A new programme of events will put the voices of young people in Scotland at the heart of the climate conversation during COP26.
Young Scot, Keep Scotland Beautiful and YouthLink Scotland will lead on delivering a youth climate programme across the country backed by £450,000 of Scottish Government funding.
Young people will co-design the programme, recruiting local champions from every local authority to help connect with communities to tackle climate change.
Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform Mairi McAllan met the North Lanarkshire Youth Climate Ambassadors at Strathclyde Park to discuss the climate issues that are important to them.
Ms McAllan said: “Young people in Scotland are driving the cause of climate action. This programme will give them a platform to make sure their voices are not just heard, but acted upon.
“Scotland has world leading targets to be net zero by 2045 and we are already more than half way there. With COP26 in Glasgow this year, all of us have a unique opportunity to advance the society and economy-wide transformation demanded by the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.
“We’re taking action and putting people at the heart of all we do. Young people have been demanding change for a better future and this programme will empower them to go even further. I look forward to hearing their ideas and engaging with them as we work together to end our contribution to climate change.”
Heather Ashworth, former Climate Action Intern with Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “We can work together by talking, sharing our knowledge and our success stories. We need to support each other to learn and understand climate issues and the actions we can take.
“Young voices must be heard, but regardless of age or background, we all need to come together to ensure Scotland becomes a net zero nation.”
The youth programme will run up to and beyond the UN climate conference in November and will include a range of activities to support young people as they engage in the fight against climate change, along with the chance to receive accredited training.
In addition to the programme, Young Scot, Keep Scotland Beautiful and YouthLink Scotland will deliver a COP26 Scottish Youth Summit ahead of COP26, including a Scottish Youth Climate Declaration.
Young people with an interest in climate change can apply to be part of the programme by visiting the Young Scot website.
Over a decade of inspiring community climate action is being celebrated by environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful, as it launches a report and film to celebrate the people, the projects, and the impact of the Climate Challenge Fund across Scotland.
In 2008, Keep Scotland Beautiful opened the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) to applicants for the first time and since then over 1,150 diverse projects spanning every single local authority area in Scotland have been awarded CCF grants to take action on climate change locally. Total CCF funding exceeds £111 million.
Since then, Keep Scotland Beautiful has been at the forefront of community climate action, supporting CCF funded groups, and working with communities across Scotland to build capacity to tackle climate change.
Although focusing on projects funded over the last four years, the report also shares learning from 12 years of Keep Scotland Beautiful managing the CCF.
The report is complemented by a newly launched film which celebrates the impact of the CCF – capturing the thoughts and feelings of community members working on grassroots CCF projects and a variety of partners from the wider CCF community.
Stories of success feature prominently in the report and demonstrate how CCF projects have provided valuable support to help communities cut carbon emissions through reducing their reliance on car travel, tackling waste, growing local food and using energy more efficiently in homes and community buildings.
It also explains how, in addition to the carbon benefits, the CCF has driven community cohesion, knowledge sharing and fostered a Scotland wide peer-led movement where people have introduced their fellow citizens to more sustainable, healthy and often more economical ways of living – building broad public support for ambitious national action on climate change.
The contribution volunteers have made to successful CCF projects cannot be underestimated and the report shares inspiring personal stories of how these local volunteers have helped tackle carbon, strengthen their communities and play an invaluable part in the response to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
From 1 July 2021 communities and groups in receipt of a CCF grant will receive support directly from the Scottish Government.
As we hand over the baton, KSB CEO Barry Fisher said: “We’ve been privileged to have managed and developed the CCF on behalf of the Scottish Government for over a decade.
“We’d like to thank all those who have been integral to the success of this ground-breaking fund – the CCF Grant Panel members over the years, our partners, our employees, and most importantly, the CCF communities and people who make them. Without these passionate, inspiring and committed people working tirelessly across Scotland to reduce their impact on the climate CCF would never have been able to generate the legacy that it has.
“We will continue to facilitate and support communities to take climate action, in particular working to realise our ambition of a climate literate country. And as COP26 comes to Glasgow this year, we look forward with hope and ambition.”
Net Zero Secretary Michael Matheson said:“The Climate Challenge Fund has supported many hundreds of communities across the country to take climate action, providing the tools, guidance and resources to inspire thousands of people to learn more about climate change, help reduce emissions and become more climate resilient.
