Tag: COSLA

Scotland needs to stop centralising care and start trusting councils

WHEN we talk health and social care in Scotland, the debate tends to orbit big numbers and long-term policy frameworks (writes Councillor PAUL KELLY, COSLA Spokesperson for Health and Social Care) .

But from where I sit, speaking to councils and communities every day, the reality is far more immediate. It’s about people waiting longer for help, care workers stretched too thin, and a system close to burnout.

The £750 million COSLA is calling for isn’t a throwaway figure. It’s what’s needed just to stabilise social care and start rebuilding confidence, and right now, integration authorities are staring down a half-billion-pound deficit. That’s not theoretical. It means fewer care packages, longer waits, and more families left in limbo.

We can’t keep papering over the cracks. Care isn’t a luxury – it’s the infrastructure that allows people to live with dignity in their homes and communities and if we fail to fund it properly, we’re choosing crisis over prevention every time.

I’ve seen what good looks like, councils across Scotland are proving that when local partners are trusted, empowered and resourced, they deliver. Hospital admissions go down, delayed discharges drop and people get to stay in their homes, with the right support around them.

But the truth is, those successes are happening despite the system, not because of it.

Short sighted one-year budgets force local authorities into short-term firefighting, providers can’t plan, good staff leave for more stable work elsewhere.

The same goes for prevention, everyone talks about it but few fund it. Yet we’ve known since the Christie Commission in 2011 that unless we shift spending upstream, public services will buckle under the weight of demand. Fourteen years later, the shift still hasn’t happened.

The result? Hospitals are under strain, community are services stretched, and the most vulnerable people keep falling through the cracks. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Across Scotland, local authorities are already delivering services that tackle inequality at the source. From mental health and suicide prevention work to alcohol and drug partnerships, councils are embedded in the places where support makes the most difference, but they’re doing it with one hand tied behind their backs.

The evidence is clear, outcomes improve when decisions are made locally and in partnership with communities, we need government to match that ambition, not with more centralisation, but with trust, flexibility and proper funding at local democracy level.

If we want to get serious about health inequalities, that starts with recognising that most of the determinants of health – housing, transport, education, employment – sit within the remit of local government and you can’t improve population health without improving people’s lives.

So, here’s the ask: fund social care properly. Commit to multi-year budgets, back prevention, and most importantly, hand decision-making power back to local communities.

If we keep waiting for someone in the centre to fix this, we’ll still be having this conversation in ten year’s time, and the system will be in a worse place.

Local government is ready to lead, it just needs the tools to do the job.

COSLA calls on MSPs to back landmark European Charter Bill

COSLA is urging Members of the Scottish Parliament to support the passage of the Bill to incorporate the European Charter of Local Self-Government into Scots law, describing it as a historic opportunity to strengthen democracy, empower communities, and improve outcomes across Scotland.

Incorporation of the Charter would, for the first time, establish a clear legal framework for the relationship between national and local government, helping ensure decisions are taken as close as possible to the people they affect. It would also bring Scotland into line with other members of the Council of Europe, where the Charter’s principles are already embedded in domestic law.

Council leaders across Scotland have already expressed unanimous support for the Bill and believe its passage will help ensure local government can continue to play its full role in improving lives and reducing inequalities.

It would also strengthen the rights of local people to participate in decisions and help embed partnership working at the heart of Scotland’s governance.

Cllr Shona Morrison, President of COSLA, said: “This Bill represents a vital step forward for Scotland’s democracy and for the communities we serve. Incorporating the Charter into law will help ensure decisions are taken at the right level and that councils have the powers, flexibility and recognition they need to deliver the best possible outcomes for local people.

“Council leaders across Scotland have emphasised that the Bill would help modernise how governments work together, ensuring local authorities have the independence, flexibility and recognition they need to deliver for their communities.

“It will strengthen partnership working between national and local government, protect the rights of communities, and bring Scotland into line with international democratic standards.

“I would urge all MSPs, from across the political spectrum, to support the passage of this important legislation and help secure lasting benefits for Scotland’s people and places.”

SUCCESS!

Mounting financial pressures will force tough decisions on health and social care services, says Scotland’s spending watchdog

CONCERNS OVER IJB FUNDING GAP

Integration Joint Boards (IJBs), together with their NHS and council partners, must urgently take decisions on where to redesign, reduce or discontinue services.

Funding to Scotland’s 30 IJBs increased by over two per cent in 2024/25 to more than £12 billion. But this was insufficient to meet rising costs and demands, with many IJBs using dwindling reserves to help meet the almost £450 million gap between demand and available funding. This is not sustainable.

Increasing demand, rising costs and a growing number of people with long-term complex needs are placing mounting financial pressures on IJBs. The boards have reached a critical point, with a significant risk they will become financially unsustainable within the next 12 to 24 months.

