Tag: Young people

Youth Awards for city projects

Youth Work in Edinburgh has been celebrated with four national awards for the capital’s youth work.

Caitlin McKinnon, of The Fruit market Gallery picked up the National Youth Participation Award. She has been the driving force behind the development of Fresh Fruit, a collaboration of young people and artists exploring new ideas through innovative exhibitions. It is the only project of its kind in Edinburgh and is an exemplar in Scotland.

Caitlin has partnered with young people to review and reshape the programme, creating a safe space for co-production and informal learning. Participants were paired with prominent artist Jacqueline Donachie and tasked with programming three annual exhibition events at the gallery, each attracting up to 300 people. In 2019, these events were extended beyond the youth programme to be part of the galleries main programme.

Speaking after receiving her award, Caitlin said: “Creative opportunities with and for young people at The Fruitmarket Gallery are relevant and engaging because they are led by young people.

“Their voices are essential to shaping the right opportunities and structure for the Fresh Fruit programme that enables them to take the lead in a supported way, working alongside artists and staff.

I’m proud to win the Youth Participation and Voice award and see it as a joint win with Fresh Fruit, as recognition of the work we do together. It’s so great to be part of the awards as an art gallery with a youth programme among so many fantastic organisations working with young people.

“I’m looking forward to the next phase of Fresh Fruit as we build on our long term partnerships with youth and community organisations in Edinburgh to give young people access to creative skills development and the confidence and sense of wellbeing that arts experiences bring.”

Fresh Fruit participant Tosia Bargielowska Johnsen said: “My biggest surprise was how willing Caitlin and the gallery was to push forward strong but risky ideas, rather than resorting to safer yet less challenging solutions.

“I genuinely felt as if we were co-producing, rather than just passing on the crayons.”

Local project Scran Academy was runner-up for the National Attainment and Skills Award, for the work experience opportunities given to young people.

Scran Academy, based at Fel-Lor Youth Centre, is a social enterprise that not only tastes good, it does good! Young people gain first-hand work experience in a dynamic food and drink social start-up, helping them actively shape their own learner journey.

Scran Academy supports the most vulnerable to transition beyond the classroom into the workplace and wider life. Its recipe for success is to focus on what young people can do, not what they don’t have. The result of this approach is that young people feel listened to and empowered to make positive decisions in their own lives.

One care experienced young person, now 16, said: “I am now a scaffolder, my dream job! I’ve learned I’m a really hard worker but I didn’t know that until Scran, it has changed me and I want to say thank you for being there for me.

“For the future, all I want is a nice house with a family; a year ago I wasn’t thinking about these things, but now I can.”

Youth Development Coordinator Charlie Johnson said: “Scran Academy enabled me to do many different things and gave me a chance to work hard.

“I’ve had a few blips along the way and not always been an angel, but Scran gave me the chance to overcome my issues and prove myself. I learned that I am a really hard worker and since then, I’ve kept going and not stopped grafting.

“Scran felt more like a family. It has been so great for my personal and skills development. Since leaving Scran, things have been great. They helped me with my employability, CV and even helped me get a paid job as a trainee youth worker.

“I still love my job now and continuing to grow and mature – and I am also now doing my Diploma.”

Khaleda Noon was a finalist for Inspirational Leader of the Year for her work with intercultural young people in Edinburgh.

“This is a movement.” That is the statement on the IYS website, and a fitting testament to the youth work leader Khaleda Noon is. She set up, developed and delivered Intercultural Youth Scotland with a culture of co-creation and co-leadership, with young people embedded in its DNA from the very beginning.

During Khaleda’s time working on BAME projects at Action for Children, she became convinced of the power of culture – specifically music, dance and spoken word – to make a positive impact on the lives of intercultural young people in Edinburgh.

As she developed this idea, she took the courageous decision to leave her job and devote countless unpaid hours to grow IYS into what it is today.

Her determination, drive and energy has taken IYS from an idea to an active charity within 18 months, with successful funding bids enabling her to employ youth workers and find a permanent base for the organisation.

Board Member Katrina Castle said: “Khaleda encapsulates the essence of inspirational leadership. Her idea, to enable young, intercultural voices to be heard, by providing specialised services to nurture talent and create social impact has become a thriving, effective reality – Intercultural Youth Scotland.

“IYS has been successful in such a short period of time because Khaleda creates a culture of trust and belief, ensuring the needs, opinions and interests of young people are at the heart of everything, while enabling them to develop the tools and confidence to express their ideas, deliver their vision and drive the work of IYS forward.”

