Agenda Document Pack - Cabinet - 07/10/2025
Midlothian Council · 7 October 2025
Back to Cabinet — 7 October 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Notice of Meeting and Agenda Cabinet Venue: Normandy Court/ Hybrid, Normandy Court, 20 Normandy Dr, Dalkeith, EH22 1JG Date: Tuesday, 07 October 2025 Time: 11:00 Executive Director : Place Contact: Clerk Name: Democratic Services Clerk Telephone: Clerk Email: democratic.services@midlothian.gov.uk Further Information: This is a meeting which is open to members of the public. Privacy notice: Please note that this meeting may be recorded. The recording may be publicly available following the meeting. If you would like to know how Midlothian Council collects, uses and shares your personal information, please visit our website: www.midlothian.gov.uk Page 1 of 316
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1 Welcome, Introductions and Apologies 2 Order of Business Including notice of new business submitted as urgent for consideration at the end of the meeting. 3 Declaration of Interest Members should declare any financial and non-financial interests they have in the items of business for consideration, identifying the relevant agenda item and the nature of their interest. 4 Minute of Previous Meeting 4.1 Minute of the Meeting of 26 August 2025 submitted for approval 5 - 10 Private Minute Addendum to the Meeting of 26 August 2025 submitted for approval 4.2 Action Log 11 - 12 4.3 Private Minute Volume Index 5 Public Reports 5.1 Inspection of Mayfield Primary School, report by Education Chief Operating Officer 13 - 20 5.2 Inspection of Pathways to Success, ASN Provision, report by Education Chief Operating Officer 21 - 28 5.3 Q1 Education Performance Report 2025/26, report by Education Chief Operating 29 - 44 5.4 Q1 Children’s Services, Partnership and Communities Performance Report 25/26, report by Chief Officer Children’s Services, Partnerships and Communities 45 - 52 5.5 Q1 Adult Social Care Performance Report, report by Head of Adult Services and Chief Social Work Officer 53 - 88 5.6 Q1 Place Performance Report, report by Chief Officer Place 89 - 132 5.7 Q1 Corporate Solutions Performance Report, report by Chief Officer Corporate Solutions 133 - 174 5.8 Q1 Midlothian Council Performance Report, report by Chief Executive 175 - 194 Page 2 of 316
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5.9 Midlothian Council Statutory Report to Scottish Ministers on Public Bodies Climate Change Duties 2024/25, report by Chief Officer Place 195 - 316 6 Private Reports No items for discussion 7 Date of Next Meeting The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 25 November 2025. Page 3 of 316
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1-1 Minute of Meeting 2024 Cabinet Tuesday 07 October 2025 Item No 4.1 No 4.1 Cabinet Date Time Venue Tuesday, 26 August 2025 11:00am Council Chambers, Normandy Court, Dalkeith and MS Teams Present: Councillor Parry (Chair) Councillor Alexander (virtual) Councillor Cassidy Councillor McKenzie Councillor McManus Councillor Scott In attendance: Councillor Bowen (virtual) Councillor Virgo Dr Grace Vickers, Chief Executive Kevin Anderson, Executive Director Place Nick Clater, Head of Adult Services and Chief Social Work Officer Rebecca Hooton, Chief Officer Children’s Services, Partnerships and Communities/ Deputy Chief Social Work Officer (virtual) Saty Kaur, Chief Officer Corporate Solutions Derek Oliver, Chief Officer Place Michelle Strong, Education Chief Operating Officer Anne-Theresa Lawrie, Religious Representative Nicola Thorburn, Democratic Services Team Leader (Acting Up) Hannah Forbes, Democratic Services Officer Page 5 of 316
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1 Welcome, Introductions and Apologies The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting of Cabinet. No apologies were submitted. 2 Order of Business The order of business was as detailed within the agenda. 3 Declarations of interest No declarations of interest were received at this stage of the proceedings. The Chair reminded Members of the Cabinet that they could declare an interest as relevant agenda items come up for discussion. 4 Minutes of Previous Meetings 4.1 The Minute and the Private Addendum of the meeting of Cabinet held on the 20 May 2025 were unanimously approved by Cabinet as the correct record. 4.2 The Action Log was noted. 4.3 The Private Minute Volume was noted. 5. Reports Agenda No. Report Title Presented by: 5.1 Summary of the Care Inspectorate Inspections of Day Care of Children, August 2024 - June 2025 Education Chief Operating Officer Outline of report and summary of discussion The Education Chief Operating Officer presented the report for information, which includes a range of funded providers that were inspected from August 2024 - June 2025, including private nurseries and local authority settings. The report provides a summary of the outcomes of the inspections in Early Learning and Childcare settings for two-, three- and four-year-olds as carried out by the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland. Cabinet is requested to: i. Note the content of the summary of the inspection reports. ii. Congratulate the children, parents and staff connected with the settings that meet the National Standard of good or above. Note that settings that did not meet the National Standard are being provided with support to improve within a defined timeframe. iii. Forward on this report to the Performance, Review and Scrutiny Committee for noting purposes. Page 6 of 316
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The Chair thanked the Education Chief Operating Officer for the report and invited questions. Members of Cabinet passed on their congratulations to the children, parents and staff connected with the settings, acknowledged the work that is involved in inspections and added that support is in place for those areas identified. Decision Cabinet noted the report and its recommendations. Agenda No. Report Title Presented by: 5.2 Inspection of Lawfield Primary School and Nursery Education Chief Operating Officer Outline of report and summary of discussion The Education Chief Operating Officer presented the report for information which outlines the outcome of the Education Scotland inspection of Lawfield Primary School and nursery class. i. Cabinet is requested to: ii. Note the content of the 3rd June 2025 inspection report. iii. Congratulate the headteacher, pupils, parents and staff connected with Lawfield Primary School and Nursery on the key strengths highlighted in the report. The Chair thanked the Education Chief Operating Officer for the report and invited questions. Members of Cabinet passed on their congratulations to the children, parents and staff connected with Lawfield Primary School and Nursery for this excellent report and acknowledged that those involved have had a long journey to get to where they are now, and to see such a positive report is fantastic. Cabinet Members also extended thanks to the Education Chief Operating Officer and their team who are working continuously on the attainment at Lawfield Primary School and Nursery. Decision Cabinet noted the report and its recommendations. Page 7 of 316
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Agenda No. Report Title Presented by: 5.3 Inspection of Midlothian Residential Service for Young People Chief Officer Children’s Services, Partnerships and Communities Outline of report and summary of discussion The Chief Officer Children’s Services, Partnerships and Communities presented the report for information which outlines the outcome of the Care Inspectorate inspection of Midlothian Residential Service for Young People. Cabinet is requested to: i. Note the content of the 22nd May 2025 inspection report, in particular the grade of 5 – Very good; ii. Congratulate the staff, children, and young people on the strengths and achievements highlighted in the report. The Chair thanked the Chief Officer Children’s Services, Partnerships and Communities for the report and invited questions. Members of Cabinet congratulated the staff and young people on the outcome of this inspection and noted that this demonstrates Midlothian Council are invested in our young people, and working to help those from vulnerable backgrounds. Members added that work should continue with building maintenance to ensure that going forward environments, such as education establishments and leisure centres, are as good as they can be. Decision Cabinet noted the report and its recommendations. Agenda No. Report Title Presented by: 5.4 Resettlement Update and Proposal: New Scots in Midlothian Chief Officer Children’s Services, Partnerships and Communities Outline of report and summary of discussion The Chief Officer Children’s Services, Partnerships and Communities presented the report for noting which provides an update on the current position within Midlothian for the arrivals of New Scots. ‘New Scots’ refers to people who have been granted refugee status or another form of humanitarian protection; people seeking asylum; and those whose application for asylum has been refused, but who remain in Scotland. The Chief Officer Children’s Services, Partnerships and Communities passed on their thanks to the Housing Team work working alongside them and making the resettlement process easier for those involved. Page 8 of 316
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Cabinet is requested to: • Note the Resettlement work that has occurred to this point. • Note the changes to national resettlement schemes and the implications for the local authority, NHS, and other partners. • Note the intention to appoint a 2-year fixed term post of Resettlement Team to lead resettlement work in Midlothian. The Chair thanked the Chief Officer Children’s Services, Partnerships and Communities for the positive report and noted that Midlothian has many success stories in resettlement and ensuring people are welcomed in the community. The Chair invited questions. Councillor Cassidy advised that they attend the citizenship ceremonies and that some of the stories about how people arrived here, and the endurance they had to go through to find a safe haven are incredible. Councillor Cassidy added that they are proud of the people of Midlothian and Scotland for rallying to help those in need, and proud of the work done by the Chief Officer Children’s Services, Partnerships and Communities and their team. Members of Cabinet passed on their thanks to the Resettlement Team for the report and the work they do as this is a very complicated area. It was noted that the report highlights the need for Midlothian Council to have strategies in place to support the teams from different services across the Council. Cabinet Members asked the Chair to write to the UK Government asking for more information on who, and how many people are expected to come to Midlothian for resettlement. This information will allow the services across the Council to better prepare for their arrival and ensure the correct support is identified. The Chair agreed to write to the relevant Government Minister, copying in the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) Community Wellbeing Spokesperson. As the report outlined there are various schemes where the Council are not involved at all, and no notice is given for people arriving. Decision Cabinet noted the report and its recommendations. Action Write to the UK Government Minister, copying the COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson, requesting information on who will arriving in Midlothian requiring resettlement – Chair. Agenda No. Report Title Presented by: 5.5 Cabinet Portfolio Change Chief Officer Corporate Solutions Outline of report and summary of discussion The Chief Officer Corporate Solutions presented the report for decision which updated Cabinet on the proposed changes to the Cabinet Portfolio Holders. Cabinet is recommended to: Page 9 of 316
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• approve the proposed changes to the Cabinet Portfolio holders as set out in the report. • if approved: o report to Council the changes for noting o note that under Standing Order 4.1(ix) consideration requires to be given by Council at its next meeting, to the appointment of Members to the Council Committees and Outside Bodies and Organisations where vacancies have arisen. The Chair thanked the Chief Officer Corporate Solutions for the report and invited questions. No questions were raised, and the report and its recommendations were unanimously approved Cabinet. Decision Cabinet approved the report and its recommendations. The public part of the meeting terminated at 11:26pm. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 07 October 2025 at 11:00am. Page 10 of 316
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Cabinet Action Log Cabinet Tuesday 07 October 2025 Item No 4.2 Date of Meeting Item No and Title Action Action Owner Expected completion date Comments 1 04/03/2025 5.5 Adult Social Care Services Performance Report Quarter Three 2024/25 Arrange for a communication to the public to advise what is being built at Polton Street, Bonnyrigg and arrange a site visit for Councillors Head of Adult Services and Chief Social Work Officer December 2025 Work continues to develop the model for the housing component of the site and the use of the old schoolhouse building. The relocation of Highbank Intermediate Care Home is scheduled to take place before the end of 2025. Communications are working with the HSCP to develop a Communication Strategy for all aspects of the bed-based review. 2 20/05/2025 5.1 Client Transport Integrated Policy Confirm if the reimbursement payments in relation to mileage for those parents and carers providing their own transport will impact any benefit payments, tax liabilities or incur any economic penalties. Education Chief Operating Officer TBC Action to be updated after confirmation of impact is confirmed by Welfare Rights Team. 3 20/05/2025 5.4 National Thematic Inspection of local authority approaches to supporting school improvement Prepare a timeline detailing how and when Midlothian’s young people can get further involved in committee meetings. Education Chief Operating Officer TBC Proposal prepared and to be presented to Cross Party WG for their consideration and further action. Page 11 of 316
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4 26/08/2025 5.4 Resettlement Update and Proposal: New Scots in Midlothian Write to the UK Government Minister, copying the COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson, requesting information on who will be arriving in Midlothian requiring resettlement. Chair/Council Leader TBC Page 12 of 316
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Cabinet Tuesday 07 October 2025 Item No 5.1 Inspection of Mayfield Primary School Report by Michelle Strong, Education Chief Operating Officer Report for Information 1 Recommendations Cabinet is asked to: (i) Note the content of the 16th of September 2025 inspection report. (ii) Congratulate the headteacher pupils, parents and staff connected with Mayfield Primary School on the key strengths highlighted in the report. 2 Purpose of Report/Executive Summary The report outlines the outcome of the Education Scotland inspection of Mayfield Primary School. Date: 16th September 2025 Report Contact: Report Contact: Colin McLean, Quality Improvement Manager Professional Learning and Digital Inclusion & Learning Colin.McLean@midlothian.gov.uk Page 13 of 316
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3 Background/Main Body of Report 3.1 In May 2025, HM Inspectors carried out an inspection of Mayfield Primary School. A report was published on 16th September. The letter sets out a number of areas for improvement which were agreed with the school and Midlothian Council. The letter is attached in Appendix B and is available on Education Scotland’s website at Mayfield Primary School | Inspection Report | Education Scotland. 3.2 Education Scotland is responsible for inspecting education settings throughout Scotland. They do so using core quality indicators. QI 1.3 Leadership of Change QI 2.3 Learning, teaching and assessment QI 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion QI 3.2 Raising attainment and achievement 3.3 Strengths The inspection team found the following strengths in the school. • Across the school and complex needs provision, children are respectful and friendly. They engage well with their learning and have settled well into their new learning environments. • Staff work well together to understand and respond to children’s needs. As a result, children learn in nurturing environments where they feel cared for and valued. • Staff have a strong understanding of families and the local community. They take effective action to support equity of experience and minimise barriers for participation. As a result, children’s attendance is improving. • Staff have taken effective action to improve approaches to teaching and learning of reading. In the complex needs provision, staff are effective at supporting children develop their communication skills. 3.4 Areas for Improvement The main areas for improvement suggested by the inspectors are: • Senior leaders should continue to drive forward strategic improvements. They should ensure robust approaches are in place to evaluate the impact of planned changes on outcomes for children. • Senior leaders and staff should continue to develop approaches to high quality learning, teaching and assessment, ensuring learning is well matched to the needs of all children. • Senior leaders and staff should review approaches to planning for children who require additional support with their learning. This should include a focus on setting clear and measurable targets that are reviewed regularly. • Staff should continue to raise attainment in literacy and numeracy, ensuring children are supported effectively to make the best possible progress. Page 14 of 316
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3.5 Conclusion The inspectors concluded “We are confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection. Midlothian Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools.” 3.6 Local Authority support Midlothian Council’s Education Service has taken the following steps to ensure Mayfield Primary School continues to improve. The school continues to be in the “Improvement” category of Midlothian Council schools and receives the highest level of support from the Council’s Education Service Quality Improvement Team. This includes • The Quality Improvement Manager (QIM) supported the school’s leadership team to write and monitor an action plan to raise attainment, improve learning, teaching and assessment and meet the needs of all learners. The action plan has clear and measurable improvement targets. • Three-weekly Quality Improvement Manager (QIM) monitoring meetings with the school’s leadership team. This time can also be used to deliver professional learning, quality improvement advice and any other support the school’s leadership team or Quality Improvement Manager feel would support further improvement. • Two 2-day quality improvement visits with a small team of professionals to check progress in Autumn 2025 and Spring 2026. The views of learners, staff, parents/ carers and school partners are sought during these visits. Progress evidence is drawn from focus groups, direct observations and analysis of school data. • In Autmn 2025, there will be a “deep dive” Quality Improvement visit focussing on Quality Indicator 3.1 Ensuring Wellbeing, Equality & Inclusion to investigate how support and challenge for all learners can be further improved and how attainment can be further improved. • School staff can access universal and targeted professional learning, quality improvement advice and support from a wide range of education professional within the Quality Improvement team. For example, staff have attended professional learning focussing on improving learning, teaching and assessment and analysing attainment data to identify next steps in improvement. • The Headteacher and Quality Improvement Manager visited a school with a positive track record in raising attainment over a sustained period of time in a partner local authority within our Scottish Improvement Quad. This supported further improvement work at Mayfield Primary School. Page 15 of 316
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4 Report Implications (Resource, Digital and Risk) 4.1 Resource There will continue to be additional support from Midlothian Council’s Education Service Quality Improvement team to ensure improvement continues. 4.2 Digital There are no Digital implications. 4.3 Risk Education Scotland’s team of Inspectors visit a sample of education settings every year to find out how they are performing. A report is published which informs parents about the key strengths of the setting and its capacity for further improvement. Following the publication of the report further visits may be made to the setting, by the Education Authority to assist improvement and monitor progress. Monitoring, review and evaluation of progress by central officers in the Education Team is the control measure in place to reduce the risk of failure of settings to demonstrate their capacity to improve. 4.4 Ensuring Equalities (if required a separate IIA must be completed) The School Improvement Plan will be screened for equalities implications. 4.5 Additional Report Implications (See Appendix A) See Appendix A Appendices Appendix A – Additional Report Implications Appendix B – Background information/Links Page 16 of 316
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APPENDIX A – Report Implications A.1 Key Priorities within the Single Midlothian Plan • Getting it right for every Midlothian child • Improving opportunities in Midlothian A.2 Key Drivers for Change Key drivers addressed in this report: Holistic Working Hub and Spoke Modern Sustainable Transformational Preventative Asset-based Continuous Improvement One size fits one None of the above A.3 Key Delivery Streams Key delivery streams addressed in this report: One Council Working with you, for you Preventative and Sustainable Efficient and Modern Innovative and Ambitious None of the above A.4 Delivering Best Value Noted within. A.5 Involving Communities and Other Stakeholders A link to the published report has been made available to Elected Members, parents of children currently attending Newbattle High School and other interested parties. A.6 Impact on Performance and Outcomes The setting will continue to improve its work in line with the school improvement plan and central officers in the Education Team will continue to challenge and support the setting in relation to developing and implementing a range of quality improvement strategies. Page 17 of 316
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A.7 Adopting a Preventative Approach The Education (Scotland) Bill aims to take preventative action in order to close the attainment versus deprivation gap by implementing key policies and programmes which are designed to target support to children and young people from disadvantaged communities. Midlothian is highly committed to closing the poverty related attainment gap. A.8 Supporting Sustainable Development The School Improvement Plan allows for sustainable development and improvement. Page 18 of 316
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APPENDIX B Attached and also available at Mayfield Primary School | Inspection Report | Education Scotland Page 19 of 316
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Cabinet Tuesday 07 October 2025 Item No 5.2 Inspection of Pathways to Success, ASN Provision Report by Michelle Strong, Education Chief Operating Officer Report for Information 1 Recommendations Cabinet is requested to: (i) Note the content of the 23 September 2025 inspection report. (ii) Congratulate the depute headteacher, pupils, parents and staff connected with Pathways to Success on the key strengths highlighted in the report. 2 Purpose of Report/Executive Summary The report outlines the outcome of the Education Scotland inspection of Pathways to Success. It is a standalone SEBN provision for secondary age learners within Midlothian. 16 September 2025 Report Contact: Claire Sutherland, Quality Improvement Officer, ASN Claire.Sutherland@midlothian.gov.uk Page 21 of 316
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3 Background/Main Body of Report 3.1 In September 2025, HM Inspectors published a report and letter on Pathways to Success. The report was very complimentary about the leadership and the staff team in creating a positive atmosphere where young people feel safe, respected and included. The support letter set out a number of areas or strength and three, closely linked areas of improvement which were agreed with the school and Midlothian Council. This is also attached as Appendix B. 3.2 Education Scotland is responsible for inspecting education settings throughout Scotland. They do so using core quality indicators. QI 1.3 Leadership of Change QI 2.1 Safeguarding and Child Protection QI 2.3 Learning, teaching and assessment QI 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion. QI 3.2 Raising attainment and achievement. 3.3 Strengths The inspection team found the following strengths in the school: • The depute headteacher and staff have created a welcoming and nurturing environment for young people at Pathways to Success. The depute headteacher leads staff in establishing a positive atmosphere where young people feel safe, respected and included. • The service ensures clear lines of communication between staff, young people and their families. This enables families to be more involved in their child’s education and helps staff to address successfully any issues that young people are experiencing. • Staff have created a positive ethos across the service which supports all young people to feel safe and most to feel ready to learn. Staff have built strong relationships with learners and their parents and carers. These relationships contribute well to a culture which is caring and sensitive to the needs of all learners. • Interactions between young people and staff are trusting and respectful. Staff connect with young people well, which helps learners to establish productive routines. • Staff are skilled at identifying and meeting young people’s needs and helping them to improve their social skills. They support young people to have a more positive approach to education, which is improving their attendance and increasing their achievements. • The depute headteacher has worked very well with local authority colleagues to identify new premises and to support staff and young people to relocate successfully. • Staff link well with community partners to provide opportunities for young people to gain skills for life and engage in vocational learning opportunities. Page 22 of 316
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• Staff work very effectively with parents and families. Parents describe how they value the non-judgemental attitude of staff and the unconditional positive regard that staff demonstrate towards them. One of the parents articulated the very important role that the service has played in keeping their family unit together. They have stressed that staff intervention has helped keep their young person out of residential care. • Young people feel consulted, safe and respected. Staff involve young people very well in agreeing personal development targets and identifying the personal achievement activities in which they will participate. 3.4 Areas for Improvement There was significant discussion with the inspection team regarding the next steps identified for Pathways to Success. Although the inspection team acknowledged the very good service provided to the young people that would have otherwise ended up in residential care or secure accommodation, they agreed that the current inspection framework does not fully account for the individual service Pathways to Success provides. The Scottish Curriculum expects young people to engage in national entitlements such as RME and Modern Languages. To encourage attendance and engagement, the young people at Pathways all have an individualised planned curriculum, taking into account personal strengths and development. At times, this results in reduced access to National entitlements which has led to the recommended areas of improvement below. The main areas for improvement suggested by the inspectors in the letter are: • Senior leaders and staff should work with partners to find ways to increase the hours which young people can spend in the service across the week. This should support staff to help young people raise their attainment. • Staff should increase their monitoring of young people’s progress and attainment in all aspects of their learning programmes across their week. This will help staff support young people to build on their prior learning. • Staff within the service should consider the balance of the curriculum in the senior phase to make sure that there is sufficient time given to National Qualifications as well as wider achievement awards. Page 23 of 316
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3.5 Conclusion The inspectors concluded that the depute head teacher at Pathways to Success was in a good position to continue to make improvements and there is no plan for a return visit. Progress has already been made through working in partnership with one of our mainstream secondary schools to pilot the introduction of specialist teachers. Learners now have access to a specialist PE teacher and we continue to look for other curricular opportunities. The depute head teacher and Quality Improvement Officer that oversees Pathways to Success are now developing a future proposal to ensure a sustainable model that will continue to prevent Midlothian learners from being educated outwith. This will require investment in a suitable building and staffing as we move forward. Currently, they are based at Newbattle Abbey College, with further satellite bases, which has been extremely successful, but the longevity needs to be considered. 4 Report Implications (Resource, Digital and Risk) 4.1 Resource There will be resource implications in terms of staffing and building capacity as Midlothian continues to develop Pathways to Success. 4.2 Digital There are no direct digital implications as a result of the report, but this will need to be given consideration in future planning. 4.3 Risk Education Scotland’s team of Inspectors visit a sample of education settings every year to find out how they are performing. A report is published which informs parents about the key strengths of the setting and its capacity for further improvement. Following the publication of the report there will be no further visits made to the setting. Monitoring, review and evaluation of progress by central officers in the Education Team is the control measure in place to reduce the risk of failure of settings to demonstrate their capacity to improve. 4.4 Ensuring Equalities (if required a separate IIA must be completed) The School Improvement Plan will be screened for equalities implications. 4.5 Additional Report Implications (See Appendix A) See Appendix A Appendices Appendix A – Additional Report Implications Appendix B – Background information/Links Page 24 of 316
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APPENDIX A – Report Implications A.1 Key Priorities within the Single Midlothian Plan • Getting it right for every Midlothian child • Improving opportunities in Midlothian A.2 Key Drivers for Change Key drivers addressed in this report: Holistic Working Hub and Spoke Modern Sustainable Transformational Preventative Asset-based Continuous Improvement One size fits one None of the above A.3 Key Delivery Streams Key delivery streams addressed in this report: One Council Working with you, for you Preventative and Sustainable Efficient and Modern Innovative and Ambitious None of the above A.4 Delivering Best Value Noted within. A.5 Involving Communities and Other Stakeholders A link to the published report has been made available to Elected Members, parents of children currently attending Pathways to Success and other interested parties. A.6 Impact on Performance and Outcomes The setting will continue to improve its work in line with the school improvement plan and central officers in the Education Team will continue to challenge and support the setting in relation to developing and implementing a range of quality improvement strategies. A.7 Adopting a Preventative Approach The Education (Scotland) Bill aims to take preventative action in order to close the attainment versus deprivation gap by implementing key policies and programmes which are designed to target support to children and young people from disadvantaged communities. Midlothian is highly committed to closing the poverty related attainment gap and supporting children with Additional Support Needs. Page 25 of 316
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A.8 Supporting Sustainable Development The School Improvement Plan allows for sustainable development and improvement. Page 26 of 316
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APPENDIX B Pathways to Success | Inspection Report | Education Scotland Page 27 of 316
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Q1 Education Performance Report 2025/2026 Improving Outcomes for Learners through an Empowered System Education Services encompasses Early Learning and Childcare (ELC), Primary Schooling, Secondary Schooling, Special Schooling, Additional Support Needs, Digital Learning, Education Psychology and Community, Lifelong Learning and Employability (CLLE). Vision and Context Children, Young People and Partnerships (CYPP) Directorate Vision The children, young people and partnerships directorate comprises of Education, CLLE and children’s Services. The directorate vision is for All children, young people, adults and communities in Midlothian are supported to be the best they can be. This will be achieved through a nurturing, respectful and collaborative approach that promotes wellbeing, equity, inclusion and lifelong learning. Education Priorities The Education Improvement Plan is informed by service evaluations and links to the outcomes determined by the Getting it Right for Every Midlothian Child Board. The Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000, as amended 2016, placed new duties on education authorities, and the Education Service Plan includes identified areas for improvement specific to Education to fulfil these duties. As a result, the Education Service Improvement Plan not only reflects the key priorities in the Midlothian Single Plan but also aligns closely with the key priorities in Education. Q1 covers the final term of the academic session in 2024/25, education services and schools were focused on raising attainment through four key areas - Learning, teaching, assessment & curriculum; Attendance & engagement; Relationships, wellbeing & care and Inclusion, equity & targeted supports and risks. The plethora of achievements for 2024/25 are summarised in the annual Standards & quality report which was approved at Council on 9 September 2025. Links to the report can be found here: Education Service Improvement Plan Summary & Education Service Improvement Plan 2025/26 In June, Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence levels (ACEL) for P1, P4, P7 and S3 were submitted by schools. These will be published by Scottish Government in December. Further details about ACEL and senior phase attainment will be reported to Council in December as part of the annual attainment report. However, Midlothian did see an overall improvement in ACEL attainment in 24/25 and achieved the stretch aims set by Scottish Government. Cabinet Tuesday 07 October 2025 Item No 5.3 Page 29 of 316
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Throughout 2025/26 education services, schools and settings are focused on a single priority: For academic session 2025/26 the priority remains raising attainment and achievement. Work will be focused around: • Inclusive Learning, teaching, assessment & curriculum (iLTAC) • Wellbeing, Support and Partnerships (WSPs) We have the following outcome measures and targets that we are working towards: Last Published Data June 2025 Results June 2026 June 2027 June 2028 ACEL P1, P4, P7 Combined Literacy 71.80% 76.40% 77.00% 77.50% 77.50% ACEL P1, P4, P7 Combined Numeracy 76.82% 80.06% 81.00% 82.00% 82.00% S3 Literacy 3rd level or better 85.45% 88.29% 90.00% 91.00% 91.00% S3 Numeracy 3rd level or better 91.59% 93.55% 94.00% 95.00% 95.00% % Initial Destination in Higher Education 31.90% 38.00% 40.00% 42.00% 45.00% Attendance Rate Primary 92.47% 93.95% 94.00% 95.50% 95.50% Attendance Rate Secondary 87.05% 88.01% 90.50% 92.00% 92.00% Participation Measure 3 years post initial destination rate % 94.0% 94.0% 94.5% 95% 95% Exclusion Rate per 1,000 Primary 4.24 8.11 1.50 1.00 1.00 Exclusion Rate per 1,000 Secondary 28.98 38.5 17.50 15.00 15.00 % of schools & ELCs with validated Good or better QI 1.1 77% 77% 84% 88% 90% % of schools & ELCs with validated Good or better QI 1.3 72% 77% 84% 88% 90% % of schools & ELCs with validated Good or better QI 2.3 77% 67% 77% 84% 90% % of schools & ELCs with validated Good or better QI 3.1 74% 65% 79% 85% 90% % of schools & ELCs with validated Good or better QI 3.2 56% 51% 69% 79% 90% Workstream 1: Inclusive Learning, Teaching, Assessment & Curriculum (iLTAC) Aligned to the Service Plan, priorities for 2025/26, key actions are: • All learners receive their entitlement to high-quality universal provision (staged intervention levels 1 & 2) which promotes engagement and improved outcomes. • An effective assistive technology offer tackles digital inequity and reduces barriers to accessing learning. Page 30 of 316
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• A skilled and confident workforce promotes leadership at all levels to deliver excellent learning, teaching & assessment for all learners, making best use of digital technology and in line with professional standards. • All ELCs, schools and ASGs produce an agreed 3-18 curriculum rationale that engages all learners in appropriate pathways that prepare them for learning, life and work. Key achievements this quarter: Midlothian schools and ELC settings offer a relevant, progressive and motivating strengths-based 3-18 curriculum, that enables all learners, including those with ASN, to move on to highly skilled, sustained positive destinations. Professional Learning and Guidance • There is a comprehensive professional learning offer available to all staff that includes, for example, “Let’s Talk About…” sessions focussed on improving inclusive learning, teaching and assessment. Almost all schools are engaging with the extensive professional learning offer. • Our Professional Learning website (Google site available to Midlothian Google account holders only) has been redesigned and relaunched to make it easier to access training by specific job role as well as by topic. A major focus is further development of leadership in our schools. • Almost all schools have engaged with Inclusive Learning, Teaching & Assessment self-evaluation resources and identified next steps for improvement. • Most schools shared training material on the inservice day with a focus on our newly launched Inclusive LTA Framework, which will strengthen universal approaches to inclusive learning, teaching & assessment across our schools. Remaining schools will carry out this training prior by the October break. • Teachers have access to Midlothian Literacy & Numeracy Frameworks that support the improvement of learning, teaching, assessment and raising attainment. A comprehensive learning plan is in place for the Literacy and Numeracy Champions who represent every school in Midlothian. • A deep dive into QI 3.1 Ensuring Wellbeing, Equity & Inclusion will take place across the Midlothian school system in Autumn 2025. The findings from these quality improvement visits will further inform how we support and challenge schools. • The raising attainment team continues to work alongside teachers and school leaders to improve inclusive learning, teaching and assessment in our Improvement category schools. The team’s work was highlighted positively in recent school inspections. • A Play Pedagogy network has been set and all schools involved have audit materials to support development of play pedagogy in their school. • Dyslexia guidance shared with a Professional Learning offer to support school staff being rolled out. Developing a Digitally Skilled Workforce • As of 30 August, 350 teachers are now engaging in a generative AI tool in education pilot, negotiated through the Equipped for Learning project. This is an increase of 79 teachers since June 2025. • Six secondary schools are engaging with an AI research product to explore how this technology can reduce workload for leadership teams and streamline school improvement work. • In August 2025, 107 staff engaged with annual digital safeguarding training, representing 100% of Midlothian’s schools. Page 31 of 316
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• Consultation with ASN teams and multiagency partners in September 2025 resulted in agreement that provision classes will be allocated five shared devices to best support communication work for young people. • Onboarding meetings were held in September 2025 with four Midlothian schools engaging with a research project to understand the impact of digital tools on learning, teaching and assessment. • 1,018 Primary 3 pupils have undertaken a three-week package of in-class digital support, designed to support them to use Chromebooks safely and with purpose. Strengthen Leadership of inclusive LTAC • Working with our national partner Education Scotland, secondary middle leaders have been offered “Self-evaluation for Continuous improvement” professional learning and ongoing support. All secondary schools have participated. • The secondary middle leaders’ network will focus on what very good Learning Teaching & Assessment looks like and on how to quality assure from the middle in a secondary school. • The primary middle leaders’ network will continue to focus on school improvement from the middle. Moderation • Almost all school professional learning calendars have time set aside for school and cross sector Broad General Education Moderation processes for Literacy and Numeracy. This ensures accurate teacher judgement of curriculum levels achieved by learners. MACO Expansion • Pilot 3-18 curriculum pathway projects within ASGs are underway (e.g. Construction & Engineering Pathway, Creative Industries Pathway) for all learners. • Pilot ASG BGE projects are established and progress being reviewed with ASG leads, including introduction to industry partners to support co-creation of curriculum pathways. • Work is continuing with NHS Education and NHS Lothian colleagues around NHS careers pathway. • Lead Teachers are in place and have reviewed and intervened where necessary to ensure appropriate coursing and completion of weekly reviews of trackers. Curriculum Pathways • Key staff have been identified and are attending national groups to support implementation of national refreshed literacy and numeracy guidance 3-18. Quality Improvement • The Quality Improvement Framework has been updated in consultation with school leaders and trade unions. There is proportionate support and challenge provided for schools, depending on which improvement category they have been placed in (Core, Enhanced or Improvement) When schools require more support or challenge, this is provided by the Quality Improvement Team. • QI3.1 (Ensuring Wellbeing, Equity and Inclusion) visits started in September for all Enhanced and Improvement schools. Core school Headteachers will use our QI 3.1 self-evaluation materials to carry out quality assurance of this QI. These visits will measure the quality of this QI in our schools. The findings of these visits will inform our next steps in support and challenge for schools. • Middle leaders’ quality improvement and quality assurance approaches are this year’s focus for our leadership networks and professional learning. Page 32 of 316
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• Midlothian Council and three of our national partners (Scottish Borders Council, Highland Council/ Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd and Stirling Council) form one of the new National Improvement Framework “Quads”. The Quads support and challenge each other to improve. Midlohitan key staff have already visited Stirling Council and attended Quad meetings to share learning, agree an action plan and areas for collaborative improvement activity. This work continues throughout 2025- 2026. Workstream 2: Wellbeing, Support and Partnerships (WSPs) Aligned to the Service Plan, priorities for 2025/26, key actions are: • Culture, relationships and systems ensure that children, young people and staff feel valued and supported to succeed. • Collaboration, partnerships and shared learning at ASG level leads to an improved in learner outcomes through a data-informed allocation of resources. • A skilled and confident workforce promotes leadership at all levels to deliver excellent learning, teaching & assessment for all learners, making best use of digital technology and in line with professional standards. Key achievements this quarter: Pupil voice/Rights, UNCRC • Pupil Leadership Conferences took place for primary and secondary learners in September to launch the new pupil voice structure with plans set out for engagement across the year. • Parent Council Chairs meetings have been relaunched in September using a new format suggested by the Chairs. There are meetings scheduled across the year to listen to the views of parent councils. Strengthen rights-based relational approach • The new Relationships for Learning policy launched across Midlothian settings in August 2025. A self-delivery in-service has enabled all schools to highlight the key principles and practices set out in the policy in a consistent way. New resources have arrived in all schools and ELCs to support relational practice. Almost all schools participated in Relationships for Learning Community of Practice along with partners, to support implementation of the policy, and build skills and capacity in more targeted relational practice. Feedback on the usefulness of the Community of Practice has been 100% positive. • Midlothian guidance has been drafted based on the national guidance with engagement with school staff and Trade Union representatives. Work is ongoing to finalise the guidance and identify the professional learning and support to support implementation. Staff support and wellbeing • Practice guidance is in draft for post incident support with plans to review and further develop with school leads. Page 33 of 316
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• Initial plans are in place to design a collaborative enquiry into the use of reflective spaces and supervision structures in schools. Delivery with Partners • Engagement with EEG and Headteachers is underway to consider how increased participation of school leaders and senior officers can make local decisions about service improvement and lead change. • A multi-agency GIRFEC Steering Group has been established with representation from schools and partner agencies to refresh and promote the values, principles and practice of GIRFEC across all our services. • Initial design for pilot project complete. Granicus request for support process is now established. The pilot will run in the Newbattle Associated School Group from October to March. Attendance • Data sets for tracking and monitoring of attendance feed into SLT meetings on a monthly basis to inform QI activity. 8 schools took part in the initial workshop to set up Pareto methodology to drive more targeted approaches to improving attendance. • Mentoring for Engagement in Education Test of Change project design completed, target groups and staff identified. Initial workshops to take place in September with mentoring to begin in October. ND pathway • Strengthened professional learning for schools through launch of My Predictable Day and plans for use of SCERTS as framework for assessment and intervention. • Design of website in process for families with information relating to ND assessment and supports. Challenges School buildings and capacity: The Midlothian 0-18 yrs population continues to grow with capacity limits close to breaching in a number of our schools. Delays to extensions and new builds are impacting on our commitment to children attending their catchment school. School condition and maintenance continues to dominate engagement with Parent Councils. Staff absence: In 2024/25 20,612 days were lost to staff absence. This had a negative impact on learners, staff covering and financially. Strengthened procedures have been put in place for 25/26 but this remains an ongoing risk to service delivery. Subject specialists: Secondary schools continue to experience shortages in key subjects such as Maths, technologies and Business. Some schools are having to reduce subject time to address the issue. This will impact on attainment in numeracy and maths. Digital Delivery: Phase 1 of the Midlothian Aligned Curriculum Offer (MACO)saw the introduction of an aligned school day, strengthened school college partnership and new pathways such as foundation apprenticeships. Phase 2 of MACO was the roll out of digital learning for senior phase students. Trade Unions are in dispute with the Council and implementation has been paused. This is impacting negatively Page 34 of 316
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on learners wanting to study courses not on offer in their school and a lack of transport is preventing travel to other schools. Page 35 of 316
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Communities, Lifelong Learning and Employability (CLD) (including Beeslack High School community activities and Midlothian Instrumental Music Service) CLD builds skills for learning, life and work. In Q1 1,995 people engaged with CLLE services across 251 opportunities. 221 home visits were carried out to help young people engage with our services and support those not in a positive destination. 159 people accessing our services live in SIMD 20% and 850 in SIMD 40%. In addition, 24 community groups have received support and advice from CLLE about governance and funding. Securing qualifications is key to our support of young people and adults to make changes and progress and we supported local people to secure 479 qualifications. Employability Highlights • We have seen a rise in Dads joining the CLLE Parental Employability Service this quarter with 40% of new registrations being males. Factors like economic shifts, changing family structures, and the rise of financial pressures are contributing to this trend. The job market is constantly changing, with some industries shrinking and others growing, so we are supporting them to reskill and/or upskill to adapt to new opportunities. • New 5-day intensive pilot course has enabled seven Midlothian delegates to participate in the City & Guilds Level 2 Award in Communications Cabling. Four participants successfully completed the course with the assessor reporting that they demonstrated excellent attendance and a strong willingness to learn new skills, despite finding the course challenging. NOLB keyworkers are now supporting candidates with CV updates and qualification alignments within the following sectors: Telecoms FTTP Build, Mobile Telecoms, Data Centres, Net Zero Projects (e.g., Wind, EV, and Solar), Rail, Cat 5 & Cat 6 Technicians and Fibre Installation Engineers. NOLB All Age Employability Service for those who are not parents, including young people In Q1 the NOLB All Age Employability team have continued to provide support to 224 people, with 50 new starts this quarter. From this: • 8 have moved onto employment, self-employment, or a modern apprenticeship. • 10 have achieved a work related/accredited qualification. • 3 stage 2 participants have started volunteering. Impact quote from a few of our young people: “Thanks for all your help through this” “I appreciate you going over interview preparation with me it really helped and put me at ease when answering questions” ‘I can’t believe I am taking the next step in my dream job and getting into my first-choice course at college, I can’t thank you enough’ Page 36 of 316
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Key activities for All Age NOLB Employability from January to March 2025 have been: • We continue to work in close partnership with DWP, education providers, and third sector organisations. Referrals are evenly split between our own service and funded partner agencies, allowing us to enhance and complement existing provision through dedicated 1:1 keyworker support. We had 10 referrals from DWP into CLLE. • During Q1 the CLLE team were invited to RUTS to raise their awareness of the NOLB offer to participants and the referral process. These sessions were very positive overall as we also provided a tour of the newly refurbished premises so we could see the workshop and training facilities the participants use as a learning environment. • Meetings were also held with Jobcentre Plus in Dalkeith and Penicuik to present an overview of the NOLB offer to work coaches. Employer engagement has taken place with Cruden Homes, who are willing to support NOLB participants as part of their CSR offer. Others include Trek, Wheatley Group, FUSE, Keir Construction, Whitbread Group, all of whom cover the types of sectors the NOLB participants are interested in. Parental Employability Support funded through NOLB Scottish Government The team has continued to support 224 existing parents on our caseloads and a further 45 new parents started in quarter 1. From this: • 17 parents have entered employment, self-employment or progressed in employment. • 24 parents have achieved a total of 51 work related/ accredited qualifications ranging from ranging from REHIS, First Aid, Communication Cabling, CSCS, LGV, IT, Mental Health, Beauty related and SIA door supervisor. • A further 8 parents have moved into volunteering opportunities. Interventions that have been delivered this quarter include a focus on improving digital skills. This is crucial for employment as it boosts job prospects, adaptability, and the earning potential in a technology-driven world. The Parental Employability Support team offer two different levels of IT courses to parents (PC Passport programme and ICT for Dads). One parent has successfully achieved her SQA level 4 qualifications and has secured a LTU paid placement in an administrative role with Midlothian Council to gain some valuable experience within the field. We received some feedback from NOLB parents asking for more in-depth skills around welding and metalwork they could use to enhance career prospects. As a result, the Parental Employability Team is commissioning a new hands-on Metalworking Course through the months of June and July for adults within our Midlothian workshops. Guided by experienced fabricators, the parents will gain confidence using a wide range of industry- standard power tools and machinery, from MIG to arc welding. They will explore core metalworking techniques used across engineering, fabrication, and creative industries while developing transferable skills in precision measurement, working from drawings, mechanical joining, sheet metal work, all while producing items that reflects their development and gives them a recognised National 3 qualification. Eight parents are currently participating in the programme. Page 37 of 316
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CLLE Parental Employability Support (PES) keyworkers continued to offer pre-employment holistic 1:1 support covering financial advice, income maximisation, careers guidance, affordable childcare, digital skills, ESOL support, developing employability skills, access to qualifications, volunteering and opportunities to ensure good mental health and wellbeing. We continued to offer a blended approach of support through online, telephone and face to face meetings, to ensure that individuals remain at the centre of our planning and our staff are focused on establishing relationships, improving wellbeing and planning support and employability interventions around our client’s individual needs. PES hosted a Celebration of Learning event in June at Dalkeith Arts Centre to recognise and showcase parents' achievements, highlight their progress and hard work, boost their confidence, foster a positive learning environment, and promote a growth mindset. It allowed parents to reflect on their learning journey and share their accomplishments with others, while encouraging continued engagement in learning. A lived experience guest speaker presented her own personal NOLB journey to everyone and we displayed a variety of videos, photographs and good new stories on the day. All NOLB families were invited to come along, with 29 parents and family members in attendance with some more giving their apologies but sharing quotes on their journey. It was a very enjoyable day for all! Parental Employability Support Impact Statements “Thanks for all your support and managing me to do my CSCS course, support with my CV and employer contacts. I am happy pass the in the exam and now got a full-time job as Trainee Scaffolder with J&I Scaffolding” “It’s truly been a pleasure working with you. Thank you for all your support and kind wishes, I’m really excited about the next chapter with the soap business, and your encouragement meant a lot”. “It helped me gain new qualifications and skills looking for employment in Scotland. I have now secured the necessary qualifications with the support of the Parental Employability Support team, and I am very pleased with all your services and supports you provided for me. I have two jobs I can wrap around my family” “Hi, I am very happy with all the services and support you provided, especially with writing my CV and the CTTS course. It helped me gain new qualifications and skills. I have now secured the necessary qualifications with the support of the Parental Employability Support team and found a good job. I can now earn my own income and live happily with my family. Thank you, PES team!” Page 38 of 316
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CLLE - Loanhead Vocational Learning Centre (LVLC) CLLE Level 4/5 Foundation Apprenticeships The L4/5 Foundation Apprenticeships in automotive, hospitality and construction were completed across the months of April and May. 86 Level 4/5 foundation Apprenticeship Group Awards were achieved. Foundation Apprenticeship Level Completed Pathway following course completion School College Apprenticeship Job Unknown Construction 4 30 18 9 2 - 1 5 25 8 7 6 3 1 Automotive 4 16 8 4 3 - 1 Hospitality 4 9 3 5 - - 1 5 6 2 4 - - - Following the completion of the L4/5 Foundation Apprenticeships a four-week course on an ‘Intro to Construction’ was delivered throughout June to groups from the No One Left Behind service, Croft Street Hub and 12UP. The learners developed skills in health and safety, brick-walling, painting and decorating, joinery and working with small hand tools. Bicycle Workshop The workshop delivered a full weekly timetable of learning on bicycle safety, maintenance and riding to a range of learners including those with complex needs, targeted high school groups, alternative education provisions and the Young Carers service. From April to June a group of five young males from Penicuik High School and a learner from the 12UP service achieved a Level 3 SQA Cycle Maintenance qualification. One young person from Croft Street Hub completed their Level 4 SQA Mountain Biking qualification and five young carers were taught how to ride a bike. The bike tent delivered a free to access bicycle repair service to 6 Midlothian primary schools where they fixed and offered bicycle care advice to 75 young people and their families. The Recycle 2 Reuse service reclaimed, repaired and donated 4 bikes to members of the young carers service with 7 provided to the SEND provision at Hawthorn. Youth Work Q1 996 young people accessed CLLE services over 119 different opportunities, 50 from SIMD 20% and 346 from 40% SIMD. 221 received one to one youth work support/positive destinations support. Respect Me, the National Organisation for Anti Bullying, is supporting Midlothian Youth Platform and CLLE to take the bullying poem produced jointly by the young people and Matthew Kelly from Waste Services to be released and promoted nationally. The young people based this on their survey work in which over 800 young people gave their views. One young person supported by CLLE has secured and opened their youth led safe space in the centre of Dalkeith. A variety of support services and activities will be offered from this space. Page 39 of 316
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April to June 2025 has been an incredibly busy time for CLLE staff leading outdoor adventures including Duke of Edinburgh Bronze, Silver and Gold. The young people taking part were amazing in overcoming their own personal challenges and showed fantastic grit and determination to conquer the weather, heights and wildlife small beasties. This quarter 75 Bronze, 16 Silver and 18 Gold have completed their award. Midlothian also has a confirmed visit from Kirsty McNeill MP in September. Midlothian Council - CLLE (Communities, Lifelong Learning and Employability) (padlet.com) We ensure our partners and staff can see the offer across Midlothian for youth work, employability, and adult learning to help cross referrals etc. Adult and Family Learning – The adult learning programme is available on Eventbrite - Discover CLLE Events & Activities in Midlothian, United Kingdom | Eventbrite In Q1 78 adult learning opportunities were offered across community based and paid for adult learning programmes. 109 local people enrolled in the paid for adult learning programme which is offering a variety of courses. Overall, 161 adults from 40% SIMD have taken part in adult learning programmes. • 52 qualifications have been secured by CLLE adult learning participants. • 12 qualifications secured through UKSP funding this quarter including Emergency First Aid at work and REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene. • Family Learning – 14 families attended a Family Easter programme delivered in the Woodburn Hub Dalkeith, 16 families attended a 3-week health and wellbeing programme on a Friday afternoon in partnership with Active Schools delivered in Lasswade and Penicuik Leisure centres, 5 families attended the Family Cooking Project located in the Woodburn Hub. • Developing our adult learning pathway in Gaelic, CLLE offered a Beginner and Intermediate courses with 14 learners attending in total. • 10-week Online Influences on Mental Health course with 15 adult learners attending. The Family Cooking project was featured in Midlothian Council’s E-Magazine as an example of how CLLE are linking to Midlothian Council’s strategy commitments to reducing poverty through a shared approach to food. Another example of this is the new Air Fryer project delivered this quarter which enables adult learners to explore easy, healthy, affordable recipes with an air fryer and who want to discover new ways to prepare affordable nutritious meals. A new Family History course was introduced in Newtongrange which helps adult learners improve their ability to research their ancestor's lives online and add substance to their family tree. Adult Learning Impact Statement: Online Influences on Mental Health “The training content was of an exceptionally high standard addressing all the key topics I anticipated, as well as introducing several valuable areas I hadn’t expected. It effectively supported me in achieving my learning objectives for the sessions. Our CLLE worker demonstrated a deep expertise in the subject matter and delivered the material with clarity and confidence. Their style was engaging and inclusive, particularly when they introduced small group activities something I hadn’t experienced before but found highly beneficial for deeper learning and collaboration. The overall structure and pacing of the course were spot on, allowing ample time for discussion, reflection, and practical application. CLLE worker ensured all necessary content was covered comprehensively, and I found the entire experience both inspiring and enjoyable.” Page 40 of 316
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Family Learning Impact Statements: Family Cooking Group, Woodburn Hub “We love the family cooking class because can have some quality cooking and baking time with my wee boys with other families in Woodburn, with ingredients and tools prepared every week. Every session we have different recipes; this gave some inspiration and ideas to us on what can cook or bake at home for our family. Friendly and happy atmosphere in the cooking group make us more understanding the local community and different food culture between different families. Thank you for your time and effort for organising these classes for us!” “The Family Cooking Group we thoroughly enjoyed. It gave me the chance to spend some one-to-one time with my eldest child and him the chance to spend time with his friend who also attended. The recipes are wide ranging and fun to try and gave us the confidence to attempt at home, more so my son, who I could trust to try some with minimal supervision. It was nice to meet with other families over the terms and of course chat & learn more about the work you do & courses you offer.” Community Capacity Building/Community Development and Reducing Poverty • At Penicuik Town Hall CLLE staff worked with users, staff, internal and external partners to develop and carry out a RIBA Stage 1 Feasibility study on future renovation of the building including improving accessibility requirements and modernising the facilities in this listed building. Funding was provided by UKSPF. Users attended a feedback session with consultants, and an expression of Interest has been made to a major funder. • Training for Community Councils has commenced based on the revised Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils in Midlothian (2025). Topics have included Data Protection, Privacy Notices and ICO registration and several Community Councils have now registered with ICO, strengthening their Data Protection processes. • 3 Community Councils have been supported to commence the process of modifying their boundaries to support improved engagement with the local community. • CLLE team members have supported groups who have received Midlothian Council Large Grant funding, carrying out monitoring and evaluation work on the positive impact and outcomes for local people and groups, that funding has supported. • CLLE staff supported the Midlothian Pantry Network to hold a celebration for member pantry volunteers as part of Volunteers’ Week in June. The event recognised all the hours that volunteers give to provide Midlothian residents with food in a dignified setting. • CLLE have worked with other divisions to support the submission of a Stage 1 funding bid to the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund for a replacement Woodburn Community Hub. • CLLE staff supported the researchers from the Child Poverty Accelerator Funded Lived Experience project to present their summary report at the Arts Centre on the 28th of April 2025. CLLE then went on to support the delivery of an 8 week Understanding Poverty course using resources from the University of York. • CLLE staff recruited a part time Centre Coordinator funded by UKSPF to support the running of the Woodburn Community Hub. Page 41 of 316
