Family benefits, free school meals and concessionary travel are part of support helping households to mitigate the increased cost of living.
Funding for 2022-23 includes:
£294.4 million for Scottish Child Payment and other family benefits, including Best Start Grants, Best Start Foods and Bridging Payments
£64 million for universal provision of free school meals during term time for children in p4 and p5 and alternative holiday provision for eligible children
£306 million for concessionary travel
£437 million to help with household bills via Council Tax Reduction and Water Charge Reduction
Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “Within our limited budget, we have allocated almost £3 billion in this financial year to help families and households face the increased cost of living. This includes support for energy bills, childcare, health and travel, as well as social security payments not available anywhere else in the UK.
“We are increasing our Scottish Child Payment to £25 per child per week when we extend it to under 16s by the end of 2022. This will mean a 150% increase in less than a year and around 400,000 children eligible for this vital anti-poverty benefit.
“Westminster holds most of the powers needed to tackle the cost of living crisis as well as borrowing and resourcing powers we do not currently have. This includes energy, the minimum wage, National Insurance and 85% of social security spending.
“The UK Government’s decade of austerity and welfare reforms have placed people in a particularly precarious position. That is why we have continually urged them to use all the powers and fiscal headroom at their disposal to put together a comprehensive action plan to address the long term impacts of rising prices and provide immediate support to struggling households.
“In the meantime we will continue to use our limited budget and constrained powers to work for people and help cushion the impact of UK Government policies.”
Closing from Wednesday ‘ensuring support can continue after large increase of new applications’
A three-month pause on new visa applications for displaced Ukrainians to come to Scotland will be in place from 9:00 am on Wednesday 13 July.
The pause on new applications will not affect anyone who has already made an application or had their visa granted.
With visa applications listing the Scottish Government as sponsor up 21% on the previous week as of 5 July, visas issued up 27%, and arrivals under the super sponsor scheme up 20%, a temporary suspension is needed to ensure safe accommodation can continue to be provided to those who have already applied and may now travel to Scotland.
A total of 21,256 visas have been issued naming a Scottish sponsor – more than 20% of the UK total, and the highest number per head of population in the UK. Scotland is currently providing sanctuary for over 7,000 people, two-thirds of whom applied under the Scottish super sponsor scheme.
This exceeds the 3,000 the Scottish Government committed to welcome when the scheme launched in March, to provide a rapid route to safety for those fleeing the crisis caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
In addition to the pause, the following actions are being taken:
the chartering of a passenger vessel the M/S Victoria, which will be docked in Leith in Edinburgh to provide an additional 739 rooms where people can be temporarily accommodated
the refurbishment of 200 unused council properties in North Lanarkshire to provide more longer-term accommodation, supported by £5 million of Scottish Government funding
additional staff will be deployed in ‘surge teams’ to assist local authorities matching those in temporary premises to suitable longer-term accommodation
the Wheatley Housing Group, Scotland’s largest social landlord, has pledged to make 300 homes available to local authorities across Scotland to house displaced people from Ukraine
Minister with Special Responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine, Neil Gray will also meet today with Lord Harrington, UK Minister for Refugees, to seek clarity on existing funding arrangements for the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme and, given the very high demand experienced by the Welsh and Scottish Government schemes, ask whether the UK Government will consider introducing its own super sponsor arrangements
Mr Gray said: “As a nation Scotland has risen in solidarity with Ukrainians in their hour of need. I am proud that thanks in large part to our super sponsor scheme, we are now providing safe accommodation to the most Ukrainians per head of population in the UK.
“We have been able to ensure thousands of people displaced by Russia’s horrific and illegal war were able to travel immediately and receive support and a place to stay without the need to be matched with a private host first.
“Our absolute priority has been to respond quickly to support those forced to flee their homeland and I thank all local authorities, third sector organisations, the private sector and the public, who have all mobilised in a major effort to help – together we have coordinated accommodation and delivered essential services at a large scale and in a very short space of time.
