart to deliver real, lasting improvements to people’s lives.

“By rewiring a system of services designed for the last century, we will simplify and reshape organisations on which everyone relies and ensure every pound of investment achieves maximum impact.

“As we do so, we will build on the most generous cost of living package anywhere in the UK while continuing to tackle inequality, poverty and division.

“This is a Programme for Government to deliver a fairer, healthier and more prosperous nation.”

The First Minister also stated that Scotland would only reach its full potential by becoming an independent nation.

“We will give the leadership for Scotland to decide her own future and advance our belief that Scotland will be better off with Independence.”

Programme for Government 2026 to 2031 – gov.scot

The First Minister also confirmed Scottish Government plans to introduce nine Bills over the course of 2026-27:

  • Budget Bill
  • Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill
  • Council Tax (Scotland) Bill
  • Damages (Scotland) Bill
  • Food Prices (Scotland) Bill
  • Football Banning Orders (Scotland) Bill
  • Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill
  • Misogyny (Criminal Law) (Scotland Bill
  • Public Service Renewal (Scotland) Bill

REACTION:

Peter Kelly of Scotland’s Poverty Alliance commented: “It was good to hear a promise to eradicate child poverty – and we welcome the further development of the Whole Family Wellbeing approach.

“However, we know that secure, adequate incomes are the bedrock of efforts to eradicate poverty. That means progressively increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £55 a week by the end of this Parliament.

Without that scale of change, it’s hard to see how the First Minister will keep that promise to Scotland’s children.”

COSLA President, Councillor Shona Morrison, has responded to Scottish Government’s Programme for Government announcement: “Today’s Programme for Government is a significant statement of the Scottish Government’s priorities, and we will take time to consider its detail carefully.

“There are important implications for local government and council services, particularly the proposed NHS reforms and what they will mean for the future delivery of social care.

“Over the coming days, COSLA will engage closely with our member councils and with Scottish Ministers to ensure these proposals are focused on what is best for communities across Scotland and respect the democratic legitimacy of local government.

“Public services work best when decisions are taken as close to communities as possible. We look forward to meaningful engagement with the Scottish Government and believe that the dialogue on the future of local governance must be carried forward with councils and COSLA as the collective voice of local government.”

Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, Local Government Information Unit (LGIU), said: “While we welcome the focus on reforming the public sector to make it work better for citizens, LGIU is concerned that two concurrent, three-month consultations on the restructuring of local government and the reform of social care mean the views and expertise of the local government sector will not be adequately represented.

“Local government reorganisation is a serious undertaking. And it will be impossible to achieve without an agenda to save local government finances, which is conspicuously absent from this Programme.

“The Scottish Government should enter this endeavour with the expectation that it will be hard, and that making a success of it will be impossible without buy-in from across the sector and clear aims about what the desired outcomes are.

“The same is true with social care. The last major social care reform attempt was the introduction of the National Care Service, the structural part of which failed in part because of limited engagement with local government.

“We appreciate the Government’s newfound urgency to tackle both the social care crisis and empower the regional and local tiers of government, but it is hard to see how a three-month sprint to round off decades-old debates will ensure that all relevant voices are heard.”

In response to the Programme for Government, Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive of Children First said: “We are delighted that our calls for whole family support, investment in a national Bairns Hoose programme, a public health approach to online harm and a greater emphasis on prevention have been included in today’s Programme for Government.

“Prevention is rightly at the heart of the Scottish Government’s ambitions, but it’s been the goal for more than 15 years. The gap between policy intent and the reality of children’s lives has never been wider. The First Minister will understand why people are impatient for change.

“It is disappointing that the specific, funded commitments needed to put Scotland back on track to meet its child poverty targets have not been included. We do not need further reviews or consultations – the next budget must deliver the action and investment children and families need.

“Children First share the Scottish Government’s aim for every child to live free from poverty, safe from harm and for children’s rights to be protected at every stage.

“We look forward to working alongside the Scottish Government and hope that local government, partners and communities will make the same commitment, because it will take everybody to close the gap between what Scotland says and what Scotland does.”

Billy Alexander, Associate Director for the Stroke Association in Scotland, said: “We welcome today’s commitment from First Minister, to ensure every stroke patient in Scotland who needs a thrombectomy gets one – regardless of the time or day. Whilst long overdue, this way could herald a genuine turning point for stroke care in Scotland. 

