Tag: Scottish Government

Until Friday, stay at home – and from Friday onwards, stay local

First Minister’s Coronavirus media briefing: Tuesday 30th March

Thanks for joining us again.

I am not able to give these Covid briefings just now as often as I have been doing because we are now in a pre-election period.

However I think that it’s important to give an update today, in advance of the changes that are due to take place over the weekend.

As things stand just now, I intend to give further updates at this time next Tuesday and on 20 April.

I am joined today by the Chief Medical Officer, Gregor Smith, and the National Clinical Director, Jason Leitch, who will help me answer questions.

However, I will start as usual with the latest statistics.

The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 411.

That represents 2.8% of the total number of tests, and takes the total number of confirmed cases in Scotland to 217,890.

109 of those new cases were in Lothian, 94 in Greater Glasgow and Clyde and 76 in Lanarkshire.

The remaining cases were spread across 7 other health board areas.

250 people are currently in hospital – that is 9 fewer than yesterday.

23 people are in intensive care, which is an increase of 1 since yesterday.

And 12 deaths were reported yesterday, of patients who first tested positive over the previous 28 days. That takes the total number of deaths registered, under that definition, to 7,596.

That reminds us of the heartbreak that this virus continues to cause. Once again, I want to send my condolences to all those who have lost a loved one.

I can also provide an update on our latest vaccination figures.

As of 7.30 this morning, 2,436,398 people in Scotland have received their first dose of the vaccine.

That is an increase of 26,572 since yesterday.

In addition, 12,180 people received their second dose yesterday, which brings the total number of second doses to 338,443 

Virtually all over 65 year olds have now received a first dose of the vaccine.

So have:

  • 98% of 60-64 year olds;
  • 81% of 55 to 59 year olds;
  • and 57% of 50 to 54 year olds.

We remain on course to offer a first dose of the vaccine by the middle of April to all over 50 year olds; all unpaid carers; and all adults with particular underlying health conditions.

Those figures confirm the progress we have made in the last three months.

We are now averaging 539 new cases per day.

That is a decline of more than 3/4 since early January.

The number of deaths from Covid has fallen even more sharply. They are down by more than 80% in the last 2 months.

And, as you can see from the figures I have reported, the number of people in hospital and intensive care is also reducing.

However there are still no grounds for complacency. Indeed, we must continue to be hyper vigilant. For example the data suggests that the numbers of new cases in Scotland – having fallen throughout January and February – are now plateauing, rather than continuing to decline significantly.

Numbers fell very slightly last week – but they have risen in some other weeks recently.

As a result, hundreds of people in Scotland every day, are still getting the virus which remains very infectious and highly dangerous.

So we still face significant risks – and it is vital that we all continue to bear that in mind and act cautiously and carefully.

However, there is no doubt that we have made progress – both in suppressing the virus and in vaccination – and that is directly relevant to the decisions I am confirming today.

I am able to confirm today, that taking all of the recent data into account, the changes which I previously indicated that we hoped to make on 2 and 5 April can go ahead.

The first change will take effect from Friday, 2 April.

From that day, our current stay at home rule will be lifted. That rule currently applies across all of Scotland, except for some of island communities. 

However the stay at home rule is being replaced by a requirement to stay local.

This means that the current travel restrictions – which prevent non-essential travel outside your local authority area – will remain in place for another 3 weeks.

I understand how frustrating those restrictions are.

I share that frustration – my family live in a different local authority to me.

And like anyone with loved ones in a different part of the country, I desperately want to see them in person.

But the requirement to stay local is there, for the moment, for a good reason.

At the moment, different parts of the country, have different levels of infection.

For example some parts of the central belt have far more new cases each day, than areas such as Highland, the Borders, and Dumfries and Galloway. And there are also different rates of infection within the central belt itself.

So while Covid levels remain high in some areas – and while a lot of people remain unvaccinated – we do not want the virus to spread from areas with relatively high prevalence, to areas with low rates of infection.

That’s why sticking to the stay local rule for another 3 weeks is really important.

All of the other immediate changes will take effect from next Monday, 5 April.

From that date, more students – particularly in colleges – will be allowed to return to on-campus learning. That includes many students who are taking qualifications in construction, in engineering, and in subjects such as hairdressing and beauty.