“With a recent decrease in people applying for private sponsorship in England, and Wales having paused their own scheme, the number of applications naming the Scottish Government as sponsor has increased considerably in recent weeks. For this reason we have taken the incredibly difficult decision to follow Wales in pausing our scheme so we can continue to provide a high level of support and care to everyone who has already been granted a visa.
“We will review our position in three months, but of course if circumstances change during that time we will bring that date forward. In the meantime we are taking significant action to increase the capacity of our temporary accommodation and are also boosting our matching system to maximise the number of displaced people placed with volunteer hosts who have completed the necessary safeguarding checks.”
Responding to the news, Labour MSP Foysul Choudhury said: “I have been warning the Scottish Government for months that while they congratulated themselves for welcoming thousands of new refugees, hundreds of Afghan and Syrian refugees had been stuck in hotels and other temporary accommodation for years on end with seemingly no plan to tackle this accommodation shortage.
“Now we finally have the admission that the Scottish Government cannot house many of the refugees who have arrived, to the point where they are suspending the Super Sponsor Scheme and chartering a ship to hold refugees instead.
“I cannot overemphasise the disruption that this will cause to the lives of refugees who have arrived in Scotland seeking sanctuary. Being stuck in temporary accommodation means that people are unable to put down roots and begin to rebuild their lives, because they never know when they might be moved on and forced to start again. It is safety without security.
“I have spoken to many refugees from Syria and Afghanistan who have now been stuck in hotels for several years, often accommodation that is unfit for the family they have with them. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, I have urged the Scottish Government to learn the lessons from the experiences of these previous waves of refugees. That they have failed to do at best demonstrates their unrealistic expectations and at worst represents negligence.
“The Scottish Government must ensure that its plans to charter a ship to hold refugees are truly only temporary, and that conditions aboard are sanitary and fit for purpose in the meantime. We cannot afford to end up in a situation where people are still stuck on the ship as many years later as the previous waves of refugees have now been stuck in hotels.”
STUC: WHY SCOTLAND CAN’T AFFORD PRIVATISED SOCIAL CARE
The Scottish Government’s approach to their new National Care Service has been declared “untenable” by Scotland’s largest trade union body.
Launching their report ‘Profiting from care: why Scotland can’t afford privatised social care’, the Scottish TUC (STUC) has accused the Scottish Government of “falling glaringly short” in their plans for a transformative National Care Service.
The trade union organisation, representing unions from across health and social care, is calling for the Scottish care home estate to be transferred out of private ownership in totality.
Research within the STUC report reveals that Scotland’s large private social care providers are associated with lower wages, more complaints about care quality, and higher levels of rent extraction than public and third sector care providers.
Under current Scottish Government plans, the proposed National Care Service would remain “ownership neutral”, embedding a role for the private sector in social care.
The research finds:
• Nearly 25% of care homes run by big private providers had at least one complaint upheld against them in 2019/20, compared to 6% of homes not run for profit.
• In older people’s care homes, staffing resources are 20% worse in the private sector compared to the not-for-profit sector. • Privately owned care homes only spend 58% of their revenue on staffing, compared to 75% in not-for-profit care homes.
• Over the last six years, the public sector has paid on average £1.60 more per hour to care workers.
• The most profitable privately owned care homes take out £13,600 per bed (or £28 of every £100 received in fees) in profits, rent, payments to the directors, and interest payments on loans. This compares to £3.43 in every £100 in fees for the largest not-for-profit care home operators.
The report argues that a truly transformative National Care Service must be based on a not-for-profit public service, delivered through local authorities with an ongoing role for the voluntary sector.
Roz Foyer, STUC General Secretary, said: “Our new STUC research clearly shows that large privately owned care homes perform worse than not-for-profit care homes at almost every level. They are worse for those receiving care, worse for the workers providing care and worse for the taxpayer.
“It simply isn’t the case that Scotland can’t afford to buy out private care homes, we can’t afford not to. As it stands, the Scottish Government are falling glaringly short in offering the transformative shake up to social care Scotland badly needs.