“I am grateful to Keep Scotland Beautiful for the pivotal role it has played in making the Fund such a success. I have no doubt that KSB will continue to drive positive change and help us all achieve a greener, more sustainable future with COP26 as a catalyst for further action.
“The Scottish Government will continue to empower communities to play a leading role in our just transition to net zero, including through new networks of community climate action hubs and Climate Action Towns.
“If we all play our part, Scotland can show the rest of the world how it’s done – and ensure our people and communities are at the forefront of the transition.“
View the full report and film on the CCF website at:
Couples across Scotland will be able to enter mixed-sex civil partnerships from June 30, and can submit a notice of intention now.
The introduction of mixed sex civil partnerships means that both mixed sex and same sex couples can now choose to marry or enter a civil partnership.
Minister for Equalities Christina McKelvie said: “I welcome the introduction of civil partnerships for all couples.
“We have now embedded equality of choice on how to formalise their relationship in the way that best reflects their beliefs and ensures access to the rights, responsibilities and benefits which flow from entering a legally recognised relationship.
“This ground-breaking change in law demonstrates our commitment to creating a fairer and more inclusive society for all.
“I wish good luck to all couples who are entering Scotland’s first mixed-sex civil partnerships.”
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: First Minister’s statement, 29 June:
Thanks very much for joining the Chief Medical Officer and I today. Today’s statistics have actually just been published on the Scottish Government’s website, given that today’s briefing is a bit later than normal so I am going to quickly summarise these.
Three thousand one hundred and eighteen positive cases were reported yesterday which is 11.6% of all of the tests carried out.
The total number of confirmed cases for the duration of the pandemic is now 277,335.
As of today 215 people are receiving hospital treatment – that is an increase of 13 since yesterday.
And 20 people are in intensive care, and that is the same number as yesterday.
Sadly, one further death has been reported and that takes the total number of deaths registered, under our daily definition to 7,713. And, as always, my deepest condolences are with everyone who has lost someone as a result of the virus.
Let me also briefly update on the vaccination programme.
As of this morning, 3,781,887 people have received a first.
That’s an increase of 16,508 since yesterday.
And 9,420 people got a second dose yesterday, which brings the total number of second doses now to 2,701,195.
Today’s case numbers reinforce the pattern that we have seen over the past week.
There has been a much faster increase in cases than at any time since the start of this year – in fact, over the past 7 days we have reported more than twice as many new cases as we did in the previous week.
In recent days, the numbers of positive cases being reported has also been higher than at any previous point in the pandemic.
It is, however, important to put that into context, and there is two contextual points that I think it is worth me making at this stage.
Firstly, and before I make this one let me be very clear that this is early days and we need to monitor this over the course of coming days. When we look at cases over the past week by the date the specimen was taken as opposed to the date we report the test result, which are the numbers we report on a daily basis, then what we see is a peak in cases last Tuesday and since then we have seen what appears to be a slowing down of the rate of increase.
So that is encouraging, but again I would stress that it is early days, we will want to monitor this carefully over the days to come and obviously see what that looks like a week form now.
But the second, perhaps more fundamental point of context is that while we are comparing case numbers now to the situation at the start of the year. It is the case that at the start of the year, which was the last time case numbers were anywhere near the numbers they are at just now, we were in much stricter lockdown.
Far, far fewer restrictions are in force now. So the reality now that now without vaccination the level of restrictions that are in place just now would undoubtedly be leading to far higher case numbers than is actually the case.
So that is the first sign that vaccination is actually having an effect.
But the number of new cases now is still a cause for concern – and it is obviously the main issue I want to talk about today.
Before I come on to do that, though, in a bit more detail, l just want to confirm a change that we have indicated this morning in relation to travel.
Because there is no longer a significant difference in case rates between Scotland and the following places, I can confirm that the travel restrictions relating to Manchester, Salford and Bolton are being lifted.
However restrictions will remain in place for now between Scotland and Blackburn with Darwen – where case levels remain higher than in those three other areas. We will undertake a further review of those restrictions, over the course of this week.
Let me return now, though, to the situation here in Scotland.
As we have been saying from the start of this year, we are very much in a race just now between the virus and the vaccines. Our job is to do all we can to make sure the vaccine stays ahead of the virus.
