People who ordinarily live in Ukraine will be able to access NHS services at no charge on the same basis as people living in Scotland.
An amendment to current legislation will ensure that people who have fled Ukraine can access services such as maternity care, mental health services and treatment for specific conditions at no charge while they remain here.
This will also apply to people from Ukraine who were in Scotland on short-term visas when the conflict began and who apply to extend or switch visas because they cannot return home.
Anyone in Scotland, regardless of their nationality, residence status or length of time they will be in the country, is already entitled to receive emergency treatment at an A&E or casualty department, and can register with a GP Practice to receive general medical services, at no charge.
In addition, emergency legislation which came into force on Tuesday 22 March will allow people coming to Scotland from Ukraine to meet residency conditions for Scottish social security benefits.
This means that those fleeing war in Ukraine, and who are eligible, will have immediate access to benefits such as Scottish Child Payment and Child Disability Payment.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are determined to do everything in our power to give displaced people from Ukraine the warmest welcome possible when they arrive and this includes offering healthcare to those who need it.
“We fully recognise that they may have been through very traumatic experiences and could require specialist treatment and care. Removing charges for healthcare and providing access to benefits is a practical step in ensuring those who have been forced to flee their homes and country can live safely and comfortably in Scotland for as long as they need to.”
Grassroots football facilities across Scotland will benefit from an initial £2 million of UK government funding to improve grassroots football facilities, as part of a major commitment to levelling up access to physical activity across the nation.
Beneficiaries of an initial £2 million direct investment in grassroots football facilities across Scotland this year announced
Spartans is one of 18 projects to benefit from first tranche of £230 million investment in football facilities across the UK to level up access to quality sport provision
Improvements to be made in partnership with the Scottish Football Association
SPARTANS Community Football Academy is one of eighteen projects across Scotland to receive funding to create and improve pitches, changing rooms and pavilions, so that more local communities can access high-quality facilities.
Projects have been chosen for their ability to deliver improved facilities in deprived areas, support multi-sport use and increase participation among currently under-represented groups, including women, girls and disabled players.
As well as North Edinburgh social enterprise Spartans Community Football Academy, other examples include:
Drumchapel United in Glasgow – a community club powered by volunteer coaches, which keeps the local community active at all ages from nursery to walking to football, who will use this £150,000 grant to regenerate their pitch;
Kilwinning Community Football Academy in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire – who have just signed the community asset transfer of the pitch and pavilion and are using this funding to regenerate the pitch as part of wider plans to improve the site. The pitch will support everything from school PE to mental health programmes for the local community. The £120,000 grant will be combined with the club’s own funds and funding from North Ayrshire Council.
Buckie Thistle High School where, combined with funding from the council, the renewed 3G pitch will support year round use for the ladies team there.
The funding, combined with contributions from clubs and other local partners, will improve the quality of community facilities, bring people together to enjoy playing sport in their local area, regenerate communities and enhance social cohesion.
It forms part of a £25 million UK-wide investment in grassroots facilities during this financial year, out of a total of £230 million set to be invested to help to build or upgrade up to 8,000 quality pitches across the UK over the next four years. The funding will also support the construction or refurbishment of clubhouses, changing facilities and community buildings.
The Scottish Football Association is delivering the programme on behalf of the UK government in Scotland.
UK Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said: “We are committed to improving access to high quality sports facilities for the underprivileged and underrepresented in Scotland.
“From Almswall Park in Kilwinning, to pitches in Buckie and Stenhousemuir, this will ensure more people can enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of sport at top class facilities in their local community.”
Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said:From the Borders to Moray and from Inverclyde to Dundee, this £2million UK government funding will breathe new life into grassroots football facilities right across Scotland.
“The investment will help communities all over Scotland become winners on and off the pitch by inspiring people from all walks of life to get active and enjoy the physical and mental health benefits that playing the beautiful game can bring.”
Chief Executive Officer of the Scottish Football Association Ian Maxwell said:“Our goal in Scotland is to harness the power of football, with the positive physical and mental wellbeing benefits that football offers being perfect examples of this.
“This funding will open opportunities for increased participation across many different demographics, including boys’ and girls’ football and para-football disciplines, some of which will be in areas that currently suffer from severe deprivation.
The announcement follows a joint ‘Expression of Interest’ submitted to UEFA by the Football Associations of England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales on Wednesday (23 March).
The governments of the UK, Ireland, Scotland and Wales have confirmed their support for the EOI submission and, given the Northern Ireland Executive is currently not meeting formally, officials there continue to observe the process closely.
Formal discussions on the technical specifications for the tournament are expected to take place with European football’s governing body over the coming weeks, before a final decision is made on submitting a formal bid.
