Expert recommendations to make school food and drink even healthier are being consulted on by the Scottish Government. John Swinney says standards are already high but the Scottish Greens say more is needed to encourage healthy eating. Continue reading Please, sir: we want some more – healthier school food guidance not enough, say Greens
Access to free sanitary products extended
People from low-income households across the country will be able to receive free sanitary products. Following the successful pilot in Aberdeen, charity FareShare will receive over £500,000 to distribute sanitary products with the aim of reaching an estimated 18,800 more people. Continue reading Government acts to tackle period poverty
Scottish Government and COSLA have agreed to work together to remove all local authority charges for child burials and cremations.
While most local authorities have already removed their fees, this new commitment – which is supported by Scottish Government funding – will see the removal of their fees consistently and completely across all areas.
Confirming the agreement, Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities Angela Constance said: “The death of a child is one of the most tragic experiences that anyone can go through.
“At such difficult times, it is important that we look to support parents and families. We have been actively looking for some time at ways in which we can further support bereaved parents in Scotland with funeral costs.
“Most local authorities do not charge child burial and cremation fees but the picture across Scotland is a mixed one, as local authorities introduce adult burial and cremation charges at different ages across the country.
“We agree with COSLA that no family should have to pay to bury or cremate their child. I am therefore delighted to confirm this agreement between the Scottish Government and COSLA.”
Cllr Elena Whitham, COSLA spokesperson for Community Wellbeing, said: “Scottish local authorities have had a long-standing commitment to waiving or discounting their charges for children’s funerals and cremations.
“It is truly awful to have to manage the burden of a funeral or cremation for a child. We are acutely aware that none of us plan for the financial costs because we don’t expect it to happen to our families. For some, any charges can lead to high cost borrowing and financial crisis.
“We are pleased to work together with the Scottish Government to ensure that all local authorities can fully commit to removing their charges for the burial or cremation of those aged under 18.”
Recommendations to transform temporary accommodation, including getting the right support in place from day one and giving more power to front-line workers, have been accepted by the Scottish Government. Continue reading Tackling temporary accommodation
A package of measures, including £50 million extra funding, is to be made available to health boards this year to reduce long waits for treatment. Continue reading £50 million additional funding to improve NHS performance
People across Scotland are being invited to join a conversation about community decision-making to help make public services more locally focused. The Democracy Matters conversation will identify new legal rights for communities which would place them at the heart of decision-making.
As part of the conversation people are being invited to consider a short set of questions on shaping local democracy. Community groups can also apply for grants of up to £300 to host their own events related to the project.
Communities Secretary Angela Constance said: “The start of the Democracy Matters conversation is an important moment for community decision-making in Scotland. We believe that more decisions about public services should be taken locally, and that communities should be able to influence those decisions.
“We want to hear from people across Scotland about the issues they want decisions on in their neighbourhood, town or village, and the kind of arrangements that would help that happen.”
COSLA President Alison Evison said: “Across the country, it is widely recognised that Scotland needs local solutions to the opportunities and challenges it faces.
“The conversation is a vital contribution to the change that is needed across all spheres of government to make Scotland a more democratic place, and to ensure that Scotland’s public services are built around the communities they serve.”
Scottish Community Alliance Director Angus Hardie said: “As things stand, communities often find that the really important issues that affect them the most are decided without their involvement and in faraway places.
“But if democracy is working well, most of those decisions would be taken much closer to these communities and often by local people themselves. Democracy Matters is a rare opportunity for communities everywhere – especially for those groups whose voice doesn’t always get heard – to become involved and to re-imagine how democracy can be made to work for everyone.”
The Democracy Matters conversation is a joint venture between the Scottish Government, COSLA and the community sector and will run over the next six months.
More information on how to take part in the conversation and how to apply for funding to run an event is available online.
You can also contact the organisers via: democracymatters@gov.scot
A new way of monitoring and recording bullying in Scottish schools will be introduced this autumn. The standardised approach will make it easier for teachers to identify trends and address the problem. Continue reading Beating the bullies: improved measures to be introduced
Scotland will become one of the first countries to achieve a 100% reduction in carbon emissions, Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham announced last week. Continue reading World leaders: Scotland’s Climate Change legislation set to be ‘toughest in the world’
An estimated 120,000 families will benefit from a new £100 national minimum school clothing grant in Scotland as a result of partnership working between Scotland’s Local Authorities and the Scottish Government. It means for the first time all eligible families, regardless of their local authority area, will have access to the same minimum level of financial support for school clothing. Continue reading New national school clothing grant
Schools across Edinburgh will receive £925,243 from the Scottish Attainment Challenge fund in 2018/19 to help boost attainment levels. This will be used by local schools to help those who need it most. Continue reading Funding boost for Edinburgh schools
