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SECTION 3 SUPPORTING STRONGER, SAFER COMMUNITIES
Introduction
This section reports on the Executive's achievements in the areas of Children and Young People, Justice, Social Justice and Tourism, Culture and Sport.
In 2003 we made a commitment to work across portfolios to support stronger, safer communities. Then, as now, our overarching aim is to improve the quality of life for everyone in Scotland - from children in care to communities suffering from anti-social behaviour. We want to build communities where people feel safe and live together in contentment and mutual respect - and where our children and young people are inspired to be purposeful, confident, responsible and resilient citizens. In addition, we want to celebrate and promote the culture and heritage that is found in communities throughout Scotland.
We have made significant progress in many areas. We said that we wanted to listen to and learn from our children and young people. Since 2003 we have created a new Children's Charter to ensure that this happens.
We said that we would work towards a safer Scotland by tackling crime and disorder. The latest figures show that crime continues to fall and the clear-up rate remains high. Since 2003 we have extended powers to deal with anti-social behaviour. We are tackling violent crime, introducing tougher penalties for those carrying knives.
We said that we wanted a Scotland where everyone can enjoy a decent quality of life and environment. We have been investing to regenerate our most deprived communities, to improve housing, job opportunities and community facilities. Our regeneration policy statement People and Place was launched in February 2006 and shows how we are working to turn disadvantaged neighbourhoods into places where people are proud to live, work and invest.
We have invested in Quality of Life funding, money that has gone to every local authority in Scotland. It has focused on funding projects to provide opportunities for children and young people, to tackle local environmental issues like litter and graffiti and to improve community health.
Headline achievements:
- Crime in Scotland is coming down - falling by 5% in 2005-06
- Since 2002-03 violent crime has fallen by nearly 15%, meaning over 2,300 fewer incidents in 2005-06
- Action on child poverty has seen over 100,000 children lifted out of poverty
- Expanding investment in affordable homes - 32,347 affordable homes have been approved since 2002-03
- New powers and increased penalties for those who damage our environment by littering, fly-tipping and vandalism
Making a Difference:
Quality of Life Fund: direct improvements where it matters
The Quality of Life Fund was introduced in 2003 to provide flexible funding direct to all 32 local authorities. It allows councils to address local and central government priorities by funding projects to improve the local environment and community well-being. The Quality of Life Fund has allocated £280 million over the five years 2003-2008.
The fund covers two themes - Improving the Local Environment and Improving Community Well-being. Under the Community Well-being theme (previously Improving Opportunities for Children and Young People) councils have been able to support getting young people active through swimming lessons, sports promotions and access to leisure facilities. Using local environment funding, they have been able to invest in green spaces and parks, to tackle graffiti and vandalism and to encourage recycling.
Fife Council has put the dedicated funding received through Quality of Life funding to good use. Funding has supported improving the environment and health of the people in Fife in areas such as environmental services (work on recycling and illegal dumping), transport (lighting and safety improvements) and community safety (wardens, security and home safety).
Two programmes in particular contribute to the Council's objectives in their Children's Services Plan and Health Improvement Plan. Significant capital investment has allowed play areas to be upgraded and, as a response to demands from young people across Fife, Quality of Life funding has been invested in 25 skate parks. Young people were involved in consultation and design exercises to develop their sense of ownership of the new provision. Fife's health improvement agenda was also promoted through investment in fresh drinking water and improved dining facilities in over 180 schools.
Children and Young People
Introduction
Making a difference:
We want every child and young person in Scotland to have the best possible start in life. Our high-level vision for children and young people in Scotland is that they should be safe, nurtured, healthy, achieving, active, included, respected and responsible. This means that, regardless of their background or where they live in Scotland, all our children and young people should have the opportunity - as well as the ambition and confidence - to achieve their full potential. In order for every child and young person to achieve their potential it is vital that we eradicate child poverty. We have met our first target to do so by 2020.
In 2003 we said that we would work in partnership with young people, the voluntary sector, the business community, local authorities and health boards to provide the best opportunities that we can to inspire our young people and make them determined to succeed. Since 2003 we have introduced a national full-time volunteering programme 'Project Scotland'.