“Thrombectomy is a lifechanging treatment that can mean the difference between someone returning to an independent life or living with significant long-term disability. Yet, all too often, the time or place someone has their stroke can determine whether they receive it. 

“The test now will be implementation. We need a clear, sustainable, robustly funded, and time-bound plan that delivers equitable access to thrombectomy around the clock and across the country.

“That same level of ambition is also needed to drive wider improvements across stroke care, from the point of emergency and treatment through to rehabilitation and long-term recovery. Only then will every stroke survivor in Scotland be properly supported to live well after stroke.”

Debbie Horne, Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager of older people’s charity Independent Age, said: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to tackling the cost of living crisis. 

“At Independent Age, we hear every day from older people being squeezed by rising costs. Action is urgently required to support the 130,000 pensioners currently in poverty in Scotland.

“We know that too often the social security system fails to reach the older people who need it most, with hundreds of millions of pounds going unpaid every year. Commitments today to maximise the take-up of social security payments hold real potential to boost incomes for older people in financial hardship and we look forward to working with the Scottish Government to progress this welcome and vital work.

 “Today’s announcement that the Heat in Buildings Bill will be introduced and the commitment to ongoing winter heating support for pensioners is also very important. Our research has shown that almost 4 in 5 older people on a low income have cut back on heating, so it’s clear that measures to improve the energy efficiency of homes and support older people with energy costs is urgently needed. 

“Despite these positive steps, to meaningfully tackle the range of issues facing the one in eight older people in Scotland who live in poverty, we need sustained strategic action to boost incomes and reduce costs through a national pensioner poverty strategy. In a wealthy and fair society, both the Scottish and UK Governments must do more to make sure every older person can live well.” 

The British Dental Association Scotland has expressed its profound scepticism that plans for wholesale reform of Scotland’s health boards represents a silver bullet and has called for forensic scrutiny from MSPs.

Today First Minister John Swinney told the Scottish Parliament that “to ensure more joined-up delivery, to improve access to care and to reduce inequality for some patients” the fourteen current health boards would be reduced to two. While the professional body is wholly supportive of these objectives, following publication of the Programme for Government it is unclear how any of them will be achieved via these proposals.

The BDA will be addressing the Health, Care and Sport Committee this week, stressing the risk of unintended consequences.

BDA Scotland Director Charlotte Waite said: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that top-down reorganisations of the NHS rarely deliver the goods for taxpayers, patients, or practitioners.

“These plans need to be subjected to forensic scrutiny. They only thing we can be sure of at this stage is unintended consequences.”

Responding to the Programme for Government, Anna Fowlie, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations’ (SCVO) Chief Executive, said:   ”I’m pleased to see that the Programme for Government recognises the essential role the voluntary sector plays in addressing some of Scotland’s biggest challenges, from child poverty and gender-based violence to community cohesion and public service reform. 

“We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to a Third Sector Partnership, founded on trust, collaboration and mutual respect. We look forward to working with the Scottish Government to deliver the kind of partnership with government that voluntary organisations have long called for, one that brings meaningful change. 

“We also welcome commitments to multi-year funding in a number of areas, and the first public recognition that the voluntary sector, alongside communities, must play a significant part in shaping public service reform. I look forward to seeing these commitments delivering significant progress in delivering Fair Funding across government portfolios and public bodies. 

“Finally, I welcome the First Minister’s commitment to strengthen community cohesion and counter those who seek to divide Scotland. Voluntary organisations across Scotland are on the frontline of supporting people targeted by bigotry, racism and hatred, while bringing communities together in the face of division.

“Their work demonstrates the very best of Scotland: compassion, solidarity and a determination to ensure everyone belongs. Achieving that ambition will require sustained recognition, support and investment from the Scottish Government.”  

Making sure children get the support they need in school

Consistent additional support for learning

Children with additional support needs will be supported wherever they are in Scotland through a new National Staged Intervention Model for additional support for learning that is being developed.

Education Secretary Màiri McAllan made the commitment as she set out plans to provide a nationwide approach to identifying, planning, delivering and reviewing support for children and young people who experience barriers to learning in all council areas – to ensure they receive the right support at the right time.

The newly-published route map sets out the next steps to introducing a model that will set out more clearly how support is delivered to meet the needs of children and young people in different areas.

It is being developed in partnership with local government in response to recommendations from the McManus Review of additional support for learning, and will be rolled out in phases with full implementation across all of Scotland’s 32 council areas planned for August 2028.

