Today we launch our report ‘Paid Yesterday, Broke Today’.
New research in partnership with @UniStrathclyde investigates the link between employment and financial instability and suicide in Scotland.
Read here:
STATE OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 2024
The social care system is under significant pressure as the number of vacancies and staff retention continue to be key issues affecting the sector.
As a result, many older people are not getting the care they truly need.
Read our report to find out more:
Warning from the self-catering sector that a punishing regulatory framework will simply cost jobs and do nothing to resolve Edinburgh’s housing crisis
A new independent analysis shows short-term lets make a substantial economic impact in Edinburgh while only making up a tiny percentage of the total number of properties in the city.
BiGGAR Economics, a respected Edinburgh-based consultancy, calculated that the city’s short-term let sector generated £154m in GVA and supported 5,580 jobs in 2023, with guests spending more on local goods and services than the average visitor, particularly in hospitality, tourism and retail sectors.
Jointly commissioned by Justice for Scotland’s Self-Catering and STL Solutions, BiGGAR’s report lays out the economic and fiscal impacts of STLs in Edinburgh, its wider sectoral impact supporting business and tourism activity, and also assesses its effect on housing supply.
The report concludes that the share of secondary lets – properties entirety rented out entirely to guests rather than owner occupied – account for just 0.8% of dwellings in Edinburgh. Moreover, the number of long-term empty properties continues to rise, including in the period after licencing was introduced, with the city remaining a hotspot for empty housing.
The study comes as Edinburgh Council consult on their licensing scheme and the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee will shortly take oral evidence from stakeholders on the Scottish Government’s STL implementation update report.
The key headlines include:
While it focuses on Edinburgh, the report will undoubtedly be of interest to other local authorities monitoring the impact of their short-term let regulations.
The findings have been shared with Edinburgh Council and the Scottish Government. The self-catering industry is committed to evidence-based policymaking, ensuring that robust and reliable data underpins public policy affecting the self-catering industry and wider tourism sector.
The industry continues to argue that the Scottish Government’s short-term let regulations have produced unintended consequences for the sector while failing to meet its underlying policy objectives, and Edinburgh’s approach in particular has been beset by three legal setbacks, most recently with the Council’s u-turn on issuing three-month suspensions on licensing applications.
Graeme Blackett, Director of BiGGAR Economics, said: “This independent research has found that the economic impacts of short-term lets will tend to be greater than residential use.
“This is a result of guest spending in the local economy, for example in the hospitality sector. The guest spending supports jobs in the Edinburgh economy, as well as sustaining a greater range of hospitality and other local businesses than would otherwise be the case, contributing to the quality of life for residents.
“The short-term lets sector is contributing at least £154 million to the Edinburgh economy each year. Our research also found that short-term let properties account for only 1.5% of Edinburgh’s housing stock, with secondary lets at only 0.8%, too low a proportion to have a meaningful impact on the local housing market.”
Fiona Campbell, CEO of the ASSC, said: “This major research study verifies that secondary lets are a huge economic driver for the capital, supporting over 5,500 jobs, and providing a much-needed boost to other local tourism and hospitality businesses.
“It outlines a proper holistic assessment of Edinburgh’s unique housing market, showing that secondary lets only account for 0.8% of housing stock. For us, the message is clear: you can’t solve a housing crisis by producing a crisis in Scottish tourism by decimating local businesses.
“Instead, we’ve got to build our way out and tackle the increasing problem of empty homes. We sincerely hope that this independent study can help refocus the policy agenda and inform the ongoing regulatory discussions.”
Iain Muirhead, Co-Founder of STL Solutions, said: “Short-term lets play a crucial role not only in supporting Edinburgh’s thriving tourism industry, which benefits all residents, but also in accommodating hundreds of visitors each year who come for economically important purposes such as work, festivals, and the education sector.
“We hope that local councillors will take this report into consideration when shaping local policies, especially planning regulations, to ensure a balanced approach is achieved. As the report indicates, overly restrictive measures could lead to the emergence of a black market, undermining the objectives of a well-regulated licensing scheme.”
