A strategy to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls is to be expanded and backed by more than £1 million of additional funding. The Equally Safe delivery plan includes measures to teach school children the importance of consent and healthy relationships and will see Rape Crisis Scotland’s sexual violence prevention programme rolled out across a further 11 local authorities. Continue reading Equally Safe: strategy to address violence against women expanded
A year since the publication of the Fairer Scotland Action Plan, Equalities Secretary Angela Constance today launched the first progress report at WorkingRite, an Edinburgh organisation that received support from the £29 million fund to tackle poverty. Continue reading Working towards a Fairer Scotland: First year progress report launched
Thousands more people across Scotland will benefit from the roll-out of a new and easier screening test to detect symptoms of bowel cancer. The Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) requires participants to collect one bowel motion sample, rather than the current test which requires samples over three days. Continue reading FIT for purpose: Bowel cancer test simplified to encourage take-up
Health Secretary Shona Robison has ordered an independent review into concerns around A&E waiting times practices and staff pressure at St John’s Hospital. Continue reading Dodgy data? Internal inquiry into emergency waiting times figures
People are most likely to hold positive views of young people as trustworthy and helpful to others, new research from the Scottish Government shows. The survey, published during the launch week of Year of Young People 2018 (above) examined the attitudes and perceptions of more than 1,000 adults towards 13-19 year olds. Continue reading Swinney: “More must be done to change attitudes to young people”
A pilot for a single card that can be used in any library has been launched in the north east of Scotland. The pilot gives readers access to more than 120 libraries – and 1.6 million books. Continue reading Sharing our stories: ‘One Card’ library pass to be trialled
Scotland’s employment rate grew over the year to 75.2% (July to September 2017). There are now 2,652,000 people aged 16 years and above in employment. Continue reading Encouraging trend in employment figures
The public are being asked to do a good deed on St Andrew’s Day to celebrate Scotland’s history, culture and the nation’s shared values. The #BeLikeStAndrew campaign marks the start of Scotland’s Winter Festivals – which opens with St Andrew’s Day, followed by Hogmanay, and then Burns Night. Continue reading Scots urged: be like St. Andrew
A survey of those with direct experience of the benefit system has shown that three out of five respondents rate the current UK welfare system as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. The ‘About Your Benefits and You’ survey sought the views of social security experience panels members – individuals who are giving their views on the design of Scotland’s new welfare system. Continue reading Social Security Experience Panel survey results published
Plans for investment and reform to give GPs more time with patients most in need of their skills have been published by the Scottish Government. A new GP contract, jointly designed and agreed with the British Medical Association, will be the biggest reform of GPs services in over a decade. The proposals have been welcomed by the Scottish Greens, who say the plan is a step in the right direction in tackling health inequality. Continue reading GPs offered new contract