In addition, from Monday onwards, contact sports will resume for 12 to 17-year-olds. And there will be a limited reopening of some retail services.

All shops will be allowed to operate click and collect services from Monday – although you will need an appointment to pick up your goods.

Car showrooms and forecourts will also reopen. Again, you may need an appointment to get into showrooms, so please check that with the retailer before you go.

Homeware stores and garden centres will also be able to reopen – that’s something which I know will be appreciated by those retailers, and also by many customers, as we head towards the summer.

Obviously, we don’t want big crowds at any of these stores – so although they open on the 5th, think about whether you really need to visit them on Monday itself. If you can, wait until later in the week.

Going later in the week – or later in the month – might mean things are a bit quieter.

And of course, follow the advice and the instructions given by store staff. Those staff will be helping to keep you and the other customers safe. 

Finally, from next Monday, hairdressers and barbers will also be allowed to reopen. I know that many people are already looking forward to their first professional haircuts of the year. But again, please make an appointment before you go.

These changes will I hope be widely welcomed.

But they are – quite deliberately – fairly cautious steps out of lockdown.

If you look across to Europe at the moment, many countries there are seeing a big rise in cases.

We don’t want the same thing to happen here if we can avoid it.

And in our view the virus is still too widespread, and too dangerous, to allow for a more rapid opening up.

However if the data permits, we do expect to be able to make further changes later in April.

First of all, once the Easter holidays finish, all secondary school children will return to school full time.

After that, we hope to ease restrictions further on 26 April. By that time, we expect to have offered a first dose of the vaccine to all JCVI priority groups – that includes everyone over the age of 50.

That is a significant milestone – since those priority groups are estimated to account for 99% of all deaths from Covid.

We hope that mainland Scotland will move from level 4 to level 3 on 26 April.

That means – for example – that we expect to end all restrictions on travelling within mainland Scotland on that day. We also expect to confirm a full reopening of retail premises, and a partial reopening of the hospitality sector.

We also hope that on the 26th, it will be possible to ease some of the rules on outdoor meetings.

I hope to be able to confirm those changes at a media briefing in three weeks’ time.

In addition, the Scottish Government will publish updated levels tables on our website, in the next few days. They will provide some more information about the changes we hope to make during April and May, and into the summer.

We will also update our guidance on the current restrictions on Friday and Monday, to take account of the changes I have just confirmed.

For now, however, the main point that I want to stress is that it will be more possible to relax more restrictions in the future, if case numbers remain under control. So when things open up slightly this weekend – please continue to stick to the rules.

Until Friday, stay at home – and from Friday onwards, stay local.

Remember that you must stay in your local authority, unless your travel is for an essential purpose.

Continue to work from home if you can. That remains the default position. And employers still have a duty – if they reasonably can – to support people to work from home. 

Don’t meet up with other households in their homes. That is really important. We know that the virus spreads much more easily in indoor environments.

When you are outside – the maximum group size for adults is up to four people, from up to two households.

For 12 to 17-year-olds, the maximum group size is still four– but they can be from up to four households.

On any occasion when you do leave the house, remember FACTS.

  • wear face coverings;
  • avoid anywhere busy;
  • clean hands and surfaces;
  • use two metre distancing
  • and self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms.

And Download the Protect Scotland app, if you haven’t already – and make sure that it is enabled when you are out and about.

These basic precautions are always important – but they perhaps become even more vital, as we start to do slightly more.

By following them – and by sticking to the rules – we can all keep the virus under control, while vaccination continues.

And we can all make it safer, for more restrictions to be eased in the future. 

So please, stay at home – for now. Protect the NHS. And save lives.

Thank you, once again, to everyone who is doing that.

Boris Johnson: April will be England’s ‘Second Dose Month’

PM Boris Johnson’s statement at yesterday’s Coronavirus press briefing:

Good afternoon and welcome to this press conference on what has been a big day for many of us – with the first chance to see friends and family outdoors, whether as six people or two households.

