Tag: Scottish Government

Round-the-clock mental health support

Expansion of NHS 24 Mental Health Hub

People in Scotland will have access to expanded 24/7 mental health support, backed by an estimated £1.5 billion of investment on mental health and wellbeing support from the Scottish Government.

This funding includes £3.5 million of new investment announced today which will make it easier for people to get the help they need, reducing pressure on A&E and other emergency services like Police Scotland.

The funding will enable the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub to expand, offering psychological support for people who will benefit from early access to treatment. The Hub provides round-the-clock help to anyone in Scotland requiring urgent mental health support or who is experiencing distress, connecting callers to trained professionals for assessment, advice and directing them to the most appropriate support.

A new Crisis Framework for Children and Young People, backed by an initial £1 million, will also improve emergency mental health responses across six NHS Board areas.

This complements the success of the Distress Brief Intervention programme, which has already supported over 100,000 people since its establishment with rapid support and follow-up care.

Visiting The Lighthouse for Perth, which offers mental health crisis support for children and young people, First Minister John Swinney said: “We are working hard to ensure everyone in Scotland, wherever they live, has 24/7 access to the right mental health and wellbeing support.

“Our 24/7 NHS 24 Mental Health Hub has been set up so that calls from anyone in distress are redirected to specially trained practitioners. The service is supporting thousands of people each month and is easing pressure on other frontline services like A&E and the police, and strengthens the range of emergency mental health support available across Scotland.

“We are also launching a new Crisis Framework for Children and Young People today, to improve how young people and their families can access urgent mental health support. I am grateful to organisations like The Lighthouse who have helped shape our approach and who are delivering essential services in our communities.

“Over the last two years almost 80,000 children, young people and family members accessed Scottish Government-funded community services, and our new Crisis Intervention Fund will enable local areas to go further in offering the right crisis response.”

Sharon Thomas Operations Manager The Lighthouse for Perth said: “The new Crisis Framework for Children and Young People will be an excellent resource for everyone working in crisis support.

“The Lighthouse have been working hard over the past 6 years delivering this type of person centred service across Perth and Kinross and we are delighted to have had the opportunity to contribute to the new framework to ensure this will now be available across the whole of Scotland.

“It is a pleasure to have the First Minister visit today and the announcement of additional funding is very welcome. Young people are the future of this country and we need to ensure they have the support they need, when they need it to shape the future of our communities.”  

Supporting stronger communities

£300,000 fund distributed in partnership with STV Children’s Appeal

32 community projects across Scotland have been awarded a share of £300,000 of funding to help build strong and connected communities.

The Scottish Government has partnered with the STV Children’s Appeal to identify grassroots organisations and charities that are helping to break cycles of poverty, strengthening social cohesion and promoting inclusion and dignity at a community level.

Funded organisations include Y Sort It in Clydebank – to help fund upgrades to a communal cookery programme; Govan Help – to support their Parent Wellbeing Programme, which aims to empower parents to improve their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing; and CentreStage Kilmarnock – to expand community activities currently at capacity for people experiencing social isolation.

One of the charities to benefit is Dundee-based community centre Boomerang, which offers a range of services to the local community including a Stay and Play Toddler Group, Cosy Café, Food Larder and Latin Dance Class. Boomerang has received an award of almost £6,000 to help extend funding for a Cosy Café Support Worker through the winter months.

Visiting Boomerang to announce the awards, Kaukab Stewart, Minister for Equalities said: “Inclusive and connected communities are a ‘must-have’ for a resilient, safe, and thriving Scotland.

“I’m very pleased that we have been able to partner with the STV Children’s Appeal to make these awards, which will support vital grassroots projects that are uniting people from different backgrounds, cultures and faiths. 

“Our commitment to looking out for one another is one of the things that we should be very proud of as Scots, and I have seen some fantastic examples of this here today at Boomerang. We are also proud of Scotland’s diverse society which is why the Scottish Government will continue to invest in building the strong, connected communities that all of us want to see.”