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Community Capacity Impact Statement – community researchers “Working on this project has been truly transformative. It has opened me up to opportunities within my community that I could never have experienced otherwise, and I am now committed like never before to being the change I wish to see around me”. External Funding Update • £133,500 has been secured by the CYP division led by CLLE to secure Armed Forces Covenant Funding to implement the new bespoke supports provided through a new project called MIPSA to the children of serving military personnel. Challenges: • We are still working to minimise the impact of increased income targets, reduced access to external funding and budget reductions to meet our statutory duties of providing adequate and efficient provision of CLD services. However, even with the mitigation actions it is likely to result in a reduction in the CLLE offer in terms of the number of youth, adult, and community opportunities available in 2025/26. • Parents who are in work are more frequently seeking support from CLLE PESF staff to sustain employment due to barriers and family challenges. Keyworkers continue to offer guidance and advice to address these barriers. Advice includes flexible working arrangements including hybrid working to accommodate school drop-offs, pick-ups and caregiving. Page 42 of 316
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Quarter 1 Education Dashboard Quarterly Reporting PIs – Off Target BS.E.P.1.1d Improve Primary School Attendance BS.E.P.1.1e Improve Secondary School Attendance ED.SPSO.05.01 Percentage of complaints at stage 1 complete within 5 working days n/a Percentage of complaints escalated and complete within 20 working days 4 Quarterly Reporting Education – On Target 4 Quarterly Reporting Education – Off Target 9 Education service Indicators Data Only 4 Indicators that have no Data Available 17 Quarterly Education Service All Risks 3 Quarterly Education Service High Risks Page 43 of 316
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Children's Services, Partnership and Communities Performance Report Q1 25/26 “All children, young people, adults, and families in Midlothian are supported to be the best they can be. This is achieved through a nurturing, respectful and collaborative approach that promotes wellbeing, equity, and inclusion. Community Priorities The Community Planning Partnership (CPP) draw together public, voluntary and private sector bodies, and local communities to deliver a shared plan to improve the lives of local people based on evidence. In Midlothian, the plan is called the Single Midlothian Plan (SMP). This is a shared partnership plan of how we will meet the needs of our local communities and brings together all the priorities for Midlothian into one place. Our top 3 shared outcomes for the next five years are: • Individuals and communities have improved health and learning outcomes, • No child or household need live in poverty • Significant progress is made towards net zero carbon emissions by 2045. In Midlothian, the Getting It Right for Every Child Board (GIRFEC) is one of the subgroups of the SMP, and one of the main drivers for the effective delivery of services to children. The GIRFEC Plan also known as the Integrated Children’s Service Plan 2023-2026, is a statutory three-year plan devised by the local authority and health. The plan develops key outcomes and priority actions which are designed to improve the lives of children, young people, and families. The plan has 12 shared priority themes, outcomes and actions which sit within 4 subgroups: 1. Children & Young People’s Rights 2. Children & Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing 3. Whole Family Wellbeing 4. Information Sharing and Commissioning The GIRFEC Board is now progressing with a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and has 3 facilitated sessions planned to devise the new Integrated Children’s Services Plan. Cabinet Tuesday 07 October 2025 Item No 5.4 Page 45 of 316
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Progress and Achievements The Promise Midlothian continues to progress towards the key foundations of The Promise Scotland Plan 2024-2030. In June 2025 we presented a Promise Update report to Council to highlight the work to date and the ongoing work. The priorities for new Children’s Services Plan are connected to the 5 Foundations of the Promise and improving the system we work in. In June we were pleased to welcome Natalie Don- Innes, Minister for Children and Young people and colleagues from Scottish Government to share in how we are keeping the Promise. A group of young people spoke eloquently about the impact of the support they received from the National house Project. Page 46 of 316
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Corporate Parenting On Friday the 20th of June we held an event to re-launch and promote Corporate Parenting in Midlothian. The event was a great opportunity for our care community to come together, have fun and learn about what activities are on during summer and beyond. Children and young people and their families were able to enjoy a range of activities including football, art, messy play, smoothie bike and face painting. The event was hosted by our Sport and Leisure service, and a range of corporate parents were present from across the council including external partners such as Skills Development Scotland, Y2K, MYPAS, Artlink, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRC), and Who Cares? Scotland. We have reached out to our partner organisations and asked them to host events throughout the year to share how they uphold these duties for our entire Midlothian care community, we are delighted to announce that NHS Lothian will be our next hosts in November. Referrals: Number of referrals by Quarter 23/24 24/25 25/26 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 2,353 2,067 1,436 1,324 1,170 932 970 1,046 947 During Q1, referrals to Children’s Services have seen a slight decrease compared to the previous quarter. This trend aligns with our ongoing efforts to provide support to families at an earlier stage and redirect referrals for families toward earlier intervention and support services via Team Around the Child and the Family Wellbeing Service. Family Wellbeing Service The Family Wellbeing Service is now well established and continues to work alongside families, schools, health and third sector partners to support children and their families to improve low school attendance, and other wellbeing concerns. The Service continues to work with approximately 150 children at any given time. Referrals in Q1 months May and June were reduced but this can be balanced with the increased rate of referrals that were accepted by the service in April 2025. Family Wellbeing Service Jan-25 Feb-25 Mar-25 Apr-25 May-25 Jun-25 No. Referrals 25 29 20 34 16 12 % School age children (total allocated) 95.2% 84.4% 74.0% 87.3% 63.8% 92.8% % School attendance a concern 66.6% 40.0% 44.0% 57.7% 44.4% 71.4% School age children continue to make up the highest percentages of who the team are supporting, and school attendance remains a predominant reason for referral. The following excerpts are from feedback the Family Wellbeing Service has received from children, families, and other professionals: Text message from Parent: “Thanks N. Despite being ill I already feel like you’ve lifted so much from me. I'm so glad Wednesday has been organised even though nothings actually happened, yet I already feel like a huge weight has been lifted I really do appreciate it.” Page 47 of 316
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Feedback from Guidance Teacher: “Input from the FWS has made a huge difference for C. She has gone from less than 20% (school attendance) in Dec/Jan to over 80%.” Feedback from a Parent: “C has had the best birthday ever. Last year I (Mum) wasn’t there for her, but things are different and I’m focussing on my kids now. The holiday (provided by the FWS) was amazing. The kids had so much fun, they went swimming and did loads of activities. I’m feeling really positive now and want to do more stuff with them in the summer.” Income Maximisation As part of our effort to reduce child poverty Children’s Services fund three income maximisation projects. These projects support families engaged with our services including Hawthorn Family Learning centre, the Family Wellbeing Service and those involved in child protection processes. The three projects continue to support families to access their entitled benefits, grants and reduce debts. Over Q1 the projects collectively generated £126,468.09 income for 44 families. Disability Service and Self-Directed Support A discrete disability team is now in place for children’s services. The Team Leader started in April and is supporting our focus upon improving practice and consistency continues, to ensure families are receiving a fair and equitable response to assessed social work needs. In line with most of Scotland, we are seeing huge numbers of families affected by neurodiversity. Work has focused upon those most in need, while we skill up and develop knowledge within the team. The team are currently supporting 251 children or young people with a package of care. This can vary from residential respite to allow children with a high level of need to remain living with their family, to supporting children to attend appropriate social activities and thrive in their communities. The development of this team supports the Business Transformation Project focused on improving transitions across Education, Children’s Services and Adult Services. The introduction of the team will support better tracking of our young people who will need support as they move into adulthood. Over the next 3 year we have identified over 200 young people will need varying level of post school support due to additional needs. A website is due to be launched providing information for families and partners. The Transitions Policy is in final draft. We are also working with our information management system in the final stage of creating clear data around this cohort. Challenges and risks Growing need: The data evidence that although the referrals are reduced by changes in process and early support, there remains a high level of need and increased complexity for the children and families we are supporting. It is evident that despite the increased support to keep children at home there is a slow increase in both Child protection registrations and the number of looked after and accommodated children. Page 48 of 316
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Children Protection Registrations 23/24 24/25 25/26 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Number of Children on the Child Protection Register 71 49 35 40 59 54 47 35 41 Rate per 1,000 of Midlothian Children on the Child Protection Register (0-15) . 3.8 2.7 1.9 2.2 3.5 2.6 2.1 1.8 2.2 *Rate per 1,000 population of children on the Child Protection Register (0-15) - Scottish average is 2.3. Looked After Children 23/24 24/25 25/26 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Number of Looked After and Accommodated Children 193 196 211 224 206 214 219 204 204 Rate per 1,000 Looked After and Accommodated Children (0-17) 8.9 9.0 9.7 10.3 9.5 9.9 10.1 9.4 9.4 *Rate per 1,000 Looked After and Accommodated Children (0-17) - Scotland Average is 11.7 as of 31st July 2024. This pattern is continued into Q2. Some of this can be seen as a context of the growing population but is also an impact of the changing needs in the community. It is significant to note that in most cases children are remaining with family and being placed in Kinship care, continuing our commitment to the Promise. However, we are also impacted by the lack of suitable resources in local foster care and local residential care. A focus on foster care recruitment is positive and has resulted in new carers in Midlothian, but this is not meeting the increased demand. The population of children needing residential care is changing profile with increased need for young children and those with complex additional needs. This increased need and changing population is leading to an increased reliance on external residential placements which in general are more expensive and have fewer positive outcomes for our young people. Significant planning is underway to consider how we invest in building local capacity and resources. Workforce: As noted in previous quarterly reports, there is a national shortage of experienced and skilled staff across the sector. This has resulted in us having to rely on locum workers who are both expensive but also do not offer continuity to service users. The refreshed Children’s Service plan is focused on building the skill and support for our staff team to maximise recruitment, retention, and the capacity to provide high-quality, long-term relationships with our children and families. Page 49 of 316
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Priority 1: Ensure Early Intervention and Interactions with Universal Services Aims: • Reduce re -referrals by providing suitable early support and assessment. • Strengthen multi agency relationships to improve access to early intervention and support. • Increased provision of family learning and preventative family support. Key achievements this quarter: • Began stakeholder engagement to understand how first contacts are experienced by families and partners. • Began training and development with Duty to ensure initial interactions with families are trauma informed, rights based and focused on support not assessment/investigation. • Started work to refresh GIRFEC framework and training to include focus on the Promise. • Started work to develop single child’s plan across partnership. • Finalised the Family Learning review to highlight gaps in support available. FWS/HFLC to work on collaborative initiative to expand resources. Priority 2: Improve Outcome Focussed Assessment and Intervention • Assessments are holistic, rights based, trauma informed and clearly articulate the voice of children and family members. • Plans are SMART and outcomes focused. • Resource processes are focused on ensuring good outcomes for children and young people. Key achievements this quarter: • Audit of assessment and plans. • New audit tool created to ensure regular quality assurance focuses on the priority areas. • New practice standards in progress • New practice of reflective resources discussion in pilot and guidance in draft • Planning begun for full staff development days. Priority 3: Strengthen the voice of children, young people and families in practice and service improvements. • A child, young person and families’ views are evident in every assessment and plan, and core to decision making. • Consistently gather feedback from children, families and partners demonstrate our response to this. • Service developments or projects will include engagement with children, young people, and families. Page 50 of 316
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Key achievements this quarter: • Audits competed with focus on voice. • Piloting new ways to promote participation of children and young people in their statutory meetings. • QR code developed to allow consistent feedback, currently with communication team to support public facing use. Priority 4: Build Leadership capacity across the service to ensure high quality practice and a well-supported workforce. • The leadership team are focused on delivering high quality care and support to achieve positive outcomes for children, young people, and their families. This will be done by promoting a culture of learning, trust, reflection, and continuous improvement. Key achievements this quarter: • Leadership charter drafted. • Completed full staff consultation re service vision, values, and principles. • Refreshed focus on leadership team and meetings. Priority 5: Improve our processes to be more efficient and effective. • Contracts ensure best value and support positive outcomes for children, young people, and their families. • Efficient recruitment and management of onboarding process. • Resource approval is robust and regularly reviewed to ensure spend is meeting desired outcome. Key achievements this quarter: • Quarterly contract management is in place and demonstrates the impact of the funding. • Began review of processes in place to approve funding and resources to ensure they are suitable, streamlined and support approval and review of funding. • Final amendments to new service request – with clear connection to outcomes of the funding. • Joint work with finance team to explore delays in payments and ensure processes are efficient. Page 51 of 316
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Quarter 1 Children Services Dashboard Quarterly Reporting PIs – Off Target n/a Percentage of complaints at stage 1 complete within 5 working days n/a Percentage of complaints at stage 2 complete within 20 working days n/a % of internal/external audit actions progressing on target or complete this quarter n/a Performance against revenue budget 8 Quarterly Reporting CSPC PIs – On Target 4 Quarterly Reporting CSPC PIs – Off Target 25 Quarterly Reporting CSPC PIs – Data only 1 Quarterly Reporting CSPC PIs – No Data 6 Quarterly CSPC Service All Risks 0 Quarterly CSPC Service High Risks Page 52 of 316
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Adult Services protect and improve the wellbeing of the people and communities of Midlothian. We help people get the right support, in the right place, at the right time. Social work services in Midlothian are delivered jointly by Midlothian Council and Midlothian Integration Joint Board. Adult social work and social care services, including Justice Social Work, are delegated to Midlothian IJB. Adult Social Care contributes to the Midlothian IJB Strategic Commissioning Plan, the strategic aims of both NHS Lothian and Midlothian Council, and contributes to the work of the Community Planning Partnership through the Single Midlothian Plan. Adult Social Care Services 2025/26 – Q1 Cabinet Tuesday 07 October 2025 Item No 5.5 Page 53 of 316
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Care Inspectorate Grades Good or Above Target = 90% Actual = 96% Meets / exceeds target Performance Detail: In this quarter inspections have been completed for Cherry Road Day Service and Thera, one of our larger commissioned provided. Both these services improved their grades. Work is ongoing with one provider to support them and develop the model. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% How good is our setting? How well is care and support planned? How good is our staff team? How good is our leadership? How well do we support people's wellbeing? Care Inspectorate Grades -Adult Services (under 65s) 1 - Unsatisfactory 2 - Weak 3 - Adequate 4 - Good 5 - Very Good 6 - Excellent Learning Disability/Physical Disability Page 54 of 316
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Finance Expenditure Against Budget Annual Budget = £28.59m Projected Expenditure = £29.66 Does not meet target Performance Detail: • The revised annual budget has yet to be uprated from this financial year therefore it is anticipated the annual commitment remains within budget • The increase in financial commitment in the first quarter of 2025 can be attributed in part to delaying in applying uplifts on MOSAIC, setting annual respite budgets and the inclusion of care packager for young adults transitioning from Children’s Service • There is ongoing work within the team to progress a number of shared placements that may reduce expenditure, however there is a risk this may be offset by a number of adult who are likely to move to independent living during this financial year. 0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Total Under 65 Resource Panel Actual Spend YTD Commitment Annual Commitment YTD Budget Annual Budget Page 55 of 316
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Care Package Reviews Number of Reviews Within 2 years Target = 90% Actual = 93% Meets / exceeds target Performance Detail: • There are 32 individuals in receipt of a care package that have not had a formal assessment or review completed for over two years. In the majority of cases there is ongoing oversight or care management in place. Work is ongoing to allocate and complete reviews for these clients. • There are ongoing challenges in capacity to allocate routine reviews that are nearing the 2 year period due to the large volume of work requiring immediate allocation due to a higher level of risk. 53 76 55 80 83 54 20 4 4 2 7 2 32 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 Over Months Since Last Assessment or Review Number % of All Clients Page 56 of 316
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Physical Disabilities and Long-Term Conditions PD/LTC interventions recorded as outcome achieved. Target = 85% Actual = 88% Meets / exceeds target PD/LTC referral screening episode concluded within 3 working days. Target = 90% Actual = 89% Does not meet target • We continue to work effectively, supporting clients to achieve their outcomes. At times client outcomes may not be achieved if for example, re- housing is recommended as an alternative to what they had originally asked for such as being independent with showering and wanting a wet floor shower installed. We would continue to ensure by best practical means the safety of the client regardless. This can have an impact on the percentage rating. • The screening episode process remains at a high level, demonstrating that we are continuing to work effectively and timely. There is at times a delay when cases are tasked to duty OT for example so to complete a task such as triage phone call, obtain more information, or order equipment – rendering the case then complete. Carers Number of Adult Carer Support Plans completed by HSCP Target = 25 Actual = 33 Meets / exceeds target Number of Adult Carer Support Plans completed by VOCAL Target = 175 Actual = 301 Meets / exceeds target Appropriate Adult Service Section 42 of The Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 requires that the police and agencies facilitate the provision of communication support for vulnerable adults in police custody. An Appropriate Adult’s principal role is to provide communication support mainly in police interviews to people over 16 who have a mental disorder as defined by The Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. These include: -mental health problems, learning disability, Autism / ADHD, dementia, acquired brain injury. Appropriate Adults are provided mainly at the request of Police Scotland for people who are being interviewed as Victims, witnesses, Not Officially and Officially Accused and who are believed to have a mental disorder as noted above. In Midlothian we have a team of trained Appropriate Adults who fulfil this role for those who live in Midlothian. We don’t get an abundance of call outs, and these are manageable level for us. This means that people are supported and treated fairly. Their experience is a positive one not negative or more difficult that it needs to be. Page 57 of 316
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Commissioned Services – Garvald Mayfield Garvald Edinburgh provides day services to adults with learning disabilities in Midlothian. The services have a vocational focus, giving service users the opportunity to build skills, pride, confidence, and recognition of their abilities in the community they are part of. Garvald's approach is based on the principles of social therapy and positive behaviour support. These values-based approaches bring together all the factors that are important for any person in their daily life: a working environment that provides meaning, structure and stability; calm and creative spaces that are enabling; person centred support; and a sense of community underpinned by mutual respect and friendship. At Garvald's Midlothian day service based in the McSence Business Park, Mayfield, six core activities are offered: Kitchen Group, Garden and Outdoors Group, Pottery, Textiles, Jewellery, and Art and Printmaking. Additionally, there are satellite activities across the week many with a focus on physical wellbeing that service users can opt into including: walking groups, swimming, standing and seated exercise, music, dance, drama, signing communication, storytelling, boccia, digital technology, Eurythmy movement therapy, meditation and mental health toolkit groups, member's rep committee group etc. Providing day services ensures that people with Learning Disabilities have the opportunity to engage in meaningful activities that protects their mental health and reduces the risks of isolation which can have significant impact on individuals and their carers and in the long run increase support needs. Care at Home services Midlothian Care at Home services delivers on average 9000 hours per week. The longest wait for community packages of care sits at around 52 weeks. This is expected to significantly improve with dedicated social workers and OT’s reviewing each one. The percentage of staff within care at home qualified for their post sits around 84%, this does change if staff retire, and new staff commence who require to be supported to undertake their SVQ 2. Staff retention increased by around 25% with our external care at home providers which therefore created more consistency of care and an improved service for the client. Page 58 of 316
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. Older People’s Social Work Team Provides social work assessment, care management and review of services for people over 65 years old and their carers. There is a separate team for those who have a diagnosis of dementia. Newbyres Care Home The care home provides 24 hours care and support for 48 Midlothian residents. The current residents range in age from 68 years old to 98 years old. The length of stay of residents is varied and spans between 2016 and 2025. There have been 5 residents admitted to Newbyres Village in the first quarter of 2025. Incident reporting April May June Falls Reported 8 6 Medication errors reported 11 14 8 Deaths reported 1 1 4 Hospital admissions 1 3 3 Assaults reported 1 1 0 Behavioural incidents reported 0 1 1 Absconding 0 0 1 Improvement Planning There is an improvement plan in place to address matters relating to staffing, management and leadership, resident experience, care planning, medications management, improvement in risk assessments for individual residents, falls monitoring, reporting and harm reduction, recruitment and retention, staff wellbeing, budgetary management, skin bundle management and review. Older People’s Service Page 59 of 316
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Care Inspectorate Grades Good or Above Inspection in January 2025 reported the following grades: Does not meet target People's wellbeing Leadership Staff team Setting Care & support planning 4 3 3 4 4 The improvement plan is designed to ensure that upon completion of the next care inspection there is demonstrable improvement with a view to improving the above grades. Staffing Challenges • Recruitment of nursing staff has been authorised after 2 out of 3 staff moved on to other posts. A planned process of Quality Improvement is being actioned and supported by the care home support team to ensure that nursing roles and responsibilities are rationalised and supported within the Newbyres Village team. • Mitigation for the staffing issues are in place through use of bank nursing and district nursing staff until recruitment can be progressed. Medication Errors- • Within Q1 there was an increase in medication error noted through reporting and quality assurance measurement (see incident reporting above). An action plan has been implemented and a repurposing of staffing completed to create an assurance framework to improve safety and management of medication at Newbyres Village. • There has been a positive outcome and review, improvement and evaluation will be continuous. This is supported by colleagues in pharmacy, care home support team and quality assurance. Highbank Intermediate Care Unit 6 Excellent 5 Very Good 4 Good 3 Adequate 2 Weak 1 Poor Page 60 of 316
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Highbank is an intermediate care unit with 40 beds available. Currently there are 23 residents awaiting care home placement. There are 12 residents who are waiting for a package of care, rehabilitation, housing and completing assessment of need. There are 3 respite beds and a planned review of the booking and management system of respite to ensure that there is a maximisation of occupancy. As can be seen from the table below the bed usage is variable, and a more robust management system is indicated since there is significant demand for respite within the partnership. January February March April May Bed days available 93 84 93 90 93 Bed days in use 54 68 57 72 72 % used 58 81 61 80 77 so far The baseline occupancy agreement with senior manager to rationalise budgetary income and provide intermediate care is as follows. • 25 beds to be occupied by clients who are chargeable • 3 respite beds • 12 intermediate care beds (non-chargeable) Incident Reporting April May June Falls Reported 10 5 6 Medication errors reported 0 0 0 Deaths reported 0 0 0 Hospital admissions 3 4 5 Assaults reported 0 0 0 Behavioural incidents reported 0 0 0 Absconding 0 1 0 Care Inspectorate Grades Good or Above Page 61 of 316
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Inspection in January 2025 reported the following grades: Meets / exceeds target People's wellbeing Leadership Staff team Setting Care & support planning 4 Not assessed 5 Not assessed Not assessed New build Plans to relocate Highbank to the Polton Street site are now advanced. There has been a revision of the intended March 2026 date to 30th November 2025. A Project Board has been organised, and planning is being implemented to ensure that the transfer of service is completed timeously. The Interim Head of Service for Primary Care and Older People is leading on this project. Communication with residents, families and staff is also being progressed. Hospital In Reach Team The team is comprised of 9.6 FTE Social Workers, 1 team leader and 2 Community Care Assistants. • 4 of the social work posts are funded through Unscheduled Care budget and 3 or the workers have recently taken up post within the last part of Q1, • One further social worker has a start date in Q2 The In Reach Team provide assessment and discharge planning to residents from Midlothian who have been admitted to one of 5 hospital sites and from Highbank Intermediate Care. The also provide care home and community review as well as a range of social work interventions. Assessments completed by the team in Q1 2025 April May June Assessments completed 8 19 Data not available Referrals received 27 43 Data not available 6 Excellent 5 Very Good 4 Good 3 Adequate 2 Weak 1 Poor Page 62 of 316
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Average social delays in acute hospital beds (Social Work) April May June Average social delays in acute beds (social work) 8.4 7.9 5.7 Social Work in Intermediate Care In Q1 there has been development work completed to ensure that all in Midlothian clients who are in acute beds and identified as ‘social delays’ are offered placement in intermediate care to progress assessment, await packages of care, to await care home placement and to complete rehabilitation where appropriate. There have also been some clients who have moved to Intermediate care to await housing outcomes. Two social workers are now linked to Highbank intermediate care and have a role in all admissions and discharges to enable flow. This has largely been responsible for the reduction in social day averages in the acute site. Improvements for service users include- • timeous care home review at 6 months should they remain waiting for discharge for this period. • Targets relating to income are tracked and managed on a daily basis • Communication with unpaid carers, families and proxies has improved (planning to evaluate this are being progressed) • Communication with clients has improved with life changing decisions now being made out with acute bed base more frequently. • Psychiatric support is provided to support clients to move on from acute bed base to intermediate care • Advanced Nurse Practitioner support is in situation to support residents and provide clinical care planning to support placement transition from acute bed base to intermediate care and to longer term care placements. • Management of data, communication and multidisciplinary work is completed though multidisciplinary meeting and through weekly rapid run downs on delays call • Vacancies are managed effectively – data gathering to commence to identify occupancy rates. Improvement planning A team improvement plan is being developed. Page 63 of 316
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Midlothian Community Hospital Two social workers will provide a dedicated service to the clients currently in Midlothian Community Hospital. Assessment and discharge planning will be provided to all clients who are clinically ready for discharge and who have completed periods of rehabilitation. Development plan to be created. Future Planning Unscheduled care monies from Scottish Government have been used to employ two social workers to work exclusively in the acute hospital sectors. A team is being developed to complete assessment and discharge planning within the acute estate. Psychiatric pathways There are people whose needs cannot be met in intermediate care due to negative symptoms of dementia (stress and distress/challenging behaviours). There are daily discussions regarding this group relating to pathways including decision making relating to admission to psychiatric beds for assessment, admission to MCH for assessment of needs relating to HBCCC and psychiatric support within the care home sector in Midlothian. Delayed Discharge Policy Progressing actions relating to this policy can be challenging and there is currently a working group for greater NHS Lothian to address these issues on a policy basis to support and develop use of this policy to progress discharge where there is resource available including intermediate care beds and interim placements. Care home placements There is a general shortage of care home placements. Work is progressing to ensure that all vacancies are identified as soon as possible and that assessment timescales to allow for resident admission are as robust as possible. Initial Care Home Reviews completed within 12 weeks of admission Target 60% Actual 98% Meets / exceeds target Initial Care Home review completion is going well, and performance targets are being met. Notably the statutory care home reviews managed across Older Peoples and Dementia teams are now up to date with only 14 outstanding. (There are a number that have been allocated to Social Workers that require completion; however, this does not significantly change the data). As part of the operational management relating to casework workflow planning is required to ensure that this position is maintained going forward. Building Quality Assurance into Care Home review processes is also required. Overall, this is notable progress. Page 64 of 316
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This service area includes Justice, Community Justice, Duty Social Work, Adult Support and Protection, and Public Health. Supporting people in contact with the Justice system They support people involved in the Parole and Pre-release process including the preparation of Criminal Justice Social Work Reports and pre-release reports. The team supervises people aged 18 and over who are subject to Community Payback Orders, Parole, Life and Non- Parole Licences, Extended Sentences and Supervised Released Orders. Since April 2022 the team have expanded service delivery to increase the range of non-statutory support they provide to ensure that there are early intervention pathways for those in conflict with the law but not convicted. This includes men who are concerned about their domestically abusive behaviour and provision of bail services for people appearing at court prior to conviction and at risk of being remanded into custody. Their work is underpinned by the ideals of reparation, rehabilitation and reintegration and aims to provide a clear pathway to support those who have been convicted of offences to achieve a positive destination. Through the work undertaken by those subject to unpaid work we also aim to provide meaningful benefit to our local communities. Justice and Protection Services Page 65 of 316
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Justice Social Work services provide all statutory and associated functions identified in S.27 Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. The core work includes the preparation of a variety of assessment reports, including Justice Social Work Reports and pre-release reports for serving prisoners involved in the Parole and Pre-release process. The service works with men and women aged 16 and over, subject to Community Payback Orders, Parole, Life and Non-Parole Licences, Extended Sentences and Supervised Released Orders. Alongside the statutory work the Justice Service provides a range of early intervention and preventions strategies including bail services, structured deferred sentences and groupwork services for both men and women at risk of becoming involve in the justice system. It is intended to extend the range of early intervention by bringing the provision of Diversion from Prosecution in-house. The interventions are informed by effective practice research and underpinned by the ideals of reparation, rehabilitation and reintegration and aims to provide a clear pathway to support those who have been convicted of offences to achieve a positive destination. The impact of interventions is measured through ongoing risk assessment and from feedback from those who have successfully completed their order or licence. The chart below shows the analysis of responses from the feedback provided by those whose statutory supervision ended during the reporting period. Justice and Protection Services– Performance Measures Page 66 of 316
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Through the work undertaken by people subject to unpaid work we aim to provide meaningful benefit to our local communities. Feedback provided by beneficiaries is gathered on an annual basis and in 2024/2025 44% of beneficiaries provided us with feedback. The information evidences that the standard of work completed was excellent in 98% of cases, and of a good quality in the other 2%. Written feedback included the following comments: The main community-based sentence that the service manage is a Community Payback Order (CPO), which can have up to ten requirements attached to it. The most frequently imposed requirements are Supervision and Unpaid Work. During this reporting period the Courts imposed 42 Community Payback Orders, please see image 2. At the end of quarter 1 the team were supervising 233 people on a total of 265 orders. Justice Social Work staff use a trauma informed and person-centred approach to develop effective working relationships with clients. In the interests of justice, and to maintain the public confidence in community sentences, all missed appointments, or failure to comply, are responded to robustly using disciplinary procedures which can result in the order being returned to court in breach. During the breach process we continue to seek to engage individuals to re-engage with interventions to reduce and manage the risk of re-offending. During the reporting period thirty-three people (14%) were subject to breach proceedings and 15% of those effectively re-engaged with the service on a voluntary basis. The team are effectively engaging with 84% of people subject to a Community Payback Order. Page 67 of 316
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Every person involved with the Justice Service completes an entry questionnaire as part of the assessment process. At the end of service they are offered the opportunity to complete an exit questionnaire and this is voluntary. Thirteen exit questionnaires were completed during quarter one and 100% of respondents reported that they felt listened to. The majority of those who responded experienced the service as positive as it enabled them to maintain or improve their quality of life and rated the service they received as good or excellent based on trustworthiness and the level of care and support provided. 1-Poor; 2-Average; 3-Good; 4-Excellent Page 68 of 316
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Adult Support and Protection The Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 was introduced in October 2008. It provides duties, powers and measures for the support and protection of adults who may be at risk of harm. Under section 3 (1) of the Act an "adult at risk" is a person aged sixteen or over who meets all of the following criteria (commonly referred to as the ‘three-point test’): • unable to safeguard their own wellbeing, property rights or other interests • are at risk of harm, and • because they are affected by disability, mental disorder, illness or physical and mental infirmity, is more vulnerable to being harmed then those not so affected Social Work staff undertake specific training to become a Council Officer and work to identify, minimise and manage risk, and ensure that all suspicions, disclosures or incidents of actual harm are acted upon. An adult is someone aged 16+ although for individuals between the age of 16 and 18 years of age there will be discussion with Children Services colleagues to identify if the matter would more appropriately be managed under child protection procedures. On receipt of a referral related to concerns that there is an adult at risk of harm it is screened to ensure that the relevant information is available and an investigation, often referred to as the Duty to Inquire (DTI) will be undertaken, there is a local aim that the investigation will be completed within 21 days, however there are a number of factors which impact this including being able to speak to the adult to gain their views. An investigation can be undertaken with or without the use of investigative powers and the latter can be a reason for delay as they may be waiting for reports or documents from other agencies including banks and the Office of Public Guardian. The chart shows the volume of work undertaken by staff working within Adult Support and Protection. Page 69 of 316
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To ensure that the adult is protected from ongoing harm taking a person-centred approach to safety planning and decision making Is key to minimise or reduce the risk. At all times Council officers will seek to address the risk in line with the principles of the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007. Where there are immediate concerns for an adult, an Inter-Agency Referral Discussion (IRD) can be conducted with colleagues from Police and Health. The IRD system is electronic and supports collaborative, interagency decision making which is critical to the effectiveness of ASP processes. The electronic system allows each partner agency to initiate and/or contribute to the management of the risk, including the timely sharing of all relevant information. The e-IRD (electronic IRD) system supports the recording of information, decision making, planning and actions taken, including recording of previous IRD. If risks remain at the completion of the Duty to Inquire, and the three-point test has been met, an Adult Case Conference must be convened; this is a multi-agency forum for shared decision-making. A Protection Plan is put in place at each case conference and is reviewed at least once to ensure that it is having a positive outcome or if additional action is required. • Three protection plans commenced during Quarter 1. There are a range of measures that agencies can take to mitigate and manage the identified risks, and these include the use of Protection Orders which are sought through an application to the Sheriff Court. Protection Orders must be in line with the principles of the Act and therefore must be the least restrictive option that will provide benefit to the adult. • There were no Protection Orders required in Quarter 1. The Service Manager is working closely with the ASP Team Leader to develop a feedback process to enable adults to support service improvements by providing feedback on whether they felt listened to, their views were respected and if they felt safer. The questions for the survey are being checked to ensure that they meet accessibility guidelines. Page 70 of 316
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The Public Health Practitioners work to support services to improve wellbeing and reduce health inequalities for the people of Midlothian. They support staff to design and deliver services that support early intervention and prevention. Weight Bias In February, Public Health successfully recruited a Project Manager for a new post to develop and deliver training on Weight Bias and confident conversations about weight. This post is a collaboration between Public Health at NHS Lothian and Midlothian HSCP. It is a unique opportunity and one of the first dedicated posts in Scotland to tackling weight stigma and bias. The training is primarily targeted at Primary Care and Education. This was decided from the evidence base, which shows that 80% of people living with obesity reported being stigmatised in a healthcare setting due to their weight (UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Obesity – 2018). While for young people 63% of girls and 58% of boys reported peer victimisation related to their weight (Brownell KD, Puhl RM, Schwartz MB, Rudd L. Weight bias Nature, extent, and remedies. NY: Guilford Press, 2005). There are two specific outcomes for this work: • To increase awareness, knowledge, skills and confidence of staff and volunteers in Midlothian/Lothian to have positive, constructive conversations with people about their weight and ability to challenge stigmatising attitudes, behaviour and environments. • To reduce barriers for people living with overweight and/or obesity to talk openly about their weight without feeling stigmatised or discriminated against It is hoped that by improving practitioners’ awareness, knowledge, skills and confidence about weight bias their practice may change to reduce the stigma that people living with obesity feel. By reducing this stigma people may feel more able to access services and their mental wellbeing will be improved. There is also some evidence to suggest that reducing weight bias and having positive conversations about weight supports people to have a healthy weight. In Q1 the Weight Bias project manager has: • created an action plan, • drafted the training curriculum, and • met with key stakeholders from primary care where the training is aiming to be targeted for in the first instance. Public Health Page 71 of 316
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In the last year the learning and development team have delivered and coordinated over 1000 learning opportunities. This covers a broad range from SVQ programmes (Levels 2, 3 and 4) to Adult Support and Protection, Child Protection, Team Teach, Trauma Informed Practice, Motivational Interviewing, Dementia Awareness and Medication training. Course Attended 01/04/2024 to 31/03/2025 Number of attendees Child Protection Level 1 (Health & Social Care Staff only) 88 Level 1 Adult Support and Protection - all services 85 Medication Training/Workshop for Care at Home Staff 59 Motivational Interviewing 15 Safe & Together Model - Certified Trainer 1 Safe & Together Model Core Training 4 days 3 Self Directed Support (SDS): For H&SC Children & Families Staff ONLY 23 Stoma Care for Health and Social Care Staff 16 SVQ Core Skills: Information, Communication & Technology SCQF 5 5 SVQ Core Skills: Numeracy SCQF 5 4 SVQ Foundation Apprenticeship – CYP 12 SVQ Foundation Apprenticeship – H&SC 6 SVQ: Assessor Award L&D9DI 1 SVQ: Introduction to Unit CHS3 Administer Medication to individuals 37 SVQ2: Social Services & CYP SCQF6 3 SVQ2: Social Services & Healthcare SCQF6 23 SVQ3: SVQ Social Services & Health Care SCQF7 17 SVQ3: SVQ Social Services CYP SCQF7 4 SVQ4: Social Services & CYP SCQF9/10 3 SVQ4: Social Services & Healthcare SCQF9/10 (L4) 3 SVQ4: SVQ in Management SCQF 9/10 5 Team Teach Level 1 - New Training for Foster Carers 5 Team Teach Level 1 (6 hours) (Education only) 56 Team Teach Level 1 (6 hrs) (Health & Social Care staff) 64 Team Teach Level 2 (12 hours) (Education Only) (From Jan 2024) 31 Team Teach Level 2 (12 hours) (From Jan 2024) 27 Team Teach Level 2 Refresher (6 hours) 14 Learning and Development Page 72 of 316
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Transportation of Children 25 Trauma Informed Training - Level 1 235 Trauma Informed Training - Level 2 48 Total 918 In addition to this staff have also staff accessed post grad courses through Edinburgh University, Stirling, The Open University and Napier University. 102 people completed Foundation and Modern Apprenticeships for Health and Social Care as well as Children and Young people. Supported 23 NQSWs; 9 have completed successfully Co-ordinated 18 SW student placements OU SW PG Dip – supported a total of 4 workers OU SW UG Stage 3 – supported a total of 4 workers OU SW UG Off-programme (module by module) – supported a total of 13 workers All LearnPro modules relevant to registered staff are fully up to date and compliance to completion is around 90%. Page 73 of 316
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Mental Health Wait Times Mental Health Assessment refers to assessments by Mental Health Social Workers, not Mental Health Officers (MHO). The workforce for specifically Mental Health Social Work is 1.5 WTE. Work continues to look at how best to improve the wait times however, due to staffing capacity which has also been impacted on due to long term absence in 2024/25, continues to demonstrate an average longest wait of 19 weeks (see table). The waiting list is monitored weekly, and priority is given to urgent referrals which also impacts on the longest waits. Further consideration needs to be given to a reasonable target wait for mental health social care waiting list, but assurance can be given the service continues to meet the needs of high-risk priority individuals in a timely manner. Adult Mental Health Service Page 74 of 316
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There are 7 Mental Health Officers within the mental health team. Significant work has been completed to improve the pathway for request for Welfare Guardianship Order reports - the Mental Health service set a realistic performance target of 12 weeks from the point of request to the allocation of a case for the required report (see graph). The Mental Health team continue to demonstrate improvement and consistency within the agreed performance target. New developments/successes The service recently interviewed for new MHO's in training and 2 successful candidates have been appointed - one Social worker within the current mental health team and one Social worker from Midlothian Justice service. Our most recent trainee has been successful and completed their MHO training. Challenges The Mental Health service continues to experience challenges due to the lack of dedicated mental health providers for specialist packages of care as well as a lack of appropriate mental health housing, mainly complex care where an individual requires a step down from acute/Rehab but still requires the 24/7 nursing intervention which can be provided through a hospital based model or community setting. Due to this it continues to present barriers to hospital discharges. Page 75 of 316
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Dementia Team The Midlothian Dementia service comprises 4 Social Workers and 2 Community Care Assistants. Currently in Midlothian social work waiting times continue to be monitored within the agreed performance target of being allocated to a Social Worker or Community Care Assistant within 6 weeks. The service continues to demonstrate improvement and consistency within the agreed performance target. (see graph) The Social Work team continue to receive a high volume of referrals, most of which are in a crisis situation. The Social Workers are also managing a high number of guardianships and corporate appointeeships. The Social Work team have been working really hard to reduce wait times for allocation for an assessment and have been proactively liaising with the Team Leader when they are able to be allocated more cases. This has resulted in a significant reduction in the wait lists as demonstrated by the graph. Page 76 of 316
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Social Workers continue to use person centred, outcomes focused approaches to keep people supported in their homes for longer and assessing for long-term care where all other options have been exhausted. They are consistently working with crisis situations We have identified in particular, there have been a number of cases of younger people with dementia who have required intensive case management, not only for the younger people with dementia but also their carers (mainly parents and partners). The bulk of their work is with assessment of need to recommend supports to keep people living as independently as possible but very often needing to place people in long-term care placements. New developments/success The wider older adult services identified the need to have a system wide approach to supporting individuals who access our services, the Social Work Team members are also attending the dementia café groups, as HSCP reps, and bringing back feedback from the groups about the services for people with dementia, so we can make continued improvements but also highlight the positive work the service is delivering. The Social Work team are formally meeting on a monthly basis to discuss team business. We are developing a Team Plan to connect the work we are doing to the HSCP strategic plans and IJB Directions. The Team Plan will include an Improvement Plan which we will work on each team meeting. As a wider integrated older adult service There are other streams of development work in the pipeline, including: developing a pathway for Younger People with Dementia, working more closely with community organisations and other HSCP teams such as the Health Promotion Team, greater use of assistive technology within people’s support plans and other forms of consultation with clients and carers (eg feedback forms). Challenges There is a shortage of suitable care home vacancies, meaning the social workers are managing ongoing high-risk situations to support people and their carers whilst awaiting an appropriate care home placement. There is also a lack of appropriate and available care accommodation for individuals aged under-65 with mental health issues. Page 77 of 316
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Midlothian Substance Use Services continue to maintain Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards 1-5 which the service fully implemented in March 2023. Over the last year the service has been focussing on the criteria for MAT 6-10. Final submission for 20244/25 was submitted in April 2025, Midlothian is in a positive position and has exceeded the set Scottish Government criteria for March 2025 (MAT 1-5 Green and MAT 6-10 Provisional Green), both through submitting relevant evidence of process measures and numerical measures. Meets / exceeds target Midlothian has had confirmation feedback that we have been rated green for all MAT standards 1-10. The graph demonstrates the progress for the Alcohol and Drug Partnership area (Mid and East Lothian) from 2022-2025. As part of Mat 6 and 10 standards Midlothian had successfully implemented a training programme to support trauma-informed practice, and the expected target set by the Scottish Government of 50% of staff trained in tier 1 training by March 2025. Midlothian has exceeded this target with 77 % of staff trained. Substance Use Treatment Service (SUS) Page 78 of 316
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SUS treatment service A11 waiting time target Meets / exceeds target The SUS treatment service A11 waiting time, where each individual referred for either substance use, or alcohol use is triaged and commenced on treatment if appropriate within 21 days of referral. The service maintained a 100% performance against the A11 waiting time target. Overall, the services continued to provide direct access to timely and appropriate treatment that best met an individual’s needs, psycho-social support and peer led support for those affected by their or another’s drugs and/or alcohol use. New developments/successes The service continued to explore new ways of engaging individuals into the service and recently developed a peer-led Buvidal café drop in, which has had a positive uptake. The service is currently exploring further options to look at pre- and post-Alcohol drop in in partnership with MELD. The development and implementation of the Vulnerable Person Database reports (VPD) evidenced partnership working between SUS treatment service and Police Scotland, where individuals were highlighted directly to services where the police have attended someone’s home and have concerns about their alcohol and drug use. The service provided assertive outreach. A gap was identified in reporting on the social work waiting list for the Substance Use Service. Reporting is now developing. Challenges Due to the continual change in drug trends, there has been an increased spike in non-fatal overdose (NFO) impacting on Midlothian (and nationally), the substance use services continue to deliver a whole system approach to assertive outreach and harm reduction to support individuals who are at risk of NFO. The most challenging aspect for services and for individuals within our services due to the change individual’s do not know what they are buying and where previously they would have reliable sources this no longer is the case, which places individuals at greater risk. Page 79 of 316
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The HSCP Staff Wellbeing support system develops, implements, and evaluates a range of high-quality and research-based wellbeing, experience, and engagement processes, in order to enable, empower, sustain, and retain health and social care staff. One size doesn’t fit all, we therefore endeavour to offer tailored support to individuals, teams, and services. To achieve this Midlothian HSCP embeds five foundational pillars – The Midway. Wellbeing: We seek to create a positive state of mind and body which is underpinned by social and psychological wellbeing. Equity: We strive for equity recognising that we must adjust to reduce imbalance. Learning: We offer opportunities to learn. Furthering our knowledge and developing our skills. Leadership: We encourage individual and group involvement to positively influence, guide, and improve. Communication: We communicate information, intentions, and emotions in a way that is clear, respectful, and understood. Numerous factors influence the health and wellbeing of our health and social care staff. Some of these, such as physical health are well understood, however, there are other influencers such as psychological burden, relationships, management skills, and the environment that are fundamental to the wellbeing of our workforce that are under appreciated. This report spotlights activities undertaken this quarter and the underpinning evidence to support the health and wellbeing of Midlothian HSCP staff. The staff of Midlothian HSCP are all working towards the same goal, that everyone working here is equally valued and supported to succeed. We believe that whoever you are, whatever you do, and wherever you work in the partnership, you can make a valued contribution and feel included. To achieve this, we implement actions which positively influence the 4 key drivers outlined within our Staff Wellbeing, Experience and Engagement Delivery Plan 2025-2028. Staff Wellbeing Page 80 of 316
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“I think it helped having someone out with the team facilitating the conversation. It allowed me (manager) to participate as an equal.” Q1 Progress Cherry Road Adult Learning Disabilities team see some of the most complex people in terms of physical and mental disabilities in Midlothian. It is an essential resource for individuals and their families to promote learning, function, and social connection. The team have been exposed to many of the challenges associated with financial restraints while also continuing to offer the best possible care to those who are transitioning from child to adult services. The management team recognise the extensive physical and emotional demands placed on the team. Throughout May four bespoke support sessions were tailored to support teamwork, camaraderie, wellness, and resilience. The management team actively participated in all sessions including reflective practice. Reflective Practice provides staff with an opportunity for continued learning. Allowing them to consider situations they have experienced in their work, explore outcomes, and improve the quality of their service. Staff have the opportunity to explore relationship dynamics, and the emotional labour involved in delivering care. This in turn helps to mitigate against negative consequences and enables them to remain connected. All sessions were attended by 10 - 14 staff. The reflective practice session was greatly appreciated with facilitated sessions now being agreed for each quarter. Why does this matter? • Workers are 13% more productive when happy. • It is the experience of healthcare staff that shapes peoples experiences of care for good or ill, not the other way round. • 4.8 million working days in human health and social work are lost each year due to workplace injury or work-related illness. • Between 2011 to 2015, the risk of suicide among female health professionals was 24% higher than the national average. What do they learn, feel, and do differently? “It was good to have time to listen to each other and find out what is going on for each other.” Work has meaning and a positive impact on staff. • Choice & Autonomy • Meaning & Purpose • Wellness & Resilience • Camaraderie & teamwork • Physical & psychological safety • Participative management • Measurement & improvement Page 81 of 316
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“My coach offered me a different way to look at things and made me think about giving consideration to my own needs. I left the meetings with next steps in place, which I wouldn’t have achieved by myself.” It allowed me (manager) to participate as an equal.” “The coach was a great listener and calming to talk to.” Better Informed, Better Choices is an NHS workplace campaign designed to empower staff through access to clear, accurate, and timely information. The campaign aims to encourage staff to discover simple, easily accessible tools that can quickly help them understand more about their own wellbeing. The Midlothian event took place on the 23rd June at Number 11 St Andrews street, the base for a number of community mental health and justice services. Staff were invited to take a look at digital and other resources containing simple tools to monitor health, and to have a chat with wellbeing leads about the national screening programmes available. Twenty-five staff engaged with the event with additional resources being left on site for those who were unable to attend. To ensure parity, staff employed by Midlothian Council were guided to equivalent information recorded on local authority intranet pages and the Staff Wellbeing Directory. One to one Wellbeing Support/ Coaching can help staff take a step back and think about how to care for their own health and wellbeing. Often people feel 'stuck' in their situation, coaching can help by creating a little distance to think more openly about the issue, explore options and set goals. Seven staff were referred directly to the Staff Wellbeing Lead for support with 25 sessions being offered during this quarter. Staff received on average three contacts. The primary reason for seeking help remains psychological distress with causes ranging from grief, anxiety, moral injury (understaffing), neurodivergence, and low mood (including suicidal ideation). Often staff are supported to bridge the gap between referral and uptake of formal services such as counselling. The approach helps staff stay in work as well as offering additional assistance to those who are returning after sickness absence. Why does this matter? • The sickness absence rate in NHS Scotland for the year ending 31 March 2023 increased to 6.2%, the highest rate during the past ten years. • Poor mental health at work costs the NHS upwards of £3bn per annum. • 69% of nursing staff do not take breaks, compared to 56% of hospital staff. • Fatigue and sleep deprivation affect error rates, quality of care and personal safety. • Dehydration can affect mental function by 10%. What do they learn, feel, and do differently? Work is a healthy place to be. • Healthy body • Balanced mind • Positive choices • Caring culture Page 82 of 316
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"Found Sessions very helpful and makes you aware how to deal with things differently, also good to see everyone joining in the sessions and hopefully have a bit more understanding of someone else's needs.” “The sessions were very relaxing and very eye opening how we handle situations mentally and physically, also making us realise how much we overthink things we cannot control, it brought us all together and gave us a reason to listen to one another." Midlothian Community Hospital facilities team had been experiencing changes in relational dynamics causing communication breakdown, decreased collaboration and shared understanding. A programme of support was discussed with the team, the aim was to identify opportunities to learn about each other, share thoughts and ideas, and appreciate differences. Four consecutive weekly sessions were provided across June. Topics included understanding our automatic thoughts and the impact of negative cognitive bias, using transactional analysis to understand the roles we play in relationships, and mindful practices to enhance the parasympathetic system. All staff attended the sessions including 12 domestics, 2 supervisors and a senior manager. A review of learning is planned for July. Why does this matter? • 69% of employees that participated in a study identified that the behaviour of their managers had increased their stress and that the rise in stress had a major impact on organisational performance. • In a recent study, 62% of community care staff named “unsupportive management” as more likely to make them leave an employer than inadequate pay. • 30% of respondents said that they left their last role in adult social care due to poor workplace culture or communication. What do they learn, feel, and do differently? We are all able to show leadership • Compassionate: attending, understanding, empathising, helping • Collective and Collaborative: shared goals, purpose and responsibility, trust and permission, distributed and inclusive Page 83 of 316
