More than 93% of young people were in work, training or further study nine months after they left school, according to the latest figures.
The proportion in these positive destinations has grown from 85.9% in 2009-10.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “These figures show the proportion of Scotland’s young people achieving positive destinations is almost back to pre-pandemic levels and at a near record high.
“The increase among those in Higher and Further Education is hugely encouraging and testament to the hard work of those young people and the extraordinary support provided by Scotland’s teachers, lecturers and other support staff.
“The gap in positive destinations between young people from our most and least deprived communities has more than halved since 2009-10, but this latest data shows we still have more to do. We also know this cohort of young people faced significant disruption to their education during the pandemic.
“A range of support, including from careers advisers and the Developing the Young Workforce network, is available for young people considering their options after school.
“I am determined to ensure young people can access the right help they need to enable them into a positive destination and this Government will continue to invest in opportunities for young people across Scotland.”
700,000 benefit awards transferred to Social Security Scotland
Carers and disabled people have had their benefit awards safely and securely transferred to Social Security Scotland from the Department for Work and Pensions after a multi-year project.
More than 700,000 benefit awards have been successfully moved over to the Scottish system, meaning every disabled person and carer in the country who received Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance or Carer’s Allowance will now receive their benefits from Social Security Scotland.
The case transfer process was designed so people did not need to reapply for their benefits or experience any break in the payments they rely on for vital support.
More than 700,000 benefit awards successfully transferred to Social Security Scotland.
Every disabled person and carer in Scotland now receives support directly from us.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, said: “Moving more than 700,000 benefits safely and securely from the DWP to Social Security Scotland was a huge undertaking that was essential to ensure carers and disabled people who need financial support are treated with the dignity, fairness and respect they deserve.
“We have also met our commitment to complete case transfer on time and on budget by the end of 2025.
“When developing our case transfer process, people told us about the stress and anxiety caused by DWP transitions where they had to apply for benefits again with no guarantee they would continue to be eligible.
“We’ve taken a different approach, transferring people’s benefit awards without requiring an application and ensuring no break in entitlement to protect people’s critical payments.
“We set out to deliver a fairer social security system starting from a position of trust, and the majority of clients have told us they were treated with kindness by staff during the process.”
First Minister John Swinney has announced additional funding to help people with their mental health. A further £3 million will be made available so people can get early help close to home to improve their wellbeing and tackle loneliness.
Since 2021, more than 6,100 grants have been awarded from the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults to projects, including those that deliver:
support groups for people with long-term health conditions
walking, cycling and fitness sessions to reduce stress
arts and music programmes to build confidence and social connection
befriending services for older adults and carers
The additional funding was announced by First Minister John Swinney ahead of a visit to the EATS Rosyth community hub and garden.
The First Minister said: “I am pleased to announce a further £3 million from the Scottish Government for projects to help people with their mental health and wellbeing.
“This investment reflects our commitment to healthcare that delivers prevention and early intervention, supporting people before they reach crisis point and prioritising those who are most at risk.
“Local support for people who need a bit of extra help with their mental health is really important – projects close to home in familiar settings are often where people feel the safest and most comfortable.
“Offering that kind of support is particularly important at this time of year, which many find difficult. But the festive season also reminds us of the importance of kindness, compassion, and caring for one another.
“Getting outside and spending time in the fresh air can really improve our physical and mental wellbeing, and the Fund that I am announcing today has supported projects that support people to do exactly that.
“After seeing the new community hub, I am looking forward to visiting the EATS Rosyth garden to see how local people are benefitting from the chance to enjoy valuable time outdoors.”
With the additional £3 million investment, total funding from the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults in 2025-2026 will be £18 million, and the total provided by the Fund since 2021 will be £84 million.
More young people will benefit from a project providing a safe space, trusted adults and safeguarding support in Glasgow city centre as a result of Scottish Government funding.
Common Ground is being backed to continue its front line services and ensure more young people can access support when and where they need it most. Since launching as a pilot in March 2025, the project has supported more than 2,000 young people from half (16) of Scotland’s council areas who had come to the city.
The project, which will receive more than £37,000 in 2025-26, offers a safe and welcoming Hub space, support from street‑based youth workers and trained staff and helps to reduce risks facing young people, including homelessness, exploitation, violence, substance misuse and unsafe situations.
Led by Barnardo’s Scotland, working in partnership with the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, Aberlour, Action for Children, Right There, Glasgow Girls Club, One Community Scotland and G20, the project has a reach beyond Glasgow.
Two-thirds of young people accessing the service come from outside the city through encounters with the ‘street guardians’, self-referrals or referrals through police and social work.
Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said: “Early intervention is key to keeping young people safe and creating safer communities for everyone. Youth workers are often the first trusted adults that young people turn to, and their role in promoting safety and preventing harm cannot be overstated.
“Common Ground is already making a significant difference to the wellbeing of young people in Glasgow and beyond, and our additional funding will strengthen its vital work to reduce exploitation and harm.”