Ms McAllan said: “Every child deserves the best possible support that is right for their needs, regardless of where they live in Scotland so they can realise their full potential.

“A National Staged Intervention approach will help ensure that how support needs are identified, responded to and reviewed is consistent, no matter where a child or young person goes to school.

“Through this Model children and young people will receive support that is right for them, and families will have greater understanding of the support available to their child. For teachers, it means clearer national guidance being developed alongside updated training, aligned with the Model to help them support pupils with additional needs.

“We will develop the Model jointly with councils, teachers and school staff, and with children and their families, to ensure the National Staged Intervention Model delivers the support children and young people need across Scotland.”

Councillor Tony Buchanan, COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People said: “COSLA is committed to working collectively with Scottish Government to improve the outcomes for all children and young people.

“We recognise the need in particular to support children with additional support needs and are focused on building upon the strong practice that already exists and recognise that developing a national model offers opportunity to further enhance the consistency of approach our children and young people.

“Together with our professional associations and colleagues in Scottish Government, we look forward to enhancing what is working well and helping embed continuous improvement across the support framework that is available to children and families in all parts of Scotland.”

Sheena Devlin, General Secretary at the Association of Directors of Education Scotland (ADES) said: “ADES welcomes the direction of travel set out today. Scotland already has much strong practice in supporting children and young people with additional needs, and a national model offers the opportunity to build greater consistency of approach to recording and planning for our children and young people.

“We look forward to working with the Scottish Government and partners to shape the detail, ensuring the Model strengthens what is working well while improving the support framework available to children, young people and families wherever they live.”

Swinney: “No child should start the school day hungry”

Investing in free breakfast clubs

Local authorities will share £15 million to expand and enhance breakfast club provision from today, First Minister John Swinney has announced.

The funding will help councils deliver free breakfast clubs for primary school pupils across Scotland from August 2027, giving children a healthy start to the school day and helping reduce costs for families.

The announcement follows the opening of new breakfast clubs in East Lothian, at East Linton and in Letham Mains, during the Government’s first 100 days in office, delivering on a commitment to expand access.

Ahead of a visit to a breakfast club in East Lothian the First Minister said: “No child should start the school day hungry.

“I have seen first-hand the real impact and benefits that the breakfast clubs provide to pupils, parents and teachers. They give children a healthy start to the day, helping to ensure they are ready to engage and learn in class.

“For parents and carers, breakfast clubs allow for an early drop off at school while easing the pressure on family budgets at a time when rising bills and living costs continue to bite.

“The Scottish Government is continuing to do all it can to eradicate child poverty and put more money in people’s pockets. Alongside measures such as free school meals, these free breakfast clubs will help ensure more children are supported to succeed at school, regardless of their background.”

COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People, Councillor Tony Buchanan, said: “Local authorities deliver a wide range of services for children and families and are best placed to understand and respond to the needs of their communities.

“This agreement provides an opportunity for local authorities to expand and enhance breakfast provision in a way which meets local need. I look forward to continuing to work together to support our children, young people, and families across Scotland.”

Further measures to eradicate child poverty will be set out by the First Minister in his Programme for Government tomorrow (Tuesday).

New guidance for phone-free learning before law change

Schools urged to ban phones during teaching time ‘as a minimum’

Schools are being encouraged to restrict the use of mobile phones by following updated national guidance, published today ahead of planned legislation to create phone-free learning environments.

Education Secretary Màiri McAllan said schools should introduce restrictions during teaching and learning time “as a minimum”, while also considering implementing whole school restrictions.

Publication of the updated guidance meets a commitment for the first 100 days of the Scottish Government. The guidance sets out how schools should work with the whole community to develop phone-free learning policies informed by children, young people, parents, carers and school staff. It also suggests possible exemptions for pupils with caring responsibilities, medical conditions or additional support needs that require them to use their phones. 

A consultation will be launched early in the new academic term on legislation to restrict the use of phones in all of Scotland’s schools.

The Education Secretary said: “We know that mobile phones are causing distraction in the classroom and we must end this so our children and young people can reach their full educational potential.

“Beyond distraction, we know there is a spectrum of other harms associated with the online world from issues with sleep, mental health and loss of concentration through to exposure to harmful, violent or misogynistic content and, in extreme cases, incitement to self-harm, severe bullying and grooming.

