focus winter 08
DESCRIPTION
Stilring Council MagazineTRANSCRIPT
delivering quality services 0845 277 7000 stirling.gov.uk
the road ahead our five year plan
for the Stirling area
Focusfor everyone living in the Stirling CounCil area
ANNUAL
REPORT
specialwinter 2008
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School placements & enrolmentsall the information
you need
Your web, your way sign up for our ‘My
Stirling’ service
Give us a twirl!
win tickets to our Hogmanay Ceilidh
Dunblane, McLaren and St Modan’s
bright new beginnings
STIR
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Contact usfor access to all Stirling Council services phone the contact centre on:
&0845 277 7000
text: 07717 990 001
8www.stirling.gov.uk
To:
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Focus Comments? Questions? Ideas?
tel 01786 443360
email stirlingfocus@stirling.
gov.uk
or write to Stirling focus,
Communications and
Marketing, old viewforth,
Stirling fK8 2et.
&@
HellOfor the second year we’re including a summary of our annual report in focus. it gives you a snapshot of how we’re achieving our vision for the Stirling area and its people and what our plans are for the coming year. i hope you find it interesting and useful.
in this issue we’re reporting on the opening events for the refurbished Mclaren and the new-build St Modan’s and Dunblane high Schools. each school is reflecting in its own way the personality of its pupils, staff and community, and each has captured the excitement of a new beginning and bright prospects for the future. we also visit Deanston Primary to see the Curriculum for excellence come to life on the dancefloor (!), and there’s important information for parents about enrolments and school places.
elsewhere Suzie vestri from the national ‘see me’ campaign writes for us about what we can all do to help get rid of the stigma around mental illness, there’s a look at long-term improvement plans for our area’s roads, information from the money advice team, a focus on new developments on our website, and much more.
finally, Stirling’s first winter festival is getting into swing. for more details about all the fun events and the chance to win free tickets see p2.
i wish you and your family a safe and happy Christmas and new year.
enjoy focus. Cllr graham houston
leader, Stirling Council
CouNCILLoRGRAhAM hOUSTON
read and recycle
if you need this information in large print, Braille, audio or in another language please contact 0845 277 7000 and quote reference number 7555.
0845 277 7000
0845 277 7000
0845 277 7000
0845 277 7000
fOcus faCtS
Stirling focus is published by Stirling
Council and delivered by the royal
Mail’s Door to Door service. it costs
approx 24p per copy to print and
distribute.
Copyright © Stirling Council 2008. no
article or photograph in this magazine
may be reproduced without the consent
of Stirling Council. Details are correct at
the time of going to press.
WINTeR 2008
Improved wellbeingsee - p16
Contents
help us keep compost clean
Supporting people with mental illness
our new flooding officers
Strictly Deanston Primary School
10
28
8
25
housing hopes
32
Regulars2 What’s on
4 out and about
33 Your councillors
34 Roads report
34 Past times
our repairs by appointment service is more
convenient for tenants - and it’s helped to cut
costs too”.(seepage31)
cOver pHOtO:
improving our area’s roads: Maurice
Cunningham from Stirling Council’s
urban roads team.
Annual Report 07-08a special 8-page pull-out. our promises, our performance.
13
1
Feature Stories
6 5 year roads plan
11 employability’s new base
12 Social work inspection
22 School enrolment
24 My Stirling - our new online service
26 See Me - supporting people with mental illness
27 Commit to climate
change
✽
✽
✽Sun 23 Nov, 7.30 pm
the alexander BrothersJoin tom & Jack on their 50th anniverary
tour. tickets £10.
Thurs 27 Nov, 1.00 pm
charity christmas card saleSupport local and national charities and
buy from a wide range of cards and gifts.
admission on door.
Sat 29 Nov, 7.30 pm
paul daniels a fabulous evening of
magic, music, special effects and glamorous
entertainment £12/£10 Children £7
Fri 5 Dec, 7.30 pm
voulez vous – so long tourSay ‘thank you for
the music’ to voulez
vous after 17 years.
£16/£15 family 2 adults, 2 children £42
Thurs 4 Dec, 8pm
the scottish flute trio(Pre-performance talk with composer
Sally Beamish at 7pm) the trio is
joined by cellist robert irvine and
percussionist rhian Macleod. £12/£10
Fri 5 Dec, 8pm
King creosote (DJ set in bar 7pm)
a welcome return to the tolbooth.
www.kingcreosote.com
www.myspace.com/kingcreosote £14/£12
Fri 12 Dec, 8pm
davie scott’s pop special, with special guests the pearlfishers, Karine polwart (Christmas DJ’s bar at 7pm with mince
pies and Christmas punch) Celebrate
and sing along. www.pearlfishers.co.uk
£14/£12
Sat 13 Dec, 8pm
tommy smith’s youth Jazz OrchestraSeeing is believing... but hearing them
is even more amazing. £8/£6
Thurs 18 Dec, 8pm
Koshkafrom russia - with a seasonal flavour.
www.koshka.uk.com £12/£10
alBert HallsBox Office 01786 473544www.stirling.gov.uk/alberthalls
Fri 14 Nov, 7.30 pm
country legends solid gold show – part 2 all your favourites from randy
ryman and the outlaw Country Band.
£14/£13
Sat 22 Nov, 7.30 pm
Jive talkin’ – the Bee gees story the highly acclaimed smash hit show
based on the musical life & times of
the Bee gees. £14.50/£13.50
2
✽TolbooTh Box Office 01786 27 4000www.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth
Fri 14 Nov, 8pm
catriona Macdonaldthe Blazin’ fiddles’ Catriona comes to the tolbooth as a major force in her own right. £12/£10
Sat 15 Nov, 8pmelgin piano trioan evening of beautiful chamber music. £12/£10
Tues 18 Nov, 8pmBenny gallagherSolo debut for one half of hit makers and songwriters gallagher & lyle. £15
Thurs 20 Nov, 8pm Barbara Morgenstern - only SCottiSh Datewith support from remember remember and Beth wilmhurstDJ set in bar at 7pmgermany’s electro pop
songstress. £12/£10
Sat 22 Novde rosaDoors open 7.30pm / DJ til 8pmexplosive energy punctuated by moments
of intimate beauty. £6
Sat 29 Nov, 10.30am - 4pmKnitting Workshop Café Baraimed at knitters who can already knit/purl with confidence and would like to try something new. refreshments and yarn provided - just bring your own
needles and hooks. £10/£8
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✽For a selection of attractions in the Stirling Council area visit www.stirling.gov.uk/whatson
we’ve got 4 tickets for one lucky
winner for Stirling’s hogmanay
Ceilidh up for grabs. Simply answer
the question below.
Where is this year’s Hogmanay ceilidh being held?
the draw will take place on 11 Dec.
answer:
name:
address:
tel no:
Send your answer to: hogmanay Competition, Communications and Marketing, room 24, old viewforth, Stirling fK8 2et.
Have Hogmanay on us!
The
Bee
Gee
sSt
ory
WINTeR 2008
✽✽
Ceili
dhs tickets for the Hogmanay ceilidh.
enter our competition to win
Winter festivalfor full details of the winter festival and event highlights have a look in this year’s leaflet available from the thistles, libraries and other venues.
and remember to look in this year’s Stirling festive guide for all things festive including gift ideas and what’s on information
Sat 22 Nov, 12noon
santa parade with real reindeer and christmas lights switch On
12pm - 5 pm Stirling city centre
Sat 29 Nov,christmas farmers’ MarketStirling city centre.
Fri 28 Nov, 8 pm st andrew’s ceilidh AlbertHallsCelebrate in true Scottish style with the ian MacCallum Scottish Dance Band. £5
Sat 29 Nov, 8pmcelebrating st andrew’s dayTolbooth ross ainslie and Jarlath henderson (Piping and whistle workshop for intermediate players, 3pm, £5) www.myspace.com/rossandjarlath £12/£10
Sun 30 November st andrew’s day free entry Stirling Castle
rnli reindeer runStirling university
6th and 7th Dec 2008 christmas at the Monument10.30am - 4.00pm each daya special weekend for all the family. includes the Monument Mastermind Quiz!
Tue 9 Dec, 7.00 pmnational youth choir of scotland christmas concert.AlbertHallstickets available on the door.
Wed 10 December, 11.30am-12.15pmparade by argyll and sutherland Highlanders Stirling city centre
Sun 14 December, 12.30-3.30pmchristmas at the castle eventStirling Castle
3
HOT OFF THE PRESS
to help with Christmas shopping a Sunday
December 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th.
service park and ride will be available on
Sunday service times are 10am-6pm.
