News Archive

Public To Have Say On Service Integration

People in Caithness are invited to find out more about, and have an opportunity to have their say on the development of Planning for Integration of health, education and social care services provided by NHS Highland and The Highland Council.   At a public meeting in, Wick (Mackays Hotel) on 23 February from 7pm - 9pm, Jan Baird, Planning for Integration, Transitions Director will explain how, from 1 April 2012, staff are being brought together into integrated teams to work with children and families and with people who use community care services.  

Finance Minister Cuts Turf For New Inverness Campus

Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth John Swinney MSP joined representatives of the elected youth parliament of the Highlands on Tuesday (14 February) to formally mark the start of infrastructure works at Inverness Campus.   Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is developing the multi-stakeholder location as one of Scotland's prime sites for business, research and education.  

Household Recycling Saves Councils �20m

New figures show that Scotland's household recycling efforts save local authorities more than �20 million each year.   The revelation on how much councils save through recycling comes as Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead launches the latest recycling campaign from the Scottish Government, encouraging the public to recycle more and more often.  

New Transport Projects

Details of how new budget allocations will be spent were unveiled by Finance Secretary John Swinney in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon.   The specific transport strand of the announcement represents a package of almost �72 million aimed at improving journey times, relieving congestion and making Scotland's roads even safer.  

Future For Teacher Employment

Plans to support teachers to improve learning outcomes for children and young people have been announced.   In response to the McCormac review of teaching employment, the Scottish Government intends to: create a new masters level qualification to replace the Chartered Teacher scheme introduce a refreshed system of professional review for teachers give further, careful consideration to the role of external experts in schools Speaking in Parliament, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning Michael Russell said: "Teachers have a fundamental role in nurturing and supporting the development of our children and young people.  

Deadline To Nominate Education Stars

People in the Highlands are being urged to enter their local schools, nurseries or individuals into the Scottish Education Awards 2012 so that their exceptional achievements can be recognised.  The deadline for submissions is Friday 2 March 2012.  

Council Appoints Two Key Directors To Lead Integration Project

The Highland Council has confirmed the appointment of the two directors who will lead the integration of services for children across the authority from April.   Bill Alexander, Director of Social Work, has been appointed as the Director of Health and Social Care and Hugh Fraser, Director of Education Culture and Sport, has been appointed to a position with the same title with extended responsibilities.  

Escape Business Technologies 10 Years and �950,000 Contracts

Escape Business Technologies celebrates 10 year client milestone with contracts worth �950,000.   Thurso and Aberdeen-based Escape Business Technologies, the energy-focused IT provider, has been awarded contracts worth �950,000 by Ithaca Energy and Peterson SBS.  

HI-Scot Credit Union crosses "The Pond"

HI-Scot Credit Union, the Credit Union for the Highlands and Islands, has just enjoyed its busiest start to a year in its five year history.   Membership now stands at over 2000 and interest in the Credit Union just continues to grow.  

Scottish Government Budget Proposals

Ahead of this week's stage three debate on the Scottish budget Finance Secretary John Swinney confirmed that he met with all opposition parties and would continue to listen to the views put forward by others to secure the best budget for Scotland.   With the debate due on Wednesday and at the end of a week in which the Finance Secretary set out the constraints on Scotland's economy as a result of UK economic policy and the alternatives that would be available with the powers of independence Finance Secretary John Swinney said:"We have put forward a budget that promotes economic recovery, protects household budgets and supports jobs and training opportunities for our young people.