“As the National Care Service Bill makes its way through Parliament, politicians must focus their attention on the kind of organisations we want to provide care for our citizens, not as seems to be the case just now, the centralisation of commissioning and outsourcing procedures.”
The recommendations have been backed by Care Home Relatives Scotland. The influential group, set up during the pandemic, have been working to strengthen relatives rights as a result of care home visitation restrictions during COVID-19.
Catherine Russell, Care Home Relatives Scotland: “This report should be essential summer reading for every member of the Scottish Parliament.
“The research findings endorse everything Care Home Relatives Scotland said in our response to the NCS consultation. Our fear is that millions will be spent on upheaval and reorganisation when the priority must be to focus on improvements and with resources on the frontline where they are desperately needed.
“We also share the STUCs grave concerns about the further marketisation of social care and community health services.
“As the report demonstrates, private homes are not the most cost effective or highest quality. They are extremely costly for residents who need to pay and the profit motive tends to drive down staff conditions.
“Scotland can and should find a better, fairer way to do things and this research will be a very useful contribution to that debate.”
For the first time Scotland will host the R&A’s three major championships alongside Scotland’s two opens – backed by more than £3 million annually to support golf events and market Scotland globally as the Home of Golf.
The Scottish Open, which teed off yesterday, has received £1.8 million in funding from the Scottish Government to support the event to grow and deliver a first-rate playing and spectating experience. The Genesis Scottish Open has attracted its strongest-ever field this year, with nine of the world’s top 10 players competing at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick.
Culture Minister Neil Gray highlighted the benefits of Scottish Government support for the sport as the landmark event, the first to be co-sanctioned by golf’s governing bodies on both sides of the Atlantic, got underway.
Mr Gray said: “Earlier this week, I was delighted to get the chance to say thanks in person to many of those who have contributed to Scotland’s spectacular summer of golf, including event organisers, governing bodies, sponsors, partners, local authorities, media and broadcasters.
“In the same year as we celebrate the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews it’s fitting that we underline Scotland’s status as the home of golf and a global leader in golf tourism by hosting an unprecedented series of tournaments which will showcase Scotland and our top courses to a worldwide audience.
“The Scottish Government recognises the importance and benefits of golf and golf events, including boosting tourism and our economy. We have a long-standing track record of support and are proud to fund our annual national men’s and women’s Opens and work with our partners at VisitScotland to support a host of other events.
“Our commitment to all of these fantastic tournaments helps promote our priorities, including health and wellbeing and inclusivity and equality – and I’m delighted to see the Women’s Open at Muirfield for the first time.”
For the first time, the R&A’s three major championships – the Open, the AIG Women’s Open and the Senior Open – will take place in Scotland in the same year, alongside the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open and the men’s Genesis Scottish Open. In another first, the Women’s Open will take place at Muirfield.
A record-breaking crowd of nearly 300,000 is expected at St Andrews for the 150th Open, with large numbers expected to attend the other events this month and next.
Vital funding to help transform family support services and reduce the number of children going into care has been announced by the Scottish Government. Local authorities will receive £32 million in Whole Family Wellbeing Funding for 2022-23, with a further £6 million available to support this work.
This will help build services that focus on prevention and early intervention, so families get the support they need to overcome challenges before they reach crisis point.
Arrangements for distributing the remaining £12 million of Whole Family Wellbeing Funding committed for 2022-23 are being finalised.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “It is essential that we provide the right kind of support to enable families to thrive so that, ultimately, fewer children and young people go into care.
“Whole Family Wellbeing Funding aims to transform the way support is delivered by ensuring families can access seamless support that meets their individual needs.
“The £50 million committed in 2022-23 will focus on building the capacity for further investment from 2023-24 onwards. This funding is a critical part of how we will keep the Promise by helping families access the support they need, where and when they need it.
“Our ambition is that from 2030, we will be investing at least 5% of all community-based health and social care spend in preventative whole family support measures.”
The Scottish Government has committed to investing £500 million in Whole Family Wellbeing Funding over the course of this Parliament.