“The Scottish Government intends to introduce new laws to restrict the use of mobile phones in schools. As we develop the legislation, I am encouraging Scotland’s education authorities, headteachers and schools to act now, following our refreshed guidance.

“As a minimum, restrictions should apply during teaching and learning time, but schools should also consider implementing a whole school ban. Any steps taken by schools should be informed by consultation with the whole school community, including with pupils and staff.”

COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People Councillor Tony Buchanan said: “Supporting our Children and Young People to use new technologies is essential and COSLA supports an evidence-based approach to mobile phones in schools. Councils continue to take steps to ensure that learning environments are safe and healthy spaces for all learners. 

“We look forward to working with children and young people and colleagues across Scotland to respond to the full consultation and will work with Scottish Government to carefully consider any proposed changes to ensure our schools continue to be and are positive spaces of learning.

“We must work with our communities, partners and governments and ensure this is not the sole responsibility of schools, rather a whole society discussion on how best to support our children and young people.”

Guidance on Mobile Phones in Scotland’s Schools – Update 2026 – gov.scot

Phone-free learning in Scottish schools – gov.scot

Scotland’s Care system in state of emergency due to acute placement shortage, warn social work leaders

Scotland’s 32 chief social work officers issue rare joint statement urging action from political leaders to tackle ‘crisis’ in care system they say has led some social workers to take children home with them because of the shortage of placements

Scotland’s care system is in a state of emergency due to an acute placement shortage that has, in some cases, led to social workers taking children home with them.

That was the stark warning from the country’s 32 chief social work officers in a rare joint statement to highlight the issue to Scottish Government and council leaders and urge action to counteract it.

The CSWOs – the strategic and professional leads for social work in each of the local authorities – said the “acute shortage of suitable homes and carers” was increasing “the risk of harm to children from physical, sexual, emotional abuse or exploitation and neglect”.

It was also “placing undue and unsustainable pressure on the people entrusted with keeping Scotland’s children, young people and adults safe”, said the statement, published by leadership body Social Work Scotland.

The CSWOs said the the shortage of placement options had led to:

  • Social workers having to take children home with them in some parts of the country.
  • Newborn babies remaining in the care of hospital nurses.
  • Children as young as three being placed in residential care alongside young adults.
  • Older children sleeping on the sofas of foster carers and residential homes.
  • Children who do not have high needs being placed in expensive specialist provision making it unavailable for those who need it.
  • Foster carers going many months without a break.

They described the care system as “saturated” and said it would have collapsed entirely without “the incredible efforts of Scotland’s carers, social work staff and other professionals”.

“This is an emergency for Scotland’s care system, and we ask Scottish Government and local government leaders to work with us to take necessary action.”

The CSWOs asks for:

  • To have the flexibility to authorise placements which they deem suitable to protect the welfare and wellbeing of children.
  • The rapid implementation of commitments already made by political leaders to “alleviate the administrative demand on social work”.

The statement referenced The Promise – the pledge that all children in Scotland would grow up loved, safe and respected by 2030 – which the Scottish Government is seeking to achieve through a raft of policies.

“We share these ambitions wholeheartedly,” said the CSWOs. “But the primary responsibility of public authorities is to protect the welfare and wellbeing of people, and if we are unable to do this fundamental task, those ambitions will never be realised.”

THE CSWOs STATEMENT IN FULL:

Across Scotland there is now an acute shortage of suitable homes and carers for children who are unable to remain in the care of their family. The lack of options increases the risk of harm to children from physical, sexual, emotional abuse or exploitation and neglect, as well as placing undue and unsustainable pressure on the people entrusted with keeping Scotland’s children, young people and adults safe.

The crisis is occurring at a time of growing concerns about the impact of poverty on families, a shortage of housing, and national attention on child sexual abuse and exploitation.

We, Scotland’s thirty-two Chief Social Work Officers, are therefore taking this unusual step of issuing a joint statement to ensure that the public and political leaders are aware of the situation, and the need for urgent action.

In the absence of placement options, newborn babies are remaining in the care of hospital nurses. Children as young as three years old are being placed in residential homes with young adults; a setting characterised by frequently changing staff and other young people.

Older children are sleeping on the sofas of foster carers and residential homes. And in such scarcity, where any safe placement will do, expensive specialist options are being used for children who do not have high levels of need, making them unavailable for those children who do.

The capacity of the care system is saturated, and it is only thanks to the incredible efforts of Scotland’s carers, social work staff and other professionals that we have been able to prevent the system collapsing entirely.