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No 11 The 4th of October 2024, saw the promotion of Speak Up week, a national event offered across Scotland to raise awareness about how staff, students, and volunteers can speak up and raise concerns. During this week, staff had the opportunity to complete a short questionnaire about perceived psychological safety. Around 150 questionnaires were completed. Having highlighted an issue, one service area wished to progress this work, aiming to improve psychological safety for all members of the team. This work focused on engaging with staff in the process of understanding what psychological safety looks like within the team and how they would wish to express mutual care, respect, and safety. It was agreed that the best way forward would be to create a team psychological safety guidance document for the future. Three sessions have been delivered with the aim to sign-off the document with management support in July. Between 8 and 12 staff attended each session. What do they learn, feel, and do differently? No feedback has been gathered at the time of the completion of this report as work remains in progress. Why does this matter? • Only 43% of employees feel managers are good at seeking their views and only 40% feel like they respond to suggestions when their views are heard. • All NHS staff should have the confidence to speak up without fear, and in the knowledge their concerns will be treated seriously and investigated properly. • A key benefit of gathering data is to show staff their voice has been heard. This is an important source of motivation and job satisfaction. It is also important that the organisation acknowledges the insights, uses them in a meaningful way, and then co-designs improvements with staff. The four key drivers for staff wellbeing, experience, and engagement Work has meaning and a positive impact on staff Fulfilment at work encompasses not only the work we do on a day-to-day basis but a range of themes and activities that together form a critical component of an individual’s health and wellbeing. This includes enabling the diversity of our people to bring their whole self to work, enabling life balance, and helping staff reach their full potential. We listen to staff, and they feel heard. • What matters to you conversations • iMatter survey and action plans • Appraisal • Raising concerns • The voice of staff networks Page 84 of 316
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Work is a healthy place to be A healthy workplace is one where staff at all levels can collaborate to continually improve the health, safety, and wellbeing of all. By doing this we can provide optimum health and social care. Considering we spend one third of our lives at work, the working environment can have a significant impact on our wellbeing. We therefore need to get the basics right, access to clean toilets, dedicated spaces for breaks, and access to food and fluid. The importance of these essentials should not be underestimated. Additionally, staff require environments which do not cause harm but support healthy choices and behaviours. We are all able to show leadership Managers and leaders working across health and social care are fundamental to creating positive and healthy working environments. This includes the responsibilities of senior leaders to model what healthy behaviours look like and support managers to build and sustain cultures of health and wellbeing. The behaviours of our leaders directly impact on the people around them. By being aware of what good behaviours look like and endeavouring to embody them, our leaders can positively impact the health and wellbeing of individuals, teams, services, and the partnership. To achieve this it is essential that managers are equipped with the right skills and capabilities to support their own health and wellbeing in order to support those around them. We listen to staff, and they feel heard Driving a positive culture of staff engagement across the partnership requires the entire workforce behind it. The positive impact of simply listening to a person’s experience cannot be underestimated. Research has shown that good-quality relationships enable people to live happier lives with fewer mental health problems. Having close, positive working relationships can give us a sense of purpose and belonging. Organisation with higher engagement levels have been shown to have lower sickness absence rates. It would therefore seem essential that we work towards nurturing positive and trusting relationships by committing to formal and informal staff engagement and experience processes. It is important that all people working in our partnership are treated with respect, dignity, and positive regard. Bullying and harassment has a huge impact on the people affected. It lowers trust and cohesiveness within teams by creating unacceptable working environments and direct impacting the quality of care delivered. We must therefore address damaging behaviours and create compassionate and inclusive cultures in order to protect service users and improve staff experience. Page 85 of 316
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Staffing Challenges Whilst Q1 did see some positive recruitment to Social Worker posts, it should be noted that approximately half of all new recruits are newly qualified and, in some cases, early into their first year of qualification. Whilst Midlothian has a well-developed Newly Qualified Social Worker programme, this does place additional pressures on services and managers for periods of time and caseloads of newly qualified Social Workers are, understandably, lower. There are currently a higher number of vacancies than desirable at Highbank Intermediate care unit and in Care at Home. There have been significant efforts to complete recruitment, and this is an ongoing process. Sickness absence figures remain a concern in the three main areas of challenge – Newbyres Care Village, Highbank Intermediate Care and Care at Home. That said, rates are subject to fluctuations and can be seasonal. Summer months for Care at Home are – somewhat paradoxically – always more challenging due to holiday periods for both staff and unpaid carers. Resource Panel Pressures Q1 continued to see pressures on our Resource Panel budget. The Resource Panel is how care is agreed and allocated. Significant work has been undertaken to ensure care is allocated in line with budgets but there are a number of pressures that offset this work, not least in Learning Disabilities and Dementia care. The lack of specialist provision in mental health is an area of focus for us. There remains a risk that the budget allocated for care provision will not meet the demand. Social Work and Occupational Therapy Review A key transformational workstream in 2025/26 is to review our Social Work and Occupational Therapy service. At present, services are largely aligned along diagnostic criteria and focus more on an individual’s diagnosis than their needs, which can often be multi-faceted and complex. Moreover, increasingly, people have more than one health condition. The risk of not reviewing our services is that they are not fit for purpose to meet this changing and complex set of needs. It is anticipated that the review will be complete by the end of the financial year. Q1 saw initial engagement with staff and some data work. SSSC Registration for Social Work Assistants In Q1 the SSSC consulted on proposals to register Social Work Assistants. Currently they do not need to be registered with the SSSC. Whilst broadly positive regarding this proposal, there will need to be some work with HR to ensure that the current work undertaken in Midlothian by Social Work Assistants is fully congruent with the new excitations registration will bring. Challenges and Risks Page 86 of 316
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Pentana Performance Dashboard A full review of quarterly performance data is available via Pentana (Browser login link – https://midlothian.pentanarpm.uk/login A full review of quarterly performance data is available via Pentana (Browser login link - https://midlothian.pentanarpm.uk/login) Page 87 of 316
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“Place is where people, location and resources combine to create a sense of identity and purpose, and are at the heart of addressing the needs and realising the full potential of communities” The Place service ambition is to deliver joined-up, collaborative, and participative approaches to services, land and buildings, across all sectors within a place, enabling better outcomes for everyone and increased opportunities for people and communities to shape their own lives. Transformation Place services continue to support the delivery of the Council’s transformation agenda, embracing new ways of working, making better use of technology, cross-service collaboration and focussing our efforts on delivering what matters most in our local communities. The Transformation Blueprint (2023-2028) outlines the key areas that need addressing to balance the Council’s financial position, prepare for upcoming challenges, foster continued growth, and adapt to unforeseen changes. The Blueprint aligns with the Council’s three strategic aims, as defined in the Single Midlothian Plan: • Individuals and communities have improved health and learning outcomes. • No child or household live in poverty. • Significant progress is made towards net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Place Q1 25/26 performance report Place Service Building Services Housing Services Protective Services Neighbour -hood Services Sport and Leisure Property & Facilities Planning, Sustainable Growth & Investment Cabinet Tuesday 07 October 2025 Item No 5.6 Page 89 of 316
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The Transformation Blueprint sets out the strategic direction over a five year period, guiding the organisation through reprioritisation and redesign to meet future challenges and demands and achieve sustainable success. Transformation Blueprint Objectives 1. Support the Council to address the 5-year funding gap of outlined in the Medium-Term Financial Strategy. 2. Follow the Money to ensure that the services we commission, contracts we manage and digital solutions we use deliver value for money. 3. Develop an organisational workforce that is flexible, ensuring that all staff have the necessary skills to work effectively, supported by digital technologies that are fit for a 21st century workforce. 4. Design a workplace for the future delivering services in a holistic and integrated way. 5. Drive forward multi-agency transformation to deliver systems-level change resulting in joined-up service delivery which improve outcomes. Page 90 of 316
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Environmental Midlothian Council is firmly committed to tackling climate change and working towards a net zero future in line with Scottish Government targets. This commitment covers not only the Council’s own operations, but also as its role in leading, supporting, and partnering with the wider community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the impacts of a changing climate. We are delivering on this commitment through our Climate Change Strategy, a clear plan that sets out how we will cut emissions from our activities, work collaboratively with residents, businesses, and community groups, and promote both climate mitigation and adaptation across Midlothian. To ensure our approach remains ambitious and effective, we are currently updating our Climate Change Strategy and its supporting action plan. This refreshed framework will guide the Council and our local authority partners in their shared mission to reach net zero, building a greener, more sustainable, and more resilient Midlothian for future. Economic Development continues to promote the Midlothian Business Green Pledge on social media and in direct conversations with clients to increase education and awareness of climate change and suggest adaptations. The number of businesses signing up to the Pledge continues to rise each quarter with a total of 192 businesses now committed, 13 of those signing up during quarter 1. The team continue to work with pledgers to identify the best platform for group sharing. Through the LinkedIn group, pledgers share their experiences and the team continue to share a mix of green information from partners on learning opportunities, support and funding. Roads and Travel As a key element of Midlothian’s Active Travel Strategy ‘On the Move Midlothian: Our Active Travel Strategy for Everyone 2024-2034’, Midlothian’s Active Travel team reports its most successful year to date, marking a significant milestone in our efforts to promote, sustainable, safe, and healthy travel options for young people. This academic year, for the first time ever, every primary school in Midlothian participated in Bikeability Scotland Road Cycling Training, placing Midlothian among the top-performing local authorities in the country. Delivered in Page 91 of 316
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partnership with schools and supported by national funding from Transport Scotland via Cycling Scotland, this achievement reflects a growing commitment to equip the next generation with the skills and confidence needed to travel actively and safely. A total of 1,450 pupils from Primary 5 to 7 successfully completed training. Pupils received either Level 1 playground based instruction, which focuses on bike handling skills, or Level 2 on road training, which teaches safe cycling in real traffic environments. Since 2020, the team have seen a year-on-year increase in both the number of schools and pupils participating. The Road Services team recently had the privilege of welcoming the Scottish Government’s Transport Secretary on two separate occasions to showcase the impactful work being undertaken across the region. The visit focussed on the “Safe Route to School” initiative in the Easthouses area, particularly around Easthouses Primary School. This project involves a range of infrastructure improvements designed to ensure safer, more accessible journeys for pupils and families walking or cycling to school. The second visit took place in Roslin, where focus was on a broader set of road safety enhancements delivered by the team. The Transport Secretary observed first hand the measures introduced as part of the 20mph speed limit revisions, including the installation of vehicle-activated signage and speed monitoring stations. These interventions are aimed at reducing vehicle speeds thorough the village, enhancing safety for pedestrians and cyclists. The team have been shortlisted as a finalist at the upcoming APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) service awards in the category ‘Best Technical Team’, in recognition of their outstanding work on the upgrade of the National Cycle Network Route 196 (NCN196) between Rosewell and Auchendinny. The project was aimed at enhancing active travel links and promoting sustainable transport in the region. The project involved installation of 10,000m2 of Flexi-pave, an environmentally friendly material made from recycled tyre rubber and natural stone which is a durable and low-maintenance surface ideal for shared-use paths. In addition, drainage systems were upgraded to improve long term resilience and reduce maintenance needs. The team also future proofed the route by laying ducting for future lighting provision. Page 92 of 316
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A satisfactory rating was received from the Scottish Road Works Commissioner in its 2024/25 Annual Performance Review, recognising efforts in the coordination of road works across the local authority area. The rating reflects the council’s compliance with national standards for planning, managing, and coordinating road works in a way that minimises disruption to road users and ensures public safety. The performance report considered several key factors, including the accuracy of road work notices, the quality of reinstatement works, collaboration with utility companies, and the timeliness of project completion. This quarter, under the combined Capital Works Programme and Residential Streets Programme, 2.8km of carriageway was resurfaced representing 0.38% of our road network resurfaced. A new contract framework was introduced for external contractor resurfacing works which has resulted in reduced output for the quarter. Footway resurfacing has also been affected in quarter 1 with 0.01% of footways resurfaced. However, resurfacing work is expected to increase from quarter 2 to bring these back on target by the end of the year 1,251.1 tonnes of material was used this quarter to fill potholes. 198.74 tonnes of material was used for temporary repairs and 1,052.35 for pothole pro permanent patching which overall is a 47% increase on pothole repairs compared to the same period last year. The Pothole Pro project equated to 10,010m2 of permanent patching, repairing 739 potholes this quarter. Whilst the number of potholes repaired this quarter is 23% less compared to quarter 1 last year, the total metres squared of permanent patching repairs has increased by 98% this quarter compared to the same period last year. This is as a result of more focus being placed on rural roads which has seen significant inlay patches covering a series of large potholes and defects, opposed to quarter 1 of last year which largely focussed on tackling smaller groupings in residential areas. As part of the street lighting capital programme, 330 street lighting columns are planned to be replaced this year starting on the 30th of June. In addition, a further 900 LED upgrades to existing columns are planned to be replaced of which 298 have been complete. Waste and Recycling In-cab technology The introduction of the Whitespace in-cab technology system has been a huge success, delivering tangible improvements across waste services. This innovative system has enhanced the efficiency of resource deployment, leading to measurable gains in key performance areas. Page 93 of 316
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Notably, there has been a marked reduction in customer complaints, as well as a significant decrease in overtime costs associated with missed collections. Building on this success, the team is now preparing for the next stage of the project, the rollout of the in-cab technology to our trade waste customer operations. This phase is scheduled to go live in quarter 2 and is expected to bring the same benefits to the commercial waste service as have already been realised in residential collections. The Whitespace system has equipped every roadside collection vehicle in waste service with cutting-edge tools that are transforming frontline operations. By streamlining processes, enhancing real-time communications, and providing better operational oversight, the technology is delivering both efficiency savings and an improved customer experience. Alongside these achievements, the team has also continued to refine how we engage with residents regarding enquiries and complaints. A new, more proactive way of working has been introduced, enabling quicker response times and more effective resolutions issues. As a result, residents are now benefiting from a more responsive, reliable and customer focused service. Twin Stream recycling During quarter 1, waste services developed an implementation plan for the roll out of the Twin Stream project, a major initiative aimed at improving recycling services for residents. This project, which is supported by a £2.2 million grant from Zero Waste Scotland, will introduce an additional green recycling bin for every household. Twin stream recycling is a collection method where recyclable materials are separated into two categories at the point of collections, one stream for paper and card and the other for plastics and cans. This approach reduces contamination, improves the quality of recyclables, and increases the proportion of materials that can be successfully processed and reused. By making it easier for residents to sort their recycling at source, the Council anticipates substantial cost savings in the disposal of dry mixed recycling, alongside higher overall recycling rates. These improvements will be further supported by a focused, ongoing education and engagement programme designed to help residents adapt to the changes and maximise participation. A key part of the Twin stream project is the £750,000 redevelopment of the transfer shed at Stobhill Depot. This upgrade will ensure the facility can effectively process and manage two separate streams of recyclables. In quarter 1, the final design for the redevelopment was Page 94 of 316
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agreed, and all contract documents required for the tender process were completed and finalised, paving the way for the next stage of delivery. Our Greenspaces Grass cutting Due to the additional grass cutting resource approved by Council, the Greenspace team made a positive start to the growing season this quarter resulting in an increased to the overall standard of grounds maintenance across the area. It has been agreed that this has will now become an annual practice which will ensure that the Greenspace team make a strong start to the grass cutting season each year, significantly enhancing the overall appearance of Midlothian. Weed control In addition, the Greenspace Team were able to carry out weed control in quarter 1 due to a decision made at February Council to expand the timeframe during which the Greenspace team can apply glyphosate to control weeds across Midlothian. This has resulted in an improved appearance to the streets and roads in towns, villages and housing estates across Midlothian, which supports the works of the new Neighbourhood Environment Team who are further enhancing the local environment for our residents. Page 95 of 316
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Vogrie Country Park renewal The first step in the Vogrie Country Park Renewal Strategy was reached in quarter 1 with the official opening of The Bubbling Toad, a vibrant, family focused attraction located on the first floor of Vogrie House. Operated by a private company, The Bubbling Toad offers an immersive, magical themed experience, complete with a range of engaging, paid activities designed for children and young people. This has breathed fresh energy into Vogrie House, marking the first phase of an ambitious, long term plan to generate sustainable revenue for the park by making full use of the historic building and underused space. In addition to this, the service has now appointed a dedicated Park Manager based at Vogrie House. This role ensures a stronger on the ground presence to oversee daily operations, enhance visitor experience, and drive forward the delivery of the wider master plan for the park. Looking ahead, work is already underway on the next major project, a £500,000 investment in the Adventure play area. Once complete, by the end of quarter 4, this upgraded facility will provide a modern, inclusive, and exciting space for families to enjoy, further enhancing the park’s reputation as a premier destination for leisure and recreation. Page 96 of 316
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Recently, Vogrie House was rented as a major location for the drama Dept Q, released on Netflix. Location managers and trades people spent months turning the house into the set for the five-day shoot. This brought about additional income for the Council as well as showcasing the historic building. More options are being explored to continue to market Vogrie as a filming location. Park and greenspace improvements The team continue to deliver park and green area improvements, with a further 50 projects planned for this year across Midlothian. 15 improvements across our play areas, parks and green spaces were completed this quarter including landscaping schemes, installation of benches and street litter bins as well as deep cleaning projects to enhance to the local environment. Working with the community The Greenspace Team have continued to work with our brilliant volunteers across Midlothian, supporting volunteer groups who help manage our countryside sites. The work we carry out jointly has a huge impact on the quality of the local environment. Our volunteer groups provide added value to the work that we do with litter picking, gardening and fund raising to brighten our local areas. This quarter, 1,350 volunteer hours (225 days) were spent in countryside sites. This is a reduction in volunteer hours compared to the same period last year of 1,890 due to vacancies within the ranger service. However, numbers remain high and are expected to increase throughout the year after the ranger vacancy post was filled during quarter 1. In addition, our Ranger service delivered 50 events/activities and school sessions across quarter 1. Page 97 of 316
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Protective Services Business Regulations: Food and Safety This quarter our Business Regulations Food and Safety team continue to prioritise proactive interventions at food businesses registered with Midlothian Council with the highest risk for food safety and standards. These include retailers and caterers with significant or sustained non- compliances in food law. 58% of planned priority inspections were completed during quarter 1, which is an increase from 33% inspections carried out during the same period last year. The team carried out 116 food hygiene/food standards interventions across Midlothian this quarter which is a 176% increase compared to the number of interventions during quarter 1 of last year. In addition, 96% of food related service requests received from Midlothian residents and businesses were responded to within the targeted response time of 10 working days. This quarter, the submission of a report to the Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service due to an extensive rat infestation within the premises resulted in the Food Business Operator of Memories of India, Gorebridge pleading guilty to 4 charges under the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Enforcement action was taken against a home catering business who was preparing high-risk ready to eat foods without controls to prevent contamination of the foods and distributing the foods outwith temperature control. Remedial Action notices were issued to stop the handling of raw foods and the distribution of high-risk foods without temperature control. After being notified by Glasgow City Council Environmental Health, of a business in Midlothian advertising services on social media of bloodletting, IV drips and vitamin injections, health and safety prohibition notices were served to stop these practices. The business had set up in a wooden summer house in the back garden of a residential property with no facilities for hand washing or cleaning and disinfection to ensure infection control and no assessment or the risks involved. A Food Alert for Action was received from Food Standards Scotland asking the Food Service to contact premises in Midlothian who may sell Jolly Rancher confectionary products. Specific products were identified as containing Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons as an ingredient Page 98 of 316
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which is not authorised for use in food in the UK. If consumed in high quantities or over a prolonged period of time it is a genotoxic carcinogen. Over the course of a week 95 premises were visited. The affected products found, were removed from sale in 9 different premises. Business Regulations: Trading Standards Our Trading Standards team received 46 consumer complaints this quarter which is the same number recorded during quarter 1 of last year. All consumer complaints were responded to within 5 working days and 90% fully completed. Completion is not fully within service control and it is dependent on traders and complainants responding to investigations, although the team continue to contact consumers and traders as early as possible to maximise target completion days. Trading Standards prosecution cases continued this quarter with a successful court case outcome of a guilty plea for counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco, offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994. Trading Standards reported this case last year after Police provided the evidence including 8,400 cigarettes and 17 packets of tobacco seized. Three other cases are ongoing and scheduled for trial next quarter. Earlier this year, the Scottish Government undertook a significant overhaul of the national register for tobacco and vape retailers. As part of this revamp, Trading Standards seized the opportunity to conduct a review of the database. During this process, approximately 100 outdated or inaccurate registrations were identified and subsequently removed. Following this clean-up, around 160 active registrations remain on the national register. However, further analysis has revealed that roughly 30 of these pertain to business premises that have since ceased selling tobacco or vaping products. The updated register now more accurately reflects the current landscape of retailers, making it a more trustworthy and useful tool for regulation and enforcement. It helps the team target enforcement efforts on active businesses only ensuring that only legitimate, current retailers are registered helps prevent the sale of tobacco and vape products by unregulated or rogue sellers. 51 Trading Standards primary inspections took place this quarter of a targeted 186 planned for the year. In addition, all planned inspections scheduled to take place during quarter 1 were completed in line with our Trading Standards Service plan. 21 intelligence logs were recorded on the national Trading Standards Intelligence database (IDB) by our Trading Standards team this quarter and in comparison to other Scottish Councils, Midlothian continue to sit in the top quartile for logs created. Page 99 of 316
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Public Health and Environmental Protection Our Public Health Environmental Protection (PHEP) team received 395 public health service requests this quarter from Midlothian residents and businesses, a 10% increase compared to the same period last year. 97% of public health complaints received a first response within timescale. A further 106 service requests were received from internal sources, a reduction of 9% compared to the same period last year. The team have successfully recruited an Environmental Warden (principal role Pest Control) following retirement of the previous post holder. Recruitment is being supported with training and study for the RSPH Level 2 Pest Management Award for qualification in Autumn 2025. Meanwhile we continue to support our other Environmental Warden (principal role Dog Control) who is due to sit the exams for this qualification in July 2025. In addition, the team continue to support our Regulatory Services Modern Apprentice, as part of the national pilot scheme, who has now successfully completed some of the modules and making good progress to early completion in 2026. This new pilot apprenticeship scheme is aimed at partially addressing the national shortage of regulatory services officers and is hoped to assist future staffing requirements by providing a new route into the field of Environmental Health. In quarter 1 Public Health Environmental Protection referred a case to the First Tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) under S22(1A) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006. This case relates to failure of a landlord registration applicant to provide prescribed information demonstrating that a private rented property meets the repairing standard. The Drinking Water Quality Regulator has released annual scorecards confirming achievement of 100% compliance with the sampling of Midlothian regulated private water supplies for 2024. Private water supplies sampling continues this quarter with 11 samples undertaken and 3 water supplies inspected. Other key activities this quarter include: • 5 abandoned vehicle notices served, and 1 vehicle was removed for destruction. • 9 Short term let licences were issued under the new scheme this quarter • 36 planning applications received for consultation with PHEP • 2 Environmental Protection Abatement 1990 notices served Page 100 of 316
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Health, Safety and Resilience This quarter our Health, Safety and Resilience team processed 167 liquor licenses, 99% of which were determined. 99 Civic government licences were processes this quarter. Quarter 1 saw the completion of Gala planning and early meetings regarding summer events. 13 events were called to Safety Advisory Group (SAG) meetings, including Gala/Processions, three sporting events and, for the first time in 4 years, a Circus. Further contact meetings took place with Bonnyrigg Rose FC regarding the upcoming season. Following debrief of their spring event, planning has already commenced regarding a returning open air festival at Vogrie in September 2025. Effective operation of the Safety Advisory Group helps ensure that all events held within Midlothian’s District were safe and without incident. Other key successes this quarter include: • Appointment of a new Fire Safety Adviser. • Revised Risk Management Policy and Strategy. • Continued work in developing the digitalisation of all licence applications with the first set of online applications to be launched in July 2025, • Commenced the process of consultation for taxi tariffs and taxi and private hire licensing conditions. Page 101 of 316
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Neighbourhood Services – performance Energy from Waste 38.9% Recycled 43.6% Landfill 16.4% % OF ALL DISPOSED WASTE* 0.01% 0.16% 0.32% 0.69% 0.01% 0.51% 1.00% 3.01% 3.39% 0.38% Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 % of Roads and footpath resurfaced (cumulative) % of Footpath % road network97.87% street lights repairs completed in 7 days. (99.17% in Q1 24/25) 1,251.1 tonnes of material used to fill temporary and permanent potholes this this. (851.5 in Q1 24/25) 10,010 m2 of permanent patching achieved this quarter (5,056m2 in Q1 24/25) 739 potholes were permanently repaired this quarter. (960 in Q1 24/25). 1,890 3,342 5,107 6,642 1,350 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Number of vounteer hours in countryside sites (cumulative) Target (25/26 is 6,000) Other 11% *Data shows figures for Q3 24/25. Annual and Q1 data not available until Q2. 15 play area, parks and greenspace improvements completed this quarter (8 during Q1 24/25) Page 102 of 316
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Protective Services – performance 66 35 58 65 75 18 7 5 9 54 2 2 6 1 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Number of abandoned vehicles (quarterly) Reported Notices served Vehicles removed for destruction 100% 96% 100% 100% 100% 88% 84% 96% 89% 90% Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 % of Consumer complaints completed within 14 days responded to within 5 days 96% of food related service requests from mid residents and Businesses responded to with target of 10 working days. (92% Q1 24/25) Food Standards 116 food law interventions carried out (Hygiene/Food Standards). (42 in Q1 24/25) 53 food law service requests received this year (59 in Q1 24/25) Public Health 97% of public health complaints receiving first response within timescale this year. (96% in Q1 24/25) 395 Public Health service requests received from residents and businesses this year. (360 in Q1 24/25). 46 consumer complaints received this quarter (46 in Q1 24/25) 99 Civic Government license applications received this quarter (102 in Q1 24/25) 167 liquor licence applications received this quarter with 99% determined (180 in Q1 24/25) Trading Standards Page 103 of 316
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Housing Meeting housing need The Council’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) 2025/26 to 2029/30 was submitted to the Scottish Government last year. The SHIP identifies the Council’s priorities for investment in new affordable housing in Midlothian over a 5 year period. The delivery of more affordable housing remains a high priority for Midlothian, as reflected by our ongoing and ambitious housing development programme. This quarter we have received the completed handover for 4 new build homes at New Adams Row in Danderhall. A further 8 were handed over during July and August. There were 6,163 active housing applicants placed on the Common Housing Register at the end of this quarter, a slight decrease compared to the same period last year of 6,260. 163 lets have been made this quarter, an increase of 33% from the same period last year, averaging 54 lets per month. 69.9% of lets were made to homeless list applicants and 30.1% to general needs list applicants. 11 lets were made to new builds and 3 to open market purchases during quarter 1. Re-let times to permanent accommodation properties has averaged at 54 days to re-let this quarter. This figure has increased compared to previous quarters due to a change in policy with the Housing regulator where flip tenancies are now excluded. However our void turnaround times show that those properties rated as requiring minor work are brought back to letting standards within 20 days compared to those that require significant work and take over 31 days to bring back to standard. Page 104 of 316
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Following thorough consultation and careful consideration, the Polton Centre was designated by the Council as a dedicated women-only space within its supported accommodation services. Establishing a women-only supported accommodation space offers a range of significant benefits, particularly for women who have experienced trauma, domestic abuse, homelessness, or other forms of vulnerability. This dedicated space offers women a safe, secure, and supportive environment tailored to their specific needs. It promotes recovery and confidence-building, and ensures services are delivered in a way that respects women’s dignity, safety, and independence. Our Annual Tenants’ Open Day event was held this quarter at Dalkeith Arts Centre. Tenants had the opportunity to liaise with our Housing team and also external organisations including Police Scotland, Care Support Scotland, Woodburn Community Hub, Change Works, Pantry Central Dalkeith and Woodburn, VOCAL and Women’s Aid. The Tenants’ Open Day is a strategic initiative that supports the council’s goals of delivering tenant focussed services, promoting inclusion, and strengthening community ties. (Pictured right are housing staff Kirsty Daly, Yvonne Montgomery, Kayleigh Gautschu and Martin Taylor). As part of our preparatory work for our Tenants Satisfaction Survey, processes commenced this quarter to procure a supplier to carry out the next wave of the survey, which is conducted every three years. The survey plays a vital role in gathering direct feedback from tenants about their experiences and levels of satisfaction with housing services provided. Page 105 of 316
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Homelessness There continues to be a significant demand placed on homeless and temporary accommodation services as a result of a rise in the number of people presenting as homeless which is driven largely by the cost of living crisis and lack of affordable housing. The total number of households in temporary accommodation at the end of quarter 1 was 327, a decrease of 17% compared to the same period last year of 395. We continue to aim to reduce the length of time that an applicant is in temporary accommodation and through the initiatives implemented as part of our Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan we see households moving through the homeless system more quickly. Officers take a proactive approach when allocating properties to place applicants in their area of choice where possible, increasing the opportunity to accept the property being flipped to permanency and allows for a more sustainable community. The number of temporary accommodation households that have been flipped to permanent accommodation this quarter was 73, reducing the need for multiple moves before being permanently housed, allowing for links established within the local community to be maintained. Homelessness prevention assists around 20 households with advice and assistance about homelessness prevention per week. This is rental assistance advice, financial awareness advice and mediation. The number of homeless cases provided with advice and assistance this quarter was 231. We continue to promote this service to ensure early successful intervention when possible. Latest figures available from quarter 3 show the length of time homeless applicants waited until receiving a permanent housing outcome was 65.9 weeks, although this figure has increased from the same period last year of 57.5 weeks, figures up to end of quarter 3 show an improvement with an average of 53 weeks across quarters 1 to 3 compared to 58 weeks across the same period last year. It should be noted, figures for quarter 4 are not currently available however we expect figures to remain steady. Similarly, figures for the length of time Page 106 of 316
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homeless applicants spent in temporary accommodation is currently not available. The most recent available data for quarter 3 shows that an average of 47.9 weeks was spent in temporary accommodation, although this figure has increased from the same period last of 39.5 weeks, figures up to the end of quarter 3, show an improvement with an average of 41 weeks across quarters 1 to 3 compared to 48 weeks for the same period last year. It is expected that figures will continue to remain within target and current figures will be reported during quarter 2. Tenants sustaining permanent accommodation continues to be high this quarter with 95% of homeless applicants sustaining a permanent tenancy after 1 year. Page 107 of 316
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Building Maintenance The total number of jobs completed internally by our Building Maintenance Service this quarter was 8,534, a 6% increase in jobs completed during the same period last year. Jobs include all reactive, planned works, voids and inspections. This year the Building Maintenance Service (BMS) Capital upgrade programme is set at 2,400 upgrades across our estate, continuing from achievements last year. These upgrades include the continuation of our new windows, doors, bathrooms and kitchen programmes helping Midlothian Council maintain its Scottish Housing Quality Standards. The service also aims to complete the remaining fire door installs to all our flats to ensure that we are also compliant with the latest fire regulations. This quarter we have increased the percentage of Council Housing stock meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standards criteria to 90.67% from 88.35% at quarter 4. Although this is still off target there has been a significant increase from 71.1% meeting standards at quarter 1 of last year. Work continues to address the remaining properties that are failing the Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR’s). At the end quarter 1 we have reduced that figure to 682 properties. The Service have commenced a programme of Electrical enforcement entries to reduce this figure and bring this back on target. 100% of smoke alarms comply with current legislation. In line with our Damp and Mould policy the service continues to roll out the environmental sensors throughout our portfolio. This quarter BMS installed 308 monitors. This continued roll out will provide us with valuable information from within our homes, allowing us to achieve our targets set out in our Damp and Mould policy. The information collated by the monitors is sent through to a portal using a gateway system that also monitors our smoke alarms. The total monitors installed to date is 3,907. Page 108 of 316
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Building Standards Although performance targets in relation to building warrant applications issued are off target this quarter, the service continues to provide a high level of customer satisfaction against an increasing service demand, including a continued high percentage rate of customers queries being responded to within 15 working days, 91% for quarter 1. The National Customer Satisfaction Survey which is run by the Building Standards Division of the Scottish Government provides feedback on topics such as communications, time taken, staff, available information, responsiveness, fairness and overall satisfaction and produces an overall rating scale from 1 ‘not at all satisfied’ to 10 ‘completely satisfied’. The most recent information for 24/25 shows Midlothian having a rating of 7.2. The Building Standards service was awarded its full re-appointment period by the Scottish Government. This re-appointment period is from the 1st of May 2023 until the 30th of April 2029 and is subject to the following terms: • The six year appointment period is conditional on the ability of Midlothian Council’s Building Standards service to sustain and improve performance and ensure there is no reversal of performance or investment levels. • Sufficiently resourcing the service to ensure workforce supply will meet longer term demand projections to maintain operational resilience. The Building Standards service review was agreed and outlined in the review is the proposal to increase the workforce to manage the increase in workload, as well as successfully managing the future of the service as it navigates through the expected changes due to succession planning. The service has appointed two building standards inspectors, new modern apprentices. The team will assist with the training and development of the new staff members and looks forward to their successful transfer to full time inspectors in two years. The service has also employed two new building standards surveyors. The team will assist with the training and development of the new staff members and looks forward to their positive contribution to the service. Page 109 of 316
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Housing – performance 6,163 applicants on housing waiting list as of end of this quarter (General needs and Homeless) (decrease from 6,260 in Q1 24/25). General needs 30.1% Homeless 69.9% % of lets made to applicants this year 163 housing lets this quarter (123 during Q1 24/25). 14 Lets to new build and open market purchases this quarter. (31 in Q1 24/25) 95% of Homeless applicants sustaining a permanent tenancy after 1 year. Data for previous quarters will not be available until quarter 2. 57.5 43.8 49.9 44.1 65.9 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Length of time (weeks) homeless applicants wait until receivng a permanant housing outcome Target (under 85 weeks) 39.5 40.3 42.0 33.9 47.9 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Length of time (weeks) homeless applicants spend in temporary accommodation Target (under 60 weeks) 11.27 24.88 75.12 Average number of days to turnaround a void property by RAG status (quarter 1 25/26) Minor work required (Under 20 days) Moderate work required (21-30 days) Major work required (over 31 days) Page 110 of 316
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Percentage of housing repairs completed on time up to quarter 4 Building Standards Building Services – performance 72.1 76.55 80.29 88.35 90.67 0 50 100 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 % of Council housing meeting Scottish Housing Quality Standards (SHQS) (cumulative) 8,534 jobs completed this quarter by our Building Maintenance Service (8,052 in Q1 24/25) 95.13% of emergency repairs completed on time (93.51% in Q1 24/25) 84.05% of priority 2 repairs completed on time (84.58% in Q1 24/25) 93.19% of priority 3 repairs completed on time (83.48% in Q1 24/25) Building Standards National Customer Satisfaction Survey rate for 24/25: 7.2 out of 10 58% 50.7% 60.2% 48.6% 42.0% Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 % of first reports for building warrant applications issued within 20 working days 74% 72.4% 75% 74% 70.16 % Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 % of building warrants issued within 10 working days, following receipt of satisfactory information Page 111 of 316
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Economy & Regeneration Work continues on the delivery of the Councils Economic Strategy for Inclusive Economic Growth 2025-2030 with supporting delivery plans from 2025-27, setting out how we achieve the objects within the strategy, being shared with Council this quarter. The new strategy aligns with the Scottish Government National Strategy for Economic Transformation and the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal Prosperity Framework. Midlothian’s vision is that: “Midlothian’s wellbeing economy will support our communities, businesses and town centres to thrive, ensuring inclusivity and fair work for all. It will continue to be recognised as home to world leading clusters of science and innovation and be known as an area in which everyone can live, work and do business sustainably to generate wealth and wellbeing for its citizens” This will be achieved in accordance with four pillars, principles that underpin the strategy’s vision: empowerment, partnership and collaboration, ambition and innovation and sets out the following priorities to achieve our vision: • Develop Midlothian’s proposition within the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region. • Enhance skills and employability opportunities in Midlothian, to meet the challenges and opportunities of inclusive Green Growth with entrepreneurship recognised as valuable career pathway. • Maximise the potential of Midlothian’s key sectors to support a Just Transition. • Capitalise on the strengths of Midlothian’s strategic partners to embed community wealth across all services to realise a wellbeing economy. • Re-imagine our town centres, ensuring they meet Midlothian’s economic, social, cultural and environmental needs. • Deliver infrastructure enhancements that will support Midlothian’s transition to a Wellbeing Economy. Page 112 of 316
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Business Gateway Service The Business Gateway Midlothian Service continues to offer consistent levels of activity across various support services, from pre-start, to start- up and existing business growth support. 45 ‘Planning to Start’ enquiries were received in quarter 1 which is a decrease of 18% compared to the same period last year. Enquiries are received from individuals that are considering setting up a business but need support to achieve this, these clients tend to have numerous sessions with their advisor covering areas such as business planning, access to finance, regularity compliance, routes to market and can take from 3 months to a year to reach the trading stage. 17 ‘Strengthen Your Business’ enquires were received this quarter, a slight increase by 2 enquires from the same period last year. These are a mix of disengaged clients that are re-engaging or new clients and present an opportunity to engage new businesses with the service, as well as re-engaging existing clients. As well as ‘Planning to Start’ and ‘Strengthen Your Business’ enquiries, the Business Gateway Service responds to CRM and local enquiries including pre-start and existing businesses across Midlothian. In quarter 1 the team also received an additional 58 local enquiries to the CRM. Local enquiries relate to any incoming enquiry on the CRM that is distinct from a Planning To Start or Strengthen Your Business, as an example, if a client contacts the Business Gateway inbox or leaves an enquiry on the Business Gateway National Website this is then allocated to Midlothian based on postcode. The total number of new Business start-ups this quarter was 26, creating a total of 31 jobs and an estimated contribution of £1,016,200 to the Midlothian economy in their first year of trading. Business start-ups have decreased from the same period last year which saw 38 start ups. The team continue to host the weekly BASE Enterprise Hub at Edinburgh College Dalkeith. This quarter has proven to be productive with 16 client meetings held. The team were approached by a new Employment Adviser at Edinburgh Charity ‘Into Work’ regarding supporting Page 113 of 316
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neurodiverse entrepreneurs who are work ready. The team have been engaging with a new Business Development Assistant for the college to further support client sessions, for example, trying to obtain a screen for the Hub that would allow multi-client sessions on business planning and presentations at client events. Business Gateway Expert Help Programme This year’s new programme of Expert help inputs are currently in development for an expected launch during quarter 2 with Expert help topics: • Digital Marketing support • Green Heating consultancy Aligning with our localisation of procurement spend, these target local suppliers first through the Quick Quotes process. Business Gateway Midlothian Events Business Gateway held 3 events this quarter: • Coffee morning at Newbattle Abbey College with speaker Sue Mitchell of Aeona about Building Organisational Resilience. The event attracted 27 attendees. • A virtual event was held by speaker Helen Monaghan of the Financial Resilience Hub with 6 attendees. • An in person workshop for Midlothian Freelancers was held at BASE Edinburgh College Eskbank with 9 attendees. In conjunction with our Procurement Service, 2 virtual Meet the Buyer events were held during quarter 1 to support 4 new procurements being tendered for various trades services. Local suppliers were identified by Economic Development/Business Gateway and invited to attend the Meet the Buyer event and issued with the Invitation to Tender. The Economic Development service continues to work collaboratively with the Procurement Service and quarterly meetings are held, with ad hoc meetings as required to progress activity. Both services attend the CWB Practitioner Network and SDP meetings. Page 114 of 316
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In June the Business Gateway Service, along with wider Council representation, attended the opening of The Bubbling Toad, at Vogrie House. This was the culmination of two years of Business Gateway support, in the form of business planning, mentoring, access to funding and project management and will be a great asset to Vogrie. The Bubbling Toad also successfully accessed UKG Shared Prosperity Fund 2022-2025 programme funding. Business Gateway Midlothian feedback was received this quarter from an external agency post support survey. Feedback was extremely positive: “Everything I asked was answered well and with great info. Not made to feel stupid. Very helpful and kind” “Very helpful for me. Easy to speak to” “Very friendly and very informative” “Personal and tailored advice which was directly appropriate to my needs. Knowledge of both the gateway information and specifics of my company. Excellent” “I interacted with a business advisor who listened to my ideas and help me figure out steps forward” “He’s great at his job!” Page 115 of 316
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Social Enterprise The Business Gateway service continue to promote the Social Enterprise model to clients where their plans, objectives and values align to the model. Contributing to Community Wealth Building objectives, the team support projects from the Social Enterprise Conversation sessions as they develop. The service supported 5 Social Enterprise organisations this quarter, of these 3 were new Social Enterprises and all clients were supported to access funding. Locate in Midlothian engagement The Locate in Midlothian website continues to be a valuable tool in promoting our services and supporting businesses and investors that wish to locate in Midlothian. The website received 14,489 visits during quarter 1. The most popular pages during quarter 1 were commercial property listings, our Business directory, Midlothian jobs and investment opportunities. In addition, promotion and interaction through our social media channels is targeting different audiences and each is performing well in terms of audience growth and interaction with 2,610 ‘Business Gateway Midlothian’ followers and 1,796 ‘Locate in Midlothian’ followers across Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin with an average of 67% of those followers based locally. Tourism, Culture and Heritage Work continues this quarter on the Midlothian Tourism Strategy and is on track for publication in October 2025. This quarter, key progress was made in strengthening the evidence base and stakeholder engagement. The most up-to-date STEAM data, alongside historical tourism trends, was received and analysed. This has been combined with insights from the recently completed 2025 Midlothian Visitor Survey, which received 254 positive responses, offering valuable feedback on visitor behaviour, perceptions, and priorities. Informed by this data, as well as alignment with local, regional and national frameworks, a set of draft strategic objectives has been developed for the Tourism Strategy 2025–2030. A stakeholder consultation has now launched to test and refine these objectives. This consultation targets local businesses, community groups, and key partners to ensure strong alignment between tourism development priorities and local perspectives. All five UK Shared Prosperity funded marketing videos were finalised during quarter 1, showcasing Midlothian’s cultural, outdoor, and family visitor experiences. A coordinated marketing plan has been developed and will be delivered in quarter 2, supporting wider efforts to increase destination awareness and engagement across digital and regional channels. Page 116 of 316
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Midlothian continued to contribute to regional discussions through the ESES Regional Visitor Economy Partnership (RVEP), with active involvement in destination development, low-carbon tourism, and visitor management. At the national level, dialogue around the introduction of a Visitor Levy continues, and Midlothian is monitoring progress to assess future relevance and implementation options. In quarter 1 a Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) application for proposed infrastructure upgrades at Vogrie Country Park was submitted. This included baseline data, interdepartmental collaboration, and planning documentation. The project reflects Midlothian’s ongoing commitment to sustainable tourism development and enhanced visitor experience. A funding decision is expected in quarter 2. Land and Property Land and Property enquiries are specific premises enquiries and sign ups to the property mailing list. This quarter, 24 Land and Property enquires were received, 16 enquiries were from existing local businesses and 8 are currently located in Scotland but registered outside of Midlothian. 1 enquiry was received and is located in England therefore counts as an inward investment enquiry based on national criteria. Property Assets This quarter our Estates and Asset management team completed the letting of unit 38 to Drummond Miller, Solicitors and the sale of the Loanhead Police Station for residential development. The team have completed the review of the recent condition surveys across our property portfolio. The condition surveys assessed the physical status of repairs of the buildings (based on SFT methodology). The findings from the review are now subject to a prioritisation process, aligned with wider Blueprint asset rationalisation and objectives, with the aim of informing future financial investment and revenue, maintenance, and resource allocation. Work continues this quarter in energy management activities to drive forward energy savings. The conclusion of a Forensic Energy Audit which identified more than £70,000 of annual savings now being implemented with £50,000 of annual savings now already secured. Page 117 of 316
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Planning Following the adoption of the National Planning Framework No.4, the Planning Service continue its review of the Council’s adopted spatial strategy, the Midlothian Local Development Plan 2 (MLDP2). The first phase consisted of engagement with community groups, key agencies, the development industry, local residents and elected members. This engagement was ongoing throughout 2023/24 and continued into 2024/25. At its meeting in June 2024 Council approved the MLDP2 Evidence Report, including setting a Local Housing Land Requirement at 8,851, for submission to the Scottish Government for ‘Gate Check’. This is the first major milestone in the MLDP2 process. The Evidence Report has now cleared the ‘Gate Check’ process. A ‘call for ideas and opportunities’ exercise was carried out thereafter which generated over 160 sites. After a series of member workshops were held in March April this year, the suggested sites were uploaded this quarter to the public website to allow communities and other interested parties to see the level and location of development interest in our area. The timetable for MLDP2 contained in the Development Plan Scheme 17 (approved by Committee at its meeting in April 2025) sets the target of publishing the proposed plan in November 2025 for consultation. At its meeting in April 2025 the Planning Committee granted planning permission for a major commercial development at land southwest of ASDA Petrol Filling Station, Straiton and in June the Committee granted planning permission for the redevelopment of the Penicuik High School. Planning application figures for this quarter have improved with the average timescale of 10.3 weeks to determine planning applications for major developments, a significant improvement from 28 weeks during the same period last year. The average timescale of 9.3 weeks to determine local development planning applications has improved from 10 weeks during quarter 1 of last year. Page 118 of 316
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38 20 17 55 26 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Number of new Business start ups (quarterly) 70% 80% 65% 66% 73% Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 % of planning applications completed within target of 80% Planning, Sustainable Growth & Investment–performance Social media 1,796 Locate in Midlothian followers. 2,610 Business Gateway followers 9.2 weeks Average time to determine planning applications for local developments. (10 weeks in Q1 24/25) 10.3 weeks Average time to determine planning applications for major developments. (28 weeks in Q1 24/25) 24 property enquires received (23 in Q1 24/25) 17 ‘Strengthen your business’ enquiries (15 in Q1 24/25) 45 ‘Planning to Start’ enquires/submissions this quarter (55 in Q1 24/25) 31 jobs created by new Business start ups (52 in Q1 24/25) Page 119 of 316
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54.44% 54.02% 59.56% 59.82% 57.69% 34.35% 40.50% 40.89% 37.13% 33.60% 67.76% 68.27% 70.05% 68.57% 65.95% Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 % of school meal uptake Primary Secondary Free school meals 109.1 106.96 108.12 104.55 103.92 107.84 109.03 106.04 108.04 109.38 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Percentage of cleaning hours against budgeted hours achieved primary school Secondary school 4.98% 4.35% 4.24% 3.97% 3.42% Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Target (less than 5% of waste) Property and Facilities – performance 6.63 nursery and primary school meals prepared per hour this year (7.3 in Q1 24/25) 7.67 secondary school meals prepared per hour this year (7.13 in Q1 24/25) TARGET: APSE national average 8.84 meals prepared per hour Percentage of school meal food waste Page 120 of 316
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Health and Wellbeing Facility Services The percentage of secondary school meal uptake this quarter was 33.6% and is expectedly lower than previous quarters due to school exam leave. Similar to last year, figures are expected to reach above the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) average of 36.23% during quarter 2 and beyond. The percentage of primary school meal uptake for this quarter is 57.69% and increased compared to a 54.44% uptake for 2024/25. Primary school meal uptake continues to sit well above the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) average of 41.24%. The percentage of school meal food waste continues to decrease this quarter at 3.42% from 4.98% during quarter 2024/25 and 6.86% at quarter 1 of 2023/24. The service have revised their targets for this year and aim to be under 5% by continuing to look at new ways to reduce our food waste across all schools. Our Catering Services team successfully rolled out a new school meal menu across our nurseries, primary and secondary schools this quarter. The new menu ensures our schools continue to provide healthy, balanced meals that support pupil well-being and lifelong healthy eating habits, whilst demonstrating our ongoing commitment to quality food standards and sustainability. Across our cleaning and janitorial functions, the percentage of cleaning hours against our budgeted hours achieved in both primary and secondary schools remain on target with productivity levels above APSE averages, based on the APSE national average of cleaning 195m per hour. This quarter Facility Services, in conjunction with, our Property Maintenance team, completed the Easter holiday works programmes across our schools. The team continue to assist in the smooth operation of the Midlothian House to Fairfield House decant. Page 121 of 316
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Sport and Leisure Our Tonezone memberships continues to remain high with a total of 5,123 memberships up to the end of quarter 1. Tonezone membership has decreased slightly during this quarter due to short term membership promotions running previous to this quarter. However, figures show a 17% increase compared to the same period last year and it is expected that many promotional memberships will transfer to full memberships throughout the year. Usage figures across our sport and leisure facilities have increased this quarter compared to the same period last year with a 19% increase in usage across all facilities (excluding pools). Alpine Coaster - Midlothian Snowsports Centre This quarter, we had the honour of hosting renowned Hollywood actor Matt Damon on the Alpine Coaster. His visit was a highlight for the team and attracted significant public interest, generating substantial engagement on social media with one post receiving 159k views, boosting our online visibility. Addtionally, quarter 1 brought further media promotion as we welcomed the BBC, who chose the Alpine Coaster as the loction for filming a children's challenge show. Alongisde this, the team hosted a production crew from Spanish National TV. Both bookings were exclusive, proving not only valuable exposure across the UK and international audiences but also contributing to increased additional revenue for the site. Page 122 of 316
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To ensure the Coaster is more assessible to the public, all groundworks are now to complete at the site allowing public transport up to the entrance of the facility. Our Alpine coaster has seen a significant increase in ticket sales this quarter of 38,076, a 66.5% increase in the number of tickets sold compared to 22,868 sold last quarter. A breakdown of tickets sales is below: Total sales this quarter (April to June 25): Ticket type Number of tickets sold 1 ride, 1 person 16,160 (36% of sales) 1 ride 2 persons 3,696 (10% of sales) 3 rides 1 person 14,721 (39% of sales) 3 rides 2 persons 3,499 (9% of sales) Total 38,076 Page 123 of 316