Sun 14 Dec, 5.00 pm12th aberlour annual christmas concert AlbertHalls£9/£7
Sat 20 Decchristmas ceilidh Tolbooththe seasonal knees up is back! family ceilidh 3-5pm, £6 each or 4 for £20. evening ceilidh 8pm, £8 each
or 4 for £27
Sat 27 and 28 Dec, 12 noon & 3.00
pm
the singing Kettle presents christmas toy shop AlbertHalls
Songs and fun – remember to wear
your Santa hat! £10.50/ family of
four £38 Schools £7/ group 1 in 10
free
Wed 31 Dec, 8.00 pm
Hogmanay ceilidh AlbertHalls
Moira Kerr is our host once again.
Dance the night away, enjoy a two-
course meal, and welcome in 2009
with a glass of bubbly. £40
Mon 26 Janchinese new year
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Killintyndrum
Callander
Doune Dunblane
gargunnockKippenBuchlyvie
Balfron
Killearn
Strathblane
Drymen
aberfoyle thornhill
Plean
Cowie
Bridge of allan
STIRLING
fallinBannockburn
Crianlarich
fintry
lochearnhead
Strathyre
Balmaha
Croftamie
Balquhidder
Out & aboutin the Stirling Council area
KILLEARN
4
Children from Killearn Primary School create
a wall hanging of Bonnie Prince Charlie out
of recyclable materials as part of “Creative
Curriculum”, which gives schools, teachers and
pupils the opportunity to work with artists.
RIvER TEITh
MUGdOCK
MugDoCK Country ParK
Mugdock Country Park
celebrates being awarded
a 4 star (excellent) grading
by visitScotland. the Park
is located on the cusp of
the Stirling border with
east Dunbartonshire, and
is jointly managed by both
councils.
a questionnaire is sent to over 400 anglers who
have bought season permits for the rivers forth
and teith. it covers management issues and
ideas about how to enhance the sport while
conserving salmon and sea trout.
www.stirling.gov.uk/countryside/fisheries.
Killintyndrum
Callander
Doune Dunblane
gargunnockKippenBuchlyvie
Balfron
Killearn
Strathblane
Drymen
aberfoyle thornhill
Plean
Cowie
Bridge of allan
STIRLING
fallinBannockburn
Crianlarich
fintry
lochearnhead
Strathyre
Balmaha
Croftamie
Balquhidder
RAPLOCh
this chess board treasure map
is part of the raploch urban
regeneration Company’s
(urC) creative spaces project
on raploch’s riverwalk. the
chess pieces were originally
designed by Peter McCaughey
in 1990 as part of glasgow’s
year of Culture for the Burrell
Collection. Peter, from the
glasgow School of art, has
now kindly donated them to
the raploch community. the
urC hope that the pieces,
funded by the Scottish arts
Council, will be put on public
display in raploch soon.
a strange triangular stone
carved with the letters ‘a
n e e’ and the date 1666
is discovered by Council
employee alex Mcgrandles
while excavating a culvert
near Cowie. it commemorates
an important date in the
lives of alexander nairn and
euphan easson of easter
greenyards. the stone has
been donated to the Stirling
Smith.
Map
: © C
row
n Co
pyrig
ht. a
ll rig
hts
rese
rved
. Stir
ling
Coun
cil 1
0002
0780
(20
08).
5keePING FIT WITh ACTIve STIRLING
AT The MAYFIeLd CeNTRe ST NINIANS
get active this winter... with active Stirling
WINTeR 2008
COWIE
There are sports and activity clubs in your
area ranging from swimming and rowing to
contact sports such as judo and rugby, and you
can get running with our athletics club.
Our Communities team runs ten community centres mainly in the urban area. All bustling with groups and activities - mothers and toddler groups, over-50’s clubs, sports organisations, art activities, keep fit classes and lots more.
all the centres can be hired, so whether you need a small room for a meeting or a large hall with space for events and activities we can help. to find out more details about what facilities are on offer or to make a booking call 0845 277
7000 for visit www.stirling.gov.uk/community-centres
heard about our halls?
our adult health and fitness classes offer
everything from mind and body-calming Pilates,
yoga and tai Chi to vigourous Body training
Systems (BtS) classes like BodyPump and
BodyStep that will keep you fit and heat you up!
Check out our walk about Stirling programme, with a range of
interesting walks across our area. walks go from 45 minute
strolls to longer 90 minute outings. or get in touch with one of
Clubsport Stirling’s affiliated clubs and join today.
visit www.activestirling.org.uk or tel 01786 432323.
Roads: five year plan
6
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in total an extra £2.185 million
has been added to the roads
maintenance budget each year
for the next five years, bringing
spending each year up to £6.34
million. this allows the Council
to meet national guidelines that
recommend 4% of the road
network should be resurfaced
each year.
the way the extra cash will be
spent has also been changed. in
the past the busiest roads in the
worst condition were repaired
first, which meant that less busy
roads deteriorated. now all road
types have been allocated an
increased budget, so investment
in our road network is spread
more evenly.
a five year plan identifying road
repair and improvement projects
has been produced and the first
year of the plan is well underway.
this year we will meet the target
of resurfacing 40km or 4% of our
roads.
we consulted with community
councils over the summer to find
out what their priorities for road
repairs were, and this will have an
influence over the repair plan for
years two and three.
as well as resurfacing roads we
will use this extra money to make
our roads safer by repainting
white lines, renewing road signs
and replacing catseyes. we’ll also
spend more money improving
roads and pavements in residential
areas.
for an update on current repair projects
see our regular roads report on the
back page of focus.
a five year funDing BooSt to iMProve the Quality of
Stirling’S roaDS waS agreeD By the CounCil earlier thiS year.
This year we will meet
the target of resurfacing
40km or 4% of our roads.
We will also spend more
on improving roads and
footpaths in our residential
areas.
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Details about disruptions to services or road
our website under Disruptions/Closures”
closures will be posted on the front page of
Winterroads
7Road Priorities ROAD pRIORITIeS:1 major roads, bus routes and roads
providing access to emergency service
centres and almost all schools are
treated for snow and ice 24 hours a
day. Precautionary treatments are
also carried out between 5.30 am and
midnight if required.
2 main roads to housing and industrial
areas and some rural roads are treated
when a thaw is expected before noon.
3 major housing and industrial areas
and some rural roads are treated if
conditions are likely to last for 48 hours
and no thaw is likely in the next 48
hours.
4 other public roads are treated only in
extreme weather and when resources
allow.
pAveMeNT pRIORITIeS:• places with a group of three or more
essential premises, such as food shops
and post offices.
• steps and ramps to underpasses and
bridges.
• pavements connecting shopping areas
to nearby public buildings.
• outside individual essential premises in
towns or village shopping centres.
• at sheltered housing and residential
homes for older people.
Pavements are normally only treated
during working hours, unless there is a
build-up of snow.
Stirling Council will…
• provide a prioritised winter service on the local road
network.
• make as large an area as possible
accessible as quickly as possible.
Sometimes this will mean treating
the pavement on one side of a road
only.
We ask you to …
• plan your journey carefully. Check
weather forecasts and avoid using minor roads if possible.
• travel early or the day before if heavy snow is forecast.
• consider not travelling if roads are likely to become blocked.
slow down! avoid sudden braking, and use dipped
headlights if visibility is poor.
• keep wheelie bins out of the way of snowploughs.
• use salt bins as necessary to help make minor roads and
pavements safer.
• remember neighbours who may be older or have a disability.
We’re not able to …
• keep all roads free from snow and ice all the time.
• prevent ice from forming. when it rains, salt already laid
will be washed away. if the temperature then falls suddenly,
ice will form. it will then take several hours to treat all
roads. even after the salt is applied, it takes time for the ice
to melt.
• stop snow from lying. even if we are ploughing a route
continuously, snow will build up until the plough gets back
again.
• clear roads blocked by stranded vehicles.
• treat roads blocked because of inconsiderate parking.
don’t stop moving...on Stirling area roads this winterwe will Be worKing with you to KeeP our area
Moving thiS winter CoMe Snow, iCe, hail or Sleet.
WINTeR 2008
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St Modan’s
8
the oPening of the new BuilDing at royal Stuart way, forthBanK
SignalS the Start of an aMBitiouS new era for the high SChool.
as a result of the improved teaching, recreation and social space the school is embarking on a School of ambition programme that gives every pupil access to more creative, physical and enterprise education.
to kick the programme off an extra teaching session has been added at the end of the school day on Mondays and pupils from S1 – S5 can choose up to four new activities, each studied over an eight week block. the choice of activities includes digital photography, italian, orienteering, samba band, textiles, dance and curling.
once the new sports village opens next year extra teaching sessions will be added and the range of physical activities will be extended even further. eventually all S1-S5 pupils will have
A key feature of the building is
the chapel that is adorned with three
new stained glass windows and a
new lectern and altar designed by a
local craftsman.
access to between one and half hours and four hours of additional physical/creative/enterprise activities each week.