Decisions on the use of the £32 million allocated to local authorities for 2022-23 will be made by Children’s Services Planning Partnerships.
Today, Thursday 7th July, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is delighted to launch the official 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme.
After the challenges of the last two years, it feels more important than ever to celebrate the diverse selection of work on display at the Fringe, spanning the genres of theatre, dance, circus, physical theatre, comedy, music, musicals, opera, cabaret, variety, children’s shows, spoken word, exhibitions and events.
As published in June, our shared vision for the Fringe is to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat.
This year’s programme features work across 3,171 shows, from 58 countries, with themes tackling some of the most topical issues in the world today.
From migration, refugees and displaced people, to race and identity, women’s safety, disability, mental health and climate change, as well as an exploration into gender, queer identity and drag, true crime and more along the way.
As might be expected, lockdown and wider isolation are prominent themes, as well as a focus on parent and child relationships through various generations. Joyously, this year’s Fringe brings together many well-known names, as well as emerging talent, in work both homegrown and international.
New for 2022 is an extension of the popular Fringe Street Events, which will invite audiences to enjoy performances in new locations, including St Andrew SquareandSt James Quarter.
In addition, Fringe Central – the festival’s home from home for Fringe artists, journalists, venue operators, creative industries, and visiting curators – is moving to St James Quarter for the first time.
In previous years this dedicated participants’ hub has played host to over 1,000 national and international media representatives, alongside 1,200 arts industry professionals looking for shows to book as well as co-commissioning and touring opportunities, making the Fringe one of the world’s foremost places for performing artists to do business, and to find opportunities to share their work in other festivals and on stage and screen.
Launching the 2022 Fringe Programme, Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “As we celebrate the festival’s 75th anniversary year, the launch of today’s programme reflects the regenerative nature of a cultural icon that has weathered many storms since its inception.
“Featuring 3,171 shows from 58 countries, this year’s programme represents a glorious return to fully live shows in theatres, venues and public spaces across Edinburgh, in one of the greatest annual celebrations of culture and creativity in the world.
“As a festival which offers anyone a stage and everyone a seat, we can’t wait to welcome artists, writers, staff, crew, venues, producers, creatives, residents and audience members together this August, after two years of uncertainty and reinvention.
“We are hugely thankful to all our sponsors and supporters – those who have backed us through the tough times and those who have come on board to ensure the Fringe returns to its full stature in its celebratory 75th year.
“Venues, producers and artists have created an amazing array of performances and events which dig into some of the most topical themes being discussed in the world today. This is an opportunity for us all to laugh, cry, celebrate and be entertained together, living in this one incredible moment and looking ahead to the future of the Fringe and the many momentous moments yet to come.”
Culture Minister Neil Gray said: “It’s fantastic to see the Fringe unveiling such a varied and exciting programme for its 75th anniversary celebrations this year. Over the decades, as part of the Edinburgh Festivals, the Fringe has been pivotal in shaping and promoting our cultural identity on an international stage.
“To support the return and delivery of Fringe 2022, the Society has received £1.58 million through our PLACE Resilience Fund with £305,000 of this going towards maintaining the Society’s arts industry and media services and supporting the Fringe street events.
“The remaining £1.275 million in the fund has gone to venue producers so that they can continue to programme work of the highest quality. This benefits artists, workers and audiences by protecting jobs an increasing local employment as well as promoting accessibility, sustainability, diversity and inclusion.
“I would encourage everyone to visit the Fringe this year, and to do so safely and with consideration for those around you.”
Cllr Cammy Day, Council Leader of City of Edinburgh Council, said:“This is a very special year for the Fringe, not only does it see the return of a jam-packed programme of artists and performers from across the globe, it is also marks 75 years of this remarkable festival. The Fringe’s varied programme promises to impress, entertain and educate audiences of all ages with performers visiting the capital to showcase their work and meet new audiences.
“This year also marks the fifth year of Fringe Days Out where people have the opportunity to enjoy the Fringe. Through partnerships with schools, community groups, charities and organisations Fringe vouchers, bus tickets and additional support is provided to offer residents the choice to visit the festival. I would encourage everyone to explore this year’s programme– it’s not to be missed.”