Barnardo’s Scotland Director Martin Crewe said: “It was great to welcome the Minister for Victims and Community Safety to Common Ground recently and share more about how we work with delivery partners and key stakeholders across Glasgow and Scotland to support young people to feel safer in Glasgow City Centre.
“Since March 2025, we have engaged with more than 2,000 young people from around 16 different local authorities on the streets and in our safe space at the Common Ground Hub, meeting needs ranging from travel and friendship issues to more complex safeguarding needs, including homelessness and different forms of exploitation.
“Overwhelmingly, young people have welcomed the support and safety offered by Common Ground as they navigate the often-challenging environment of a busy city centre. The ongoing support and contribution from the Scottish Government – and other funding and delivery partners – allows us to continue providing a much-needed safety net for all our young people as and when they need it.”
Deputy Head of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit Will Linden said: “The SVRU welcomes the Scottish Government’s investment in the Common Ground and Street Guardian initiative.
“Glasgow city centre is a primary destination for Scotland’s youth, and we believe a collaborative approach is the most effective way to keep them free from all forms of harm including violence.
“By providing trusted adults into the city centre the goal is simple: to create a safer environment where young people can enjoy the city’s atmosphere and return home safely at the end of the night.”
Common Ground Glasgow is a project led by Barnardo’s Scotland, working in partnership with Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, Aberlour, Action for Children, Right There, Glasgow Girls Club, One Community Scotland and G20.
‘The Future of Council Tax in Scotland’ consultation has launched.
People are being invited to register their interest in being one of around 150 selected to take part in workshops to discuss options for council tax reform.
People should follow NHS inform guidance before calling 111 or 999
First Minister John Swinney has urged people to ensure they get the Right Care at the Right Place by checking the NHS inform website in the first instance if they become unwell.
During a visit to NHS 24 and the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS), the First Minister thanked staff for their commitment to keeping the public as safe and informed as possible ahead of the busy festive period.
The guidance in the NHS Winter Preparedness plan sets out that anyone feeling unwell should:
check the NHS inform website for guidance and advice on symptoms. Around a quarter of 111 calls result in self-care advice, checking the website instead of calling ensures people can safely treat their symptoms without calling for help
call 111 if anyone thinks they need A&E but it is not a life-threatening emergency, support for mental health distress, or advice when the GP, pharmacy, or dental practice is closed
only attend A&E for genuine emergencies that cannot wait
call 999 immediately for life-threatening emergencies
Get the right care at the right place.
First Minister @JohnSwinney has urged people to check the NHS inform website in the first instance if they become unwell.
Follow NHS inform guidance before calling 111 or 999.
First Minister John Swinney said: “We know that demand for the NHS increases quite substantially over the festive period and there are a number of steps you can take to help yourself if you become unwell.
“In the first instance, check the symptom checkers on the NHS inform website – it can help you decide what to do next. If you still require medical help, NHS 24’s 111 service is there for you and dedicated professionals can provide advice.
“A&E is expected to be exceptionally busy in the coming weeks so only attend if you have a genuine emergency that requires urgent medical treatment.
“Our dedicated NHS staff will continue working throughout the festive period to provide support and care for the people of Scotland. I’m extremely grateful for their hard work and my thanks go out to all of you.”
Scottish Ambulance Service Chief Executive Michael Dickson OBE said: “Winter is always an exceptionally busy period and as demand on our service increases, we’re asking the public to use our service responsibly by only phoning 999 in a life-threatening emergency.
“Currently over 50% of our calls are managed without having to take patients to A&E. However, for those who do need hospital treatment, system-wide pressures, including lengthy handover times in key areas, are having a direct impact on our ability to get crews back on the road to reach other patients.
“Our fantastic staff are working extremely hard and we continue to prioritise those patients who are most critically ill. For those patients who are not critically ill, they may have to wait longer for an ambulance than usual and we thank the public for their patience; we will try to get to them as quickly as we can.”
NHS 24 Executive Medical Director Dr Ron Cook said: “With public holidays limiting access to GP and pharmacy services for four consecutive days across both festive weekends, NHS 24 is forecasting a significant rise in demand for our services as other primary care services take a well‑earned break.
“We plan carefully to ensure we have the right staff in place so people can access the right care in the right place. Our teams bring a wide range of skills, and every practitioner and clinician will play a vital role in supporting patients and each other to stay well during this busy period.
“We realise it’s not possible to cover every health eventuality, but we encourage everyone to plan ahead if possible. Make sure you have your prescription medicines, have over‑the‑counter remedies available at home, and check in on vulnerable friends or family. By preparing now, you can protect your festive time and avoid unnecessary interruptions.”
Proposals to provide consistent and fair support for families caring for children unable to live with their parents have been published.
Kinship care – where a child lives with a relative, close family friend or other trusted person rather than their parents – is now the most common placement away from home for looked-after children in Scotland, accounting for 35% of such placements.