On the prospects of hosting UEFA EURO 2028, Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston added:“This is welcome news from the FAs, and the government remains committed to working closely with them and our partners in the government of Ireland and the Devolved Administrations to bring UEFA’s flagship festival of international football to the UK and Ireland.
“Our unprecedented partnership creates the potential for the best EUROs ever, and we are passionate about bringing another world-leading sporting event here, creating a real celebration of football for people across the UK and Ireland.
“The government continues to demonstrate its commitment to sport and recreation, recently announcing that it is also investing £30 million to refurbish more than 4,500 tennis courts across the UK.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave a statement at the NATO Summit in Brussels yesterday:
It is scarcely believable as we stand here today that just a month ago, the Ukrainian people were living ordinary, peaceful lives. Now, they are locked in an extraordinary battle for survival against an unprovoked onslaught from their neighbours.
Ukrainians have taken up the fight and taught the world the meaning of bravery. Against the odds, they have snarled up Russia’s invading army, inflicting defeat after defeat. The heroism of Ukraine has changed the geopolitics of Europe.
Vladimir Putin has badly miscalculated in Ukraine, and I believe he knows it. But now that Putin’s Plan A has foundered, he is already escalating by intensifying his attacks on civilians.
Maternity wards, schools and homes and have been bombed without any regard for civilian life. Families are being starved out in freezing basement shelters, and targeted as they flee.
The United Kingdom – and our allies in NATO and the G7 here today – are clear: we will not stand by while Putin vents his fury on Ukraine.
I have rarely seen our nations more united in recent years than we are now. Putin’s failure in Ukraine is vital for the peace and prosperity of all of us, and his barbaric invasion has galvanised the international community into collective action.
We will work with likeminded allies to ramp up lethal aid to Ukraine at scale, providing kit to President Zelenskyy in the quantity and with the quality and quantity that he needs to defend his country from its bullying neighbour.
Today, I have announced we in the UK will send an additional 6,000 missiles and provide £25 million in unrestricted funding for Ukraine’s armed forces, more than doubling the lethal aid we have provided to date.
We are bolstering our support for the NATO countries on the frontline, sending a new deployment of UK troops to Bulgaria on top of the doubling our troops both in Poland and in Estonia.
This is just the beginning. We must support a free and democratic Ukraine in the long term. This is a fellow European democracy fighting a war of national defence.
NATO and G7 leaders were also united today in our determination to continue turning the screws on the Kremlin’s war machine, including by weaning ourselves off Russian oil and gas and reshaping global energy security.
The UK has already hit over 1,000 Russian individuals and entities in our toughest-ever sanctions, and the Foreign Secretary has announced 65 new sanctions against Russian banks, weapons manufacturers and oligarchs just this morning.
I also discussed the humanitarian response with our allies and partners today, as we continue to see huge numbers of Ukrainians flee their homes.
And the message that President Putin can take from today’s extraordinary meeting of NATO and the G7 is this: Ukraine is not alone.
We stand with the people of Kyiv, of Mairupol, of Lviv and Donetsk. And as President Zelenskyy has said himself – the people of Ukraine will prevail and Putin must fail and he will fail.
Watching a large number of medical staff gather around my baby boy to resuscitate him was the scariest thing I have ever been through.
We were at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, an hour away from our home, after rushing my son, Carter, there ourselves. Eventually the doctors managed to stabilise Carter, but he was still struggling with his breathing and needed to be intubated and kept on the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). He had developed a respiratory virus from a cold and as a result was experiencing breathing apnoea due to a build-up of mucus in his lungs.
We went to see him in PICU where he was covered in tubes and I was just sitting there, looking at him and felt my heart break into pieces. There was a chair next to Carter’s bed that I was prepared to not move from until he got better. But with parents unable to stay on intensive care wards with their children, even this wasn’t an option.
As I started to try and work out how I was going to cope with this situation I was told about The Sick Children’s Trust and its wonderful Acorn House. It’s one of ten ‘Homes from Home’ the charity runs around the country, giving families a free place to stay close to their seriously ill children.
I was still hesitant at first about leaving Carter’s side, but when the nurses told me that Acorn House was just minutes away from the hospital the more comfortable I felt about staying there.
I knew it was likely we would be in hospital for a while; The Sick Children’s Trust supports families for an average of 14 nights when their children are on the incentive care units, so knowing we had a place to stay took away a lot of these extra stresses.
When I arrived at Acorn House, I felt at home. There was a kitchen, living room and even a playroom so I knew straight away that I could bring Elsie, Carter’s older sister, to stay as well when the time was right.
