Single Midlothian Plan successes
Councillors have today (Tuesday) discussed and noted key achievements in the first year of a four-year plan to improve the lives of local people.
Three priorities
The 2023-2027 Single Midlothian Plan focusses on three main aims:
- Individuals and communities will have improved health and skills for learning, life and work
- No child or household will be living in poverty
- Significant progress is made towards net zero carbon emissions by 2030
How they will be achieved
The plan outlines the actions the council, along with other agencies in the public and voluntary sector, will take to achieve the three agreed priorities.
Falls prevention
In a report about the plan’s first year, key achievements outlined include work to prevent people from falling, including setting up a 24 hour, seven days a week emergency falls hotline. In 2023/24 trained advisors dealt with 239 calls.
Making Midlothian safer
To help make Midlothian safer, the Community Justice Improvement Plan 2023-28 was published in September 2023. Developed with a range of statutory and voluntary partners, the actions within the new plan are collaborative with a focus on prevention and desisting crime.
Tackling child poverty
Councillors heard more about work the council is doing with Social Security Scotland and health staff to increase uptake of Best Start Grants and Best Start Foods grants to help tackle child poverty.
Increasing breastfeeding rates
Further measures to improve the lives of children include increasing breastfeeding rates by making support services more visible and making sure council and NHS premises are breast feeding friendly.
No One Left Behind
As part of the Scottish Government’s No One Left Behind initiative, the Parental Employability Project in Midlothian has supported 298 parents over the last 12 months, 186 new parents and 114 existing parents. 80 have got a job or progressed within an existing job to more hours or a higher pay while 80 have become self-employed or increased their earnings if already self-employed.
Tackling climate change
Meanwhile Single Midlothian Plan partners have supported setting up The Midlothian Climate Action Network to connect and empower groups and individuals to deliver community-led action to reduce and adapt to the effects of the climate change.