I should be very clear we are confident, very confident that the vaccines will ultimately win this race. The question is what happens between now and then.
If, over the next few weeks, the virus gets ahead, unfortunately we will see more people become ill, we will see more people die and we will see more significantly pressure on our National Health Service than will be the case if we manage to keep the vaccines ahead of the virus
The problem we have got just now is the virus is running faster than it has ever done previously.
The Delta variant that we are dealing with just now is – accounts for the overwhelming bulk of all new cases right now – is significantly more transmissible than previous variants.
And that is helping to driving the steep rise in cases that we have been seeing in recent days.
On the other hand, and this is the positive part, we know that the vaccines are breaking the link between cases and serious illness.
The nature of this wave of the virus is different both in nature but also in impact than previous waves.
Let me just illustrate that over the whole pandemic, round about 13% of all cases and 89% of all deaths have been in the over 65 year old age group.
However because virtually all over 65 year olds have now had both doses of vaccine, that is changing, and it is changing really markedly.
According to our most recent figures, those aged 65 or over are now accounting for just 2% of new cases. And what we have seen in recent days is that more than 80% of new cases are in people under the age of 44.
The impact of vaccination is also clear when we look at the data on hospitalisations.
Back in January, more than 10% , perhaps closer to 13 % of people who tested positive for Covid were being admitted to hospital within 14 days of the positive test.
By the start of June, the start of this month that had fallen to just 3%.
In addition, more of those who are admitted to hospital with Covid now are being discharged relatively quickly.
Again, that will reflect the fact that most new cases now are in younger age groups.
So in summary, fewer people who get Covid now need to go to hospital. And a higher proportion of people who do need to go to hospital, are not staying in hospital for as long.
Those two factors are helping, obviously, to cut down the serious illness impact of the virus, but also they are helping to protect the NHS from the full scale of the pressure that case numbers like this would have heaped on it before vaccination – and these factors are also what continues to give us confidence that vaccination is going to get us out of this. And that hasn’t changed.
That is why, notwithstanding this increase in cases that we are seeing just now – and obviously bearing in mind that we have to keep this under review, as we always have done – we do remain hopeful that we will be able to continue lifting restrictions first on the 19 July and then ultimately on the 9 August.
But – and this is an important but – how safely we get there will depend on what we do now.
This is a critical moment – I really can’t stress that enough – and over the next few weeks, it demands renewed care and vigilance from all of us.
The virus, as we can see, is still out there – and it is still potentially dangerous.
Vaccination is very effective – after two doses – but no vaccine gives 100% protection.
And – importantly – while we are vaccinating as quickly as we can, there are still a lot of people who do not yet have the protection of both doses of the vaccine.
That includes many younger people. And while younger people are much less likely to fall seriously ill, they can still be badly affected, including of course from long Covid.
And finally, while we know that a lower percentage of people with Covid are ending up in hospital now, the fact is that a lower percentage of a very big number of cases, is still going to be a sizeable number.
So if cases continue to rise as they have been doing, we will see pressure on our NHS in coming weeks – and our worry is that that will set back work that is now being done to recover our NHS and catch up with the Covid backlogs.
And so my appeal to everyone right now is a serious one.
While we work hard to get to get people vaccinated – and more and more people are being fully vaccinated every days just now, please help us keep the virus at bay by taking care and following all of the vital health advice.
I know, I really do know, everyone is sick of this – and I include myself in that – I also know that many feel frustrated because we might think others are not taking this as seriously as we have been – but the fact is we are so close now, not just at seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but actually reaching the light at the end of the tunnel.
Having come so far, let’s redouble our efforts, just for a few more weeks, to make sure that we get there and get there as safely as possible.
So there are three key things in particular that each of us really need to do right now to help make sure we get to those milestones, and get to those milestones with as little health impact as we possibly can.
I know that you will have heard this before.
But I’m stressing it again for a reason – with case levels so high, it really is vital that we all play our part in slowing the virus down while the vaccines continue to get ahead and do their work.
So, firstly, please continue to follow the key rules where you live and all of the basic but vital public health advice – for example on physical distancing, hand-washing and face coverings.
Also, meet other people outdoors as much as possible particularly when the weather is a bit nicer – no environment is risk free, but we know that outdoors is relatively safe compared to indoors.
If you are meeting people indoors, please stick to the limits and open the windows to maximise ventilation.