“this exciting addition to the curriculum could only have been made possible by moving to our new school building,” says head teacher frank lennon. “our location near to business and industry, as well as the new sports village, means that we can develop successful and mutually beneficial relationships with our new neighbours. By february next year all S4 pupils will have had the opportunity to visit five local businesses, something we would have found difficult to do before.”
the new school was officially opened exactly 75 years to the day that the original St Modan’s building was opened at St. ninians.
Ambitious plans for
(ABove) The NeW
ST. ModAN’S
Pupils attend
St Modan’s, Stirling’s
only Roman Catholic
high school, from
Stirling, Falkirk and
Clackmannanshire
council areas ....
heAdTeACheR FRANk LeNNoN IN The SChooL’S ChAPeL
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9
new-looK MClaren headteacher Peter Martin
welcomed pupils and staff back from the summer holidays and
into a completed ‘new look’ Mclaren high School in august.
the school became a major construction site for around 30
months as it underwent a refurbishment and extension
programme, but Mclaren’s 682 pupils and 88 staff managed to
keep learning and teaching.
Peter told focus: “we’ve now got first-class learning
and teaching spaces and attractive social areas. all
the hard work and careful planning over the past
two and a half years has been worthwhile, and
everyone’s delighted with what’s been achieved.
the modern appearance still retains recognisable
elements of the old building, and the physical
environment will help motivate and engage our
young people.”
when pupils at the new Dunblane
high School were asked to vote
on who they would like to officially
open their new school it was game,
set and match for local hero and
wimbledon mixed doubles champ
Jamie Murray.
“Jamie is an ex-pupil of Dunblane high,
and he was delighted to come to visit
the new school, meet everyone and
cut the ribbon to declare us officially
New dunblane high is a smash hit
fOcus faCtS(ABove)
JAMIe MuRRAY ANd duNBLANe hIGh SChooL heAdTeACheR doT WhITe. • work on all three schools was
carried out by Stirling gateway ltd (ogilvie, feS and Stewart Milne)
on behalf of the Council as part of a £100m schools rebuilding and refurbishing programme
• pupils and staff were involved in the ideas and designs from the start.
I am delighted and
honoured to be back at
dunblane high to open the
new school. It holds very
precious memories for me and
for Andy. Jamie Murray
duNBLANe hIGh SChooL PuPILS
MCLAReN hIGh SChooL eNTRANCe
MCLAReN heAdTeACheR PeTeR MARTIN
WINTeR 2008
open,” head teacher Dr Dot white
told focus. “it was a great day, and a
great message for our young people
- that through hard work and a focused
approach anything is possible.”
on a guided tour Jamie was shown all
the new facilities, including
the external art deck, rooftop
science teaching space, and
fitness and dance studios.
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Strictly Comedeanston
It’s great doing
dancing with all of
the members of the
community. It was
really fun doing the
test and getting
our medals. ....
Bright prospectuses!
each of the Stirling area’s
primary schools has a
prospectus on the Council
website. they give a flavour
of the life of the school,
facilities, achievements and
how it interacts with its local
community. read all about
Deanston at www.stirling.gov.
uk/deanstonpsbrochure.pdf
10
TAke YouR PARTNeS...STRICTLY deANSToN!
the Deanston young people caught
the dancing bug two years ago when
some older local residents asked if
they could hold their tea dances in
the school hall. over time the school
children began joining in the fun ...
and there was no stopping them.
teacher Beverley Donald told focus,
“the ballroom dancing classes have
had a huge impact on the children,
which is then carried through into
the classroom. the infant class
joined the dancing classes for the
first time last year, and now they
have completed their first medal.
as their expertise grows each week
the children become more and more
confident. their interaction with
people in the community and with
each other has benefitted, helping
them to be aware of others and to
become responsible citizens.
“our Primary 2-4 children have
become so good at the waltz they
are even helping robin, our dance
teacher, teach it to the new Primary
1s!”
PuPilS froM one of the Stirling area’S SMalleSt PriMary SChoolS
PulleD out all the StoPS ‘StriCtly’ Style earlier thiS year when the
entire SChool PaSSeD an introDuCtory BallrooM DanCe exaM.
hannah ritchie P7
We’ve had to learn
some hard stuff and now we
can do it really well. It’s
fun to dance with each
other. My favourite is the
waltz. Kyra gibson P6
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WINTeR 2008
A move for the Employability Team
Strictly Comedeanston
The address may have changed,
but the aim of Stirling Council’s
friendly employability Service
stays the same – helping people
overcome different kinds of
barriers to getting a job and being
able to lead an independent life.
“our new base is on the second
floor of the wolfcraig building in
Dumbarton road in the centre of
Stirling,” says Service Manager Matt
Duncan, who heads up the team.
“it’s great because it’s so easy to
pop in any time you’re in the city
centre. Just ask at the resource
Centre on the ground floor and
someone from employability will
come down to say hi and take you
up to our new offices.”
the team gives advice and guidance
and organises assessments, training,
work experience and employment
opportunities.
“everything is focused on clients’
individual needs, and many of
the people we work with have
disabilities, learning difficulties,
mental health problems or other
health-related conditions,” explains
Matt.
the service came together in June
2007, and has close links with local
employers and partners including
Jobcentre Plus and nhS forth valley.
visit the team at:
employability Service wolfcraig
Building 2nd floor,1 Dumbarton road
Stirling fK8 2lQ Phone 01786 432141.
email [email protected]
MATT duNCAN (BACk, 2Nd FRoM LeFT) ANd The eMPLoYABILITY TeAM.
11
fOcus faCtSSince June 2007 the employability
Service has
• registered over 225 clients
• supported over 125 people into
employment, training or
further education
• supported over 100 local employers.
‘CuRRICuLuM FOR exCeLLeNCe’ Dance lessons
are one way that Deanston is
bringing the ‘Curriculum for
excellence’ to life.
Curriculum for excellence is all
about helping children develop
as successful learners, confident
individuals, responsible citizens
and effective contributors.
as well as dancing lessons,
Deanston Primary School
encourages themed play in the
infant activity room to develop
the children’s confidence, ability
to play with each other and
awareness of their environment.
and in the classroom an ethos
of success is always being
promoted.
“Children are encouraged to work
independently or in groups, and
to praise each other for their
achievements,” explains Beverley.
“you can see the effects in the
way they really enjoy trying new
things and working together.” Kyra gibson P6
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Child Protection
b
Stirling Council wants our
area to be a place where all
children and young people are
safe, enjoy good health, and have
access to a wide range of positive
experiences and opportunities to
achieve their potential.
the Safety of our children
is everyone’s responsibility.
If you have any concerns for a child
or young person, seek advice and
support from:
During the day:
Social Work
initial assessment team
01786 471177
Child Protection Co-ordinator
01786 443493
police
01786 456000
Health
Contact your local health centre and
speak to your health visitor or gP.
Reporter to the Children’s panel
authority reporter
01786 476400
Out of hours:
emergency Duty team
after 5 pm and at weekends
Social Work
01786 470500 or 0845 277 7000
police
01786 456000
bbbb
bb
www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingperforms
Social Work Inspection
When
the inspection is
completed a
Performance
Inspection
Report will be
published.
the Social work inspection agency (Swia) is to carry out a Performance inspection of the Council’s Social work Services functions. Swia have responsibility for inspecting Social work Services in all 32 Scottish local authorities.
the Council welcomes the opportunity to work closely with Swia throughout the inspection process to make sure that our Social work Services continue to develop to meet the needs of local people and communities who use them.
performance inspections:
• tell the public how well people are being served by their local Social work Services
• help these services improve
• help safeguard the interests of people who use services, and carers and
• work with councils to develop their own approach to improving services.
after examining a wide range of material about the Council and its Social work Services, and carrying out a questionnaire
survey of service users, carers, staff and other stakeholders, a team of Swia inspectors will visit our area on January 19 2009 for two weeks. they’ll meet people who use Social work Services, carers and people who are responsible for planning and providing the services. the inspection team will also meet elected members and chief officials of the Council and representatives from a range of organisations and groups.
when the inspectors have completed their inspection they’ll publish a Performance inspection report on their findings in June 2009. the Council will then prepare an action plan to meet any recommendations made by Swia and to make sure we are continually improving our services.
