The Scottish Government’s failure to include a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill in its Programme for Government is hugely disappointing.
A recent Scottish Parliament committee report highlighted the stark reality facing families, with children and adults frequently waiting years for ADHD and autism assessments. It called for urgent action to ensure clear and consistent pathways to support across Scotland.
Yet the Government has failed to introduce the legislation that could help deliver this. An LDAN Bill could tackle inequalities through national and local strategies and mandatory training for health, social care and education staff.
After years of discussion and consultation, warm words are no longer enough. Thousands of children, adults and families need action.
Service improvements are welcome, but without clear targets and timescales there is no guarantee they will deliver the lasting change that children, adults and families desperately need.
The Government itself acknowledges that legislation can drive accountability and change. It should therefore set clear, measurable timescales for improvement – and commit to introducing an LDAN Bill if these are not met.
New support for families to be phased in from next year
Parents and carers will benefit from a new childcare offer aimed at bringing down the cost of living, tackling child poverty and boosting family incomes, First Minister John Swinney has said.
As part of the newly-published Programme for Government, the Scottish Government is transforming its childcare offer to ensure greater childcare support is available to families with children from nine months old through to the end of primary school.
Consultation on the new approach will take place next year, with delivery phased in over time. This will begin with a £44 million annual investment in breakfast clubs in primary schools across Scotland from August 2027, followed by the introduction of after-school and holiday childcare for primary school children from August 2029.
The First Minister also announced the first recipients of the new £15 million Childcare Support Fund, which is expected to help those organisations support an estimated 4,800 low-income families with the cost of childcare at times when they most need it.
Speaking ahead of a visit with Education Secretary Màiri McAllan to Fintry Mains Childcare and Community Hub in Dundee, one of the organisations benefiting from the funding, the First Minister said:“High-quality childcare plays an important role in helping children thrive, easing cost of living pressures and creating opportunities for parents and carers to work, train and study.
“Too many families still face barriers to accessing the childcare they need. By transforming the support available to families from nine months through to the end of primary school we will help more parents and carers into employment, boost household incomes and give children the best possible start in life.
“Alongside our long-term plans to transform childcare, the £15 million Childcare Support Fund announced today will provide practical support to families who need it most.
“This forms part of our wider Programme for Government, which is focused on making tangible improvements to people’s lives by creating jobs, raising living standards and growing Scotland’s economy to help eradicate child poverty.”
Susan McGhee, Chief Executive of Flexible Childcare Services Scotland which runs Fintry Mains Childcare, said: “Receiving a grant from the Scottish Government’s Childcare Support Fund will allow us to support even more families across Scotland.
“We already deliver flexible childcare to over 1,000 parents a year and, according to our research, those families are more than £2 million better off thanks to our book-by-the-hour model.
“We look forward to working alongside Midlothian Sure Start and Renfrewshire Out of School Network to ensure families can access affordable, flexible all-age childcare within their communities.”
Chloe Sinclair, whose three-year-old daughter Lola attends Fintry Mains Childcare, said: “I heard good things about Flexible Childcare Services Scotland from other parents.
“The flexibility has really helped me and my partner as we work shifts and need to know our three-year-old daughter Lola is cared for. Being able to book what we need is ideal for our jobs and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.”
First recipients of the Childcare Support Fund
Grant Value
Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector – Provides intensive, referral-based childcare support across Glasgow, helping priority families overcome childcare barriers so they can enter, sustain or progress in work, study and training.
£1,000,000
Flexible Childcare Services Scotland SCIO – Delivers flexible childcare across six local authority areas, supporting families in insecure or low-paid work to take up opportunities, increase hours and reduce employment barriers caused by childcare costs.
£878,367
Early Years Scotland – Acts as a national childcare broker, connecting low-income families to childcare that fills specific gaps in provision, including bridging periods, additional hours and support for children not covered by existing entitlements.