And runner-up for National Youth Work Team of the Year is The Yard Fun & Friendship Club.

The project plays  is a vital part of any child’s personal and social development, but with mainstream services often difficult to access for children and young people with disabilities, opportunities to socialise with peers can be hard to come by.

This is where The Yard comes in, providing specialist fun and friendship clubs where disabled young people can come together in a supported environment.

The Yard has successfully developed inclusive programmes to increase the social, emotional and practical life skills of the children involved, allowing the young people to build positive mental wellbeing, self-esteem and confidence through new, exciting activities.

Having fine-tuned its model, The Yard has now developed a toolkit to enable it to upskill groups and local authorities to spread its model across Scotland.

The Yard currently delivers respite clubs for around 2000 disabled children across three clubs in Edinburgh, plus two smaller centres in Dundee and Fife.

Celine Sinclair, Chief Executive at the Yard, said: “We are delighted to be runner-up for Team of the Year at the 13th National Youth Work Awards. At The Yard, our success is largely due to our talented team of trained and experienced specialist play workers who inspire, guide and support the children who come to play.

“They are also a source of advice and support for the whole family. Our play team work very closely with the young people we support through our fun and friendship clubs for teens, ensuring that being part of a club at The Yard is a great, inclusive and fun experience for each individual.”

Commenting, Tim Frew, CEO of YouthLink Scotland said: “Youth work is one of our great national assets. The National Youth Work Awards are in their 13th year and it’s clear our sector makes a significant difference to the life chances and opportunities of young people across Scotland.

“These awards showcase our impact because without youth work, the landscape of our society would be much changed and not for the better. These projects in Edinburgh are a great example of how youth work invests in this and future generations of young people. So let’s take our message out there that now is the time to #InvestInYouthWork.”

The National Youth Work Awards 2020 are all about celebrating the power of incredible youth work and the vital role of Scotland’s 70,000 youth work volunteers and staff in the lives of our young people.

This national event is co-designed with young people, who have been involved in the judging and the planning of the night.

The Awards dinner took place on Wednesday 12 March 2020 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow, hosted by BAFTA award winning actress, Jane McCarry, aka ‘Isa’ from Still Game.

Speaking after the Awards, John Swinney MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills said: “It is fantastic that so many individuals and groups are being recognised in the 13th National Youth Awards for their excellent work to invest in both current and future generations of young people.

“Youth work plays a vital role in expanding young people’s experiences and supporting them to achieve their potential. These awards show how by reaching out and, in many cases, providing a lifeline to so many young people can enhance their opportunities and help them become confident individuals and effective contributors.”

 

GRAHAM supports Women Into Construction initiative

Young women from across Central Scotland participating in the ‘Women into Construction’ programme have completed a three-day course to build a wind turbine, facilitated by leading contractor GRAHAM.

‘Women into Construction’ has been devised by Action for Children to encourage more females into the construction industry, where women currently only account for 14% of the workforce.

GRAHAM is a lead partner of the initiative and arranged for the group of young women to take part in the wind turbine project with ConStructEd Scotland at Sibbald’s training facility at Blackridge, to further develop their learning and gain practical, real life construction experience.

The hands-on course has seen the group manage all aspects of the wind turbine construction project from the ground up. Working outdoors in the elements, the team have built formwork, tested and poured concrete before erecting the turbine mast and assembling the electrics to generate power.

Each stage of construction has involved learning and using a variety of materials, tools and skills which can be put to good use in the working world when the programme ends.

Across the duration of the seven-week training programme, the young women from Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian will learn about various sectors of the construction industry; each aspiring to secure an apprenticeship in their chosen field after they graduate from the course in May.

Suzanne Stevenson, Social Impact Advisor for GRAHAM said: “There is a significant gender imbalance in the construction sector, so initiatives like ‘Women into Construction’ provide a strong platform to show just how rewarding and varied a career in construction can be.

“As a company, GRAHAM looks to provide as many opportunities as possible to the younger generation, including apprenticeship schemes and funding further education. It’s been a pleasure to watch the young women progress throughout the course and we look forward to supporting them in their futures where possible.”

Charlie Douglas, 16, from Bonnyrigg, a participant on the ‘Women into Construction’ programme said: “The ‘Women into Construction’ programme has been a brilliant experience and opportunity for me.

“I grew up watching my dad and brother work in construction and I’ve loved being able to train in the same field, as part of an all-female group. The course has made me feel far more comfortable and confident as everyone is in the same position, learning the basics together.

“The wind turbine project was a great way to get some hands-on experience and now I’d really like to take this further and explore a career in the construction industry.”