Alongside savings and using reserves, IJBs have been relying on substantial additional funding from their partners in the NHS and councils. IJBs need to plan their finances more realistically to reduce this reliance, as health boards and councils face their own significant financial pressures.

Malcolm Bell, member of the Accounts Commission said: “The cost of delivering services is rising faster than available funding.

“Tackling this could include difficult decisions about redesigning or reducing services, and whether new or additional charges need to be made. Whatever decisions are made, service users, their families and wider communities must be consulted.

“But without radical change the services delivered by IJBs can’t be sustained. The gap between funding available and the cost of meeting demand is widening, and the gap of nearly £450 million cannot be bridged with savings alone.”

COSLA Health and Social Care spokesperson, Councillor Paul Kelly, commented: “The Accounts Commission report on Integration Joint Board finances for 2024-25 confirms the stark reality our Health and Social Care Partnerships face: that severe financial challenges continue to pose a risk to the sustainability of social care, which threatens the every day lives of our most vulnerable citizens and communities.

“The challenges also threaten the sustainability of our councils, who have continued to prioritise social care, with an additional £163m invested over and above Scottish Government funding in 2024-25. This level of additional funding is unsustainable for partners, but in many cases the only option given the diminishment of reserves held by Partnerships.

“The report makes clear the validity and need for our budget lobbying ask of an immediate investment of £750m in social care. We will continue to press the Scottish Government for this investment to avoid further cuts, reductions and increased charges in future.”

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COSLA speaks out against online abuse as councils set budgets

COSLA President, Councillor Shona Morrison, has released the following statement:

“COSLA is concerned to see increasing levels of toxic online behaviour and abuse directed towards Scotland’s elected members, particularly in the wake of Councils setting their budgets and council tax levels for the year.

“Councillors across Scotland are dedicated public servants carrying out their democratic duties on behalf of their communities. They deserve to do so free from intimidation, harassment, or personal attack.

“Budget decisions are taken locally, transparently, and with great care by councillors who have their communities’ best interests at heart and who work tirelessly to protect essential local services under financial constraint. 

“Public debate and scrutiny are vital components of our democracy but abuse, intimidation, and targeted harassment have no place in that discussion.

“COSLA urges all individuals and organisations to engage respectfully, and to recognise that councillors are making incredibly difficult decisions as they work to safeguard essential local services within a national funding landscape that remains extremely challenging. 

“In a world that feels increasingly fractured, building trust in our democracy is rooted in how we treat each other and to that end we welcome robust and open debate and discussion while remaining respectful.”

Edinburgh’s Budget Meeting will take place on Thursday (26 February).

National campaign to tackle misogyny launched

The Scottish Government has launched a new five‑week public awareness campaign encouraging boys and young men to think before sharing or engaging with misogynistic content online.

The campaign highlights the real‑life harm such content causes to women and girls, including those known to them. The campaign was developed with the support of a steering group of VAWG experts and cocreated with young people.

The campaign includes tailored messages for young people across Instagram, Snapchat, Twitch and YouTube, and resources for parents to understand the scale and impact of online misogyny and support conversations at home.

COSLA welcomes this campaign as a concrete expression of our shared commitment with the Scottish Government to challenge the attitudes and systems that enable misogyny and wider gender‑based violence.

The campaign aligns with Equally Safe’s focus on engaging men and boys as allies in preventing violence against women and girls and helping shift harmful online and offline attitudes.

COSLA’s Community Wellbeing Spokesperson, Cllr Maureen Chalmers, welcomed the new national campaign tackling online misogyny, commenting:
“Young people deserve to be safe online and offline.

“By amplifying these messages locally Local Government plays a vital role in preventing harm, challenging harmful attitudes and supporting Equally Safe communities.”

All assets, including links to information supporting healthy conversations with young people and links to videos and other supporting materials can be accessed here: Tackling Misogyny Campaign Toolkit

Tackling Misogyny – Campaign Toolkit – Safer – February 2026Download

Accounts Commission: Scotland’s councils risk becoming financially unsustainable

Whilst councils have made significant savings, the cost of delivering services is rising faster than available funding. This risks the financial sustainability of councils over the next three to five years, says public spending watchdog.

Although Scottish Government funding to councils has been increasing, this hasn’t kept pace with rising costs and demand. Councils are overspending on delivering services and borrowing more.

In its latest update on council finances, the Accounts Commission report that councils face a budget gap of nearly £1 billion by 2027.

In 2024/25, councils met 90 per cent of their savings targets. But for the first time in six years, they reported a collective overspend on the costs of delivering services. Debt levels are increasing. Many are relying on reserves.