And I want to congratulate the members of Ilkeston cycling club in Derbyshire that set off at midnight, the swimmers who broached the chilly waters of the Hillingdon Lido at the crack of dawn, and more than anything I know how much it will have meant to millions of people to have joined someone else for a cup of tea in the garden.

And I must stress that it is only because of months of sacrifice and effort that we can take this small step to freedom today. And we must proceed with caution.

It is great to see that yesterday we recorded the lowest number of new infections for six months, deaths and hospital admissions across the UK are continuing to fall.

But that wave is still rising across the Channel and it is inevitable as we advance on this roadmap that there will be more infections, and unavoidably more hospitalisations and sadly more deaths.

So what we need to do is continue flat out to build the immunity of our population, build our defences against that wave when it comes.

And now that we have vaccinated more than 30 million adults across the United Kingdom it is more vital than ever to protect the most vulnerable.

The evidence seems pretty clear that vaccinating the elderly and vulnerable has helped to drive down rates of hospitalisation and death and now we want to reinforce that protection with a second dose so for many people April will be the “Second Dose Month” – and please take up your appointment when it’s your turn.

And at the same time as we push forwards with our programme to offer a vaccination to all adults by the end of July we’re building up our own long-term UK manufacturing capabilities.

I’ve already told you that Novavax – a potentially significant new weapon in our armoury against Covid – is going to be made at Fujifilm in the North East.

And I can today announce that the Vaccine Task Force has reached an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline to finish and bottle this precious fluid also in the North East giving us between 50 and 60 million doses of UK made vaccine subject to the right approvals from the MHRA.

And then, of course, there is one other way we can all build our own individual defences against Covid and enjoy ourselves at the same time – and that is to take more exercise.

So I am personally thrilled that I will be able to play tennis for instance, and without being remotely preachy I do hope that we can take advantage of this moment and the beautiful weather – to play sport, to take exercise, to have fun and build our national resilience in that way too.

And remember that outdoors is generally much safer than indoors and the way to continue on our cautious but irreversible roadmap to freedom is to follow the rules and remember hands, face, space and fresh air.

In Scotland, lockdown restrictions will ease from Friday with a move from Stay at Home to Stay Local

Stay at Home regulations will be lifted on 2 April and replaced with guidance to Stay Local, with more services including hairdressers, garden centres and non-essential click and collect services able to open from 5 April.

More college students will also return to on-campus learning and outdoor contact sports will resume for 12-17 year olds on 5 April if progress on vaccination and suppression of Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues.

The Scottish Government then hopes to lift all restrictions on journeys in mainland Scotland on 26 April. 

The Scottish Cabinet meets later today.

Latest statistics reveal child poverty figures continue to rise

Covering the period just before the current pandemic, the statistics suggest a gradual increase in child poverty levels since the early 2010s.

Two out of the four child poverty measures in the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act show a gradual increase, and two show little change. While the poverty risk is much lower for children where someone in the household is in paid work compared to those in workless households, not all work pays enough to lift the household above the poverty line.

Over two thirds of children in poverty live in a household with someone in paid work.

There is little change in poverty levels for working-age adults and pensioners. Pensioners are less likely to be in poverty compared to working-age adults and children: 14% of pensioners are in relative poverty after housing costs, compared to 19% of working-age adults and 24% of children.

New food security analysis suggests that while most people (84%) live in households with high food security, this falls to only 60% for people in poverty. A household has high food security if people never need to worry about running out of food before they can afford to buy more, and never struggle to afford balanced meals.

Household incomes continue to rise. A typical two-adult household has £27,800 per year after tax and including benefits. Income inequality has fluctuated since the beginning of this data collection in the mid-nineties and continues to do so.

Adults under 25 are more likely to be in poverty than older adults. Non-white ethnic minorities are more likely to be in poverty compared to white ethnic groups. Muslim adults are more likely to be in poverty compared to adults of Christian and other faiths and those with no religion.

Some, but not all, of the higher poverty risk for ethnic minorities and Muslims can be explained by their lower average age. Single adults, especially single parents, and those who are divorced or separated are more likely to be in poverty compared to married, cohabiting and widowed adults.

People living in households with disabled household members are also more likely to be in poverty than those with no disabled household members.