GRAHAM is a member of the “5% Club”, an organisation consisting of companies committed to ensuring 5% of their workforce over the next five years is comprised of young people on structured learning schemes.

Those interested in applying for an apprenticeship with GRAHAM in Scotland are encouraged to send a CV and covering letter to: Glasgow.GrahamAcademy@graham.co.u

Children’s mental health services ‘creaking at the seams’

  • The NHS in Scotland failed to meet a maximum 18-week waiting time target for children and young people to receive treatment from mental health services
  • More than a third are waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment.
  • 11 out of 14 health boards, including NHS Lothian, failed to meet the 18-week waiting time target.
  • 272 children and young people waited more than a year prior to being seen
  • Coalition calls for fundamental rethink and renewed focus on prevention and early intervention, including embedding mental health within education.

Latest waiting time figures have reinforced the call by a coalition of leading independent and third sector children and young people’s service providers for dramatically increased investment in mental health services in the budget to address the current mental health crisis.

It has also called for an urgent need for transformational change in services, focusing on prevention and early intervention in order to tackle what is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time.

The call from the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), which campaigns to improve services for vulnerable children and young people, comes as the latest waiting time figures from the Information Services Division, part of NHS National Services Scotland, highlight that thousands of children and young people are failing to treated within a Scottish Government waiting time target.  

With an increasing number of children and young people being identified with mental health problems they also highlight a postcode lottery for mental health treatment across the country.

Covering the quarter October to December 2019, the figures highlight that 3,884 children and young people started treatment at specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in this period.

The NHS in Scotland, including 11 of the 14 regional health boards, failed to meet the Scottish Government 18-week waiting time target for children and young people to receive treatment from CAMHS. This target should be delivered for at least 90 per cent of patients.

While 66.4 per cent in the NHS in Scotland are being seen within this 18-week waiting time, still in itself far too long, more than a third (33.6 per cent) are failing to be seen within this period.

Individual health boards failing to meet this target are: NHS Fife (66.1 per cent), NHS Ayrshire & Arran (89.9 per cent), NHS Grampian (80.1 per cent), NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (68.9 per cent), NHS Highland (75.2 per cent), NHS Lanarkshire (57.8 per cent), NHS Lothian (48.4 per cent), NHS Tayside (57.4 per cent), NHS Dumfries & Galloway (88.6 per cent), NHS Shetland and NHS Forth Valley (57.7 per cent).

The figures also indicate that 272 children and young people in the October to December quarter had been waiting for more than a year prior to being seen for treatment, an increase from 204 in the previous quarter and a considerable increase from the  same quarter of last year (108).

Mental health services are creaking at the seams due to greatly increasing demand, as evidenced by these waiting time figures. Research indicates that 10 per cent of children and young people (aged five to 16) has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem (around three in every classroom), with 50 per cent of mental health problems established by the age of 14 and 75 per cent by the age of 24.

While acknowledging the great efforts the Scottish Government is making, such as an additional £250 million of funding announced in the Programme for Government of 2018, the SCSC has called for the Scottish Government to greatly increased investment in CAMHS and for a more consistent approach to delivering these services across Scotland. 3

It has also called for a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention for those with mental health problem, reducing the need for referral to under-pressure specialist CAMHS.

This includes embedding mental health within education from an early age in order to strengthen knowledge and awareness of mental health, as well as reducing the stigma associated with mental health.

SCSC says emotion and resilience classes should be provided to all students from primary one to teach students how to work through their emotions in a healthy way and there should be a whole-school approach, with training for all staff involved in education and providing counselling support.

A spokesperson for the SCSC said: “These latest waiting time figures highlight that we desperately need increased investment in the forthcoming budget to address this situation. The simple fact is that we are continuing to fail thousands of children and young people with mental health problems, and more clearly needs to be done to address this epidemic.

“These newly released figures highlight that the NHS in Scotland, including eleven of our health boards, are failing to meet what is already a lengthy waiting time. Yet we know that three children in every classroom has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem.

“There must be a radical transformation of our mental health services, with a focus on preventing such problems arising in the first place and intervening early, especially when we know that half of all mental health problems begin before the age of 14.  This includes embedding mental health within education from an early age as well as providing training for all staff involved in education.

“With mental health and the issues associated with it representing one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, we must ensure that children and young people are able to get the care and support they need, when they need it. This includes investing in greater community support and support at school, reducing the need for referral to specialist CAMHS.”

One in three young people in the Lothians are waiting over a year for mental health support.

Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative Lothian MSP, said: “It is deeply concerning that we are now in a situation where over a third of young people referred for mental health support in NHS Lothian are having to wait over a year.

“SNP Ministers have allowed us to reach crisis point by not properly managing NHS Lothian’s workforce and must take responsibility for neglecting to take action over the mental health crisis amongst young people.

“These figures show just how urgently we need an additional 40 whole time equivalent mental health professionals in NHS Lothian.”

Five suicidal children A DAY helped by Childline in Scotland

  • NSPCC launches Kids In Real Life (#KIDS_IRL) to save young lives, in real life
  • Hard-hitting campaign backed by Childline founder Esther Rantzen

The NSPCC has revealed that on average five children a day in Scotland are receiving help from its Childline service as they struggle with suicidal thoughts and feelings.

In 2018/19 Childline delivered 1,781 counselling sessions to young people in Scotland, who were plagued by a sense of despair – a 90% increase from three years ago.

The total number of counselling sessions in the UK for this concern was 24,447 in 2018/19 – with most of those reaching out being teenagers, but there has also been a sharp rise in under 11s receiving help (87% since 2015/16).

Young people contacting Childline with suicidal thoughts and feelings cited specific concerns about mental health, self-harm, family relationships and problems at school and college. Girls were more likely to talk about these feelings, with five times as many receiving counselling sessions than boys.

In response, the NSPCC is today launching a nationwide campaign – KIDS In Real Life – urging the public to help them save a child’s life, in real life.

#KIDS_IRL is highlighting that with so much of childhood today happening online, there are more ways than ever for children to hide how they really feel.

But behind the filters, feed and emojis, many of them are suffering. Some are even thinking about taking their own life.

The NSPCC is calling on people to show their support through a ‘Pledge to Protect’ and make a donation to fund vital services like Childline, which are there for children and teenagers when they have nowhere else to turn.

#KIDS_IRL is being brought to life by a series of hard-hitting films and adverts to raise awareness of the struggles many children and teenagers face across the country.

The stories of children and young people featured throughout the campaign are based on real life experiences of young people who have contacted the NSPCC.

Hollie suffered from chronic anxiety as a teenager which led her to try and take her own life. She says she was saved by Childline: “Following a suicide attempt I contacted Childline and spoke to a counsellor about how I was feeling. It was that conversation that stopped me from trying to take my life again when I got off the phone. 

“Over the next couple of years, I stopped talking, walking, eating and taking care of myself. There were also more stays in hospital.

“Yet despite not talking to anyone, I would often call Childline and chat to a counsellor when I was feeling low. The service was my lifeline during my darkest hours.” 

Since launching its online chat service, the demand for support and advice from Childline has continued to rise.

Esther Rantzen, Founder and President of Childline, said: “When we launched Childline in 1986, the majority of calls were from young people describing pain caused by someone else, this could include abuse, bullying or neglect.

“But over the last ten years we have seen a rise in the number of children describing their feelings of such intense unhappiness that they tell Childline they want to end their own lives. It is deeply disturbing that we have reached a point where, on average, 67 children a day are receiving help for suicidal thoughts and feelings.

“This new campaign highlights that many of these profoundly unhappy young people hide their feelings to those around them online, bottling up their suicidal thoughts which may become overwhelming.

“Worryingly we don’t have the resources to be there for every child who needs us, which is why it is so important the public get behind #KIDS_IRL and supports the NSPCC in their mission to be there for all the young people who reach out in their darkest hour.”

Mentoring programme rolled out across capital

THE City of Edinburgh Council and award-winning charity, MCR Pathways, have joined forces to expand a life-changing mentoring Programme throughout the capital.

The annoucement follows the recent Care Review’s recommendations which highlighted the vital need for relationship-based practice in schools, including mentoring, to better support young people with experience of the care system.

The Care Review Report states: “Mentoring has a significant positive impact on children and young people who receive it, with evidence that it can improve educational attainment. Schools must also be supported to encourage and develop mentoring relationships for those who would benefit.”

MCR Pathways will help disadvantaged young people in Edinburgh, including those who are care-experienced, to build aspirations and fulfil their potential.

Edinburgh’s commitment is to support and inspire 500 young people, over the next three years – to want to stay on in school, get the most from their education and progress with confidence to college, university and employment of their choice.

The expansion in Edinburgh follows the publication of ScotCen’s independent three-year study on MCR Pathways’ relationship-based mentoring programme.

The study found that MCR mentoring is making a statistically significant impact on educational outcomes for Scotland’s most disadvantaged young people.

