Tag: Scottish Goverment

Scotland’s Migration Service expanded

Advice and support for migrants and employers

Scotland’s Migration Service, which provides information and advice for people, employers and investors, has been expanded to offer support to a wider range of individuals.

The service will support newcomers to settle in Scotland, help more people and employers to navigate the immigration system, and attract more working-age people to Scotland – helping address skills shortages and curb population decline.

Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart launched the expanded service on a visit to iGii, a technology business in Stirling that benefitted from advice from the first phase of Scotland’s Migration Service on hiring skilled workers from abroad.

Ms Stewart said: “Population decline is one of the biggest challenges for Scotland’s future, with all population growth projected to come from migration. Expanding Scotland’s Migration Service will help ensure that communities, public services and businesses can access the people and workforces they need to thrive into the future.

“Supporting migration also has significant potential to boost our economy. For example, attracting 1,000 higher rate taxpayers each year for five years could add £98 million to the Scottish Budget.

“Since launching its first phase earlier this year, Scotland’s Migration Service has provided free advice appointments to more than 150 individuals, employers and investors, and service website pages have been viewed by more than 14 thousand users.”

iGii CEO Jean-Christophe Granier said: “Access to world-class talent is essential for a scaling business like ours, which relies on highly skilled experts in technical scientific fields, often sourced from Scotland’s university network.

“We’re growing quickly, so anything that eases our path to hiring quality talent locally and internationally is helpful.

“We expect the new service to make hiring the talent we need to continue to grow easier and more transparent for both employers and employees.”

To deliver Scotland’s Migration Service, the Scottish Government has partnered with the immigration law firm Seraphus and with Citizens Advice Scotland.  

Christopher Desira, Director at Seraphus said: “As a partner of Scotland’s Migration Service, we’ve seen firsthand how the partial launch has already provided essential support to employers and investors, simplifying the recruitment of international workers”.

“With the full launch, the expanded resources and webinars will enable even more effective access to crucial information, strengthening Scotland’s ability to attract and retain skilled professionals.”

Citizens Advice Scotland CEO Derek Mitchell said: “Since April, our advisers have supported almost 3,300 clients with immigration advice, a 20% increase on the same time last year. By working with Scotland’s Migration Service, we can provide better support for our network and make a meaningful impact to people’s lives.

“Whether you’re an overseas student navigating an extended stay or have recently moved to Scotland, our network of advisers are ready to help people thrive and settle into their new home.”

Background 

More information on Scotland’s Migration Service is available online. 

Environment: Share your views on single-use cup charge

Consultation to tackle throwaway culture

People across Scotland are being asked to have their say on a minimum charge for single-use cups to promote responsible consumption and cut waste.

The Scottish Government is consulting on the possible introduction of a 25p charge to all single-use drinks cups when a drink is bought, regardless of material. Exemptions would apply for specific locations and uses, such as in schools. Free drinks in hospital or care settings would not be included in the scope of the charge.

There are already similar charging schemes for cups established in Europe – with the Netherlands introducing a guideline charge of 25 cents on plastic, single-use cups in 2023. Legislation allowing the introduction of environmental levies on single- disposable cups in the Republic of Ireland was also passed in 2022 – although it has yet to come into force.

Under consultation proposals, retailers would be able to retain reasonable implementation costs from the charge – mirroring the approach taken for single-use carrier bags. It also seeks views whether the net proceeds from a charge should be kept by businesses and used for good causes or collected by local or national government.

An estimated 388 million single-use cups were used in Scotland in 2021-22 creating 5,400 tonnes of waste.

The use of single-use plastic carrier bags fell by 80% in the first year in Scotland, following the introduction of a 5p charge in 2014. The charge is widely believed to be a success with the Marine Conservation society annual litter survey reporting an 80% drop in plastic bags found on UK beaches since its implementation.  

Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin said: “The success of the single-use carrier bag charge shows how an environmental charge can be an effective tool to change people’s behaviour and encourage responsible consumption.

“While many businesses already have offers in place to encourage the use of reusable drinks cups, hundreds of millions of single-use cups are still being discarded, creating 5,400 tonnes of waste every year. Many of these cups end up littering our roadsides, town centres, beaches and parks.

