thewww.southlanarkshire.gov.ukrepor ter Helping Hand Schools and nurseries EHQHÀWIURPPRVWDPELWLRXV VFKHPHLQ(XURSH 8-PAGE PULLOUT INSIDE: Councillors’ information and useful numbers Domestic Abuse How to get help Domestic abuse is a pattern of control, which can include emotional, sexual, psychological, financial and physical abuse. It affects 1 in 4 women over the course of their lives. Domestic abuse can be perpetrated by partners or ex-partners. t Domestic abuse is abusive behaviour that is usually ongoing and gets worse over time. t It is usually persistent, unwanted, abusive behaviour used to exercise control and is a misuse of power. t It may result in distress, destructive criticism, verbal abuse, injury or death. t It can affect any person of any age, background, ethnicity and social class. t Domestic abuse is not caused by stress, unemployment, poverty, alcohol, mental illness, or by those who experience the domestic abuse. t There is no excuse for domestic abuse. There are numerous services available to those who have been affected by domestic abuse: Domestic Abuse Helpline (24 Hours) 0800 027 1234 EVA Services 01236 70 77 67 Hemat Gryffe Women’s Aid 0141 353 0859 (Asian, Black and Ethnic Minority Women and Children) Homeless Out of Hours Service 0800 24 20 24 Housing 0303 123 1012 Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Helpline 01698 527 003 Men’s Advice Line 0808 801 0327 Scottish Women’s Rights Centre 08088 010 789 Social Work 0303 123 1008 101 (non emergency) / Police Scotland 999 (emergency) Victim Support 01698 30 1111 Women’s Aid South Lanarkshire 01698 891 498 Welcome Pupils embrace Confucius Hub message by Chinese language and culture Council Leader 36-37 4-5 Latest news p39 Schools on Welfare update...9 out Reform 38 of 10 pupils p8-9 learning in £5million modern accommodation 6-9 transforms hidden New bins arrangements to help hit corner into recycling targets 10-11 Cunningar Woodland Helping young people through Park 39 tough times 12 Superheroes land in South City Deal latest 13 Lanarkshire for Comic Con 40-41 Easter fun for all the family 14-15 p14-15 p36-37 Two Syrian refugee families settled in South Lanarkshire speak of their gratitude 16-17 inside Housing programme builds 600 new homes for the future 18-19 your COUNCILLORS’ INFORMATION AND reporter USEFUL NUMBERS PAGES 21-28 £126million roads investment programme on track 20 Integration of health and social New community hub enriching care brings a sense of identity 29 lives of Lesmahagow’s older people 42-43 Joiners nail excellent teamwork 30-31 Improving contact between customers and council 44 Animal magic at Calderglen Children’s Zoo 32-33 Holy Cross High giving girls a sporting chance 45 New ice rink at the heart of East Kilbride leisure development 35 East Kilbride Editor Tom Little teacher News editor James Matt Davitt 01698 453857 Cover photo David relives his Gordon Scottish Publisher Cup Communications and Strategy, South 3HUHYRZOPYL*V\UJPS*V\UJPS6MÄJLZ(STHKH dream :[YLL[/HTPS[VU436(( p32-33 46-47 www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk DELIVERING BEST DESPITE FUNDING ELCOME to your Budget pressures 2016 edition of The Reporter. continue to threaten We send this magazine the hard work of toW you once a year to keep you informed about the work being your local council, carried out on your behalf by South Lanarkshire Council. but services This edition is packed with articles continue to excel that highlight this work, and I hope aW]_QTTÅVLXIZ\QK]TIZTa][MN]T\PM By Eddie McAvoy, eight-page pullout in the middle, which provides a handy guide to Council Leader your councillors including details of Other articles highlight the how to contact them. IMPROVEMENTS: Roads across roll-out of our new recycling bins, AW]¼TT IT[W ÅVL \PM TI\M[\ VM_[ South Lanarkshire continue to which are not only good for the JMVMÅ\NZWUKW]VKQTQV^M[\UMV\ on the massive investment we environment but also keep us in line have made in the future of South with EU and Scottish Government Lanarkshire through our Schools A magazine like The Reporter can Modernisation Programme. As you’ll ZMO]TI\QWV[ AW]¼TTIT[W ÅVL \QX[ NWZ only tell a small part of the story, as fun activities this Spring. see on pages 6 and 7, we have there are too many council services On you’ll see created what I believe is the best pages 18 and 19 across our large geography to how our council house plans are schools estate anywhere in Europe. include them all in this publication. progressing, and how we are using We are now giving our kids Our services touch the lives of every the latest energy saving technology, the best possible start in life by resident in one way or another, and while on there’s an