Whilst councils are increasing the amount of money they raise through fees and charges, income generated isn’t keeping pace with rising costs and inflation.

With Scottish Government funding to deliver capital projects falling, councils are also taking on more debt to deliver local infrastructure projects such as building schools and housing.

Derek Yule, member of the Accounts Commission, said: “Despite increased funding and income, councils are struggling to cope with the financial pressures they face. A growing gap between costs to deliver services and funding available is risking the financial sustainability of councils.

“We’re already seeing the impact on services – the pace of improvement is slowing, some services are being cut or are harder to access and there are growing levels of dissatisfaction from communities. Councils must fundamentally reconfigure how they operate and deliver services.”

Commenting on the report, Cllr Ricky Bell, COSLA Spokesperson for Resources, said: “While we acknowledge increases in uncommitted funding in the local government settlement, today’s report reinforces the message that local government finances are under severe and growing strain.

“Councils have worked hard to manage budgets responsibly, delivering significant savings year on year and meeting the vast majority of savings targets. However, there is a clear limit to what can be achieved without impacting the services communities rely on. Increasing reliance on reserves, borrowing and fees and charges is not a sustainable long-term solution.

“As we look ahead to 2026/27, the budget settlement falls far short of what is needed to sustain essential local services without difficult decisions being made locally.

“We are especially concerned by the continued underfunding of social care and the Real Living Wage across portfolios.

“The medium-term outlook for local government is deeply concerning, with continued de-prioritisation and the prospect of significant real-terms cuts. If councils are to remain financially sustainable and continue delivering for communities, there must be a more honest conversation about funding, priorities and local flexibility.

“Urgent action is needed to ensure councils have the resources and certainty required to support Scotland’s people and places now and in the future.”

nr_260129_lg_financial_bulletinDownload

New Suicide Prevention Action Plan published

Working together to prevent suicide

A new national action plan setting out Scotland’s priorities for suicide prevention over the next three years has been backed by an increased budget of at least £3 million in 2026-27.

Creating Hope Together: Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2026–2029 aims to reduce suicide deaths, address the inequalities that can increase risk, and ensure anyone affected by suicide can access timely, compassionate support.

It’s the next phase of Scotland’s ambitious ten-year suicide prevention strategy, jointly led by the Scottish Government and COSLA, and focuses on four priorities:

  • supporting people at greatest risk of suicide, and creating safer environments
  • building understanding about suicide and capability to respond across communities
  • ensuring access to timely and compassionate support
  • strengthening foundations for effective delivery through improved data, evidence and collaboration

The latest official statistics from National Records of Scotland show the number of probable suicides in 2024 decreased by 11% compared to 2023 – the lowest number since 2017.

Total mental health spending is expected to exceed £1.5 billion in 2026-27.

Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing Tom Arthur said: “Every person lost to suicide is a tragedy with far reaching impacts on families, friends and communities. Suicide prevention is everyone’s business, and I am determined that everyone has timely access to the right mental health support. While the latest official statistics show a decrease in the number of probable suicides, there is no room for complacency.

“The suicide prevention funding has increased to at least £3 million in 2026–27, up from £2.8 million. The increased budget will allow us to focus on tackling the stigma of suicide, encouraging people to seek help, and providing a range of support for people affected by suicide.

“The new plan is focused on prevention, early intervention and reaching those who need support most, including young people and those impacted by social inequalities, stigma and discrimination. I want to thank Suicide Prevention Scotland and the many other local and national partners, especially those with lived experience, who helped shape this Plan.”

Cllr Paul Kelly, COSLA Spokesperson for Health and Social Care, said: ““Suicide Prevention cannot be achieved by working in silos. We need to work across government – local and national – and with our communities to address the complex factors involved in creating conditions that can increase suicide risk, as well as harnessing those that promote better mental wellbeing.

“This new action plan is informed by learning from both national and local delivery and emerging practice. It builds on the ambition and achievements of the previous plan, accelerating progress towards our shared vision: that everyone in Scotland can access the right support at the right time.”

Declan Harrigan – CEO – S.M.I.L.E. Counselling added: ““S.M.I.L.E. Counselling warmly welcomes the Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2026–2029 and is hopeful that its ambitions can be fully realised through strong partnership working across the third sector, statutory services and communities.

“The clear focus on children and young people, early intervention, and addressing inequalities reflects what we know is needed to prevent suicide and save lives.

“We strongly support the plan’s emphasis on community-based approaches and believe that increased training and development at a local level around suicide prevention, intervention and postvention is pivotal. By building confidence, reducing stigma and equipping communities with the right skills and compassion, we can work together to create suicide-safer environments and, wherever possible, prevent deaths by suicide.