“Introducing a national charge could provide consistency for consumers, provide a level playing field for retail and businesses and help to drive forward sustainable behaviours. Our proposed approach is similar to the charge for single-use carrier bags and will be familiar to both suppliers and the public. We hope this means that it will minimise any administrative burden on businesses and make it easy for individuals and organisations to adopt.

“I urge everyone to have their say so we ,can choose the most sustainable option for both people and businesses while helping to tackle litter, reduce waste and cut emissions.”

Calum Duncan, Head of Policy and Advocacy at the Marine Conservation Society, said: “Our volunteers have consistently recorded single-use disposable cups on over half of UK beaches surveyed. We need to see charges on these kinds of items to reduce litter in our seas and prevent it from damaging our precious marine life.

“We know that policies like this work, with our data recently showing an 80% reduction in the average number of plastic carrier bags washing up on beaches since charges on them were introduced.

“We look forward to a similar decline in disposable cups once a charge is introduced, and need further measures from governments to move towards a society where refillable and reusable options are the norm.

The consultation runs until 14 November. 

View the consultation

Move to Child Disability Payment completed

All disabled children and young people in Scotland who receive disability benefits will now be paid directly from Social Security Scotland.

Those children and young people who receive Child Disability Payment will also benefit from a review system different to that of the wider UK, one based on dignity, fairness and respect.

The latest figures show around 47,000 children and teenagers have had their awards moved to Child Disability Payment delivered by Social Security Scotland.

The transfers began in 2021 when the new benefit was launched to replace Disability Living Allowance for children, paid by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

Around 76,000 disabled children and young people in Scotland now receive Child Disability Payment, including around 31,000 who applied since the new benefit was launched.

Child Disability Payment helps cover the extra costs of caring for a disabled or terminally ill child or young person.

Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, said: “One of the defining characteristics of the benefits system in Scotland is that people are treated with dignity, fairness and respect.

“Everyone in Scotland who previously received Disability Living Allowance for children from the UK Government now gets Child Disability Payment from Social Security Scotland. This has been a significant and important undertaking.

“The change means 47,000 more children in Scotland and their families can now look forward to less anxiety, less uncertainty and more financial security when their disability benefits come up for review.

“Social Security Scotland takes a human rights-based approach to reviews. The time between reviews is also set by case managers and can vary from two years to ten years. This is especially important for people with life-long disabilities and helps provide the financial security that is needed to pay for ongoing care and support.”

Rebecca, 40, from Edinburgh says her experience with Social Security Scotland since her son’s benefit was moved has been markedly better than under the UK system.

She said: “The transfer all went smoothly, but the biggest difference for me was when his yearly review came around. The DWP review is a 48-page document. Just writing down again and again, that nothing had changed.

“It used to be a couple of months of feeling anxious. Not knowing how the application was going to be scored this time.

“Even though nothing had changed, the person scoring it might have a different view from the person who did it the last time.

“You don’t know if you’re going to get any money at all, if you’ll get less or if it will be the same rate that you had before the review. It’s difficult to plan ongoing support when there’s so much uncertainty.

“There was also always a kind of feeling that somebody was trying to catch you out with the DLA application. It’s absolutely inhumane.

“This time when the renewal letter came through instead of saying, ‘You have to go through the whole traumatic process again,’ it was, ‘Has anything changed?’

“The short answer was, ‘No, my son still has cerebral palsy. There hasn’t been a miracle overnight.’ And that was accepted, what a difference.

“There are a lot of hard things about being in a family that’s affected by disability. This was someone taking away one of those hard things.

“That has been fantastic and I’m incredibly grateful for the values that underpin Social Security Scotland.”

The review period for awards is decided on a case-by-case basis depending on the client’s condition and whether their needs are expected to change. Generally, review periods range from two to ten years.

Covid-19: New ‘stay at home’ guidance published

ALL CONTRACT TRACING TO END

From Sunday 1 May public health advice will change to a ‘stay at home’ message replacing self-isolation for people who have symptoms or have tested positive for Covid-19.