For more information visit www.swia.gov.uk
read more performance information at
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Stirling Council
Annual Report 0708
deLIveRING A BRIGhTeR FuTuRe FoR The STIRLING AReA
stirling.gov.ukDeLIveRING quALITy SeRvICeS
this report presents a summary of our performance over the last year: what we said we would do in 2007/08 and what we have done towards each of our strategic priorities, which are to make the Stirling area a place:
■ that is open for business
■ with jobs and opportunities for all
■ where lifelong learning is valued and encouraged
■ where improved wellbeing adds years to life – and life to years
■ with a high quality environment.
three themes run through everything we do: making services better, encouraging participation and responsibility, and making Stirling more sustainable.
if you would like to comment on this annual report or would like further information on our performance, please contact the Performance team on (01786) 443486, email [email protected], or visit www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingperforms
you’ll find more information about our plans and priorities for the Stirling area
at www.stirling.gov.uk/shapingstirling.
the Stirling Council area stretches almost 2,200 square kilometres from
ancient Stirling - now Scotland’s newest city - and its surrounding towns
and villages to the shores of loch lomond and the trossachs, and from
Crianlarich, tyndrum and the southern highlands to Killin, the shores of
loch tay and the eastern villages of Plean, Cowie and fallin. it is home to
around 88,000 people.
Our vision
This annual report lets us give
local people a snapshot of how we’re
performing.
Our area
Jobs and opportunities
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Stirling is Scotland’s sixth and newest city. we want to make sure that the area continues to be a location of choice, with a growing population and a vibrant economy that is open for business.
Vibrant economy
Continue development at
forthside, including opening a
multi-screen cinema, building 214
homes, beginning work on the hotel
and offices, opening a footbridge
providing pedestrian link between the
city centre and forthside
the cinema and associated restaurants
are open and trading successfully.
there has been a delay in opening
the bridge due to some redesign and
extra testing.
Complete forthside way, the
public transport route allowing
easy access from forthbank through
the forthside development to the city
centre.
forthside way and the public transport
route are due for completion in the
autumn. the public transport route
has been temporarily opened to
traffic throughout 2008 to give access
to the main car park for cinema and
restaurant users while the pedestrian
bridge and forthside way are
completed.
Construct a western park
and ride facility to improve
accessibility and ease congestion in
the city centre.
we opened Castleview Park and ride
in august this year. two buses now
run directly to the city centre every
12 minutes, and in the first weeks of
operation the usage averaged 100
passengers per day.
what we are doing in 2008/09
■ Developing research and development
links with the university and college and
giving support and assistance to rural
businesses and business associations.
■Conducting a pilot project on safer
transport for people leaving the city at
night.
■increasing available business space,
including retail and leisure spaces.
what we said we would do in 2007/08
We are developing
links with universities and
colleges to improve our
business research.
■67% of planning applications
we receive are dealt with within 2
months. our target is 80% so although
we are improving, we need to do
more to meet this target.
■79% of consumer complaints we
receive are dealt with within 14 days,
which is above our target of 75%.
■we deal with 92% of business
advice requests within 14 days,
exceeding our target of 90%.
WINTeR 2008
Jobs and opportunities
15
Develop activities at the new
hillpark Community Centre.
we have introduced a range of community
activities, including ones for young people
organised by the youth team and local people.
work with the Compass for life
initiative and forth valley College
on a wider range of courses to help young
people into work and training.
we have created a searchable database
of sources of support, and introduced
the 16+ guarantee to help young people
move on after school.
Develop ways to give tenants
more say on future council housing
service delivery.
we set up the housing advisory group
to let tenants discuss the development
of the service with elected members
and developed our network of “tenant
voices”.
review the needs of people who
are homeless and evaluate the best
way to provide temporary homeless
accommodation across the Stirling Council
area.
we began the design and construction of
two new hostels for homeless people and
reviewed our allocations Policy to give
greater priority to those without a home.
Middlemuir road hostel is now open.
More accommodation is needed to meet
the national target of providing settled
accommodation for all unintentionally
homeless people by 2012.
what we are doing in 2008/09
■Planning and developing the creation
of a new community with 2,500 new
homes at Durieshall.
■Continue to build houses in raploch;
work on the 900 planned new houses
began in January 2008 and will be
completed in 2018.
■Conducting a study of how the
emerging Scottish rural Development
Programme can be used with available
funding to diversify the rural economy,
and then carrying out an action plan.
we want our area to be a place with jobs and opportunities for all. we will make sure that people across the Stirling area have access to a range of core services, and take action where poverty, cultural differences, vulnerability or geographic isolation may make it harder for people to access opportunities.
what we said we would do in 2007/08
■the length of time we took to
complete our duty for people who
are homeless increased from 10
weeks to 18 weeks. this was due to
a change in how we calculate this
figure and a shortage in available
properties.
■we take on average 24 days to
re-let a home. this is less time than
most other councils take.
■the Council continues to have the
highest proportion of females (over
50%) in the top 2% and top 5% of
earners compared to other Scottish
councils.
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extend the community warden
scheme to create a mobile
team.
we have recruited additional
wardens and introduced a new
team that patrols a number of
communities, working closely with
the Police.
Share information across
organisations to better tackle
antisocial behaviour.
the forth valley information
sharing system has been developed
and launched as oaSiS (online
anti-Social information Sharing).
this will be used by Stirling,
Clackmannanshire and falkirk
Councils, Central Scotland Police, and
Central Scotland fire and rescue
Service.
reorganise care management
services to speed up care
assessments and access to care
services.
we carried out a full review of
the care management structure
and how we deliver care services.
this has led to a reduction in the
waiting time for assessment. the
percentage of care assessments
we will continue to work to make Stirling a place where improved
wellbeing adds life to years, not just years to life. this means providing
support for those who need it,encouraging healthier lifestyles and
helping people to reach their potential and to live as independently as
possible.
Improved wellbeing
what we said we would do in 2007/08
done within 7 days has increased from
65% in 2005/06 to 71% in 2007/08.
increase the availability of home
support services to meet the
growth in demand.
recent inspections have recommended
that we increase our provision of
homecare. we are working on how we
commission services for older people
and home support so that people get
the support they need. we are also
working with the nhS, to make sure
that people in rural areas have access
to these services.
work with partners to review
personal care, support and
housing services for people with very
complex needs.
we are planning for ‘core and cluster’
style homes. this is accommodation
based around one building, the core,
with a staffed office, accommodation
for a limited number of residents
and communal facilities. Clustered
around the core are self-contained
flats in which residents can live more
independently than in the core but still
receive support from staff.
WINTeR 2008
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Prepare for hMie inspection of
child protection arrangements.
the inspection of our child protection
arrangements was carried out between
January and March 2008. it found
that overall Stirling performed well;
however some areas needed work,
including our ability to recognise and
assess risks and needs. we have
developed an action plan to take this
work forward.
Develop Stirling’s response to the
national ‘getting it right for every
Child’ proposals to improve and join up
services for vulnerable children.
we are working with our community
partners to look at the best ways of
doing this.
explore the best way of meeting
the needs of vulnerable children
with very high care requirements.
there has been a large increase in
the demand for children’s social work
services in the last couple of years.
this demand has placed a huge strain
on the budget and following a scrutiny
review, we set up a project team to
determine the best way of improving
the following areas: information
management, budgeting, forward
planning, procurement, balance
of internal and external provision
of residential care. this work is an
important priority for the Council.
introduce a reward scheme
for young people in secondary
schools to encourage uptake of health
school meals.
the reward scheme has now been
introduced into all secondary schools.
Students register on-line and earn
points whenever they make healthy
school meals choices; these points are
then converted to prizes.
what we are doing in 2008/09
■implementing the improvement plan
resulting from the 2008 hMie Child
Protection inspection.
■Carrying out the action plan resulting
from the 2008 Multi-agency inspection
of older People’s Services in forth
valley.
■reviewing the role of community
wardens in the effective management
of open space.
■Considering the use of Safer Design,
CCtv usage in planning for open
spaces.
■we submitted 48% of requested
Children’s hearing reports to the
reporter on time. this is a slight
improvement on last year, and
above the average in Scotland
(39%).
■86% of children were seen by
a supervising officer within 15
working days. this is a big drop
from the 98% we achieved last year
and the decrease is due to more
children requiring a supervising
officer (up by 25%) and arranging
meetings with families taking
longer than the 15 days to book a
suitable time.
■the number of homecare hours
provided (for every 1,000 people
over 65 years) decreased slightly
from 354.3 to 353.8 hours.
■attendances at pools fell this
year, from 2,631 to 2,034 (per
1,000 population). this is due to
the closure of rainbow Slides in
December.