These figures are produced in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Stemming the rising tide of poverty across Scotland must be the defining issue of the Holyrood election, the Poverty Alliance said as they launched their manifesto earlier this month. They call for all political parties to commit to a range of ambitious and bold action to boost incomes and reduce costs.

 A Scotland for All of Us, puts forward a package of measures that all of Scotland’s political parties are being urged to back in order to loosen the grip of poverty on the lives of people across Scotland. These include:

  • Committing to a Minimum Income Guarantee, which would ensure that nobody in Scotland had an income below an agreed minimum level;
  • At least doubling the new Scottish Child Payment, and increasing financial support for unpaid carers and disabled people;
  • Extending free bus travel to more young people and to people on low incomes;
  • Ending digital exclusion, by providing low cost or free broadband to low income households;
  • Attaching conditions to all public sector grants, funding and contracts that require payment of the real Living Wage and Fair Work;
  • Adjusting our income tax levels and thresholds to fund greater investment in tackling poverty and exploring the use of wealth taxes;
  • Giving communities a greater say over how money is spent in their local area.

The manifesto is launched at a time of growing hardship across Scotland. Even before the pandemic, over one million people – including almost one in four children – were living in poverty in Scotland. Now with many more people being swept into poverty, Scotland’s child poverty reduction targets remain unlikely to be met without more urgent action in the coming years.

Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “In Scotland we believe in protecting one another from harm, and in the principle that every child should have every chance. Yet Scotland is also a country with unacceptably high levels of poverty and inequality.

“Addressing the rising tide of poverty that is affecting so many communities should be at the heart of every party manifesto, and with the pandemic still having an impact this is not a time for timidity. All parties must pledge to take the bold and ambitious action to boost incomes and reduce costs that we have set out, including committing to a Minimum Income Guarantee and to taking action to create a more just economy and labour market.

The next Scottish Parliament must be remembered as one that reshaped Scotland for the better, that prioritised the needs of those facing poverty and inequality, and that built a Scotland not just for some of us, but for all of us.”

Scottish Government Poverty Statistics background

The two full statistical publications are available here:

Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2017-20 (data.gov.scot)

Persistent Poverty in Scotland 2010-2019 (data.gov.scot)

Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland contains statistics on poverty, child poverty, poverty risks for various equality characteristics, household income and income inequality for Scotland. This report also includes new statistics on household food security. The data comes from the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Family Resources Survey, Households Below Average Income dataset. Comparable UK income and poverty figures are published on the same day by DWP.

Figures are presented as three-year averages of each estimate. Three-year estimates best identify trends over time. Single-year estimates are also available in the reference tables. The latest poverty and household income data in this report covers the period from April 2017 to March 2020, just before the first lockdown due to COVID-19.

Persistent Poverty in Scotland presents estimates of the proportion of people in Scotland who live in persistent poverty. The data comes from the Understanding Society Survey, and the latest statistics cover the period from 2015 to 2019.

These poverty statistics are used by the Scottish Government and other organisations to monitor progress in tackling poverty and child poverty, and to analyse what drives poverty and what works for tackling poverty and income inequality.

Key poverty measures:

Relative poverty: A household is in relative poverty if its income is below 60 percent of the middle household income in the UK (the poverty threshold). Relative poverty is a measure of whether the income of the poorest households are keeping pace with middle income households across the UK.

Absolute poverty: A household is in absolute poverty if its income is below the relative poverty threshold from 2010/11. This way, it measures whether the incomes of the poorest households are keeping pace with rising prices.

Combined low income and material deprivation identifies the number of children in families that cannot afford basic essential goods and services because of a low income (below 70 percent of the middle household income).

Persistent poverty identifies the number of people in relative poverty for three or more out of four years. People who live in poverty for several years are affected by it through their lifetime.

Household income is adjusted for household size.

The poverty publications present poverty figures before and after housing costs. Before housing costs figures are a basic measure of household income from earnings and benefits. After housing costs figures subtract spending on rents, mortgage interest payments and other unavoidable housing costs from this basic income. In Scotland, poverty statistics focus mainly on poverty after housing costs. The poverty estimates in this summary refer to relative poverty after housing costs.