£1,000,000
The Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments – known as Craighalbert – Provides specialist childcare for children with complex disabilities and additional support needs, enabling parents to work or study at points of transition while children receive tailored care and developmental support.
£615,326
Scottish Childminding Association – Funds flexible childminding placements with registered childminders, giving families personalised childcare and informal support that enables parents to seek work, remain employed or access training.
£302,948
The Indigo Childcare Group – Offers free childcare places, including a mobile crèche for parents attending employability programmes, with additional support for families experiencing crisis situations or caring for children with additional needs.
£412,045
Scottish Out Of School Care Network – Provides short-term financial support for school-age childcare, protecting families from losing childcare during periods of financial hardship and helping parents stay in work, study or training.
£1,000,000
Family and Community Development West Lothian – Combines flexible after-school and holiday childcare with support to help parents access employment and education.
£421,310
Inspiring Scotland – Provides rapid-response childcare funding through community networks, helping families manage emergencies, attend interviews and sustain income while longer-term childcare arrangements are put in place.
£300,064
Perceptive Action C.I.C – Offers breakfast, after-school and holiday childcare across the Borders and Midlothian, supporting families through key transition periods while helping them access longer-term childcare and financial support.
£263,070
The Lennox Partnership – Removes childcare costs as a barrier to employability programmes, enabling parents to participate in structured pathways into work, skills development and learning opportunities.
£947,250
Third Sector Hebrides – Improves access to childcare across the Western Isles by coordinating support through local childcare providers, helping families access provision that is often difficult to secure in island communities.
£277,500
St Roch’s Childcare Services – Provides flexible childcare alongside one-to-one family support, helping parents access employment, education and wider services while building confidence and family wellbeing.
£286,405
Care and Learning Alliance – Supports families in rural Highland and Island communities by helping them find and access childcare, while addressing additional challenges such as transport costs, limited provision and rural poverty.
Cutting costs and supporting teachers while delivering on reforms
Every young person will have the same opportunity to succeed, no matter their background or where they live in Scotland, Education Secretary Màiri McAllan has pledged, as she set out her priorities for education.
In a statement to Parliament, Ms McAllan confirmed councils would receive up to £2.8 million to help address school meal debt, to ease the cost of living for families that need it most, while work continues to expand Free School Meals.
A new £1 million pilot fund will support teachers taking up posts in rural and island communities with relocation and housing costs, to help attract teachers to hard-to-fill posts and encourage them to remain long-term. This is alongside wider ongoing national work to deliver a teacher job guarantee for a minimum of three years for newly-qualified teachers, and reduce class contact time.
Further plans will be brought forward shortly to help newly-qualified primary teachers gain additional registration, helping them transition into new roles, and to strengthen career opportunities for pupil support assistants.
Ms McAllan also set out plans to improve attainment, attendance, behaviour and curriculum, including streamlining guidance so that councils and schools can deliver more consistently on national policies.
Curriculum reforms, developed following the OECD’s Review of Scotland’s Curriculum, will be delivered in partnership with teachers, to ensure learners fully benefit from ongoing work to improve the curriculum.
Public Service Reform will be central to tackling inconsistencies in how national education policy is applied across the country, with work underway alongside councils to streamline data use, cut unnecessary bureaucracy and free up schools to focus on what matters most to pupils.
Ms McAllan added: “There is already so much to celebrate in our education system – record levels of literacy and numeracy in our schools, increases in exam passes across the board this year and more Scots gaining places at university.
“But I am clear we must raise standards and deliver excellence across Scotland by focusing on the ABCs in our schools – attainment, attendance, behaviour and curriculum. We must ensure every child regardless of where they live or whether they have an additional support need, are supported to learn and thrive at school.
“We must seize the opportunity of Public Service Reform to truly achieve this, by addressing the variability in education outcomes across the country, improving data collection, enhancing performance and accountability and empowering schools to invest and take the decisions they need to support pupils.
