Topic: Welfare and equalities,

Global Local bulletin: Year in Review: Part One

This is the first of two editions rounding up what we’ve covered in 2022, with a focus on the social challenges faced by local government. See Part 2 here.

Global Local bulletin: Violence against women and girls

This week, we're looking at how local governments, organisations and individuals are tackling violence and abuse perpetrated against women and girls. 

Global Local bulletin: Support for veterans

This week, we consider the needs profile of veterans and their families and explore what local government can do to facilitate their reintegration into the community, both in the short and long term.

Global Local bulletin: Cost of living crisis

People around the world are facing a cost of living crisis. How can local government help residents?

Latest NRS statistics on Covid-19 deaths in Scotland

Introduction It is clear that Covid-19 has not hit Scotland equally. The severity of the impacts vary, and key factors for the disparities include: age, gender, deprivation, geography, occupation and ethnicity. NRS have been publishing weekly information on Covid-19 related deaths in Scotland, further breaking the information gathered down to analyse mortality by occupation, ethnicity,…

Social mobility – what’s been achieved in the last seven years?

The Social Mobility Commission is an independent advisory non-departmental public body with a duty to assess progress in improving social mobility in the UK and to promote social mobility in England. In Monitoring Social Mobility 2013 to 2020: Is the government delivering on our recommendations? (10 June 2020), the Commission has audited government action on…

Homelessness in Scotland: Covid-19 and beyond

Introduction Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and Communities Committee met on Thursday 28th May with third sector representatives, where committee members were able to pose questions about what the best approach will be post-pandemic. This briefing covers what was outlined in the meeting, as well as further developments on tackling and preventing homelessness on a national…

No ordinary commodity: the extraordinary damage caused by alcoholic beverages in Scotland

Introduction Alcohol is not an ordinary commodity. While it might seem like an odd statement, given how easy it is to buy alcohol and how ubiquitous drinking is in society, it’s true. No alcoholic beverages are currently required to contain calorie or ingredient information, and investigating their contents is surprising. Alcohol is no ordinary commodity:…

Basic Income: A policy whose time has come? A response to the pandemic

Introduction Despite the hype (and the reporting), few countries are even close to a basic income yet. Many countries have performed experiments designed to test aspects of a basic income. Due to the inherent characteristics of both basic income and experiments, this is a difficult process. An experiment has many conditions and a very controlled…

Covid-19 and the youth service

NYA report ‘Out of Sight? Vulnerable Young People: COVID-19 Response’ Research by the National Youth Agency, the UK’s leading youth charity and voice for young people and youth work, highlights the scale and prevalence of young people’s needs that are amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic. The report Out of Sight? Vulnerable Young People: COVID-19 Response…