Household food security: Household food security questions were newly added to the Family Resources Survey in 2019/20. They ask about whether people were worried about running out of food, had to reduce meal sizes or skip meals. Food security levels can be “high”, “marginal”, “low”, “very low”.

Further information on income and poverty statistics within Scotland is available. Poverty and income inequality statistics – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff – more information on the standards of official statistics in Scotland is available. About our statistics – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Scottish children can look forward to a ‘Summer of Play’

Funding of £20 million will deliver a range of activities for children and young people and their families over the summer, ensuring they are provided with opportunities to socialise, play and reconnect within their local communities and environments.

In particular this will provide support for those children and young people who may otherwise struggle to access such experiences during the holidays.

Working with local authorities and partner organisations including sportscotland, Creative Scotland, Play Scotland, Education Scotland and others, the funding will support existing provision of community-based services while also widening access to other local facilities, such as school estates and local sports facilities.

Speaking before Holyrood broke up for May’s elections, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “We do not underestimate the physical and mental health impacts which children and young people have experienced throughout the pandemic, and that the impacts have fallen unequally across society.

“This enhanced range of summer experiences for children and young people will help address the impacts associated with extended periods of isolation and reduced participation in normal activities. This offer will have children’s rights and needs at its heart, and will provide opportunities to socialise across a range of activities, combined with broader support where needed.

“This will build on local summer offers, recognising the need for flexibility to deliver using local assets and connecting with wider offers from partners.

“Over the next few months we will continue to develop further all aspects of our education recovery strategy with our partners and stakeholders. Following periods of disruption to in-school learning, this will include how we can intensify and deepen support for children and young people’s progress in learning, including in key areas such as literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing.”

Usdaw Ne’er Day trading petition secures a Scottish Government consultation … after 14 year delay!

Retail trade union Usdaw has at last secured a commitment from the Scottish Government to consult on large stores closing on New Year’s Day.

The union submitted a petition to the Scottish Parliament and spent a year providing evidence to convince the Public Petitions Committee to press Ministers to make progress on a consultation.

Jamie Hepburn MSP (Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills) wrote to Usdaw yesterday (Thursday) confirming that the Scottish Government will now conduct the necessary consultation, as set out in the Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Trading (Scotland) Act 2007. However no timetable has yet been set for the consultation.

Stewart Forrest – Usdaw’s Scottish Divisional Officer says: “Confirmation that a consultation on large stores closing on New Year’s Day will now take place, after an unnecessary 14 year delay, is a step forward in our campaign to get a proper break for shopworkers over the festive period.

“We are disappointed that the Minister has not set out a timetable for the consultation and we will continue to press for further progress.

“As key workers delivering the essential service of keeping the nation fed, shopworkers deserve a decent break over the festive period. They have worked long hours in difficult circumstances throughout the pandemic, faced unprecedented levels of abuse and worried every working day about catching the virus and taking it home to their families.

“The very least that key workers in retail can expect is that the Scottish Government shows their appreciation for the essential work they’ve done throughout this appalling pandemic by progressing the call for a proper festive break.

“However this is not just a campaign for the pandemic, our members have for many years demanded a proper break after the extremely busy and stressful shopping period in the run-up to Christmas. 98% say that large stores should be closed and only 4% are happy to work on New Year’s Day or 2 January. Hogmanay and New Year is a special holiday, but this is not reflected in the experience of many retail workers, with three-quarters saying they spend too little time with friends and family.

“On behalf of Scotland’s retail workers we are urging the Scottish Government to open the consultation as soon as possible, so that the necessary legislative processes can be completed in time for 1 January 2022.”

Coalition raises concerns as new figures highlight slump in support for vulnerable children

  • Near doubling in the number of pupils with additional support needs since 2012
  • Decline in the number of specialist ASN teachers by 578 since 2012
  • 500 per cent increase in those with mental health problems

An alliance of leading providers of children’s services, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), has called for greater resourcing to support children and young people with additional support needs (ASN), both during and after the Covid-19 crisis.

The call comes as new figures out today (23rd March 2021) from the annual Scottish Government pupil census, reveal that while the number of specialist ASN teachers has slumped to a record low, the number of those pupils with ASN has escalated dramatically.

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 2,811, a decrease of 578 teachers (17%).