This year, The Sick Children’s Trust is celebrating 40 years of keeping families, like mine, together with their seriously ill children while they are in hospital. Since the charity was launched in 1982 they have made sure more than 73,000 families have been able to stay just minutes away from their ill child’s hospital bedside and I really don’t know what we would have done without their support.
Acorn House was our ‘Home from Home’ for two weeks while Carter recovered, and he’s been doing amazing ever since.
He’s reached all his milestones and is such a loud and energetic character. As part of their 40th anniversary celebrations The Sick Children’s Trust is aiming to raise £237,000 to support families in all 148 rooms of its ten ‘Homes from Home’ for 40 nights.
I’m encouraging everyone to think about families like mine who suddenly end up in hospital with their child critically ill and not knowing how they can stay with them. No parent wants to leave their child while they’re in hospital and by supporting The Sick Children’s Trust and its ‘Homes from Home’ you can make sure more families can be together.
Without Acorn House Carter’s time in hospital would have been so much harder. I don’t think I would’ve have coped. Please donate £40 today by visiting sickchildrenstrust.org
Regulations have been passed to put in place a safe, fast and free vetting system for those who open their homes to displaced Ukrainians.
Under the scheme, volunteer hosts will be able to apply for expedited disclosure checks. These enhanced checks will offer the same level of scrutiny as the initial checks carried out for those working with children and vulnerable adults.
Sponsors will be contacted as part of the matching service and guided through the disclosure check application process.
Children’s Minister Clare Haughey said: “The generosity of people who want to open their homes for Ukrainians fleeing the illegal invasion of their country is heart-warming.
“We want Scotland to be a welcoming and safe haven and so ensuring the wellbeing and safety of those arriving from Ukraine, who are overwhelmingly women and children, is critical. That is why we have taken action to put in place appropriate checks for sponsors and to make sure the checks are free for those who are offering a place to stay.
“Under this scheme, Disclosure Scotland will prioritise checks for volunteer hosts when they are matched so the homes are ready for any new arrivals as quickly as possible.”
The regulations will come into effect today – 24 March. It will mean that potential hosts who are matched with Ukrainians – whether they have offered to host adults only or families with children – will be subject to enhanced disclosure checks.
Anyone aged over 16 in the same household as the sponsor will also be required to undergo the same checks.
These higher level disclosures contain information about spent criminal convictions, other relevant information provided by police, details of prescribed court orders and sex offender notification requirements, and information about whether the applicant is barred under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Act from working with children or protected adults or whether the applicant is under consideration for barring.
Potential hosts should wait to be contacted about disclosure checks.
The regulations will not apply to unaccompanied children and protected adults arriving from Ukraine. Separate arrangements for their care are being urgently considered.
Prime Minister will urge Allies to ensure Ukrainians have the means to continue to protect themselves at NATO and G7 summits today
UK will provide 6,000 new defensive missiles and £25m for Ukraine’s armed forces
Leaders meeting in Brussels are expected to discuss longer-term military, diplomatic and humanitarian support for Ukraine and strengthening measures against Russia
The Prime Minister will announce a major new package of support for Ukraine today at the NATO and G7 leaders’ meetings, as he calls on the international community to stay the course on Ukraine and stand against tyranny.
The measures announced today include 6,000 missiles, consisting of anti-tank and high explosive weapons, and £25 million in financial backing for the Ukrainian military. This more than doubles the defensive lethal aid provided to date to more than 10,000 missiles, and comes on top of the £400 million the UK has committed in humanitarian and economic aid for the crisis.
The Prime Minister will set out the UK’s intention to work with partners to bolster Ukraine’s defence capabilities, including longer-range targeting and intelligence, as the Ukrainian people face down an unprovoked invasion.
The UK will also provide an additional £4.1 million for the BBC World Service as part of a cross-government effort to tackle disinformation in Russia and Ukraine, as well as new financial and policing support for the International Criminal Court’s investigation into war crimes.
One month into the conflict, the Prime Minister will welcome NATO and the G7’s unified stance on Ukraine and collective action on economic, military and diplomatic measures. He will urge Allies and partners to step up a gear in response to Russia’s use of increasingly brutal tactics, including by providing enhanced defensive support to Ukraine and doubling down on economic sanctions against the Kremlin.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Vladimir Putin is already failing in Ukraine. The Ukrainian people have shown themselves to be extraordinarily brave and tenacious in defending their homeland, in the face of an unprovoked onslaught.
“But we cannot and will not stand by while Russia grinds Ukraine’s towns and cities into dust. The United Kingdom will work with our allies to step up military and economic support to Ukraine, strengthening their defences as they turn the tide in this fight.