■the number of attendances at
sports facilities increased from 102
to 411 (per 1,000 population). this
was due to the opening of the
raploch Campus and the Studio.
We are developing links with universities and
colleges to improve our business research.
We’re encouraging
the uptake of healthy
school meals.
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Complete the schools PPP
programme and continuing the
rolling programme of primary school
refurbishment.
raploch Campus, Stirling high School,
Dunblane high School, wallace high
School, St Modan’s high School and
Mclaren high School were all completed
by august 2008. a significant part of
Cowie Primary School was refurbished,
and a four-classroom extension was built
at Cambusbarron Primary School. other
improvements to the buildings have
been made to riverside, St Mary’s Cowie,
Doune, Strathblane and Bannockburn
Primary Schools.
establish new Parent Councils.
98% of schools now have a parent
council. we are currently recruiting for a
Parental involvement officer post, who
will support these new parent councils.
what we said we would do in 2007/08
lifelong learning
we want Stirling to be a place where lifelong learning is encouraged and valued. this is learning for all people at all ages. Stirling is already a high performing education authority, with good schools and high overall levels of attainment. we want our schools to continue to
provide a high quality education, and to increase the opportunities for learning after school so that people can achieve their personal, community and economic goals throughout their lives.
Develop learning and teaching
in line with new curriculum
framework, focusing on science,
numeracy and literacy.
new guidance called Building the
Curriculum 3 was issued during the
year that sets out the curriculum for
all stages of learning (ages 3 – 18
years). we have also implemented
a new policy for learning, called
Making the Difference, that was
developed with children, young
people, teachers and parents.
an improved quality
assurance programme for
schools and nurseries.
we have now developed an
improved quality assurance process
based on self-evaluation and
external inspections. this process
has been introduced in all schools,
and allows schools to identify areas
for improvement and then provides
the support required to take
forward any areas for improvement
identified.
■improving performance in all schools
and nurseries, with specific focus on
the lowest attaining 20% of young
people.
■Delivering the new Community
learning and Development Strategy.
■Carrying out the recommendations
from the review of our inclusion
policies for children with additional
support needs, including support
for children and young people in
mainstream schools through curriculum
flexibility and alternatives to exclusion.
■Setting out how we can support
and improve the progress of children
moving to primary 1 in all schools.
■Planning ways to help people learn
english when it is their second or other
language.
98% of our
schools have a Parent
Council
what we are doing in 2008/09
■the number of visits to libraries
for every 1,000 people in the area
decreased this year, from 6,357 to
6,104. this is a trend seen by the
majority of libraries in Scotland;
11% of the population are using the
computers and using them more
often.
■Children who are looked after by
the council are attaining more, the
percentage attaining at least one
SCQf level 3 has increased from
54% to 73% (any subject) and 39%
to 47% (english or Maths). we are
aiming to achieve targets of 95%
(any subject) and 75% (english or
Maths).
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Quality environmentwe know that the quality of the local environment is a key reason for living in the Stirling area. we aim to protect and enhance the built and natural local environment.
open raploch Community
Campus.
officially opened in May 2008, the
£17 million Campus is a partnership
between Stirling Council, forth
valley College and active Stirling
and the project is part of the wider
regeneration of raploch.
restore and enhance Stirling’s
old town cemeteries below the
castle.
we awarded the contract for the
£1.7million refurbishment of the
cemetery’s stonework and ironwork,
restoration of monuments, and
landscaping. work began in august
2008 and is due to be completed by
July 2009.
what we said we would do in 2007/08
upgrade selected ‘C’ class roads.
following consultation with urban
and rural communities we identified
12 schemes for resurfacing. all were
completed by april 2008.
Continue to promote recycling
and carrying out trials on
collections for all types of plastic
bottles.
following a successful trial of
recycling plastic bottles, we bought
the necessary collection cages for
our trucks and rolled out collection
of plastic bottles in the urban areas.
Plastic bottle collection is currently
being extended to rural areas.
open the new household waste
recycling centre at lower
Polmaise.
we opened the new centre at lower
Polmaise in May 2007 and we have
had a very positive response from
people using the centre. recycling
levels of the materials brought to the
site have reached almost 70%.
Develop an open Space Strategy
to ensure that Stirling’s parks
and other open spaces are effectively
developed and maintained.
we have finished consulting
communities on this strategy and the
final version will be decided by the end
of 2008.
what we are doing in 2008/09
We are making
sure that Stirling area
parks and other open
spaces are effectively
developed and
maintained.
what we are doing in 2008/09
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we aim to make our services
better, more effective, and
more efficient. we want our services
to be designed with customer
needs in mind, and we aim to
ensure that information about our
performance is readily available. in
2007/08, we made £4.5 million in
efficiency savings (primarily from
asset management and reducing
bureaucracy). this is 2.5% of our
budget and higher than the 1.5%
target we set ourselves.
Our total budget for 2007/08 was
just over £176m.
Where we spent the money:
Chief executive’s office £1.4
Corporate Services £11.1
Children’s Services £77.2
Community Services £35.4
environment Services £18.1
trading operations (underspend) -£0.8
Police, fire Service and assessor £14.5
other Budgets £2.7
loans Charges £14.3
Total £173.9
full details of our audited accounts
are available through our website
www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingperforms
or contact Jim Boyle, Chief
accountant, on 01786 442899.
encouraging participation and
responsibility
Citizens and local communities
play a vital role in shaping our
services and we want to encourage
your participation. as well as the
residents Survey we encourage
community involvement and
community based activities.
Making Stirling more sustainable
embedded in all our activities and
work is a commitment to sustainable
development, including reducing our
carbon emissions and ensuring the
Stirling area adapts to the
effects of climate change.
■looking at ways community
wardens can help tackle litter
problems.
■launching the recycling incentive
initiative pilot “winning from waste”
in June 2008.
■Collecting all plastics from all
council areas and rolling out recycling
collection in the city centre by June
2009.
■Bringing forward our “towards Zero
waste”waste reduction strategy.
■we have invested more money
into repairing roads in recent years,
but more still needs to be done.
48% of the road network in the
area is estimated to need repairing,
compared to the average in Scotland
of 38%.
■we recycled 39% of the waste
collected, an increase from last
year’s figure of 36%.
■the cost of refuse collection is
still higher at £105.82 (last year it
was £101.28) than many places in
Scotland.
■the number of waste collection
complaints is 109.6 for every 1,000
properties. work is being done to
address this.
Talkbackwe welcome your feedback to
help us improve all our services.
talkback lets us know how local
people feel we’re doing – the
good and the bad. talkback
leaflets are available at all
Council offices and libraries. you
can also phone 0845 277 7000,
or go online at www.stirling.
gov.uk/talkback. for social
work complaints please phone
01786 443231.
Better services
Quality environment
(millions)
WINTeR 2008
21
Residents Survey Revisited Words into action
Wear a white ribbon to support
the Sixteen Days of Action for the
elimination of violence against
Women and Children
25th november-10th december
this major international campaign’s
message is that violence against
women is a violation of a woman’s
human rights. in the Stirling area
the campaign’s focus is being
expanded to include violence
against children.
events and activities will include:
• a white ribbon march in Stirling
on the evening of thursday 4
December
• a Stirling Multicultural
Partnership conference on
forced marriages on wednesday
26 november
• poster exhibitions in Stirling
Council offices, libraries and
sports centres
• themed reading groups in
libraries
• activities in high schools led by
Stirling Student forum, including
charity events, the sale of white
ribbons and themed assemblies.
More from anne Salter, lead officer
Child Protection at saltera@stirling.
gov.uk
sixteen days of action
In the last Focus we reported on
the early results from our 2008
Residents Survey. Here’s more
about what you told us and the
actions we’re taking to increase
local people’s satisfaction with the
Council.
You said you want to have your
calls answered promptly when you
phone the Council.
We will ...aim to answer 90% of
calls first time.
You said our website is one of
the top ways you prefer to receive
information about our services.
We will ...increase the number of
things you can do online. By 2012
we’re aiming to have all Council
services capable of being delivered
electronically available via our
website. we’re also providing more
personalised information. the story
about our new My Stirling service on
page 24 explains more.
You said you would like more
information on key things the Council is
doing.
We will ...use focus magazine and our
website to keep you up to date. we
are also working on ways to make all
our communications clearer and more
effective.
fOcus faCtS
• 1,300 people were surveyed
• the survey showed that overall
satisfaction with the Council has
increased from 54% to 60%
• we are involving local people
more in service design.
• you can read the full results at
www.stirling.gov.uk/residentssurvey
STIRLING CouNCIL CoNTACT CeNTRe
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“Because the
children are involved in the whole
process they are more
settled and confident,” says Jessie.