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Our gym refurbishment project has continued to progress this quarter. The procurement evaluation process has now been successfully completed, following a thorough assessment of submitted bids. After consideration of quality, value for money and alignment with our project goals, a successful contractor has been formally appointed. This marks a step forward in the delivery of the refurbishment which will focus on mobilisng resources, finalising timelines, and beginning on site works to remain committed in creating modern, high quality fitness facilities that meets the needs of our communinty and enhances the overall user experience. In addition, the team are in the process of rebranding the service, the output of which will be shared for approval over the coming months. Additionally, this quarter our tennis court refurbishment project was completed with upgrades to local park tennis courts. Our Active Schools Midlothian team continue to work in partnership with sportscotland, providing opportunities for our children to adopt healthy and active lifestyles throughout their school years and into adulthood by supporting and sustaining a network of volunteers, coaches, leaders and teachers who, in turn, deliver extra curricular physical activity and sport before, during and after school and in the wider community. 2,656 participants attended Active Schools free extra curricular club this quarter which is an increase of 7% compared to the same periods last year of 2,466 participants. The team have increased the number of distinct activities delivered by the programme to 185 this quarter from 163 during quarter 1 of last year. The number of volunteer hours delivered in the Active Schools Programme during quarter 1 has also increased from this time last year from 1,162 volunteers compared to 1,280 during this quarter. A 10% increase. Page 124 of 316
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Our Easter holiday programme saw an increase in offering of activities as well as an increase in participation and income compared to last year. Primary 4 free swimming lessons continue this quarter after an effective system was put in place from our programme development officer. 18 classes per week were delivered as part of a 9 week block, totalling 4,328 attendances. Midlothian Active Choices (MAC) is a sport and leisure physical activity referral programme, aimed at adults who are inactive and experience various health conditions. The programme offers a range of supported activities across Midlothian to help manage these health conditions. This quarter saw 2,209 Midlothian Active Choices attendees with 495 new referrals received after completion of MAC sessions showing an increase of 32% in attendees and 19% new referrals compared to the same period last year. The number of activities offered by Ageing Well to 50 plus age groups has also increased this quarter with 845 activities offered compared to 741 offered during quarter 1 of last year. Page 125 of 316
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70,366 77,017 74,009 88,905 83,574 52,615 57,321 44,572 53,992 47,786 28,187 28,223 32,978 32,799 35,255 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Number of attendances at Sport and Leisure facilties (quarterly) All facilities (excl pools) Swimming pools Outdoor facilities -pitches/pavillions 4,386 4,527 4,872 5,349 5123 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 1,670 1,653 1,307 1,801 2,209 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Number of MAC attendees (quarterly) 416 444 364 471 495 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Number of new referrals after completion of MAC sessions (quarterly) Ageing Well £368,200.35 £372,559.38 £397,740.65 £404,017.15 £440,250.65 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Sport and Leisure - performance Number of Tonezone memberships (cumulative) Midlothian Active Choices (MAC) 741 780 744 780 845 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Number of activities offered by Ageing Well to 50+ age groups (quarterly) Total income generated from Tonezone memberships Page 126 of 316
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Capital Investment Programme The Capital Investment Strategy sits centrally within the Council’s future planning activities and in doing so has to reflect the demands of Council services to ensure positive outcomes are achieved in the right place, at the right time for the maximum benefit to Midlothian. The extensive capital programme delivers new schools, investment in council housing, improved community infrastructure, investment in the local transport network and innovative developments such as the low carbon heat network in Shawfair. To ensure Midlothian is ‘building back better’, this investment is also creating new jobs, apprenticeship opportunities, opportunities for businesses and communities and families. Capital investment is also an opportunity to support the transition to a green economy as we invest in sustainable, highly energy efficient buildings. These new opportunities help lead the way towards a better future for Midlothian. The Education Learning Estate Strategy programme continues and is subject to regular review meetings with Education and stakeholders to ensure effective monitoring, reporting and delivery of improvement and expansion of the Education estate including Early Years provision. This covers a number of projects at various stages of development. The delivery of more affordable housing remains a priority for Midlothian Council. As part of our housing programme phase 1 provided 864 additional houses within Midlothian. The total number of new homes from phase 2, 3 and 4 is currently estimated at 1134, comprising of 489 from phase 2 budget and 645 from phase 3 and 4 budgets. Progress continues with 645 homes currently being constructed on site either through commencement of enabling works or main contract works as of November 2022. An additional 297 homes are funded for delivery in phase 5. This included the largest Passivhaus programme in Scotland, with 191 homes to be built to the exacting Passivhaus standard, in line with Midlothian Council’s Net Zero Housing Design Guide. This ensures exceptionally high levels of energy efficiency and low utility bills for our residents. At present any further Passivhaus developments are paused for a cost benefit analysis exercise. Page 127 of 316
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Construction and Development Key achievements across our Construction and Development team this quarter include: • Successfully completed the decant of all staff into Fairfield House, Normandy Court and No 8 White Hart Street, Dalkeith and the contractor now appointed for Midlothian House repair and retrofit. • Regeneration Capital Grant Fund Stage 1 application submitted for Woodburn Community Hub. • Entered into pre Construction services agreement with CCG for the development of circa 47 affordable homes on land acquired at Rullion Road, Penicuik. • Extension to Shawfair District Heat Network underway, into Newton & Wellington Farm site (CALA) and additional Plot Connection Agreements signed with housebuilders in Shawfair LLP site. • Danderhall Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing 2 (EESSH2) for the decarbonisation of around 200 Council and private homes was completed on time and to budget. 50% of the costs funded by Scottish Government. BSIF programme now out to tender (£1.9m budget). Pathhead EESSH2 programme (£2.8m budget) has been awarded to a contractor. • Planning consent granted for Bush Loan Junction (A701 Relief Road project). Technical design now underway, with site start due August 2026. • Following approval of the Development Team and Learning Estate Rationale Report by CMT in June 2025, the personnel delivering the Learning Estate development were moved to report to Children, Young People & Partnerships Directorate. The Development Team in the Place Directorate has also now expanded to encompass Property & Estates. Page 128 of 316
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Challenges and risk Midlothian Council continues to face a challenging environment, with financial, demographic, and economic pressures shaping how services are delivered and funded. Financial constraints: rising service delivery costs and uncertainty over future funding from the Scottish Government are placing significant strain on the council’s budget. Cost and income projections for future years are embedded in the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy which is supported by the Transformation Blueprint containing a range of transformation themes to drive towards a position of financial sustainability. Economic pressures: the ongoing cost of living crisis is affecting residents and businesses, increasing the need for council funded support. Inflationary pressures on goods, services, and energy are also significantly increasing the cost of delivering council services. Growing service demands: Midlothian’s sustained population growth and ageing demographic continues to drive an increase in demand for education, social care, housing and transport infrastructure. The 2022 Census results highlight that Midlothian remains the fastest growing local authority in Scotland with an increase of 16.1%. The 2011 census data lists Midlothian as having a population of 83,187 which has risen to 96,600 in the 2022 census data. The level of growth is 2.3% higher than our previous calculation and is now 13.4% higher than the Scottish average of 2.7%. In terms of households, Midlothian saw the highest percentage increase at 17.2% since the 2011 census. Population density in Midlothian is 273.1 residents per square kilometre compared to the Scottish average of 69.8. This growth creates the opportunity to meet the housing need with 25% of new homes being built in the affordable housing bracket, in addition to the expansion in Council house building. This construction will directly support employment and will see a steady increase in the value of Council Tax income received over time. Our Capital Strategy sets out the infrastructure required to meet those demographic pressures and includes the financial contributions Midlothian will make to the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. Encompassing five main themes the City Region Deal will bring significant investment across the regions with total investment of circa £1.3 billion across: Page 129 of 316
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• Data Driven Innovation: £751 million • Integrated Regional Employability and Skills: £25 million • Transport: £156 million • Culture: £45 million • Housing: £313 million Through the Data Driven Innovation strand the Deal will leverage existing world-class research institutes and commercialisation facilities in order that Easter Bush becomes a global location of Agritech excellence. The Easter Bush project includes significant investment in transport infrastructure along the A701/2 transport corridor. In addition, by improving on-site infrastructure at Easter Bush and transport infrastructure, The University of Edinburgh expects commercial partners will be able to co-locate at scale to commercialise Agritech breakthroughs. The UK Government has announced the University of Edinburgh as the preferred location for the exascale supercomputer, which will be able to perform one billion, billion calculations each second. Once operational, it will provide high-performance computing capability for key research and industry projects across the UK. Exascale will help researchers model all aspects of the world, test scientific theories and improve products and services in areas such as artificial intelligence, drug discovery, climate change, astrophysics and advanced engineering. Exascale will be housed in a new £31 million wing of EPCC’s Advanced Computing Facility in Easter Bush, which has been purpose-built as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. Installation of the first phase is due to begin in 2025. Risk The Council’s Strategic Risk Profile is reviewed on a retrospective basis and presented to Audit Committee on a quarterly basis. This process provides regular oversight of the most significant threats to the Council’s objectives and operations. At present, the highest priority risks identified relate to financial sustainability, climate change and the successful delivery of the Council’s transformations programme. Our Place directorate plays a pivotal role in mitigating these risks and spans a range of strategic functions, including long-term spatial and infrastructure planning, implementation of the Medium Term Financial Strategy, and leadership in delivering the Council’s transformation programme. Page 130 of 316
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43 Pentana Performance Dashboard – Q1 25/26 A full review of quarterly performance data is available via Pentana (Browser login link - https://midlothian.pentanarpm.uk/login) Page 131 of 316
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Corporate Solutions is transforming services with a forward-thinking approach, promoting excellence, empowering the workforce, and driving impactful initiatives to build a modern, innovative, and responsive organisation. Corporate Solutions is an integral part of the Council, encompassing various critical services such as Human Resources, Digital, Customer Engagement, Legal & Governance, Corporate Resources, Transformation PMO, and Continuous Improvement. Corporate Solutions is dedicated to delivering forward-looking services that cater to both internal and external stakeholders, with an emphasis on ensuring organisational compliance, developing the workforce, and advancing transformation initiatives. Corporate Solutions supports the entirety of the Council's operations, playing a pivotal role in the execution of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy. By focusing on service redesign and placing the citizen at the centre of its efforts, Corporate Solutions aims to create a modern, efficient, and responsive organisation. Transformation and opportunities Transformation Blueprint (2023-2028) In addition to its operational responsibilities, Corporate Solutions contributes significantly to the Council's transformation goals and opportunities. The Transformation Blueprint (2023-2028) outlines the key areas that need addressing to balance the Council’s financial position, prepare for upcoming challenges, foster continued growth, and adapt to unforeseen changes. The Blueprint aligns with the Council’s three strategic aims, as defined in the Single Midlothian Plan: • Improving health and learning outcomes for individuals and communities. • Eradicating poverty among children and households. • Achieving significant progress towards net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Approved by the Council in 2023, the Transformation Blueprint sets the course for the next five years, guiding the organisation through reprioritisation and redesign efforts to meet future demands and foster sustainable progress. Corporate Solutions Q1 25/26 Performance report Cabinet Tuesday 07 October 2025 Item No 5.7 Page 133 of 316
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Transformation Blueprint Objectives 1. Support the Council to address the 5-year funding gap outlined in the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2. Follow the Money to ensure that the services we commission, contracts we manage and digital solutions we use deliver value for money. 3. Develop an organisational workforce that is flexible ensuring that all staff have the necessary skills to work effectively supported by digital technologies fit for a 21st century workforce. 4. Design a workplace for the future delivering services in a holistic and integrated way. 5. Drive forward multi-agency transformation to deliver systems-level change resulting in joined-up service delivery which improve outcomes. The Council’s Transformation Blueprint provides the framework for opportunities to change the way services are improved and delivered to be more efficient. Corporate Solutions has a particular focus on delivering digital first approaches, embedding automation to improve customer access to services and hybrid working. We will continue to work to address the inequalities that our communities face, respond to the demands of being the fastest growing local authority in Scotland, and deliver our vision of being a great, green place to grow. Page 134 of 316
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Aligned to the Transformation Blueprint, Customer Engagement priorities are set out below: • Continued rollout and implementation of Customer Service Platform • Reviewing service delivery across all Contact Centre teams • Increased use of e-Resources in libraries • Community library redesign for hub model • New mobile library service and One Stop Shop • Active promotion of library space, for Council and partner services, and enable out of hours access for communities • Rollout of the Hub and Spoke delivery model with libraries providing and facilitating increased local service provision • Refreshed Customer Engagement Strategy including revised communications and engagement plan • Increase income within Registrars through alternative ceremony offer Communications and Marketing: • Promoting the council's vision, strategy and plans such as a Great Green Place to Grow, Transformation Blueprint and wellbeing ambitions to internal and external audiences. • Raising awareness of the ways that people can take part to influence how public services operate e.g. public consultations such as Midlothian Local Development Plan, town centre regeneration projects, and school catchment area consultations. • Supporting service redesign and the delivery of change, e.g. supporting the shift to the new customer service platform which will enable citizens to do much more online. • Promotion of behavioural change, for example by encouraging residents of Midlothian to recycle more or travel more actively or improve their health and wellbeing. • Deliver timely, accurate and consistent information during a public emergency/crisis, minimising misinformation, maintaining public trust, and supporting organisational response efforts. Customer Engagement Page 135 of 316
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Key achievements: Library services Our library services continue to transform and thrive in response to the needs of our communities. This quarter overall figures for library visits continues to grow with a 4% increase in total visits (both physical and virtual) compared to the same period last year and a 13% increase compared to the quarter 1 of 2023/24. There were 149,597 physical visits to our libraries this quarter, a 2% increase compared to the same period last quarter. This reflects the ongoing long term growth in in-person visits as our libraries continue to serve as valued local community hubs. Focus continues on the promotion of our eBook service which plays an important part in our service provision for customers with sight impairment, as well as for those who love to listen to a good book. 43,358 virtual library visits were made this quarter, a 12% increase compared to this period last year. Our online catalogue continues to increase in popularity and provides a flexible, inclusive and efficient way for our customers to engage with library resources. Library events This quarter 2,478 events, clubs, activities and workshops were held across our libraries, a 45% increase compared to the same period last year and a 73% increase from the number of events held in quarter 1 of 2023/24. This covers regular events and specific activities for both adults and children and standalone events. Page 136 of 316
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Bookbug Bookbug is a universal early years book gifting and sharing programme in Scotland, aimed at encouraging parents and carers to enjoy reading and sharing stories with their children from birth. It's delivered through a partnership between The Scottish Book Trust, local authorities, libraries, and health trusts. The programme includes free book bags for different age groups and free story, song, and rhyme sessions. An evidence review released by The Scottish Book Trust in March on how sharing stories, songs and rhymes can support language development, bonding and wellbeing suggested a robust correlation between language outcomes and socioeconomic status (e.g. child-directed speech, timing and relevance of caregiver responses to infant’s speech, parental sensitivity, book reading activities). Bookbug Week was celebrated in May with the theme of ‘Bookbug’s Big Bedtime’. Lullabies were sung, guitars were strummed, teddies got up to all sort of mischief out of hours (as the photos below from Lasswade and Gorebridge Libraries show) and many cool pyjamas were worn. This quarter, Midlothian Libraries delivered 17 Bookbug Sessions attended by 277 children and 266 adults. Included in the sessions were 3 twilight sessions held in the early evening which are so important to give working families the opportunity to attend, we had 2 lullaby specials with a Health Visitor on hand to provide sleep tips and 1 Polish session “Dobranoc”. Page 137 of 316
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Bugbook Hero This quarter one of our Library Assistants, Lesley, was short listed for the Bookbug Hero Award. Recognising that some of our little ones can be overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of a huge Bookbug Session, Lesley was commended for the work she did around Penicuik’s Sensory Bookbug Sessions. Her gentle and soft approach ensures that all families feel welcome and can benefit from sharing songs, rhymes and stories together. Juliet, our resident Bibliotherapist held a DIY Publishing event which emerged in response to growing interest from writers eager to share their work with a wider audience. The event featured three guest speakers, each offering a unique perspective on self-publishing. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive; one attendee shared that they came with low expectations but left full of practical ideas and inspiration to move forward with their writing journey. Page 138 of 316
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VE Day commemorations The Newbattle Reminiscence Group had a lovely visit to the school’s Ashleigh Gray theatre where they were entertained by the Midlothian Community Band. The band also organised bingo for the group. High school pupils helped with the session and enjoyed a sing-along with our group members. Special thanks to Mrs McLeod, PTC of expressive arts, and David Knox, brass conductor for arranging this intergenerational session. To commemorate VE Day, a number of library displays and memories of the war were shared in our reminiscence groups. Betty at Newbattle Library knitted wonderful poppies and donated beautiful flowers for their display. Also pictured is the display from Penicuik Library Page 139 of 316
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Local History Month took place in May, supported by a varied programme of events and displays across libraries aimed at raising people’s awareness of the history of their community. Roslin Library participated with a window display of a selection of photographs from the Bryce collection. This attracted lots of interest from tourists and locals passing by, including one lady whose house (as it was 100 years ago) was in the display. At the other end of the scale, Lasswade Library partnered with the Lasswade & Bonnyrigg Local History Society to put on a talk and accompanying photo exhibition on the ‘Demise of Lasswade and the Rise of Bonnyrigg’ which was very well attended and has sparked plans to organise a follow up event. Below are the displays from Gorebridge and Newtongrange Libraries Page 140 of 316
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Mid Mouse Transition Project 2025 The Mid Mouse project is a Midlothian intergenerational community transition project, which aims to support children who are starting Primary 1. Our aim is that this transition for our children will be joyous, child centred and based on our local culture, created through collaboration and following the principles of positive transition. Volunteers from the local community and further afield have been knitting a Mid Mouse which will be gifted to every child before they start Primary 1 and before they leave their ELC setting in Midlothian. The project was started during the pandemic, with the hope to help to ‘knit our Midlothian community together’. Midlothian Libraries have acted as collection points for the Mice this year and our communities have knitted and crocheted an amazing 1,150 mice! Crafters of all ages have supported the project, with some library members being involved since the very first year. One of our very talented young people even knitted hearts which she placed inside the mice. In addition to Mid Mouse, 6 story books are used in ELC settings to reflect the principles of transitions in the Scottish Early Childhood, Children and Families Transitions Policy Statement (2019) of aspirations, expectations, opportunities, entitlements, participation and contributions. (There’s a Bear on my Chair by Ross Collins, Elmer by David McKee, The Worrysaurus by Rachel Bright, The Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae, The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright) The Library Summer Reading Challenge Programme Aids the successful transition between year groups and key stages - all of our branches stock the books used for this year’s transition project, and some have even incorporated Mid Mouse events into their summer programmes. In addition, Library Services have provided copies of That’s not my….sensory books for ELC settings to use with specific ASN children, which the children will take from the ELC to use at home and in Primary. Page 141 of 316
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Channel shift and customer contact Channel shift work continues with the rollout of the Customer Service Platform. This quarter focused on the launch of the traffic light signals requests online form, additional requirements were implemented for the Garden Waste direct debit sign up process, an online form went live for parents to appeal school placements, enhancements made to our registrar form to allow an overseas payment option, assisted travel requests form now live, online applications for school clothing grants and free school meals now live, 8 licensing applications forms went live (including Tattoo and Skin piercing, window cleaner, metal dealer, second hand dealer, adult shop, late hours catering, knife dealer and cosmetic ear piercing), internal housing repairs from for contact centre staff to report repairs to our building maintenance team went live which further progresses the replacement of our inhouse CRM system to the new Customer Services Platform. Several other service requests continue in a test phase and due to go live are: • Access protection markings requests • Vogrie parking passes • MOT bookings • Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) requests • Primary 1 school enrolment process • NEC bus pass replacement process • Remaining licensing applications processes • Neighbourhood Services in cab technology to link to Granicus Customer Services Platform providing real time reporting to Contact Centre • Mental health and wellbeing process for Children Services to allow children to request online help • new process being created for short term lets to replace, and in turn, reduce costs to the current system This quarter contact centre call numbers have reduced compared to the same period last year with 36,350 calls received compared to 45,296 at quarter 1 in 2024/25. In addition, there is a reduction in email contact by 63% compared to the same period last year with 9,155 emails handled this quarter compared to 14,694 at quarter 1 of 2024/25. After collaboration with our main service areas Waste, Greenspaces and Road services over the last few quarters, changes to the way in which customer contact is handled in those services is having a positive effect on dealing with repeated customer contact and resolving ongoing customer queries more efficiently, leading to fewer customers stating their dissatisfaction. Page 142 of 316
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Decrease in customer contact can also be attributed to changes made to customer forms which now go directly to the service leading to quicker responses direct to customers. The number of webforms received via the contact centre has significantly decreased by 89% compared to the same period last year. The number of webforms handled by Contact Centre staff is reducing as more service transactions are automated and rolled out through the Customer Services Platform. The percentage of calls answered within 120 seconds has improved to 80% this quarter from 66% in quarter 4 and 48% compared to the same period last year. With work ongoing via our Customer Services Platform and the Revenues Improvement Programme, to implement e-billing and self-service through 2025/26, we expect call volumes to reduce over time as more people move to self-service, resulting in a higher percentage of calls answered within our customer target response times. Call abandonment rates have reduced this quarter to 5% and meeting our Service Level Agreement (SLA), this is significant improvement from a 17% call abandonment rate at quarter 1 last year. This abandonment rate calculates the total number of calls that come into the call queue and then leave the queue. There is no ability to analyse why calls are abandoned - callers may choose to hang up because they would rather not wait, or they have called at an inopportune time. Front-end messages are updated on contact centre lines to provide information to the customer waiting, for example, if a whole street of bins had been missed. Lines also have messages directing people online to carry out transactional activity. Although stage 1 complaint responses across Corporate Solutions are off target this quarter with 88.24% of stage 1 complaints responded to within 5 working days (15 of 17 stage 1 complaints responded to within 7 days rather than 5) the overall number of complaints received has reduced by 86% compared to the same period last year. The two complaints that took 7 days instead of 5 days were slightly more complex. 28 complaints were received for Corporate Solutions this quarter compared to 52 during quarter 1 of last year. Page 143 of 316
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Communications and promotion Our communication and marketing team continue to support Council services by promoting key initiatives on our social media platforms, news releases, website and community radio channel. Key successes this quarter include: Promotion of the changes to school admissions policy and Loanhead ASN consultations to maximise responses to both consultations, including encouraging attendance at in person and online meetings. 24 social media post reminders were created on Facebook, X and Instagram for the school admission consultation, the top performing post reached 42,445 news feeds and 7,086 people engaged with the post on Facebook. A media release was issued and posted on our website which had 211 views. 18 social media post reminders were created on Facebook, X and Instagram for the Loanhead ASN consultation, the top performing post reached 25,460 news feeds and 2,669 engagements. The consultations were also promoted on the Council’s Black Diamond radio slot. The result of the promotion resulted in 511 responses to the proposed changes to school admission and 144 responses to the ASN provision survey. A701 and A702 link road drop-in session was promoted to encourage stakeholders to attend a drop-in at Bilston Primary School and give their views before a planning application is submitted. The team created a consultation webpage and shared a media release on the Council’s website which received 1,300 visitors to the consultation page and 637 views of the news release. The session was also promoted on Black Diamond radio slot. 10 social media posts were created on Facebook and X and shared on local Facebook forums, the top performing post reached 25,220 news feeds with 7,170 engagements. 50 people came along to the drop in session. A7 drop-in sessions were promoted to gather views on a project, at the early feasibility and design stage, looking to improve conditions for walking, wheeling and cycling between the A7 at Melville Dykes Roundabout and Wadingburn Road, Lasswade. The short campaign included 8 social media posts on Facebook and shared on local Facebook groups and cycling/active travel groups. The best performing post was on Facebook and reached 30,662 news feeds with 4,069 engagements. 64 people came along to give their views. Promotion of the Council’s Annual Performance Report to highlight key achievements across Council services on X and Facebook to remind residents of positive impact Council has on our communities. 16 social media posts were created, Facebook posts reached more than 40,000 news feeds with more than 2,500 engagements which were mainly positive. Page 144 of 316
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Foster Care Fortnight campaign aimed to encourage enquiries and attendance at a series of drop-ins during Foster Care Fortnight in May. 17 Facebook posts were created using our own social media graphics and also tapping into new Scottish Government assets. The best performing post was a photo of the fostering team at the Ikea drop in which reached 17,156 news feeds with 1,003 engagements. 7 posts were created on X and also shared on Instagram. Reminders of the event were shared on Black Diamond FM radio and a media release was issued and published on our website. The campaign resulted in a 232% increase in visits to our fostering webpage compared to the previous two months. Promotion of LitterLotto app to encourage householders to download LitterLotto app to be entered into a prize draw, ultimately promoting the importance of recycling. 16 social media posts were created with the best performing posting reaching 13,351 news feeds (picture of monthly winner) with 833 engagements. A series of social media reminders were posted throughout May and early June to increase uptake. Since April, 595 people visited the web page with 709 page views. A total of 7,204 entries were received via the app for April and May. Short term lets campaign held to increase number of people applying for a short term let between May and June. A short social media push between 28th of May and end of June resulted in 8 new applications. 18 social media posts were created on X and Facebook with the best performing post reaching 10.351 news feeds with 2,105 engagements. Reminders to apply were also shared on Black Diamond FM radio. After promotion, visits to the webpage almost doubled, with 110 visits from 1st April to 27th of May and 206 visits from the first post on the 28th of May. Cost of Living campaigns to increase awareness and uptake of free soup and hot drink offer at Warm and Well Hubs and increase awareness of all-year round Cost of Living supports, especially food pantries. A short 1 month social media push was used to raise awareness of our warm and well hubs with 12 different posts were created on Facebook and 6 on Instagram, all with original photography and designed on Canva. The best performing post on Facebook reached 18,219 people and received 711 engagements. A total of 51,896 people viewed the 12 posts on Facebook. Newbattle Hub saw a weekly increase in offerings with a small rise noted at Loanhead Hub. To increase awareness of all Cost of Living supports a week long ‘Midlothian Cares’ social media campaign was held. Two news releases were issued on our Council website and to the media. 17 different posts were created on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, designed using Canva. The best performing post on Facebook reached 14,690 people and received 932 engagements. A total of 50,654 people viewed the 17 posts on Facebook. The campaign saw a significant increase in web visitors to the Midlothian Cares homepage and accompanying web pages during the campaign week: • 893% increase in visits to the Cost of Living homepage • 347% increase in visits to the Food pantry page • 200% increase in Job and Employability page • 65% increase in Money page Page 145 of 316
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38,762 40,111 40,885 46,116 43,358 146,809 136,493 155,290 166,411 149,597 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Number of Library visits (quarterly) Virtual Phyiscal 35,375 36,428 37,102 37,382 38,069 321 539 328 398 375 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Number of Library memberships Child memberships - new Total 45,296 37,084 31,816 36,285 36,350 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Number of Contact Centre calls(quarterly) Customer Engagement – performance measures 80% of calls this quarter answered within 120 seconds (48% in Q1 24/25) 190 Contact Centre Webforms received this quarter (decrease from 1,775 in Q1 24/25) 9,155 Email contact handled this quarter (decrease from 14,694 in Q1 24/25) Social Media 26.7k Midlothian Council Facebook followers 18.2k @midgov twitter (X) and Instagram followers 2,478 Library events held this quarter. (1,710 in Q1 24/25) 1,767 Children’s library initiatives taken place (1,013 in Q1 24/25) 603 Library customers supported with digital queries. (730 in Q1 24/25) Library services Customer contact Page 146 of 316
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To achieve the Council’s strategic priorities, we recognise that people are our most important asset. Workforce is a key priority in the Council’s Transformation Blueprint. The Council aims to attract the best talent, grow our own talent ensuring there are clear progression pathways, ensure our workforce feel engaged, valued and motivated and importantly, empower our staff to enable them to reach their full potential. Our workforce vision is to work as One Council using our knowledge, experiences and sense of shared endeavour to collaborate and think creatively and innovatively so that our people can deliver life-changing impacts for our communities. Our ways of working mark a clear desire for cultural change and a shift towards a more agile and modern operating model. In order to ensure a thriving workforce, key areas of focus for 2025/26 are: • Continued investment in Organisational Development through focused programmes of work e.g. Managers Forum and Leadership Forum • Delivery of the Workforce Strategy 2024-2029 to: Plan: deliver an evidence and outcome-based workforce planning framework that is an integral part of the council’s approach to strategic planning. Attract: ensure the council becomes the employer of choice for the population of Midlothian, by deploying best practice in attracting the best staff. Train: enable the council to become a “Learning Organisation”, providing staff with business-focussed training and development to equip them with the skills and knowledge required to deliver their best. Employ: ensure Fair Work principles continue to be at the heart of management practice, ensuring staff are, and feel, valued and rewarded. Nurture: create a workforce and leadership culture focusing on the health and wellbeing of a demographically balanced workforce that reflects the community it serves. • Completion of workforce and succession plans in all services, with a particular focus in high risk areas, aligned to the Workforce Strategy • Continued rollout of the Wellbeing Strategy with measures to demonstrate impact and visible contribution to reducing absence levels • Development and delivery of the Recruitment Strategy aligned to the Workforce Strategy Human Resources Page 147 of 316
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Key achievements: Wellness@Midlothian The rolling programme of Wellness@Midlothian initiatives continues to support the positive health and wellbeing of our staff. This quarter 19 wellbeing events were held covering financial support, carer support, physical wellbeing and information sessions with a total of 145 attending events. Events this quarter included: Financial support for our employees: • Financial education specialists, Affinity Connect, delivered a pre-retirement course • External course from Money Advice Scotland delivered Events to support employees with carer responsibilities: • Vocal Carer session held for managers called ‘Think Carer’ Health and wellbeing events: • 2 health walks organised by the Active Travel Team held throughout the quarter. • 3 in person staff health check sessions held across different sites from Sport and Leisure. • Swim Sisters sessions held at Newbattle pool over an 8 week period. • SQA mental health and wellbeing course provided by Community Lifelong Learning and Employability. • A new staff group was established by Ciara Burke, Trauma Lead for Midlothian Council • Chest, Heart, Stroke Scotland and Prostate Scotland manager webinars held. • Staff Mental Health Wellbeing Course at Hardengreen Industrial Estate Page 148 of 316
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Various promotional activities were carried out this quarter including stress awareness month, support for carers through Vocal, Employee Assistance Programme, suicide prevention campaign, mental health awareness week, NHS smoking cessation, Neonatal leave, CLLE lifelong learning events and courses, Staff bike hire, Dementia awareness, Capital Credit Union, AVCs and help with debt concerns. Absence and case management The HR team continue to proactively work with managers and their teams to support them in their absence management, helping to tackle and reduce sickness absence, complimenting the range of health and wellbeing support provided by the Council to all employees. The HR team provides training for managers in absence management processes and provides management information to enable managers to measure and manage the long and short term absence in their areas. Maximising Attendance at Work training took place for line managers with 5 sessions held this quarter, a total of 8. These sessions will now become part of a rolling programme for managers whether on a monthly or quarterly basis. In addition, our staff e-learning platform is currently being updated to incorporate a Maximising Attendance at Work course for managers. This work is resulting in progression of absence cases, capability hearings and return to work as well as the more efficient management of employee relations cases to bring these to a conclusion. This quarter the number of long term absence cases supported by HR was 93, a reduction of 37% compared to same period last year. The team continue to work on various lengthy and challenging employee relations cases supporting staff and managers throughout the process to reach a successful conclusion. 15 cases are being supported this quarter which is a reduction of 29% compared to the same period last year. In addition, the team continues to support services going through periods of organisational change such as service reviews across Council Services. Investing in our workforce During quarter 1, the HR team successfully achieved re-accreditation as a Disability Confident Employer. Disability Confident is a voluntary government scheme designed by employers and disabled people’s representatives to help employers recruit and retain people with disabilities and health conditions. Midlothian Council continues to be committed to challenge attitudes towards disability and improve understanding, while also promoting a positive work environment, where disabled people can have access to an inclusive recruitment process, be offered reasonable adjustments as required and have employee benefits available to support their health needs. Page 149 of 316
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This quarter a Neuroinclusion policy was drafted. A Neuroinclusion policy aims to ensure that individuals with diverse neurological conditions, such as autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and other cognitive differences, are supported, respected and included in the workplace. Our job evaluation policy was also updated this quarter and both policies will be presented to Trade Unions for consultation over the next few months. Work is in progress on our staff debt recovery policy. As part of the Workforce Strategy, an Employee Survey was launched to gather as much feedback from our employees as possible. This quarter the results of the survey were shared with all employees and focus groups were promoted to get input from employees to progress certain aspects of the Workforce Strategy and feed into our Workforce action plan. Training on workforce planning was carried out with the Local Government Association for the HR team and will be rolled out to the Corporate Management Team (CMT) and next tier of management after the summer break. The Managers Forum continued this quarter with online sessions providing managers guidance on supporting staff who are unpaid carers, who have family members with health conditions. The forums provide a safe space for leaders and managers to share experiences. This quarter, the team co-organised and facilitated two United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) sessions for the Leadership Forum. 6,127 mandatory e-learning courses were accessed this quarter by staff. This is a continuous increase in e-learning courses undertaken by our staff over the last few years with 5,885 compared to the same period last year and 699 during Q1 of 23/24. Courses include training on Bribery Act 2010, Information Security and GDPR, procurement fraud, cyber security, records management and threat of terrorism. These courses aim to protect the council, its staff, and the public by fostering a culture of awareness, responsibility and compliance. This quarter a contract was signed with Vivup, a new employee benefits portal to support the financial wellbeing of staff by introducing lifestyle savings and discounts on many major high street retailers and has the option to add local offers too. Vivup will engage positively with staff via messaging functionality on the portal and can also host other benefits, staff information and guidance on the portal. The types of discounts or savings that are offered are e-gift card, reloadable card, physical card, discount code, cashback. This means employees can use this benefit when they are “on the go” perhaps in a restaurant having lunch at a participating retailer. Plans are place to go live with the new platform during quarter 2. Other activities this quarter include: commencement of the review to change from MPM to an alternative appraisal/management conversations model. The HR wellbeing pages were updated on the HR Hub, a revised employee induction pack was drafted, potential management development options paper has been drafted and will be presented to August CMT for guidance on what next. The team carried out and presented overtime analysis data to CMT which will then be taken further by the newly approved Reward Specialist post. Page 150 of 316
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Workforce measures We track our employee turnover rates by expressing it as a percentage of employees overall when taking account of all leavers. Consideration of the levels of turnover across services, locations and particular groups of employees helps to inform workforce planning and resourcing. Compared to last quarter, staff turnover rates remain similar with quarter 1 turnover rates at 1.78% and 1.86% last quarter. Rates have remained steady compared to the same period last year at 1.9%. The gender pay gap measures the average female pay (£20.79) versus average male pay (£21.17) within the organisation. The figures show that the Council has more male staff at higher rates of pay by 1.76% as of quarter 1 which shows a reduced pay gap compared to the same period last year of 2.65%. The percentage of female employees in the top 5% of earnings continues to remain steady compared to last year with 123 female employees in the top 5% of earnings in quarter 1 and 119 during the same period last year. Sickness absence rates for all employees have slightly decreased this quarter compared to last with average sickness days at 2.76 compared to 2.97 for quarter 1 of 24/25. For Corporate Solutions the average number of working days lost due to sickness absence this quarter has slightly increased to 2.86 compared to 2.38 quarter 1 of 24/25. Of the FTE days lost, 61% was due to long term sickness, 23% self-certified, 16% short term absence. Work continues with each service area to review attendance levels and support those absent to return to work. Page 151 of 316
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2.65% 1.92% 2.30% 2.29% 1.76% Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Gender pay gap between average hourly rate of pay for male and female (all employees) Scottish Average (2.5%) 3.1 6.5 8.5 10.9 2.8 1.8 2.7 4.8 6.7 1.2 3.6 8 10 12.6 3.4 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Average Sickness Absence days All employees Teachers Local Government workers 1.9% 2.6% 2.2% 1.9% 1.8% Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 % of staff turnover (quarterly) 757 2,420 1,789 16-30 31-50 over 50 Human Resources – performance measures 93 Long term absence cases this year (147 in Q1 24/25) 254 Occupational Health referrals via OHIO this year (123 in Q1 24/25) 15 HR cases handled this year (21 in Q1 24/25) 376 Physiotherapy referrals made this year (353 in Q1 24/25) No. of staff by age group 1,331(26%) Employees with over 15 years of service 77 Leavers at end of Q1 (cumulative figure) 65.2% of employees are Midlothian Residents Employee Health and Wellbeing Workforce demographics 123 female employees in top 5% this quarter. • 19 wellbeing events held this quarter with 145 attendees • 6,127employees accessing mandatory eLearning courses • 1,071 employees accessing non-mandatory eLearning courses Page 152 of 316
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Digital solutions underpin the Transformation Blueprint. Key work streams include: Delivery of the Council's Digital Transformation Strategy 2024-2029 to fully utilise digital tools, digitising and automating processes, introducing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ensuring that decisions can be made through comprehensive data and management information. Key priority areas that the Council will focus on over the next 5 years are: • Automate: For an Efficient, Modern Council • Reimagine: Transform Service Delivery • Data: Deeper Insights and Preventative Operations • Secure and Sustain: Protect and Preserve • Development of a data analysis capability and streamlining of performance and other standard reporting • Expanding digital automation efforts via Power Automate, to improve efficiencies and process quality • Continued rollout of compliance and cyber security protective measures, including attainment of PSN and Cyber Essentials certification, staff training and engagement and establishing a Security Operations Centre • Deepening the adoption of Microsoft M365 capabilities and applications to enable organisational efficiencies, collaboration and lay the foundation for future AI initiatives • Delivering service improvements in frontline teams through the use of technology • Continue the roll-out of the Customer Services Platform solutions to promote channel shift • Equipped for Learning: support the EfL project to provide best in class, secure digital ecosystem for optimal learning outcomes • Developing Council telephony digital strategy and implementing upgrades to education estate • Ensure all digital aspects of Council operations are well supported and operational • Provide citizens with enhanced services and faster, more responsive support • Deliver improved outcomes for all residents of Midlothian by embracing modern service models Digital Page 153 of 316
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Key achievements: Digital projects and Infrastructure A range of improvements projects and service supports were undertaken this quarter to facilitate a more efficient organisation and improve how we work: Front Office and Service Desk • Technical testing for the rollout of the new Xerox cloud hosted printing service and the replacement of old devices. • Windows 11 upgrade programme is now 85% complete with all remaining devices to be upgraded during quarter 2. • Relicensing of the corporate M365 environment and refresh of the education Microsoft Office agreement. • Refresh of catering tills in schools and cafes and the transition of the digital application to the cloud. • Initial preparation of the Council’s new Microsoft Azure Landing zone to give us access to ‘on demand’ computing capacity. Business Solutions • Support of the in-cab technology Phase 2 (Trade Waste) roll-out. • 15 Customer Service Platform developments went live this quarter • Support for patches and upgrades of Open Revenues, Civica Icon, Capita Housing, iTrent, Integra and other lines of business applications. Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN) Completion of the migration of our 48 SWAN circuits to faster, more cost-effective BT Swan WAN connections took place this quarter. Installation of new SWAN circuits at Sacred Heart Primary School, Bonnyrigg Depot, Stobhill Depot and Penicuik Town Hall now complete which will provide increased performance and reliability to the locations listed. Planning undertaken for new SWAN circuits to replace the current point to point WiFi used for Hillend and Aim High. Page 154 of 316
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Vogrie Park Installation of a Starlink satellite broadband system to allow the new carpark barrier system to take payments in a timely and efficient manner. Also, introducing new technologies to the council. Pilot of enhanced 4G routers that will allow the ELC and Ranger Services to see improvements to the reliability of their network connectivity. Midlothian House decant Extensive work was carried out this quarter to equip Fairfield House for decant, supporting users as they migrate to their new location with work commencing on the migration of servers and digital systems from Midlothian House to Fairfield prior to the refurbishment work taking place. Work also included ensuring that the desks within Fairfield House have sufficient data and power to allow staff to move from Midlothian House. Planning the reduction in size of the Midlothian House computer room. Digital Services no longer require the large room for servers and digital equipment. This will allow for a reduction in the cooling requirements and therefore a reduction in power consumption. Normandy Court Planning and preparation work was completed for the move of the Council Chambers to Normandy Court with a fit out of networking services to allow staff to occupy office spaces in the building and installation of broadband Internet for the Public-I system. Education and Equipped for Learning Roslin Primary School extension Installation of additional networking services to the extension to Roslin Primary School to allow teachers and pupils to access the Education network. Education Wi-Fi Completion of the replacement programme for the Education Wi-Fi network and equipment. Allowing for better WiFi coverage, increased signal strength and reliability. High School Servers New servers purchased to replace the ageing High School servers allowing for the next stage of the project to commence. Page 155 of 316
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Education Telephony Procurement of a new modern hosted telephone system for Education to replace the ageing unreliable on premise solution. These activities and updates reflect our ongoing commitment to leveraging technology to enhance educational outcomes, support staff development, and ensure sustainable and impactful delivery of the Equipped for Learning project Cyber Security Work continues this quarter to maintain and strengthen our cyber security. Key successes this quarter include: • Cyber Essentials Plus Certification and PSN Certification were successfully achieved, demonstrating compliance with national standards. • Successfully defended the organisation against multiple cyber attacks. • A confidential Cyber Defence Briefing Note was submitted to CMT following high- profile UK cyberattacks, including one targeting West Lothian’s education network. • Security oversight was provided for the onboarding of new applications and technical service. Information Governance This quarter Information Governance efforts focused on embedding strategic oversight, enhancing compliance, and supporting digital transformation. • A new AI training course was developed. • It was agreed to conduct of a small scale pilot of Co-Pilot pilot. • A new Governance Guidance Report for Private Channels and Sensitivity Label. • Information Governance oversight was applied to M365 and Google Workspace implementation projects Page 156 of 316
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Roll out of Microsoft 365 across the whole corporate estate was completed last year, enabling widescale collaboration and co-production with work efficiencies now being realised in many ways across various service areas. Various activities have taken place this quarter to support staff with M365 across the organisation including: • Continued training programme for M365 champions is now 50% complete, this programme aims to enhance digital skills among identified champions and build upon internal knowledge and capacity. • Adoption of Viva Connections now agreed. • Preparation work undertaken for the M365 CoPilot Trial Programme, CoPilot will help drive operational efficiency, improve service delivery, and support council staff in their daily tasks using advanced AI technology. These activities and updates reflect our ongoing commitment to leveraging Microsoft 365 to enhance productivity, collaboration, and security across the organisation Page 157 of 316
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50 16 15 Total Planned modules Complete during 24/25 Complete during 25/26 58% 61% 62% 60.5% 65% Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 % of IT helpdesk incidents complete within 48 hours (quarterly) Digital – performance measures Cyber security performance Progress of total number of Customer Service Platform modules (cumulative) 376k Midlothian Council Website visits this quarter with 1.1M page views. (233K website visits and 777k page views in Q1 24/25) 100% of Cyber Essentials and PSN implemented 54% of cyber security training complete Website Customer satisfaction and helpdesk Digital Services Customer satisfaction rate: 95.6% this year (94% in Q1 24/25) Customer Services Platform Page 158 of 316
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Key priorities for the service in 2025/26 • Redesign of business processes to achieve efficiencies across all of Corporate Resources • Making more use of current applications to enable self-service e.g. viewing Council Tax and rent accounts online • Continued upgrade of applications supporting the Council’s transformation agenda e.g. increasing automated and online payments Key achievements: Invoicing Work continues in the rollout of invoice approval processes. Moving away from paper-based invoicing to invoice approval system management allows for a greater level of audit, performance management and data, leading to more up to date financial monitoring and real time reporting. The Business Applications Team continue to work with Scottish Government’s e-commerce team on next steps for the e-invoicing programme and onboarding of suppliers to this service. This quarter invoice approval processes were implemented for Catering (non food purchases) and expansion continues across Property Maintenance and Fleet Services continues. Green slip transactions have reduced from 7.7% in quarter 1 of last year to 6.6% this quarter. The rate of invoices paid on time across the Council this quarter was 95.8%, achieving our target of 95%. A total of 28,545 transactions were processed during quarter 1, of which 23,196 are included in the Statutory Performance Indicator (SPI) invoice calculation with an average of 8.7 days to pay an invoice. This quarter the team made 4,649 direct payments to bank accounts to cover free school meals during the holiday periods, Ukrainian Host payments and Economic Development Business Grants. 700 internally generated payments were processed including grants, corporate appointees, salary deductions and treasury activities. Corporate Resources Page 159 of 316
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Further Business Application upgrades were completed this quarter for, TotalMobile, iTrent, CiviaPay, Blue badge case management system, Granicus and One Housing. The Parent Portal pilot was implemented in 13 schools, the Mosaic Access Community Gateway project commenced this quarter and the team successfully completed finance year end processing activities within timescale. Records management During this quarter, work has continued across our Business Services to streamline operations and strengthen the efficiency of our processes. A key area of focus has been the management of council records, where we have made significant process in our practices and improving compliance. Our Records Management Policy was reviewed, updated and published this quarter on the new Mid Hub intranet, alongside detailed procedural documentation, the council’s records retention schedule, and a full list of record champions. Together, these resources provide clear guidance for staff and set out our commitment to the secure, consistent, and responsible creation, storage, and disposal of records that accurately document our activities and business. To support this, records champions received training on the use of destruction registers. This training enhanced understanding of the record destruction process, ensuring it is carried out in line with both the council’s policy and legislative requirements. Significant records management activity also took place as part of the office decant from Midlothian House to Fairfield House. Records champions received additional guidance and support as part of the move, resulting in 66 boxes of files being archived at Iron Mountain, a figure nine times higher than the usual volume of archived files for this period. This achievement not only strengthens the protection and accessibility of our records but also helps reduce reputational and financial risks to the council. As part of this process, many outdated documents were identified and securely destroyed in accordance with our retention schedule. This has freed up valuable office space, improved building safety by lowering fire risk, and ensured that only relevant records are retained. Progress was also made in the management of burial records. The first phase of our partnership project with Ancestry, to digitise and publish these records, is now complete, paving the way for wider accessibility and long term preservation of this information. Page 160 of 316
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Supporting the Cost-of-Living Crisis 34.6% of our total Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) budget was allocated during quarter 1. This quarter 1,881 Crisis Grants and 316 Community Care Grants were received. Requests for crisis funding continue to remain consistently high this quarter compared to the same period last year and demonstrates the continued significant financial challenges faced by our communities. Our Scottish Welfare Fund Assessors respond and analyse the reasons for the high number of applications and refusals to identify preventative activity to mitigate people reaching this crisis point. This is identified as a key action in the Child Poverty Action Plan. 2,246 customers received help and support via Housing Benefits this quarter with a gradual reduction each quarter from 3,028 during quarter 1 of last year. Processing times the change or circumstances within Revenues and Benefits has improved this quarter to an average of 7 days, compared to 12 days during quarter 1 of last year, bringing the service back on target. The percentage of current housing rent arrears sits at 13.49% by the end of quarter 1 and has reduced compared to last year’s quarter 1 figure of 15.38%. In year Council Tax collected year to date is 27.3%, showing a similar rate of collection compared to the same time last year of 27.6%. Page 161 of 316
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1,824 3,480 5,109 7,168 1,881 1,005 1,868 2,723 3,840 976 27 45 52 127 16 792 1,567 2,334 3,201 889 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Number of Crisis Grants (cumulative) received awarded declined ineligible Grant applications deemed as ineligible are in general those that have exceeded the maximum amount of 3 applications in a year or customers who do not meet the set criteria for the award. 48 63 48 56 54 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 New claims Revenues and Benefits 5753 5364 4865 2935 5344 2890 2967 2863 3064 2954 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Number of online transactions (quarterly) Rent Council Tax 27.3% of in year Council Tax collected year to date. 12 15 12.7 2 7 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Change of circumstances 344 668 931 1,351 316 120 239 326 461 1214 5 6 88 3 220 424 599 802 192 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Number of Community Care Grants (cumulative) received awarded declined ineligible Corporate Resources – performance measures £113,950 granted from Scottish Welfare fund for crisis grants £126,581 granted for community care grants in Q1. Scottish Welfare Fund Average processing times (days) Page 162 of 316
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Key priorities for the service in 2025/26 • Review of the Council’s governance framework with revised Standing Orders and Associated Scheme(s) • Development of the new Procurement Strategy, with a focus on social value, the introduction of a Council wide approach to Community Benefits, and an increased focus on local procurement • Aligned to the Transformation Blueprint, continued review of Contract Management • Preparatory activity for the delivery of the Scottish Parliamentary Election in May 2026 • Ensuring compliance with statutory duties for responding to FOIs, SARs and EIRs, minimising data breaches and supporting teams to ensure good information governance Key achievements: Legal Services The commercial legal team continue to provide expert legal advice and support on a wide range of commercial matters to help the Council operate effectively and lawfully in its business dealings. Various activities were undertaken by the team this quarter including: • Legal advice was provided to various services across the council in relation to records management to support the process of decant from Midlothian House. Advice focused on maintaining compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, including data protection obligations and records retention schedules. • Purchase of 4 West Street, Penicuik for £1 on 30th of April as Penicuik Community Arts Association, who the Council sold it to in 1985 for £10, is coming to closure. • Sale of the former Loanhead Police Station on 16th of June for £301,522. • Completion of buyback, 276 Cameron Crescent purchased for £190,000. • Completion of the sale of 3 Crichton Avenue, Pathhead for £120,000. • Completion of 2 Golden Share transactions at Greenlaw Mains in Penicuik. • Completion of the lease agreement between the Council and GiGi’s for land adjacent to Lothian Street, Bonnyrigg. • Completion of Planning Section 69 agreement for a new fire station at Sheriffhall with developer contribution of £46,000 with a new fire station being built. Legal and Governance Page 163 of 316