“We look forward to continuing to play an active role alongside partners in supporting children, young people and families, and in helping to turn this shared vision into meaningful, life-saving action.”

The plan builds on the learning from delivering the first action plan, drawing on academic research, insights from Suicide Prevention Scotland, local and national delivery partners, and the voices of people with experience of suicide, including children, young people and their families.

Creating Hope Together: Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2026-2029 – gov.scot

COSLA: “Quite simply, this Budget is not just disappointing for social care, it is damaging”

The Scottish Budget represents a cut to social care funding in Scotland, a concerning and disappointing reality for the people who access and work in social care.

In both COSLA’s manifesto and pre-budget lobbying, the voice of Scottish local government, made a clear and urgent ask for significant additional investment of £750m to protect and strengthen social care. The Scottish Budget as it currently stands, fails to deliver on this. There is no dedicated, additional funding for social care, and the £160m allocated for paying the Real Living Wage to adult social care workers falls short of the estimated £175m cost of this policy commitment.

This is not additional investment – it is underfunding of an existing promise.

The consequences of this budget are real. Without significant new resources, people will continue to face unacceptable delays for social work assessments and care packages. Services already under immense strain will be pushed even closer to breaking point, and councils will be forced into impossible choices.

This will directly impact individuals – those who access care and support and those in hospital waiting for care – at a time when our shared ambition should be to shift the balance of care and improve population health. It is for these reasons that COSLA sees this as very poor settlement for local government which fails to address the dire financial situation.

COSLA Health and Social Care Spokesperson, Cllr Paul Kelly commented: “Social care is fundamental to the wellbeing of our communities.

“The Scottish Budget – which COSLA Leaders agree is very poor – undermines the foundations of a fair and sustainable care system and risks reversing progress toward a model that truly meets people’s needs.

“Quite simply, this Budget is not just disappointing for social care, it is damaging.

“COSLA remains committed to improving the design and delivery of social care and we would welcome the opportunity on offer to take forward focused joint working to support our shared ambition of ensuring those with complex needs are supported in the right setting. But without proper investment, that ambition cannot be realised.”

COSLA: Scottish Budget is ‘a very poor settlement for local government’

COSLA has written to Shona Robison MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, on behalf of Scottish Local Government after the Scottish Budget which took place on the 13th January 2026.

COSLA Leaders have since met to discuss the 2026/27 Scottish Budget and Local Government Settlement. Our Leaders agreed that this year’s settlement is a very poor settlement for local government which fails to address the dire financial situation of local government.

Further, it was noted that the settlement does not offer the urgent financial support required for social care and social work.

THE LETTER READS:

26-01-16-Cllr-Bell-to-Cabinet-Secretary-LG-SettlementDownload

COSLA warns Scottish Budget falls short for local government

COSLA has set out concerns about the Scottish Government’s Budget settlement for Local Government, warning that while there is a modest increase in uncommitted revenue, the settlement remains insufficient to meet rising demand for essential local services.

Following a meeting of council leaders, it was stressed that the increase of £234 million in uncommitted revenue funding for 2026/27 does not address the scale of pressures facing councils, particularly in social care where demand and complexity continue to rise sharply.

COSLA also highlighted urgent concerns about the continued underfunding of the Real Living Wage policy.

While welcoming the increase in funding for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, COSLA warned that the capital funding position for local government is becoming increasingly unsustainable, threatening councils’ ability to invest in vital infrastructure and community assets.

Leaders also expressed significant concern about the medium-term outlook set out in the Spending Review, which suggests continued de-prioritisation of local government and further real-terms cuts over the coming years.

Cllr Ricky Bell, COSLA Spokesperson for Resources, said: “While we acknowledge the increase in uncommitted revenue funding for 2026/27, this settlement falls far short of what is needed to sustain essential local services. Councils are facing acute and growing pressures, particularly in social care, and the current level of funding simply does not reflect the scale or complexity of demand.

“We are especially concerned by the continued underfunding of the Real Living Wage across portfolios including social care. COSLA made a clear and urgent ask for significant additional investment of £750m to protect and strengthen social care, which the Budget as announced fails to deliver.

“Further to this, the medium-term outlook paints a worrying picture for local government, with continued de-prioritisation and the prospect of significant real-terms cuts.

“If councils are to continue delivering for communities, we are calling for urgent and meaningful engagement with the Scottish Government to ensure local government is properly funded to continue delivering the essential services communities rely on every day.”

COSLA reiterated its support for the introduction of additional council tax bands as an interim step towards fundamental reform, emphasising that any changes must be taken forward in close cooperation with COSLA and local government.

In addition, it welcomed the Scottish Government’s forthcoming legislation to remove the cap on council tax premiums for second and empty homes, describing it as a positive step in providing councils with greater local flexibility.