“One month into this crisis, the international community faces a choice. We can keep the flame of freedom alive in Ukraine, or risk it being snuffed out across Europe and the world.”
The UK has already provided over 4,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine’s armed forces, including Next-Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapons Systems, or NLAWs, and Javelin missiles.
The Government is also supplying Starstreak high-velocity anti-air missiles to help Ukrainians defend themselves against aerial bombings, as well as body armour, helmets and combat boots.
The £25 million in new non-ODA funding from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund will help to pay the salaries of Ukrainian soldiers, pilots and police and ensure the armed forces are well equipped with high-quality equipment.
The UK has committed £400 million in humanitarian and economic support to date, complementing the huge generosity of the British public, and donated more than 4 million items of medical equipment and 500 mobile generators.
In further support announced today, the BBC World Service will receive an additional £4.1 million in emergency funding to support its Ukrainian and Russian language services in the region, and to help it create content to counter disinformation about the war in Ukraine. The funding has been provided by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and FCDO.
The Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, will also chair a meeting of justice and foreign ministers in the Hague today to coordinate support for the International Criminal Court’s war crimes investigations.
The Deputy Prime Minister is expected to announce an additional £1 million in funding for the court, as well as new support from UK soldiers with expertise in intelligence gathering and the Met Police’s War Crimes Team.
A North Edinburgh care home has shown its commitment to helping nurture Scotland’s future rugby stars by taking out a year long sponsorship with a local team.
Helping to subsidise travel costs, pitch maintenance and equipment costs, Cramond Residence’s contribution to Stewart’s Melville RFC comes at an exciting time as the club resumes regular matches following more than a year of restrictions.
The club currently has three XV squads, with the first and second XVs playing in competitive national leagues and has produced 15 international players since being founded in 1973. The first XV are geared up to play in the Tennent’s National League, Division 2 for 2021/2022.
Christian Daraio, Client Liaison Manager and Registered Nurse at the 74-bedroom home, said: “Residents, past and present, have been sport enthusiasts, players in their lifetime or have children or grandchildren involved in the game now.
“We’ve already had one of our residents attend a complimentary whisky tasting and are looking to get those that are interested down to watch a few games in the better weather and experience the game day atmosphere.
“We’re delighted to support Stewart’s Melville as they progress into an exciting 2021/22 season and are looking forward to the year ahead.”
With the biggest feeder system in the country, the club’s Mini section, the Stew Mel Lions, is one of the largest, with 340 boys and girls turning out at Inverleith every Sunday.
Simon Breeze, President of Stewart’s Melville RFC, said “We are extremely thankful to Cramond Residence for sponsoring Stewart’s Melville.Without such good quality local sponsors, amateur clubs like ourselves would struggle to survive.
“We hope this is the beginning of a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Cramond Residence. One of the residents has already attended a whisky tasting at the club and we look forward to welcoming many more to enjoy the rugby and hospitality at Inverleith.”
Cramond Residence provides a combination of luxury accommodation and the highest quality of care, with all residents enjoying a wide range of amenities and activities, delicious food and bespoke care.
The home provides a range of activities specially designed to give those living with dementia a richer and more satisfying life, with specialist facilities and trained staff on hand to provide support & relief.
Edinburgh health and wellbeing charity, Thistle, has launched a pilot ten-week training course for those looking to start or return to work in social care at a time when many are questioning their career choice as we recover from the pandemic.
The Thistle Academy is a first in Scotland and has been launched in response to the growing need for long-term social care support and will provide vital training and guidance for those looking for a career in social care.
Successful applicants will benefit from an intensive training course, as well as a £500 welcome payment and full pay from day one.
Thistle, which employs just under 500 people and supports over a hundred people with disabilities or long term health conditions to live independently across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife, has seen a significant demand for services throughout the pandemic. Many of its employees have come from different sectors looking to move into a role supporting others.
A national Aviva survey* found that three in five UK workers wanted to make changes to their careers because of the pandemic, with those aged between 25 and 34 most likely to want to retrain or pursue a completely different career.
The launch comes as part of the charity’s ongoing recruitment drive and commitment to employee training and development. The in-depth, people-focused course will allow successful applicants to fully develop their confidence before embarking on their social care career.
Heather Simmons, Thistle Academy Lead, said:“We want to ensure the highest standard of support is available for people living with disabilities and long-term health conditions, which is why we are so pleased to be launching our Thistle Academy for the first time and to be helping those looking to take an important next step in their career.