Views on a draft Vision for Kinship Care will be sought from organisations and individuals in a public consultation launched today.
The draft Vision sets out a consistent baseline of support, proposed for all kinship families across Scotland. It focuses on improving accessibility and transparency around financial support, strengthening advice and advocacy services, and ensuring children in kinship care can access independent advocacy support, while allowing local partners to tailor delivery to families’ needs.
Kinship carers, children and young people helped shape the draft Vision as part of the Scottish Government’s work on ‘The Promise’ – which commits to ensure that all care-experienced young people grow up loved, safe and respected by 2030.
The consultation on the draft Vision will be open until the end of February 2026.
Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise Natalie Don-Innes said: “Kinship carers make an extraordinary contribution to our society, often stepping in at a moment’s notice to provide care and stability for children within their family network.
“Their contribution is vital to wider efforts to keep The Promise, and they deserve our recognition and support.
“Kinship families face numerous complex challenges, including financial pressures, and it is crucial that they are able to access the right help when they need it.
“Through our draft Vision for Kinship Care, we want to work with kinship families and partners to shape a system of support that is fair, consistent and grounded in children’s rights, aligned with our commitment to Keep The Promise and tackle child poverty.
“This Vision builds on the Scottish Government’s previous work to update kinship care guidance and roll out the Scottish Recommended Allowance, further strengthening the rights of kinship families.
“I encourage everyone with an interest in kinship care to share their views and help us shape a final vision that delivers real improvements for children and families.”
Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive, Children First, Scotland’s national children’s charity said:“The draft Vision for Kinship Care is an important step in recognising the scale of support needed for kinship families to thrive and upholding every child’s right to family life.
“We welcome the Minister’s commitment to ensuring that kinship children and their families have all the easily accessible, tailored practical, emotional, financial and legal advocacy and support they need to stay safe and well together.
“As providers of the Kinship Care Advice Service for Scotland, we are determined to help every kinship family to succeed. Families can contact our friendly, expert team every day of the year by calling 0808 800 0006 for free or by visiting www.kinship.scot.”
Joanne McMeeking, Head Improving Care Experiences, CELCIS, said: “Kinship care is at the heart of families and communities, enabling children to stay connected and feel loved.
“The Scottish Government’s ambition with this proposed vision for kinship care in Scotland, acknowledges the unique challenges for kinship carers and their families and is both timely and essential.
“By focusing on widening access to support, with sufficient resources and a realistic deliverable plan, the proposed vision has the potential to improve the experience of kinship families.
“This would resonate with Scotland’s commitments to both The Promise of the independent care review and upholding children’s rights. We look forward to working with others on the development of the vision.”
The justice sector is facing serious and complex challenges and without increased funding of £400 million (13%) in next year’s budget, the sector faces unacceptable cuts to services, say the Criminal Justice Committee.
The Committee has been gathering evidence as part of their pre-budget scrutiny 26/27. While acknowledging the budget pressures on the Scottish Government, the Committee say the evidence it has received is gravely concerning and that the justice sector has now reached a critical limit in its ability to deliver services without additional investment.
The evidence gathered shows a sector under ever-increasing pressure with new and emerging threats such as cybersecurity and climate change adding to the stress on resources. The Committee is calling for dedicated funding to ensure justice bodies can tackle rising cyber threats and climate-driven challenges.
In particular, the Committee want to see investment in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, who are on the front line of responding to climate change incidents.
Other budget pressures highlighted in the report include the additional costs in planning, and implementing new legislation enacted by the Parliament.
The Committee say there is an urgent need for the Scottish Government to move towards multi-year funding settlements for all justice sector bodies in Scotland to allow for longer term planning and more flexibility.
The Committee recommend that the Scottish Government works with the UK Government to see if a solution can be found which would allow both the Scottish Police Authority/Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service flexibility to manage their budgets through the use of a financial reserve, as they did before they became single nationwide services.
Furthermore, the Committee want the Scottish Government to look into the possibility of allowing the police and fire services to be given borrowing capacity, to give them more flexibility and an ability to better respond to urgent critical challenges.
Criminal Justice Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP, said:“The scenario facing the justice sector is gravely concerning and without additional funding of £400 million it will face unacceptable cuts to frontline services.
“Our Committee acknowledge that there are no easy answers when it comes to the budget pressures the Government is facing. However, despite the best efforts of the justice sector to make efficiency savings over the last 10-15 years, it is clear that a crucial limit has now been reached in terms of funding and resources.
“Put simply, a flat cash settlement next year is not sufficient, and would lead to cuts and reductions to services which our Committee cannot accept.”
The Convener added:“We want to see additional funding of £400 million and multi-year funding settlements to help the sector in the short and long term.
“We also encourage the Scottish Government to look into giving the police and fire services the ability to borrow money and create financial reserves in order to give them more flexibility to deal with ongoing and urgent financial pressures.
“The Committee thanks witnesses from across the sector who have spoken so candidly on the pressures they face and the urgent need for increased funding.”
