The Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards 2018 are calling for entries from businesses across the region. The award's fifteen categories will be open for nominations and entries until the 15th June.
A new facility that provides workspace and collaboration opportunities for life sciences businesses across the Highland Council area was launched in Inverness on Tuesday 27 March 2018. The NEXUS project is part of the Northern Innovation Hub, led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) with funding from the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal.
Families of young children may be entitled to extra financial support, under Scottish Government plans. Worth up to a total of £1100, Best Start Grant will be one of 11 benefits to be paid as part of the new Scottish social security system.
Two per cent of children in Scotland were being looked after by local authorities or on the child protection register on July 31 2017, according to the latest Children's Social Work Statistics published today by Scotland's Chief Statistician. The statistics which include information on children who were looked after, on the child protection register, or in secure care accommodation show that: 14,897 children were looked after in 2017, a decrease of three per cent from 2016, and the fifth consecutive year of decline Foster care remains the most common accommodation for looked after children, accounting for over a third of looked after children (36%), whereas residential care accounts for 10% of looked after children.
Over £200 million of debt has been repaid since the reform of the Debt Arrangement Scheme in 2011, Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy Paul Wheelhouse has announced. More than 6,000 people have now completed a debt payment plan through the scheme.
University announces key research appointment The University of the Highlands and Islands has appointed Professor Neil Simco as its Vice-Principal for Research and Impact. Professor Simco will be responsible for leading and overseeing the university's research activity in the role.
Up to £96 million for unemployment support. Scotland's first fully devolved employment service will start delivering flexible and tailored support from Tuesday 3 April 2018.
Brexit remains biggest challenge on the horizon The Scottish Government's focus on following a single, unified approach to the economy risks being blurred by a proliferation of strategies, advisory groups and discussion forums, warns the Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI). In our latest Economic Commentary, supported by Deloitte we caution that a cluttered policy landscape can lead to confusion, a lack of alignment, duplication and weakened accountability.
Scotland's public services watchdog has said ‘good early progress’ has been made in setting up the country’s new social security service. Audit Scotland’s report highlights that establishment of the new agency - Social Security Scotland – and delivery of the first benefits are on track.
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson has welcomed National Statistics confirming that crime in Scotland has fallen by around a third in just under a decade while more people than ever feel safe in their neighbourhood. The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey 2016-17, based on interviews with almost 5,600 adults about their experience of crime, whether or not reported to police, estimates there were around 712,000 crimes - 32% fewer than in 2008-09 - while property crime is down 34% and violence down 27% over the same period.
The Highland Licensing Committee agreed on 27 March 2018 to take no action towards introducing restrictions on the number of taxis and private hire cars (PHC) licensed to operate in Highland or any particular part of the Highland area. This follows consideration of a specialist and independent legal opinion commissioned to seek clarification of the Council's powers in this regard.
Dounreay has been decommissioning for some years and that will continue Part of the process has been getting involved in soci-economics to prepare the area for the day when the workforce will be minimal. Funding has and is being made available in a number of strategies detaisl for which are available on the web site.
The Highland Licensing Committee has considered a report in relation to street traders licence condition 8 and agreed to remove this condition from its standard licence conditions. The continued use of the condition was reviewed following a recent court decision which made clear that licensing conditions must serve a licensing purpose namely preserving public order or public safety.
Every now and then we need to clear out ads that are older and have been on the site for sometime. Some are no longer required but we have no way of knowing so we merely reduce the list from the back end.
If you are an employer with 250 employees or more, new legislation means you will need to publish your annual gender pay data. The deadline is 30 March 2018 for public sector employers and 4 April 2018for private and voluntary sector employers.
Achlachan Wind Farm (17/02176/FUL) The B870 Mybster to Westerdale road will be closed from 9am on Monday 26th March 2018 to 5pm on 22nd April 2018. This is to upgrade the road to allow for turbine deliveries.
Issued on behalf of the Student Awards Agency Scotland. Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) would like to remind any students who have not yet submitted their 2017-2018 application for funding and tuition fees, to do so now and before the 31 March 2018 closing date.
Week Commencing 19th March 2018 Energy & Business services: Interesting this week to read news of continuing interest in Floating Offshore Wind on the north cost of Caithness and Sutherland. As I've previously mentioned here, the Dounreay Tri project intended to build a Floating Offshore demonstrator project at a site around 6km north of Dounreay, but following that company's entering into administration the future for the development was uncertain.
HIE is now recruiting for the 2018 intake to its Pathfinder Accelerator, a tried and tested business programme nurturing growth in life sciences and technology. Share The Pathfinder Accelerator is specifically designed to help companies and start-ups develop novel business ideas relating to life sciences or technology and reduce time to market by testing it in the most time-efficient, cost-effective way to determine its commercial viability.
A Corporate Parenting Board is to be established which will have a duty of care for currently around 500 ‘Looked After' children and young people in Highland. Members of the Highland Community Planning Partnership’s, Community Planning Board have this week (21 March 2018) agreed to establish a Corporate Parenting Board the purpose of which will be to: • promote the corporate parenting role of statutory agencies and awareness of the duties towards care experienced young people in Highland.