Carrie Reid, Centre Manager at Boomerang said: “Thousands of people have benefited from our Cosy Cafe over many years. It has improved people’s mental health and wellbeing, fostered deeper social connections and has encouraged creativity. 

“We’ve also seen increased confidence and self-esteem with our loyal volunteers who run the Cafe as they have learned new tasks and socialised with the people who attend, building up their self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment.

“Thank you from all the staff, volunteers and service users for your support.”

Natalie Wright, Head of the STV Children’s Appeal, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with the Scottish Government to disburse this fund, which will enhance the work that grassroots organisations are doing up and down the country to strengthen their communities.

“We work with a wide range of charities who are doing fantastic work, bringing people together and responding quickly to people’s needs, and we know that this additional support will make a difference where it really matters.”

The full list of awards can be found at www.stvappeal.tv

Global opportunities for Techscaler start-ups

Expanded international programme launched

Some of Scotland’s leading start-up tech companies will have the chance to secure orders and build contacts in New York and New Jersey under an expansion of the Techscaler International programme.

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes announced that the Programme’s first visit to the east coast of the United States will take place this year, alongside trips to Asia and California’s Silicon Valley.

Each will involve a small number of growth-stage companies which are best placed to secure contracts, investment and commercial traction.

A full calendar of events has been developed to help business founders plan their approach to international engagement. They include:

  • Japan (April 2026)
  • New York and New Jersey (June 2026)
  • Silicon Valley (October 2026)
  • Singapore (November 2026)
  • Hong Kong and China (December 2026)

The Deputy First Minister announced the programme during a visit to the Edinburgh offices of Codebase, which manages the Techscaler initiative, to meet business founders who have benefitted from previous international trips.

They included Tiny Air co-founder Chris Helson, who secured orders for his company’s pioneering surgical decontamination technology following a visit to Singapore as part of the 2025 programme.

The Deputy First Minister said: “Techscaler International is about helping open doors for the enormous business talent we have in this country.

“It is always inspiring to hear how those that have taken part in the programme have seized the opportunity to capture new business and take advantage of new international connections.

“Building on the success of the first pilot programme in Silicon Valley in 2024, the initiative has been continually refined to serve the needs of our entrepreneurs and respond to their feedback. This expanded programme reflects the value it is bringing to some of the country’s most innovative companies.”

Co-Founder of Tiny Air Chris Helson said: “The Singapore opportunity was fantastic and has led to sales there- but the mentoring programmes from Techscaler have been almost more valuable. They have introduced us to world class advisors who know how to take a medtech company like us global.

“We were in Singapore for three weeks and I was still making key connections on the last day. I was introduced to a large hospital in the north of Singapore by an anaesthetist from Raigmore hospital in Inverness who now works in Singapore and whose wife is a Global Scot. Those kind of networks and connections are invaluable.”

Co-founder and Executive Vice Chair at CodeBase Steven Drost said: “Techscaler supports tech founders at every stage of their journey, with an increasing focus on scaleups and providing Scotland’s most ambitious founders with a launchpad for global success, and so it’s encouraging to see the expansion of the international programmes this year.”

National campaign to tackle misogyny launched

The Scottish Government has launched a new five‑week public awareness campaign encouraging boys and young men to think before sharing or engaging with misogynistic content online.

The campaign highlights the real‑life harm such content causes to women and girls, including those known to them. The campaign was developed with the support of a steering group of VAWG experts and cocreated with young people.

The campaign includes tailored messages for young people across Instagram, Snapchat, Twitch and YouTube, and resources for parents to understand the scale and impact of online misogyny and support conversations at home.

COSLA welcomes this campaign as a concrete expression of our shared commitment with the Scottish Government to challenge the attitudes and systems that enable misogyny and wider gender‑based violence.

The campaign aligns with Equally Safe’s focus on engaging men and boys as allies in preventing violence against women and girls and helping shift harmful online and offline attitudes.

COSLA’s Community Wellbeing Spokesperson, Cllr Maureen Chalmers, welcomed the new national campaign tackling online misogyny, commenting:
“Young people deserve to be safe online and offline.