That does apply if you are watching football – or of course now with Wimbledon underway the tennis.
Good luck to Andy Murray for his next match. And good luck to England tonight.
But if you are planning to watch sport indoors with others, please remember that the maximum group size is 6 people, from 3 households. And the 3 households includes your own.
That rule is really important. And if we all stop and think about it, It is obvious why that rule is important, if somebody in your group has Covid and might not realise it, then if you have got a limited number of people and households in the house with them, then it is reducing the number of households that the virus might be able to spread to
In addition, try to make sure that people from different households are sitting as far apart as is possible. And as I said earlier, keep some windows open because that helps ventilation and the better ventilated a room is, the less risky it is going to be.
The second thing everybody is being asked to do, please get tested regularly – and that is especially important if you are planning to visit somebody. Test before you go. Because you are helping not just to spot if you have the virus, but you are obviously helping to protect those you are going to visit.
Lateral flow tests are available through the NHS inform website.
You can get them sent to you that way in the post. But also now you can collect them from local and regional test sites, and from your local pharmacies.
If you test positive through one of these lateral flow devices – or if you have symptoms of the virus – make sure that you self-isolate, and book a PCR test as quickly as possible, and that’s vitally important.
If you are identified as a close contact of someone with Covid, you will be asked to self-isolate for 10 days –usually through a text message so that gets to you as quickly as possible.
Self-isolation is really tough. It is probably more frustrating now that there are fewer restrictions in place than it was earlier in the pandemic .
But it remains vitally important to help break chains of transmission.
Thirdly and finally, our key and ultimate weapon against the virus is the vaccine.
So make sure that you do get vaccinated when you are invited to do so. And make sure you attend for both doses.
If you are aged 18 or over, you should definitely have received news of your first appointment by now.
If you haven’t done so – go on to the NHS Inform website, you can self-register. The new portal which allows you to do that opened yesterday.
And that means your up to date details can be submitted and you can get an appointment sent to you as quickly as possible
You should also go to the website if you need to rearrange an appointment, or if you had your first dose of the vaccine 8 weeks or more ago and want to bring your second appointment forward.
I cant stress enough how important it is that all of us get vaccinated with both doses.
It protects you – but it also protects your family, your friends and anyone that you come into contact with.
So please make sure that you get both doses when you get your invitation – I think, part of the collective, civic duty we all owe to each other.
But to be blunt about it, it is also our ticket out of this nightmare. So let’s make sure make full use of it and get out of this as quickly as possible
So these are the three points I want to stress.
Get vaccinated when you are asked, get tested regularly and particularly if you are going to visit somebody or going for an outing somewhere, and continue to follow the public health guidance.
The current surge in cases is a concern – we are seeing it happening elsewhere as the Delta variants starts to take hold – so I’m not going to pretend it is not a concern.
But I do know that if we all exercise caution and common sense we can make a difference while the vaccine gets ahead. And I remain as confident, possibly even more confident than I have ever been that the vaccine is getting us out of this.
So if we can all can just keep the heid, keep doing all the things we know we need to do so that we can look forward to the vaccine getting us back to normal later this summer.
So thank you very much for listening to all of that just now.
A temporary travel restriction between Scotland and parts of north west England has been lifted.
Current rules on travel between Scotland and Manchester and Salford – which came into effect on 21 June – was be eased at midnight. A travel restriction on Bolton – in place since 24 May – is also easing.
Producers and venues have been awarded £1 million to support the safe return of live events at this year’s Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Fringe.
The Scottish Government funding will help to create outdoor performance spaces and mitigate the additional costs faced by producers due to the pandemic.
It has been distributed between the Edinburgh International Festival and nine Fringe producers alongside a further £300,000 from City of Edinburgh Council.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “Edinburgh’s festivals are a highlight on the international cultural calendar and were sorely missed last summer. I am determined to do everything within my power to support the return of these globally significant events and the benefits they bring to Scotland in terms of tourism and trade.
“Although this is an important step towards normality, the huge impact of the pandemic is still widely felt across our festival and events sector as well as our cultural sector more widely.
“Recovery will take time, but this additional funding from the Scottish Government and Edinburgh City Council for a number of established Fringe producers and the Edinburgh International Festival will help organisers respond to some of the ongoing challenges they face.
