Fairer Shetland

piggybank with heart coin

Fairer Shetland

Picnic and Play roadshow

Early in 2022, members of the Education and Families Committee discussed extending the council’s popular ‘Picnic and Play’ sessions from Lerwick into rural areas and so, that summer, the sessions went on their first ever roadshow.

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Fair Food Project

Grow Shetland is a three-year project supporting the Shetland community to grow more of its own fruit and vegetables, increase access to affordable food and encourage healthy eating. Part of the wider Fair Food Project, Grow Shetland has carried out a range of activities in the past year, delivered by Transition Turriefield.

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Fuel Poverty Action Plan

Last year, the Leader of Shetland Islands Council wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer laying out stark predictions for household energy costs for those living in Shetland due to increasing energy prices.  Fuel poverty levels were projected to increase significantly as a result and statistics show that, even under normal circumstances, the cost of living in Shetland is anything from 20-65% higher than the UK average.

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Free school meals and school clothing grants

Shetland Islands Council agreed to align the criteria for free school meals and clothing grant and to increase school clothing grant payments by 50% in the next financial year at its meeting in February 2023.  

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Anchor Early Action Project

The Anchor Project will conclude in March 2023 as planned and has evolved into an expanded service ‘Anchor for Families’, supported by Whole Family Wellbeing Funding from the Scottish Government. A team is now successfully embedded in all Shetland schools and providing a whole family support approach to support children, young people and families.   

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Early learning and childcare

Shetland Islands Council has a statutory responsibility to consult with families on funded early learning and childcare (ELC) provision every two years.  A Shetland-wide survey on childcare services was undertaken at the end of 2021 with results reported early in 2022.  The survey explored the views of parents/carers about the current delivery and future of early learning and childcare services, as well as school-aged childcare services. It was the council’s first Shetland-wide survey since the implementation of the early learning and childcare (ELC) expansion. 

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Well Youth

The Scottish Government provided ring-fenced funding to Shetland Islands Council and NHS Shetland to provide mental health and wellbeing services to the community.

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National Trauma Training Programme

The Scottish Government made a commitment to preventing adverse childhood experiences and to supporting resilience and recovery of all children and adults affected by psychological trauma.  Part of this commitment included investment of over £3m since 2018 to establish a National Trauma Training Programme, led by NHS Education for Scotland, to support a trauma informed and trauma responsive workforce and services.

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