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a fantastic platform for artists, performers and communities to connect, enjoy and share memorable experiences.
“It is also a key part of Scotland’s portfolio of world-class events and having the Fringe in our calendar further strengthens the country’s position as a leading events destination and the perfect stage for events.
“The launch of the 2022 programme is a wonderful milestone as we celebrate 75 years of this amazing event and return of an international cultural icon. Whether it’s comedy, music or theatre, now is the time to plan and enjoy experiences that stir the emotions and elevate in-the-moment moods.”
James Stafford Head of Partnerships & Community at TikTok said: “The Edinburgh Fringe is a unique moment that brings together emerging artists in a celebration of creativity.
“Our partnership places TikTok’s global community at the heart of the iconic festival, and celebrates our joint belief that creativity is for everyone. TikTok is the home of entertainment and creativity and I know our community will welcome the opportunity to discover new artists, collaborate, and be inspired.”
Barbara Smith, Managing Director of Johnnie Walker Princes Street,said: “The Johnnie Walker Princes Street team is delighted to be on board as Official Partner of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe in its momentous 75th year.
“2022 is a big year for us, too, as we’ll enjoy our first summer open, and we can’t wait to help entertain the festival crowds when they arrive come August. We’re very much looking forward to hosting our own unmissable programme of events in our ‘Label Studio’ space as part of our ‘Pick of the Fringe’ series.
“Our guests can expect to enjoy an exciting and diverse mix of comedy, music, and theatre, paired with some of the most creative cocktails and tastiest drams Scotland has to offer.”
Ambitious new targets have been set out for NHS Scotland to address the impact of the pandemic on long waiting times for planned care.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf announced NHS Scotland will aim to eradicate waits of more than two years, and then one year in most specialities by September 2024.
Mr Yousaf has asked health boards to take a focussed approach to tackle the waiting lists now that activity in the NHS is beginning to recover from the pandemic.
The targets are to treat those patients waiting longer than:
two year waits for outpatients in most specialities by the end of August 2022
eighteen months for outpatients in most specialities by the end of December 2022
one year for outpatients in most specialities by the end of March 2023
two years for inpatient / daycases in most specialties by the end of September 2022
eighteen months for inpatient / daycases in most specialities by the end of September 2023
one year for inpatient / daycases in most specialities by the end of September 2024
Mr Yousaf, who made the announcement while visiting Perth Royal Infirmary said: “We know that waiting times have grown as a result of the pandemic, which is why we now need to focus on treating these people that are waiting too long for treatment. That’s why I am announcing some of the most ambitious targets in the UK.
“From speaking to patients and clinicians across the country, I know there is a physical and mental consequence in having to wait a long period to be treated, that is why addressing long waits is a key focus of our plans for NHS recovery.”
Mr Alastair Murray, Chair of Scottish Committee for Orthopaedics and Trauma said: “Scottish orthopaedics very much welcomes the introduction of targets to address the growing number of people waiting for essential treatment. It is hoped that the targets set out will drive ongoing efforts to reduce waiting times for orthopaedic surgery in Scotland.”
The NHS will work together to reduce backlogs of care, specifically longest waiting patients, and that will mean some patients will be offered appointments outwith their local health board area to provide treatment more quickly – for example, the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital or at National Treatment Centres as they become operational over the next year.
The approach will also build on the success of the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, which was established to drive innovation and introduce new ways of delivering care that will create additional capacity for inpatient, daycase and outpatients.
The National Clinical Prioritisation Framework will be revised to ensure any patient waiting more than two years is prioritised and treated, as well as those who require urgent clinical care.
Funding for the new drive will come from the £1 billion allocated for the NHS Recovery Plan.
LOTHIAN LABOUR MSP: “Our NHS is in a state of year-round crisis”
Lothians list MSP Foysul Choudhury said: “The latest figures show that waiting times in NHS Lothian A&E departments are at historic highs. The last eighteen months have seen a significant drop in compliance with the Scottish Government’s target of 95% of A&E patients to be seen within four hours.