“This is the latest in a wide-ranging package of support the Scottish Government has made available since the start of the pandemic across all of Edinburgh’s Festivals which now totals approximately £6.5 million.”
Councillor Donald Wilson, City of Edinburgh Council Culture and Communities Convener, said: “Last year we pledged to continue our support for Edinburgh’s culture and events sectors, in particular through our funding programmes which have contributed to the retention and, as far as possible, stability of the sector.
“The resourcefulness and resilience displayed throughout the crisis to date by this sector has been amazing and through this additional funding we aim to further support their 2021 offering. The value to this city’s economy and the wellbeing of our citizens cannot be underestimated.”
Executive Director of Edinburgh International Festival Francesca Hegyi said: “This support is hugely appreciated in a year when the International Festival is pioneering the return to live performance in Scotland following the pandemic, which requires careful planning and places safety as a top priority.
“Three outdoor venues are core to those safety measures and this funding will go directly towards the costs of those pavilions which we hope will lift the spirits of a country ready to embrace culture and live performance.”
Oh behalf of Gilded Balloon, ZOO, Traverse Theatre and Dance Base, Katy Koren said: “We are delighted to have been awarded funding to create a new festival hub celebrating the best of the Edinburgh Fringe and supporting local artists.
“After a fallow year for the Edinburgh Festivals in 2020, we are determined to bring safe events and performances back to the city centre this August in a unique new collaboration.
“We are all very grateful for the support of the Scottish Government, City of Edinburgh Council and EventScotland – this project would not have been possible without them.”
The Scottish Government’s flagship events programme is supporting the return of internationally significant events. Previous flagship events include EURO 2020 and the British & Irish Lions v Japan test match for the 1888 Cup.
Funding proposals from Fringe producers were reviewed by the Scottish Government, EventScotland and City of Edinburgh Council.
Funding awarded:
Operator (s)
Funding awarded
EIF
£300,000
Gilded Balloon, Zoo, Traverse Theatre, Dancebase
£230,696
Pleasance
£169,619
Summerhall
£166,780
Space UK
£106,681
Assembly
£162,962
Underbelly
£162,962
The Scottish Government has also provided:
£2 million to be invested in Edinburgh and Glasgow’s major arts festivals in 2021/22 through the continuation of the EXPO fund
£1 million in 2021/22 through the Edinburgh Festivals Platform for Creative Excellence Programme
a £1 million interest-free loan to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, as well as a further £81,000 grant, to ensure their resilience and develop their digital and ticketing platforms
funding for individual festival companies and producers through Scottish Government relief funds.
An £8 million package to support the wellbeing of health and social care staff across Scotland has been announced.
The increased support will help fund a number of immediate recovery actions and lead to the development of a National Wellbeing programme.
The priority areas for action will include the ongoing development of the National Wellbeing Hub, National Wellbeing Helpline, and psychological interventions and therapies for staff.
Coaching for Wellbeing, digital apps and the Workforce Specialist Service for regulated staff will also be provided, along with time and training for staff to support each other as teams. More practical support for staff like rest spaces will also be provided.
Social care and primary care will be targeted with £2 million of support in recognition of the specific needs of staff working in those services in responding to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Health and social care staff have responded to the pandemic with extraordinary fortitude, often working in unfamiliar settings, learning new skills and undertaking new roles. We owe them a great debt of gratitude for their continued hard work, commitment and professionalism.
“We are committed to supporting our NHS and social care staff now and into the future. The wellbeing of staff remains a critical priority that will influence the way that our health and social services recover.
“We know that the pandemic has affected staff in a range of ways and this £8 million package of support will help us meet the basic practical and emotional needs which workers tell us are right for them, alongside more specialised mental health support where this is needed.
“The crucial frontline role of social work and social care going forward is underlined by the targeted support it will receive as part of this package.”
The package will support staff wherever they work in the system, from acute hospital wards to community settings, supplementing the resources that are in place locally.
British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland chair Lewis Morrison said: “Scotland’s doctors and indeed all NHS staff have been through an incredibly tough time over the course of the pandemic, so extra investment in support for their wellbeing is welcome.
“The BMA have been absolutely clear that NHS recovery won’t be possible unless it goes hand in hand with staff recovery – and this funding is a step towards making that a reality.