People who have symptoms of Covid-19 and who have a fever or are too unwell to carry out normal activities will be asked to ‘stay at home’ while they are unwell or have a fever.  They will no longer be advised to take a PCR test.

The changes, part of the Test and Protect Transition Plan which was published last month, will also see all contact tracing ending.

As previously announced, testing for the general population will end on 30 April with test sites closing at that point too.  However, testing will remain available to certain groups in order to protect high risk settings, support clinical care and for surveillance purposes.

Those groups include health and social care workers, care home and hospital visitors, patients groups eligible for treatment, hospital patients, unpaid carers and people in prison.

Other adults who have symptoms of Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses and have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, are advised to stay at home until their fever has gone or they feel well enough.

Children and young people aged 18 and under with mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, who are otherwise well, do not need to stay at home and can continue to attend education settings.

They should only stay at home if they are unwell and have a high temperature. They can go back to school, college or childcare, and resume normal activities when they no longer have a fever and they feel well enough to attend.

This guidance reflects the fact that children and young people generally have a higher likelihood than adults of regular instances of respiratory symptoms from non-Covid illnesses. 

The Protect Scotland app will also be closed down shortly, but users are encouraged to keep the app on their phones in case it is needed again at a future date.

NHS Scotland will also be taken out of emergency footing at the end of Saturday 30 April as Covid-19 cases continue to fall.

However, with continued demands on services across health and social care, there remains a need for caution to protect vital services.

Patients should only attend A&E if their condition is an emergency, to continue to limit the pressure on services.  Patients can contact their GP during the day, local pharmacy or call NHS24 on 111 as an alternative.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Scotland’s Test and Protect programme has been one of the key interventions in our response to Covid-19, the success of which has been due, in no small part, to the remarkable staff and volunteers working in Test and Protect – my sincere thanks go to them.

“I would also like to thank the Scottish public for their commitment and willingness to engage with Test and Protect when it was required of them and helping to protect their fellow citizens.

“However, we recognise we are now in a different phase of the pandemic. The primary purpose of testing is changing from population-wide testing to reduce transmission, to a targeted response focused on reducing severe harm of the virus.

“As we are now seeing a steady reduction in new Covid cases, the NHS will no longer remain on emergency footing after Saturday 30 April. But we must continue with a measured approach to support the recovery and renewal of our NHS.

“This will require balancing capacity of the NHS and the wellbeing of the workforce to respond to increasing demands for urgent care while reducing the backlog of planned care.”

Further information on the stay at home guidance and measures you can take to limit the spread of Covid-19 can be found at https://bit.ly/39polwD and from 1 May on nhsinform.scot/covid19.

Safety first as Edinburgh remains at Level 2

Scotland ‘remains on the right track’

As the vaccination programme advances through age groups some restrictions are to be eased sooner in areas where case rates and prevalence of coronavirus (COVID-19) allow, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced yesterday.

The First Minister outlined the next steps to Parliament and confirmed that Glasgow will move to Level 2 from 00:01 on Saturday 5 June 2021. Edinburgh will remain at Level 2.

The following mainland local authority areas will also remain at Level 2, while the situation with the virus is monitored closely:

  • East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire
  • East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, and South Ayrshire
  • North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire
  • Edinburgh and Midlothian
  • Stirling and Clackmannanshire
  • Dundee

At the same time, from 00:01 on Saturday 5 June 2021, these 15 mainland local authorities will move to Level 1:

  • Highland and Argyll & Bute
  • Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray
  • Angus and Perth & Kinross
  • Inverclyde and West Dunbartonshire
  • Falkirk
  • Fife
  • West Lothian and East Lothian
  • The Scottish Borders
  • Dumfries & Galloway

All islands currently in Level 1 will move to Level 0 at the same time due to sustained low numbers of cases. Everyone is encouraged to get tested to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by finding cases that might be missed, as around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 don’t have symptoms.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I appreciate that today’s decisions will feel like a mixed bag. That reflects the fact that we are in a transition phase. No part of the country is going backwards today.

“Before the vaccines, that would have been impossible on case numbers like this. But the vaccines are changing the game. And that means we can still be optimistic about our chances of much more normality over the summer and beyond.