ScotCen found mentoring delivers a 25.3 percentage point increase in the number of care-experienced young people progressing to a university, college or a job. In another measure, the attainment gap was closed.

MCR Pathways’ Young Edinburgh Talent has been successfully piloted at Craigroyston Community High School since October 2018 and will immediately be rolled out to a further eight schools – Broughton High School, Drummond Community High School, Forrester High School, Gracemount High School, Leith Academy, Liberton High School, St. Augustine’s High School and Wester Hailes Education Centre.

At the core of the MCR programme are weekly mentoring sessions between a young person and their mentor, who commits an hour of their time to meet in school each week. Mentors are fully trained and give their time to listen and encourage a young person.

Building caring and trusting relationships is at the heart of the Care Review Recommendations and MCR mentoring is a highly effective way for this to be implemented.

MCR Pathways is now looking for more volunteer mentors to get involved and help reach young people across the city. Andrew Kerr, City of Edinburgh Council’s CEO is leading by example with his commitment to become an MCR mentor, whilst encouraging his colleagues to sign up.

Andrew Kerr, chief executive of the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I am thrilled that many more young people, throughout Edinburgh, will be able to benefit from mentoring and the wider MCR Pathways programme. This programme works and we have already seen the huge success it is having at Craigroyston Community High School.

“I encourage fellow Council colleagues and members of the public to get involved and help us improve the lives and futures of our city’s young people. Together we have the power to help them flourish.

“The recent Care Review highlighted the vital need for positive nurturing relationships to support care-experienced young people and I believe that, with this partnership, MCR Pathways will play a vital role in helping us fulfil our corporate parenting role.”

Established in 2007, MCR Pathways provides support to almost 2,300 young people throughout Scotland each week. Going citywide in Edinburgh is the latest development of MCR Pathways’ national rollout.

The Scottish Government is now being called on to make MCR mentoring a permanent feature of the education system and a right for every care-experienced pupil.

The recently-published Independent Care Review has emphasised the necessity of incorporating education, Third Sector and other caring adults into Scotland’s reformed Care System and giving vital support to schools for them to encourage and develop mentoring relationships.

Iain MacRitchie (above), founder of MCR Pathways, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with Edinburgh City Council and secondary schools to launch the Young Edinburgh Talent programme in the Capital.

“We are seeing across Scotland the transformational difference that positive relationships and role models can make to young people, not to mention the powerful and positive impact it has on the mentors.

“Our work in Edinburgh is an important and fantastic milestone in our journey. It enables us to help more young people who will flourish with the one:one support an MCR mentor can bring. We are very excited to be working with council colleagues, schools, and our partner organisations in Edinburgh to help our most disadvantaged young people to be determined by their talent and never their circumstances.

“Our vision is that every care-experienced and disadvantaged young person in Scotland gets the same education outcomes, career opportunities and life chances as every other young person. With the strength and depth of our partnerships with Local and National Government, we can make this happen across the country.”

Audrey Cumberford MBE – principal, Edinburgh College, said: “Edinburgh College is really pleased to see the formal introduction of the life-changing work of MCR Pathways to Edinburgh Schools.

“We have been working closely with Dr Iain MacRitchie and his team, over the last 18 months, to create a physical home for the organisation in our Granton Campus and many of our lecturers and support staff have been selected and trained as willing mentors, waiting to be matched to the right young person.

“The college would highly recommend mentoring to all of our educational and industry partners in Edinburgh as a brilliant way to support our young people to rise to their potential!”

Further information on the MCR Pathways programme and how to become a mentor is available at www.mcrpathways.org.

Volunteers will be fully trained – they just need to give an hour per week to change a life.

Case studies

Three students from Craigroyston Community High School

Mentee, Danna, and her mentor, Sarah 

Danna was 14 when she was matched with her mentor, Sarah, a retired university professor. At the time Danna was a quiet student and lacking in confidence.

Danna says: “I was a bit confused about what I wanted to do with my future. But like when I got my mentor it’s kind of opened new doors and I now see the different opportunities and what I can do in the future. I appreciate education a lot more now because I realise that coming to school can actually be extremely beneficial for me.”

Sarah has already noticed a difference in Danna’s confidence and focus and the pair enjoy meeting weekly. Sarah says: “Danna is much more outgoing and she’s been through some tough times and, she’s come through the other side. She’s on track for being the best she possibly can be and also being happy.”