“As a Government we must also continue our work to cut the costs of the school day for families – that means more breakfast clubs, expanding free school meals and clearing school meal debt.
“The leadership I will offer as Education Secretary will always be guided by the pursuit of excellence and equity. I commit to working hand in hand with young people, their families, the workforce, trade unions and local government to ensure every child receives the highest standard of education.”
Providing more healthcare services at home for people across Scotland is central to the Scottish Government’s ambition to fundamentally reform the NHS in the year ahead, the Deputy First Minister has said.
Jenny Gilruth visited the Hospital at Home hub for Central and West Fife in Kirkcaldy today to meet staff and hear about the recent redesign of the service.
It followed publication of the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2026-2031 this week which set out major changes for the NHS, ensuring services fit more effectively around people’s lives.
The Deputy First Minister said: “People having access to the care they need in their own home is fundamental to NHS reform and improving services.
“The expansion of Hospital at Home in NHS Fife and across the country will be a key part of this, improving access to safe and effective care at home. Building on progress made already, we will increase capacity so that more than 10,000 people can benefit from Hospital at Home services this winter.
“Removing geographical barriers to care and simplifying the structure of our NHS will give us a platform to allow people to get the right care, in the right place, at the right time. It will reduce unnecessary duplication and remove artificial boundaries to care.
“We will undertake this alongside continued investment in local community services like GP walk-in centres, digital transformation led by our MyCare app, and by working jointly with our workforce and trade unions.”
Alyn Smith has been announced as the new Minister for Innovation, Technology & Tertiary Education.
Subject to parliamentary agreement and the approval of His Majesty the King, Mr Smith will succeed Ben Macpherson, who stepped down last week.
The First Minister made the appointment via video call as Mr Smith is currently suffering a minor illness.
The First Minister said: “I am very pleased to appoint Alyn Smith as Minister-designate for Innovation, Technology & Tertiary Education.
“Alyn is one of the most experienced parliamentarians in the UK, having served in both the European and UK Parliaments before being elected as an MSP. He has broad international experience and has shown long-term interest in skills, universities and colleges.
“Scotland’s future prosperity will be built on the talent of our people, the strength of our universities and colleges, and our ability to turn world-class ideas into jobs, investment and opportunity.
“My new Programme for Government sets out an ambitious agenda for post-school learning and development – from protecting free university tuition, expanding apprenticeships and delivering a new national skills plan, to supporting university research and spin-outs, and connecting business with academic institutions to drive innovation and growth.
“Alyn will work closely with Màiri McAllan to drive that agenda, working across government with other ministers and in partnership with industry and the education and skills sectors to deliver for Scotland’s people, communities and businesses.”
Mr Smith studied Law and European Law at the University of Leeds and completed a Masters degree in European Studies at the College of Europe in Warsaw. After teaching English in India and working with Scotland Europa in Brussels, he qualified as a lawyer and practised commercial law in London and Edinburgh.
In 2002, Mr Smith joined the office of Richard Lochhead MSP before becoming an adviser to the SNP Group in the Scottish Parliament on European, justice and business policy. He was elected as a Member of the European Parliament for Scotland in 2004 and was re-elected in 2009, 2014 and 2019.
Mr Smith served as Member of Parliament for Stirling from 2019 to 2024 before being elected as the MSP for Stirling in May 2026.
Patients will receive better care, with shorter waits, as a result of the most significant structural reform of our NHS in the devolution era, First Minister John Swinney announced yesterday, as he unveiled a major modernisation programme of Scotland’s public services.
Setting out his Programme for Government, the First Minister pledged that all the actions of his government would be focused on delivering lasting improvements to people’s lives as he presented a package of measures to help with the cost-of-living crisis.
The First Minister said the Scottish Government would also continue to drive improvements in the priority areas of eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, investing in public services and tackling the climate emergency as he outlined work to reduce NHS waiting times and action to tackle violence against women and girls.