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The legal court team continue to protect the Council’s interests and deliver suitable outcomes for children and vulnerable adults through attendance at court this quarter. Various activities were undertaken by our Court team this quarter including: • Responded to 89 individual legal queries. • Represented the Council in a two day appeal at the Additional Support Needs Tribunal in respect of a placing request refusal, including taking and lodging substantial witness statements and lodging relevant documentation. • Raised 9 applications for guardianship and/or Intervention Orders under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. • Raised 4 actions for recovery of possession under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001. • Raised 2 permanence orders. • Provided ongoing representation and advice in 2 ongoing permanence matters, including preparations for a 5 day proof. • Represented Children and Families in two actions for Child Protection Orders under the Children’s Hearing (Scotland) Act 2011. • Provided advice and representation to both education and the Education Appeal Committees in respect of this year’s placing request appeals, in addition to assisting with training. • Provided extensive advice to education in relation to ongoing consultation. • Attended and/or provided advice for 19 Adults with Incapacity/Adult Support and Protection Case Conferences. • Provided ongoing advice to Adult Services in relation to two separate actions raised in the Court of Protection in England. Page 164 of 316
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Procurement Work has commenced on a refresh of the Procurement Service operating model. Through adopting and embedding a business partnering approach, Procurement will provide greater support to services, guidance on best value and procurement processes and anticipated to enable the Council to ensure that procurement is compliant and achieves savings. An example of this is through the increased use of Scotland Excel frameworks, over £90k was received in rebates for 2024/25. Examples of key procurement activity this quarter: Treatment of Residual Waste - Value of £1,032,000 awarded to Biffa Waste Services through mini competition exercise using the Scotland Excel Framework. • This project was successfully delivered at a critical juncture, as the Council was previously operating on a rolling contract with a supplier based in Northern Ireland (Regen). Through a competitive procurement process, the contract was awarded to Biffa Waste Services, resulting in significant cost savings. • In addition to financial efficiencies, the project supported the Council’s commitment to sustainable procurement. By appointing a supplier with more local operations, the environmental impact associated with transportation is reduced, contributing to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in alignment with the GHG Protocol. Fleet Replacement Programme (2025–2030) – Contract Value: £15,000,000, awarded to: Various Suppliers via Frameworks • This long-term procurement programme aims to replace Midlothian Council’s ageing fleet with more efficient, modern vehicles over a five-year period. • The initiative was delivered through multiple nationally recognised procurement frameworks, including Crown Commercial Services (CCS), Scotland Excel (SXL), Halton, and The Procurement Partnership Ltd (TPPL), enabling access to competitive pricing and high-quality suppliers. • Framework Utilisation: The project has increased Council participation in the strategic use of procurement frameworks, supporting compliance and value for money. Page 165 of 316
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• Cost Efficiency: By phasing out older vehicles, the Council is significantly reducing its ongoing spend on maintenance and repairs. • Operational Improvement: The updated fleet will enhance service delivery, improve reliability, and contribute to lower emissions in support of sustainability goals. • This approach demonstrates effective long-term planning and alignment with the Council’s financial, environmental, and operational priorities Midlothian Council Vogrie Country Car Park Barrier – Value £70,000, awarded to Orbility • This project, funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), involves the supply and installation of an automated car park barrier system at Vogrie Country Park. The contract was awarded to Orbility, a specialist in smart parking solutions, through a competitive procurement process using ESPO framework. • The system also enables better data collection on park usage and offers potential for future income generation. Local procurement Four new trade procurements were undertaken following Cabinet approval to ring-fence the procurements to Midlothian based suppliers. These are in Building, Plastering & Tiling, Joinery & Roofing and Painting & Decorating. This followed two online meet the buyer events held to promote the procurement. This led to the successful award to 13 suppliers, of which 7 were new to working with Midlothian Council. These 7 suppliers have 78 employees, contributing to the Council’s strategic priority to local procurement, community wealth building and investing in Midlothian’s local economy. Page 166 of 316
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6 32 27 10 9 Q4 23/24 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Number of regulated procurement excerises undertaken (quarterly) Legal and Governance – performance measures Access to information 304 266 359 399 410 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Number of Freedom of Information requests recieved (quarterly) 50 53 47 70 64 Q1 24/25 Q2 24/25 Q3 24/25 Q4 24/25 Q1 25/26 Number of Subject Access Requests recieved (quarterly) 8 Legal commercial transactions carried out this quarter Page 167 of 316
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The Continuous Improvement team supports the required step-change to ensure that as an organisation we learn from feedback and complaints received and improve service delivery as a result of driving forward a culture of continuous improvement. Key priorities for the service in 2025/26: Working with services to focus on performance measures and supporting approaches which deliver improved outcomes, including: • The introduction of a revised Planning and Performance Management Framework (PPMF) and a newly developed Best Value Framework (BVF). • Revising the Midlothian Excellence Framework (MEF), our corporate self- evaluation tool, to reflect changes to the Public Service Improvement Framework (PSIF). • External data submission, monitoring and reporting of Local Government Benchmarking (LGBF), including maintenance of the LGBF dashboard on Pentana for elected members. • Key contact for corporate level external scrutiny activities such as the Best Value Thematic exercises undertaken by our external auditor. • Facilitating a review and update of all policies and procedures in place to deliver the Council’s strategic outcomes and ensure alignment with overarching strategies. • Review and refresh of the Equalities work programme including increased awareness of equality and diversity and the redesign of the staff equalities group to facilitate greater diversity and inclusion in the Council’s decision making processes, policy development and a more diverse workforce reflective of the communities the Council services. Continuous Improvement Page 168 of 316
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Key achievements: Key achievements across this quarter for our Continuous Improvement team include: Equalities: • Published the Midlothian Equality Outcomes 2025-29, setting out the key objectives the Council aims to achieve in the next four years to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage, promote equality of opportunity and foster good relations between our diverse communities. • Published the Midlothian Equality Mainstreaming and Outcomes Progress Report 2023-25, providing an update on activity to advance equality across Council services over the past two years. • Reestablished the Equalities Working Group to coordinate work to embed and enhance equality practice throughout the organisation. Performance: • Quarterly Performance reporting check list and schedule produced and shared with lead service performance officers. • Liaising with performance officers to identify Pentana performance system training, including online resources and training sessions from Ideagen. Contact Us: • Published Annual Complaints Handling Report 2023/24. • Introduced monthly Complaints report, developed with Business Solutions, for Corporate Management Team, which details all open/unresolved complaints. • Child Friendly Complaints (CFC) considered as part of UNCRC Leadership Forum sessions in May/June and ongoing development to be incorporated as part of the UNCRC working group activities. Participating in the national CFC forum group with other local authorities. Page 169 of 316
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Challenges and risks Midlothian Council continues to face a challenging environment, with financial, demographic, and economic pressures shaping how services are delivered and funded. Financial constraints: rising service delivery costs and uncertainty over future funding from the Scottish Government are placing significant strain on the council’s budget. Cost and income projections for future years are embedded in the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy which is supported by the Transformation Blueprint containing a range of transformation themes to drive towards a position of financial sustainability. Officers continue to work closely with the Business Transformation Steering Group to respond to the challenges. Economic pressures: the ongoing cost of living crisis is affecting residents and businesses, increasing the need for council funded support. Inflationary pressures on goods, services, and energy are also significantly increasing the cost of delivering council services. The impact of the cost of living crisis on households continues to be noted across the UK with 72% of adults reporting an increase in their cost of living in April 2024 (Office for National Statistics; Francis-Devine et al, 2022). The UK has faced an unprecedented wave of increasing prices, bills and tax challenges. The 41 year high inflation rate of 11.1% in October 2022 has been the main driver of the cost of living crisis which has outstripped wage and benefit increases. After this peak in inflation, rates have continued to decline, dropping to 2.0% in May 2024. Over the three years between May 2021 to May 2024 food prices rose by 30.6%. Although inflationary rates have steadied, the price rises continue to impact low-income households hardest as a larger proportion of their costs are on energy and food. As our citizens feel the impact of the Cost of Living Crisis, they will seek additional support from public services, in particular local authorities. To respond to this emerging crisis, the Council established a Cost of Living Task Force in 2022, which is chaired by the Council Leader and meets regularly to coordinate mitigating activities. Growing service demands: Midlothian’s sustained population growth and ageing demographic continues to drive an increase in demand for education, social care, housing and transport infrastructure. The 2022 Census results highlight that Midlothian remains the fastest growing local authority in Scotland with an increase of 16.1%. The 2011 census data lists Midlothian as having a population of 83,187 which has risen to 96,600 in the 2022 census data. The level of growth is 2.3% higher than our previous calculation and is now 13.4% higher than the Scottish average of 2.7%. In terms of households, Midlothian saw the highest percentage increase at 17.2% since the 2011 census. Population density in Midlothian is 273.1 residents per square kilometre compared to the Scottish average of 69.8. Page 170 of 316
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This growth creates the opportunity to meet the housing need with 25% of new homes being built in the affordable housing bracket, in addition to the expansion in Council house building. This construction will directly support employment and will see a steady increase in the value of Council Tax income received over time. Our Capital Strategy sets out the infrastructure required to meet those demographic pressures and includes the financial contributions Midlothian will make to the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. Encompassing five main themes the City Region Deal will bring significant investment across the regions with total investment of circa £1.3 billion across: • Data Driven Innovation: £751 million • Integrated Regional Employability and Skills: £25 million • Transport: £156 million • Culture: £45 million • Housing: £313 million Through the Data Driven Innovation strand the Deal will leverage existing world-class research institutes and commercialisation facilities in order that Easter Bush becomes a global location of Agritech excellence. The Easter Bush project includes significant investment in transport infrastructure along the A701/2 transport corridor. In addition, by improving on-site infrastructure at Easter Bush and transport infrastructure, The University of Edinburgh expects commercial partners will be able to co-locate at scale to commercialise Agritech breakthroughs. The UK Government has announced the University of Edinburgh as the preferred location for the exascale supercomputer, which will be able to perform one billion, billion calculations each second. Once operational, it will provide high-performance computing capability for key research and industry projects across the UK. Exascale will help researchers model all aspects of the world, test scientific theories and improve products and services in areas such as artificial intelligence, drug discovery, climate change, astrophysics and advanced engineering. Exascale will be housed in a new £31 million wing of EPCC’s Advanced Computing Facility in Easter Bush, which has been purpose-built as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. Installation of the first phase is due to begin in 2025. The Capital Investment Strategy sits centrally within the Council’s future planning activities and in doing so has to reflect the demands of Council services to ensure positive outcomes are achieved in the right place, at the right time, for the maximum benefit to Midlothian. The extensive capital programme aims to deliver new schools, investment in council housing, improved community infrastructure, investment in the local transport network and innovative developments such as the new low carbon heat network in Shawfair. In response to all these pressures, a range of reprioritisation activity continues, with an Estates & Asset Management Strategy being considered by the cross- party Business Transformation Steering Group, and options to review what and how services are delivered as part of the savings measures to reduce the funding gap recommended to Council. Page 171 of 316
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Risk The Council’s Strategic Risk Profile is reviewed on a retrospective basis and presented to Audit Committee on a quarterly basis. This process provides regular oversight of the most significant threats to the Council’s objectives and operations. At present, the highest priority risks identified relate to financial sustainability, climate change and the successful delivery of the Council’s transformations programme. Our Place directorate plays a pivotal role in mitigating these risks and spans a range of strategic functions, including long-term spatial and infrastructure planning, implementation of the Medium Term Financial Strategy, and leadership in delivering the Council’s transformation programme. Page 172 of 316
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Pentana Performance Dashboard – Q1 25/26 A full review of quarterly performance data is available via Pentana (Browser login link - https://midlothian.pentanarpm.uk/login) here Page 173 of 316
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Midlothian Council Report Quarter 1 2025/26 Progress Against Strategic Outcomes The Single Midlothian Plan focuses on three main priorities: • Individuals and communities have improved health and skills for learning, life and work. • No child or household need live in poverty. • Significant progress is made towards net zero carbon emissions by 2045. The 2022 Census results highlight that Midlothian is projected to have the highest percentage change in population size of all mainland council areas in Scotland with an increase of 16.1%. In addition, Midlothian has 10 zones which fall into the most deprived areas living a local share of 8.7% living in the most deprived areas in Scotland. To accommodate growth within the resources available we will need to think differently about the services we deliver and how we deliver them. Rooted in the creation of a wellbeing economy, in June 2023 Council approved the new Transformation Blueprint 2023-2028. Some services will be transformed to meet our growing population within the financial envelope available, others may be delivered in a different way and some will need to stop. Fostering a collaborative culture where everyone is focused on the same end goal – creating effective and efficient services which will benefit our citizens – will be crucial to future success. The Transformation Blueprint will focus on the nature of the work we will do, developing a 21st century workforce supported by a workplace fit for the future where joined up services are delivered in a holistic and integrated way. The 5 key objectives of the Transformation Blueprint are: 1. Support the Council to address the 5 year funding gap of £29.121 million outlined in the Medium Term Financial Strategy. 2. Follow the Money to ensure that the services we commission, contracts we manage and digital solutions we use deliver value for money. 3. Develop an organisational workforce that is flexible ensuring that all staff have the necessary skills to work effectively, supported by digital technologies that fit for a 21st century workforce. 4. Design a workplace fit for the future delivering services in a holistic and integrated way as well as utilising our assets to maximise their potential. 5. Drive forward multi-agency transformation to deliver systems-level change resulting in integrated service delivery which improve community outcomes. Our Workforce Strategy 2024-34 and Digital Transformation Strategy 2024-29 are core elements of the council’s Transformation Blueprint and will support the council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy – 2024/25 to 2028/29. Workforce Strategy 2024-34 is accompanied by a 3-year short-term action plan and the strategic aims are: • Plan: deliver an evidence and outcome-based workforce planning framework that is an integral part of the council’s approach to strategic planning. Cabinet Tuesday 07 October 2025 Item No 5.8 Page 175 of 316
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• Attract: ensure the council becomes the employer of choice for the population of Midlothian, by deploying best practice in attracting the best staff. • Train: enable the council to become a “Learning Organisation”, providing staff with business-focused training and development to equip them with the skills and knowledge required to deliver their best. • Employ: ensure Fair Work principles continue to be at the heart of management practice, ensuring staff are, and feel, valued and rewarded. • Nurture: create a workforce and leadership culture focusing on the health and wellbeing of a demographically balanced workforce that reflects the community it serves. Digital Transformation Strategy 2024-29 outlines the key priority areas the Council will focus on over the next 5 years, harnessing digital tools, technology and data. The key areas are: • Automate: For an Efficient, Modern Council • Reimagine: Transform Service Delivery • Data: Deeper Insights and Preventative Operations • Secure and Sustain: Protect and Preserve Whilst a full update for the performance for each of the Council’s Service areas is published separately, this report reflects a summary of the key service updates, against the thematic areas of the Single Midlothian Plan. Page 176 of 316
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Single Midlothian Plan Themes in 2023/27 Midlothian will be Healthier – Achievements The Midlothian Integration Joint Board (IJB) plan and direct delegated health and social care services for the people of Midlothian. Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) oversees the delivery of all the services delegated to Midlothian IJB. The aim of integrated health and social care is for the people to experience more joined up treatment and care. Social work services in Midlothian are delivered jointly by Midlothian Council and Midlothian Integration Joint Board. Adult social work and social care services, including Justice Social Work, are delegated to Midlothian IJB. Adult Social Care contributes to the Midlothian IJB Strategic Commissioning Plan, the strategic aims of both NHS Lothian and Midlothian Council, and contributes to the work of the Community Planning Partnership through the Single Midlothian Plan. Learning Disability/Physical Disability This quarter inspections have been completed for Cherry Road Day Service and Thera, one of our larger commissioned providers. Both these services improved their grades. Work is ongoing with one provider to support them and develop the model. Care Inspectorate Grades Good or Above Target = 90% Actual = 96% Meets / exceeds target Physical Disabilities and Long-Term Conditions PD/LTC interventions recorded as outcome achieved Target = 85% Actual = 88% Meets / exceeds target PD/LTC referral screening episode concluded within 3 working days Target = 90% Actual = 89% Does not meet target Carers Number of Adult Carer Support Plans completed by HSCP Target = 25 Actual = 33 Meets / exceeds target Number of Adult Carer Support Plans completed by HSCP Target = 175 Actual = 301 Meets / exceeds target Older People’s Social Commissioned Services – Garvald Mayfield - At Garvald's Midlothian day service based in the McSence Business Park, Mayfield, six core activities are offered: Kitchen Group, Garden and Outdoors Group, Pottery, Textiles, Jewellery, and Art and Printmaking. Additionally, there are satellite activities across the week many with a focus on physical wellbeing that service users can opt into including: walking groups, swimming, standing and seated exercise, music, dance, drama, signing communication, storytelling, boccia, digital technology, Eurythmy movement therapy, meditation and mental health toolkit groups, member's rep committee group etc. Care at Home Services - Midlothian Care at Home services delivers on average 9000 hours per week. The longest wait for community packages of care sits at around 52 weeks. This is expected to significantly improve with dedicated social workers and OT’s reviewing each one. Page 177 of 316
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Older People’s Service Older People’s Social Work Team – Provides social work assessment, care management and review of services for people over 65 years old and their carers. There is a separate team for those who have a diagnosis of dementia. Newbyre’s Care Home – The care home provides 24 hours care and support for 48 Midlothian residents. There have been 5 residents admitted to Newbyres Village in the first quarter of 2025. Care Inspectorate Grades Good or Above Inspection in January 2025 reported the following grades: People's wellbeing Leadership Staff team Setting Care & support planning 4 3 3 4 4 The improvement plan is designed to ensure that upon completion of the next care inspection there is demonstrable improvement with a view to improving the above grades. Highbank Intermediate Care Unit - Highbank is an intermediate care unit with 40 beds available. Currently there are 23 residents awaiting care home placement. There are 12 residents who are waiting for a package of care, rehabilitation, housing and completing assessment of need. There are 3 respite beds and a planned review of the booking and management system of respite to ensure that there is a maximisation of occupancy. Care Inspectorate Grades Good or Above Inspection in January 2025 reported the following grades: People's wellbeing Leadership Staff team Setting Care & support planning 4 Not assessed 5 Not assessed Not assessed Plans to relocate Highbank to the Polton Street site are now advanced. There has been a revision of the intended March 2026 date to 30th November 2025. Hospital In Reach Team - The In Reach Team provide assessment and discharge planning to residents from Midlothian who have been admitted to one of 5 hospital sites and from Highbank Intermediate Care. They also provide care home and community review as well as a range of social work interventions. 6 Excellent 5 Very Good 4 Good 3 Adequate 2 Weak 1 Poor 6 Excellent 5 Very Good 4 Good 3 Adequate 2 Weak 1 Poor Page 178 of 316
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Assessments completed by the team in Q1 2025 April May June Assessments completed 8 19 Data not available Referrals received 27 43 Data not available Average social delays in acute hospital beds (Social Work) April May June Average social delays in acute beds (social work) 8.4 7.9 5.7 In Q1 there has been development work completed to ensure that all Midlothian clients who are in acute beds and identified as ‘social delays’ are offered placement in intermediate care to progress assessment, await packages of care, to await care home placement and to complete rehabilitation where appropriate. There have also been some clients who have moved to Intermediate care to await housing outcomes. Midlothian Community Hospital - Two social workers will provide a dedicated service to the clients currently in Midlothian Community Hospital. Assessment and discharge planning will be provided to all clients who are clinically ready for discharge and who have completed periods of rehabilitation. Progressing actions relating to the Delayed Discharge Policy can be challenging and there is currently a working group for greater NHS Lothian to address these issues on a policy basis to support and develop use of this policy to progress discharge where there is resource available including intermediate care beds and interim placements. There is a general shortage of care home placements. Work is progressing to ensure that all vacancies are identified as soon as possible and that assessment timescales to allow for resident admission are as robust as possible. Adult Support and Protection The Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 was introduced in October 2008. It provides duties, powers and measures for the support and protection of adults who may be at risk of harm. On receipt of a referral related to concerns that there is an adult at risk of harm it is screened to ensure that the relevant information is available and an investigation, often referred to as the Duty to Inquire (DTI) will be undertaken, there is a local aim that the investigation will be completed within 21 days, however there are a number of factors which impact this including being able to speak to the adult to gain their views. If risks remain at the completion of the Duty to Inquire, and the three-point test has been met, an Page 179 of 316
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Adult Case Conference must be convened; this is a multi-agency forum for shared decision- making. A Protection Plan is put in place at each case conference and is reviewed at least once to ensure that it is having a positive outcome or if additional action is required. Three protection plans commenced during Quarter 1. There are a range of measures that agencies can take to mitigate and manage the identified risks, and these include the use of Protection Orders which are sought through an application to the Sheriff Court. There were no Protection Orders required in Quarter 1. Public Health - The Public Health Practitioners work to support services to improve wellbeing and reduce health inequalities for the people of Midlothian. They support staff to design and deliver services that support early intervention and prevention. Weight Bias - In February, Public Health successfully recruited a Project Manager for a new post to develop and deliver training on Weight Bias and confident conversations about weight. In Q1 the Weight Bias project manager has created an action plan, drafted the training curriculum, and met with key stakeholders from primary care where the training is aiming to be targeted for in the first instance. Learning and Development - In the last year the learning and development team have delivered and coordinated over 1000 learning opportunities. This covers a broad range from SVQ programmes (Levels 2, 3 and 4) to Adult Support and Protection, Child Protection, Team Teach, Trauma Informed Practice, Motivational Interviewing, Dementia Awareness and Medication training. In addition to this staff have also accessed post grad courses through Edinburgh University, Stirling, The Open University and Napier University. All LearnPro modules relevant to registered staff are fully up to date and compliance to completion is around 90%. Adult Mental Health Service Mental Health Wait Times - Mental Health Assessment refers to assessments by Mental Health Social Workers. The waiting list is monitored weekly, and priority is given to urgent referrals which also impacts on the longest waits. Further consideration needs to be given to a reasonable target wait for mental health social care waiting list, but assurance can be given the service continues to meet the needs of high-risk priority individuals in a timely manner. Page 180 of 316
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The Mental Health service continues to experience challenges due to the lack of dedicated mental health providers for specialist packages of care as well as a lack of appropriate mental health housing, mainly complex care where an individual requires a step down from acute/Rehab but still requires the 24/7 nursing intervention which can be provided through a hospital based model or community setting. Due to this it continues to present barriers to hospital discharges. Dementia Team - Currently in Midlothian social work waiting times continue to be monitored within the agreed performance target of being allocated to a Social Worker or Community Care Assistant within 6 weeks. Staff Wellbeing - The HSCP Staff Wellbeing support system develops, implements, and evaluates a range of high-quality and research-based wellbeing, experience, and engagement processes, in order to enable, empower, sustain, and retain health and social care staff. The staff of Midlothian HSCP are all working towards the same goal, that everyone working here is equally valued and supported to succeed. We believe that whoever you are, whatever you do, and wherever you work in the partnership, you can make a valued contribution and feel included. To achieve this, we implement actions which positively influence the 4 key drivers outlined within our Staff Wellbeing, Experience and Engagement Delivery Plan 2025-2028. Work has meaning and a positive impact on staff. • Choice & Autonomy • Meaning & Purpose • Wellness & Resilience • Camaraderie & teamwork • Physical & psychological safety • Participative management • Measurement & improvement Work is a healthy place to be. • Healthy body • Balanced mind • Positive choices • Caring culture We are all able to show leadership. • Compassionate: attending, understanding, empathising, helping • Collective and Collaborative: shared goals, purpose and responsibility, trust and permission, distributed and inclusive We listen to staff, and they feel heard. • What matters to you conversations • iMatter survey and action plans • Appraisal • Raising concerns • The voice of staff networks Sport & Leisure Tonezone memberships continues to remain high with a total of 5,123 memberships up to the end of quarter 1. The slight decrease this quarter is due to short term membership promotions running the previous quarter. However figures show a 17% increase compared to the same period last year. Usage figures across our sport and leisure facilities have also increased this quarter compared to the same period last year with a 19% increase in usage across all facilities excluding pools. Midlothian Active Choices (MAC) is a sport and leisure physical activity referral programme, aimed at adults who are inactive and experience various health conditions. The programme offers a range of supported activities across Midlothian to help manage these health conditions. This quarter saw 2,209 Midlothian Active Choices attendees with 495 new referrals received after completion of MAC sessions showing an increase of 32% in attendees and 19% new referrals compared to the same period last year. Page 181 of 316
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The number of activities offered by Ageing Well to 50 plus age groups has also increased this quarter with 845 activities offered compared to 741 offered during quarter 1 of last year. Our gym refurbishment project has continued to progress this quarter. The procurement evaluation process has now been successfully completed and after consideration of quality, value for money and alignment with our project goals, a successful contractor has been formally appointed. This marks a step forward in the delivery of the refurbishment which will focus on mobilisng resources, finalising timelines, and beginning on site works to remain committed in creating modern, high quality fitness facilities that meets the needs of our community and enhances the overall user experience. Midlothian will be Safer – Achievements Justice and Protection Services This service area includes Justice, Community Justice, Duty Social Work, Adult Support and Protection, and Public Health. They support people involved in the Parole and Pre-release process including the preparation of Criminal Justice Social Work Reports and pre-release reports. Their work is underpinned by the ideals of reparation, rehabilitation and reintegration and aims to provide a clear pathway to support those who have been convicted of offences to achieve a positive destination. The impact of interventions is measured through ongoing risk assessment and from feedback from those who have successfully completed their order or licence. The main community-based sentence that the service manage is a Community Payback Order (CPO), which can have up to ten requirements attached to it. The most frequently imposed requirements are Supervision and Unpaid Work. During this reporting period the Courts imposed 42 Community Payback Orders. At the end of quarter 1 the team were supervising 233 people on a total of 265 orders. Justice Social Work staff use a trauma informed and person-centred approach to develop effective working relationships with clients. In the interests of justice, and to maintain the public confidence in community sentences, all missed appointments, or failure to comply, are responded to robustly using disciplinary procedures which can result in the order being returned to court in breach. Page 182 of 316
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Substance Use Treatment Service (SUS) Midlothian Substance Use Services continue to maintain Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards 1-5 which the service fully implemented in March 2023. Over the last year the service has been focussing on the criteria for MAT 6-10. Midlothian is in a positive position and has exceeded the set Scottish Government criteria for March 2025 (MAT 1-5 Green and MAT 6-10 Provisional Green), both through submitting relevant evidence of process measures and numerical measures. Midlothian has had confirmation feedback that we have been rated green for all MAT standards 1-10. As part of Mat 6 and 10 standards Midlothian had successfully implemented a training programme to support trauma-informed practice, and the expected target set by the Scottish Government of 50% of staff trained in tier 1 training by March 2025. Midlothian has exceeded this target with 77% of staff trained. The SUS treatment service continues to provide direct access to timely and appropriate treatment that best met an individual’s needs, psycho-social support and peer led support for those affected by their or another’s drugs and/or alcohol use. Midlothian will Get it Right for Every Child – Achievements In Midlothian the Getting It Right for Every Child Board (GIRFEC) is one of the subgroups of the SMP, and one of the main drivers for the effective delivery of services to children. The GIRFEC Plan also known as the Integrated Children’s Service Plan 2023-2026, is a statutory three-year plan devised by the local authority and health. The plan develops key outcomes and priority actions which are designed to improve the lives of children, young people, and families. The plan has 12 shared priority themes, outcomes and actions which sit within 4 subgroups: 1. Children & Young People’s Rights 2. Children & Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing 3. Whole Family Wellbeing 4. Information Sharing and Commissioning The GIRFEC Board is now progressing with a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and has 3 facilitated sessions planned to devise the new Intergrated Children’s Services Plan. This quarter work commenced to refresh the GIRFEC framework and training to include focus on the Promise and to develop single child’s plan across the partnership. The Promise – Midlothian continues to progress towards the key foundations of The Promise Scotland Plan 2024- 2030. A Promise Update report was presented to Council in June 2025. In June we also welcomed Natalie Don-Innes, Minister for Children and Young People and colleagues from Scottish Government to share how we are keeping the Promise. Corporate Parenting – an event to re-launch and promote Corporate Parenting in Midlothian took place in June. The event provided an opportunity for our care community to come together and was hosted by Sport and Leisure services. A range of corporate parents were present including a number of external partners. Page 183 of 316
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Referrals: Number of referrals by Quarter 23/24 24/25 25/26 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 2,353 2,067 1,436 1,324 1,170 932 970 1,046 947 During Q1, referrals to Children’s Services have seen a slight decrease compared to the previous quarter. This trend aligns with our ongoing efforts to provide support to families at an earlier stage and redirect referrals for families toward earlier intervention and support services via Team Around the Child and the Family Wellbeing Service. Family Wellbeing Service – The Service continues to work with approximately 150 children at any given time. Referrals in Q1 months May and June were reduced but this can be balanced with the increased rate of referrals that were accepted by the service in April 2025. School age children continue to make up the highest percentages of who the team are supporting, and school attendance remains a predominant reason for referral. Disability Service and Self-Directed Support - A discrete disability team is now in place for children’s services. The team supports our focus on improving practice and consistency continues, to ensure families are receiving a fair and equitable response to assessed social work needs. The team are currently supporting 251 children or young people with a package of care. This can vary from residential respite to allow children with a high level of need to remain living with their family, to supporting children to attend appropriate social activities and thrive in their communities. The development of this team supports the Business Transformation Project focused on improving transitions across Education, Children’s Services and Adult Services. Child Protection and Looked After away from home population - The data evidence that although the referrals are reduced by changes in process and early support, there remains a high level of need and increased complexity for the children and families we are supporting. It is evident that despite the increased support to keep children at home there is a slow increase in both Child protection registrations and the number of looked after and accommodated children. The number of children on the Child Protection Register for Q1 is 41 and the number of Looked After and Accommodated Children for Q1 is 204. The Education Service Improvement Plan is informed by and links to the outcomes determined by the Getting it Right for Every Midlothian Child Board. Throughout 2025/26 education services, schools and settings are focused on a single priority to raise attainment and achievement to ensure that all children and young people in Midlothian achieve outcomes which lead to positive and sustained destinations. The Service Improvement Plan has two main workstreams: 1. Inclusive Learning, teaching, assessment and curriculum (iLTAC) 2. Wellbeing, Support and Partnerships (WSPs) Aligned to the Service Plan, key achievements for workstream 1 include: • A comprehensive professional learning offer available to all staff • Almost all schools have engaged with Inclusive Learning, Teaching & Assessment self- evaluation resources and identified next steps for improvement • A comprehensive learning plan is in place for the Literacy and Numeracy Champions who represent every school in Midlothian • The raising attainment team continues to work alongside teachers and school leaders to improve inclusive learning, teaching and assessment in our Improvement category schools • Dyslexia guidance shared with a Professional Learning offer to support school staff being rolled out • 1,018 Primary 3 pupils have undertaken a three-week package of in-class digital Page 184 of 316
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support, designed to support them to use Chromebooks safely and with purpose • Almost all school professional learning calendars have time set aside for school and cross sector Broad General Education Moderation processes for Literacy and Numeracy Aligned to the Service Plan, key achievements for workstream 2 include: • New pupil voice structure with plans set out for engagement across the year • Engagement with EEG and Headteachers is underway to consider how increased participation of school leaders and senior officers can make local decisions about service improvement and lead change • A multi-agency GIRFEC Steering Group has been established with representation from schools and partner agencies to refresh and promote the values, principles and practice of GIRFEC across all our services • Data sets for tracking and monitoring of attendance feed into SLT meetings on a monthly basis to inform QI activity • Design of website in process for families with information relating to ND assessment and supports Active Schools Midlothian team continue to work in partnership with sportscotland, providing opportunities for our children to adopt healthy and active lifestyles throughout their school years and into adulthood by supporting and sustaining a network of volunteers, coaches, leaders and teachers who, in turn, deliver extra curricular physical activity and sport before, during and after school and in the wider community. 2,656 participants attended Active Schools free extra curricular club this quarter which is an increase of 7% compared to the same periods last year of 2,466 participants. The team have increased the number of distinct activities delivered by the programme to 185 this quarter from 163 during quarter 1 of last year. The number of volunteer hours delivered in the Active Schools Programme during quarter 1 has also increased from this time last year from 1,162 volunteers compared to 1,280 during this quarter. A 10% increase. Our Easter holiday programme saw an increase in offering of activities as well as an increase in participation and income compared to last year. Primary 4 free swimming lessons continued this quarter with 18 classes per week delivered as part of a 9 week block, totalling 4,328 attendances. Midlothian will Support Residents to Improve Employability and Outcomes in our Communities - Achievements The vision for this is to reduce the gaps in learning, economic circumstances and poverty. The new CLD Partnership Plan 2024 to 2027 aims to build skills for learning life and work through youth work, adult learning, community development and employability in Midlothian. The No One Left Behind plan 2022-25 is aimed at addressing the needs of Midlothian residents seeking employability supports. In Quarter 1 1,995 people engaged with CLLE services across 251 opportunities. 221 home visits were carried out to help young people engage with our services and support those not in a positive destination. 159 people accessing our services live in SIMD 20% and 850 in SIMD 40%. In addition, 24 community groups have received support and advice from CLLE about governance and funding. Securing qualifications is key to our support of young people and adults to make changes and progress and we supported local people to secure 479 qualifications. Page 185 of 316
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In Q1 the No One Left Behind (NOLB) All Age Employability team have continued to provide support to 224 people, with 50 new starts this quarter. The team has continued to support 224 existing parents on our caseloads from the year 24-25 and a further 45 new parents started in quarter 1. Youth Work - Q1 996 young people accessed CLLE services over 119 different opportunities, 50 from SIMD 20% and 346 from 40% SIMD. 221 received one to one youth work support/positive destinations support. In Quarter 1 78 adult learning opportunities were offered across community based and paid for adult learning programmes. 109 local people enrolled in the paid for adult learning programme which is offering a variety of courses. Overall, 161 adults from 40% SIMD have taken part in adult learning programmes. External Funding - £133,500 has been secured by the CYP division led by CLLE to secure Armed Forces Covenant Funding to implement the new bespoke supports provided through a new project called MIPSA to the children of serving military personnel. Library services continue to transform and thrive in responding to the needs of our communities. Figures for the quarter show: • library visits continue to grow with a 4% increase in total visits (both physical and virtual) compared to the same period last year and a 13% increase compared to quarter 1 2023/24. • 149,597 physical library visits were made. • 43,358 virtual library visits were made. • 2,478 events, clubs, activities and workshops were held across libraries, a 45% increase compared to the same period last year. • This quarter, Midlothian Libraries delivered 17 Bookbug Sessions attended by 277 children and 266 adults. • To commemorate VE Day, a number of library displays and memories of the war were shared in our reminiscence groups. • Libraries acted as a collection point for the Mid Mouse project which is a Midlothian intergenerational community transition project, which aims to support children who are starting Primary 1. Library services were nominated in the Scottish Library Information Council (SLIC) Library Service Excellence Award and announced as the Regional and Country Winner for Scotland in the Bookseller Library of the Year Award. Libraries play a crucial role in supporting communities with digital access, learning and support and in preventing digital exclusion. A further 978 customers were supported with digital queries this quarter including general IT help, assisting customers to access services online such as job searches, benefits, universal credit and assist in making payments online. The total figures across the year show a 15% increase in support given. Page 186 of 316
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Midlothian will be Greener- Achievements Midlothian Council is firmly committed to tackling climate change and working towards a net zero future in line with Scottish Government targets. This commitment covers not only the Council’s own operations, but also as its role in leading, supporting, and partnering with the wider community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the impacts of a changing climate. To ensure our approach remains ambitious and effective, we are currently updating our Climate Change Strategy and its supporting action plan. This refreshed framework will guide the Council and our local authority partners in their shared mission to reach net zero, building a greener, more sustainable, and more resilient Midlothian for future. Economic Development continues to promote the Midlothian Business Green Pledge on social media and in direct conversations with clients to increase education and awareness of climate change and suggest adaptations. The number of businesses signing up to the Pledge continues to rise each quarter with a total of 192 businesses now committed, 13 of those signing up during quarter 1. Midlothian’s Active Travel Strategy ‘On the Move Midlothian: Our Active Travel Strategy for Everyone 2024-2034’, reports its most successful year to date, marking a significant milestone in our efforts to promote, sustainable, safe, and healthy travel options for young people. This academic year, for the first time ever, every primary school in Midlothian participated in Bikeability Scotland Road Cycling Training, placing Midlothian among the top-performing local authorities in the country. A total of 1,450 pupils from Primary 5 to 7 successfully completed training. The team have been shortlisted as a finalist at the upcoming APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) service awards in the category ‘Best Technical Team’, in recognition of their outstanding work on the upgrade of the National Cycle Network Route 196 (NCN196) between Rosewell and Auchendinny. A satisfactory rating was received from the Scottish Road Works Commissioner in its 2024/25 Annual Performance Review, recognising efforts in the coordination of road works across the local authority area. This quarter, under the combined Capital Works Programme and Residential Streets Programme, 2.8km of carriageway was resurfaced representing 0.38% of our road network resurfaced. Footway resurfacing has also been affected in quarter 1 with 0.01% of footways resurfaced. However, resurfacing work is expected to increase from quarter 2 to bring these back on target by the end of the year. 1,251.1 tonnes of material was used this quarter to fill potholes. 198.74 tonnes of material was used for temporary repairs and 1,052.35 for pothole pro permanent patching which overall is a 47% increase on pothole repairs compared to the same period last year. As part of the street lighting capital programme, 330 street lighting columns are planned to be replaced this year starting on the 30th of June. In addition, a further 900 LED upgrades to existing columns are planned to be replaced of which 298 have been complete. During quarter 1, Waste Services developed an implementation plan for the roll out of the Twin Stream project, a major initiative aimed at improving recycling services for residents. Twin stream recycling is a collection method where recyclable materials are separated into two categories at the point of collections, one stream for paper and card and the other for plastics and cans. This approach reduces contamination, improves the quality of recyclables, and increases the proportion of materials that can be successfully processed and reused. Page 187 of 316
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The Greenspace Team activity this quarter has resulted in an improved appearance to the streets and roads in towns, villages and housing estates across Midlothian, which supports the works of the new Neighbourhood Environment Team who are further enhancing the local environment for our residents. The Greenspace Team have continued to work with our brilliant volunteers across Midlothian, supporting volunteer groups who help manage our countryside sites. This quarter, 1,350 volunteer hours (225 days) were spent in countryside sites. Midlothian will have a Wellbeing Economy and be Better Connected – Achievements Work continues on the delivery of the Councils Economic Strategy for Inclusive Economic Growth 2025-2030 with supporting delivery plans from 2025-27, setting out how we achieve the objects within the strategy, being shared with Council this quarter. The new strategy aligns with the Scottish Government National Strategy for Economic Transformation and the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal Prosperity Framework. Midlothian’s vision is that: “Midlothian’s wellbeing economy will support our communities, businesses and town centres to thrive, ensuring inclusivity and fair work for all. It will continue to be recognised as home to world leading clusters of science and innovation and be known as an area in which everyone can live, work and do business sustainably to generate wealth and wellbeing for its citizens” This will be achieved in accordance with four pillars, principles that underpin the strategy’s vision: empowerment, partnership and collaboration, ambition and innovation sets out the following priorities to achieve our vision: • Develop Midlothian’s proposition within the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region • Enhance skills and employability opportunities in Midlothian, to meet the challenges and opportunities of inclusive Green Growth with entrepreneurship recognised as valuable career pathway • Maximise the potential of Midlothian’s key sectors to support a Just Transition • Capitalise on the strengths of Midlothian’s strategic partners to embed community wealth across all services to realise a wellbeing economy • Re-imagine our town centres, ensuring they meet Midlothian’s economic, social, cultural and environmental needs • Deliver infrastructure enhancements that will support Midlothian’s transition to a Wellbeing Economy The Business Gateway Midlothian Service continues to offer consistent levels of activity across various support services, from pre-start to start-up and existing business growth support. 45 ‘Planning to Start’ enquiries were received in quarter 1 which is a decrease of 18% compared to the same period last year, 17 ‘Strengthen Your Business’ enquires were also received this quarter. The total number of new Business start-ups this quarter was 26, creating a total of 31 jobs and an estimated contribution of £1,016,200 to the Midlothian economy in their first year of trading. Four new trade procurements were undertaken following Cabinet approval to ring-fence the procurements to Midlothian based suppliers. These are in Building, Plastering & Tiling, Joinery & Roofing and Painting & Decorating. This followed two online meet the buyer events held to promote the procurement. This led to the successful award to 13 suppliers, of which 7 were new to working with Midlothian Council. These 7 suppliers have 78 employees, contributing to the Page 188 of 316
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Council’s strategic priority to local procurement, community wealth building and investing in Midlothian’s local economy. The Locate in Midlothian website continues to be a valuable tool in promoting our services and supporting businesses and investors that wish to locate in Midlothian. The website received 14,489 visits during quarter 1. The most popular pages during quarter 1 were commercial property listings, our Business directory, Midlothian jobs and investment opportunities. In June the Business Gateway Service, along with wider Council representation, attended the opening of The Bubbling Toad, at Vogrie House. This was the culmination of two years of Business Gateway support, in the form of business planning, mentoring, access to funding and project management and will be a great asset to Vogrie. The Bubbling Toad also successfully accessed UKG Shared Prosperity Fund 2022-2025 programme funding. Tourism, Culture and Heritage - Work continues this quarter on the Midlothian Tourism Strategy and is on track for publication in October 2025. Our Alpine coaster has seen a significant increase in ticket sales this quarter of 38,076, a 66.5% increase in the number of tickets sold compared to 22,868 sold last quarter. This quarter, we had the honour of hosting renowned Hollywood actor Matt Damon on the Alpine Coaster, which attracted significant public interest, generating substantial engagement on social media with one post receiving 159k views, boosting our online visibility. Additionally, quarter 1 brought further media promotion as we welcomed the BBC, who chose the Alpine Coaster as the location for filming a children's challenge show. Alongisde this, the team hosted a production crew from Spanish National TV. Midlothian will Work Towards Reducing Poverty – Achievements This theme focuses on reducing all aspects of poverty using a data informed approach whilst learning from those with direct experience of poverty. There continues to be a significant demand placed on homeless and temporary accommodation services, alongside the increase in energy, food and fuel costs, requiring a comprehensive preventative approach as set out in the Council’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan. Homelessness is not inevitable and can often be prevented. The Council’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) 2025/26 to 2029/30 was submitted to the Scottish Government in October 24. The SHIP identifies the Council’s priorities for investment in new affordable housing in Midlothian over a 5-year period. The delivery of more affordable housing remains a high priority for Midlothian, as reflected by our ongoing and ambitious housing development programme. This quarter we have received the completed handover for 4 new build homes at New Adams Row in Danderhall. A further 8 were handed over during July and August. There were 6,163 active housing applicants placed on the Common Housing Register at the end of this quarter, a slight decrease compared to the same period last year of 6,260. 163 lets have been made this quarter, an increase of 33% from the same period last year, averaging 54 lets per month. 69.9% of lets were made to homeless list applicants and 30.1% to general needs list applicants. 11 lets were made to new builds and 3 to open market purchases during quarter 1. Re-let times to permanent accommodation properties has averaged at 54 days to re-let this quarter. Homelessness prevention assists around 20 households with advice and assistance about homelessness prevention per week. This is rental assistance advice, financial awareness Page 189 of 316
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advice and mediation. The number of homeless cases provided with advice and assistance this quarter was 231. The total number of households in temporary accommodation at the end of quarter 1 was 327, a decrease of 17% compared to the same period last year of 395. The number of temporary accommodation households that have been flipped to permanent accommodation this quarter was 73. Tenants sustaining permanent accommodation continues to be high this quarter with 95% of homeless applicants sustaining a permanent tenancy after 1 year. The percentage of Secondary School meal uptake this quarter was 33.6% and is expectedly lower than previous quarters due to school exam leave. The percentage of Primary School meal uptake for this quarter is 57.69% and increased compared to a 54.44% uptake for 2024/25 and continues to sit well above the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) average of 41.24%. The percentage of school meal food waste continues to decrease this quarter at 3.42% from 4.98% during quarter 2024/25 and 6.86% at quarter 1 of 2023/24. Cost of Living Crisis: 34.6% of our total Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) budget was allocated during quarter 1. A total of 1,881 applications for Crisis Grants and 316 for Community Care Grants were received this quarter. This demonstrates the continued significant financial challenges faced by our communities. Our Scottish Welfare Fund Assessors respond and analyse the reasons for the high number of applications and refusals to identify preventative activity to mitigate people reaching this crisis point. This is identified as a key action in the Child Poverty Action Plan. 2,246 customers received help and support via Housing Benefits this quarter with a gradual reduction each quarter from 3,028 during quarter 1 of last year Cost of Living campaigns have been delivered to increase awareness and uptake of free soup and hot drink offer at our Warm and Well Hubs and increase awareness of all-year round Cost of Living supports, especially food pantries. CLLE staff supported the Midlothian Pantry Network to hold a celebration for member pantry volunteers as part of Volunteers’ Week in June. The event recognised all the hours that volunteers give to provide Midlothian residents with food in a dignified setting. CLLE staff supported the researchers from the Child Poverty Accelerator Funded Lived Experience project to present their summary report at the Arts Centre on the 28th April 2025. CLLE then went on to support the delivery of an 8 week Understanding Poverty course using resources from the University of York. Challenges and Risks Midlothian Council continues to face a challenging environment, with financial, demographic, and economic pressures shaping how services are delivered and funded. Financial constraints: rising service delivery costs and uncertainty over future funding from the Scottish Government are placing significant strain on the council’s budget. Cost and income projections for future years are embedded in the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy which is supported by the Transformation Blueprint containing a range of transformation themes to drive towards a position of financial sustainability. Officers continue to work closely with the Business Transformation Steering Group to respond to the challenges. Economic pressures: the ongoing cost of living crisis is affecting residents and businesses, increasing the need for council funded support. Inflationary pressures on goods, services, and Page 190 of 316
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energy are also significantly increasing the cost of delivering council services. As our citizens feel the impact of the Cost of Living Crisis, they will seek additional support from public services, in particular local authorities. To respond to this emerging crisis, the Council established a Cost of Living Task Force in 2022, which is chaired by the Council Leader and meets regularly to coordinate mitigating activities. Growing service demands: Midlothian’s sustained population growth and ageing demographic continues to drive an increase in demand for education, social care, housing and transport infrastructure. The 2022 Census results highlight that Midlothian remains the fastest growing local authority in Scotland with an increase of 16.1%. The 2011 census data lists Midlothian as having a population of 83,187 which has risen to 96,600 in the 2022 census data. The level of growth is 2.3% higher than our previous calculation and is now 13.4% higher than the Scottish average of 2.7%. In terms of households, Midlothian saw the highest percentage increase at 17.2% since the 2011 census. Population density in Midlothian is 273.1 residents per square kilometre compared to the Scottish average of 69.8. This growth creates the opportunity to meet the housing need with 25% of new homes being built in the affordable housing bracket, in addition to the expansion in Council house building. This construction will directly support employment and will see a steady increase in the value of Council Tax income received over time. Capital Strategy: Sets out the infrastructure required to meet demographic pressures and includes the financial contributions Midlothian will make to the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. Encompassing five main themes the City Region Deal will bring significant investment across the regions with total investment of circa £1.3 billion across: • Data Driven Innovation: £751 million • Integrated Regional Employability and Skills: £25 million • Transport: £156 million • Culture: £45 million • Housing: £313 million The Capital Investment Strategy sits centrally within the Council’s future planning activities and in doing so has to reflect the demands of Council services to ensure positive outcomes are achieved in the right place, at the right time, for the maximum benefit to Midlothian. The extensive capital programme aims to deliver new schools, investment in council housing, improved community infrastructure, investment in the local transport network and innovative developments such as the new low carbon heat network in Shawfair. In response to all these pressures, a range of reprioritisation activity continues, with an Estates & Asset Management Strategy being considered by the cross- party Business Transformation Steering Group, and options to review what and how services are delivered as part of the savings measures to reduce the funding gap recommended to Council. Workforce Challenges: There are workforce challenges across a range of services including health and social care, social work and regulatory services due to on-going pressures in the wider workforce availability which impacts on recruitment. The Council’s Strategic Risk Profile is reviewed on a retrospective basis and presented to Audit Committee on a quarterly basis. This process provides regular oversight of the most significant threats to the Council’s objectives and operations. At present, the highest priority risks identified Page 191 of 316
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relate to financial sustainability, climate change and the successful delivery of the Council’s transformations programme. Page 192 of 316
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Pentana Performance Dashboard – Q1 25/26 Page 193 of 316
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Cabinet Tuesday 07 October 2025 Item No 5.9 Midlothian Council Statutory Report to Scottish Ministers on Public Bodies Climate Change Duties 2024/25 Report by Chief Officer Place Report for Decision 1. Recommendations 1.1 It is recommended that Cabinet: (a) approves the Council’s Report on Compliance with the Public Bodies Climate Change Duties for 2024/25; and (b) agrees to the submission of the report to Scottish Ministers by 30 November 2025. 2. Purpose of Report/Executive Summary 2.1 The purpose of this report is to inform Cabinet of the Council’s statement of compliance with its statutory climate change reporting duties for 2024/25, a copy of which is available in the CMIS Member’s Library, and to recommend its submission to Scottish Government by the due date of 30 November 2025. Date: 16 September 2025 Report Contact: Wendy Campbell, Climate Change Lead Officer, (Planning, Sustainable Growth and Investment Service) wendy.campbell@midlothian.gov.uk Page 195 of 316