Carol-Ann

Carol-Ann was matched with her mentor, Maddy, last May. At the time, she had poor timekeeping and didn’t always take school seriously. Now, Carol-Ann shares that her mentor is a great listener and helps reassure her when things aren’t going too well. She’s become a lot more engaged with school and the pair work together to overcome challenges and help Carol-Anne focus on her future.

Reece

Reece has just recently met his mentor. He was particularly keen to be matched with someone who has similar creative interests, such as cooking and writing. Reece tells his MCR co-ordinator in the school, Laura Keast, how pleased he is to see his mentor each week, being “one of the best things about school just now” and Laura has already seen a difference in attendance.

Heading Out!

The Scottish FA has published updated heading guidelines for all age groups from six to 17 years old.

The guidance will be introduced with immediate effect and will provide clubs, coaches, players and parents with clarity on the governing body’s recommended coaching approach to heading in training sessions and in matches.

The Scottish FA recommends no heading practice in children’s football, defined as primary school age, and a graduated approach in youth football, defined as secondary school age.

It comes in light of the study led by the University of Glasgow, published in October  last year, which reveals the first major insights into lifelong health outcomes in former professional footballers.

Although there was no evidence in the study to suggest that heading the ball was the cause to the link with incidence of degenerative neurocognitive disease, the updated heading guidelines have been produced in consultation with UEFA and The English FA to mitigate against any potential future risks being established.

The recommendations will incorporate all children’s and youth football in Scotland and include the following recommendations:

  • Heading should not be introduced in training sessions from the age of six through to 11.
  • Heading should be considered a low coaching priority between the ages of 12 to 15 years however training sessions can be introduced. These should be limited to one session of no more than five headers per week at 13 years, increasing to 10 headers per session at 14 and 15.
  • It is acknowledged that heading will begin to form part of the game at 12 and should be permitted, however, coaches are encouraged to promote a style of play that limits long passing.
  • Heading burden will remain restricted to one training session per week for 16 and 17 year olds and coaches should be mindful of limiting repetitions during that session.

The updated guidelines have been overseen by the Scottish FA Medical Consultant, Dr John MacLean, who co-authored the FIELD study report, in consultation with Andrew Gould, the Scottish FA’s Head of Football Development. It has also been approved by the Scottish FA Board and endorsed by the Non-Professional Game Board.

Ian Maxwell, Scottish FA Chief Executive, said: “While it is important to re-emphasise there is no research to suggest that heading in younger age groups was a contributory factor in the findings of the FIELD study into professional footballers, nevertheless Scottish football has a duty of care to young people, their parents and those responsible for their wellbeing throughout youth football.

“The updated guidelines are designed to help coaches remove repetitive and unnecessary heading from youth football in the earliest years, with a phased introduction at an age group considered most appropriate by our medical experts.

“It is important to reassure that heading is rare in youth football matches but we are clear that the guidelines should mitigate any potential risks. We will also look to monitor and review the guidance as part of our commitment to making the national game a safe and enjoyable environment for young people.

“I would like to thank our colleagues at the English FA for their collaboration in this process and UEFA’s Medical Committee for their guidance.”

Dr John MacLean added: “I am proud that the Scottish FA has taken a positive, proactive and proportionate approach to the findings of the FIELD study. Scottish football has taken a lead on the subject of head injury and trauma in sport, from becoming the first country in the world to produce cross-sport concussion guidelines – If In Doubt, Sit Them Out – to having one of the most advanced medical education programmes in sport.

“Since the publication of the report we have consulted with colleagues on the football and medical sides at The English FA and UEFA and I believe the guidance will help provide reassurance for young players and their parents nationwide.”

Scottish FA Heading Guidelines

Scottish FA Heading Guidelines FAQs

Help to choose a different life

An award-winning project working to divert young people away from a life in organised crime has begun work in Edinburgh.

  • Edinburgh first part of a UK-wide roll-out for internationally recognised project diverting young people away from a life in serious organised crime
  • Former young offenders act as ‘peer mentors’ to help children escape from a life of serious organised crime
  • Analysis shows fewer than one in 10 young people reoffended after involvement in the programme
  • Run by Action for Children and funded with £4.6m from The National Lottery Community Fund, the project will target ‘high-risk’ 11-18-year-olds in Edinburgh.

Action for Children’s Serious Organised Crime Early Intervention service has been running in Glasgow since 2013. As part of a roll-out to areas across the UK, funded by £4.6 million from The National Lottery Community Fund, it will now support young people in Edinburgh on the cusp of organised crime.

The internationally recognised project uses ‘peer mentors’, many themselves former young offenders, to support young people on the cusp of organised crime. Analysis into the programme has showed that out of 49 young people supported over a year, just four offended after receiving support.