“By amplifying these messages locally Local Government plays a vital role in preventing harm, challenging harmful attitudes and supporting Equally Safe communities.”

All assets, including links to information supporting healthy conversations with young people and links to videos and other supporting materials can be accessed here: Tackling Misogyny Campaign Toolkit

Tackling Misogyny – Campaign Toolkit – Safer – February 2026Download

Delivering warmer homes that are cheaper to heat

Milestone reached in energy efficiency support scheme

More than 50,000 households across Scotland have received support to live in warmer, healthier homes which are more affordable to heat.

Warmer Homes Scotland, the Scottish Government’s national fuel poverty scheme provides essential insulation and heating improvements to people living in, or at risk of, fuel poverty – helping ensure that more households across Scotland can live in warmer, safer, and more energy‑efficient homes.

Since its launch in 2015, the government has invested around £400 million in the scheme, delivered by Warmworks, which has now helped over 50,000 households across Scotland.

Marking this significant milestone, First Minister John Swinney met Warmer Homes Scotland customer Sandra Owen, who received electric storage heaters through the scheme to improve the energy efficiency of her home.

The First Minister said: “Warmer Homes Scotland is central to delivering my priorities for Scotland – helping people with the cost of living and tackling poverty, by providing support to make homes warmer and more affordable to heat.

“The scheme has been hugely successful, having now supported more than 50,000 households around the country – helping reduce fuel bills and ensuring households can benefit from the necessary transition to net zero.

“It is just one example of how my government is delivering for the people of Scotland and helping them keep more money in their pockets. In our budget we are allocating over £330 million to a range of initiatives, including Warmer Homes Scotland, to help everyone install clean heat and energy efficiency measures in their homes and buildings.”

Nicola Mcleod, Warmworks Managing Director, Scotland Division, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be marking this milestone today and celebrating what the scheme has delivered for households across the country with the support of our team, our supply chain and partners.

“That’s 50,000 people and families who are now living in warmer, healthier homes and worrying less about their fuel bills. Those savings will go a long way in helping so many people in their daily lives, but with so many homes still struggling to stay affordably warm, we know there is a huge amount more still to be done.

“We’re committed to working alongside the Scottish Government to ensure that Warmer Homes Scotland continues to support as many households as possible and is able to extend its proven, lasting impact on people and communities across the country.”

Warmworks are the Managing Agent for the Scottish Government’s national fuel poverty scheme, Warmer Homes Scotland.

Five years of Scottish Child Payment

Boost to payment set to support 12,000 children

Scottish Child Payment has supported more than 241,000 parents and carers since its launch five years ago, helping put over £1.3 billion into the pockets of low-income families.

An increase to the payment for children under one will be introduced during 2027/28, estimated to benefit around 12,000 children and could be worth an extra £500 a year for each eligible child.

The payment, which is only available in Scotland, provides families with £27.15 a week, rising to £28.20 from April 2026, for every eligible child under 16.  Latest figures show more than 322,000 children are benefiting from the payment as of September 2025.  

Scottish Child Payment, and other family payments delivered by Social Security Scotland could be worth around £25,000 by a child’s 16th birthday — compared with less than £2,000 in England and Wales, where support ends at age four.

It is estimated that Scottish Child Payment will keep 40,000 children out of relative poverty in 2025-26, with the relative child poverty rate lower than without the payment in place. Clear evidence that the payment is central to the Scottish Government’s mission to eradicate child poverty.

On a visit to Home-Start Edinburgh to meet with parents and children benefiting from the payment, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:

“Scottish Child Payment has improved the lives of thousands of children and families across Scotland over the last five years. And our plans to raise the weekly payment to £40 for eligible children under one shows the Scottish Government’s level of ambition and determination to end child poverty in Scotland.

“This payment helps ease the pressure on family budgets and forms part of the best cost-of-living support package in the UK. It helps pay for essentials like food and clothing, things that people who are better off may take for granted but which children in these households might otherwise go without. I urge families to check if they are eligible.”