Making enrolment easy at Borestone Primary
“the more information parents are
offered, and the more involved
they are in the process of transition
to school, the more settled and
confident the children will be when
they join us.”
the school invites parents of soon-
to-be P1s to a transition meeting,
organises visits to classrooms,
dinner hall and playground, and
sends out regular newsletters.
“we’ve also created a special folder
for parents and children to read
through together,” adds Jessie.
“it’s a collection of photos and
comments from teachers, parents
and children, all about what
starting school is like. we keep
it in the nursery, so the whole
idea of moving to the school can
become familiar to the children and
something they feel comfortable
about.”
Primary 1 teacher aileen russell
makes a point of visiting boys and
girls who will be in her class while
they are still at nursery. “it means
a lot to the children,” she says.
“they do remember my visits, and
sometimes say ‘you came to see
me’, which is lovely.”
“we also encourage children in the
nursery to talk about what they
would like their classroom to look
like, and work with them to bring
their ideas to life.”
“we invite parents in to see P1
teachers teach, and stay on for lunch
and a discussion in the afternoon about
how they can help their children learn
at home.
“one parent commented afterwards
that she had never realised maths
could be such fun!”
“Starting SChool iS a huge event in the life of a ChilD anD
hiS or her faMily, anD we want to helP it go aS SMoothly aS
PoSSiBle for everyone,” SayS BoreStone PriMary heaDteaCher
JeSSie woJCieChowSKi.
BoReSToNe PRIMARY SChooL heAdTeACheR JeSSIe WoJCIeChoWSkI ANd PRIMARY 1 TeACheR
AILeeN RuSSeLL: A ReAL PARTNeRShIP WITh PAReNTS.
the information for children
and parents in the school’s transition
folder was very useful when my child
was about to start Primary 1. thanks
for all your help and support.
Comment in the folder from a Borestone Primary School parent.
BeTT
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ShIP
BeT
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Ch
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ARe
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AN
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WINTeR 2008
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all children who are five years old on
or before 18 august 2009 are of school
age and must start their primary school
education on that date.
Children who are five years old
between 19 august 2009 and 28
february 2010 may start their primary
school education on 18 august 2009
for the above school year.
if you want your child to start school in
august 2009 you should enrol him/her
by 23 January 2009. for details on
school catchment areas, or for further
information on enrolment procedures,
please contact your local school or
Children’s Services, viewforth, Stirling
on 01786 442648 or visit www.stirling.
gov.uk.
as part of the enrolment process
Stirling Council now checks the
residency of all parents wishing to
enrol their child at their catchment
school. to avoid delay when you
attend your catchment school please
bring with you your child’s birth
certificate, child benefit book/award
letter and a recent council tax bill.
Gaelic Medium provision
gaelic Medium Provision is available at
riverside Primary School, forrest road,
Stirling. if you would like to find out
more please contact the school.
If your child is due to transfer from
primary to secondary school
Children currently in P7 will transfer
from primary to secondary education
in august 2009. you will receive
notification of transfer arrangements
through your primary school.
enrolment at a secondary school other
than your catchment school will need
a placing request even if your child
already attends an associated primary
school of your chosen secondary school.
placing Requests for Session
2009/2010
Parents or guardians who wish to
make a placing request for the school
session 2009-2010 need to do so in
writing by no later than 20 february
2009. this includes requests that your
child be placed in a school other than
the school which normally serves the
area in which you live. application
forms and guidelines are available
from Children’s Services, viewforth,
Stirling on 01786 442666.
it is essential that you enrol your child
at the school that serves your local
area even if you are making a placing
request for another school.
Please note that if your placing request
is successful school transport will not
be provided for your child.
School enrolment
THe 2009/2010 SCHOOL yeAR STARTS
ON 18 AuGuST 2009. THIS IS THe ONLy
DATe FOR BeGINNING pRIMARy SCHOOL
eDuCATION FOR THAT yeAR.
Schools Information
information on local authority schools
in Stirling Council and placing request
arrangements are available from Planning
& Performance, Children’s Services, Stirling
Council, viewforth, Stirling.
information on individual schools is
available from the schools themselves.
Parents wishing to apply for enrolment
to our lady’s rC Primary School, St
Mary’s rC Primary School, St Margaret’s
rC Primary School, St Mary’s episcopal
Primary School and St Modan’s high
School should contact the school to discuss
enrolment policy.
Primary and
Secondary 2009
remember to enrol
your child by
23 January 2009
You can find out more
and check our full list of
schools, addresses and phone
numbers on the website
at stirling.gov.uk/schools.
WINTeR 2008
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24
My Stirling
We can email you
events information
weekly or monthly, or
generate a handy list of
your nearest bus stops,
local libraries, council
offices or recycling
centres.
Your choice
neeD to finD out if your ChilD’S SChool or nurSery May Be
CloSeD BeCauSe of heavy overnight Snow? or want to Know
when there are any roaD CloSureS in your area Before you
leave worK anD heaD for hoMe?
Perhaps you want to check when and
where your councillors’ surgeries are
being held? or maybe you’d like to
receive instant text alerts if there’s
extreme bad weather on the way.
Stirling Council’s award-winning web
site has a new online service, My
Stirling, that lets you do this and much
more. it’s quick, free and easy - simply
register at www.stirling.gov.uk/my
Just choose the items you would like
to subscribe to (news, severe weather
warnings, service disruptions, road and
school closures, events/concerts and
much more) and tell us how often you
would like to receive these messages
(daily, weekly or monthly). Choose
from emails or SMS text messages to
your mobile phone –and leave the rest
to us! it’s a free service.
My Stirling is all about putting you, the
customer, in control and letting you
WANT To kNoW WhAT’S oN AT ALBeRT hALLS? SIGN uP WIThMY STIRLING ANd The INFo ARRIveS IN YouR LIvING RooM oR oN YouR MoBILe
MY STIRLING oNLINe INFo ThAT FITS YouR
LIFeSTYLe.
Sign up for our new information servicedelivering the emails or texts that matter most to you and your family
Register at www.stirling.gov.uk/my
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WINTeR 2008
WANT To kNoW WhAT’S oN AT ALBeRT hALLS? SIGN uP WIThMY STIRLING ANd The INFo ARRIveS IN YouR LIvING RooM oR oN YouR MoBILe
choose what information you want to
receive, when, and in which format.
for example, we can email you each
month with upcoming music events,
or send you an instant text message if
there are schools closed due to severe
weather or any other disruption. you
can receive the latest job vacancies and
find out information on Council facilities
near to you by adding your address.
you only need to register once. after
that, just log in with your password
each time you re-visit My Stirling. it’s
now quicker and more convenient to
get the information you want. register
now!
Sign up for our new information servicedelivering the emails or texts that matter most to you and your family
Claire Thomson and Alayne Findlay joined the Council as Assistant
Flood Officers earlier this year to help improve our response to
flooding.
“our job involves working with transport and bridge engineers, looking
at current flood hazards and risks and helping with future planning
and development throughout the Council catchment area,” Claire told
focus.
“it’s a great challenge, and we both enjoy getting out and about
around the Stirling area, looking at flooding problems and helping to
prepare and protect residents, businesses and infrastructure.”
Meet our new Flooding Officers
CLAIRe ANd ALAYNe: MoNIToRING RIveR LeveLS AT BRIdGe oF ALLAN
CLIMATe CHANGe AND OuR COMMuNITy■the Council is working in partnership with going Carbon neutral
Stirling, which aims to reduce carbon emissions from communities in the
Stirling area. find out more at: www.goingcarbonneutralstirling.org.uk/
■the Scottish Climate Change impacts Partnership (SCCiP) was
established to increase the resilience of Scotland to meet the challenges
and opportunities presented by the impacts of climate change. you can
find information on climate trends and impacts at www.sccip.org.uk
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>
one in four of us will have a mental
point in our life.
health problem at some
Mental ill-health has been
considered one of the last taboos.
we don’t talk about it, we don’t
even like to think about it. how
can that happen when one in four
of us will have a mental health
problem at some point in our lives?
one in four means that mental
ill-health probably touches every
family, every workplace, every
classroom, every school staff room,
every bus queue and every football
team.
if mental ill-health is so common, how
is it that most of us just don’t seem
to know what to do when it affects
someone close to us? Most people
genuinely want to be a good friend
and a supportive family member. it’s
just that…. things seem to get in the
way of our good intentions.