“Practical measures like peer support, enabling reflective practice and improved availability and quality of rest spaces are all things the BMA have pushed for and will help staff working incredibly hard on the front line to care for patients. It is vital this is now built on so doctors and their colleagues feel truly valued and get the help they need to do their job effectively and in a caring and supportive environment.”
Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) Chief Executive, Lorraine Gray said: “Over the last 18 months social care workers have been at the heart of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a vital lifeline for the people they support when normal routines, services and contact with family and friends were severely disrupted.
“I heartily welcome this new funding for our valued social care workers to make sure they have the resources and practical support they need to take care of themselves and their own wellbeing.”
Cut in spend of £1,052 per pupil with ASN since 2012
‘Postcode lottery’ of spending between local authorities on ASN
Increase of just under 100,000 in the number of pupils with ASN since 2012
Cut in the number of ASN teachers to an all-time low
An alliance of leading independent and third sector organisations, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), has called for greater resourcing to support children and young people with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems.
The call comes as new figures contained in a parliamentary answer reveal that spend per pupil with ASN has slumped dramatically, while the number of specialist teachers supporting them has dropped to a new low and the number of pupils with ASN has escalated dramatically.
The figures highlight that average spend per pupil on additional support for learning by local authorities in Scotland (primary, secondary and special education) has fallen from £4,276 in 2012 to £3,224 in 2020 (in cash terms).
This amounts to an overall cut in spending of £1,052 per pupil, representing a 24.6% drop.
Spend per pupil ranges from £1,737 in Edinburgh to £5,849 in the Shetland Islands, pointing to a ‘postcode lottery’ in spend across local authorities (see Notes to Editors for figures per local authority).
This fall is against the backdrop of an 82.9 per cent increase since 2012 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,011 to 215,897, amounting to 97,886 individuals. Those with ASNcurrently represent just under a third of all pupils (30.9 per cent).
Between 2012 and 2020 the number of full-time equivalent ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,389 to 2,836, a decrease of 553 teachers, representing a cut of 16.3 per cent and an all-time low.
Against the background of Covid-19 and its disproportionate impact on those with ASN, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and local authorities to ensure that those with ASN in Scotland’s schools receive the care and support they need.
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need, especially during and as we come out of the current Covid-19 crisis. This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap as we know that those with ASN disproportionately come from lower income families and areas of deprivation.
“Such a situation is clearly challenging in an environment of austerity and evidence of cuts in spending per pupil with ASN and in the number of specialist teachers supporting this group.
“It is vital that the Scottish Government and local authorities work together to provide the necessary resourcing to address the needs of those children and young people with ASN, who represent some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. “
A £4 million per year fund to help improve the lives of care-experienced young people will continue up to 2024-25.
The Promise Partnership Fund enables organisations to better support children and young people in or on the edges of care, as well as families who need it.
The fund is open to private, public and third sector organisations and care-experienced people will help make the final funding decisions.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney has also welcomed publication of The Change Programme, which sets out what needs to happen over the next year to ensure Scotland keeps its Promise to improve the lives of children and young people in care.
Mr Swinney said: “The Promise Partnership Fund is an important because it provides additional resources to help organisations make the changes needed to enrich the lives of children and young people in or on the edges care.
“I have written today to Fiona Duncan, chair of The Promise Scotland, welcoming publication of The Change Programme and committing to using that document as a lever to accelerate real and meaningful change to #KeepThePromise.
“We will continue to work with The Promise Scotland, with service partners and importantly children and families to ensure we drive forward the transformational change that is required to make Scotland the best place to grow up where all children are loved, safe, respected and realise their full potential.”
The Promise Scotland publishes Change Programme ONE
Today The Promise Scotland publishes Change Programme ONE. It is a plan of action for the coming year and follows on from the publication of Plan 21-24 which mapped and sequenced the 80+ calls to action in the Independent Care Review’s conclusions and identified five priority areas for the coming three years.
The collective buy-in to the change demanded by the Independent Care Review created an authorising environment for this approach to sequenced, collaborative implementation across multiple sectors and agencies towards a single, shared long-term vision.
This is new territory for Scotland.
The content of the Change Programme comes from the engagement The Promise Scotland is having with the organisations that have responsibility to change shape first or most for Scotland to #KeepThePromise. They are referred to in the Change Programme as ‘lead organisations’.