Some carers have not had a break in many months, and in some parts of the country social workers have had to take children home with them, as no other safe options are available. This is an emergency for Scotland’s care system, and we ask Scottish Government and Local Government leaders to work with us to take necessary action.

Principally, we – as the leaders of social work in local government – require the flexibility to authorise placements which we deem suitable to protect the welfare and wellbeing of children. We also need to see political commitments to alleviate the administrative demand on social work implemented at pace.

Scotland aspires to be among the best places in the world to grow up, no matter what your background or circumstances. And Scotland has made a promise to those children and families who require social work support that the experience will be positive and nurturing. We share these ambitions wholeheartedly.

But the primary responsibility of public authorities is to protect the welfare and wellbeing of people, and if we are unable to do this fundamental task, those ambitions will never be realised.

Siobhian Brown, minister for children, young people and The Promise, said she took the issues raised by the statement “very seriously” and had asked to meet with Social Work Scotland “as a priority to discuss their concerns”.
 
“Any child or young person who cannot live at home, regardless of their age, must be able to stay in a safe, stable and caring environment,” she added.

“We are committed to delivering The Promise, and this includes increasing the recruitment of foster carers and providing an additional £22.2 million investment in support for foster carers and kinship carers.

“We also brought new legislation in March to regulate cross-border placements in residential care – this should help ensure more places are available for local authorities in Scotland. And this year we launched the National Social Work Agency to strengthen and support the social work profession.
 
“However, I recognise that significant pressures remain, and we will work closely with Social Work Scotland and other partners to ensure we have the right placements across the country for children and young people.”

Scottish Association of Social Work professional officer Susan Dobson said: “The dedication of the workforce to those they support is clear, but social workers having to take children home because there is nowhere else for them to go cannot be normalised.

“This environment has potentially catastrophic consequences for those children. 

“The immediate needs of children must be the priority, and we must support the profession’s leadership to provide for them in the short-term. In the long-term, there must be significant changes to resourcing and funding for services to protect and care for vulnerable children and young people.”

COSLA’s children and young people spokesperson, Tony Buchanan, said: “The issues highlighted point to real and growing risks for children and young people, for families, and for the workforce who are going above and beyond to keep people safe.

“Local government is committed to working closely with Social Work Scotland, the Scottish Government and partners to deliver both urgent action and longer term solutions… Without stabilising system capacity, there is a risk that the progress we all want to see for children and families will not be achievable.”

Joanne Smith, NSPCC Scotland policy and public affairs manager, said: “It is deeply concerning to hear from social work professionals that Scotland’s care system is in a state of emergency. The situations they describe highlight how overstretched the system has become.  

“Every child who cannot live safely at home must have access to safe, consistent, nurturing and responsive care as early as possible. We have overwhelming evidence that failing to provide timely, high-quality care for children who have experienced early adversity can have devastating and lifelong consequences.

“A lack of suitable placements means that babies and children are left in unsafe, unstable, or inappropriate situations that harm their wellbeing immediately and can have lasting effects on their mental health, relationships and life chances. 

“This must be a turning point. We need urgent action to increase the number of suitable foster placements, ensure better support for professionals and carers, and invest in early help so that fewer families reach crisis point in the first place.  

“The Scottish Government has committed to keeping The Promise. To deliver its ambitions we must see much greater recognition that how we treat children at the start of their care journey could massively impact their life chances.

“Without immediate and sustained investment, we risk failing those children who are most vulnerable and need our protection the most.” 

Veterans Scotland puts community at the heart of discussions at Armed Forces Champion Gathering event

Veterans Scotland has hailed its Armed Forces Champion Gathering event as a major success after bringing together representatives from local authorities, public bodies, the Armed Forces community, and the Scottish and UK Governments to reinforce partnership working in support of the Armed Forces Covenant.

The event, held at the Stirling Court Hotel and attended by over 120 invited guests, provided a national platform for organisations across Scotland to share good practice, strengthen collaboration and discuss how services can continue to improve support for veterans, serving personnel, reservists and military families.

Delegates took part in discussions on the latest updates on the Armed Forces Covenant extension, gaining insight into the lived experiences of the Armed Forces and Veterans community in relation to health, education and housing and learned from peers about how the Covenant duty is being delivered on the ground in communities across Scotland.

The Gathering also highlighted successful partnership initiatives already taking place across Scotland and showcased the importance of coordinated working between local authorities, public bodies and the Scottish Government in supporting the Armed Forces community.

