Scotland’s Councils are being given an extra £16 million to help tackle homelessness by moving people swiftly from temporary accommodation into settled homes.
The funding, to be awarded over the next two financial years, takes the total investment in rapid rehousing to £53.5 million. Rapid rehousing aims to ensure people spend the shortest amount of time possible in temporary accommodation, giving them a settled place to live as soon as appropriate.
The package includes an investment of £6.5 million in the Housing First pathfinder to support people with multiple and complex needs.
Housing Secretary Shona Robison said: “Tackling homelessness is about much more than just providing a bed for the night. Temporary accommodation is an important safety net, but most people need a settled place to stay where they can rebuild their lives.
“Rapid rehousing is based around the idea that most people need a settled home, and this new funding will help councils progress their Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans to move people as quickly as possible into appropriate, settled accommodation.
“The best way to reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation is to prevent homelessness from happening in the first place, and today’s announcement follows the recent publication of our consultation on plans for new legal duties on public bodies, highlighting the shared public responsibility to prevent homelessness in Scotland.”
Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans cover an initial period of five years from 2019. The new funding comprises £8 million in 2022/23 and £8 million in 2023/24.
Hot on the heels of COP26, the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee has launched an inquiry that will explore the role of local government and its partners – private and voluntary sectors, social enterprises, and local communities – in both financing and delivering a net-zero Scotland.
MSPs will consider what councils and partners are doing practically to help reach the targets, what skillsets are being used, and what barriers are in their way. They will also probe how councils leverage in capacity and finance from the private sector and look for examples of effective partnership working that is delivering net zero.
The inquiry will focus particularly on the ambitious target of 75% overall reduction in carbon emissions to be met by 2030 (against baselines set in 1990 and 1995).
Speaking as the inquiry was launched, Committee Convener, Dean Lockhart MSP, said: “COP 26 has underlined that government at every level has a role to play in addressing climate change. In Scotland, local government powers span everything from encouraging active travel, to deciding what sort of homes get built in communities, to promoting recycling and a circular economy.
“To get results, local government must partner effectively with business, the voluntary sector and local communities themselves. This is why we want this to be a hands-on inquiry, focusing on the strengths of those relationships and practical steps being taken.
“We need to understand how council budgets are being used to drive action on net zero and how well they are leveraging in skills and private finance. And we need to understand what role the Scottish Government can play to support and – where necessary – to challenge local government to play a full role in the flight against climate change. ”
The Committee has launched a survey looking for views which closes on Friday 21 January 2022.
COSLA says urgent action is needed to address the consequences of real term cuts to the core budgets of Scotland’s 32 Councils in recent years.
The call comes as Finance Secretary Kate Forbes prepares to lay out the government’s spending plans in the Scottish Budget on December 9.
COSLA says Local Government can no longer continue to be the ‘poor relation’ it has been in recent Budgets and that December 9 presents a perfect opportunity to reset Scottish public spending in a way that empowers councils to achieve their ambition for our communities.
Speaking at a virtual news conference in Edinburgh, the COSLA President, Councillor Alison Evison, said: “Enabling people to ‘Live Well Locally’ is a shared ambition across Scottish Government and Local Government, but the resources must be provided to deliver this at a local level in line with local democratic choice.
“Sadly cuts to Councils’ core budgets over recent years have not allowed us to fully realise this shared ambition.”
COSLA’s Vice President, Councillor Graham Houston, said: “The fact is that Scotland’s Councils are key to creating the conditions for people within our communities to ‘Live Well Locally’, whether that’s on a remote farm or in a city centre.
“People’s local environment has become even more important during the pandemic and Local Government must be empowered and funded properly to allow us to create the environment for people to ‘Live Well Locally.’ Recovery needs to start locally to tackle the key issues facing our communities and local leadership is needed for that.”
COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson, Councillor Gail Macgregor, added: “Tackling the economic and health challenges created by the pandemic needs a local dimension – all the evidence and research backs this up.
“We fully support Scottish Government’s ambitions around economic transformation but that starts in every community.
“Local Government has been the poor relation of recent Budgets and our local knowledge and links need to be used fully before we are past the point of no return. Our communities are starting to show the neglect of an under-funded Local Government.
“Quite simply, what we need from this Budget is proper funding to provide the everyday services our communities need and deserve.”
Nominations close at midnight for the 2021 LGIU Scotland & CCLA Cllr Awards
Nominations close at midnight for the only national awards ceremony celebrating the vital work of individual councillors across Scotland.
Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) Scotland and CCLA are proud to once again host the 4th annual Cllr Awards, honouring the achievements of councillors that so often go unrecognised.
This year’s award categories celebrate the essential and varied work of councillors and include the coveted Community Champion, Leader of the Year and New Councillor of the Year awards, alongside a new Resilience and Recovery category for 2021.
Nominations can be made by anyone who would like to recognise a councillor doing outstanding work for their community. They close at midnight on Friday 24 September with the shortlist unveiled at the end of October.