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3. Background 3.1 Since 2007, all Scottish local authorities have been signatories to Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration; publicly committing themselves to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and taking steps to adapt to climate change impacts. 3.2 The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 set economy-wide (not organisational) emissions reduction targets. It introduced a statutory requirement for public bodies to undertake ‘climate change duties’ and to operate in the way best calculated to contribute to delivering these targets and to help meet any Scottish programme for adapting to the impacts of a changing climate. The Scottish Government voted in 2019 to strengthen the Act’s targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. It now requires a 75% cut in emissions by 2030 (compared to a 1990 baseline) and it set a net-zero emissions target for 2045. In 2019, Midlothian Council adopted a target of reaching net zero by 2030 but has since moved that target back to 2045 to align with the national target. 3.3 The Climate Change (Duties of Public Bodies: Reporting Requirements) (Scotland) Order 2015, as updated by the Climate Change (Duties of Public Bodies: Reporting Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2020, requires local authorities and other major public bodies to report to Scottish Ministers each year on what they have done to comply with the above duties, the focus being estate and operational activity. Local authorities must submit reports by the end of November in respect of the preceding financial year. 3.4 The format of the report is prescribed by legislation and administration is managed by the Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN). A copy of the Council’s proposed submission is available in the CMIS Member’s Library. This has been adapted from the exact proposed template return to SSN due to that spreadsheet pro-forma not being conveniently presentable for discussion at this Cabinet meeting. The version in the CMIS Member’s Library is nevertheless an accurate representation of both the substance and spirit of the proposed return. 3.5 The sections of the report entitled ‘Recommended Reporting: Reporting on Wider Influence’ and ‘Other Notable Reporting Activity’ are non- statutory and often relate to activity and emissions beyond the Council’s estate and operational activities (i.e. by others but able to be influenced by the Council). Page 196 of 316
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4. Summary of the Statutory Report to Scottish Ministers on Public Bodies Climate Change Duties 2024/25 4.1 This section provides a summary of the key findings of the Statutory Report to Scottish Ministers on Public Bodies Climate Change Duties (PBCCD) 2024/25, hereafter referred to as the ‘submission’. STATUTORILY REQUIRED SECTION PART 1: PROFILE OF REPORTING BODY 4.2 During the report year, the Council employed 4,074 full-time equivalent staff and its revised budget was £313,795,000. 4.3 According to the latest population estimates from National Records of Scotland (NRS), Midlothian Council provided local authority services to a population of 101599 as of mid-2025. Midlothian remains the fastest growing local authority in Scotland with an increase of 16.1%. MLC has seen a 1.9% (781 household) increase in the number of households between 2023 and 2024, this is 62% higher than the national average of 0.73 %. Midlothian continues to have the highest level of growth of any Scottish Local Authority. Midlothian has seen a rise of 33.2% in households 2004-2024. This is more than double the national average of 15.7% for the same period.10 of Midlothian’s 115 data zones (8.7%) fall within the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland. This represents a national share of 0.72%. All these figures reflect the scale of growth locally and the attendant challenges and opportunities faced by the Council in addressing climate change. PART 2: GOVERNANCE, MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY 4.4 Political leadership for the Council’s climate change work lies with a Cabinet of Elected Members drawn from the political administration. Council management and staff follow their direction in relation to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Council’s emergency motion of December 2019 declared a climate emergency and set the goal of making the Council’s activities net zero carbon by 2030 and is a primary driver for the response and how this is governed. This target was subsequently amended to net zero across MLC estate and operations by 2045 at November 2024 Council. This revision aligns with Scottish Government’s own 2045 target. The objective was to support the Council in taking a less financially aggressive whilst still ambitious approach to its net zero transition; maximising cross sector and cross Council resource efficiencies and socio-economic co-benefits. Page 197 of 316
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4.5 The motion led to the creation of the Council’s Climate Change Strategy and a ‘Climate Emergency Group’ to focus collective effort on meeting the commitments of the motion across Midlothian and within the Council. This is composed of representatives of the Council, industry, community groups and non-departmental bodies of the Scottish Government. Its work has led to several outcomes related to climate change forming part of the Single Midlothian Plan. The Plan in turn requires the Service Plans of Council departments to have regard to its aims, therefore service managers must take its commitments for carbon emissions into account when organising their activities. 4.6 Other means by which strategic matters such as climate change are governed by the Council are: • The Business Transformation Steering Group (BTSG); • The Council’s Business Transformation Board; and • The Corporate Management Team. 4.7 The Council’s Internal Auditors and Audit Committee also help steer Midlothian Council’s climate change governance. The Audit Committee provides independent review of the Council’s governance, risk management and control frameworks and internal auditors have reported twice on climate change work, once in 2017/18 and again in 2021/22. Internal Audit have also reported on energy and water consumption in 2022/23. These reports have been fed back to the Audit Committee and to senior management. 4.8 In May 2024 the Council appointed a Climate Change Lead Officer to lead on the Council’s response to climate change. The post holder sits within the Planning, Sustainable Growth and Investment Service but works across Council Services as well as MLC across a range of regional climate focus fora driving efficiencies through co-creation. Priorities for the climate change lead officer currently include:- • Strategic brokering of cross service sign-off and commitment to Climate Ready Midlothian Vision contributing directly to climate, wellbeing, economic and biodiversity crises. • The development, internal brokering and facilitation of a cross- Service, cross-sector Climate Action Programme embedded within an updated Climate Strategy. • Leading on Midlothian’s contribution to national and regional climate mitigation, climate adaptation and wider sustainability workstreams. Embedding efficiencies and co-benefits through interplay across Scottish Government and a host of wider national and regional tables such as those facilitated through , Scottish Climate Intelligence Service, Verture, Capital City Partnership, The Improvement Service etc. • Developing cross Council understanding of the co-benefits of climate action being embedded across mainstream climate business. Recognising Scottish Government expectation in this regard across all hierarchical levels. Page 198 of 316
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• Monitoring and reporting progress against previously adopted climate focused targets – locally, area wide and regionally. • Promoting and facilitating climate change action in local communities and within business. Facilitation of co-creation and action under Midlothian’s Community Planning Climate Emergency Group. Leading reporter on the ‘Great Green Place to Grow’ theme of the Single Midlothian Plan to Community Planning Working Group and Community Planning Board. Leading on net zero workstreams reporting to Business Transformation Steering Group and Board. 4.9 Property and Facilities Management – monitoring power/fuel use to track the emissions from the Council’s estate and taking forward emissions reductions projects (including with the Council’s Energy Services Company, Midlothian Energy Ltd). 4.10 Neighbourhood Services – replacing streetlights with low energy LEDs and managing emissions from the Council’s vehicle fleet. 4.11 Building Services - delivering the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing and implementing the Local Authority Carbon Management Plan. 4.12 In terms of 3rd sector climate action, Midlothian Climate Action (the Hub) was established in September 2023 following a successful joint application by Midlothian Voluntary Action (MVA) and Midlothian Climate Action Network (MCAN) for Scottish Government funding who they continue to report to. The primary role of the Hub is supporting communities to come together and engage collectively on climate action, supporting the transition to low carbon and climate resilient living and driving wider behaviour change. 4.13 The Hub has the support of Midlothian Council and the Midlothian Community Planning Partnership (CPP) of which, both MVA and MCAN are members. This approach will reduce duplication of effort and facilitate a joined up, collaborative approach to the challenges of climate change. MCAN and MVA are represented on the Community Planning Partnership’s multi-organisational Climate Emergency Group. This group was convened specifically to generate added value from sharing and engaging with others. In future the Hub Manager will attend. 4.14 Midlothian Council recognises that the partnership ethos underpinning the Hub is vital to the achievement of the local authority’s target of Net Zero by 2045. MVA has deep and established connections with Midlothian’s communities and will play an important support role in signposting those groups to the Hub Team. The Hub will work with and support those groups and organisations working across Midlothian that strive to increase food security, reduce energy bills and alleviate poverty. There is significant interplay between the Hub and Council facilitated Community Planning Climate Emergency Group (CEG) at Page 199 of 316
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authority level. Both the Hub and CEG also contribute to regional and national climate focused initiatives such as the Climate Ready South East Scotland work programme, currently driving forward an environmental and economic regional risk assessment relating to climate adaptation. This will help inform local action and support regional prioritisation of action across regional partners. 4.15 In this Public Bodies Climate Change Disclosure report (PBCCD) submission, Councils must identify specific climate change mitigation and adaptation objectives in its corporate plans. Those listed include: • The Climate Emergency Declaration of December 2019 and the Climate Change Strategy that was created in response to it; • The Single Midlothian Plan 2023-27, which has three intended outcomes for the next four years, one of which is ‘significant progress is made towards net zero carbon emissions by 2030 (date since amended to 2045); and • The Midlothian Council Transformation Blueprint, which is designed in line with the Single Midlothian Plan and is supported by the Council’s Service Plans, both of which aim to reduce the emissions from the Council’s activities. 4.16 The PBCCD report requires the identification of other corporate documents and strategies that cover more specific areas of climate change work, such as adaptation, energy efficiency, transport and biodiversity. Those referred to include the Midlothian Strategy for Inclusive Economic Growth 2025-2030, the Midlothian Local Development Plan and the Council’s Procurement Strategy. PART 3: EMISSIONS, TARGETS & PROJECTS 4.17 Estate/operational emissions for the purposes of the submission are those arising from the use of mains electricity, mains (i.e. natural) gas, mains water, heating and fuel oils, diesel and petrol. These are detailed in tables 3a and 3b using data supplied by the Council’s Property & Facilities Management Service (see section 5 of this report regarding future risks in this area). Emissions in these tables are broken down into the following components: • ‘Scope 1’ emissions are those arising from the direct use (burning) of primary fuels by the Council; • ‘Scope 2’ emissions are from electricity use; and • ‘Scope 3’ emissions are those resulting from electricity losses in the power network, water supply & treatment and those from homeworking employees. 4.18 Table 3a shows that total emissions for 2024/25 are 16,404 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). This is an increase of 9.7% on 2023/24 levels. The table also shows there was a minor increase in the Council’s Scope 1 (3.8%), with significant rises in Scope 2 (26.8%) Scope 3 emissions fell by 10.1% Page 200 of 316
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4.19 Table 3b also reveals that year-on-year: • Electricity consumption in Council buildings had risen steeply by 36% and was responsible for 80% of the overall rise in Scope 2 emissions. This trend can be explained by MLC having had a significant amount of landlord supply reporting coming online. This aligns with Midlothian’s high growth rate and the additional electricity associated with the servicing of communal areas of social housing - e.g. Lighting stairwells, running lifts etc • Electricity consumption from street lighting was almost stagnant, decreasing by 0.2% from the previous year’s reporting (2023/24). • Natural gas consumption used to heat the Council’s building estate had increased slightly by 2.3%, again likely explained by the increase in landlord reporting above. • Diesel consumed by the Council’s fleet of vehicles showed a significant increase 12.5%. Scottish Government have required the Council to stop the use of gas oil. All machinery/vehicles using gas oil have transferred over to diesel. This explains the increase in diesel use given the number of grass cutters and other routinely used machinery utilised by the likes of landscape services. Emissions associated with petrol had dropped markedly by 44%. • Emissions from journeys from staff using their vehicles for work purposes (i.e. arising via business mileage claims) was lower than year before, decreasing by 11%. 4.20 12% more electricity was generated than in 2023/24. 116, 370 kWh of electricity consumption was avoided by the generation of this amount by the solar photovoltaic systems installed on the Council’s estate. This avoided the release of 24.09 tCO2e. 4.21 It is important to consider the Council’s emissions in the context of demographic trends. In 2014/15 for example, its carbon footprint was 23,500tCO2e and Midlothian’s population was 86,500. The respective figures for 2024/25 were 16,404tCO2e and 101,599 population equivalent. This means that the carbon efficiency with which it has delivered its services over this time has improved dramatically, from 0.27tCO2e annually per resident to 0.16CO2e – an improvement of 41% from the baseline. 4.22 Another way of expressing the Council’s carbon footprint would be to relate it to the size of its workforce. In 2014/15 this was 3,350 staff, compared to around 4,074 in 2024/25. This means that the carbon footprint of its staff has reduced from 7.02tCO2e per employee per year to 4.02 tCO2e per employee per year at present. Page 201 of 316
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PART 4: ADAPTATION 4.23 This part of the submission sets out how the Council has assessed climate-related risks, arrangements for managing them and adaptation actions. It references the Council’s Strategic Risk Profile and work done by the Council’s Internal Audit staff. Also referred to is the Forth Estuary Local Flood Risk Management Plan which assists in managing and adapting to such risks alongside internal Council plans which include the Winter Service Policy and Operational Plan and the Severe Weather Plan. The Council’s overall approach in the area of risk and accountability for it is outlined in its Risk Management Policy and Strategy. 4.24 Part 4 of the submission also requires public bodies to demonstrate progress in delivering the goals of the Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme. The response on this topic highlights work in several areas: work to improve the energy efficiency of the Council’s building stock, manage severe weather and promote outdoor learning in nature. PART 5: PROCUREMENT 4.25 The final mandatory part of the submission (other than validation and sign off information) sets out how procurement policies and activities contribute to compliance with climate change duties. It notes that environmental matters are addressed prominently within the Council’s Procurement Strategy. It has five strategic themes to promote ethical standards, including staff in this area working to secure environmental benefits. In practical terms this may involve considering sustainability factors where appropriate in supplier selection and tender evaluation and taking a whole lifecycle approach to costs. RECOMMENDED REPORTING (NON-STATUTORY) PARTS 4.26 Table 1a of this part of the submission shows that Midlothian’s per capita level of greenhouse gas emissions (those considered by the UK Government to be at least influenced by the Council) have reduced from 7.32tCO2e in 2011 to 4.92tCO2e in 2022 (the latest year for which an official figure is available). This equates to a reduction of 32.8%. The table also shows that the Midlothian’s total emissions have fallen from 422,070 tCO2e in 2011 to 332, 060 tCO2e in 2021. Most sectors have seen substantial falls over this timescale. Reductions in emissions from transport however, one of the largest contributors, have been modest1. 1 Transport emissions were substantially lower in 2020, but this was likely due to reduced journeys over the periods of Covid lockdowns. Page 202 of 316
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4.27 Under ‘Other Notable Reporting Activity’, table Q5 sets out climate change actions that are not readily amenable for inclusion elsewhere within the submission. Examples provided include work to improve biodiversity, investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, use of the Council loan funding for projects that have a climate change element to them and measures to promote active travel. 5. Report Implications (Resource, Digital, Risk and Equalities) Resource 5.1 Previous reporting to management noted that the Council’s services were not adequately resourced to fulfil the requirements of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act. The importance of Scottish Government statutory public bodies climate change guidance (published in draft 2024) in envisioning the Council’s onward climate transition is recognised. MLC currently has a singular non-permanent staff member with a primary climate focus. Pockets of impactful climate interplay permeate wider Council activity. Aligning with current statutory public body climate change guidance requires systems level cross service cross sector change and will require strong leadership and Scottish Government support to embed. A focus on climate change must permeate all Council business. Making that change will demand refreshing of resource and governance structures strategic cross service consideration and coordination. There will be a need for significant awareness raising training and alignment of Council work programmes and resource. This was highlighted by an Internal Audit report in 2018. A follow-up in 2022 came to similar conclusions and noted the importance of agreeing the Terms of Reference and membership of a ‘Carbon Neutral by 2030 Board’ as soon as possible. The resourcing of this group and the cascading of information from it is integral to future PBCCD submissions. 5.2 Similarly, the full completion of other portions of the pro-forma relies on the collaboration of managers and staff across the Council’s services to support the work of the proposed Board and to ensure compliance with our statutory duties and avoid the risks noted below. Digital 5.3 None. Page 203 of 316
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Risk 5.4 In respect of data pertaining to Part 3 (Emissions, Targets and Projects) of the report. Only the Property and Facilities Management Service of the Council have access to this information and control of the factors that influence it. Therein, much of the related work is undertaken by a sole post holder (an Energy Assistant Development Officer). This dependency on a single post, obviously adds significant risk to the Council’s ability to complete annual auditing and is not the ideal in terms of wider business risk. 5.5 Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act, Scottish Ministers may instruct investigations into PBCCD reports. Critical scrutiny in this area has already come from the local and national press, and Audit Scotland. 5.6 Though the content of the reporting template has remained largely similar over the last few years, expectations for what is included increased substantially prior to that. Alterations in what is required in future returns may expose any deficiencies in resourcing of climate change work within the Council. Ensuring Equalities 5.7 Not applicable. Additional Report Implications 5.8 For additional report implications see Appendix A. Appendices Appendix A – Additional Report Implications Appendix B – Background Papers/Resource Links APPENDIX A – Additional Report Implications A.1 Key Priorities within the Single Midlothian Plan Midlothian Council and its Community Planning Partners have made a commitment to addressing climate change a key priority under the Single Midlothian Plan. This report will assist in reporting on progress towards this goal. A.2 Key Drivers for Change Key drivers addressed in this report: Page 204 of 316
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Holistic Working Hub and Spoke Modern Sustainable Transformational Preventative Asset-based Continuous Improvement One size fits all None of the above A.3 Key Delivery Streams Key delivery streams addressed in this report: One Council Working with you, for you Preventative and Sustainable Efficient and Modern Innovative and Ambitious None of the above A.4 Delivering Best Value The PBCCD submission has been expanded in recent years to provide a more thorough account of activities that the Council has been doing in relation to climate change. This has been done partly through the use of information within existing department Service Plans and Performance Reports, ensuring that this expansion in the content of the submissions has been done in a manner which is as efficient as possible for staff. It has not involved the use of additional financial or equipment resources. A.5 Involving Communities and Other Stakeholders Not applicable – producing the PBCCD submission is an internal Council process. A.6 Impact on Performance and Outcomes The submission of the report will demonstrate compliance with climate change legislation. The comprehensive nature of the submission demonstrates transparency and a commitment to go beyond the minimum requirements in this regard. A.7 Adopting a Preventative Approach Page 205 of 316
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The timely and thorough completion of the PBCCD submission reduces the likelihood of legal challenge or investigations into the Council regarding non-compliance with the requirements of climate change legislation. The participation of Council staff in making future submissions as comprehensive as possible is necessary in maintaining this position. A.8 Supporting Sustainable Development This report only concerns sustainable development in that it reports on what the Council is doing to promote it. APPENDIX B – Background Papers/Resource Links Midlothian Council Statutory Report to Scottish Ministers on Public Bodies Climate Change Duties 2023/24 Page 206 of 316
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2024-25 CLIMATE CHANGE ANNUAL REPORT TO SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT PART 1 – PROFILE OF REPORTING BODY 1(a) Name of reporting body Provide the name of the listed body (the ‘body’) which prepared this report. Midlothian Council 1(b) Type of body Local Government 1(c) Highest number of full-time equivalent staff in the body during the report year 4074 Page 207 of 316
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1(d) Metrics used by the body Specify the metrics that the body uses to assess its performance in relation to climate change and sustainability. Metric Unit Value Comments Population size served Population (people) 101, 599 • Midlothian Council’s emissions estimate for 2024/25 is 16, 404 tCO2e. This equates to 0.16 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) per resident provided with Council services. This metric will be used in future reporting to assess carbon performance in relation to service provision. • Using the last available householder occupancy figures (2023) for Midlothian of 2.25 (Mid-Year Population Estimate (Table 3 here), average household occupancy (Table 3 here) and taking account of 2023/24 and 2024/25 Housing Audit housing completions figures 2023/24 (821) and 2024/25 (663) it is estimated that the area’s population is around 101,599 as of mid-2025 • The most recent Census results (2022) highlights that Midlothian remains the fastest growing local authority in Scotland with an increase of 16.1%. The 2011 census data lists Midlothian as having a population of 83,187 which has risen to 96,600 in the 2022 census data. As detailed in the National Records Scotland ‘Households and Dwellings in Scotland 2024’ report (Table 1) MLC has seen, an 1.9%, (781 household) increase, in the number of households between 2023 and 2024, this is 62% higher than the national average of 0.73 %. Midlothian continues to have the highest level of growth of any Scottish Local Authority. Midlothian has seen a rise of 33.2% in households 2004-2024. This is more than double the national average of 15.7% for the same period.10 of Midlothians 115 data zones (8.7%) fall within the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland. This represents a national share of 0.72%. • These figures are indicative of the scale of growth locally and the attendant challenges and opportunities faced by the Council in addressing climate change. • Further information on Midlothian Council is available at the ‘Your Council’ page of our website 1(e) Overall budget of the body Specify approximate £/annum for the report year. Budget Budget comments £ 313,795,000. This is Midlothian Council’s revised budget’ figure. It is from the Council final outturn report and is a statement of the amount of budget allocated in line with Council governance. At the time of writing, the 24/25 financial statements are going through auditing overseen by external auditors Audit Scotland. Page 208 of 316
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1(f) Report type Specify the report year type. Report type Report year comments Financial This report covers the 2024/25 financial year. Page 209 of 316
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1(g) Context Provide a summary of the body's nature and functions that are relevant to climate change reporting. During the reporting year, Midlothian Council was responsible for the utility/fuel costs of: • A building portfolio of around 200 premises that includes • 2 major administration offices (located in Dalkeith), (MLC also have the Children and Families Centre (circa 50 staff) and Number 11 St Davids Street Dalkeith (90 staff –the majority of whom are NHS) • 4 works depots, • 9 libraries, • 42 schools (including PPP operated properties for which the Council are responsible for paying utilities bills) nursery Schools have not been counted separately unless they are standalone schools. Please note: - schools numbers reported here are substantially higher than for 2023/24 reporting. For previous PBCCD reporting periods PPP schools were excluded on the basis that the invoices were billed to the PPP provider. This has changed and MLC are now the named consumer; PPP schools have therefore been included. • • 7 leisure centres and swimming pools (some of which are co-located on school premises. The street lighting programme was completed ahead of plan with a targeted 472 new lighting column replacements. A further 680 streetlights were upgraded to LED lanterns to include a central management system for dimming. • The following street lighting assets: o 728 control cabinets o 20089 streetlights o 12,906 LED street lighting assets o 957 signs o 626 bollards o 62 CCTV cameras o 41 sets of traffic signals o 75 sets traffic signalled crossings o 36 variable message signs • Fleet assets totalling 290 vehicles which include: - o 220 vehicles under 3.5tonnes, including cars vans and buses, 17 buses over 3500kg, 53 Heavy good vehicles.1 of the cars are lease vehicles. Page 210 of 316
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PART 2 – GOVERNANCE, MANAGEMENT & STRATEGY Page 211 of 316
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2(a) How is climate change governed in the body? Provide a summary of the roles performed by the body’s governance bodies and members in relation to climate change. If any of the body’s activities in relation to climate change sit outside its own governance arrangements (in relation to, for example, land use, adaptation, transport, business travel, waste, information and communication technology, procurement or behaviour change), identify these activities and the governance arrangements. Provide a diagram / chart to outline the governance structure within the body. Page 212 of 316
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Political leadership for the Council’s climate change work lies with a Cabinet of Elected Members. Council management and staff follow their direction in relation to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Council’s motion of December 2019 declared a climate emergency and set the goal of making its activities net zero carbon by 2030. As such the motion is a primary driver for the Councils climate response and how it is governed. The resultant Council Climate Change Strategy and a Climate Emergency Group (CEG), focus collective effort on meeting the commitments of the motion across Midlothian and within the Council. The CEG group is composed of Midlothian Community Councils and other community groups, national government agencies, third sector organisations, Midlothian Council representatives, local chamber of commerce personnel, landowners and Midlothian Energy Ltd. The Group was convened by the Community Planning Partnership, who draw together public, voluntary and private sector bodies with local communities to deliver a shared plan to improve the lives of local people. In Midlothian, this is called the Single Midlothian Plan (SLP). Although the SLP covers the whole of the area and not just the Council’s activities, it is approved by Elected Members and requires Council departments to have regard to its aims when creating their Service Plans. Since, an outcome of the Single Midlothian Plan is for ‘significant progress [to be] made towards net zero carbon emissions by 2030’, relevant Service Managers within the Council must take its commitments for carbon emissions into account when organising their department’s work. Note: The Council’s own deadline for net zero from Council operations and estate was move from 2030 to 2045 at November 2024 Council. The 2045 update aligns with Scottish Government’s own target and supports the Council in taking a less financially aggressive whilst still ambitious approach to its net zero transition maximising cross sector and cross Council resource efficiencies and socio-economic co-benefits. In May 2024 the Council appointed a Climate Change Lead Officer to lead on the Council’s response to climate change. Priorities of the new post holder currently include: - 1. Strategic brokering of a cross service sign off and commitment to Climate Ready Midlothian Vision contributing directly to climate, wellbeing, economic and biodiversity crises. 2. Development, internal brokering and facilitation of a cross-Service, cross-sector Climate Action Programme embedded within an updated Climate Strategy. 3. Midlothian’s contribution to national and regional climate mitigation, climate adaptation and wider sustainability workstreams. Embedding efficiencies and co- benefits through interplay across Scottish Government and a host of wider national and regional tables such as those facilitated through , Scottish Climate Intelligence Service, Verture, Capital City Partnership, Improvement Service etc. 4. Developing cross Council understanding of the co-benefits of climate action being embedded across mainstream Council business. Facilitating the enactment of Scottish Government expectation in this regard across all hierarchical levels. 5. Promoting and facilitating climate change action in local communities and within business. Facilitation of co-creation and action under Community Planning Climate Emergency Group. Lead on Community Planning Working Group and Board on ‘Great Green Place to Grow’ theme of the Single Midlothian Plan. Lead on net zero workstreams reporting to Business Transformation Steering Group and Board. Other means by which strategic matters such as climate change are governed by the Council are: • The Business Transformation Steering Group (BTSG) – a body composed of Councillors that forms part of the governance framework for the Midlothian Council Transformation Blueprint, including its ambitions for carbon and energy; Page 213 of 316
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• The Council’s Business Transformation Board – a group comprising Senior Council management with the purpose of driving forward the work of the Transformation Blueprint, with political steer from the BTSG; and • The Corporate Management Team – a group composed of senior Council management with the role of the provision of strategic direction on major issues facing the Council and the delivery of effective corporate governance. The Council’s Internal Auditors and Audit Committee also help steer Midlothian Council’s climate change governance. The Audit Committee provides independent review of the council’s governance, risk management and control frameworks. Internal l auditors have reported twice on work in this area, in 2017/18 and 2021/22, and also on energy and water consumption in 2022/23. These reports were consequently fed back as recommendations to the Audit Committee and to Senior management. 2(b) How is climate change action managed and embedded by the body? Provide a summary of how decision-making in relation to climate change action by the body is managed and how responsibility is allocated to the body’s senior staff, departmental heads etc. If any such decision-making sits outside the body’s own governance arrangements (in relation to, for example, land use, adaptation, transport, business travel, waste, information and communication technology, procurement or behaviour change), identify how this is managed and how responsibility is allocated outside the body. Provide a diagram to show how responsibility is allocated to the body’s senior staff, departmental heads etc. While emissions reduction and climate adaptation are Council-wide priorities, the governance structures described in 2(a) have allocated particular duties to some Council Services within the Place Directorate, namely: • Neighbourhood Services; • Property & Facilities Management; and • Planning, Sustainable Growth and Investment. Below are examples of the obligations that Managers of these services have taken on and have allocated to their staff: Midlothian’s Climate Action Hub (third sector) also has considerable interplay in terms of Council climate action. Neighbourhood Services: • Their Roads Services team are pursuing an energy efficiency drive to replace existing streetlights with low-energy LED equivalents; • Waste Management staff have priorities to ensure that waste disposal contracts promote maximum recycling, and that waste service options consider and limit the climate impact of their delivery; • Travel and Fleet Services are supporting the delivery of the Council’s Climate Change Strategy by exploring options for additional funding for electric vehicles and their charging infrastructure. Page 214 of 316
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Property & Facilities Management: • One of its service priorities is to develop carbon reduction targets for Council properties and work with energy partners to develop energy efficiency projects, including renewable energy, in support of sustainable low carbon energy targets and district heating schemes; • Leads the acquisition and disposal of identified sites in support of Capital and Local Plans, Learning Estate and Housing programmes and the climate change agenda. • Continues to deliver Building Rationalisation and hybrid working. • The Energy Officer in this department monitors power and fuel use, provides input on this for the annual Public Bodies Climate Change Duties (PBCCD) report and implements energy reduction projects; and • The Council’s Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy is now in place and published on the Council website. The Strategy sets out what requires to be done across the local authority to change buildings and local infrastructure by 2045, fulfilling the Scottish Government’s objectives and local priorities relating to heat in buildings The Strategy focuses on delivering low cost, low carbon heat across Midlothian while abiding by 6 main outcomes including fuel poverty, the local economy and energy efficiency. Action under the Strategy involves a number of key stakeholders such as Midlothian Energy Limited, Vattenfall and Changeworks. The LHEES seeks to provide low carbon heat that is affordable to as many households and buildings as possible. Driving low cost, low carbon heat over expensive and challenging fabric retrofit approach will enhance the likelihood of achieving our net zero targets. Planning Sustainable Growth and Investment: • The Council’s Climate Change Lead Officer sits within this Service. Their duties (reflected above) are strategic, cross Service with significant internal and external in interplay relating to the discharge of Council statutory duties on climate change. • Planning staff work to embed a polycrises approach to the climate emergency within the constraint of national land use planning legislation and policy provisions. • Economic Development Service continues to promote the Midlothian Business Green Pledge. The Green Pledge raises business awareness of climate change and supports small and medium sized business in embedding impactful climate action across their business models. These interactions are important in supporting innovation, green skills and green pipeline development. • Transport colleagues look to support climate outcomes by informing best practice in the design and implementation of sustainable transport infrastructure whilst driving forward multi-modal travel options The Manager of this department directed the content of the previous Council’s Climate Change Strategy and its accompanying actions, including liaising with Senior management; .Late 2023-early 2024 Aether consultants were commissioned to calculate baseline emissions from MLC estate with the purpose of providing the Council with a trajectory of emissions to 2030 for both (i) a ‘business as usual’ emissions reduction scenario and (ii) an ambitious emissions reduction scenario. Aether reviewed existing policies and actions to reduce emissions identified within the Midlothian Council Climate Change Plan (and update) and engaged with key council departments to determine their progress. Alongside this wider climate action planning, Aether conducted a review of the council estate by analysing electricity and gas consumption and identified the main emissions sources, outliers and buildings requiring further audit. This consultancy work reported in Feb 2024 and provided important baseline data of relevance to the Climate Strategy/Action Programme updated currently being developed. Page 215 of 316
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Other examples of how climate change action is embedded in the Council are: • Through the Council’s Procurement practices (covered below in more detail). • Land & Countryside Services, whose work involves ecological conservation and promoting biodiversity awareness. Further details on how climate change action is managed and embedded in Midlothian Council are provided in our Council Service Plans. Additional direction on governance and actions was provided by the Council’s Annual Audit Report to Members and the Controller of Audit which provided recommendations in this respect to be taken forward. Midlothian Climate Hub (third sector) : • Established in September 2023, the Midlothian Climate Action Hub was established following a successful joint application by Midlothian Voluntary Action and Midlothian Climate Action Network for Scottish Government funding who they continue to report to. • The proposed Hub team includes a full time Hub Manager and two community engagement posts (1 full time and 1 part time). The wider Hub Steering Group is composed of MCAN and MVA members and is responsible for setting Hub priorities and monitoring Strategic direction . MVA as the Third Sector Interface formally recruited the Hub Team and act as the accountable body for the Hub. The Hub Steering Group (including representation from MVA) is responsible detailed work plans of the Hub team. The Hub Steering Group agrees budgets and is responsible to the wider membership. The Hub team works with a wide range of partners across Midlothian to effectively deliver the Hub’s objectives. • The primary role of the Hub is supporting communities to come together and engage collectively on climate action, supporting the transition to low carbon and climate resilient living and driving wider behaviour change. • The Hub has the support of Midlothian Council and the Midlothian Community Planning Partnership (CPP) of which, both MVA and MCAN are members. This approach will reduce duplication of effort and facilitate a joined up, collaborative approach to the challenges of climate change. MCAN and MVA are represented on the Community Planning Partnership’s multi-organisational Climate Emergency Group. This group was convened specifically to generate added value from sharing and engaging with others. In future the Hub Manager will attend. Midlothian Council recognises that the partnership ethos underpinning this application is vital to the achievement of the local authority’s target of Net Zero by 2045.MVA has deep and established connections with Midlothian’s communities and will play an important support role in signposting those groups to the Hub Team. • The Hub will work with and support those groups and organisations working across Midlothian that strive to increase food security, reduce energy bills and alleviate poverty. • There is significant interplay between the Climate Hub and Council facilitated Community Planning Climate Emergency Group at Authority level. Both the Hub and CEG also contribute to regional and national climate focused initiatives such as the Climate Ready South East Scotland work programme, currently driving forward an environmental and economic regional risk assessment relating to climate adaptation. This will help inform local action and support regional prioritisation of action across regional partners. Page 216 of 316
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2(c) Does the body have specific climate change mitigation and adaptation objectives in its corporate plan or similar document? Provide a brief summary of objectives if they exist. Wording of objective Name of document Document link Page 217 of 316
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• On 17 Dec 2023 the Council gave notice of a Motion declaring a climate emergency and requiring urgent action . • The aims of the motion are to ensure Council’s activities are net-zero carbon and achieve 100% clean energy across the Council’s full range of functions by 2030 (thereafter extended to 2045 – see section 2a above) . The motion extends beyond Council activities and looked to support Authority wide net zero effort. At the time of the declaration, the Council recognised they must: i. Ensure that all strategic decisions, budgets and approaches to planning decisions are in line with a shift to zero carbon by 2030 (now 2045). ii. Support and work with all other relevant agencies towards making the entire area zero carbon within the same timescale. iii. Ensure that political and chief officer leadership teams embed this work in all areas and take responsibility for reducing, as rapidly as possible, the carbon emissions resulting from the Council’s activities. That any recommendations are fully costed and the Executive and Scrutiny functions review council activities taking account of production and consumption emissions. That the Council would produce an action plan within 12 months, together with budget actions and a measured baseline. iv. Request that Council Scrutiny Panels consider the impact of climate change and the environment when reviewing Council policies and strategies. v. Work with, influence and inspire partners across the district, county and region to help deliver this goal through all relevant strategies, plans and shared resources. Developing a series of meetings, events and partner workshops. vi. Request that the Council and partners take steps to proactively include young people in the process, ensuring that they have a voice in shaping the future. vii. Request that the Executive Portfolio holder with responsibility for Climate Change convenes a Citizens’ Assembly in 2019 in order to involve the wider population in this process. viii. Set up a Climate Change Partnership group, involving Councillors, residents, young citizens, climate science and solutions experts, businesses, Citizens Assembly representatives and other relevant parties. Over the following 12 months, have the Group consider strategies and actions being developed by the Council and other partner organisations and develop a climate strategy in line with a target of net zero emissions by 2045. It will also recommend ways to maximise local benefits of these actions in other sectors such as employment, health, agriculture, transport and the economy Council Climate Emergency Motion Council’s Climate Change Web Page Page 218 of 316
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ix. Report on the level of investment in the fossil fuel industry that our pensions plan and other investments have, and review the Council’s investment strategy to give due consideration to climate change impacts in the investment portfolio. x. Ensure that all reports in preparation for the 2025/26 budget cycle and investment strategy take into account the actions the council will take to address this emergency. xi. Call on the UK Government to provide the powers, resources and help with funding to make this possible, and ask local MPs to do likewise. xii. Consider other actions that could be implemented, including (but not restricted to): renewable energy generation and storage, providing electric vehicle infrastructure and encouraging alternatives to private car use, increasing the efficiency of buildings, in particular to address fuel poverty; proactively using local planning powers to accelerate the delivery of net carbon new developments and communities, coordinating a series of information and training events to raise awareness and share good practice. Examples of how the Council has responded to these Motion aspirations are outlined below: - Page 219 of 316
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1.Community Planning Partnerships draw together public, voluntary and private sector bodies, and local communities to deliver a shared ‘plan’ to improve the lives of local people based on evidence. In Midlothian, the plan is called the Single Midlothian Plan (SMP). This is what Midlothian calls its Local Outcome Improvement Plan, which is a legally required document. • The SMP has three intended outcomes for the next four years, one of which is ‘significant progress is made towards net zero carbon emissions by 2030. • The SMP seven themes of work that will be carried out to achieve these outcomes. One of these Midlothian Will Be Greener’, is the most relevant in respect of the net zero outcome. The priorities in this theme are: i. Learning for sustainability is increased; ii. Sustainable living is increased; iii. Low carbon/renewable energy development and home energy saving is increased; and iv. Carbon storage is increased. • Timebound outcomes and objectives relating to the ‘Midlothian will be Greener’ theme of the SMP is agreed and refreshed annually. A Summary of these and an indication of who they are managed by (in brackets) are presented below. CEG denotes the Council facilitated Community Planning, Climate Emergency Group: - Outcome: Learning for Sustainability is increased Actions to - i. Train the Council Ranger Service in River Fly Monitoring (CEG) ii. Encourage Schools to adopt freshwater sites in the context of the Scottish Government’s Learning for Sustainability Action Plan for Vision 2030+. Producing an education delivery package (CEG). iii. Give consideration to Midlothian Council having a Climate Adaptation Vision, signed off across Council departments with Councillor support. Could include alignment of Financing, Design, Delivery and Maintenance of the different infrastructures needed to support Council and national climate transformation objectives (MLC/CEG) iv. Work with Midlothian Energy (MEL Ltd) on targeted education of low carbon heating and renewable energy solutions in Midlothian (ML/MEL). Outcome: Sustainable Living is Increased Actions to:- Single Midlothian Plan 2023-27 Community Planning in Midlothian Page 220 of 316
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I. Establish a Midlothian Climate Hub - to act as an information and sign posting point for climate information and projects (CEG) II. Produce and distribute electronic information on how to promote biodiversity in small scale spaces to householders, community groups, businesses and developers (MLC/CEG) III. Community/Social Enterprise food production in Midlothian (a Midlothian Growing Network) is mapped and a Midlothian Growing Network is hosted and promoted on an accessible website (MLC/CEG). IV. Identify current community scale Climate Change projects in Midlothian and have them hosted on an accessible website (CEG) V. Use Climate Emergency Group and Midlothian Climate Hub to help promote available active travel information and events e.g. Walk to School events, Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel, Cycle to Work days, and wider walk and cycle promotion events (CEG) VI. Work with Sustrans, SEStran, and neighbouring local authorities to identify opportunities for bike/ebike hire projects and promote active travel (MLC /SESTRANS/SUSTRANS) VII. Work with public transport providers, community councils and ComoUK and others to increase the number and availability of bike storage spaces, mobility hubs, and encourage multi-modal journeys (MLC) VIII. Engage with shared transport and car club providers to establish a shared transport scheme across Midlothian (MLC) The 2023-27 Single Midlothian Plan, in principle, will support and encourage climate and climate adaptation/resilience projects that come forward in its lifetime that help deliver its Vision (MLC). Outcome: Low Carbon /Renewable Energy Development and Home Energy Savings is Increased Actions: - i. Support and promote Changeworks household decarbonisation project in Midlothian – Information on home energy savings and funding sources are signposted from a Midlothian Climate Hub (CEG/MLC) ii. Work with Midlothian Energy (MEL Ltd) on targeted provision of low carbon heating and renewable energy solutions in Midlothian (MLC/MEL) iii. Work with Midlothian Council on delivery of its Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) (MLC/MEL). Outcome: Carbon Storage is Increased Actions:- Page 221 of 316
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i. Map areas of existing wildflower and meadow in Midlothian, encourage Midlothian Wildflowers, and seek to increase number of partners on wildflower meadows, hedgerows and roadside verges projects (Climate Emergency Champion & MLC) ii. NatureScot to connect Midlothian Council with Peatland Action team to explore peatland issues and the potential for support on assessment and future project delivery (MLC/CEG) iii. Engage with landowners of peat and on peatland matters identified by NatureScot (MLC/CEG) iv. Investigate undertaking a natural capital audit of Midlothian, in part to help determine which areas have the most carbon sequestration potential via nature restoration - this could include identification of projects for restoration of peatland, grassland and woodland habitats. The natural capital audit may prompt/support further related work, e.g. water flow/flooding (MLC/CEG) v. Map areas of greenspace and tree canopy cover in Midlothian to identify missing links (MLC/CEG). The Climate Ready Midlothian Vision and updated Climate Strategy (with embedded action programme) once published will be an addendum to the Single Midlothian Plan providing further strategic framing until the Single Midlothian Plan is next revised. 2. Council’s Service Plan goals are purposefully aligned to contribute to Single Midlothian Plan ensuring they contribute directly to it. Page 222 of 316
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3.The Councils Transformational Blueprint has been developed in line with the Single Midlothian Plan and is supported by the Council’s Service Plans, both of which aim of reducing emissions from our activities. • The Transformational Blueprint itself builds on 2020’s Midlothian Route Map Through and Out of the Covid Pandemic and has six themed interventions intended to support Midlothian’s recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic. • Rooted in the creation of a wellbeing economy, the vision of MLCs 5-year strategy (2023-2028) focuses on reducing inequalities at the same time as looking after the health of our planet. It has three main aims: o Individuals and communities have improved health and learning outcomes. o No child or household live in poverty. o Significant progress is made towards net zero carbon emissions by 2030. • The Blueprint sets out how MLC will continue to work to address the inequalities that our communities face, respond to the demands of the fastest growing local authority in Scotland, and delivering our vision of being a great, green place to grow. Current Transformation Blueprint Objectives are: • Support the Council to address the 5-year funding gap of outlined in the Medium-Term Financial Strategy. Follow the Money to ensure that the services we commission, contracts we manage and digital solutions we use deliver value for money. Develop an organisational workforce that is flexible, ensuring that all staff have the necessary skills to work effectively, supported by digital technologies that is fit for a 21st century workforce. Design a workplace for the future delivering services in a holistic and integrated way. Drive forward multi-agency transformation to deliver systems-level change resulting in joined-up service delivery which improves outcomes. The ‘Workplaces of the Future’ workstream is of particular relevance with an objective to ‘embed reducing carbon through increased remote working and incentivisation of active travel work options’. Midlothian Council Transformation Blueprint Presented to the Council meeting of 27/06/2023 Page 223 of 316
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4.Midlothians existing Climate Change Strategy 2020 sets out a Vision and set of objectives structured around the Council’s Climate Emergency Motion of 2019. The Strategy sets out how MLC will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, encourage, and work with others in our community to mitigate and adapt to changing climate. •The strategy incorporates an action plan with a number of initiatives and ongoing programmes which together are helping to reduce our emissions and carbon footprint. •It identifies existing Council plans and strategies that will make a contribution to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. •The Strategy covers a breadth of areas in which the Council can help mitigate and adapt to climate change, including energy efficiency, recycling and waste treatment, sustainable development, sustainable travel and business processes. o Cross-service activities – both new and ongoing – that contribute to reducing the Council’s carbon footprint in these areas are set out in an Action Plan that accompanies the Strategy. o For each of these actions, the Council service responsible is identified and a timetable and desired outcome is specified. • The Strategy was approved by Council in 2020. • Work commenced in 2022/23 to determine the scope of emissions and activities included in the update and cost out a pathway for the Council to reach net zero by 2045 •In 2023 funding was secured for a Climate change lead officer post. A primary priority for the Climate Change Lead Officer is preparing a Climate Strategy update with embedded action programme over 2025-26. The importance of Scottish Government statutory public bodies climate change guidance (draft) in envisioning the Council’s onward climate transition is recognised. The draft guidance was published in 2024. The change associated demands systems level cross service cross sector change. It is recognised these provisions will take strong leadership and Scottish Government support to broker and embed. 2020 Climate Strategy Vision ‘To become an earth friendly Council, resource aware and committed to working in partnership with others to achieve our net zero carbon ambition by 2030* and ensure that our actions today assist future generations to create a resilient and more sustainable future in Midlothian’. *Now 2045 2020 Strategy Objectives Scotland’s Changing Climate – Midlothian’s Climate Change Strategy Council’s Climate Change Web Page Page 224 of 316
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i. To make the Council's activities net carbon zero by 2030*; ii. To establish a Citizens Assembly and Climate Change Partnership Group to engage the a. wider population, business, education and scientific sectors in the climate change debate; iii. To raise awareness about the impacts and risks from a changing climate; iv. To take a ‘One Council’ approach to reducing carbon emissions and putting this objective a. at the heart of our organisational activities, processes and decisions; v. To encourage people, businesses and communities to work alongside the Council and a. make their own climate change commitment; vi. To lead by example and provide climate change leadership to our partners, communities a. and businesses. vii. To develop our resilience and ability to adapt to the impacts and risks of a changing a. climate; and viii. To monitor and publicly report our climate change progress *Now 2045 Page 225 of 316
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5. The Capital Investment Strategy sets out the vision for capital planning in Midlothian based on the themes of the Single Midlothian Plan, which aims for sustainable growth and a reduction in the Council’s carbon emissions. • Under this theme, the Capital Investment Strategy includes various environmental objectives. The ones relevant to climate change, (particularly mitigation and adaptation) are: o 'Promote sustainable energy solutions where this can be achieved in a manner acceptable in terms of the environment'; o 'Seek to achieve a high quality of design in all new development, including measures to promote community safety, low and zero-carbon technologies and resilience to the impacts of a changing climate'; o 'Safeguard and enhance biodiversity and take full account of development impact on the water environment whilst consideration is being taken for its improvement'. The approved Capital Strategy sets out the infrastructure required to meet those demographic pressures and includes the financial contributions Midlothian will make to the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. Encompassing five main themes the City Region Deal will bring significant investment across the regions with total investment of circa £1.3 billion across: • Data Driven Innovation: £751 million • Integrated Regional Employability and Skills: £25 million • Transport: £156 million • Culture: £45 million • Housing: £313 million 6. Emissions baselining 2024 Midlothian Council commissioned Aether (reported Feb 2024), to: - • Calculate their baseline emissions for their estate and to provide them with a trajectory of emissions to 2030* given a ‘business as usual’ emissions reduction scenario and an ambitious emissions reduction scenario.(*Note net zero target for Council estate subsequently changed to 2045 in Nov 24, section 2a above refers). Capital Investment Strategy 2018 – 2028 Capital Investment Strategy 2018 – 2028 Page 226 of 316
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• Review existing policies and actions to reduce emissions identified within the Midlothian Council Climate Change Plan (and update) and engaged with key council departments to determine their progress • Undertake a review of the council estate by analysing electricity and gas consumption and identified the main emissions sources, outliers and buildings requiring further audit. 2(d) Does the body have a climate change plan or strategy? If yes, provide the name of any such document and details of where a copy of the document may be obtained or accessed. Yes. This is referred to in question 2(c) (4) , which provides a summary of the current Climate Strategy’s Vision and Objectives . The Strategy can be found on the Council’s Climate Change Web Page. Page 227 of 316
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2(e) Does the body have any plans or strategies covering the following areas that include climate change? Provide the name of any such document and the timeframe covered. Note that documents entered below may have expired or been superseded, however they are included as they were applicable during the reporting year. Topic area Name of document & link to it Time period covered Comments Adaptation Midlothian Green Network Supplementary Guidance 2018 until the new Local Development Plan is adopted • The Midlothian Green Network Supplementary Guidance (2018) supports the maintenance and expansion of the green network in the area. This will enable the network to provide the best possible contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation through its various functions, such as: o Ensuring habitat connectivity to allow species to adapt to climate change through movement; o Encouraging retention and expansion of plants and trees to provide opportunities for carbon trapping or sequestration; and o Providing sustainable drainage and water attenuation opportunities to reduce the impact of storm events. • Land use planning proposals are assessed in relation to whether they are compatible with the Guidance’s goals. Business Travel Business Travel & Subsistence Policy - this is available internally for staff from the Council's intranet pages 2019 onwards • One of the goals of this policy is to ensure that opportunities for reducing carbon emissions from business travel are maximised. It achieves this by: o Encouraging employees to consider whether travel is necessary; o Promoting a travel hierarchy that encourages green transport modes; and o Paying cycle mileage to promote active travel use for business purposes. Staff Travel School Travel Plans - These are available from individual schools, some of which publish them on their website. They are also obtainable from the Council's School Travel Plan Co-ordinator. Individual School Travel Plans each cover a two year period • Every Midlothian school has a School Travel Plan, and they are available from those individual schools. These are traditionally updated every two years. • School Travel Plans enable the Council to monitor travel modes and are used to ask questions relating to active travel and what would encourage it over car use. This means that barriers preventing walking and cycling to school can be identified and tackled. They apply to both staff and pupils, with parents and staff in primary schools and pupils and staff in secondary schools being involved. Page 228 of 316
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Energy Efficiency Place Directorate Service Plans / Place Directorate Performance Reports Updated annually • The Place Directorate Service Plan identifies ‘service priorities’ for its departments. Many of these are related to energy efficiency, including: o Delivering the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing programme; o Implementing the Local Authority Carbon Management Plan; and o Managing and monitoring energy usage and costs, and developing renewable energy and heat projects. • These goals, and progress towards them, are recorded in Place Directorate Annual (and Quarterly) Performance Reports. Fleet Transport Place Directorate Service Plans / Place Directorate PerforClcycklmance Reports Updated annually • The Place Directorate Service Plan identifies ‘service priorities’ for its departments. Many of these are related to emissions reductions from fleet operations, these being the responsibility of the Neighbourhood Services Team. They include: o Promoting the use of environmentally friendly, low-emission vehicles; o Increasing rates of active travel; and o Supporting the delivery of the Council’s Climate Change Strategy and exploring options for funding electric vehicles and their charging infrastructure. • These goals, and progress towards them towards them, are recorded in Place Directorate Annual (and Quarterly) Performance Reports. ICT Digital Midlothian 2021 - 2023 The Council’s Digital Strategy 2024-29 has four strategic pillars. The intention is to work collaboratively with our communities, partners, and workforce to unlock the full potential of digital, data, and technology. Many of the objectives outlined align with impactful delivery of the Council’s statutory climate duties. For example : - Pillar 1 - Automate, for an Efficient, Modern Council Streamline and automate tasks to foster seamless collaboration across the Council Pillar 3 – Data: Deeper Insights and Preventative Outcomes Act proactively wherever possible to anticipate needs and prevent issue. Pillar 4 Secure and Sustain: Protect and Preserve Ensure our data, systems, and infrastructure remain secure, resilient, and future-ready. Page 229 of 316
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Renewable
Energy
Place Directorate Service Plans
/ Place Directorate
Performance Reports
Updated annually
• The Place Directorate Service Plan identifies the following as a service priority: ‘develop
carbon reduction targets for Council properties and work with energy partners to develop
energy efficiency projects, including renewable energy, in support of sustainable low
carbon energy targets and district heating schemes’.