Ralph Averbuch, Spokesman for JfSCC, said: “This report clearly demonstrates that full time Scottish Self-Catering operators have never been the issue. Yet we have been hounded as if killing off this vital part of Scotland’s tourism offering would be a magic cure for decades of government missteps.
“Politicians of all colours felt we were useful scapegoats but this economic analysis pinpoints that the problem is population growth and insufficient affordable house building. This problem will never be resolved by attacking a group which makes up less than 1% of Edinburgh housing.
“What’s needed is bold government action on housebuilding. Politicians have pretended that a crackdown on Scotland’s self-caterers is bold. It’s not. It’s been a master class in misdirection.”
Versus Arthritis, the leading charity supporting those with arthritis and other musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in Scotland, is marking World Arthritis Day tomorrow (Saturday 12 October) with a call for greater community-based support for children, young people and adults living with arthritis.
Marking the day, Versus Arthritis has published the report, Putting the Pieces Together in Drumchapel, which shows how tackling MSK conditions is about ‘more than just healthcare’ and that support within and by communities is vital in improving the lives of Scots living with arthritis.
A staggering one in three people in Scotland are affected by musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions like arthritis, which includes problems that affect our bones, joints and muscles. Unfortunately, MSK conditions will remain one of the leading causes of disease and injury in Scotland over the next 20 years.
Arthritis is often debilitating, isolating and can dramatically impact people’s quality of life. In fact, those with arthritis are 20% less likely to be in work and around one in five people with arthritis experiences anxiety and depression. The impact can also be felt by businesses, as MSK conditions are the third most common cause of sickness absence, with over 20 million working days lost per year.
MSK conditions are also more common in areas of greater poverty, and with Scotland facing some of the worst health inequalities in Europe, according to Public Health Scotland, the challenge is to ensure that care and support across the country is equitable and meets the needs of people locally.
Drumchapel is one such area where there are high levels of deprivation and associated health problems, and where there are gaps in supporting people with arthritis. But crucially, as this report points out, it is also an area of mutual support, community organisation, partnership and networks. There are opportunities to make a real difference.
In line with this year’s World Arthritis Day theme (Informed Choices, Better Outcomes), the conclusion of the Versus Arthritis report is that MSK conditions must be understood in terms of the places where people live, meet and interact, including how they access and use information about support and care.
Alan McGinley, Policy and Engagement Manager Scotland, said: “This Versus Arthritis report highlights that ‘softer services’, such as community and peer support groups, matter greatly, and that alternatives to formal care that support wellbeing are important in living well with arthritis.
“That is why Versus Arthritis is calling for a ‘whole community’ approach in looking after the wellbeing and health of those with MSK conditions. We firmly believe that by ensuring our healthcare services are understood in the context of community networks and support, we can build a future where people with arthritis can live the lives they choose.”
The Scottish government must heed the ‘alarms bells’ as new A&E data suggests another very challenging winter ahead.
That’s the call from The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) Scotland as new data for Emergency Department performance in August reveals it was the worst August since records began in 2011, for patients experiencing extremely long waits.
The figures released yesterday (Tuesday 1 October) by Public Health Scotland, show that the number of patients waiting 12 hours or more in August was higher than in any January or February from 2012 to 2022, despite it being a month in summer when Emergency Department performance tends to improve.
More than a third of people (34.2%) waited over four hours, more than one in 10 (11.3%) waited eight hours or longer, while 4.65% of patients waited over 12 hours in a Scottish ED.
The data shows long waits have increased significantly since the 2010’s.
Since August 2017, for example, the numbers waiting four hours or more has increased by six times (6,743 to 39,096), eight hours or more by 37 times (347 to 12,954), and 12 hours or more by 127 times (42 to 5,312). This is despite attendance only decreasing by 0.7% in the same period.
Dr John-Paul Loughrey, RCEM Vice President for Scotland said: “It once was that the summer months provided some respite from the stresses experienced in Emergency Departments, but those days are long gone.