Eliza Waye, CEO of Home-Start Edinburgh, added: “Early childhood experiences are foundational to lifelong wellbeing and support better outcomes across health, education, wellbeing and more. 

“The Scottish Child Payment plays a vital role in easing pressure on families and helps ensure children grow up in a more equitable environment. Despite this, being a parent is incredibly hard.

“At Home-Start, we support parents to overcome the challenges they face; helping them build confidence and connect to networks of support. The combination of financial and community support enables the investment in families and children to go further.”

Scottish Child Payment opened for applications on 15 February in 2021 and began as a £10 per child, per week payment. It has increased by more than 170% since then. For 2026-27 Scottish Child Payment will increase to £28.20 per child per week, in line with inflation.

Over £1.3 billion worth of Scottish Child Payments have been issued to more than 241,000 individual parents and carers by 30 September 2025.

Reforming social care

Carers to help shape local services

Unpaid carers, disabled people and people with lived experience of social care will have a say on local services after Scottish Parliament regulations come into force.

Social Care Minister Tom Arthur tabled an order giving service users and third sector organisations a vote during integration joint board decision making. This ensures their perspectives carry equal weight in shaping decisions about services, such as care in the community to enable people with disabilities or long term conditions to remain at home.

The 31 boards bring together the NHS and local councils with key community and service representatives to oversee planning and delivery of social care and community health services. Until now only members appointed by the NHS health board and local councils can vote.

The draft regulations will come into force in September after the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s scrutiny of the legislation concluded yesterday.

Mr Arthur said: “I am determined to ensure those who access and support community health and social care services have an equal say in making decisions that affect their communities. 

“These regulations extend voting rights to unpaid carers, service users and third sector representatives, collectively representing the voice of lived experience. It is only fair that these voices carry equal weight alongside other members – to help ensure local services are funded properly to meet the needs of people.

“People with lived experience provide valuable insight into challenges and opportunities which should be considered during planning. This change will bring decision making closer to the people we all serve. We expect to see more inclusive, collaborative and improved choices as a result.”

Wet wipes containing plastic to be banned

Action to protect the environment and marine waters

The sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastic in Scotland will be banned from 11 August 2027 under regulations published today.

Wet wipes containing plastic are a common and persistent source of marine litter and can break down into microplastics over time, harming the natural environment.

The move is part of wider action to protect Scotland’s environment and marine waters and includes a transition period for businesses to help them prepare.

The measures will include exemptions for medical and industrial uses as well as business-to-business sales. Members of the public who require specific wet wipes containing plastic for medical or healthcare reasons will also be able to request these from a pharmacy.

A ban will be introduced in all four nations of the UK following a UK-wide consultation in 2023, which found overwhelming public support for the proposals, with over 93% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing to the move.

Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin said: “Wet wipes containing plastic are an unnecessary single-use item, for which more environmentally friendly alternatives already exist. 

“As with all single-use items, it is vital they are disposed of correctly, otherwise they become a problematic source of marine litter and a threat to the health of our environment and wildlife.

“This ban delivers on an important commitment made in our Marine Litter Strategy and builds on previous actions to ban unnecessary single-use plastic items such as plastic-stemmed cotton buds, plastic straws, cutlery and single use vapes.

“These policies are all proof of the progress we are making towards protecting our environment and creating a more circular economy. In addition, we will continue to call on the UK Government to address issues such as misleading claims on product packaging which can lead to incorrect disposal of items such as wet wipes.”

Scottish Water Chief Executive, Alex Plant, said: “This ban will help us tackle one of the biggest challenges we face – responding to and clearing around 35,000 blockages every year in our sewers, at a cost of about £10 million, largely due to wet wipes wrongly flushed down toilets.

“Scottish Water’s Nature Calls campaign has led the way in making the case for a ban – and encourages everyone to bin wet wipes and stick to the 3Ps – flushing only pee, poo and toilet paper. 