“Our trainees will work alongside a supportive cohort of like-minded people who have a passion to make a difference to the lives of others, encouraging those with disabilities or long-term health conditions to live life to the fullest.”
Mark Hoolahan, Chief Executive of Thistle, commented:“The social care industry is full of highly skilled people who draw on their own experience and natural empathy with others to deliver the best support possible.
“I hope the programme will help attract people who might be looking to make a significant career change and give them the support and confidence they need to progress.
“The last two years have demonstrated the vital role of social care in so many people’s lives. The Thistle Academy is our way of showing how much we value our employees and believe in the real difference they can make.
“I hope we will be able to offer further courses later in the year and that the academy will become a permanent part of our recruitment process going forward.”
Applicants should send in a personal statement and a ‘best selfie’ that demonstrates their values, strengths, interests, and why they would be the best fit for the academy. The closing date for applications is Friday 8 April and the course starts on Monday 25th April.
Finalists will go through to the recruitment day at the Thistle site in Craigmillar, giving them the chance to meet and chat to those supported by the charity, as well as the chance to talk to existing employees.
Case study – Tracey and Emma’s story
Tracey is a mum, runs her own travel consultancy business, and lives some distance away from Emma, who she supports on a one-to-one basis.
Tracey works part-time supporting Emma, including sleepovers in case Emma needs support during the night, which fits well into Tracey’s routine.
Tracey acknowledges being a mum to three boys as being good preparation for her role at Thistle. She said: “You’re always having to listen, think ahead, adapt plans and deal with the unexpected. That gave me confidence.
“I still work as a travel agent and learned from my Thistle experience. One specialism I have added is that I now can offer accessible holidays for people with disabilities.
“The most rewarding aspect of my role at Thistle is helping Emma live the life that she wants. We really do have lots of fun and laughs together.”
Case study – Garry’s story
For more than 30 years, Garry was an engineer and enjoyed the variety he found in this role. He started in Naval defence, working on the design of ships and travelled regularly for work, and then moved to the oil and gas sector where he was able to work locally in Fife.
Garry had begun to feel the motivation he once had for his job disappear, and when the pandemic hit and the option for voluntary redundancy came about, he took it, and started to reflect on what he wanted his working legacy to be.
Garry’s personal experience led him to consider support work as the next step in his career. After losing his aunty, his uncle moved into sheltered housing, and Garry became aware of how isolated his uncle was during the pandemic and the many challenges he was faced. Garry soon realised that there were many people like his uncle in the same situation and started looking for job adverts in social care.
Garry said: “The number of jobs advertised for social work made me realise how much of a need there is, but I felt my chance of getting my foot in the door, given my background, was slim.
“Christine, a coach at Thistle, was great, explaining that Thistle would provide training and that the right person was more important than previous experience.”
Garry has now been working with Thistle for nearly a year and works closely with a visually impaired man to help him make the most out of life, taking him on day trips all over Scotland and supporting his passion for music.
Garry continued:“Since I’ve started working at Thistle, I’ve realised the amount of people from every walk of life who need support.
“It’s an important role, and it’s rewarding knowing you are making a difference.”
The Department for Work and Pensions is laying emergency regulations today (Monday 21 March 2022) so those arriving in the UK from Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion can access Universal Credit and jobs support immediately.
Ukrainians will also be eligible for Housing Benefit, Pension Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Child Disability Living Allowance and Carers Allowance, and Attendance Allowance. Contributions-based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), and Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) are also available for those Ukrainians who meet the criteria.
Translation services are available to help new arrivals with phone applications, with Work Coaches in DWP Jobcentres on hand to support people making claims online.
DWP staff are also delivering additional face-to-face assistance to those who need it – including tailored support to find work and advice on benefit eligibility – and will continue to do so.
Without the emergency legislation people arriving from Ukraine would be subject to the Habitual Residence Test, meaning they would have to wait up to three months before being able to receive income-related benefits, including Universal Credit.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Thérèse Coffey said: “My priority is that people fleeing the unimaginable horrors in Ukraine to seek safety here get the support and help they need from day one to move forward in their lives immediately.
Financial Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Frazer said: “It is vital that families coming from Ukraine can support their children from the moment they arrive, and by adjusting child benefit rules and ramping up our support, the tax system is pivoting to ensure this happens.
Salvation Army Refugee Response co-ordinator Major Nick Coke said: “We welcome the news that Ukrainians coming to the UK will be able to access benefits immediately and for those who are able, help to find suitable work.
“With offices on the ground in Ukraine and the border countries providing emergency food and shelter, The Salvation Army sees first-hand the trauma those displaced by war have experienced.
“It is fitting that they receive targeted help when seeking refuge in the UK.”