Key announcements include:
Replacing the current 14 territorial health boards with two strategic health boards which – alongside other measures – will free up more time and capacity for treatment
Delivering a national breakfast club for all primary schools from August 2027 and, by 2031, providing childcare support 52 weeks a year for children from nine months old to the end of primary school
Tackling poverty by increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £40 per week for eligible babies under 1 during 2027-28
Investing £205 million in winter heating payments for pensioners, families with disabled children and struggling households
Recognising that hostility to women and girls is a serious societal problem by defining misogyny as a distinct form of prejudice and abuse
Expanding the £2 bus fare cap beyond the Highlands and Islands to the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport area from Monday 7 September followed by a national roll-out by the end of this Parliament
Improving public services by removing unnecessary duplication and overlap, getting resources more directly to the frontline services
Over the next three months, with partners, reach a clear shared direction on substantial reform tolocal governance, including social care
Bringing the national environment public bodies into a single overarching body to make environmental interventions more impactful
Supporting better jobs and higher incomes by making Scotland a better place to invest and do business
First Minister John Swinney said: “This ambitious Programme for Government has radical and widespread public service reform at its heart to deliver real, lasting improvements to people’s lives.
“By rewiring a system of services designed for the last century, we will simplify and reshape organisations on which everyone relies and ensure every pound of investment achieves maximum impact.
“As we do so, we will build on the most generous cost of living package anywhere in the UK while continuing to tackle inequality, poverty and division.
“This is a Programme for Government to deliver a fairer, healthier and more prosperous nation.”
The First Minister also stated that Scotland would only reach its full potential by becoming an independent nation.
“We will give the leadership for Scotland to decide her own future and advance our belief that Scotland will be better off with Independence.”
The First Minister also confirmed Scottish Government plans to introduce nine Bills over the course of 2026-27:
Budget Bill
Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill
Council Tax (Scotland) Bill
Damages (Scotland) Bill
Food Prices (Scotland) Bill
Football Banning Orders (Scotland) Bill
Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill
Misogyny (Criminal Law) (Scotland Bill
Public Service Renewal (Scotland) Bill
REACTION:
Peter Kelly of Scotland’s Poverty Alliance commented: “It was good to hear a promise to eradicate child poverty – and we welcome the further development of the Whole Family Wellbeing approach.
“However, we know that secure, adequate incomes are the bedrock of efforts to eradicate poverty. That means progressively increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £55 a week by the end of this Parliament.
Without that scale of change, it’s hard to see how the First Minister will keep that promise to Scotland’s children.”
COSLA President, Councillor Shona Morrison, has responded to Scottish Government’s Programme for Government announcement:“Today’s Programme for Government is a significant statement of the Scottish Government’s priorities, and we will take time to consider its detail carefully.
“There are important implications for local government and council services, particularly the proposed NHS reforms and what they will mean for the future delivery of social care.
“Over the coming days, COSLA will engage closely with our member councils and with Scottish Ministers to ensure these proposals are focused on what is best for communities across Scotland and respect the democratic legitimacy of local government.
“Public services work best when decisions are taken as close to communities as possible. We look forward to meaningful engagement with the Scottish Government and believe that the dialogue on the future of local governance must be carried forward with councils and COSLA as the collective voice of local government.”
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, Local Government Information Unit (LGIU),said: “While we welcome the focus on reforming the public sector to make it work better for citizens, LGIU is concerned that two concurrent, three-month consultations on the restructuring of local government and the reform of social care mean the views and expertise of the local government sector will not be adequately represented.
“Local government reorganisation is a serious undertaking. And it will be impossible to achieve without an agenda to save local government finances, which is conspicuously absent from this Programme.
“The Scottish Government should enter this endeavour with the expectation that it will be hard, and that making a success of it will be impossible without buy-in from across the sector and clear aims about what the desired outcomes are.