In 2003 we said that we would protect our most vulnerable children. Since then we have introduced a Children's Charter for Child Protection, funded ChildLine to expand its provision, supported extensive training in child protection and worked with Local Authorities, Police and Health Boards to strengthen to role of Child Protection Committees. We have backed this up with a Framework for Standards for Child Protection and introduced a tough new inspection system for child protection services. Parliament has also appointed a Children's Commissioner.
We have substantially increased the resources available to local authorities to provide support for our most vulnerable children and families through increased support for childcare, SureStart and Changing Children's Services.
We have reviewed the Children's Hearings System and developed the Getting It Right For Every Child programme, which will make radical changes to how agencies work with each other, and with children and their families, to ensure children get the help they need when they need it. We have published draft legislation to make the necessary legal changes. Pathfinder work is taking place across Scotland to develop and test changes to practice, and identify and address any barriers to change.
We have invested heavily in developing the skills and qualifications of staff already working in children's services, and have increased the number of fully qualified social workers to record levels, achieving very significant reductions in vacancy levels.
We have modernised adoption law and set up the legal framework for a new permanence order to give security to children who cannot live with their birth parents or be adopted.
We are developing further measures to protect children and vulnerable adults, building on the current framework. Legislation is before Parliament to introduce a Central Barring Unit, which will hold a central list of individuals who should be barred from working with vulnerable adults and/or children.
We have invested in out-of-school activities and in improved sports and youthwork facilities for young people. Through the Quality of Life Funding, sportscotland's Building for Sport Programme and national lottery funding more than 260 facilities have received support.
Headline achievements:
- Getting It Right For Every Child
- ProjectScotland volunteering programme
- Strengthened child protection system
- Increase in provision for vulnerable children and their families
Case study:
Millennium Volunteer ( MV) Awards and ProjectScotland
ProjectScotland has changed the lives of over 800 young people since launch in May 2005. It is a nationwide programme which allows young people aged between 16 and 25 to take on a full-time volunteer placement of between 3-12 months. Young people's skills and interests are matched so they gain confidence, skills and experience in something they are interested in. Volunteers are fully supported with training and mentoring support and a subsistence allowance of £55 per week, plus travel and childcare expenses. The Executive has invested £5 million supporting ProjectScotland in 2006-07.
The recent winner of the 'Voscar' award for Volunteer of the year in the north east, Laura Coe, 17, had faced challenges that led to her not finishing school. She had been unsure about where to go next until a television advert led her to ProjectScotland. She took on a placement with the Maritime Rescue Institute ( MRI) at Stonehaven as an Events Co-ordinator and now feels that her life is now back on track and is considering a future career in Events Management or the Royal Air Force. "I was finding it difficult to figure out where to go next and couldn't seem to find a job when I saw a TV advert on ProjectScotland and the next day I went online and applied. Before I knew it ProjectScotland had found me my placement at the Maritime Rescue Institute and my life has changed."
ProjectScotland complements the MV Award Scheme which encourages and recognises part-time volunteering by young people with a specific emphasis on engaging under-represented groups. Volunteering is recognised by awards for 50, 100 and 200 hours of volunteering. In 2005-06 a total of 3,757 awards were made.
Tracy Stevenson, a volunteer with Ardrossan Youth Association and MV Award recipient said: "Receiving an MV Awards certificate helped me to realise that the work we were doing wasn't being ignored. It also helped me to realise that when you do a little, it sometimes spreads a lot further than you expect it to and maybe even brings a smile to other people's faces. I have met people who are my friends to this day, I have gained so many skills, built my confidence so much and it has opened doors for me by way of jobs and other fantastic opportunities. Not bad since I didn't even realise I was 'volunteering' at first - I thought I was just coming to a youth group and having fun!"
'Project Scotland gives young Scots the chance of a lifetime. It is the chance for them to do something exceptional for themselves, their community and their country.'
First Minister, Jack McConnell
Justice (including Youth Crime and Prosecution)
Introduction
Making a difference:
In 2003 we said that we would continue to work for a safer Scotland, reducing crime, particularly violent and drug-related crime, and reducing re-offending. Alongside improving education and opportunity we have been tackling the causes of crime to make communities safer places to live and work. We have introduced smarter criminal justice systems that deal more swiftly and effectively with those who commit crime and to support victims and witnesses. These measures are working - the most recent figures show that crime in Scotland fell by 5% in 2005-06.
We have introduced new measures to combat anti-social behaviour and help people to resolve their difficulties and lead fulfilling lives. We invested £10 million in 2004-06 in the Local Action Fund to give young people positive alternatives, by helping voluntary, sporting and cultural organisations, and are continuing the fund until 2008.
