Tag: Scottish Government

Swinney announces new early intervention fund

A new fund to help support children, young people and families has been announced by Deputy First Minister John Swinney – but grants won’t be available until June next year. This fund will replace the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Empowering Communities Fund, which comes to an end next March. Continue reading Swinney announces new early intervention fund

Volunteering Framework launched

A new framework aimed at getting more people involved in volunteering has been launched. The Volunteering Outcomes Framework aims to reduce barriers to volunteering for people from all sections of the community, regardless of their background.   Continue reading Volunteering Framework launched

Scottish Government announces investment in social media support

New steps to support young people’s mental health.

Steps to improve the mental health of young people, and directly target the impact of social media and body image on mental wellbeing, are to be supported through a new package of measures.

This includes £90,000 of funding to produce advice on the healthy use of social media and screen time, which will be created in partnership with young people.

In addition, a review of evidence on the effects of screen use on sleep and the implications of this for mental health will be commissioned.

The announcement follows the publication of new research from the Scottish Government which identifies social media, sleep disruption, body image and school pressures as potential factors in the reported worsening of mental wellbeing among adolescent girls in Scotland (see report below).

Minister for Mental Health Clare Haughey returned to her former school, Trinity High School in Rutherglen, to meet with pupils and discuss the research.

Ms Haughey said: “We know that many young people in Scotland, particularly girls, are unsatisfied with their physical appearance, and that high levels of social media use may be detrimental to mental wellbeing. We also know that adolescent girls in Scotland report higher levels of social media use than boys.

“Social media does have the potential to be used in a hugely positive way, but we want to ensure young people are properly informed on how social media promotes unrealistic expectations.

“During Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week we announced that we will be producing advice, specific to Scotland, on the healthy use of social media and screen time. We are now committing £90,000 to carry out this work as part of a package of measures to give young people the support they need. We want all young people to be able to grow up in a modern Scotland with good mental wellbeing.”

Exploring the reported worsening of mental wellbeing among adolescent girls in Scotland report:

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Raising awareness of sepsis

New campaign focuses on spotting the early signs

The five early signs of sepsis are to be highlighted in a new campaign to help raise public awareness of this potentially fatal condition.

The campaign, which will run across social and traditional media, focuses on the often silent symptoms of sepsis, which is a serious complication of an infection.

This includes very high or low temperature, uncontrolled shivering, confusion, passing less urine than normal and blotchy or cold hands and feet.

The first sepsis awareness campaign launched in February 2018. The new campaign aims to build on this while increasing public knowledge of the early warning signs.  It complements the work carried out by Healthcare Improvement Scotland through the Scottish Patient Safety Programme, which since 2012 has supported clinicians and clinical practitioners to improve recognition of the signs of sepsis and better equip them to deal with it.

Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood said: “While deaths caused by sepsis have fallen by 21% since 2012, thanks in part to the work of the Scottish Patient Safety Programme, it is still vital that people are aware of this potentially fatal condition.

“The key in treating sepsis is catching it quickly so that is why it’s important to know the signs. If someone has two or more of the symptoms and they are getting rapidly worse, it is important to seek urgent medical advice.

“Following our first campaign from 2018, we know that more than three out of four people are aware of the dangers of sepsis but we want to further increase public awareness to spot the signs and this campaign will help us do this. It will also help to focus on continuous improvement across Scotland ensuring there is safe and consistent care for all sepsis patients.”

Craig Stobo, who founded Sepsis Research after the death of his wife Fiona and unborn daughter Isla from the illness, said: “Sepsis Research is delighted to be supporting the Scottish Government’s Sepsis Awareness Campaign. This focused effort to encourage people to recognise the symptoms of this potentially fatal illness will save lives.

“Educating people so they know what to look out for and understand the urgent need to get medical assistance will help prevent potentially tragic consequences and we congratulate the Scottish Government on taking this initiative.”

Colin Graham, chief operating officer of Sepsis Research (FEAT): said: “This is a very important campaign by the Scottish Government and we urge everyone in the medical profession and the wider public to pick up on the life-saving messages it contains.”

£38 million to reduce fuel poverty

 

People across Scotland at risk of fuel poverty will benefit from further investment to make homes warmer and energy efficient with funding announced yesterday.

The Warmer Homes Scotland initiative has awarded a minimum of £38 million to managing agent Warmworks to continue to deliver the government’s fuel poverty scheme over the next two years.

The announcement comes as the 15,000th Warmer Homes customer welcomed a new gas central heating system being installed at their home in Dundee.

People at risk of fuel poverty are eligible through the scheme to have improvements made to their property such as new heating systems and insulation.

Since the launch of Warmworks in 2015, thousands of people across Scotland have been helped to become warmer in their homes, with households saving an average of over £300 per year on their energy bills.

The extension of the Warmer Homes Scotland to 2022 demonstrates the Scottish Government’s commitment to eradicating fuel poverty and increasing energy efficiency, housing minister Kevin Stewart said.

After meeting the 15,000th Warmer Homes Scotland customer, Mr Stewart said: “I welcome the contract extension with Warmworks to continue our work to eradicate fuel poverty. This funding will have a huge impact for people seeking to make essential improvements to the energy efficiency of their home.

“We have taken a world leading approach to tackling fuel poverty with the introduction of the Fuel Poverty Bill and setting an ambitious target that, by 2040, no more than 5% of Scottish households are in fuel poverty.

“I’m delighted to see for myself the excellent work being done in homes across Scotland, making them warmer and more affordable to heat.”

 

 

 

 

Holiday meals for Scottish children

More children and young people are set to benefit from nutritious meals and a place to play and socialise when schools are closed for the holidays this year.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell has announced £340,000 for six charities that offer children breakfast, healthy snacks and a hot lunch, as well as a range of games and activities during the school holidays. Continue reading Holiday meals for Scottish children