The home of the Scottish Community Safety Network
by Dave Shea, Senior National Development Officer ‘Community Safety’ sounds straightforward, doesn’t it? A pairing of two plain, familiar words – nothing fancy or jargoned – presenting a simple sum of one plus one. But peel back the cover and there are storied chapters of complexity, authored by citizens and practitioners – people with knowledge...
by Dawn Exley, National Development Officer The Retained EU Law bill was introduced to parliament by the UK Government on 22nd September 2022. It is a reform bill which aims to abolish EU law in the UK to easily enable the UK Government to amend, appeal and replace each currently retained EU law. Currently there...
by David Barbour, SCSN Communications Officer The UK Government has published plans to increase criminal penalties against people who use drugs, titled ‘Swift, Certain, Tough: new consequences for drug possession’. It’s very difficult not to emit a long, slow sigh. Rather than ‘Swift, Certain, Tough’, many with knowledge and lived experience of drugs and community...
We recently attended an event on the Wellbeing Economy as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival of Politics. The event was hosted by Paul McLennan MSP, with panellists including Miriam Brett, research fellow at the Democracy Collaborative and Wellbeing Economy Alliance; and Gemma Bone Dodds and Thobile Chittenden of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance. Following this...
by Lorraine Gillies, Chief Officer, SCSN Is there anyone not feeling the pinch just now? As the news reports the fastest fall in real pay on record, – the cost of living crisis comes into everyone’s orbit. The statistics are terrifying, and change with pace – by the time I write this and publish it,...
by Dawn Exley, National Development Officer The vast majority of Scotland’s dog owners are responsible, take good care of their dogs and are able to experience the benefits of dog ownership. A small minority, however, do not properly control their dogs. Very worryingly, in the last 15 years, there has been an 80% rise in...
by Dave Shea, Senior National Development Officer OVERVIEW In October 2021, after extensive, systematic, considered discussion of gains and risks – to business and staff – SCSN began a 6 month pilot of 4-day working. We revised our terms and conditions. The organisation’s principles and spirit of working were renewed. An updated ‘How We Will...
For our first newsletter of the year, following two very difficult years, we decided we wanted to try focus on what we’re feeling hopeful about. Here, the SCSN staff team share what they’re excited about in community safety in 2022, as well as their personal hopes for the year! Lorraine I’m hoping for a quieter,...
by Dave Shea, Senior National Development Officer We’re halfway through our 6 month experiment, trialling 4-day working at the SCSN. In this second post (you can read the first here), I share the experience so far, organisationally and personally, and try to predict where this all might lead us. It isn’t an evidence-led piece, it’s...
Its been an exhausting two years for all of us since the Covid 19 pandemic hit us. And just when it felt like we were seeing some light at the end of the tunnel of public health measures and restrictions on our lives, along has come a new variant to upset the apple cart once...