Many of the meetings to discuss the promise included multiple agencies, reflecting the joint working taking place across local partnerships to support children and families, demonstrating a sustained, shared commitment for doing things differently. The focus of the conversation was: what is happening now, what is planned and what is getting in the way of progress.
The Promise Scotland has made an assessment of the work against three categories. In nine areas, work is underway; in fifteen areas work is underway but does not yet appear sufficient; and in one area there is little or no work underway.
This is the first Change Programme and it was produced in the shadow of COVID-19, but it clearly shows there is a lot to do. The Promise Scotland Oversight Board will consider it, review mismatch and lack of alignment between national and local, system and service, practice and culture, etc.
This is the tricky part. When folk have to stop saying they support change and ACTUALLY change.
Some may feel criticised by the Change Programme, bruised by their report card. Others would like to have been more involved in its creation, but for them to operate radically differently commissioning, policy etc. has to change. And others saying they are doing what they can but the limitations of the operating environment won’t let them do more. The Oversight Board has to consider all of this.
Navigating this new territory has never been more important.
Many of the children and families who weren’t previously well served by public services have been the hardest hit over the last fifteen months, feeling even more acutely the effects of poverty, abuse and neglect, the impact of poor housing, the challenges of loneliness and addiction. And suffering the greatest loss of life.
The pandemic intensified, but did not create poverty and trauma. These families, as well as many others who were previously coping but due to changes in circumstances outwith their control, may now need help. So too might the thousands of new parents, as COVID-19 chronically restricted their access to social and professional support networks.
A profound risk of these consequences is that more children enter Scotland’s ‘care system,’ when, with support, families could stay together and thrive. They cannot be fearful of asking for help and it must be there when they need it.
The long-term impact of the last year on our children and young people is, as yet, unknown. Not being able to get out to play with friends or see family, instead worrying about loved ones whilst trying to keep up with schoolwork, sometimes without the kit needed to learn and in accommodation not conducive to learning, has been devastating. There have been too many lost opportunities to take part in activities like sport, music, art, sleepovers, with volunteering and work experience placements vanishing.
But here’s a difficult truth: those circumstances are not far from the everyday, pre-pandemic reality of children and young people who experience the very worst of Scotland’s ‘care system’. Eighteen months on from the Care Review there is no excuse for that ‘care system’ not to be gone for good.
The Change Programme is not an exhaustive list of all that is happening across Scotland. Everyday people and organisations are supporting children and families, caring for the children in Scotland’s care, championing their rights and helping make sure they go on to have a fulfilling life. They are doing what they can right now.
So, when you read it – and I hope you do – please think about your role, your responsibility and do what you can. Today, tomorrow and everyday.
We are more likely to get to where we all want to if we travel together and towards the same vision.
On 31 March 2021, The Promise Scotland published Plan 21-24, the first of three overarching plans, outlining five priority areas of change, each with actions.
Those actions must be completed by 2024 for Scotland to stay on track to #KeepThePromise it made to its children and families, in full, by 2030.
The Change Programme will ensure these actions are taken. Between now and 2024, a Change Programme will be updated regularly to capture the work underway to #KeepThePromise, in each priority area of change.
It will record change as it happens, monitor progress, identify gaps and risks. Change Programme One tells us:
What is happening now
What is happening next &
What needs to happen
Change Programme One will be used to:
Identify, celebrate and amplify positive change
Link up siloed groups, services and individuals so they can work together
Provide extra support to organisations that need it
By March 2022 The Change Programme will be fully online, reflecting change in (as close as possible to) real time, providing a single window onto the cross-sector, multi-agency approach to collaborative implementation that is required.
Change Programme ONE is a live plan of actions that will constantly adapt and change over time and when needed, to best #KeepThePromise.
The Change Programme includes commitments made by organisations from all across Scotland, reflecting what they are doing differently, based on what matters most to children and families.
DEADLINE for the EU settlement scheme is 30 June 2021
The UK Government is jeopardising EU citizens’ right to stay in Scotland by failing to extend the deadline for applying to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) the First Minister has said.
The deadline for applications is currently 30 June, but the Scottish Government has argued for this to be extended to give those who have not yet applied more time.
A backlog of almost 350,000 applications by EU citizens who wish to stay in the UK is also still waiting to be addressed by the Home Office.