“The figures for NHS Lothian currently sit at 65% of A&E patients being seen within four hours, with the Royal Infirmary currently around 50%, one of the worst figures in the country.
“I welcome the new appointments system for the Minor Injuries Unit, but this will only have an impact on overall waiting times if the whole system – including NHS 111 – is properly staffed, resourced and able to cope with the current and future levels of demand.
“Speaking to staff from NHS Lothian, they too often feel the stress of the pressures on the NHS. They are increasingly being abused at work by patients frustrated at long waiting times, and staff absences are being kept high by repeated waves of COVID. The Scottish Government must better support NHS staff to defuse the building crisis of morale among our healthcare workers.
“Our NHS is now in a state of year-round crisis. The Scottish Government promised the Scottish people only last year that they would focus on pandemic recovery, and these latest figures only make it more disappointing that they are instead being distracted by their obsession with the constitutional question.”
‘Transformative changes’ are being proposed to the way Scotland’s land is used and managed in order to ensure greater benefit to communities and the environment.
The Scottish Government is seeking views on ambitious proposals for its new Land Reform Bill, which will be introduced by the end of 2023.
The Bill aims to address long-standing concerns about the highly concentrated pattern of land ownership in rural areas of Scotland.
Proposed measures include:
The introduction of a public interest test for transfers of large-scale landholdings
A requirement on owners of large-scale holdings to give prior notice to community bodies of their intention to sell
A requirement on those seeking land-based subsidies to have the land registered in the Land Register, to ensure transparency around who benefits from public funding
In addition, the consultation asks questions about how to ensure communities benefit from future investment in Scotland’s natural capital, and that there is greater transparency around land and asset ownership.
Environment and Land Reform Minister Mairi McAllan visited The Ecology Centre in Kinghorn, Fife, to formally launch the consultation.
The centre is a community-led charity that has been supported with grant funding from the Scottish Land Fund.
Ms McAllan said: “Land reform is a pervasive issue in Scotland. We have a strong record of progressive and innovative land reform – but this journey is not complete. We must continue to develop and implement land reform that addresses historical inequalities and at the same time, we must rise to changing social, environmental and economic issues in contemporary Scotland.
“I recognise, and am fully committed to tackling, the adverse effects of scale and concentration of landownership – and empowering communities in the process.
“I am also clear that while investment in Scotland’s natural capital is vital to tackle the climate and nature emergencies, we must ensure that our people and communities are not disadvantaged and indeed can benefit.
“Finally, we must continue to improve transparency of ownership of land in Scotland.That’s why this summer we will be consulting on a wide range of transformative proposals – including our aim to ensure that the public interest is considered on transfers of particularly large-scale landholdings.
“The new Bill will be a significant step forward in ensuring our land is owned diversely and is used in the public interest and to the benefit of the people of Scotland.
“This is the next step on Scotland’s land reform journey as we continue the work to pass more power to people and local communities, encourage and support responsible and diverse landownership and ensure communities have a say in how land in is used.”
Chair of Community Land Scotland Ailsa Raeburn said: “Community Land Scotland warmly welcome the launch of the Consultation on the forthcoming Land Reform Bill. It is becoming ever clearer that who owns and controls land, is incredibly important in building a fairer greener Scotland.
“We very much hope the new Bill encompasses a range of measures that effectively tackles the endemic issues of scale and concentration of land ownership and the adverse effects this has on local communities. The Bill is a great opportunity to ensure Scotland’s land is owned and used fairly and that as many people as possible can benefit from it.”
Chair of the Scottish Land Commission Andrew Thin said: “The ways land is owned and used is central to tackling the climate emergency, contributing to a successful economy and supporting communities.
“It is great to see the Government launch the consultation of the upcoming Land Reform Bill which includes a range of potential measures to ensure that the benefit of land is shared by all.
“The Scottish Land Commission has been working over the last five years to provide a robust evidence base for our recommendations on making land work better in the public interest, highlighting the opportunity land reform can bring to Scotland and its people.