“Yet again the figures show the reality of the pressure we have been dealing with this summer, which is on a level with what we would have experienced during the busiest winter months just a few years ago. Overcrowding in our A&Es is now at winter crisis levels all year round.
“The alarm bells are sounding loudly as winter approaches, and the government must respond.
“Last week’s Winter Preparedness plan however gives me little hope that they will respond in the ways we have recommended. It lacks any specific measures to address the inevitable spikes in demand for Emergency Care which comes during the colder months, or the lack of capacity in the acute care system as a whole.
“Once again Scottish people seeking emergency care this winter are facing extreme waits and, for many, the indignity of so called ‘corridor care’. These are not just inconvenient, they are dangerous and potentially life threatening.
“The Scottish government must bolster its winter planning to ensure that people who need to be admitted to hospital from A&Es can be, without excessive waits, and that when they are well enough to leave there is the necessary social care in place for them to do so.
“Failure to do so puts us on course for a harmful and incredibly difficult winter which is not what we or our patients want or deserve.”
A graphical representation of the data can be found here.
The full data set can be found on the RCEM website.
The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) has published a Child Drowning Update for 2024 which highlights that in the last four years, on average, at least one child a month drowned at home in England.
This shocking statistic follows earlier findings from the charity, which used data from the National Child Morality Database (NCMD), underlining that child drowning deaths in England have doubled since 2019-20.
Matt Croxall, Charity Director at RLSS UK, said: “We find it heartbreaking to learn that one child a month is drowning at home.
“In a bid to reduce the number of young lives lost, our latest report seeks to help shed light on the factors contributing to child drownings, so that we can help more families be aware of the risks and stay safe.”
The report highlights that 2 out of 3 drownings that occurred at home did so in the bath, and that most of the children affected were aged under five.
Matt added: “In 86% of child drownings, the child was unsupervised by an adult at the time of the incident. In some cases of bath drownings, the parent had only left the bathroom for a moment, and this emphasises just how quickly and silently a child can drown – in a matter of minutes.”
RLSS UK is keen to change the misconception held by 55% of parents, according to a new survey from the charity*, who believe that they would hear thrashing and a lot of noise if their child was struggling in the bath – which is not the case.
RLSS UK’s survey also revealed that 59% of parents of children under five said they had left the bathroom at least once in the last month whilst their child was in the bath – and for most, this was down to them forgetting something, such as a towel.
Matt continued: “We always advise parents and carers to keep young children within arm’s reach in water. And if you do need to leave the bathroom at all, take the child with you.”
In response to these findings and to dispel harmful myths around bathtime, RLSS UK is launching a brand-new campaign, Splash Safety at your Pad, which will run from 1-31 October 2024.
The campaign seeks to raise awareness among parents and carers of young children about the importance of water safety when at home, with a particular focus on bathtime. As leading experts in water safety education, RLSS UK will share hints and tips to help families enjoy water safely.
Matt said: “We are pleased to introduce our Splash Safety at your Pad campaign, which aims to share important water safety messages with families across the UK and Ireland in a fun and engaging way. We hope this campaign has a positive impact on families with young ones and can help promote fun and safe bathtimes for all children.
“Splash Safety at your Pad launched on Tuesday 1 October so keep your eyes peeled on our social channels for more!”
*Consumer survey (September 2024), geographically representative sample of n=1,003 parents of children under five years from across the UK.
For more information around RLSS UK’s 2024 Child Drowning Update, please visit our website: www.rlss.org.uk/splash-safety
For more information or media enquiries, please contact Simrit Mann by emailing simritmann@rlss.org.uk or calling 07890 900 508.
Results from the SQA Insight report shows Edinburgh’s learners are performing better than their virtual comparators in 14 out of 15 key measures, with 7% more pupils gaining at least one Advanced Higher than in other areas in Scotland.
Edinburgh learners are also out-performing their virtual comparators in Literacy and Numeracy for all stages and levels.