Perhaps we feel, faced with a family
member in
crisis, that
we just
don’t know
enough to be any real help, that we
might make things worse? Perhaps
we feel, when our friends are
struggling with their mental health,
that we just can’t cope with seeing
them in that way? Perhaps we
think, when faced with a colleague
or an employee or a boss who’s
struggling, that we just don’t have
the time to get involved?
the above thoughts are all based on
decades of misunderstanding and
myths about mental illness, topped
off with a helping of just being
human and not knowing what to
SuZIe veSTRI, ACTING DIReCTOR OF See Me, THe NATIONAL
CAMpAIGN TO STOp THe STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION
WHICH SuRROuNDS MeNTAL ILL-HeALTH, WRITeS FOR FOCuS
ABOuT HOW JuST BeING THeRe - AND BeING yOuRSeLF - IS
THe BeST WAy TO HeLp.
Support from family,
friends and colleagues
can make all the
difference for people
with mental illness.
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We’re working with the Carbon
least 15% over the next 5 years.
trust to reduce emissions by at
The Climate’s Right for Change
fOcus faCtSwith a system as complex as
the world’s climate it’s difficult
to be precise in predicting the
results of a warming planet,
but future scenarios for central
Scotland include:
• an increase in peak summer
temperatures
• an increased frequency of
severe winter gales
• an increase in the frequency
and intensity of heavy rains,
leading to more surface water
run-off and the likelihood of
flash flooding.
do. faced by the fear that we night
make things worse, we say nothing
at all. anyone who’s experienced the
isolation that comes with bereavement;
when people don’t know what to say
and end up saying nothing, will know
how hurtful that can be. it’s the same
for mental ill-health.
‘see me’ is Scotland’s own national
campaign to end the stigma and
discrimination of mental ill-health.
we’re letting people know that it’s
not that hard to ‘do the right thing’
by your family members, friends and
colleagues.
Carry on talking, asking, listening,
including, inviting and generally just
being yourself. Being there is what
matters. Support and friendship really
does help people with mental health
problems to recover. Just by keeping
on asking someone out for a coffee or
a drink, by taking a minute to stop and
ask someone how things are, you will
be making a world of difference.
in July, Stirling Council’s leader
graham houston renewed our
commitment to tackling climate
change by signing Scotland’s
Climate Change Declaration at a
ceremony in the Council Chambers.
he was joined by Cabinet Secretary
for finance and Sustainable
growth, John Swinney, and the
Council’s Chief executive Keith
yates.
a first step in reducing the
Council’s contribution to climate
change is to measure emissions
from our own activities, such
as heating buildings, running
machinery, driving vehicles and
producing waste.
we will then find creative ways
to reduce demand for fuel and
electricity while continuing to
deliver quality services to our
communities.
visit www.carbontrust.co.uk
• for more information about
the campaign visit www.
seemescotland.org
• Stirling Council and eight other
forth valley organisations are
supporting see me.
keITh YATeS, (LeFT) JohN SWINNeY ANd GRAhAM houSToN SIGN The deCLARATIoN
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Compost Counts
anything else in the mix can
pose a real safety hazard to the
Council team who sift through brown
bin contents on the conveyor belt at
lower Polmaise, and ruin the quality
of our compost for everyone.
“green waste – the stuff that breaks
down and turns into good quality
compost for the garden – is all that
should ever go in the brown bin,”
Sandy Murphy, Stirling Council’s
Compost Controller tells focus.
“other kinds of waste that might
be around the garden or shed, for
example old garden hoses, plastic
plant pots, plastic paddling pools, bits
of rope, punctured footballs and so
on, should always go in the gray bin
for general waste, not the brown bin.
“Plastic contaminates compost, and
graSS CuttingS, leaveS, heDge triMMingS, weeDS anD CarDBoarD
(MinuS StaPleS anD taPe) are what it taKeS to MaKe great CoMPoSt.
The WRoNG WASTe IN The CoMPoST BIN CAN Be A SAFeTY hAZARd FoR PoLMAISe STAFF
when non-compostable things are
put into brown bins they have to
be removed and sent to landfill.
Between april and September
alone the Council has had to pay
over £17,000 to landfill 255 tonnes
of contaminants from Stirling area
brown bins.
“But there’s also an
important safety issue
here. Some of the items
which have ended up
on the ‘picking line’
conveyor belt at polmaise
could damage the
machinery and cause an
injury.”
waste Services Manager
David hopper is hoping local
people will help get the
message across.
“the Polmaise team and everyone
in waste Services would like
to say thanks to all the Stirling
Council residents who are recycling
correctly. Please continue to help
us by spreading the word to your
neighbours, friends and family.”
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CleanSuST
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The WRoNG WASTe IN The CoMPoST BIN CAN Be A SAFeTY hAZARd FoR PoLMAISe STAFF
Trading standards round up
29
fOcus faCtS
Better Recycling For BalfronBalfron’s new-look household waste
recycling Centre (hwrC) in Dunkeld
Court is now open and offering
a much wider range of recycling
opportunities for local people.
the number of skips has been
doubled, and there’s better access
with wider fixed walkways. there
are skips for garden waste, wood and
chipboard and mixed metals, as well
as one for mixed household waste.
this site also has signposted areas or
collection banks for:
• electrical items • tvs and monitors
• computers • fridges and freezers
• bicycles • car batteries • engine oil
• gas bottles • cardboard (tape and
staples removed) • tetrapak food and
drink cartons • textiles • shoes
• handbags • cans • glass bottles
and jars • paper of all kinds • CDs • books • DvDs • vhS tapes
Balfron HWRC opening hours:
Monday – friday 5 pm – 8 pm
Saturday 10 am – 2 pm
• Callander’s upgraded recycling
centre is set to open in 2009.
• Stirling Council residents currently
recycle 39% of all waste collected
– one of the highest recycling rates
in the country.
Brown Bingrass, leaves, small branches and cardboard with tape and staples removed
grey/green Binblack bags of rubbish, plastic sheeting, extension leads, plastic wading pools, hoses, plastic tubs and pots
Measure by measure
if you’re buying drinks this
festive season the glasses
you’re handed could look a
bit different from the usual.
“there’s been a recent change in
the law, and now european union
metric measures are being used
instead of the uK crown measures
we’ve had traditionally,” explains
trading Standards officer lindsay
Mcneil.
“this will affect pricing, descriptions
of drinks, quantities and labelling.
our trading Standards team is
working with licensees to make
sure everyone knows about the
changes and that the
new measures are
accurate.”
Toy safety
the trading Standards team have
some advice if you’re toy shopping
for presents. By law, toy packaging
must display the Ce mark and
manufacturer’s or importer’s
details. also look for the BSi Kite
and lion quality marks and make
sure that toys come in the original
sealed packaging. “always buy
from reputable stockists. a bargain
isn’t a bargain if it breaks the first
time your child uses it – and you
can be sure that the trader won’t
have hung around to give you your
money back,” says Brian.
TRAdING STANdARdS oFFICeR BRIAN WILSoN
(BeLoW) vISITS WooLWoRThS IN STIRLING. The SToRe IS
heLPING PRoMoTe The IMPoRTANCe oF BuYING ToYS
WITh The CoRReCT quALITY MARkS.
More hints and tips at
stirling.gov.uk/tradingstandards
WINTeR 2008
LINdSAY keePS AN eYe oN The NeW MeASuReS
housing hopes including ...
30
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young PeoPle with a DiSaBility anD their ParentS anD CarerS tolD
uS there waS a laCK of inforMation – anD of SuitaBle oPtionS – for
DiSaBleD PeoPle who want to leave hoMe.
“now we’ve done this research we’ll
be working on a report which will
help Stirling Council plan services and
housing in the future,” says tony Cain,
head of housing. “there are also plans
to publish a leaflet early next year so
young people with a disability have
information about what their options
are, how to get support and how to
apply for housing.”
So earlier this year several events
were held for the young people
and their carers to find out what
they think their future housing
and support needs will be. the
research was funded by Supporting
People and carried out by the
Children and Disability Social
work team in partnership with
Stirling Council’s research team,
Community Care, housing Services
and the charity PluS.
young people from 11 to 25 took
part in activities and filled in
questionnaires about their housing
needs. there was also an event at
Stirling’s riverbank Centre to give
parents and carers an opportunity
to discuss the issue while the
young people went bowling,
supported by PluS.
I just think it’s great that we have all been
given the chance to come and talk about our sons’ and
daughters’ ideas and hopes about housing.
fOcus faCtSyou can download leaflets on all
these housing issues from
our website at
www.stirling.
gov.uk/housing/
leaflets
• Paying your rent:
how can we help?