“I would encourage everyone to take part in the consultation and help to shape the next step in Scotland’s land reform journey.”
The Scottish Government’s plans for a National Care Service as they currently stand will not work for service users or communities, COSLA said yesterday.
COSLA also warned that, as the Bill stands, it would have a significant impact on councils’ ability to deliver not only social care services but other critical councils services that our communities rely on.
In a meeting of Council Leaders yesterday there was unanimous and cross-party concern that the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill as published will see decisions around locally delivered social care services moved from communities to Scottish Government Ministers in Edinburgh.
The powers set out in the Bill would potentially lead to the transfer of 75,000 local government employees from local authorities to care boards.
It was the strong view of Leaders that local authority services, staff and resources should remain the responsibility of locally elected members, a view that has been echoed by all the main Local Government trade unions.
COSLA Leaders also fear that the transfer of public protection duties from local authorities risks losing local expertise and knowledge, with implications for safety within our communities.
COSLA, which represents every council in Scotland, has also cautioned that the Scottish Government’s National Care Service Bill will create significant uncertainty and further division for the Local Government workforce, at a time when there are already significant recruitment and retention challenges.
Councillor Paul Kelly COSLA’s Health and Social Care Spokesperson said: ““All Council Leaders were in agreement that as it stands, the National Care Service Bill with the power to transfer local authority functions, staff, property and liabilities to a National Care Service, poses a serious risk to councils’ ability to deliver a wide range of services for communities including non-social work and care services.
Leaders were very clear that this approach would result in destabilising the Local Government workforce and potentially impacting on the sustainability of some councils to carry out their functions and responsibilities.
COSLA is committed to the change, improvement and investment needed in our social care system and will continue to work with the Scottish Government and partners to better the experiences of both those using and delivering social care services now and in the near future and not wait until a National Care Service is in place.
COSLA will seek further engagement with the Scottish Government in an attempt to ensure that there is no disruption to local services by ensuring that local authority staff remain in local authorities.”
Thalidomide survivors will now receive lifetime funding from the Scottish Government.
The measure extends the previous 2013 agreement which granted survivors £14.2 million over ten years to help meet their health and living costs.
There are currently 50 known survivors of the drug in Scotland, most of whom are now in their 60s, and grants will be allocated on a needs-basis, as assessed by the Thalidomide Trust.
Thalidomide was prescribed to expectant mothers between 1958 and 1961 to relieve morning sickness and insomnia but was withdrawn after thousands of babies were born worldwide with disabilities, including limb damage, sensory impairment and internal damage.
Mr Yousaf said: “This funding is used to give thalidomide survivors as much assistance as they need to maintain their independence. It has been a vital support in helping people adapt their homes and manage their pain.
“I hope this lifelong commitment to continue this support will reassure recipients and help them deal with any challenges they face.”
Jean, 61, was born with damage to all four of her limbs as a result of thalidomide. She said: “This is such great news. The Health Grant from the Scottish Government has really helped me over the years – my kitchen, for example, is now completely accessible from my wheelchair and I have been able to build a little gym in the garden which has helped me so much in terms of my physical strength, fitness and my mental health.
“Due to thalidomide, I live with chronic pain and if I don’t move around my body would stiffen and seize up. The grant also allows me to pay for a personal trainer who understands my disabilities and can keep me fit and flexible, without causing further damage.
“Knowing this funding is going to continue indefinitely has given me, and many other Thalidomiders living in Scotland, such peace of mind.”
Deborah Jack, Executive Director of the Thalidomide Trust added: “This is fantastic and very welcome news. Sadly, as our beneficiaries age they are experiencing multiple health problems, in addition to their original thalidomide damage, and the costs of meeting their complex needs are significant. Many of them have been really anxious about the prospect of this much-needed funding coming to an end.
“We are really pleased that the Scottish government has recognised this by committing to lifetime financial support and also agreeing to review the level of funding regularly to ensure it is meeting their changing needs.”