“We are also calling on the UK Government for mandatory responsible ‘do not flush’ labelling for all bathroom products that risk being wrongly disposed of to sewers, and an end to misleading environmental claims on packaging to reduce customer confusion and reinforce the correct disposal option.

“This issue is reserved and the critical next step to reduce blockages further and prevent environmental harm.”

Head Teacher Leadership Academies

Joint funding to help next generation flourish

Hundreds of school leaders will benefit from extra training opportunities to further develop their leadership skills, helping to improve job satisfaction and bring benefits to the schools where they work.

The Scottish Government is contributing £400,000 to the Head Teacher Leadership Academy (HTLA), run by Columba 1400, with the Hunter Foundation matching this with an additional £400,000.

The total investment will enable up to 280 school leaders to strengthen their own development and enhance outcomes for pupils, staff and communities. The HTLA focuses on how school heads see themselves as social leaders.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth met with head teachers and deputy head teachers who have taken part in the HTLA during a visit to Royal High School in Barnton, where she formerly taught.

Ms Gilruth said: “As a former teacher, I have seen first-hand the pivotal role that head teachers and deputy heads have at the heart of schools and across the wider community.  

“They help drive up standards in classrooms, and this has resulted in clear improvements in attainment nationally and better futures for children and young people. They also provide invaluable support to teachers and staff in their schools, improving the working environment and ensuring everyone feels valued and able to be at their best in the classroom.

“The Head Teacher Leadership Academies are a proven success and I know that participation will ensure heads and deputy heads will get the time and support to reflect on their values and strengthen leadership, enabling them to create lasting change in their schools and communities.

“This investment is part of the Scottish Government’s wider support for the teaching profession, which also includes the recently-launched ‘Teaching Makes People’ recruitment campaign.”

Sir Tom Hunter said: “School leaders are the secret sauce to Scotland’s future, enabling the next generation to flourish and that’s precisely why we should invest in their values based leadership.

“The results are phenomenal and that’s why I’d like to see every head and deputy head teacher in Scotland go through the Columba 1400 Head Teacher Leadership Academies.”

Marie Clare Tully, Chief Executive of Columba 1400, said: “This investment allows us to reach even more Head Teachers and Deputy Head Teachers across Scotland.

“It is a privilege to be alongside school leaders as they pause, reflect and reconnect with their values. We see each and every day how this experience contributes to creating the conditions for cultural change through values-based leadership. 

“We are grateful to the Scottish Government for their re-investment and to The Hunter Foundation for their continued support and their belief in what is possible.”

Columba 1400 is a Scottish charity founded in 1997 and opened in 2000, dedicated to helping young people, especially those from tough realities, and the key adults in their lives discover their leadership potential through values-based leadership academies.

The Head Teachers’ Leadership Academy equips senior professionals in education with the confidence, resilience, and skills they need to create lasting change in their school and communities. 

ScotRail fares frozen for 12 months

ScotRail fares will be frozen for the next year to keep money in people’s pockets, First Minister John Swinney has announced.

The First Minister said this is part of the government’s resolute focus on the cost of living, and follows the abolition of peak fares which cut costs by as much as 48%.   

The freeze will apply to all ScotRail fares, including Season tickets and Flexipass.

Speaking at Edinburgh Waverley station, the First Minister said: “I know the cost of living crisis is still hurting people across Scotland – and this government is determined to take action to support people wherever we can.

“Freezing rail fares is an important way for us to keep people’s costs down and keep more money in their pockets.

“This follows the removal of peak fares for good across ScotRail services – which brought fares down by up to 48%.

“The Scottish Government is resolutely focused on supporting people with the cost of living – and food, electricity and other costs continue to rise, we are taking action to keep the costs of people’s commute down.”

Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said: “We have implemented this freeze to maintain the attractiveness and affordability of rail.

“From September last year, Scotland became the only part of the UK to remove peak fares, the biggest reform to rail fares in decades.

“With lower fares, more staff than ever before, and growing passengers and services numbers, we are delivering on our aim to make Scotland’s publicly owned operator an even greater success.”