Now launching in Edinburgh, the service will offer targeted support to 11 to 18-year-olds through intensive one-to-one support, peer mentoring, education and employment training.

Since launching in Glasgow in 2013 the project has worked with more than a 150 young people. The service was created by Paul Carberry, the charity’s Director for Scotland, after he was invited to join the Scottish Government’s ‘Serious Organised Crime Task force’. There, he chairs the ‘Divert’ strand which has the objective of diverting young people from becoming involved in Serious Organised Crime and using its products.

In 2017/18, a study from Glasgow City Council showed that by diverting four ‘high risk’ young people from secure care, the project represented a saving of over half a million pounds for the council over a six-month period. (see Notes to Editors).

In November 2019 the project won the ‘Young People’s Project of the Year’ at the Herald Society award and this was followed up with the ‘Excellence’ award in December at the prestigious European Social Services Awards.

Councillor Alison Dickie, Education Vice Convener of Education, Children and Families for the City of Edinburgh Council, and one of the two elected members on the Public Protection Committee, said: “There is absolutely nothing more important than protecting our children and the success Action for Children have achieved with this project cannot be under-estimated.

“Serious organised crime has a significant impact on the lives of young people, their families and local communities. This project works by intervening early and helping vulnerable young people who risk getting dragged into a downward spiral of crime which they then can’t escape.

“It is right that Edinburgh has been chosen as the next city to benefit from the service and I’m convinced it will have a positive impact on turning some of our most vulnerable young people’s lives around. As part of this work, it is essential that we raise awareness and increase training for professionals in this area so that they can spot the signs of young people being exploited before it’s too late.

“The Council works really closely with police, schools and other partners in tackling and preventing crime and this new project will significantly build on the positive work already taking place in Edinburgh.”

Paul Carberry, Action for Children Director for Scotland and chair of the ‘Divert’ strand of the Serious Organised Crime Task Force, said: “We are very proud to be launching our Serious Organised Crime Early Intervention service to Edinburgh.

“Each year, we will be working with 80 young people in Edinburgh. Many of these young people are heavily embedded in organised crime, growing up in families where organised crime has been a generational thing. So, for them, it isn’t a quick fix, they require a prolonged period of work and have previously refused to work with other statutory services. We recognise the need to give young people alternatives, we need to get them into employment and get them the right support and help.

“We believe that the best way to do this is by example and giving young people role models who have been on the journey themselves and our ‘Peer Mentors’ are our most powerful tool.

“Since 2013, this project has worked intensively with more than 150 young people across Glasgow, diverting them away from a life in serious organised crime and into positive opportunities including education, training and employment. The role of Peer Mentors has been critical to that.

“We are proud to be now working in partnership with Edinburgh City Council, Police Scotland and the Scottish Government to deliver this ground-breaking work. When it comes to dealing with serious organised crime, Scotland is leading the way. Now, thanks to funding from The National Lottery, we are able to deliver this work in Edinburgh.”

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf MSP said: “It is essential to do everything possible to prevent children and young people being drawn into serious organised crime and to stop the cycles of lifetime offending. 

“The fact that fewer than 1 in 10 of those supported by this project went on to reoffend is testament to powerful role that peer-mentors play in encouraging young people to make positive life choices. I congratulate Action for Children, the National Lottery and other partners in extending this life-changing and potentially life-saving project to Edinburgh.”

Neil Ritch, National Lottery Community Fund Director for Scotland, said: “The Serious Organised Crime Early Intervention service is a great example of a successful service which began in Scotland and is now being replicated in other areas of the UK, thanks to £4.6 million of National Lottery funding.

“I’m delighted that Edinburgh is one of the places that will be able to benefit from this expansion which will give many more young people the opportunity to make positive life changing choices.”

The project will also be rolled out in Newcastle and Cardiff in April.

Case study:

Kieran* (19) has been supported by Action for Children’s Serious Organised Crime Early Intervention service. Life is a lot less volatile for him now, he lives with his girlfriend and has a full-time job in a kitchen. But life was very different growing up.

He grew up in a Glasgow estate, rife with drugs and drug dealing. It was almost natural for Kieran to fall into a criminal way of life. “When you live where I did, you didn’t really have a choice,” he said. “Up and down the stairs in the flats I stayed in there were people injecting into their arms. I saw that from the age of five.”

Not long out of primary school, he came to the attention of organised crime groups in the area and was given drugs to sell. “By 11, I was selling drugs and being paid in cigarettes. It started with cannabis then moved to valium and harder stuff including heroin.”