This fall is against the background of an overall increase by 92.2 per cent since 2012 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,034 to 226,838 in 2020,representing just under a third of all pupils (32.3 per cent).

The number of those with autism spectrum disorder has increased by over 150 per cent (from 8,650 to 21,820) between 2012 and 2020, those with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties by over 125 per cent (from 23,485 to 52,921) and those with mental health problems by 500 per cent (from 1,254 to 7,524).

Against a background of a per pupil cut in spending and in specialist support, 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, who disproportionately come from lower income families and areas of deprivation, are getting the care and support that they need. 

The coalition has also raised concerns about the effectiveness of a presumption of mainstreaming, meaning that all pupils are educated in a mainstream educational environment unless exceptional circumstances apply.

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.

“While we also support the presumption of mainstreaming, which means that all children and young people are educated in a mainstream educational environment unless exceptional circumstances apply, it is clearly difficult to see how this is functioning properly for all those with ASN given this fall in specialist support and increase in the number of those identified with conditions such as autism and mental health problems.

“The Scottish Government and local authorities need to 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. “

£40 million to improve children and young people’s mental health services

Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey has written to health boards setting out priority areas of investment from the Scottish Government’s recently announced £120 million Recovery and Renewal Fund.

Ms Haughey said: “The lockdown has been difficult for us all, not least young people – affecting their work, social and family lives and job and learning opportunities. That is why we intend to make around £40 million available to take forward dedicated work to improve Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

“This will include capacity building to meet expected increases in demand, specialist neurodevelopmental assessments, and ensuring young people have access to intensive psychiatric inpatient care when they need it.

“An essential part of this investment will be funding for a clinical director for each CAMH service to drive forward change.

“Further to this, we will invest up to £15 million to help clear backlogs in CAMHS and Psychological Therapies waiting lists.

“However we recognise that not all children and young people need specialist services like CAMHS, and so we will also continue to support the expansion of community services at a local level.

“Our £120 million Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Fund is the single largest investment in mental health in the history of devolution, and shows the priority we are placing on mental health. The Fund will be used to deliver our full agenda for mental health and wellbeing, as set out in our Transition and Recovery Plan.

“This will help to improve access to services across Scotland as well as ensuring good mental wellbeing at a population level, a comprehensive distress response, and the right help and support in our communities. We are carefully considering the potential for other investments over the course of 2021-22, and we will make further announcements in due course.”

Joanna Barrett, Associate head of Policy for the Devolved Nations, NSPCC Scotland, said: “The events of the last year have profoundly impacted the lives of children and young people in Scotland, with some suffering traumatic experiences including bereavement and abuse.

“Following the start of the pandemic last year, we saw a rise in referrals from our adult helpline about child abuse and an increase in contacts to Childline about emotional and mental health. Our counsellors heard from children struggling with loneliness and isolation, worries about education, increased parental stress and abusive home environments. Some young people talked about feeling suicidal.

“So this investment by the Scottish Government to address children and young people’s mental health is crucial for the recovery of our younger generation. But it is important we also remember and support our very youngest and most vulnerable members of society, those under five, whose wellbeing is closely attuned to that of their carers, and who cannot voice the harm they have experienced.”

New Action Plan for Scotland’s social enterprises

Additional investment of more than £5 million

A new Social Enterprise Action Plan will offer increased support to the sector – boosting its potential for growth and putting the social enterprise model at the heart of Scotland’s recovery from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The three year action plan demonstrates the Scottish Government’s commitment to social enterprise as a way of doing business for the common good and  to building a wellbeing economy.

Key investments include:

  • £2 million over three years to ensure that by 2024 every school child will have the opportunity to engage with a social enterprise project in their school career, introducing the benefits of the social enterprise model to young people
  • investing an additional £1.5 million to build on the successful programme of support offered through Adapt and Thrive, which helps community organisations wanting to diversify their income streams
  • investing £1.5 million to create a clear pipeline for social enterprises from conception to the international market, with a focus on ethical opportunities in emerging markets such as Africa and South East Asia

Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government Aileen Campbell said: “I am delighted that we have today launched our new Social Enterprise Action Plan.