The winners will be decided by a panel of judges composed of senior councillors and officers as well as leading stakeholders from across the sector. They will be revealed at this year’s ceremony taking place on Wednesday, 24 November. Due to the ongoing Covid related restrictions, it will be held as a hybrid event with virtual link ups to a Glasgow venue.
This year’s awards are made possible thanks to the generous support of founding partners, CCLA.
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive of LGIU Scotland, said: “Local government supports all of us, each and every day. On every street, in every town, up and down the country, it is the vital work of councillors that keeps things moving.
“Now is the time for us to support our local heroes by nominating those councillors who have stepped up to the plate during extraordinary circumstances to deliver for their communities.
“We welcome contributions from any member of the public as well as other councillors, officers and leaders. We look forward to once again receiving the highest calibre of nominations and showcasing the essential work of councillors in November.”
School support staff and refuse workers moved “a step closer” to industrial action yesterday after GMB members rejected COSLA’s latest pay offer.
95 per cent of members who participated in the union’s consultative ballot over the 2021 offer voted to reject an £850 increase for local government staff earning up to £25,000 a year.
The union will now move to a full industrial action ballot of nearly 10,000 members employed in schools and local refuse and cleansing services, increasing the possibility of autumn strikes.
GMB Scotland Senior Organiser for Public Services Drew Duffy said:“COSLA bosses have failed to table to a pay offer that reflects decent value for many workers who have been part of the frontline response to COVID-19.
“The prospect of an increase that would amount to little more than £15 a week extra in the pockets of workers like school cleaners and refuse collectors has been rightly and resoundingly rejected.
“COSLA’s dither and delay means local government staff across Scotland are still mired on pre-pandemic pay rates – there has been no “thank you” for these workers.
“It means the threat of strikes this autumn, disrupting schools and community services like waste collection and street cleansing, is now a step closer.”
UNISON, Scotland’s largest local government union, has started to issue formal industrial action ballot papers in a dispute over pay.
COSLA, the umbrella body representing council employers, had previously offered staff earning less than £25,000 a flat rate rise of £800. Last week COSLA came back with a revised offer of £850 – working out at approximately 97p per week for the lowest paid staff.
The union says council staff who have kept services and schools running throughout the pandemic deserve a proper pay rise. They say the latest pay offer falls far short of their pay claim and does little to address low pay which has become endemic following a decade of austerity.
The trade union says that councils have suffered a decade of cuts and jobs losses, and that staff have received year-on-year pay cuts. It has meant delivering services has become increasingly stressful for the workforce.
Pressure is mounting on both COSLA leaders and the Scottish Government to find an urgent resolution to this issue.
UNISON intends to take targeted strike action, which means select groups of workers will be balloted. These include members working in school cleaning, school catering, school janitorial as well as those working in waste and recycling services.
Tom Connolly, Branch secretary said: “The last 18 months have taken an enormous toll on council staff who have been working flat out for no reward. Their courage and sacrifices need to be rewarded, yet the employers are failing to recognise their efforts.
“These workers, mostly women, are amongst the lowest paid in the country and have seen their pay drop substantially in recent years. The pay offer falls far short of their colleagues in the NHS and local government workers are left feeling exhausted and undervalued. Scotland’s council workers deserve fair pay.”
Johanna Baxter, UNISON Scotland head of local government, said: “We’ve all relied on council staff to keep our communities clean and safe, protect the most vulnerable and to work in our schools throughout successive lockdowns to allow others to work.
“Without these workers going above and beyond to keep services running over the past year their colleagues in the NHS would have been left without childcare, our mortuaries would have been overwhelmed, our children would have been left without an education and our elderly would have been left without care.
“Yet to date they have received no reward or recognition of their efforts at all. It’s simply not good enough – our council staff are worth more.”
Play parks across Scotland will be modernised and restored through £5 million of funding, following agreement between the Scottish Government and Cosla.
Each local authority will receive a share of the funding to improve the standard of existing play parks, enhancing play opportunities for children and young people.
The funding is the first round of the Scottish Government’s total planned investment of £60 million for play park renovation over this parliamentary term and delivers on another commitment for the first 100 days of this government.
Minister for Children Clare Haughey said: “We know that play is an absolutely crucial part of children’s health and well-being and as we continue to recover from the pandemic, playing outside will allow children to reconnect with each other and allow them to return to enjoying their childhood.
“Our overall investment of £60 million will ensure that all children across Scotland have access to quality play in their own community and helps to deliver on children’s right to play, enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“We will continue to listen to children and young people throughout this process to ensure our funding is spent on play spaces that work for all.”
Work to provide every school pupil in Scotland with a laptop or tablet has started.Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has confirmed discussions with local government are underway to deliver the ambitious commitment, which will benefit 700,000 children.
The Scottish Government are also considering how to deliver consistent digital infrastructure across Scotland’s 2,500 school buildings. The announcement delivers on another commitment for the first 100 days of this government.
Ms Somerville said: “Every child has the right to an education and we believe that means an education supported and enhanced by technology. This as a vital aspect of an education system in the digital age which was clearly demonstrated by the pandemic.