• Progress towards this goal is recorded in Place Directorate Annual (and Quarterly)
Performance Reports.
Sustainable /
Renewable
Heat
Midlothian Local Development
Plan 2017 onwards
• The Midlothian Local Development Plan supports renewable and low carbon heating
projects via policy NRG5 ('Heat Supply Sources and Development with High Heat Demand')
and NRG6 ('Community Heating').
• The Plan specifically identifies housing sites in the Shawfair area as locations where
community heating is presumed.
• The Plan is the framework for development across Midlothian as a whole and is not
limited to the Council’s estate/operational interests.
•Local Development Plan reporting is through the Council’s Place Directorate. The Place
Service Plan notes that the introduction of renewable technologies (including heat) is a
‘Service Priority’.
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Waste Management •Waste Management covers a wide range of functions that are flexible and focused in the delivery of the service. • •MLC Waste Service have targets to support them in moving towards Scottish Government's target of 70% recycling and composting of household waste by 2025 and to enable compliance with the Household Recycling Charter for Scotland. At the time of writing , MLC had recorded an average of 48% of household waste recycled and 36% of waste was used to generate heat and electricity. (These are average numbers reported over Q1-3 of 2024/25. Q4 figures had not been reported at the time of writing). • As part of a wider Neighbourhood Services review, a new management structure for the Recycling Team was implemented in quarter 1 of 2024/25. This has resulted in streamlined management of the service which has already seen an increase in productivity and time management of front line teams. • To further support the new management structure within the Recycling Team, the contract for the “digital deport” was awarded in Q1 2024/25. The contract will provide digital in cab technology to all of the roadside collection vehicles within waste services. This will transform the way the front line service is delivered and will result in efficiencies and improved customer service. • The team have continued to improve the way the service engages with residents in relation to enquiries and complaints. A new way of working has seen a significant improvement to customer service, resulting in a more responsive and timely service to residents who contact the team. • In quarter 2 of 2024/25, the food waste collection service was expanded to include a further 2,500 properties in the rural area. Figures showed that this was a great success with two tonnes of food waste collected in the first week alone. This is potentially 100 tonnes of food waste recycled rather than going into the residual bin. The expansion of the food waste collection service is the latest phase of the plan to transform the waste collection service as part of the move to twin stream recycling in 2025. • Quarter 2 of 2024/25 saw the new Neighbourhood Environment Team become further established within the Recycling and Greenspace Service. The new team combines elements of the former street cleaning service with specialist elements of the Page 231 of 316
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greenspace team to create a new service that aims to improve the quality of the local environment for our residents. •The Council’s Community Waste Officer and Trade Waste Officer provides advice and guidance to households and businesses, delivering talks and presentations to local schools and community groups and encouraging participation in the Council’s recycling services and increased awareness of the environmental impacts of waste and resource efficiency. •Other key operational services areas include the collection of household, commercial and confidential waste collections, street cleansing, household recycling centres, household bulky uplifts and abandoned vehicles. Water & Sewerage Local Flood Risk Management Plan – Forth Estuary Local Plan District 2022 - 2028 • The Local Flood Risk Management Plan helps to implement the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. Flood Risk Management Plans are Scotland’s route map for reducing the effects of flooding on communities. They are also important in our response to the climate emergency as flooding is increasing due to it. They are delivered over six-year cycles. This plan is for Cycle 2 (2022 and 2028). • The Plan identifies where in the area it covers is at most risk of flooding and where the benefits of investment are greatest. It specifies how and when actions will be taken. • The Flood Risk Management Plan is listed as forming part of the ‘Strategic Framework’ for Neighbourhood Services in the Place Directorate Service Plan that went to Council on 27/06/2023. Page 232 of 316
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Land Use Midlothian Local Development Plan 2017 onwards • The Midlothian Local Development Plan contains many policies that support the sustainable development of land, renewable & low carbon heating projects and the promotion of active travel. These include: o NRG5 – ‘Heat Supply Sources and Development with High Heat Demand’; o NRG6 – ‘Community Heating’; o NRG2 – ‘Wind Energy’ o ENV5 – ‘Peat and Carbon Rich Soils’, and; o TRAN1 – ‘Sustainable Travel’. • The Plan is the framework for development across Midlothian as a whole and is not limited to Midlothian Council estate/operational interests. • Council’s Service Plans identify the roles of its various departments in applying the Plan’s framework to the Council’s interests, such as its own low carbon housing or renewable energy projects. • The Council’s Planning Service is currently preparing Local Development Plan 2. The intention is to reflect Scottish Governance guidance on discharge of climate duties insofar as Council land use planning powers extend. It is hoped that the updated LDP2 will be published in 2026. Adaptation Winter Service Policy and Operational Plan Winter 2024-25 • The purpose of this Plan is to demonstrate that the Council has taken reasonable steps to prevent snow and ice endangering the safe passage of pedestrians and vehicles over public roads. As such fulfilling its Statutory responsibilities as defined in Section 34 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984. • The Plan specifically references climate change and notes that Winter Service provisions may require to be implemented at any time of year and are likely to be needed with increased frequency and intensity due to climate change. It should be read in conjunction with the Council's Severe Weather Plan (both are updated every winter). This is referenced below. Page 233 of 316
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Adaptation Severe Weather Plan & Resources Winter 2024-25 A variety of resources on severe weather are available on the Council intranet, including: • A Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)/Met Office Flood Guidance Statement User Guide; • Transport Scotland advice on driving in bad weather; • The Council’s Severe Weather Plan, which provides: o A summary of the Met Office National Severe Weather Warning System and guidance on resulting action; and o A flexible framework for the management of a co-ordinated response by Midlothian Council and partner organisations to an emergency caused by severe weather. • The Council’s Emergency Planning Procedures for Early Learning and Childcare Settings, Schools and Children’s Services. This includes a number of key principles to assist decision- making by Head Teachers during adverse weather, as well as a communications protocol, transport procedures and information on health and safety criteria for taking the decision to close a school due to severe or hazardous weather. Adaptation Midlothian Local Biodiversity Action Plan 2019 - 2024 • The Local Biodiversity Action Plan identifies priorities and actions for improving biodiversity in Midlothian. It was produced by the Midlothian Biodiversity Partnership (which includes Midlothian Council) and was adopted by the Council in 2019. • It focuses on six priority areas and identifies actions required of each group involved in the Partnership. It also must be considered in the assessment of planning applications in Midlothian. • Most of the actions will support biodiversity in adapting to the effects of climate change, in particular- o Promoting actions to enhance wildlife corridors so that biodiversity is more resilient to its impacts. o Suggesting a variety of water management actions so that water courses and bodies adapt to climate change. Page 234 of 316
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Adaptation Biodiversity Duty Report 2017 – 2020 • The Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 requires public bodies to further the conservation of biodiversity in delivering services, having regard to the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. The Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 requires public bodies to publish a ‘Biodiversity Report’ every three years that sets out the actions taken by the public body in carrying out its biodiversity duty. The latest report was presented to the Council's Cabinet meeting of December 2020. • The report has a section which describes how the Council has integrated biodiversity into nature-based solutions to the climate emergency. Staff Travel Flexible Working Policy - this is available internally for staff from the Council's intranet pages. 2020 onwards • Midlothian Council's Flexible Working Policy includes the provision for employees to request to work from home for all or part of their role. It thereby enables the Council to decrease the emissions resulting from its staff commuting to and from work. • It has applied since 2014 and was updated in 2020. Its aims have been partly superseded by the ‘digital by default’ approach where home-working is recommended for most staff following the Coronavirus pandemic. Energy Efficiency Effective Working in Midlothian Strategy (EWiM) / Council Building Rationalisation 2007 onwards • As stated in the Council’s Place Directorate Service Plan, EWiM is part of the strategic framework for the Property & Facilities Management Service. It refers to the rationalisation of the Council’s office and depot estate. It includes the introduction of space standards complemented with the workforce’s flexible and mobile working. The pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote working and enhanced digital capability across the Midlothian estate. EWiM is now pivotal to the Council’s service redesign and recovery programmes. • It has had indirect benefits for energy efficiency and emissions. One of the intended Strategy outcomes was achieving the cost-effective use of Council property, which led to improved building occupancy levels (creating efficiencies regarding the heat and power used in them) and flexible working (that reduced staff travel and the emissions associated with it). Page 235 of 316
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Energy Efficiency Local Housing Strategy 2021 – 2026 One of the intended outcomes of the Local Housing Strategy is that “housing in all tenures will be more energy efficient and fewer households will live in, or be at risk of, fuel poverty”. It includes several “Key Actions” that the Council will pursue to achieve this: o Target energy efficiency advice at households most at risk of fuel poverty; o To achieve highly energy efficiency on all directly commissioned housing in order to meet the Scottish Government’s New Build Heat Standard; o Improve knowledge of the levels, extent and nature of fuel poverty and energy efficiency of housing, with a focus on older properties; o Promote the support available from the Scottish Government to help owners transform their properties and meet the minimum energy efficiency standards for the private and social rented sectors by 2030; and o Continue to provide/facilitate services to maximise household income and reduce fuel poverty. • A report to Council on 10/10/2023 agreed to suspend the use of Passivhaus until analysis was brought back to the Council on the cost variances and its efficiency in comparison to standard energy efficiency housing. It was agreed this would not impact current sites, only further commitments.. Midlothians Place Performance Report Annual Report 2024/25 highlights: - • New Passivhaus housing developments completed and certified in Bonnyrigg High Street, in addition to Buccleuch St, Dalkeith and Burnbrae, Bonnyrigg. • Nomination for 2 Scottish Property Awards (Regeneration and Education) for Buccleuch St Passivhaus housing and Easthouses Primary School. • A contract for 20 homes on site of former leisure centre in Danderhall, at Newton Church Road. On site as of January 2025 with homes being built to Passivhaus standard. • Passivhaus development progressing well on site at former Newbattle High School, part of Scotland’s largest Passivhaus housing programme. The first handovers being planned for Summer/ Autumn 2025. Challenges and risk Over recent years, innovative ways of working have been introduced and services adapted at pace to respond to the needs of our citizens, in particular those experiencing the greatest levels of poverty and inequality. Our services are continuing to build on this learning Page 236 of 316
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moving forward, harnessing the energy, flexibility and creativity demonstrated by our workforce, to embed a culture of continuous improvement and innovation across Place. Energy Efficiency Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2023/24 - 2027/28 • The purpose of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) is to is to set out strategic investment priorities for affordable housing over a 5 year period to achieve the outcomes set out in the Local Housing Strategy (LHS). SHIP developments help to fulfil the aims of the Local Housing Strategy, one of which is to increase the energy efficiency of homes. The delivery of more affordable housing remains a high priority for Midlothian given its growth rate. This is reflected by our ongoing and ambitious housing development programme. 2024/25 saw the handover of 186 affordable completions with 20 of Passivhaus Units in Bonnyrigg/Lasswade and 6 further in Dalkeith. • Projects are scored on their environmental impact with energy efficiency and use of renewable technologies of primary consideration. This helps to ensure that projects with better environmental credentials are prioritised for development ahead of other less sustainable alternatives. • The latest SHIP details potential sites for 2,594 new affordable homes to be built between 2023/24 and 2027/28. Of these, 1,958 units are expected to receive additional funding due to them meeting the ‘greener homes’ standard – this number is likely to increase as renewable technology becomes more commonplace in new housing designs. Page 237 of 316
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Energy Efficiency Net Zero Housing Design Guide 2022 onwards • • The Council agreed at its meeting of 29/03/2022 that all new Council houses going forward should take heedance to the Net Zero Housing Design Guide, supporting the Council’s commitment to become net zero across its estates and operations by 2030* (*now 2045 post Nov 24 Council) .. • Through development and housing management process, the Council has gained substantial experience and knowledge of housing provision. • The Design Guide incorporates principles and preferences for Designers and professional teams to follow. It encompasses checklists which supporting developers in demonstrating how their project meets a comprehensive range of sustainability and low carbon criteria. Compliance with the design guide ensures exceptionally high levels of energy efficiency and low utility bills for our residents. • The end result should be the delivery of effective solutions which introduce an element of standardisation, enhance cost effectiveness and minimise maintenance. • Energy Efficiency Midlothian Council Building Heating Policy - this is an internal Council document 2019 onwards • The aim of this policy is to set and control building temperature ranges in the heating season (approximately mid October to late May), in order to help manage the Council’s carbon footprint. • The policy applies to all workplaces where Midlothian Council has control and sets minimum, maximum and ideal temperatures for different building types (e.g. schools, offices and leisure centres). Page 238 of 316
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Energy Efficiency Learning Estate Strategy Covers 2017 to 2047; updated December 2022 • The Council’s Learning Estate Strategy notes that it must align with the key priority of the Single Midlothian Plan for significant progress to be made towards net zero carbon emissions by 2045. An example of how this is being taken forward is within the new Easthouses Primary School, replacement Beeslack High School and refurbishment of Penicuik High School. These new school buildings must fulfil criteria such as : o A reduction of operational energy consumption, in line with the Learning Estate Investment Programme targets; o Strict construction embodied carbon targets being met; o Low carbon and zero waste processes to be implemented during the construction phase; and o The circular economy agenda being promoted. • The refurbishment of Penicuik High School aims to reduce its annual estimated energy consumption to a cost of £60,000 a year from £244,000 at present. It is also located in the town centre in a highly accessible location that will encourage walking and cycling to school. • The Place Directorate Report Annual Summary reports that the Education Learning Estate Strategy programme has been developed and is subject to regular review meetings with Education and stakeholders to ensure effective monitoring, reporting and delivery of improvement and expansion of the Education estate including Early Years provision. This currently covers approximately 30 projects at various stages of development. ICT ICT Procurement Frameworks Various, depending on equipment type. • Midlothian Council purchases almost all of its IT equipment through Scottish Government ICT procurement frameworks. The Council continues rely on them to ensure that the hardware we purchase is as energy efficient as possible. As MLC continues with our rolling refresh of hardware, significant numbers of older, less energy efficient devices are replaced year-on-year. • The frameworks deliver environmental benefits, including a reduction in carbon emissions through the inclusion of latest environmental and energy efficiency certification. Page 239 of 316
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Land Use Shawfair Sustainable Growth Agreement 2019 onwards • MLCs Sustainable Growth Agreements (SGAs) with SEPA are voluntary, non-legally binding, formal agreements committing the both organisations (often alongside other parties) to exploring new and innovative ways to improve environmental performance and focus on practical actions that deliver environmental, social and economic success. • An SGA for Shawfair was agreed between the Council, Shawfair LLP and SEPA in December 2019. It identifies opportunities for increased collaboration in low carbon heating, sustainable working practices, and the promotion of active travel. o One of the SGA’s key projects is the district heating system for Shawfair town centre. This will be powered by surplus, zero carbon heat from the nearby recycling and energy recovery centre. Page 240 of 316
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Other Midlothian Climate Hub Current Priorities - many of which involve MLC interplay. MLC’S Climate Lead Officer continues to maintain close contact with Midlothian Climate Action Hub staff. This supports the alignment of work programmes, resource efficiencies and joint learning, Goal: - Increasing the number of partnerships with third sector and other community groups that are actively working with underrepresented members of the community in Hub area. • Under this, MCAH are working to make plans and policies more accessible to members, such as running support on how to respond to consultations and advertising consultations exist. • MCAH work with their member groups involved in interacting with young people in Midlothian to integrate the voice of young people into MCAH. During the 2024/25 reporting period they met with a few different groups and experimented with different ways of getting feedback from young people on MCAH’s work programmes. • MCAH also ran a disabled people’s chat about climate change, with Forward Mid and Lothian centre for inclusive living. They plan to have a second chat in October 2025. It is hoped that one of the outcomes from these meetings will be providing member groups with guidance on how to be more accessible to a range of volunteers. Separately from this goal, MCAH also do multiple wider engagement events to reach new sectors of the community. This interaction is ongoing with forward planning for Bonnyrigg Gala day in June 25, and Vogrie Pogrie community festival in September 2025. Goal : - Improving understanding or concern about climate adaptation or mitigation within Midlothian community groups through participation in or uptake of training and events. • MCAH have run multiple training events throughout the year and have some coming up for their member groups. Training topics have included carbon literacy, facilitation, volunteer recruitment etc with plans made for nature conservation focused training. Page 241 of 316
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Goal : - Increased funding available for climate action including through greater number of successful funding applications by community members or the issuing of grants to community groups. • MCAH have run Seedcorn funding rounds of different levels to provide funding to community groups. They have funded 17 community groups through our their own Seedcorn funding. • In addition, MCAH have a monthly newsletter that highlights other funding application opportunities that come up. Goal: - Diverse group of people from across Midlothian (representative of its communities) are engaged in four Thematic Circles on food, energy, circular economy and biodiversity with a vision and strategy developed for each circle. The goal of each circle is to connect groups interested in these areas to work together on new and existing projects. TOPICAL CIRCLES: - Biodiversity: - A community garden network project that connects the community gardens in Midlothian together sharing ideas and learning. - A wildlife corridors project exploring different opportunities for wildlife corridors in Midlothian, both on council and private land. Food: - A project to establish regular community meals in Midlothian. MCAH will be preparing their first pilot meal in Rosewell at the end of September 2025 Energy: - MCAH are exploring the opportunity for community owned energy with other Lothian hubs, and making some exciting progress on this. Reuse Projects yet to be developed. Apart from these circle meetings, MCAH are now also hosting community meals for our membership to socialise and meet each other. Page 242 of 316
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Goal: - : Increased opportunities for communities to be involved in policy and decision making within the community. Hubs directly participate in local, regional and national policy making for adaptation and mitigation • This involves MCAH building relationships within the Council, such as the planning Service, attending local consultations and discussions, and working with community councils. MCAH have reached out to community councils to improve our links and discuss any potential concerns about the new Midlothian Local Development Plan. • MCAH retain a watching brief on relevant national consultations and pass them on to their groups and/or support groups in responding if necessary. Goal : engage with, learn from and seek to add-value to ‘Changeworks in Dalkeith’ • A three year partnership project (due to run to 2026) is being delivered by Changeworks to build community awareness of the climate emergency and bring about behaviour change and direct action to tackle the issue locally. In the first year of the three year project c.600 households were reached and the project is currently being extended to Eskbank, Mayfield, Gorebridge, Easthouses and Newbattle. These, like Dalkeith, include areas of multiple deprivation; Goal: - engage with Midlothian Energy Ltd, Vattenfall Heat UK (the company establishing a local heat network to 4,000 homes at the new town of Shawfair) and the Council’s Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES). • MCAH have made plans to help Midlothian Energy build volunteer teams to gather data from communities on energy use and energy efficiency options and have a key role in communicating the benefits of heat networks, heat pumps and other energy efficiency improvements to the wider public. This would align with the LHEES delivery plan, helping prepare for the expansion of heat networks. They retain a watching brief on the LHEES • LHEES strategy and plan to attend future meetings on this work. Page 243 of 316
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Goal : - offer support to Midlothian Financial Inclusion Network (MFIN) and Midlothian Council to help households living in poverty in the hope we can provide added-value to this important work • MCAH work towards this goal through the provision of local, fresh and affordable food; encouraging re-use, repair and upcycle as less-expensive and often better alternatives to buying new. They provide advice on insulation advice and energy reducing measures further supporting households. • MCAH have worked with MFIN on creating adaption resources for adaption to climate change, that will be passed on to our members. We have also worked with MFIN and the council on the Good Food Nation Plan meetings. Page 244 of 316
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Other Midlothian Strategy for Inclusive Economic Growth 2025-2030 Economic Strategy Delivery Plan 2025-27 and the Community Wealth Building (CWB) Progress Report & Action Plan 2025-2027. 2025-27 • MLC published the Midlothian Strategy for Inclusive Economic Growth 2025-2030 in October 2024. This sets out Midlothian’s strategy for inclusive growth, along with a new economic development vision and key priorities for the period 2025-2030. High level actions to achieve the Performance Indicators in the Strategy sit in an underlying Economic Strategic Delivery Plan. The Vision of the Strategy for Inclusive Economic Growth (2025-30) is: Midlothian’s wellbeing economy will support our communities, businesses and town centres to thrive, ensuring inclusivity and fair work for all. It will continue to be recognised as home to world leading clusters of science and innovation and be known as an area in which everyone can live, work and do business sustainably to generate wealth and wellbeing for its citizens. All of the ‘Strategic Priorities’ outlined in the Strategy, are of direct relevance to the climate transition: - • Develop Midlothian’s proposition within Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region. • Enhance Skills & Employability Opportunities in Midlothian to meet the challenges and opportunities of inclusive green growth with entrepreneurship recognised as a valuable career pathway. Maximise the potential of Midlothian’s key sectors to support a Just Transition. • Capitalise on the strengths of Midlothian’s strategic partners to embed inclusive wealth across all services to realise a wellbeing economy. • Re-imagine our town centres, ensuring they meet Midlothian’s economic, social, cultural and environmental needs. • Deliver infrastructure enhancements that will support Midlothian’s transition to a Wellbeing Economy. The publication of the Community Wealth Building Bill in March 2025 requires local authorities and relevant public bodies to prepare and publish a community wealth building action plan and to implement that plan. The Council have responded with their CWB Action Plan (now online). Page 245 of 316
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Council Midlothian Council Procurement Strategy 2018 - 2023 2018 - 2023 • Midlothian Council has a duty to promote the economic growth of Midlothian and the current Procurement Strategy 2018 – 2023 aims to maximise local spend ensuring growth and job creation. • There are five strategic themes to the Procurement Strategy, one of which is 'environmental benefits'. This is detailed on page 17, in relation to the Sustainable Procurement Duty. Specific reference is made to a requirement to consider impact of procurement activities in relation to climate change. • The importance of the environmental credentials of suppliers are also emphasised elsewhere, such as the tender process web page and within the Terms and Conditions for the Purchase of Goods. The latter specifies, for example, that contracts with both suppliers to the Council and their sub-suppliers may be terminated if obligations relating to environmental law are not fulfilled. • Updating the Procurement Strategy is a key priority for Legal and Governance Services, as stated in the Corporate Solutions Service Plan for 2023/34 – 2027/28. Page 246 of 316
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Other Midlothian Council Local Procurement Strategy 2021 2021 until superseded • The Local Procurement Strategy 2021 helps to further the aims of the Council’2018 – 2023 Procurement Strategy with a focus on enhancing support to Small and Medium sized enterprises (SMEs) , third sector and supported business: - • Increasing opportunities for SMEs, third sector and supported business to gain Council business • Providing SMEs, third sector and supported business with greater access to procurement opportunities, all contract opportunities, Key objectives of note include: - • Demonstrate leadership and corporate social responsibility by procuring sustainably and ethically and influencing suppliers, contractors, service providers and our collaborative partners to do the same. • The Council will use its contract and supplier relationship management processes to improve, social, economic, environmental and sustainable arrangements within current and future contract opportunities. • The Council will use its spend to actively encourage and support a growing, diverse and resilient local business base, and to support our Carbon Neutral by 2030 ambitions • The Council will consider any negative externalities of procurement, for example the impact on the environment • Page 247 of 316
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Other Midlothian Compact Agreement 2020 - 2025 • Topic area covered: various areas of work on climate change. • The purpose of the Midlothian Compact is to create the foundation for positive working relationships between the third sector and Midlothian Council to support better outcomes for communities. • The Midlothian Compact agreement outlines actions specifying how the Council will work together with its third sector partners. Creating networks and opportunities to develop innovative new ways of working together, share resources and ensure they are collectively are able to meet the challenges of the new decade, including the climate emergency which will increasingly affect all of our lives. Other Midlothian Physical Activity, Sport and Health Strategy 2018 - 2023 • The Midlothian Physical Activity, Sport and Health Strategy 2018 - 2023 aims to encourage everyone in Midlothian to be more active whether that’s through work, play, sport, travel or leisure. The strategy provides direction for the Council’s approach to raising awareness of the benefits of physical activity and encouraging the people of Midlothian to be more active. • Midlothian Council employee an Active Travel Officer • Incorporated within the Strategy are priorities to: - o Encourage sustainable active travel participation across all age groups o more walking busses and park and walk zones to increase active travel to school Page 248 of 316
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Other Midlothian Active Travel Strategy – Midlothian on the Move 2024-2034 • MLCs Active Travel Strategy – Midlothian on the Move 2024-2034 was approved at December 2024 Council. The 3 key aims of the Strategy are to :- • Expand the active travel network and improve its accessibility, safety, connectivity and maintenance. • Promote and enable behavioural change toward uptake in al forms of active travel. • Provide transparent monitoring of the delivery of all projects. • The Strategy has an accompanying action plan. Its primary aim is to increase walking and cycling and reduce motorised transport. It contains a map of the region and settlements, showing existing infrastructure and identifies routes for new infrastructure and the priority level of these projects. It contains details of cross-border routes and specifies national, regional and local policies that contributed to its development. • The action plan contains a set of actions covering topics such as infrastructure and network development and school engagement. Some of the objectives are linked to monitoring activities and targets. The Active Travel Strategy will inform the update to the current Local Development Plan and the Council’s new Local Transport Strategy. Page 249 of 316
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2(f) What are the body’s top 5 priorities for climate change governance, management and strategy for the year ahead? Provide a brief summary of the body's areas and activities of focus for the year ahead. • Strategic brokering of cross service sign off and commitment to a ‘Climate Ready Midlothian Vision’ contributing directly to climate, wellbeing, economic and biodiversity crises. • The development, internal brokering and facilitation of a cross-Service, cross-sector Climate Action Programme embedded within an updated Climate Strategy. • Leading on Midlothian’s contribution to national and regional climate mitigation, climate adaptation and wider sustainability workstreams. Embedding efficiencies and co-benefits through interplay across Scottish Government and a host of wider national and regional tables such as those facilitated through , Scottish Climate Intelligence Service, Verture, Capital City Partnership, The Improvement Service etc • Developing cross Council understanding of the co-benefits of climate action being embedded across mainstream Council business. Recognising Scottish Government expectation in this regard across all hierarchical levels. • Monitoring and reporting progress against previously adopted climate focused targets – locally, area wide and regionally. • Promoting and facilitating climate change action in local communities and within business. Facilitation of co-creation and action under Midlothian’s Community Planning Climate Emergency Group. Leading reporter on the ‘Great Green Place to Grow’ theme of the Single Midlothian Plan to Community Planning Working Group and Community Planning Board. Leading on net zero workstreams reporting to Business Transformation Steering Group and Board. C Page 250 of 316
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2(g) Has the body used the Climate Change Assessment Tool (a) or equivalent tool to self-assess its capability / performance? If yes, please provide details of the key findings and resultant action taken. (a) This refers to the tool developed by Resource Efficient Scotland for self-assessing an organisation’s capability / performance in relation to climate change. Page 252 of 316
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MLC submitted a scorecard to Climate Emergency UK relating to its climate action in December 2024. Climate Emergency UK empower those advocating for change both within and outside councils, fostering collaboration with community campaigners. Founded in 2019, they work with residents and councils at a local level for council climate action, and with others at a national level to advocate for further powers and funding for councils and communities for climate action. Input required the Council to answer a series of questions relating to biodiversity, buildings& heating, collaboration and engagement, governance and finance, transport plus waste reduction and food. Questions related to Council action over the 2023/24 financial year. Coverage relating to MLC operations not outlined elsewhere in the PBCCB is provided below • Midlothian Council still use compost and soil containing peat on occasion when undertaking works. A move away from this practice is however something the relevant Services are looking into. • In the 23/24 Financial Year , 0.8 ha of perennial and bulb pollinator species were introduced to parks and open spaces across Midlothian • In the 23/24 Financial year, 4.5ha of wildflower grassland were introduced to Vogrie Country Park along with two new ponds • Key green spaces are mown for wildlife by means of cut and lift operations. • .Midlothian Local Development Plan 2017 -has relevant policies covering --The Safeguarding of Green Belt. • MLC do not have a green tariff in operation • Currently 62% of Council homes have an EPC of C or above (this is better than the Council average of 49%). Note that this is data derived from Home Analytics and therefore cannot be 100% accurate. There is currently a project underway within the Council to compile updated EPCs for all Council Homes. Feasibility studies for major retrofit works are also under completion. EPC Overview:- • A-B: 12% • C: 50% • D: 33% • E: 4% • FG: 1% • Council's Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy commits to keeping jobs and revenue from heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects within the Midlothian economy'. The Energy Training Academy (ETA) in Dalkeith being of particular importance in supporting the provision of skills and training for local individuals. • Vattenfall ,(a leading European energy company), have invested in their own company space within the Energy Training Academy. This allows them to be available to students to support training and wider engagement in respect of heat networks. • The importance of climate action is promoted across the interplay of the Council with all organisation types. There is climate focused interaction with the cultural sector , albeit it not formalised partnerships. An example of this was the Rosslyn Chapel benefitting from 20K MLCs Green Transition Fund grant enabling the installation of LED lighting using a local company. Whilst (unfortunately the Council is not credited in the article), further details of the project can be found here- https://www.rosslynchapel.com/news/new-lighting-shows-up-chapels-green-credentials/ • As of July 2023 there were 67 schools and nurseries in Midlothian that are registered with the Eco-Schools programme (including private facilities). It is the largest sustainable schools programme in the world and is delivered in Scotland by Keep Scotland Beautiful. It involves schools forming an Eco-Committee which completes an Environmental Review, to help decide which topics to work on. This is followed by an Action Plan which needs to cover three of the ten possible Page 253 of 316
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topics: one of these must be climate action and the others include food & the environment or biodiversity. Actions should also be linked with the curriculum and should involve the local community. This work is recognised by the Green Flag Award, which is a visible indication of a school's commitment to learning about sustainability, and an internationally recognised accreditation. It is renewed every two years through a repeat of the process. 13 of the 67 participants in Midlothian have been awarded Green Flag status. A different assessment of climate action was undertaken in 2023 by Climate Emergency UK. Reporting scorecards were cocreated in consultation with 90 different organisations and individuals. Councils were scored on seven areas of climate action and given a right to reply before the scores underwent a final audit, Midlothian 2023 scores are outlined below: - Midlothian Council Average Score for Similar Council Buildings and Heating 36% 49% Transport 12% 22% Planning and Land Use 27% 35% Governance and Finance 24% 27% Biodiversity 23% 27% Collaboration and Engagement 37% 53% Waste Reduction and Food 31% 37% Midlothian Council had previously used the Climate Change Assessment Tool in 2021/22. This was undertaken using a slightly different methodology to the 2023 assessment above and is therefore not directly comparable . The 2021 scores generated with the tool, (depicted below ) consider overall rating of capability/performance and ratings for five areas within an organisation. The results for Midlothian Council were: • Governance – a score of 13 out of 28 (or 46%); • Emissions – a score of 8 out of 30 (or 27%); • Adaptation – a score of 10 out of 28 (or 36%); • Behaviour – a score of 10 out of 20 (or 50%); and • Procurement – a score of 6 out of 16 (or 38%). The overall rating was a score of 47 out of 122 (or 39%). Page 254 of 316
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As part of its ‘Council Climate Plan Scorecard’s’ project in 2021, Climate Emergency UK also assessed the Council’s plans for its climate change work according to 28 questions across nine sections, based on an expert-approved checklist. Each council was marked against these criteria and given a right to reply before the scores underwent a final audit. The results are presented below, including a comparison to other Councils similar to Midlothian for context. Section Midlothian Council Score Average Score for Similar Councils Governance, development and funding 13/21 10.3/21 Mitigation and adaptation 10/18 9.0/18 Commitment and integration 5/7 4.1/7 Community engagement and communications 5/9 5.1/9 Measuring and setting emissions targets 4/5 2.9/5 Co-benefits 0/4 2.2/4 Diversity and inclusion 0/5 0.9/5 Education, skills and training 1/5 2.3/5 Ecological emergency 2/4 2.1/4 Page 255 of 316
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2(h) Supporting information and best practice Provide any other relevant supporting information and any examples of best practice by the body in relation to governance, management and strategy. Since 2017, the Council’s Internal Auditors have undertaken three reviews into a combination of the Authority’s Public Bodies Climate Change Duties reports and its energy consumption. This has led to recommendations in relation to governance, management and strategy for how the Council should proceed with future reports and work on sustainability and climate change matters more generally. As reflected above a successful bid resulted in a temporary Climate Change Lead Officer post being put in place in May 2024. PART 3 – CORPORATE EMISSIONS, TARGETS AND PROJECT DATA Page 256 of 316
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3(a) Emissions from the start of the year which the body uses as a baseline (for its carbon footprint) to the end of the report year Complete the following table using the greenhouse gas emissions total for the body calculated on the same basis as for its annual carbon footprint / management reporting or, where applicable, its sustainability reporting. Include greenhouse gas emissions from the body’s estate and operations (a) (measured and reported in accordance with Scopes 1 & 2 and, to the extent applicable, selected Scope 3 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (b). If data is not available for any year from the start of the baseline year to the end of the report year, provide an explanation in the comments column. (a) No information is required on the effect of the body on emissions which are not from its estate and operations. (b) This refers to the document entitled “The greenhouse gas protocol. A corporate accounting and reporting standard (revised edition)”, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Geneva, Switzerland / World Resources Institute, Washington DC, USA (2004), ISBN: 1-56973-568-9. Year Year type Scope 1 Scope 2 Scope 3 Total Units Comments 2016/17 Financial 10,726 8,949 5,287 24,962 tCO2e This year is used as the default baseline year as it was the first year following the expiration of the Council’s last Carbon Management Plan. 2017/18 Financial 11,418 9,730 1,036 22,184 tCO2e 2018/19 Financial 10,191 5,459 641 16,290 tCO2e 2019/20 Financial 10,587 4,874 590 16,051 tCO2e 2020/21 Financial 10,904 4,085 976 15,965 tCO2e 2021/22 Financial 11,529 3,914 991 16,433 tCO2e 2022/23 Financial 11,345 3,838 1,790 16,974 tCO2e Relates to emissions detailed in table 3(b) below, which include gas and electricity consumption in estate buildings, fuel use by the Council's fleet and electricity consumption associated with street lighting. 2023/24 Financial 10, 455 4,084 403 14,943 tCO2e 2024/25 Financial 10,856 5,181 366 16,404 tCO2e Page 257 of 316
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3(b) Breakdown of emission sources Complete the following table with the breakdown of emission sources from the body’s most recent carbon footprint (greenhouse gas inventory); this should correspond to the last entry in the table in 3(a) above. Use the ‘Comments’ column to explain what is included within each category of emission source entered in the first column. If there is no consumption data available for an emission source enter the emissions in kgCO2e in the ‘Consumption’ column of one of the ‘Other’ rows and assign the scope and an emission factor of 1. Emissions factors are published annually by the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. ‘FTE’ = Full-Time Equivalent. Emission source Scope Consumption data Units Emission factor Units Emissions (tCO2e) Comments Electricity Scope 2 20,020,217 kWh 0.20705 kgCO2e/kWh 4145.1859 This data relates to Council estate buildings for which it is responsible for the utilities cost. These include schools, offices, leisure centres and libraries. Also includes consumption from stair lighting, door entry systems and car charging points. Electricity transmission and distribution losses Scope 3 20,020,217 kWh 0.0183 kgCO2e/kWh 366.36997 This data relates to network losses of power that supplies Council estate buildings for which it is responsible for the utilities cost. These include schools, offices, leisure centres and libraries. Also includes consumption from stair lighting, door entry systems and car charging points. Electricity Scope 2 5,003,545 kWh 0.20705 kgCO2e/kW 1035.954 Refers to power consumed by assets such as street lights, road signs and traffic signal equipment. Electricity transmission and distribution losses Scope 3 5,003,545 kWh 0.0183 kgCO2e/kWh 91.564874 Refers to network losses of power that supplies assets such as street lights, road signs and traffic signal equipment. Natural gas Scope 1 45,719,434 kWh 0.1829 kgCO2e/kWh 8362.0846 This data relates to Council estate buildings for which it is responsible for the utilities cost. These include schools, offices, leisure centres and libraries, as well as Bonnyrigg District Heating. Gas oil Scope 1 980,962 kWh 0.2565 kgCO2e/kWh 251.6168 Relates to gas oil consumption within Moorfoot Primary School, Tynewater Primary School and Vogrie Country House. Gas oil Scope 1 457 litres 2.75541 kgCO2e/litres 1.25922 Relates to fuel consumption from the Council's vehicle fleet. Page 259 of 316
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Diesel (average biofuel blend) Scope 1 873,496.30 litres 2.51279 kgCO2e/litres 2194.913 Relates to fuel consumption from the Council's vehicle fleet. Petrol (average biofuel blend) Scope 1 28,208.29 litres 2.0844 kgCO2e/litres 46.87857288 Relates to fuel consumption from the Council's vehicle fleet. Water supply Scope 3 207,479 m³ 0.08 kgCO2e/m³ 16.59829 Refers to all of the Council's estate. Water treatment Scope 3 197,105.05 m³ 0.17 kgCO2e/m³ 33.507859 Refers to all of the Council's estate. Average car - Unknown Scope 1 493,209 miles 0.27465 kgCO2e/miles 135.46 Relates to staff mileage claims – using their own vehicles to fulfil their employment duties - in 2024/25 Homeworking emissions Scope 3 4618, 449.36 FTE Working Hours 0.33378 kg CO2e/FTE Working Hour 1,541.55 This is an estimate based on full-time equivalent staff employed by the Council in 2024/25, observations of office occupancy and a standard working week of 36 hours per week and working 47 weeks per year. Page 260 of 316
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3(c) Generation, consumption and export of renewable energy Provide a summary of the body's annual renewable generation (if any), and whether it is used or exported by the body. Technology Renewable Electricity Renewable Heat Comments Total consumed by the body (kWh) Total exported (kWh) Total consumed by the body (kWh) Total exported (kWh) Solar photovoltaics 116,370 The Council has 10 solar photovoltaic systems with a total capacity of 100kW. Most were installed during 2018/19 as part of Non Domestic Energy Efficiency projects. Ones previously installed were at Gore Glen, Bilston and Roslin primary schools. They are: • Goreglen Primary School (capacity 6.25kW, commissioned in 2016); • Bilston Primary School (capacity 3.75kW, commissioned in 2016.; • Roslin Primary School (capacity 6.24kW, commissioned in 2017); • Penicuik Pool & Library (capacity 11.55kW, commissioned in 2019); • Loanhead Centre (capacity 12.03kW, commissioned in 2018); • Bonnyrigg Primary School (capacity 11.55 kW, commissioned in 2019); • Cuiken Primary School (capacity 12.38kW, commissioned in 2019); • St Andrew's RC Primary School (capacity 12.38kW, commissioned in 2019); • Woodburn Primary School (capacity 11.55kW, commissioned in 2019); and • Lasswade Campus (capacity 12.10 kW, commissioned in 2019) • Please note: - Missing information: - Lasswade Campus not received since Mid Aug 24 – MLC Assistant Energy & Utilities Officer is currently investigating this gap Page 261 of 316
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3(d) Organisational targets List all of the body’s targets of relevance to its climate change duties. Where applicable, targets for reducing indirect emissions of greenhouse gases, overall carbon targets and any separate land use, energy efficiency, waste, water, information and communication technology, transport, travel and heat targets should be included. Where applicable, you should also provide the body’s target date for achieving zero direct emissions of greenhouse gases, or such other targets that demonstrate how the body is contributing to Scotland achieving its emissions reduction targets. Name of target Target Boundary / scope of target Target completion year Progress against target Comments Number of street lights replaced with LED lanterns. Install 500 new street lighting columns Scope 2 2024/25 The street lighting capital programme was completed ahead of plan with a targeted 472 new lighting column replacements. A further 680 street lights were upgraded to LED lanterns to include a central management system for dimming Each LED light replaced reduces energy consumption by a factor of five, compared with standard units. MLC’s annual place performance report shows that in 2024/25 there was a saving of 1,116 tonnes of carbon emissions from street lighting. Electricity consumption (non- heat) - kWh/year/m2 Develop carbon reduction targets for Council properties and work with energy partners to develop energy efficiency projects, including renewable energy, in support of sustainable low carbon energy targets and district heating schemes Scope 2 2023/24 (& ongoing) New target for 2023/24 Introduced as a set of new ‘Key Performance Indicators’ for 2023/24 for the Property & Facilities Management Service in the Place Directorate Service Plan 2023 – 2027. Aim – to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from offices, schools, schools with pools, leisure centres and leisure centres with pools. Page 263 of 316
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Carbon dioxide emissions (all energy + water) - kgCO2e/year/m2 Develop carbon reduction targets for Council properties and work with energy partners to develop energy efficiency projects, including renewable energy, in support of sustainable low carbon energy targets and district heating schemes. . Scope 2 2023/24 (& ongoing) New target for 2023/24 Introduced as a set of new ‘Key Performance Indicators’ for 2023/24 for the Property & Facilities Management Service in the Place Directorate Service Plan 2023 – 2027. Aim - to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from offices, schools, schools with pools, leisure centres and leisure centres with pools. Water consumption – m3/year Reduce water consumption from offices, schools, schools with pools, leisure centres and leisure centres with pools. Scope 3 2023/24 (& ongoing) New target for 2023/24 Introduced as a set of new ‘Key Performance Indicators’ for 2023/24 for the Property & Facilities Management Service in the Place Directorate Service Plan 2023 – 2027. Local Heat & Energy Efficiency Strategies Increase the percentage of Local Heat & Energy Efficiency Strategies complete. All energy use 2023/24 (& ongoing) New target for 2023/24 Introduced as a set of new ‘Key Performance Indicators’ for 2023/24 for the Property & Facilities Management Service in the Place Directorate Service Plan 2023 – 2027. The percentage of Council fleet which is 'Green', ‘cumulative’. 8% of vehicles Transport 2022/23 (ongoing annual target beyond) 8.2% As for 2023/24 reporting period. Page 264 of 316
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Progress ‘’ high energy efficient social housing projects meeting Scottish Government’s New Build Heat Standard; completed Energy use in buildings See ‘Comments’ All new build homes in the Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024/25- 2028/29 are scheduled to meet greener standards for the first time. 191 of these will be Passivhaus properties. All social housing is undertaken in line with Midlothian Council’s Net Zero Housing Design Guide. A report to Council on 10/10/2023 agreed to suspend the use of Passivhaus until analysis was brought back to the Council on the cost variances and its efficiency in comparison to standard energy efficiency housing. It was agreed this would not impact current sites, only further commitments. Details of progression towards completions are outlined in the Housing Land Audit. Page 265 of 316
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A catalogue of agreed housing design typologies has been developed, which will deliver a certain performance standard, aiming to achieve net zero.. Discussions are ongoing regarding how we could achieve an energy performance as close to Passivhaus standard as possible using off site manufacture. . Page 266 of 316
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3(d)(a) How will the body align its spending plans and use of resources to contribute to reducing emissions and delivering its emission reduction targets? Provide any relevant supporting information Midlothian Council delivers its priorities through the Single Midlothian Plan (SMP). This has several aims in relation to emissions reductions, including to increase the amount of renewable and low carbon energy generation in Midlothian and the amount of energy saved in the area’s homes, increasing carbon storage in the area and raising awareness of the climate emergency. Service Plans and Performance Reports for each Council department outline the priorities for their staff together with measurement indicators to determine progress. These documents are expected to show connections to the SMP and therefore must outline how services are using and will use their resources to meet the SMP’s climate change related objectives. The Transformation Blueprint, and supporting Medium Term Financial Strategy, have also been developed in line with the Single Midlothian Plan and are supported by the Council’s Service Plans. See question 2(c) for further details on the Blueprint. Reports presented to meetings of Midlothian’s Council and Cabinet also outline how the matters/actions they describe support sustainable development and the use of the Council’s resources in doing so. The updated Climate Strategy Action Programme with embedded action programme once approved in 2026 will form an addendum of the Single Midlothian Plan prior to the next SMP update. 3(d)(b) How will the body publish, or otherwise make available, it's progress towards achieving its emissions reduction targets? Provide any other relevant supporting information. In the event that the body wishes to refer to information already published, provide information about where the publication can be accessed. Given that they contain data on the Council’s current emissions volume and sources, together with data for previous years, the annual Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Return will document progress towards achieving Midlothian Council’s emissions reduction targets. These reports are presented to the Council’s Cabinet each year prior to submission and such items are publicly available through a ‘Council, Cabinet and Committees’ webpage. The Council’s ‘Sustainable Development and Climate Change’ web page will also be updated each year with the latest submission. Progress towards the Council’s emissions reduction targets will also be presented in the Council’s performance reporting, which now includes key performance indicators that will track electricity and water consumption as well as carbon dioxide emissions across various categories of premises that comprise its estate. The Council continue to contribute funds to establishing the Scottish Climate Intelligence Service work programme and associated Climatview platform tracking area wide and regional emissions. Dedicated resourcing of this interplay is still to be approved, Page 267 of 316
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3(e) Estimated total annual carbon savings from all projects implemented by the body in the report year If no projects were implemented against an emissions source, enter “0”. If the body does not have any information for an emissions source, enter “Unknown”. If the body does not include the emissions source in its carbon footprint, enter “N/A”. Emissions source Total estimated annual carbon savings (tCO2e) Comments 0 No projects were implemented 2024/25 3(f) Detail the top 10 carbon reduction projects to be carried out by the body in the report year Provide details of the 10 projects which are estimated to achieve the highest carbon savings during report year. Project name Funding source First full year of CO2e savings Capital cost (£) Project lifetime (years) Primary fuel/emission source saved Estimated carbon savings per year (tCO2e/annum) Estimated costs savings (£/annum) Comments Please see 3(h) below 3(g) Estimated decrease or increase in the body’s emissions attributed to factors (not reported elsewhere in this form) in the report year If the emissions increased or decreased due to any such factor in the report year, provide an estimate of the amount and direction. Emissions source Total estimated annual emissions (tCO2e) Increase or decrease in emissions Comments Estate changes 278 Increase This is due to properties returning to MLC responsibility & higher usage. Service provision Staff numbers 3.5% (not tCO2e) Increase Staff numbers reported in Part 1 of this report are 4,074. The equivalent number for the previous report was 4,053. Total emissions for these respective years are 16, 974 tCO2e (2024/25) and 14, 943 tCO2e (2023/24). This equates to a year- on-year increase in emissions of 0.33% per member of staff. Other (specify in comments) Page 269 of 316