“As we move forward from the effects of COVID-19, we need to ensure that we build back in a way that helps us rebalance our economy and enables us to create a society that is free from inequalities and disadvantage.

“The Scottish Government wants to create a wellbeing economy that works for everyone. Social enterprises will be central to this work, demonstrating this ethos through conducting business with social purpose. The social enterprise model can also help us to deliver on our aim to protect the environment, ensuring a just transition to a net zero future.”

Social Enterprise Action Plan 2020

4% pay rise offer for Scotland’s NHS workers

After positive discussions over recent weeks with NHS Trade Unions and NHS Employers, the Scottish Government has offered a substantial pay rise for NHS Scotland Agenda for Change staff. 

If accepted by staff, this deal will be most generous National Health Service pay uplift anywhere in the UK, and would represent the biggest single year increase in pay for NHS staff since devolution. The pay rises will benefit 154,000 NHS Agenda for Change employees – including nurses, paramedics, allied health professionals, as well as domestic, healthcare support staff, porters and other front line health workers.

The pay rise would ensure that staff on the pay bands 1 to 7 would receive at least a 4% pay rise compared to 2020/21, with the staff who earned less than £25,000 in 2020/21 getting a guaranteed minimum increase of over £1,000 in 2021/22.

This means that staff on the lowest Agenda for Change pay point would get a 5.4% increase. Those on the highest pay points will receive uplifts of £800.

While pay increases are usually effective from 1 April the 2021/22 pay settlement will be backdated to 1 December 2020 in recognition of an exceptional year of significant pressure for staff. This follows the £500 thank you payment for health and social care workers.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Following positive discussions with NHS unions and employees the Scottish Government has put forward an offer of the biggest single pay uplift since devolution for NHS Agenda for Change staff. 

“Over 154,000 staff would benefit from this rise, which would see the average pay of an front line NHS Nurse rise by over £1,200 a year. This deal also includes support staff such as domestic staff, porters and health care support workers, the backbone of our services, who would see pay rises of over £1,000 – uplifts of between 4% – 5.4%. 

“The uplift will be backdated from 1 December 2020, rather than the usual 1 April 2021, meaning all those covered by the deal will receive an extra benefit.

“This has been an exceptionally challenging year for our health service and I am pleased that the Scottish Government is able to recognise the service and dedication of our healthcare staff.”

Hallelujah! Places of worship can reopen from Friday

People living in all parts of Scotland will be able to attend places of worship in gatherings of up to 50, where there is space for physical distancing, from Friday 26 March.

Updated guidance publishing on Friday will also allow people to travel between Level 4 areas to attend their usual place of worship following sustained progress suppressing Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Na h-Eileanan Siar moved to Level 3 last night, but all other council areas will remain at their current levels, with restrictions on non-essential travel across local authority boundaries.

The latest easing was announced yesterday, the anniversary of Scotland first entering lockdown. The First Minister reflected on the loss of life over the past 12 months and thanked health and care workers, public service workers, teachers, local authorities, businesses, community groups and volunteers for their efforts to support the nation through the pandemic.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “On this National Day of Reflection, I know that many of us will be thinking about people we have lost during the last year, whatever the cause of their death.

“It is a natural human response when someone dies to gather with others, to mourn our loss and to celebrate their life. The fact that this shared ritual has not been possible has been an additional source of grief for many during this most difficult of years.

“The return of collective worship in greater numbers is an important change that I hope will be especially welcomed as we head towards important religious festivals over the next few weeks. That we are in a position for Na h-Eileanan Siar to move to Level 3 reflects their success in reducing transmission in recent weeks.

“I am grateful to everyone who has shown solidarity, compassion and love to one another by sticking to incredibly tough rules and restrictions. By following the rules, all of us have saved lives – we’ve helped keep the virus under control, and helped to create the situation we are now in, where we can now start to plan our route out of lockdown. We know too that the vaccination programme is now reducing deaths, and recent research also gives us confidence that vaccination will reduce transmission rates.

“To lift restrictions in the future, we still need to suppress the virus just now, so please stay within the rules in the coming weeks – stay at home for now, unless for an allowed reason; do not meet people from other households indoors; and follow the FACTS advice when you are out and about.”