As he grew older, the nature of the crimes became more serious. “I was involved with gangs, battering people, stealing cars to order and selling drugs – it was all about making money. As I got older, if people didn’t pay us, we were sent to their door. It was out of control however, that’s what we were told to do and if we wanted money, we did it.”

Eventually, as the crimes got more serious and violent, the police became involved. Kieran knew he needed to make a break away from his criminal ties and hasn’t looked back since being referred to the Action for Children project.

“I couldn’t go back there now – the same people are still in control of that estate. It would have been a lot easier to stay where I was and making the money I was, but it was made through violence and drugs. That’s my old life and I’m glad it’s not the life I have now. It’s not the future I want for my family.”

CashBack support for Police youth projects

A police-led partnership initiative aimed at diverting young people from criminal activity in Edinburgh is to receive Scottish Government funding.

As part of the CashBack for Communities Scheme, £19 million, which was seized from criminals, is to be shared with a range of organisations to further their work in diverting at risk youths away from potentially criminal or anti-social behaviour.

One such project receiving a share of this funding is VOW, a unique collaborative project, where police in the Capital work along a number of partners to engage and empower vulnerable young-people to make positive life choices.

This partnership helps break the cycle of offending and prevent individuals from continually entering the criminal justice system. So far 167 young people have been helped through the work of the team and the funding will ensure this vital work continues and even expands.

Also receiving Cashback support is Police Scotland’s award- winning partnership project with City of Edinburgh Council, Turn Your Life Around (TYLA).

Turn Your Life Around is a mental health and wellbeing project where local volunteers with a range of difficult childhood experiences are supported to share their stories of adversity and resilience with school pupils, families and staff.

Pupils at the schools are then given a platform to discuss the stories, reflect on risk and resilience factors and encouraged to seek help if they are experiencing similar difficulties.

The nature of these projects means that officers, peer mentors and volunteers are regularly asked to revisit, share or support childhood trauma and this funding will be used to provide trauma counselling and additional support for all those involved in delivering these services and will augment the existing skills they already have.

This in turn will increase the capacity for them to help young people turn their lives around.

Chief Superintendent Sean Scott, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh said: “This partnership and public health approach, using these inspirational peer mentors and courageous young volunteers, was a first of its kind here in Scotland.

“The proof that it works is testament to the number of young people that have managed to turn their lives around and the fact that on average the young people who engage with the peer mentors and officers manage to reduce their offending by around 80%.

“Traditionally, it has been difficult for police to identify and engage with at risk youths while working in isolation. This collaboration opens a number of doors, not only in preventing further criminal activity, but signposting those we engage with to a range of support services that can help them make positive lifestyle choices.

“With this essential funding, the excellent foundations and work that has already been commenced, will be continued and expanded to include trauma counselling, with the model being rolled out in Glasgow and other Policing Divisions looking to follow suit.

“This peer mentoring project transforms not only the lives of the young people who engage and take part, but transforms their families and communities, through working in partnership to deliver prevention and interventions that have been evaluated and proved to work at reducing harm”

Councillor Ian Perry, Education, Community and Families Convener at City of Edinburgh Council said: “This funding is fantastic news and will help the programmes continue to go from strength to strength.

“Set up in 2016 with Police Scotland, the Turn Your Life Around project delivered by the Health & Wellbeing Team was recently recognised as Education Initiative of the Year by Herald Society Awards.

“This is testimony to the feedback received from over 1000 children, young people and staff in schools last year who heard the inspiring stories from the TYLA volunteers and were involved in follow up sessions.

“It is of paramount importance that the volunteers are also appropriately supported and this funding will ensure we can continue to provide this as the project continues.”

New befriending service for physically disabled young people

We believe young people are the experts in their own lives. We also believe young people can play an active role in our communities.

Ecas has a new service for physically disabled young people ages 18 to 30 living in Edinburgh and Lothian.

We will work with you to identify goals and plans based on your unique circumstances. By meeting at a pace that suits you, we will support you to identify your own solutions, navigate opportunities available, and realise your potential.

How it works:

  • You enquire about the service or make a referral
  • You have an initial meeting with the Outreach Officer so you can get to know more about the service and we can get to know you
  • We will plan together at a pace that works for you
  • We’ll have regular meetings to develop your actions and mark progress
  • You will move on from the service when you’re ready

More detail is available in this overview.

Enquire and make a referral:

  • If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more, please contact our Outreach Officer Megan.
  • If you’re ready to participate or make a referral, please fill out an application form.