“As always, all of us have a part to play in beating this virus back. So please, stick with it, and each other.”

For local authority areas in Level 2, we will be providing support to soft play and other closed sectors that had expected to open, or operate in a different way from 7 June. 

Full details will be provided by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance today.

Council Leaders have urged Edinburgh residents to stick to the guidance and come forward for vaccinations and community testing after yesterday’s announcement.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “I know people across the city continue to do a brilliant job to follow the guidance to help steer Edinburgh forward out of lockdown and I know people understand the need to stay in Level Two due to recent increases in transmissions.

“With cases rising in some parts of the city we’ve got to make sure we go at the right pace rather than risk stalling progress further. Even with this slight slowing down of our reopening, I’m very pleased that we’re still on the right track to get back to something like normality again and can still enjoy so much of our city that has reopened already. This is thanks to the hard work of people and businesses across our communities and, of course, the ongoing vaccination rollout.

“If you’re called forward for your jag, please make sure you take up the invitation, especially when it’s your second dose as that’s when immunity against the newly-named Delta variant increases significantly. Those aged 18 to 29 can now register for a vaccine appointment via NHS inform.  

“By each of us doing the right thing and helping to protect ourselves and our communities, we’ll see Edinburgh join other local authorities in the lower levels of restrictions much faster.”

Council Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “Nobody wants to go backwards after the really difficult journey we’ve all been on to get to this point so while things are still in a delicate situation in terms of case rates versus vaccination figures, a careful and steady approach is crucial.

“If we can monitor where cases are emerging – including the roughly 33% that never develop symptoms – then we’ll have a much clearer idea of how well we’re limiting the spread of the virus. So as well as getting vaccinated when you’re called forward, it’s really important to continue to take regular tests, as there’s evidence you can still transmit the virus even if you’ve had the jag.

“You can order free lateral flow tests online or, if you don’t have any Covid symptoms, pop into one of our community test centres, which we’re setting up in areas where case numbers are stubbornly high.

“Please continue to follow the guidance when you’re out and about in the shops or meeting friends for something to eat or drink – businesses have worked incredibly hard to put measures in place to keep their staff and customers safe and we need to do our bit too when visiting them.”

Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: First Minister’s statement – 1 June 2021 – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

COVID: More than 53,000 heath and social care staff in Scotland seek psychological support

More than 53,000 health and social care staff have received psychological support from the National Wellbeing Hub since it was launched in May, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman announced yesterday.

Established during the first phase of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the hub supports all health and social care workers, including unpaid carers, who need help due to COVID-19, alongside a new 24/7 National Wellbeing helpline.

The hub helps people facing challenging situations at home or at work and includes digital programmes designed to help manage stress and reduce anxiety.

Trained practitioners at NHS24 offer callers to the helpline a compassionate and empathic listening service based on the principles of psychological first aid, as well as advice, signposting and onward referral to local services if required.nvnvnv

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “We are all deeply grateful for the continued hard work, commitment and professionalism of those working in health and social care services. With a second phase of COVID-19 and additional winter pressures, I know our frontline workers continue to face increased anxiety and fatigue due to the unprecedented public health challenge we continue to face.

“The Hub has already helped more than 53,000 people and I hope all health and social services workers in hospitals and in the community make use of the high quality resources and advice available on managing stress and anxiety, fatigue, sleep, relaxation and exercise. For those who need one-on-one support, our wellbeing support line continues to provide around the clock help.

“I would also encourage everyone, especially those who receive health and social care support, to remember the challenges facing key workers and continue to thank them for their incredible work.

“We are continuing to monitor the impact of the pandemic on our valued workforce and will do our best to ensure that appropriate support services are put in place to help them.”

To access the helpline, health and social care staff should dial 0800 111 4191.

The National Wellbeing Hub is designed to be the first point of contact for all employed health and social care staff but also for their families, as well as unpaid carers and volunteers looking for support.

Scottish Government support for Fringe

Backing for world’s largest performing arts festival

The Scottish Government has agreed a funding package for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, the charity that underpins the world-famous Fringe Festival.