“The same is true with social care. The last major social care reform attempt was the introduction of the National Care Service, the structural part of which failed in part because of limited engagement with local government.
“We appreciate the Government’s newfound urgency to tackle both the social care crisis and empower the regional and local tiers of government, but it is hard to see how a three-month sprint to round off decades-old debates will ensure that all relevant voices are heard.”
In response to the Programme for Government, Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive of Children First said: “We are delighted that our calls for whole family support, investment in a national Bairns Hoose programme, a public health approach to online harm and a greater emphasis on prevention have been included in today’s Programme for Government.
“Prevention is rightly at the heart of the Scottish Government’s ambitions, but it’s been the goal for more than 15 years. The gap between policy intent and the reality of children’s lives has never been wider. The First Minister will understand why people are impatient for change.
“It is disappointing that the specific, funded commitments needed to put Scotland back on track to meet its child poverty targets have not been included. We do not need further reviews or consultations – the next budget must deliver the action and investment children and families need.
“Children First share the Scottish Government’s aim for every child to live free from poverty, safe from harm and for children’s rights to be protected at every stage.
“We look forward to working alongside the Scottish Government and hope that local government, partners and communities will make the same commitment, because it will take everybody to close the gap between what Scotland says and what Scotland does.”
Billy Alexander, Associate Director for the Stroke Association in Scotland, said:“We welcome today’s commitment from First Minister, to ensure every stroke patient in Scotland who needs a thrombectomy gets one – regardless of the time or day. Whilst long overdue, this way could herald a genuine turning point for stroke care in Scotland.
“Thrombectomy is a lifechanging treatment that can mean the difference between someone returning to an independent life or living with significant long-term disability. Yet, all too often, the time or place someone has their stroke can determine whether they receive it.
“The test now will be implementation. We need a clear, sustainable, robustly funded, and time-bound plan that delivers equitable access to thrombectomy around the clock and across the country.
“That same level of ambition is also needed to drive wider improvements across stroke care, from the point of emergency and treatment through to rehabilitation and long-term recovery. Only then will every stroke survivor in Scotland be properly supported to live well after stroke.”
Debbie Horne, Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager of older people’s charity Independent Age, said: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to tackling the cost of living crisis.
“At Independent Age, we hear every day from older people being squeezed by rising costs. Action is urgently required to support the 130,000 pensioners currently in poverty in Scotland.
“We know that too often the social security system fails to reach the older people who need it most, with hundreds of millions of pounds going unpaid every year. Commitments today to maximise the take-up of social security payments hold real potential to boost incomes for older people in financial hardship and we look forward to working with the Scottish Government to progress this welcome and vital work.
“Today’s announcement that the Heat in Buildings Bill will be introduced and the commitment to ongoing winter heating support for pensioners is also very important. Our research has shown that almost 4 in 5 older people on a low income have cut back on heating, so it’s clear that measures to improve the energy efficiency of homes and support older people with energy costs is urgently needed.
“Despite these positive steps, to meaningfully tackle the range of issues facing the one in eight older people in Scotland who live in poverty, we need sustained strategic action to boost incomes and reduce costs through a national pensioner poverty strategy. In a wealthy and fair society, both the Scottish and UK Governments must do more to make sure every older person can live well.”
The British Dental Association Scotland has expressed its profound scepticism that plans for wholesale reform of Scotland’s health boards represents a silver bullet and has called for forensic scrutiny from MSPs.
Today First Minister John Swinney told the Scottish Parliament that “to ensure more joined-up delivery, to improve access to care and to reduce inequality for some patients” the fourteen current health boards would be reduced to two. While the professional body is wholly supportive of these objectives, following publication of the Programme for Government it is unclear how any of them will be achieved via these proposals.
The BDA will be addressing the Health, Care and Sport Committee this week, stressing the risk of unintended consequences.