Veterans Scotland has a broad footprint across Scotland, recognising veterans not as a group in need of support but as a national asset whose skills, experience and values are actively harnessed to deliver wider government priorities, including economic growth, the Plan for Change, and strengthened defence and resilience.

Emma Watson Mack, Executive Chair at Veterans Scotland, said: “Our Gathering event was designed as a day to inform, connect and inspire those delivering the Armed Forces Covenant in practice.

“We’re thrilled with how many of our members and partner organisations attended. It not only showed such a strong commitment in supporting our veterans but also to share their experience and the crucial impact that Covenant has on so many Veterans and their families across Scotland.

“We heard some incredible insights that demonstrated lived experience and innovative approaches by local authority champions which we know will help inspire other organisations in the future. The Armed Forces Covenant is most effective when organisations work together, and this event has reinforced that shared commitment.”

Veterans Minister Jamie Hepburn said: “Though I have only been Veterans Minister for a short time, it is already clear to me that so much of what is done in aid of those veterans and service families who find themselves in need is underpinned by the passion, dedication and hard work of individuals across the country.

“I am grateful to Veterans Scotland for all their work, and for giving so many important voices the opportunity to come together at their Gathering in Stirling to share their knowledge and experiences.

“I remain committed to working with Veterans Scotland and all in the Armed Forces community to build on the significant progress that has been made in recent years, as we develop an action plan for veterans in Scotland that reflects the new Strategy for Veterans published last year.”

Cllr Maureen Chalmers, COSLA Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing said: “It was both a privilege and a timely opportunity to come together in support of the Armed Forces community at the Veterans Scotland Gathering. Events like this send a powerful message of our collective commitment to those who have served. 

“It was also particularly valuable to hear about the practical ways councils and their partners are making the Armed Forces Covenant continue to make a difference in communities across Scotland. I very much hope that the discussions from the event and the collaboration will lead to stronger partnerships, improved services, and further tangible progress with the Covenant. 

“Ultimately, the priority is to carry forward the energy from the event into practical improvement, so the Covenant continues to make a real difference to veterans and their families to ensure they feel supported, recognised and included.”    

Lt Cdr (Ret’d) Susie Hamilton, Scottish Veterans Commissioner, said: “The Gathering was extremely impactful. It demonstrates the power of collaboration, the real world consequences of policy decisions, and the importance of listening directly to the serving and veteran community.”

Scotland’s councils face HALF BILLION budget gap

Funding for councils is failing to keep pace with rising costs and demand despite a small real terms increase in funding.

Councils’ revenue funding from the Scottish Government has gone up by two per cent. However, much of it is used to cover existing commitments such as teachers’ pay increases. Overall, Scotland’s councils face managing a budget gap of around £529 million for their 2026/27 daily operating costs – around three per cent of their revenue funding. Capital funding is down by 15 per cent.

That means councils will have to borrow more to build houses and other infrastructure, which heightens long-term financial risk.

Every local authority increased council tax by an average of 7.7 per cent for 2026/27, which should raise an extra £248 million. Councils expect to bring in around £1.2 billion from fees and other charges, such as for leisure centres and some refuse services. They are also planning to make savings of £180 million – around 1 per cent of councils’ total revenue budget. But these savings will have to increasingly affect services people rely on.

Social care makes up a high proportion of council spending and increasing demand for these services is putting major pressure on local budgets.

Anticipated reductions in Scottish Government funding over the medium term are expected to intensify these pressures and increase the risk of councils becoming financially unsustainable.

Derek Yule, a member of the Accounts Commission, said: “As things stand, councils will continue to face increasing financial pressures unless they stop, reduce, or significantly redesign services.

“Savings options are limited and will have to increasingly focus on changes to services people rely on. That makes it essential that councils talk to their communities about the difficult decisions they are facing.”

COSLA has responded to the Accounts Commission report on Local Government budgets 2026/27.

Read the full comment from Cllr Ricky Bell, COSLA Resources Spokesperson here:

https://ow.ly/yjh550ZaknP

Supporting people with complex care needs

New plan to help people live in their own communities

Almost 400 people with learning disabilities and complex support needs will benefit from £20 million of funding to implement the Coming Home Action Plan, which sets out measures to ensure tailored support and housing close to home, family and friends.