As part of a commitment to support cultural, social and economic recovery, the Fringe Society will receive a £1 million interest-free loan from the Scottish Government. It will also benefit from a £149,000 Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund grant and a £100,000 grant from City of Edinburgh Council.

The money will be used to mitigate the significant losses incurred as a result of this year’s festival not going ahead as planned due to coronavirus (COVID-19) and to support the thousands of Fringe artists, companies and venues whose livelihoods have been affected.

The Fringe is estimated to be worth around £200 million to the wider Scottish and UK economy. Thousands of artists and cultural entrepreneurs across the UK rely on the Fringe annually as a key milestone for employment.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “This has been an extremely worrying time for people whose livelihoods, careers and wellbeing have been affected by COVID-19 and the cancellation of festivals such as the Fringe.

“I am one of many thousands of people who will miss the Fringe this year. It is one of Scotland’s greatest cultural exports and this funding package will help ensure the world-renowned festival can bounce back in 2021. Many performers, cultural organisations and businesses rely on the festival and I hope it can build on its previous major successes to safely return to the international stage.”

Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society Chief Executive Shona McCarthy said: “This funding is a life raft to the Fringe Society, enabling us to properly support the extensive ecosystem of artists, venues and businesses who rely on the Fringe.

“This festival is about much more than three weeks in August. It’s an embodiment of how culture and creativity unites us, and in this incredibly difficult time, we’re grateful to be working so closely with our partners at Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and City of Edinburgh Council on this common goal.”

Edinburgh City Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We’re incredibly proud to be known as the world’s Festival City and are well aware of the positive cultural, social and economic life of the city contribution our festivals make to our residents and visitors.

“We worked quickly to help our Fringe festival get through the enormous challenge of COVID-19, working with Government to put resources in place to ensure the festival’s survival.

“I look forward to welcoming back the Fringe, and all our summer festivals.”

The loan will be repaid over six years.

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs has welcomed the support. He said: “The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people from across the globe every year and is an important part of Scotland’s tourism industry. 

“This funding will allow the festival to bounce back next year, so that the much loved event can be enjoyed again by Edinburgh residents, people across Scotland, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world.”

More support for new home buyers

Scottish Government increases ‘Help to Buy’ funding

houses

An extra £40 million will be invested in a scheme that helps people get on the housing ladder for the first time or move to a new property, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed yesterday.

The Scottish Government’s Help to Buy (Scotland) initiative has allowed more than 1,100 people to buy a new home since its launch in September 2013.

This latest financial boost brings the overall investment to £275 million – investment that has brought much needed financial support to the Scottish construction sector.

The scheme helps people to buy a new-build house from a participating home builder without having to fund all of the purchase price. The buyer is required to contribute a five per cent deposit, with the Scottish Government taking an equity stake of up to 20 per cent of the value of the property.

The buyer then receives the outstanding sum through a repayment mortgage from a participating lender, repaying the Scottish Government’s equity stake when they can financially afford to do so.

So far 156 house-builders have signed up for the initiative, with six mortgage lenders offering mortgages to buyers wanting to benefit from it.

Ms Sturgeon said: “This additional £40 million funding will allow more people in Scotland to buy their first home and continue to make it easier for ‘second-steppers’ and others to move to a new property.

“Since it launched in September last year, our Help to Buy scheme has already helped over 1000 households into home ownership and this additional funding will benefit even more families.

“It is also bringing much needed economic growth to Scotland by supporting our housing industry and creating employment opportunities. This is alongside our continued commitment to investing in affordable housing for communities across Scotland.”

New Homes for Scotland Chair Sandy Adam said: “A significant proportion of new homes are now sold through Help to Buy, delivering on the Scottish Government’s key objectives of providing more homes, creating more jobs and stimulating the economy.

“Additional investment, such as that announced today, and longer term support assisting developers with investment planning will help the industry to, quite literally, build on the scheme’s initial success and step up production to the levels required to meet housing need across all tenures.

“But this welcome boost for Help to Buy (Scotland) is valuable in another way. Many people in Scotland want to own their own home. Raising aspiration and confidence in this way can only be achieved through initiatives such as this.”

sold