A virtual comparator is a sample of students from other areas of Scotland who have similar characteristics to a school’s students.
The news builds on the SQA exam results in August showing levels of attainment for pupils across Edinburgh remaining above those achieved before the Covid pandemic.
Insight provides teachers and lecturers with a summary of how learners have performed in their exams and coursework for each subject at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher level over the past year.
Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This has been another positive year for our pupils. I want to congratulate them, as well as all our teaching and support staff. Their hard work has certainly paid off and praise should go to them as well as all the parents and carers who have supported the children.
“I welcome the results from the SQA Insights report. We have invested heavily in improving the skills of our workforce and I am confident that our staff will continue to improve the quality of teaching and learning to meet the needs of the city’s young people.
“Let’s not forget there is no wrong pathway for our young people as everyone’s learner journey is different. School is about ensuring all our young people are able to fulfil their potential by attaining the highest level of achievements possible and by receiving the best possible experience.
“We want all our learners to find their pathways into the world of higher and further education, employment or training and to narrow the gap between those living in different areas of affluence.”
Course reports – written by principal assessors and principal verifiers – are published to give an insight into how learners performed, detailing which areas of the course assessment where learners performed well, and which areas proved to be more demanding.
Principal assessors and other senior appointees are experienced teachers and lecturers who work with SQA to produce the course reports and highlight examples where candidates have performed well in their external assessments.
The reports also contain advice for teachers, lecturers, and training practitioners on preparing learners for the coming year’s assessments, as well as statistical data relating to grade boundaries.
Progress made towards ‘Keeping the Promise’ by 2030 has been set out in a new report.
The Promise is the outcome of the Independent Care Review and is a commitment to bring about the necessary changes to ensure all care-experienced children in Scotland grow up loved, safe and respected, with the ability to reach their full potential.
The update report, ‘Keeping the Promise to our children, young people and families’, highlights the scale of work undertaken by the Scottish Government since 2022 to deliver the commitment by 2030.
It follows the recent passing of the Children (Care and Justice) Act by the Scottish Parliament and associated measures, which include ensuring that no child will be placed in a Young Offenders Institution again.
The new report directly informs the work of The Promise Scotland’s Plan 2024-30.
The report includes updates on:
Minister for The Promise Natalie Don-Innes unveiled the report during a visit to the Young Scot head offices in Edinburgh to meet recipients of a share of the Promise Partnership Fund.
Ms Don-Innes said: “Our commitment to The Promise is as strong today as it was in 2020 when we accepted in full all the recommendations of the Independent Care Review.
“Since then, we have taken strides in our work to keep The Promise and this report sets out clearly the scale of work and transformational change already undertaken to ensure all children in Scotland grow up loved, safe and respected.
“We know there is still much to do and such significant change takes time, but the Scottish Government will leave no stone unturned as we work with partners and stakeholders to ensure that the necessary transformation is in place by 2030.”
Many households remortgaging or taking out new mortgages since 2022 have experienced sharp falls in their disposable income as higher interest rates have pushed up housing costs, and by December 2023 this is set to have pushed 320,000 such people into poverty. But official data do not measure mortgage interest payments properly, so official poverty statistics will only capture about two-thirds of this effect (230,000 people).
These are the findings of a new IFS report, released on Thursday and funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which examines recent trends in poverty and deprivation. Other key findings include:
Sam Ray-Chaudhuri, a Research Economist at IFS and an author of the report, said: ‘Rising mortgage rates have played and are likely to continue to play an important role in many households’ living standards. But, perhaps surprisingly, they are not measured properly in the official income data.
“This has led to the headline statistics understating the number of people in poverty, something set to get worse in next year’s data. Poverty rises have also been understated due to the unequal impact of inflation.
“At a time when rates of deprivation and food insecurity have risen substantially, poverty statistics that hide the real scale of these increases risk policymakers missing what is truly happening to poverty.’
Peter Matejic, JRF Chief Analyst, said: ‘This research shows the cost-of-living crisis wasn’t felt equally by everyone. Compared with before the COVID pandemic, many more people, especially those on a lower income, struggled to heat their homes or keep up with their bills.