BDA Scotland Director Charlotte Waite said:“It is a truth universally acknowledged that top-down reorganisations of the NHS rarely deliver the goods for taxpayers, patients, or practitioners.
“These plans need to be subjected to forensic scrutiny. They only thing we can be sure of at this stage is unintended consequences.”
Responding to the Programme for Government, Anna Fowlie, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations’ (SCVO) Chief Executive, said: ”I’m pleased to see that the Programme for Government recognises the essential role the voluntary sector plays in addressing some of Scotland’s biggest challenges, from child poverty and gender-based violence to community cohesion and public service reform.
“We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to a Third Sector Partnership, founded on trust, collaboration and mutual respect. We look forward to working with the Scottish Government to deliver the kind of partnership with government that voluntary organisations have long called for, one that brings meaningful change.
“We also welcome commitments to multi-year funding in a number of areas, and the first public recognition that the voluntary sector, alongside communities, must play a significant part in shaping public service reform. I look forward to seeing these commitments delivering significant progress in delivering Fair Funding across government portfolios and public bodies.
“Finally, I welcome the First Minister’s commitment to strengthen community cohesion and counter those who seek to divide Scotland. Voluntary organisations across Scotland are on the frontline of supporting people targeted by bigotry, racism and hatred, while bringing communities together in the face of division.
“Their work demonstrates the very best of Scotland: compassion, solidarity and a determination to ensure everyone belongs. Achieving that ambition will require sustained recognition, support and investment from the Scottish Government.”
Views sought on food price controls on everyday items
Households struggling with food costs could benefit from price controls on essential items under proposals published for consultation.
Fulfilling one of the commitments made for the Scottish Government’s first 100 days, views are being sought on the proposals and accompanying draft Bill. These are intended to ease cost of living pressures, particularly for lower income households who spend a greater share of their budget on food.
The consultation seeks views on the proposals and how the mechanism would work in practice, including the retailers and foods that could be included in the scheme.
Minister for Business Tom Arthur said: “Helping people with the cost of living is a top priority of this government. Our aim is to make essential food items more affordable for households struggling to pay for their weekly shop, particularly those on lower incomes.
“The consultation covers the wide range of factors we need to consider to implement a food price cap. I am committed to taking action to address food affordability that works with retailers and protects farmers and food producers.
“I have spent the last three months engaging with bodies with an interest in this and encourage everyone to have their say.”
Children with additional support needs will be supported wherever they are in Scotland through a new National Staged Intervention Model for additional support for learning that is being developed.
Education Secretary Màiri McAllan made the commitment as she set out plans to provide a nationwide approach to identifying, planning, delivering and reviewing support for children and young people who experience barriers to learning in all council areas – to ensure they receive the right support at the right time.
The newly-published route map sets out the next steps to introducing a model that will set out more clearly how support is delivered to meet the needs of children and young people in different areas.
It is being developed in partnership with local government in response to recommendations from the McManus Review of additional support for learning, and will be rolled out in phases with full implementation across all of Scotland’s 32 council areas planned for August 2028.
Ms McAllan said: “Every child deserves the best possible support that is right for their needs, regardless of where they live in Scotland so they can realise their full potential.
“A National Staged Intervention approach will help ensure that how support needs are identified, responded to and reviewed is consistent, no matter where a child or young person goes to school.
“Through this Model children and young people will receive support that is right for them, and families will have greater understanding of the support available to their child. For teachers, it means clearer national guidance being developed alongside updated training, aligned with the Model to help them support pupils with additional needs.
“We will develop the Model jointly with councils, teachers and school staff, and with children and their families, to ensure the National Staged Intervention Model delivers the support children and young people need across Scotland.”
Councillor Tony Buchanan, COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People said: “COSLA is committed to working collectively with Scottish Government to improve the outcomes for all children and young people.
“We recognise the need in particular to support children with additional support needs and are focused on building upon the strong practice that already exists and recognise that developing a national model offers opportunity to further enhance the consistency of approach our children and young people.