At the same time we continue to modernise the law and legal system to protect individual rights. For example, we have reformed family law, clarifying the rights and responsibilities of unmarried fathers and adding greater protection from domestic abuse. Legislation has been passed to establish a Scottish Human Rights Commission and an independent Scottish Legal Complaints Commission as well as modernising the law on debt enforcement and insolvency.
We are using assets taken from criminals to invest in communities that have been hardest hit by serious crime. From September 2006 £2 million collected by the courts is available for new community initiatives. We are offering innovative sentencing options in the courts to tackle reoffending, introducing the option of offenders making reparation to their victims or communities. Drug Treatment and Testing Orders are now available throughout Scotland and have reduced reconviction rates for those on orders by almost half.
In 2003 we said that we would take action to tackle environmental crime. Since then we have increased the training and support for prosecutors and the police. New nature conservation legislation has safeguarded Scotland's most special wildlife sites.
Headline achievements:
- More police - there are now over 16,000 police officers, with more officers on front-line duty in every police force
- Crime clear up rate at 45%
- Largest ever programme of reform of the administration of criminal justice with reform of the High Court completed and reform of summary justice well underway
- Anti-social behaviour tackled through tough new measures and investment in alternatives for young people
- Establishment of a Scottish Police Services Authority from April 2007
- All police bodies will report performance against a single national suite of indicators from April 2007
- Legislation to establish an independent Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland
- Action to tackle sectarianism, with the First Minister's summits in February 2005 and December 2006
Case study:
Community Wardens: Making Communities Safer
Community Warden schemes can assist in reducing crime and fear of crime; reduce anti-social behaviour and improve environmental quality. Wardens provide a visible, reassuring presence to local people and can promote community safety and community development. Their work in tackling anti-social behaviour complements that of the police.
The Executive made £20 million available during 2004-06 to enable the development of a Community Warden scheme in every local authority. Further resources to tackle anti-social behaviour up to 2008 have enabled every council in Scotland to establish a warden scheme in selected neighbourhood(s) within their area. There are around 550 wardens now patrolling.
Wardens in Renfrewshire have helped to achieve a 43% reduction in vandalism costs, and a 44% reduction in new complaints of anti-social behaviour, offering additional local resource and a new approach to familiar problems.
'Having the opportunity to work and interact with children of various ages through the Junior Wardens and various youth activities enables us to forge links into our local community based on mutual trust and respect, leading to a more tolerant co-existence between young and old.'
Bobby Woods, Warden, Renfrewshire
Social Justice
Introduction
Making a difference:
In 2003 we said that we wanted a Scotland where everyone can enjoy a decent quality of life. This meant promoting measures to tackle the poor housing and blighted landscapes that damage too many lives in Scotland. It also meant looking at how the planning laws work to improve the environment for all. We remain committed to tackling the social, educational and economic barriers that create inequality and to working to end child poverty by tackling deprivation and social need.
We have transformed the way in which we work with the voluntary sector, rationalising and improving our funding mechanisms, while continuing to respect their independence.
We have promoted a Scotland in which there is no place for racism or sectarianism. We have continued to roll out our award winning anti-racism advertising campaign One Scotland. Many Cultures, and worked with a range of partners towards developing a National Strategy and Action Plan on Race Equality. We have been working with a range of partners, from churches to football clubs and schools, to deliver a Scotland free from the shameful legacy of sectarianism. Football banning orders have been introduced and education projects are encouraging awareness and understanding between communities.
We have worked with social housing providers to deliver an ambitious programme of new house building and refurbishment, from our cities and towns to the most remote crofting communities. Work continues to tackle fuel poverty, with our central heating and warm deal programmes insulating over 305,000 homes and providing over 74,000 free central heating systems, making many more homes warm and affordable to heat. We have also helped more than 170,000 vulnerable people to stay in their own homes through the Supporting People Programme.
We are reforming the planning system to make it fit for the 21st century. As well as developing Scotland's first National Planning Framework, published in 2004, we are modernising the whole system through the Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006, which received Royal Assent in December 2006.