The First Minister reiterated calls to reform the EU Settlement Scheme after hearing from EU citizens in Edinburgh who received help with their applications to the scheme from two charities, and urged anyone who has not submitted their application to do so as soon as possible before the deadline.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1405593607353081864
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Five years ago the people of Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU but today we find ourselves subject to a damaging, hard Brexit.
“This will have been a particularly difficult time for EU citizens who have made Scotland their home but who have been forced by the UK Government to apply to stay here.
“They have friends, families, careers and communities that are dear to them and that they are dear to. I can barely begin to imagine the anxiety and stress they have suffered – indeed many continue to suffer – as they wait to be told whether or not their right to all of that will be removed.
“The UK Government’s refusal to listen to our call to extend the deadline is unacceptable and means all EU citizens must urgently apply for settled status if they have not already done so.
“I am hugely grateful to those providing free support to EU citizens with the application process, here at St Margaret’s House and across Scotland. To all EU citizens my message is this – ‘Scotland is a better country because you are here. You are part of us and we badly want you to stay’.”
While at St Margaret’s House, the First Minister met Virginia Zamojski and Bernadeta Żynda who have been helped by Feniks and Citizens’ Rights Project with their applications for Settled Status.
Virginia, an NHS worker, has lived in Scotland for 27 years yet her application for Settled Status is still outstanding.
She said: “I came to Feniks for help, because I need to apply for my settled status through a special form for people without a valid form of ID. Filling it in made me very nervous.
“I have lived in the UK since I was three. I am now an NHS key worker, and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic I was needed at work and could not travel to renew my passport. The German embassy was also overwhelmed.
“Now my application for Settled Status is ongoing and I really hope everything will be sorted out in time as Scotland is my true home – I have no one in Germany.”
Bernadeta, who has lived in the UK for over 10 years and successfully applied for Settled Status with the help of Feniks, said: “I moved to the UK over 10 years ago to join my family and look after my grandchildren upon my retirement in Poland.
“As I never worked in the UK, I had to provide additional proof of my residency, which was difficult as I needed to obtain official letters from the bank or other institutions and I didn’t feel confident enough to contact them as my English was not good enough.
“Dorota from Feniks showed a lot of patience and understanding and helped me gather additional evidence, which meant I successfully received my Settled Status.”
The deadline for the EU settlement scheme is 30 June 2021.
Balancing neighbourhood needs with tourism interests
Consultation on the details of a licensing scheme for short term lets will take place over seven weeks this summer.
Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison has announced the publication of a draft licensing order for consultation, ahead of laying the final legislation at the Scottish Parliament in September.
Stakeholders will now have until 13 August to comment on the licensing order and the draft business and regulatory impact assessment.
Draft guidance documents have also been published to explain how the legislation would work in practice.
Ms Robison said: “Regulation of short term lets is vital if we are to balance the needs and concerns of our communities with wider economic and tourism interests.
“Short-term lets can offer people a flexible and cheaper travel option and have contributed positively to our tourism industry and local economies across the country.
“However, we know that in certain areas, particularly tourist hot spots, high numbers of short-term lets can cause problems for neighbours and make it harder for people to find homes to live in.
“By allowing local authorities appropriate regulatory powers through a licensing scheme, we can ensure that short term lets are safe and address issues faced by local residents and communities.
“It will allow local authorities to understand more fully what is happening in their areas and assist with the effective handling of complaints.”
Under the proposed legislation, local authorities will have until 1 October 2022 to establish a licensing scheme, with all short-term lets to be licensed by 1 April 2024. Existing hosts and operators must apply for a licence by 1 April 2023.
The Scottish Government previously withdrew the Licensing Order from the Scottish Parliament in February. This was to allow for draft guidance to be developed with input from the stakeholder working group.
Ms Robison added: “We want to get this legislation absolutely right. A stakeholder working group was established earlier this year to develop guidance on the licensing scheme that was clear, comprehensive and easy to understand.
“As part of this, the Scottish Government also set out to allay any unfounded concerns and actively explore solutions to any real issues, with a view to making any necessary adjustments to the Licensing Order.
“Stakeholder working group members have helpfully made a range of suggestions for adjustments to the Licensing Order, as well as providing very significant contributions to drafting the guidance.”
The consultation runs until Friday 13 August 2021.
The consultation paper on draft licensing legislation for short-term lets in Scotland and supporting documents can be found here: gov.scot/publications/short-term-lets/.