“This is a hugely ambitious programme of work that will build on efforts to tackle digital inclusion during the pandemic. These early talks with Scottish councils are a positive step towards delivering this commitment.”
A National Care Service for Scotland – but COSLA condemns proposals
A consultation has been launched to seek the public’s views ahead of the creation of a National Care Service, which will ensure everyone who needs it can expect the same standards of care, wherever they live in Scotland.
Local government umbrella organisation Cosla has criticised the government’s plan as another move to undermine local democracy.
The National Care Service will deliver person-centred care that supports people in a way that suits their needs, providing real benefits for those who are being cared for and the people who care for them. It will introduce ethical commissioning, based on fair work principles, for the benefit of everyone involved.
The consultation sets out some of the options for delivering social care in a way which changes the system from one that supports people to survive to one that empowers them to thrive. It recognises that this will involve significant cultural and system change that will need to be supported by new laws, and new ways of working.
In order to deliver these recommendations there will continue to be strong local accountability. The consultation proposes Community Health and Social Care Boards to strengthen the voice of the local population, with people with lived experience and local elected members sitting alongside professionals.
Consulting on the proposals was one of the commitments for the first 100 days of this government. Implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care, and the establishment of a National Care Service, will be one of the most significant tasks of the current parliament.
At a minimum the new National Care Service will cover adult social care services. However, the consultation document also recognises that if we want to build a comprehensive community health and social care system, we should consider extending its scope to other groups such as children and young people, community justice, alcohol and drug services, and social work.
Minister for Social Care Kevin Stewart said: “The importance of our social care services has never been clearer. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to our nation’s carers, paid and unpaid, for the commitment and compassion we have seen throughout the pandemic.
“The Scottish Government commissioned the Independent Review of Adult Social Care during the pandemic, because it was clear we needed to do things better in future.
“We have already made significant improvements, with reforms such as the integration of health and social care, and implementation of the Real Living Wage Policy for Adult Social Care workers and this year the Scottish Government pledged £64.5m to fully fund the pay increase. But we can go further. What we are now proposing is the biggest public sector reform for decades, since the creation of the National Health Service.
“I am committed to implementing the recommendations of the Independent Review and staying true to the spirit of that report by building a system with human rights at the heart of it.
“The Review recommended the creation of a National Care Service, with Scottish Ministers being accountable for adult social care support. I believe however that it is right for this consultation to look beyond simply the creation of a national service for adult social care. The ambition of this government is to go much further, and to create a comprehensive community health and social care service that supports people of all ages. We are also committed to a ensuring there is strong local accountability in the system.
“Absolutely vital to this is ensuring that our invaluable social care workforce feel happy, respected and fulfilled in their role.
“We are at the beginning of a journey to improve social care in Scotland. We will only get this right with your support. I want to hear from as many people and organisations as possible over the next couple of months, so we can build a better system together.”
In a statement, the Social Covenant Steering Group which will advise on the creation of a National Care Service, said: “Most of us have waited many years to see plans for major improvements in the way social care support is delivered and we welcome the publication of this consultation.
“Many people may feel they have been consulted before and are keen to see some action. But this time it is an important legal step in in order that a bill can be put to Parliament.
“So, it is important that as many people as possible including; current users of social care support, unpaid carers, the workforce and everyone else who cares about this vital support will take this opportunity to express their views on the kind of system we need to enable everyone to reach their potential.”
The Consultation on the National Care Service which was launched today cuts straight through the heart of the way Scotland is governed, says COSLA President Councillor Alison Evison:
“The Consultation launched today cuts through the heart of governance in Scotland – not only does it have serious implications for Local Government – it is an attack on localism and on the rights of local people to make decisions democratically for their Place. It once again brings a centralising approach to how decisions which should be taken locally are made.
“We welcomed large parts of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care and have been keen to get on and deliver, however the vision this consultation sets out goes beyond the Feeley Report. It isn’t evidence based and will take years to deliver – years when we should be making improvements which will benefit all users of social care services.
“Councils know their communities and all the evidence suggests that local democratic decision making works. Councils have shown time and time again during the last 18 months of the pandemic that we can deliver for the communities we serve when we are trusted and resourced to do so.
“It is deeply concerning that the consultation is also a considerable departure from the recommendations of the independent review set up to look at Adult Social Care.
“The lack of prior engagement with Local Government is not new – the partnership between the Scottish Government and Local Government which we have been seeking to build, continues to elude us in practice and it is the communities we serve who are losing out.
“Let’s be clear – this is not a “thinly veiled” attack on Local Government – there is no subtlety to it and, sadly for local communities, the ‘onion peel’ of Local Government services by this Government shows no sign of letting up.
“On behalf of the communities we serve, COSLA and Local Government will engage constructively with the Consultation process. People may be surprised by the extent of services covered by this Consultation and I would urge as many as possible to respond to it, as this could really be the end for anything other than central control in Scotland.
“We all want better services for our communities, nobody more so than Local Government and that is what Local and National Government should be working on collectively for our communities.”
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.