• gas repairs
• what can i do?
homelessness and
domestic violence
• a guide to
condensation
• heating advice
• Beat the freeze
• tenants handbook
Better renting
if you’re a private tenant
or landlord the Scottish
government’s Better renting
Scotland website is for you. it’s
packed with information about
rules, rights and responsibilities,
as well as the latest news about
private rented housing. there’s
also a section for neighbours.
www.betterrentingscotland.com
Comment from a parent.
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houSing ServiCeS’ rePairS By aPPointMent SySteM haS Been a hit
with tenantS SinCe itS launCh in aPril.
Repairs by appointment
Now we only have to
return to 3% of repair jobs
because no-one was in to give
us access. Last year we had to
return to 30% of jobs.
for more money advice and information
visit www.moneyscotland.gov.uk
Are you worried about how you
may cope with the financial
pressures around Christmas time
this year?
is it a struggle to manage your
money with the increase in prices
for gas, electricity and food?
Do you feel you now have less
money to live on and bills to pay but
no money left to pay them?
if you can answer ‘yes’ to these
questions please call Stirling
Council’s Money advice Service on
01786 442460 for free, confidential
and impartial advice.
our team are here to give you
information and assistance on
all kinds of money management
matters.
www.stirling.gov.uk/
money-advice
www.nationaldebtline.
co.uk/scotland tel.
0808 808 4000.
Dear Santa...“we’re always looking for ways to
improve the quality of our service to
local people, and the feedback from
our 5,500 tenants was that they
would like repairs carried out in their
homes at a time they could choose
in advance,” says tony Cain, head of
housing.
“now when a tenant reports a repair
to their home that requires access,
we offer an appointment (Monday
to friday). the appointment can
be either in the morning, between
8 am and 12 noon, or in the
afternoon, between 12 noon and
4.30 pm (3.30 pm on fridays).
the day before the tradesperson or
technical supervisor is due to call,
we’ll text our customer a reminder.
if the appointment is no longer
suitable, we’ll arrange a new one
that’s more convenient.”
Please remember to always ask for
i.D. before letting a tradesperson
into your home.
fOcus faCtSthe new appointments system has
• improved customer satisfaction
rates
• helped reduce the cost of repairs
from an average £174 per job last
year to £118 per job this year
• reduced waiting times
• cut costs.
find out more
at www.stirling.
gov.uk/housing
PRe-ARRANGed APPoINTMeNTS MAke RePAIRS vISITS eASIeR.
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How is Council Tax and Housing Benefit worked out?it depends on what money you (and your partner) have coming in and any savings you have. other circumstances such as your age and whether anyone else lives with you are also taken into account. it’s easy to quickly check if you might be due some Council tax or housing Benefit. Just fill in our online benefit calculator at www.stirling.gov.uk/benefits_calculator or call into your local office to get help with this. you can still get Council tax Benefit if you own your own home.
Local Housing Allowance if you rent from a private landlord you might be due local housing allowance (lha). this is based on the number of rooms you need for your household. (your income and savings are also taken into account.) the lha will give you more choice
in where you live as you can find out how much benefit you might get before you rent a property. you’ll get the same amount as other people in the same circumstances. as this allowance is paid directly to you, your landlord need not know you are on benefit.
Council Tax Discountyour Council tax bill could be reduced if you are the only adult in the household or if you have other special circumstances, for example a disability. you won’t be asked for your income details.
Community Service by offenders
Can we help your community?by Helen Grinly, Stirling Criminal Justice Service
in the past year offenders managed by Stirling Criminal Justice Community Service team have done thousands of hours of unpaid work in the Stirling Council area for the benefit of local communities.
research shows that people who are sentenced to Community Service are less likely to re-offend than people sentenced to a prison term. it is also an option which costs the taxpayer considerably less than prison does.
in Stirling, most of the work we do is environmental - not only in urban areas, but also in the national Park.
we’re always interested to hear of any community projects that we can assist with. for more information, please call helen or norrie on 01786 463812.
finDing it harD to Pay your CounCil tax or rent? you CoulD get
Benefit to reDuCe your CounCil tax Bill or to helP Pay your rent
- even if you’re worKing.
are you getting all the BenefitS you’re entitleD to?
How do I apply for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit or Discount?
• phone 01786 443210 8.30 am
- 5.30 pm or 0845 277 7000 at
evenings and weekends
• e-mail [email protected]
• visit www.stirling.gov.uk
• ask at your local office or visit or
write to: Customer Services Stirling
Council viewforth Stirling fK8 2et
Council tax rebate and housing
benefit - do you qualify?
for more information phone
01786 443210 or 0845 277 7000
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Your Councillors
phone 0845 277 7000
Cllr Margaret Brisley [email protected]
Cllr Alasdair Macpherson [email protected]
Cllr Gerard O’Brien labouro’[email protected]
Ward 7 Bannockburn
Cllr Tony Ffinch
Cllr paul Owens
labour [email protected]
Cllr Fergus Wood
Ward 1 trossachs and teith Ward 2 forth and endrick Ward 3 Dunblane and Bridge of allan
Cllr Alistair Berrill
Cllr Graham Lambie
Cllr Colin O’Brien
Cllr Callum Campbell
Cllr Colin Finlay
labour [email protected]
Cllr David Goss
Cllr Graham Houston
Ward 4 Castle Ward 5 Stirling west
Cllr John Hendry
Cllr Graham Reed
Cllr Jim Thomson
Cllr Neil Benny
Cllr Scott Farmer
Cllr Andrew Simpson
Cllr Corrie McChord
labour [email protected]
Cllr Steven paterson
Cllr Ian Brown
lib Dem [email protected]
Ward 6 Stirling east
(currently not in Council Labour Group)
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S C O T L A N D ’ S H E A R T
S C O T L A N D ’ S H E A R T
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Roads report
reCent roaD worKS and works
under construction in the Stirling
Council area.
• C5 touch road - resurfacing £37k
• C11 abbey road, riverside -
resurfacing £70k
• Sherriffmuir Branch road -
resurfacing £25k
• Pendreich road - resurfacing £19k
• Borrowlea road, Stirling £54k
• Middlemuir road, Stirling £66k
• Milton Crescent, Bannockburn £22k
• newpark Crescent, whins of Milton
£49k
• randolph road, Stirling £80k
• Ballengeich road, Stirling -
resurfacing £26k
• Clark St, Bannockburn - resurfacing
£31k
• a907 Craigmill - permanent
patching £31k
• a872 - footpath upgrading £8k
The roads maintenance budget for the next five years
will rise to approximately £6.25m each year. The
increased funding will help tackle the backlog of road
repairs.
Edite
dan
dde
sign
edb
ySt
irlin
gCo
unci
l’sC
omm
unic
atio
nsa
ndM
arke
ting
Team
,Oct
200
8.
Past Times
• Duke Street, whins of Milton £30k
• Melford Drive, Stirling - footway
upgrade £25k
• Burn Drive, Stirling - footway
upgrade £25k
• a873 easter tarr - resurfacing£55k
• a873 Burnbank - resurfacing£61k
• a873 Boghall - resurfacing £30k
• B829 aberfoyle - resurfacing £60k
• C107 South loch tay - resurfacing
£65k
• B822 frew toll - resurfacing £58k
• B826 Drumore far - resurfacing
£70k
• B822 netherton - resurfacing £52k
• B8031 Coldoch - resurfacing £34k
• a821 glenbruiach - resurfacing £50k
• B822 Kippen firs - resurfacing £44k
• B837 Balmaha - resurfacing £40k
• lyon road, Killin - resurfacing £15k
• Southview road - Strathblane,
footway/carriageway £60k
DATe: august 2008
pLACe: alloa road, Causewayhead
JOB: resurfacing
Stirling Council, viewforth, Stirling fK8 2et phone: 0845 277 7000email: [email protected] text: 0771 799 0001 web: www.stirling.gov.uk
CallanDer - the firSt PlanneD new town in rural SCotlanDby local resident Ken Dunn
the vision of the Duke of Perth, Callander was laid out to his plan
of 1739. the Square and broad Main Street remain as his legacy. the Drummonds of Perth were Jacobites in the 1745 rebellion, so it was left to the Commissioners of the forfeited estates to complete the layout we see today. the old Parish Church was moved from its riverside position to the north Square in 1773, and 100 years later was replaced by the present St Kessog’s building.
the war Memorial column in the South Square was dedicated in the early 1920s and designed by archibald Kay, a well-known local artist. the story is told of the workman who crafted the Scottish lion on top of the column. he made it with cross-eyes – one on the Parish Church clock and the other looking towards the bar of the former ancaster hotel (representing the musings of the local worthies who sat in the Square waiting patiently for their next carousal in the bar at midday!) look up and check it out on your next visit to Callander.
learn more about your history
at www.stirling.gov.uk/sitesmonuments
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