This will fund bespoke support, home adaptations, equipment and technology to enable people to return to their communities rather than spending longer periods in hospital than necessary or living in supported accommodation far from home.

Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing Tom Arthur said: “Every day spent unnecessarily in hospital is time away from someone’s community, family and friends. We cannot allow people to spend longer in hospital than they need to or to stay far from home just because they have more intensive support needs.

“We are beginning to see progress. The latest data shows that fewer people are delayed in hospital or placed in care settings far from home – but there is more to do. 

“I am pleased to see this £20 million funding bringing total investment in delivering the Coming Home agenda to £40 million since 2021. I thank Dr Anne MacDonald and partners for their commitment. Real change is delivered locally and this Action Plan, alongside additional investment, provides a strong framework for that.”

Cllr Paul Kelly, COSLA Spokesperson for Health and Social Care said: “We recognise the vital importance of ensuring that people with learning disabilities and complex needs spend no more time away from home than is absolutely necessary. COSLA remains fully committed to delivering the Coming Home Action Plan and to improving outcomes for the individuals and families we all serve.

“We have worked closely with the Scottish Government, Local Government, Integration Authorities, the NHS and Third Sector partners to develop the Action Plan and set out how we will jointly address these long standing issues. I am grateful for the significant commitment and time that all partners have invested in producing the Plan, which is published today. We now need to maintain that drive and collective focus as we move into delivery.

“Sustained, additional investment across the whole system will be crucial to ensuring that people with learning disabilities and complex needs can return home as quickly as possible.”

Dr Anne MacDonald, Chair of the Coming Home Short Life Working Group, said: “I’d like to thank colleagues across the sector for all their input to developing this Action Plan, which we hope will make a real difference to the lives of people with learning disabilities and complex support needs. 

“The Action Plan is focused on changes that will support people to live well in their local communities, to have choice and control about where they live, and to have their human rights upheld.”

Coming Home Action Plan

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Landmark deal for teachers

Scotland’s teachers to benefit from fully-funded classroom hours reduction

Scotland’s teachers will see a reduction in class contact time after a landmark agreement was reached – averting industrial action in schools.

A weekly reduction of 90 minutes will be introduced on a phased basis, with primary school teachers and those working in special schools benefiting from August 2027. Secondary school teachers will follow two years later.

The Scottish Government has committed to meeting the full cost of implementing this agreement, including £40 million in 2026-27 for the recruitment of additional teachers required to deliver the change.

Further funding to support this deal will be provided from 2027-28. An additional recurring investment of £1 million will be made to support rural and island communities that face challenges in recruiting teachers.

The deal was agreed by the Scottish Government and the EIS earlier this week before being ratified by COSLA during a meeting earlier today.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “This is a significant milestone for Scotland’s teaching profession. I am delighted that we have been able to reach a deal that works for teachers, parties in local government and most importantly our children and young people.

“I want to thank the EIS in particular for their constructive engagement and dialogue. This deal shows what can be achieved when we all work together in the interests of children and teachers. 

“Avoiding industrial action was essential – particularly at this critical time when pupils are preparing for their exams. This agreement ensures that any potential disruption to their learning has been averted.

“By giving teachers more protected time, we are taking meaningful action to reduce workload and stress, supporting a healthier, more sustainable teaching profession that will deliver better outcomes for children and young people across Scotland.

“This is a landmark investment in the teaching profession and in the quality of education that every child and young person in Scotland deserves.”

First Minister John Sweeney added: “I am pleased that agreement has been reached with the EIS and COSLA to suspend planned teacher strikes.

“This deal supports teachers, protects learning time for pupils, especially those preparing for exams, and shows what can be achieved through constructive partnership.”

COSLA Resources Spokesperson, Councillor Ricky Bell, commented: “COSLA Leaders met this morning (Friday) to consider the issue of Reduced Class Contact Time (RCCT) and the potential for industrial action by members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS).

“Following considerable deliberations among council leaders, COSLA agreed to support the proposed way forward – fully funded by Scottish Government – which we expect will enable the EIS to rescind their notice to strike.

“The joint statement agreed with the Scottish Government and the EIS commits Local Government to developing implementation plans for the introduction of Reduced Class Contact Time of 90 minutes per week. We recognise that concessions have been made on all sides.

“Despite concerns being expressed by councils, in the interests of reaching a constructive way forward and attempting to avert planned strike action, Leaders have agreed to support the joint approach. Throughout implementation, COSLA will always prioritise what is in the best interest of children and young people.