Headline achievements:
- Target to build or refurbish more than 18,000 affordable homes achieved
- Largest ever reform of the planning system underway
- Action on racism and sectarianism
- Reform of social work and increase in the number of social workers being trained
Case study:
Rural Housing Initiative
The Executive has invested in increasing the availability of affordable housing in rural areas, with over 5,000 new and improved homes approved for rural Scotland in the last three years. The goal is to create decent and affordable housing for everyone in rural Scotland, and we have invested over £280 million in the last three years to make this happen.
The funding supports regeneration by providing new and improved housing to replace poor quality housing. It is expanding supply by helping people on low incomes to rent social housing or buy a home in areas where demand exceeds supply or where market prices are beyond the reach of their incomes. In addition, the Croft House Grant Scheme provides support to improve and maintain the standard of crofting housing.
Gigha
Val and Freddy Gillies's home overlooking Ardminish Bay on Gigha was built with the help of a Rural Home Ownership Grant from Communities Scotland. The couple commissioned Dualchas Building Design, an award-winning Scottish architecture practice who provide bespoke houses designed for the rural landscape.
'The Communities Scotland grant helped massively towards the fulfilment of our earnest desire to build our home on the Isle of Gigha, something that was not possible until the time of the community buy-out.'
Mr Freddy Gillies, home owner, Gigha
Sport, Culture and the Arts
Introduction
Making a difference:
In 2003 we recognised the key role of sport, culture and the arts in a diverse Scotland. We said that we wanted to support our traditional and other languages and that we wanted to promote excellence in culture and sport throughout Scotland.
Since then we have legislated to give secure status for Gaelic. Local authorities and other public bodies now have a responsibility to draw up a languages plan to reflect the communities they serve.
We have undertaken the biggest ever review of culture and support for the arts in Scotland through the Culture Commission. As we take forward our response to this and develop a new framework to support Scotland's culture, we are investing an extra £20 million per year. This will support our national institutions and companies, and will also be used for the development of cultural entitlements.
In 2006 we have seen the best ever performance by a Scottish team at the Commonwealth Games. With 29 medals, 11 of them gold, this was a truly world class team performance which put Scotland in sixth place in the medals table. The Executive is proud to be supporting Glasgow's bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
We are determined to maximise the contribution that sport and culture can play in the promotion of Scotland. Winning the Commonwealth Games for Glasgow would be a huge boost, and we already have secured major events for Scotland through EventScotland like the Ryder Cup in 2014 and the World Mountain Bike Championships in 2007. We are supporting Highland 2007, the Six Cities Design Festival in 2007 and Homecoming Scotland 2009.
And with support from the National Lottery we are investing in sport at the grassroots. Over 262 local facilities have been refurbished or updated, meaning new and improved swimming pools, football pitches and sports halls across the country. We will launch a revised Sports Strategy in early 2007.
We have set up Architecture and Design Scotland ( A+DS) to promote great architecture and urban design and we are currently reviewing our architecture policy - first published in 2001.
Headline achievements:
- More Gaelic teachers, more Gaelic learners, secure status for the language and establishment of the Gaelic development body, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, with duties to promote use and understanding of Gaelic
- Getting children taking exercise through Active Schools: there are now 32 Active Schools Managers, 289 Primary school coordinators, 328 Secondary school coordinators and 10 Special Educational Needs coordinators
- In response to the Culture Commission's report, a new cultural development body 'Creative Scotland' is proposed, bringing together the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen
Case study:
Sell-out success for the National Theatre of Scotland
Established with Executive funding in 2004, the National Theatre of Scotland is a theatre without walls, using its £4 million annual budget to tour works to venues large and small all around Scotland, from Shetland in the north to Dumfries and Galloway in the south, and beyond. It produces its own work and collaborates with other companies and individual artists, creating large-scale productions and also theatre specifically made for the smallest venues. They have been working independently and with local authorities and others to bring drama in all its forms to schools and communities.
The National Theatre has been presenting its first season in 2006. Starting with the acclaimed 'Home' launch programme in February, it has gone from strength to strength, most recently winning a hatful of awards for 'Roam' and selling out 'Gagarin Way' author Gregory Burke's new play 'Black Watch' at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Whether it has been reviving or re-inventing old classics like 'Mary Stuart' and 'Tutti Frutti' or presenting new children's theatre like 'The Wolves in Walls' and 'Project Macbeth', the National Theatre has shown that its creation is timely and welcomed throughout Scotland.
'If this is the future of theatre, we're in for colourful times.'
The Guardian
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