“Together with our professional associations and colleagues in Scottish Government, we look forward to enhancing what is working well and helping embed continuous improvement across the support framework that is available to children and families in all parts of Scotland.”
Sheena Devlin, General Secretary at the Association of Directors of Education Scotland (ADES) said: “ADES welcomes the direction of travel set out today. Scotland already has much strong practice in supporting children and young people with additional needs, and a national model offers the opportunity to build greater consistency of approach to recording and planning for our children and young people.
“We look forward to working with the Scottish Government and partners to shape the detail, ensuring the Model strengthens what is working well while improving the support framework available to children, young people and families wherever they live.”
Local authorities will share £15 million to expand and enhance breakfast club provision from today, First Minister John Swinney has announced.
The funding will help councils deliver free breakfast clubs for primary school pupils across Scotland from August 2027, giving children a healthy start to the school day and helping reduce costs for families.
The announcement follows the opening of new breakfast clubs in East Lothian, at East Linton and in Letham Mains, during the Government’s first 100 days in office, delivering on a commitment to expand access.
Ahead of a visit to a breakfast club in East Lothian the First Minister said: “No child should start the school day hungry.
“I have seen first-hand the real impact and benefits that the breakfast clubs provide to pupils, parents and teachers. They give children a healthy start to the day, helping to ensure they are ready to engage and learn in class.
“For parents and carers, breakfast clubs allow for an early drop off at school while easing the pressure on family budgets at a time when rising bills and living costs continue to bite.
“The Scottish Government is continuing to do all it can to eradicate child poverty and put more money in people’s pockets. Alongside measures such as free school meals, these free breakfast clubs will help ensure more children are supported to succeed at school, regardless of their background.”
COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People, Councillor Tony Buchanan, said: “Local authorities deliver a wide range of services for children and families and are best placed to understand and respond to the needs of their communities.
“This agreement provides an opportunity for local authorities to expand and enhance breakfast provision in a way which meets local need. I look forward to continuing to work together to support our children, young people, and families across Scotland.”
Further measures to eradicate child poverty will be set out by the First Minister in his Programme for Government tomorrow (Tuesday).
New social impact partnership supported by £200,000
Proposals to help cut reoffending and keep young people safe from crime and anti-social behaviour are to be developed through an innovative new partnership funding approach.
The Justice Social Impact Partnership (SIP), supported by £200,000 of Scottish Government funding, is a new way of developing and funding interventions. It brings together nine organisations – across service providers, funders and public bodies – to design three project proposals by the end of March 2027.
The Justice SIP will focus on:
creating safe spaces for young people
diverting young people from crime and anti-social behaviour
preventing reoffending and supporting reintegration into communities
Social Investment Partnerships ask investors to provide upfront funding for a project, and they are repaid based on the outcomes it achieves, allowing new ideas to be tested without financial risk to the public purse if they don’t succeed.
This work is also expected to help inform how similar funding and delivery models might be used elsewhere in government.
Neil Gray, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, said: “Preventing violence and diverting young people away from crime means working across the whole system, with police, charities, communities and investors all playing a part.
“This partnership brings together that breadth of expertise to design practical projects that give young people safe spaces and trusted adults, and support people to move away from crime and rebuild their lives.
“It builds on our existing commitment to prevention, including our continued investment in Cashback for Communities, and creates a new way of bringing funding into our communities so that early intervention work can be tested, proven and scaled.”
The following organisations form the membership of the Justice Social Impact Partnership:
The Scottish Government Social Investment Scotland The Growth Partnership The Robertson Trust YMCA Tayside Community Justice Scotland National Social Work Agency Scotland Bean Research (evaluation) University of Oxford’s Government Outcomes Lab (evaluation)
The fund will support the partnership’s work over the coming months, including technical, financial and legal expertise needed to develop robust, investable projects