‘One reason lower-income households went without essentials is because they faced a rate of inflation even higher than the headline numbers. High interest rates also saw many households forced into financial hardship after they remortgaged.
‘This report raises many questions about whether social security is adequate for the challenges looming over struggling households. The new government can’t wait for growth, after years of cuts, caps and freezes to social security have left families without the financial resilience and security they needed to cope with higher prices and costs.’
Commenting on the IFS report IFS on poverty, which shows that 320,000 people pushed into poverty because of mortgage interest rate rises, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “This surge in poverty shows the awful impact on people’s lives of the Conservatives’ economic and policy failures.
“It’s a poverty crisis that has been created by poor growth and social security cuts. Interest rate hikes came on top of the longest period of pay stagnation for more than 200 years.
“Rapid delivery of the government’s plan to make work pay will ensure more better-paid, secure jobs and help reduce poverty among working families.”
The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC) today release a new report: ‘Orgreave Truth and Justice: 40 years on, the case for an Inquiry’ which contains some new information recently uncovered – including public statements of police and government vs the truth of their private acts.
Orgreave represents one of the most serious abuses of power by police and government in this country’s industrial and trade union history, the truth of which has never been told or acknowledged by the State.
Instead, successive Conservative Governments and senior police have worked to cover it up. It is important that the truth is established via an independent inquiry and that the police and government are brought to account.
Today, a copy is being hand delivered to the Home Office, and the major political parties on the 40th anniversary – 18 June 2024. Courtesy copies are being sent to the Cabinet Office. A further copy shall be delivered to the new Home Secretary following the election.
To help restore public trust in government and police, through an inquiry, the OTJC wants:
• the public to know the truth;
• to reset standards in public life;
• to reinforce the operational independence of the police;
• to reset democratic diligence in public office;
• a public acknowledgement and apology.
Due to the age and health of many miners impacted we need to quickly secure an inquiry and a public acknowledgement of why and what the State did to the miners and their communities.
Orgreave, 18 June 1984 represents one of the most serious abuses of power by police and government in this country’s industrial and trade union history, the truth of which has never been told or acknowledged by the State.
Instead, as this report confirms, successive Conservative Governments and senior police have worked to cover it up. Many files remain unexamined or inaccessible to the public until at least 2066.
Patrick McCarroll, Miner at Orgreave said: “At Orgreave I was terrified. Anyone that says they weren’t is a liar. We were in the field, near the back. There were dogs everywhere. I was chased all the way. The dogs were barking, I ran across the railway line, away from them.
“I ran and ran, there was an Asda, I ran through that, there were horses chasing men through the car park. There were people hiding up trees, people trying to hide everywhere”
Kate Flannery, Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign Secretary said: ““It is important that the truth is established via an independent inquiry and that the police and government are brought to account for their actions at Orgreave on 18 June 1984.
“This day is particularly significant as it shines a light on what was going on in mining villages and communities throughout the year-long 84/5 miners’ strike. With the National Archive files released it is obvious that Conservative Prime Minister,
“Margaret Thatcher’s involvement alone is enough for an inquiry into Orgreave on 18 June 1984. There are STILL many government files held back – some of which are under lock and key until at least 2066. An inquiry should reveal what is in those files and what has been held back for 40 years.”
Kevin Horne, Miner arrested at Orgreave said: “There has been no accountability of policing at Orgreave. This sent a very clear message that the police could employ violence with impunity.
“This must surely have set a culture for the police cover up in 1989 at Hillsborough. The police lied in their statements and in court about what they did at Orgreave. We want the answers to questions about the lying and violent behaviour of the police. “We want to know how police officers were briefed and why they were not held to account by the Director of Public Prosecutions or their own employer.”
An inquiry of full disclosure can help to right the wrongs of the past and influence the future behaviour of public officials. An early and suitably empowered inquiry into government and police action in relation to events at Orgreave on 18 June 1984 is essential.