outline nurturing them in top-class learning page 29 they are fundamental for tens of of how health and social care are facilities. With all secondary schools thousands of people. being integrated, and on already rebuilt, nine in 10 primary pages 42 Every year it gets harder to pupils are now in new schools, and and 43 aW]¼TTÅVL\PMTI\M[\VM_[WN make sure that we can provide our work to improve lives for elderly the programme is on track for people. completion by 2018. We will continue to manage our £663m budget prudently this year and will always work hard to protect frontline services those services, because the council’s income has been cut. Council Tax rates have been frozen for the ninth year in a row, and we PI^M NIKML [QOVQÅKIV\ K]\[ QV \PM grant the council receives from the Scottish Government. This continues to add to the pressure on our budgets. ?MPI^MJMMVNWZKML\WÅVLUWZM than £90 million in savings in recent years, and your council is ITZMILaMNÅKQMV\TaZ]V)[IZM[]T\ BEST START: Council Leader Eddie McAvoy outside Bankhead Primary, one of the many every further cut has a potentially new schools built as part of the council’s Primary School Modernisation programme [QOVQÅKIV\ QUXIK\ WV [MZ^QKM[ IVL ALL YOUR SERVICES FEEDBACK REDUCTIONS COUNTED IN a large-scale public consultation \PQ[aMIZ_MPI^MPIL\WÅVLIVW\PMZ exercise, every household in South Lanarkshire was sent details of UQV[I^QVO[ proposals for the council’s budget 6WVM\PMTM[[ I[ <PM :MXWZ\MZ in 2016/17. _MV\ \W XZM[[ KW]VKQTTWZ[ IVL Balancing our Detailed copies of plans KW]VKQT _WZSMZ[ _MZM _WZSQVO were also lodged in the area’s \W_IZL[ I JITIVKML J]LOM\ NWZ Budget TQJZIZQM[IVLKW]VKQT9)WNÅKM[ 5WZMW^MZ _M PI^M JMMV in while a number of face-to-face IJTM \W LW [W _PQTM ZMRMK\QVO [WUM consultation sessions were held [I^QVO[ XZWXW[IT[ _PQKP 1 SVW_ Tough with representative groups, _W]TLPI^MINNMK\MLTWKITNIUQTQM[ Times including the local Citizens Panel, <PI\¼[ _Pa _M PI^M [KZIXXML elderly and youth organisations, UMI[]ZM[ _PQKP _W]TL PI^M council employees and tenants, M`\MVLML\W\PZMMUQTM[\PMLQ[\IVKM and representing the disabled and ethnic minorities. NZWU [KPWWT X]XQT[ U][\ TQ^M \W Residents were invited to give Y]ITQNa NWZ NZMM J][ \ZIV[XWZ\ ?M Your council has to make some difficult decisions for 2016/17. their views on spending options, PI^M IT[W \PZW_V W]\ I V]UJMZ Here’s how you can understand QVKT]LQVO\PMLQNÅK]T\KPWQKM[JMQVO WN [WKQIT _WZS KTW[]ZM[ QVKZMI[M[ the process and get involved. faced due to the tough economic QV [XWZ\ IVL K]T\]ZM KPIZOM[ IVL conditions affecting the whole K]\[ NWZ N]VLQVO NWZ OITI LIa[ IVL public sector. The grant the council +PZQ[\UI[TQOP\[ is given to provide local services ?M _QTT KWV\QV]M \W UIVIOM W]Z continues to decline, while demand U J]LOM\ XZ]LMV\Ta \PQ[ aMIZ for those services rises. IVL_QTTIT_Ia[_WZSPIZL\WXZW\MK\ More than 600 views were NZWV\TQVM[MZ^QKM[ received and reported to Elected 1V -L]KI\QWV ZMUIQV[ Members as they considered the budget plans. More than half – W]Z JQOOM[\ [XMVLQVO IZMI ?M IT[W 56% - were positive or neutral KWV\QV]M \W QV^M[\ QV W]Z ZWIL[ IVL comments, or offered suggestions. TWKITPW][QVO_PQTMTWWSQVOIN\MZW]Z The remainder were from MTLMZTaIVLUW[\^]TVMZIJTMXMWXTM respondents who did not agree with ,M[XQ\M\PMKWV\QV]QVOXZM[[]ZM proposals. WV W]Z J]LOM\[ TQSM \PW[M Negative comments were IKZW[[ \PM _PWTM WN \PM particularly noted around X]JTQK [MK\WZ _M _QTT proposals in education support, KWV\QV]M \W XZW^QLM especially bus transport \PM [MZ^QKM[ W]Z arrangements, and social ZM[QLMV\[ZMTa]XWV work, notably around The <PQ[ MLQ\QWV WN Coalyard and associated services. These savings <PM :MXWZ\MZ proposals have now been PQOPTQOP\[ \PM scrapped by the council ^IT]M WN R][\ I administration. [UITT V]UJMZ In the consultation WN \PW[M sessions 93% of [MZ^QKM[ 1 participants agreed that PWXM aW] the council’s priorities MVRWa were relevant and there ZMILQVOQ\ was general support for plans, including on roads savings (92%), school meal prices (68%), and social work reception services (86%). SCHOOLS UPDATE... SCHOOLS UPDATE... SCHOOLS NEW SCHOOLS HAVE LEARNING IN MODERN BY LYNNE CARSTAIRS HE groundbreaking £857m Primary Schools Modernisation programme has Tentered the home straight - with 114 of the 123-strong primary schools estate now complete. And, after 12 years of continuing investment, the project is on schedule to deliver a modern learning environment for every South Lanarkshire primary, nursery and ASN pupil by 2018. Indeed, the 11 new schools completed in the last year alone mean that 90% of pupils are now learning in modern accommodation with just two years left to run on the largest primary schools rebuilding programme in the country.