“Further detail will be negotiated through the SNCT.”

The EIS has announced that it is suspending all planned industrial action over teacher workload, following an agreement being reached between the EIS, Scottish Government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).

A draft agreement, approved earlier this week by both the EIS and Scottish Government, was also approved by COSLA leaders at a meeting earlier today.

The draft agreement, as approved by all three sides, will now pass to the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) for formal approval and implementation.

The agreement will deliver the promised 90-minute per week reduction in the maximum class contact time for teachers as a means to tackling excessive teacher workload and to provide more time for teachers to undertake important areas of activity such as the preparation and correction of pupil work.

Commenting today, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “The EIS is extremely pleased that a negotiated outcome, which has been approved by all sides, has now been achieved in this long-running dispute.

“This agreement will have a positive impact on teacher workload and will help to create more jobs for the many newly and recently qualified teachers currently seeking secure employment in schools across Scotland.

“This is a positive outcome for Scottish education, and for teachers and pupils. It will deliver more teachers into our schools, with a positive impact on teacher workload and the creation of an improved learning environment and experience for pupils.”

Ms Bradley added, “It is the collective strength of Scotland’s teachers, working through the EIS, that has delivered this positive outcome.

“We are extremely pleased that both the Scottish Government and COSLA have listened to the very clear message that was sent by EIS members, and have now agreed the way forward on these positive changes for Scottish education.

“This agreement will help to deliver a brighter future for our schools, and for all teachers and pupils across Scotland.”

Strengthening additional support for learning

Delivering better experiences for learners, teachers and practitioners to thrive

A rapid review of Additional Support for Learning (ASL) has set out recommendations to ensure young people’s evolving needs continue to be met across Scotland.

Professional Education Advisor Janie McManus’ expert review of ASL said that clearer expectations, stronger pathways to support across education, health and social care, and early interventions should underpin the next steps in delivering Additional Support Needs (ASN) provision in schools.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth welcomed publication of the review outcomes and accepted the recommendations in a speech to practitioners – the first in a series of national events on ASL convened by the Scottish Government.

In her address, Ms Gilruth also confirmed that an app to streamline administrative tasks and free up teachers’ time to focus on pupil needs would be rolled out more widely later this year, backed by £700,000 government funding, subject to the success of ongoing pilots in six council areas.

Ms Gilruth said: “I am grateful to MSPs from across Parliament for their constructive engagement on the additional support needs review. I am also thankful to Janie McManus for leading this short, sharp review into ASN, with clear recommendations for the next Scottish Government to address.

“The pandemic was an undoubtedly challenging time for schools, but none more so than for our additional support needs pupils. It is with the needs of those young people in mind, that we have come together to work collegiately to drive the improvement we all want to see in Scotland’s inclusive schools.

“Across the country our teachers and school staff display extraordinary commitment working with pupils with ASN to provide a nurturing, supportive environment. Through our investment in the CivTech programme, we are seeing how technology can be harnessed to cut the time spent on paperwork and free up valuable time for teaching and learning, helping ensure teachers and school staff have the time to focus on what matters most – their pupils.”

COSLA Children and Young People Spokesperson Cllr Tony Buchanan said: “We welcome the final progress report on the Additional Support for Learning Action Plan.

“Six years after Angela Morgan’s review, progress has been made, though more remains to do. We now better understand the needs of children and young people, supported by new tools and stronger partnerships.

“Local and Scottish Government must continue working together with a shared vision that enables local and individualised approaches. We note Janie McManus’s report and will consider it jointly with Scottish Government.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition commented: “While we welcome the outcomes of the expert review on additional support for learning (ASL), including the call for timely access to specialist services across education, health and social care, and early intervention, there needs to be adequate resourcing in place to turn this vision into a reality.

“Across the last decade, spending per pupil on ASL has declined by almost a third, and there have been cuts in the like of specialist ASN teacher numbers, which have been slashed by 240 over the same time period. We are facing a lost generation of vulnerable children and young people who are not getting the care and support they so vitally need.

“We would urge the Scottish Government to prioritise the windfall that will come from proposed increased spending on those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in English schools, on those Scottish pupils with ASN.

“With more than two out of five pupils identified with additional support needs, and the Scottish Parliamentary elections forthcoming, we would additionally urge the political parties to concentrate on this issue as they draft their manifestoes and for the public to focus on what these parties intend to do if voted into office.”