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3(h) Anticipated annual carbon savings from all projects implemented by the body in the year ahead If no projects are expected to be implemented against an emissions source, enter “0”. If the organisation does not have any information for an emissions source, enter “Unknown”. If the organisation does not include the emissions source in its carbon footprint, enter “N/A”. Emissions source Total estimated annual carbon saving (tCO2e) Comments Electricity 1.49 Stobhill Community Waste Recycling Unit – Replacement of Metal Allode lighting with LEDs. 3(i) Estimated decrease or increase in emissions from other sources in the year ahead If the body’s corporate emissions are likely to increase or decrease for any other reason in the year ahead, provide an estimate of the amount and direction. Emissions source Total estimated annual emissions (tCO2e) Increase or decrease in emissions Comments 0 3(j) Total carbon reduction project savings since the start of the year which the body used as a baseline for its carbon footprint If the body has data available, estimate the total emissions savings made from projects since the start of that year (‘the baseline year’). Total savings Total estimated emissions savings (tCO2e) Comments Total project savings since baseline year 905 Refers to savings made since 2016/17 from the implementation of emissions reductions projects across the Council’s estate. These are taken from the entries made for question 3e for each of those sequential reporting years. Respectively, these are 68, 55, 407, 93, 263 and 15 and 24 tCO2e in those years. These are savings made from Salix, capital and Non Domestic Energy Efficiency Framework projects. Page 270 of 316
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3(k) Supporting information and best practice Provide any other relevant supporting information and any examples of best practice by the body in relation to corporate emissions, targets and projects. The energy consumption and emissions data in this section was provided by the Energy Assistant Development Officer from the Council’s Property & Facilities Management department. During the reporting year they continued to monitor energy consumption across the Council’s building portfolio on a monthly basis. More accurate monitoring has been enhanced by the use of Automatic Meter Readers. These are in place for all Council premises with gas supplies and most of the Council’s larger sites in the case of electricity. A Council Internal Audit report from 2022/23 examined such issues and recommended strengthening procedures in this respect further to ensure efficiency, best value and a reduction in carbon emissions. Other measures in relation to corporate emissions, targets and projects are outlined in Q5 of the ‘Other Notable Reporting Activity’ section at the end of this report. They include: • The Council’s Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) looks to systematically improve the energy efficiency of buildings and decarbonise heat in Midlothian. It incorporates the Council’s past work from the ‘Green Heat in Green Spaces / Park Power’ project which investigated the possibilities for how Council-owned urban green and blue spaces can support Scotland's low carbon heat transition; • Salix carbon reduction and energy efficiency projects; and • Energy efficiency projects involving the environmental charity ‘Changeworks’. Midlothian Energy Ltd (MEL, the Council’s joint venture energy company with Vattenfall) are taking forward a number of carbon reduction projects. These include solar PV, electric vehicle charging, direct wire electricity, Non-Domestic Energy Efficiency Framework measures, hydroelectric and hydrogen. It is estimated that such schemes will lead to an investment of £90 - £100m. There is also the potential to expand their district heating project in Shawfair into neighbouring sites. Laying the 4km of pipes that this project entails started in summer 2023. This initial phase will supply 3,000 homes, education and retail properties at Shawfair, saving over 2,500 tonnes of CO2 per year (the equivalent of taking 1,200 cars off the road) and the project is benefitting from up to £7.3m from the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transformation Project. MEL also intend to engage with various departments from Councils in Edinburgh and East Lothian to scope the potential for cross-boundary emissions reductions projects too. PART 4 – ADAPTATION 4(a) Has the body assessed current and future climate-related risks? If yes, provide a reference or link to any such risk assessment(s). A detailed local climate risk assessment is likely to be commissioned to support effective enactment of the updated Climate Strategy /action programme currently being written. This will take account of Regional finding from the Climate Ready South East Scotland (CRSES) Climate and Economic Risk assessment (2024) and ongoing collaborative work priorities agreed by MLC and other regional partners within the Climate Ready South East Scotland Regional Adaptation Partnership. Page 271 of 316
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The Council’s exposure to risks related to climate are reported in updates of its Strategic Risk Profile presented to its Audit Committee. The risk is summarised as a score based on possible impacts and the likelihood of these impacts, together with a commentary to add context. During the 2021/22 reporting year, The Council’s Internal Audit department also assessed the risks to the Council of not meeting its climate change obligations. This followed a similar investigation in 2017/18 and, more recently, a report in 2022/23 to review the controls over the Council’s consumption of utilities (energy and water) and associated risks. The Council’s Planning, Sustainable Growth & Investment Service produced an updated Climate Change Risk Assessment in 2021/22 to assess its exposure in this area too. It is based on: • The categories of risk identified in the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2017 – Summary for Scotland, produced by the UK government’s Committee on Climate Change; • An additional criteria – ‘Compliance, Governance & Management Risks’; and • Midlothian Council’s Climate Change Strategy – the Risk Assessment examines the risk to the Council associated with the targets and actions in the Strategy, noting the impact and likelihood of failing to meet the actions in a risk assessment matrix. Current and future climate-related risks due to flooding have been assessed through the risk assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Midlothian Local Development Plan 2017. The Strategic Flood Risk Assessment identifies the area's functional flood plain and collates information on all sources of flood risk, including the Scottish Environment Protection Agency Indicative River and Coastal Flood Risk Maps. It was used to inform the development strategy of the Plan. These documents are available here and here. The Council also assessed climate-related flooding risks as part of its input to Forth Estuary Local Flood Risk Management Plan, which helps to implement the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 and translates it into action. Flood Risk Management Plans are Scotland’s route map for reducing the effects of flooding on communities and form an important part of the response to the climate emergency as flooding is increasing due to it. They are delivered over six- year cycles. The Plan identifies where in the area it covers is at most risk of flooding and where the benefits of investment are greatest. It specifies how and when actions will be taken. Current and future climate-related risks were also previously covered by the Midlothian Community Planning Partnership Strategic Assessment. It provided an insight into the main issues that present a threat or risk to communities within Midlothian. It did this using 'PESTEL' analysis, and environmental issues – such as climate change – were examined as part of this. The last separate Strategic Assessment was written in 2019, however elements of it are now incorporated into the Single Midlothian Plan. Climate change-related risks are also assessed when various Council policies are drafted - see question 4b below. Page 272 of 316
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4(b) What arrangements does the body have in place to manage climate-related risks? Provide details of any climate change adaptation strategies, action plans and risk management procedures, and any climate change adaptation policies which apply across the body. The Councils 2020 Climate Change Strategy ‘ Scotland’s Changing Climate’ is currently active. Early work was undertaken in 2023/24 to support a revision to this existing Strategy. Part of this review work involved the Council commissioning Aether consultants to: - 1. Calculate the baseline emissions for the Council estate and provide the Council with a trajectory of emissions to 2030 given a ‘business as usual’ emissions reduction scenario and an ambitious emissions reduction scenario. 2. Review existing policies and actions to reduce emissions identified within the Midlothian Council Climate Change Plan 3. Engage with key council departments to determine their progress. 4. Review council estate by analysing electricity and gas consumption and identified the main emissions sources, outliers and buildings requiring further audit. • In May 2024 the Council appointed a Climate Change Lead Officer to lead on the Council’s response to climate change and deliver an updated Climate Strategy with embedded action programme by 2026. Many of the current priorities of the new post holder ( listed in section 2a above ) support consideration of and planning for climate risk from a holistic Corporate perspective. • Currently climate-related risks, as they relate to any particular document or proposal, will be considered by Elected Members as part of regular Council, Cabinet and Committee meetings. Arrangements for managing risks also arise from discussions and actions following the presentation of the Council’s Strategic Risk Profile to its Audit Committee. The Strategic Risk Profile estimates the Council’s current exposure to climate change related risks. Further measures for managing risks relating to particular areas of Council business are referred to below. • MLC Resilience staff consider climate risk from a business continuity perspective . . Winter Service Policy and Operational Plan: • The purpose of this Plan is to demonstrate that the Council has taken reasonable steps to prevent snow and ice endangering the safe passage of pedestrians and vehicles over public roads, to fulfil its Statutory responsibilities as defined in Section 34 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984. • The Plan also specifically references climate change and notes that its measures may require to be put into operation at any time of year. It notes that such instances are likely to occur with increased frequency and intensity due to climate change. It should be read in conjunction with the Council's Severe Weather Plan (both are updated every winter). This is referenced below. Severe Weather Plan & Resources: Page 274 of 316
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• A variety of resources on severe weather are available on the Council intranet, including: o A SEPA/Met Office Flood Guidance Statement User Guide; o Transport Scotland advice on driving in bad weather; • The Council’s Severe Weather Plan, which provides: o A summary of the Met Office National Severe Weather Warning System and guidance on resulting action; and o A flexible framework for the management of a co-ordinated response by Midlothian Council and partner organisations to an emergency caused by severe weather. • The Council’s Emergency Planning Procedures for Early Learning and Childcare Settings, Schools and Children’s Services. This includes a number of key principles to assist decision-making by Head Teachers during adverse weather, as well as a communications protocol, transport procedures and information on health and safety criteria for taking the decision to close a school due to severe or hazardous weather. Local Flood Risk Management Plan – Forth Estuary Local Plan District: • The Local Flood Risk Management Plan helps to implement the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. Flood Risk Management Plans are Scotland’s route map for reducing the effects of flooding on communities. They are also important in our response to the climate emergency as flooding is increasing due to it. They are delivered over six-year cycles. The latest plan is for Cycle 2 (2022 and 2028). • The Plan identifies where in the area it covers is at most risk of flooding and where the benefits of investment are greatest. It specifies how and when actions will be taken. • The Flood Risk Management Plan is listed as forming part of the ‘Strategic Framework’ for Neighbourhood Services in the Council’s most recent Place Directorate Service Plan. Integrated Impact Assessments: • Integrated Impact Assessments are systematic, evidence-based checks to consider the risks and impacts of policies and decisions on legal duties in relation to equality, human rights, sustainability and the environment. • In relation to the environment, they require the author to identify and examine impacts of decisions on: o Reducing greenhouse gas emissions; o Planning for and adapting to climate change; o Air, water and soil pollution; o The efficient use of energy and materials; and o Enhancing biodiversity. Page 275 of 316
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4(c) What action has the body taken to adapt to climate change? Include details of work to increase awareness of the need to adapt to climate change and build the capacity of staff and stakeholders to assess risk and implement action. The body may wish to make reference to the Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme (‘the Programme’). • Since coming into post in May 2024, MLC’s Climate Change Lead Officer has worked to strengthen and broaden MLC’s action in support of climate adaptation. • The Climate Change Lead Officer (CCLO) attends the Public Bodies Climate Adaptation Network (PBCAN) supporting raised momentum and joint learning across Authorities. • Adaptation bench marking is also undertaken to monitor and plan Corporate action on climate adaptation on a routine basis. This uses the standardised methodology developed through Adaptation Scotland. • The CCLO facilitates the Community Planning Climate Emergency Group supporting collective Midlothian focused climate action across community, third sector, public and private sector. • MLC is a member of the Lothian Esk Catchment Partnership and collaborates with those in taking a catchment led approach to natural flood management whilst embedding wider social, economic and environmental benefits. Assessing risk and implementing action to adapt to climate change is enhanced by the Council’s Risk Management Policy and Strategy, which provides a systematic and formalised framework for determining and responding to risks such as those posed by climate change (see also question 4e). This outlines the proposed approach to risk management and governance arrangements for risk monitoring and accountability within the Council. It focuses on all risks that the Council may be exposed to. It is by no means focussed exclusively on climate-related risks, though an objective of it is to anticipate and respond to social, environmental and legislative requirements. It also states that, in the area of risk management, the Council seeks to safeguard and enhance the quality of Midlothian's environment. It was reviewed in mid-2021 when a Risk and Resilience Group was established with membership drawn from Chief Officers and Senior Managers across the Council and its Audit Service. Adaptation actions are promoted though the Midlothian Local Development Plan, which proposed developments must adhere to. It identifies locations for developments that require Flood Risk Assessments, watercourse buffer strips and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems to avoid surface water flooding. The Midlothian Green Network Supplementary Guidance provides a framework to enable green networks to help climate change mitigation and adaptation through its various functions. These include: • Ensuring habitat connectivity to allow species to adapt to climate change through movement; • Encouraging the retention and expansion of plants and trees to provide opportunities for carbon sequestration; and • Providing water attenuation opportunities to reduce the impact of storm events. These aims form a list of 'Design Principles for the Green Network' that are used to assess planning applications. Page 276 of 316
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Raising awareness of climate change amongst staff is also done via: • The CCLO’s Cross Council interplay and the climate focus of a number of other primary task such as the Senior Manager for Property and Facilities, MLC’s LHEES officer, Net Zero Housing Project Manager. • A dedicated web page on the topic which includes a presentation on the science of climate change, outlines actions the Council has in play to mitigate and adapt, and makes suggestions on how staff can play their part. It is recognised the website does need updated however resource has not been available to allow this. • Announcements in staff communications of climate change related events such as advice sessions on saving energy and using active transport. Wider climate focused guidance is made available to Midlothian residents via the Council website. This includes: • Information on flooding, such as contact details to report surface water drainage issues and referring readers to other sources of information, including live flooding updates (via Floodline.org.uk); and • Advice on resilience during severe weather events. Coverage here includes school closure updates, the Council's Winter Service Policy and a 'Frequently Asked Questions' page which includes relevant Council service contact numbers. Links to wider external climate resilience websites are also provided, covering issues such as advice on travel and the loss of utilities. Page 277 of 316
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4(d) Where applicable, what contribution has the body made to helping deliver the Programme? Provide any other relevant supporting information. The Second Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme 2019 – 2024 lists various policies that will help to achieve its outcomes, together with owners of these policies. The text below lists contributions made by Midlothian Council to the policies against which Local Authorities are marked as owners. Flood Risk Management Strategies • A Strategic Flood Risk Assessment accompanies the Midlothian Local Development Plan. It collates information on all sources of flood risk, including SEPA Indicative River and Coastal Flood Risk Flood Maps, and was used to inform the development strategy of the Plan. • Planning staff are in regular contact with SEPA to obtain and be informed about the latest flood risk data. This is being used in producing the next Local Development Plan to inform discussions with staff who specialise in flooding matters. • Policy ENV 10 (Water Environment) of the Midlothian Local Development Plan helps implement the objectives of the River Basin Management Plan: it states that development proposals that contribute to the aims of the River Basin Management Plan will be supported. • Midlothian Council took part in the development of latest the Forth Estuary Local Flood Risk Management Plan and it is listed as forming part of the ‘Strategic Framework’ for Neighbourhood Services in the Place Directorate Service Plan that went to Council on 27/06/2023. See question 4(b) above for further details on it. • Midlothian Council's Planning Team and a representative of the Roads Service regularly meet with Scottish Water to discuss matters such as the management of surface water to ensure that sewer systems are resilient to climate change. Similar meetings also take place with Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Energy Efficient Scotland • The Council has published its Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy. The LHEES looks to systematically improve the energy efficiency of buildings and decarbonise heat in Midlothian. More detail on this is included in Q5 of the ‘Other Notable Reporting Activity’ section at the end of this report. • An aim of the Council’s Local Housing Strategy is that homes will be more energy efficient. The Council will work to Scottish Government’s Net Zero Design Standard for low energy design on all directly commissioned Council housing projects. Support is available from the Scottish Government to help owners transform their properties and meet the minimum energy efficiency standards for the private and social rented sectors by 2030, and targeted energy efficiency advice. • Midlothian Council’s Building Services department has been and continues to be involved in projects to improve the energy efficiency of buildings alongside Changeworks (an environmental charity). • The Council has a Net Zero Housing Design Guide that applies to all new Council houses. • The Council’s Property & Facilities Management Service progress work in this area through the development of renewable energy projects in the Council’s building estate. Page 278 of 316
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Tolerable Standards and Scottish Housing Quality Standards • The Council’s Building Services staff progress work towards the Scottish Housing Quality Standards and have various performance indicators that relate to it. These include the percentage of the Council housing stock meeting the criteria in general as well as specific aspects of it such as the percentage meeting the ‘modern facilities & services’, ‘free from serious disrepair’ and ‘healthy, safe and secure’ criteria. The percentage of Council dwellings that are energy efficient is also a corporate performance indicator. Water Refill Locations: Local Development Plans • This is being taken forward as part of the review of the Midlothian Local Development Plan following guidance and requirements on the topic from the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 and the resulting Local Development Planning Regulations & Guidance Consultation. Outdoor Learning In Nature • The Midlothian Ranger Service offers a variety of educational activities based on the Curriculum for Excellence from the Early through to the Senior phase. It organises and leads free curriculum based education for schools and groups involving teaching to inspire pupils about nature, their local environment and the world around them. These include: o During 2024/25 222 Ranger events were undertaken o The Midlothian Outdoor Festival (held in October 2024 ) involved partnering with volunteers to produce an annual programme of walks and cycles, orienteering, tubing , a wildlife recording workshop , caincross , talks & video presentations and river discovery events. . The event attracted over 1500 participants attending over the 4 days. o Vogrie Outdoor Early Learning & Childcare Centre, which opened in 2019, is an outdoor nursery located within the grounds of Vogrie Country Park that provides care for children up to three days a week. It aims to generate an interest in the natural world amongst children to create environmental awareness and its vision is ‘learning and growing together through nature, nurture and play’. It was rated as ‘very good’ during its last inspection (in 2021). o There are actions in the Single Midlothian Plan to pursue outdoor learning in nature – see question 2a in the Recommended Reporting section. The Ranger Service is challenged due to an ongoing staff secondment, presently at 23 months (although initial proposal was 6 months only). Currently the service consists of a Senior Ranger and Countryside Ranger, managing 7 countryside sites: ▪ Vogrie Country Park ▪ Roslin Glen Country Park ▪ Gore Glen Woodland Park ▪ Springfield Mill Wildlife Site ▪ Straiton Pond Local Nature Reserve ▪ The Roslin to Loanhead Walkway ▪ The Penicuik to Dalkeith Walkway Page 279 of 316
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• Schools and nurseries across Midlothian are registered with the Eco-Schools programme (including private facilities). It is the largest sustainable schools programme in the world and is delivered in Scotland by Keep Scotland Beautiful. It involves schools forming an Eco-Committee which completes an Environmental Review, to help decide which topics to work on. This is followed by an Action Plan which needs to cover three of the ten possible topics: one of these must be climate action and the others include food & the environment or biodiversity. Actions should also be linked with the curriculum and should involve the local community. This work is recognised by the Green Flag Award, which is a visible indication of a school's commitment to learning about sustainability, and an internationally recognised accreditation. It is renewed every two years through a repeat of the process. 13 of the participants in Midlothian have been awarded Green Flag status. • Doors Open Days are a range of events coordinated by the Scottish Civic Trust. They run throughout Scotland every September as part of European Heritage Days. They are primarily about celebrating heritage and the built environment by offering free access to venues across Midlothian, however some of the events are environment-themed. The 2024 Doors Open Day saw over 20 venues across Midlothian open their doors free to the public. Wider activities included guided tours of the landscape, plants and flowers surrounding the National Museum of Scotland’s Lady Victoria site with ecologist Matt Harding from the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. There are other policies within the Second Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme 2019 – 2024 that although they do not list local authorities as owners, nevertheless overlap with their work and which Midlothian Council are therefore helping to progress. These are: • Clean Air for Scotland Strategy (progressed by the Midlothian Council’s Protective Services); • Electric Vehicle Charging Network through ChargePlace Scotland (Neighbourhood Services); • Building Regulations/Standards (Building Services); • Scottish Water Surface Water Policy (Planning, Sustainable Growth and Investment; and Projects (via the Edinburgh and Lothians Strategic Drainage Partnership)); and • Blue-Green Infrastructure (Planning, Sustainable Growth and Investment). Page 280 of 316
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4(e) What arrangements does the body have in place to review current and future climate risks? Provide details of arrangements to review current and future climate risks, for example, what timescales are in place to review the climate change risk assessments referred to in Question 4(a) and adaptation strategies, action plans, procedures and policies in Question 4(b). Since May 2024 MLC have had a singular temporary Climate Lead Officer (CCLO) postholder. This is enabling a Corporate review of Council approach in discharging its climate duties relating to climate mitigation , climate adaptation and sustainability. Climate risk is a consideration across all of this work. For now the CCLO is working with the evidence bases MLC currently have to draw on (elaborated on below). As reflected in 4a (above), it is recognised that a local climate risk assessment will require to commissioned to support impactful enactment of the Climate Strategy /Action Programme the CLLO is currently drawing up (due to be tabled 2026) The Councils 2020 Climate Change Strategy ‘ Scotland’s Changing Climate’ is currently active. Work was undertaken in 2023/24 to support the revision and update of the 2020 Strategy. Part of this involved the Council commissioning Aether consultants to: - o Calculate their baseline emissions for their estate and to provide them with a trajectory of emissions to 2030 given a ‘business as usual’ emissions reduction scenario and an ambitious emissions reduction scenario. o Review existing policies and actions to reduce emissions identified within the Midlothian Council Climate Change Plan o Engage with key council departments to determine their progress. o Review council estate by analysing electricity and gas consumption and identified the main emissions sources, outliers and buildings requiring further audit. • The items discussed in questions 4a and 4b are periodically updated, often annually, and will therefore be used to review current and future climate risks. • Climate-related risks are continually reviewed as part of Integrated Impact Assessments and Strategic Environmental Assessments as these are required on policy decisions that may have consequences for the environment. The Council’s overall approach in the area of 1) risk identification and 2) Council accountability for risk, is outlined in its Risk Management Policy and Strategy. This was reviewed in 2021 by a Risk and Resilience Group that included Chief Officers, Senior Managers and its Audit Service. It focuses on all risks that the Council may be exposed to and not exclusively on climate-related risks, though an objective of it is to anticipate and respond to environmental legislative requirements. It also states that, in the area of risk management, the Council seeks to safeguard and enhance the quality of Midlothian's environment. Page 281 of 316
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4(f) What arrangements does the body have in place to monitor and evaluate the impact of the adaptation actions? Please provide details of monitoring and evaluation criteria and adaptation indicators used to assess the effectiveness of actions detailed under Question 4(c) and Question 4(d). In terms of the monitoring of Corporate action relating to climate adaptation. The CCLO (as outlined in section 4c) undertakes regular Adaptative benchmarking in accordance with national best practice. The bench marking is informed by CCLO (or equivalent) across Scotland sitting on the Public Bodies Climate Adaptative Network, supporting joint momentum, shared learning and oversight. Under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act, the Council is required to monitor the significant environmental effects of the implementation of every strategic action for which it has carried out a Strategic Environmental Assessment. This is done using criteria which enables the Council to identify any unforeseen adverse effects at an early stage; and undertake appropriate remedial action. The impact of adaptation actions identified in individual workstreams are monitored and evaluated through the periodic reviews of those workstreams and the tasks they involve. For example measures to adapt to climate change as outlined in the Midlothian Local Development Plan are monitored and evaluated through meetings of the Development Plan Monitoring Group. This assesses progress being made towards the environmental goals of the Plan and lessons learned for future Plans. 4(g) What are the body’s top 5 climate change adaptation priorities for the year ahead? Provide a summary of the areas and activities of focus for the year ahead. 6. Strategic brokering of a cross service sign off and commitment to Climate Ready Midlothian Vision contributing directly to climate, wellbeing, economic and biodiversity crises. 7. Development, internal brokering and facilitation of a cross-Service, cross-sector Climate Action Programme embedded within an updated Climate Strategy. 8. Midlothian’s contribution to national and regional climate mitigation, climate adaptation and wider sustainability workstreams. Embedding efficiencies and co-benefits through interplay across Scottish Government and a host of wider national and regional tables such as those facilitated through , Scottish Climate Intelligence Service, Verture, Capital City Partnership, Improvement Service etc. 9. Developing cross Council understanding of the co-benefits of climate action being embedded across mainstream Council business. Facilitating the enactment of Scottish Government expectation in this regard across all hierarchical levels. 10. Promoting and facilitating climate change action in local communities and within business. Facilitation of co-creation and action under Community Planning Climate Emergency Group. Lead on Community Planning Working Group and Board on ‘Great Green Place to Grow’ theme of the Single Midlothian Plan. Lead on net zero workstreams reporting to Business Transformation Steering Group and Board. [ Page 282 of 316
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4(h) Supporting information and best practice Provide any other relevant supporting information and any examples of best practice by the body in relation to adaptation. The information and examples provided in questions 4(a) to 4(g) above are accompanied by links to documents which provide supporting information, if required. Page 283 of 316
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PART 5 – PROCUREMENT 5(a) How have procurement policies contributed to compliance with climate change duties? Provide information relating to how the procurement policies of the body have contributed to its compliance with climate changes duties. The Midlothian Council Procurement Strategy 2018 - 2023 and derived policy and procedures reflect European, national and local objectives, including their sustainability considerations. These are: • European objectives - Directives 2014/24/EU, 2014/23/EU and 2014/55/EU; • National objectives – the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, Scottish Procurement Policy Notes and the Scottish Government’s Public Procurement Strategy for Scotland 2023 to 2028); and • Local objectives - Single Midlothian Plan objectives. The Council notes the importance of environmental matters prominently within its Procurement Strategy, which has five strategic themes to promote ethical standards. Whilst it encompasses social and economic matters, the Strategy also notes that environmental opportunities are of ‘equal importance’ and this includes considering the impact of purchases on, for instance, climate change, waste production or scarce materials. In practical terms, this may involve: • Collaborating with partners to share good practice and maximise opportunities when procuring from the same suppliers; • Undertaking soft market testing to understand the potential for innovation and what the market can offer in terms of sustainable solutions; • Considering environmental sustainability in the early stages of each project, identifying goods, works and services with significant impact; • Including appropriate standards, requirements and targets in contracts; • Considering environmental factors where appropriate in supplier selection and tender evaluation; and • Taking a whole lifecycle approach to costs. The above aims are also furthered by Midlothian Council’s 2021 Local Procurement Strategy, which: • Sees the Council use its spend to actively encourage and support a growing, diverse and resilient local business base, to facilitate its Carbon Neutral by 2045 ambitions; • Involves considering any negative externalities of procurement, for example the impact on the environment; and • Promotes the use of local suppliers where appropriate, to help reduce the carbon footprint of the Authority's activity, such as that associated with transport which would otherwise be higher if less local alternatives were used. To assist the aims of the Local Procurement Strategy, the Council’s Procurement Team have collaborated with their colleagues in Economic Development. This includes to launch the Midlothian Business Carbon Charter/Green Pledge. It supports businesses to operate in environmentally friendly and low-carbon ways, for example by signposting information, expert advice from partner agencies, and funds to facilitate energy efficiencies. Businesses signing up are directed to Page 284 of 316
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a range of advice on how to achieve the Charter’s aims, including by developing travel plans and energy, waste and water audits. Those adopting it will therefore be in a better position to comply with the Council’s procurement standards and the Local Procurement Strategy. The Council’s Economic Development staff support the aims of the Local Procurement Strategy by: • Encouraging businesses to sign the Council’s Carbon Charter/Midlothian Green Pledge to commit to operating in environmentally-friendly and low- carbon ways. Signatories are directed to a range of advice on how to achieve the Charter’s aims and so will be in a better position to support the Local Procurement Strategy’s objective to procure sustainably; • Encouraging and supporting businesses to register with Public Contracts Scotland to increase their access to tender opportunities within Midlothian and the wider public sector; • Encouraging registration with the Supplier Development Programme, which provides access to free training and support in public sector tendering to improve the tender readiness of local suppliers; • Working collaboratively with the Council’s Procurement Team to identify upcoming opportunities and promoting them via the Council’s digital channels and contacting businesses directly; • Attending the Supplier Development Programme’s quarterly meetings, promoting events and training and sharing of articles; • Offering guidance and support on all aspects of procurement, to aid understanding of regulations and to support bidders to submit compliant tender submissions; • Hosting ‘Meet the Buyer’ events, attended jointly by Economic Development, Midlothian Business Gateway and Council Procurement staff for relevant contracts; and • Supporting Meet the Buyer events by external organisations by promoting them via social media and contacting local businesses to raise awareness and register attendance. Recent examples include Shawfair’s Low Carbon District Heating System Supplier Engagement Event by and Balfour Beatty’s supply chain engagement event. Page 285 of 316
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5(b) How has procurement activity contributed to compliance with climate change duties? Provide information relating to how procurement activity by the body has contributed to its compliance with climate changes duties. Tender processes use the Single Procurement Document (SPD). This incorporates a standard set of questions, including on environmental compliance and policy to help ensure tenderers have an appropriate history and overall approach to environmental considerations. Invitations to Tender and associated documents issued by Midlothian Council Procurement also specify environmental considerations/requirements (including those relating to carbon emissions) that tenderers must comply with. Where proportionate to the nature of the contract, environmental considerations will go further. Examples of the application of these procedures and procurement activities contributing to compliance with climate change duties during the 2024/25 reporting year are: • An Invitation to Tender for the supply and installation of street lighting requiring bidders to describe the details of any specific steps taken in the design, manufacture and installation of this equipment to increase energy efficiency and reduce any detrimental environmental impacts; • An Additional Standards Statement for a contract for the construction of Council social housing requiring tenderers to have appropriate environmental/energy management systems in place such as UKAS (or equivalent) accredited independent third party certificate of compliance with BS EN ISO 14001 (or equivalent) or a valid EMAS (or equivalent) certificate; and • The award criteria within the Technical Questionnaire for the supply of ski slope materials to Midlothian’s snowsports centre requiring a statement on efforts by bidders to meet sustainability criteria, such as their actions to meet the Scottish Government’s target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, with a 75% reduction by 2030. Full details on these and other Contact Notices published by Midlothian Council, including those archived from previous years, are available at the Council’s page on the Public Contracts Scotland portal. Page 286 of 316
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5(c) Supporting information and best practice Provide any other relevant supporting information and any examples of best practice by the body in relation to procurement. Midlothian Council's procurement Terms & Conditions contain provisions that allow for the termination of contacts if obligations under the European Communities Act 1972 have not been met. This includes events where the supplier has failed to comply in the performance of the Contract with legal obligations in the fields of environmental law. Suppliers themselves must include the same provision within their various sub-contracts. These requirements apply to the Council’s Terms & Conditions for the purchase of goods, for the purchase of services, for the use of consultancy services and for the supply of goods. The Council provides an overview of the tender process, which specifically emphasises the importance of environmental considerations in bids made for goods and services. The Council's Procurement Strategy and Terms & Conditions of business are available on the Council website and the former specifically references climate change matters as an influencing factor in procurement decisions. The Procurement pages on the Council’s website also direct potential suppliers to the Midlothian Business Carbon Charter (as mentioned above). Resource efficiency and carbon considerations are part of procurement decisions for i) goods & services and ii) decisions about capital and maintenance budget expenditure. In relation to the former, a whole life cost approach to contract development is included within tender documents and commodity strategies. This involves considering low carbon alternatives for selected goods and services that may have a high emissions impact. For capital and maintenance budget expenditure, larger projects that are subject to financial appraisal are also subject to carbon appraisal, including whole lifecycle costing and consideration of alternative low carbon methods. In practical terms, there are numerous services procured via various Framework Agreements such as Scotland Excel frameworks, where the framework contracts have climate related inclusions for suppliers to have carbon considerations or environmental/sustainability commitments within the commissioning. Page 287 of 316
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PART 6 – VALIDATION & DECLARATION 6(a) Internal validation process Briefly describe the body’s internal validation process, if any, of the data or information contained within this report. Much of the data within this submission was obtained from reports that were presented to Council meetings during the reporting year, including Service Plans and Performance Reports. In other cases, the relevant Council services were contacted directly to validate it. The data in part 3 was compiled and reviewed by the Council’s Energy Officer while the overall report was reviewed by the Planning Sustainable Growth and Investment Service Manager (who has departmental responsibility for the authoring officer). The Council’s Internal Audit staff have also played an indirect role in validation. They have previously scrutinised two such reports and reported on another occasion on energy use in the Council’s estate. This resulted in recommendations both on the procedural aspects of how the report is compiled and on the Council’s climate change response which underpins it. Their most recent investigation was in the 2022/23 reporting year. As per their previous instructions, this year’s proposed PBCCD report was presented to the Council’s Cabinet for scrutiny and approval prior to its submission. 6(b) Peer validation process Briefly describe the body’s peer validation process, if any, of the data or information contained within this report. No peer validation took place, resources did not allow this. 6(c) External validation process Briefly describe the body’s external validation process, if any, of the data or information contained within this report. Ernst & Young commented and made recommendations on the Council’s work towards its climate change goals, including the topics covered within this report in its Annual Audit Report to Members and the Controller of Audit for the Year Ended 31st March 2022. This was reported to Council in October 2022, along with recommendations for how to proceed. Note that this reporting was not exclusively focused on the review of the Council’s Public Bodies Climate Change Duties return, but a wider range of activities that also encompasses it. 6(d) No validation process If any information provided in this report has not been validated, identify the information in question and explain why it has not been validated. N/A - our validation process is outlined above. Page 288 of 316
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6e - Declaration I confirm that the information in this report is accurate and provides a fair representation of the body’s performance in relation to climate change. Name Role in the body Date Peter Arnsdorf Planning, Sustainable Growth and Investment Manager RECOMMENDED REPORTING: REPORTING ON WIDER INFLUENCE Q1 Historic Emissions (Local Authorities only) Please indicate emission amounts and unit of measurement (e.g. tCO2e) and years. Please provide information on the following components using data from the links provided below. Please use (1) as the default unless targets and actions relate to (2). (1) UK local and regional CO2 emissions: subset dataset (emissions within the scope of influence of local authorities): (2) UK local and regional CO2 emissions: full dataset: Local Authority (please state): Midlothian BEIS Dataset (full or sub-set): Subset Table 1a – Subset (units are ktCO2, except for *, which is tCO2 Sector 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Comments Total emissions 422.-7 456.14 445.15 401.74 399.01 382.64 370.79 366.55 353.75 311.92 352.95 332.06 Industry and commercial 99.33 124.65 120.33 102.01 97.82 88.94 77.53 78.93 69.38 60.17 72.96 67.60 Domestic 178.19 191.71 187.30 159.59 160.07 148.75 145.04 143.54 143.69 137.13 142.65 122.73 Transport total 144.54 139.78 137.32 140.14 141.12 144.95 148.22 144.08 140.67 114.62 137.34 141.73 Per capita 7.32 7.42 7.34 6.57 6.39 6.21 6.08 5.90 5.66 5.00 5.36 4.92 Page 289 of 316
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Q2a - Targets Please detail your wider influence targets Sector Description Start year Target Target / End Year Comments Other Learning for sustainability is increased 2023 • Two Council Rangers and 10 volunteers trained by 31/03/2024. • 3 schools adopting fresh water sites by 31/03/2025. • Introduction of an adaptation vision given consideration by 31/03/2025. March 2025 Included in the 2023 – 2027 Single Midlothian Plan as an outcome under the ‘Midlothian Will be Greener’ theme. Other Sustainable living is increased 2023 • Establish a ‘Midlothian Climate Hub’. • Produce and distribute info on promoting biodiversity in small scale spaces. • Mapping and promoting community/social enterprise food production. • Identify community scale climate change projects in Midlothian. • Promote active travel information and work with Sustrans, SEStrans and neighbouring Councils to do so. • Establish a shared transport scheme across Midlothian. March 2026 Included in the 2023 – 2027 Single Midlothian Plan as an outcome under the ‘Midlothian Will be Greener’ theme. Energy Increase low carbon/renewable energy developments and home energy saving 2023 • Support and promote Changework’s decarbonisation projects and signpost information on home energy saving using the ‘Midlothian Climate Hub’. • Work with Midlothian Energy Ltd on low carbon heating and renewable energy projects. • Work with Midlothian Council to delivery its Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy. March 2027 Included in the 2023 – 2027 Single Midlothian Plan as an outcome under the ‘Midlothian Will be Greener’ theme. Rural land use Carbon storage is increased 2023 • Map areas of wildflowers and meadows in Midlothian and encourage their growth. • NatureScot to connect Midlothian Council with Peatland Action to explore possibilities in this area for carbon savings. • Map areas of greenspace and tree canopy cover. March 2026 Included in the 2023 – 2027 Single Midlothian Plan as an outcome under the ‘Midlothian Will be Greener’ theme. Page 290 of 316
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Q2b) Does the organisation have an overall mission statement, strategies, plans or policies outlining ambition to influence emissions beyond your corporate boundaries? If so, please detail this in the box below. Yes - see the answers to questions within the ‘Governance, Management & Strategy’ section. Many of the documents listed there for questions 2c, 2d and 2e extend beyond the Council's corporate boundary, as do many of the activities listed in the ‘Other Notable Reporting Activity’ section below. The requirements of the Council in relation to sustainable procurement also assist in influencing emissions beyond its boundaries. Midlothian Council’s declaration of a ‘climate change emergency’ in 2019 includes the aim of encouraging emissions reductions across the region – it stated that ‘the council will support and work with other agencies towards making the entire area zero carbon within the same timescale [by 2030]*’. To assist in achieving this, a Climate Emergency Group started during the previous reporting year. It has seen the Council collaborate with partners in Midlothian to pursue emissions reductions and as a result, several goals for this are contained within the latest Single Midlothian Plan. These are detailed in question 2a above. Note * as reflected above MLC moved the deadline for net zero from Council operations and activities to 2045 at Council in November 2024. Q3) Policies and Actions to Reduce Emissions Secto r Start year for policy / action imple - mentatio n Year that the policy / action will be fully imple - mente d Annual CO2 saving once fully imple - mente d (tCO2) Latest year measure d Saving in latest year measure d (tCO2) Statu s Metric / indicators for monitorin g progress Deliver y role During project / policy design and implementatio n, has ISM or an equivalent behaviour change tool been used? Please give further details of this behaviou r change activity Value of investmen t (£) Ongoin g costs (£/ year) Primary funding Source for implementatio n of policy / action Please provide any detail on data sources or limitations relating to the information provided in Table 3 The Council has not completed this question for this report year. It is hoped to do so for future reports as data and information becomes more readily available and resources allow. T Many entries that could go in the table above are nevertheless included in Section 3 (particularly 3d) and the ‘Other Notable Reporting Activity’ section below, while carbon reduction targets that extend beyond the Council’s own emissions are included in Q2a in this section. Page 291 of 316
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Q4) Partnership Working, Communication and Capacity Building. Please detail your Climate Change Partnership, Communication or Capacity Building Initiatives below. Key Action Type Description Organisation’s Project Role Lead Organisation (if not reporting organisation) Private Partners Public Partners 3rd Sector Partners Outputs Comments Examples of these actions are detailed throughout this report, particularly in the ‘Other Notable Reporting Activity’ table below, or in relation to Midlothian Energy Ltd. Other examples elsewhere in this report include the work of the Community Planning Climate Emergency Group in Q2a above. Page 292 of 316
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OTHER NOTABLE REPORTING ACTIVITY Page 293 of 316
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Q5) Please detail key actions relating to Food and Drink, Biodiversity, Water, Procurement and Resource Use in the table below. Key Action Type Key Action Description Organisation's Project Role Impacts/Comments Air Quality Air Quality Annual Progress Reports Lead • Air Quality Annual Progress Reports set out the results of air quality monitoring carried out by Midlothian Council and consider the potential impacts from a range of sources such as road traffic and other transport emissions, industrial processes, commercial and domestic fuel use and fugitive emission sources. They also note the relevance of air quality issues to climate change, for example as covered by the Clean Air for Scotland Strategy. • Monitoring activity is performed in relation to nitrogen dioxide, which can contribute to climate change since it is a precursor of ozone (a greenhouse gas). The reports also document progress on measures to improve air quality which result in reduced emissions of greenhouse gases too, for example efforts to reduce vehicle idling, encourage public transport use and increase the uptake of electric vehicles. Air Quality East Central Scotland Vehicle Emissions Partnership Participant • Midlothian Council forms part of the East Central Scotland Vehicle Emissions Partnership, together with the Councils of West Lothian, East Lothian, Falkirk and Stirling as well as the Scottish Government. • The remit of the group is to help reduce vehicle emissions by encouraging drivers to switch off their engine whenever possible, educating the general public and by handling idling complaints. • They provide a range of services to discourage idling around schools and have information on fuel efficient driving on their website. Biodiversity Midlothian Local Biodiversity Site System Lead • The Midlothian Local Biodiversity Site System is run by The Wildlife Information Centre (TWIC), who fulfil the Council’s obligation for sites to be assessed in terms of the health of their species and habitats. • There are currently over 50 designated local biodiversity sites in Midlothian and TWIC maintain records of flora and fauna, site boundaries and survey information for both existing and proposed sites. These are assessed using a methodology overseen by the Midlothian Local Biodiversity Site Steering Group which is chaired by the Council and its members include volunteer local botanical experts, representatives of the Scottish Wildlife Trust and Botanical Society of the British Isles. Nature Scot is also corresponding member. Page 294 of 316
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Biodiversity Planning Application Biodiversity Screening Participant Planning applications received by the Council are assessed in respect of their impact on biodiversity and compliance with guidance on it (the Local Biodiversity Action Plan). This takes place via TWIC (the Wildlife Information Centre), who the Council have a service agreement with and who provide screening reports and views on biodiversity information submitted in support of proposals. Consultation responses from staff in the Conservation & Environment Section of the Planning department assist in this area. These sources will contain information, suggestions and requests and ensure that biodiversity issues are taken into account in determining the application. Biodiversity Planning Application Tree Preservation Order Lead During the 2024/25 reporting period, Council Planning Committee confirmed two Tree Preservation Orders to protect two groups of trees as follows:- • One group of trees at Land adjacent to Meyerling and Land at Little Moss and Nether Moss near Howgate • On group of trees at Land north of Old Golf House, Newbattle Page 295 of 316
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Biodiversity Midlothian Ranger Service Lead • The Midlothian Ranger Service manages the countryside in Midlothian for the benefit of people and wildlife, via work in the following three areas and accompanying objectives: o Recreation (access) - to encourage participation in Midlothian's countryside and to improve the path network through work with volunteers and in partnership with communities; o Education - to help everyone learn about Midlothian's countryside and heritage; and o Conservation (biodiversity) - to conserve and enhance Midlothian's natural environment and cultural heritage and work with volunteers and partners to effect change. • The Ranger Service produce Management Plans for the five sites they care for which include measures relating to biodiversity. • Midlothian’s Greenspace Team continue to work with brilliant volunteers across the area. The work we carry out jointly has a huge impact on the quality of the local environment. Our volunteer groups provide added value to the work that we do with litter picking, gardening and fund raising to brighten our local areasDuring the 2024/25 reporting period, 6642 volunteering hours (1107 days) were spent in countryside sites. Volunteer numbers continue to remain high this year ensuring our sites are attractive, safe and welcoming for all. • .. Work on MLC’s Countryside sites would not be possible without close partnership working between volunteers and their coordination by our Ranger service. Other achievements this year included: •222 ranger events were held involving school groups in the first two quarters of 2024/25. In addition an Outdoor Walking Festival was delivered during quarter 3. •The completion of countryside site tree surveys to include identification of dangerous and high priority trees for treatment. •Development of links and environmental learning sessions with ‘Early Learning’ outdoor nursery at Vogrie. •Continued provision of conservation volunteering tasks and activities for an increasing number of corporate groups. •Grassland management to increase pollinator species and carbon sequestration rates carried out at Vogrie, Roslin and Straiton Pond by volunteers cutting and lifting wildflower rich meadow areas. •As part of a national monitoring scheme, Butterfly surveys were carried out with volunteers on a weekly basis from April to Sept. •‘Vogrie Bioblitz’ of the former golf course took place with partners and volunteer recorders to gather information on species as a benchmark for future management interventions in species diversity. Page 296 of 316
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Biodiversity Nature Restoration Fund Projects Lead • Funded by the Scottish Government and managed by NatureScot, The Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) is a competitive fund launched in July 2021, which specifically encourages applicants with projects that restore wildlife and habitats on land and sea and address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. In July 2024, the Scottish Government announced a further £5m of capital funding under the Edinburgh process strand of the Nature Restoration Fund to be spent in the 2024-25 financial year to “support new, or to enhance existing, approaches to restoring biodiversity. This resulted in the approval of £93,000 that enabled the purchase and planting of bulbs for pollinator species. Certain species of spring flowering bulbs produce pollen early in the year when there are few species of flowering plants which are in their reproductive phase and producing pollen. Consequently, the planting of bulb and perennial wildflower species which provide forage for pollinating insects will increase the supply of pollen to support insect life at the time of shortage. In turn this will promote a more resilient natural environment. • Biodiversity Greenspace Improvements/Greenflag Awards Lead • 62 improvements or new facilities were completed across our play areas and greenspaces. • • During the 2024/25 reporting period, 6642 volunteering hours (1107 days) were spent in countryside sites. Volunteer numbers continue to remain high this year ensuring our sites are attractive, safe and welcoming Energy Efficiency Scottish Energy Officers Network Participant A member of staff from the Council's Property & Facilities department represents MLC on this network.. The network involves all 32 Scottish Councils and is a community for people working in or who have an interest in the Public Sector Energy Management field so as to share best practice and disseminate information. They meet every two months. Energy Efficiency IT Power Down Activities Lead • The vast majority of the Council’s desktop and laptop equipment in both corporate and school buildings is set to power down at 7.30pm each evening if not in use. There are a very few exceptions where the hardware has to be kept alive for operational reasons. • All monitors go into a low energy consumption sleep mode (.45W) if not connected and can be manually turned off by users. Page 297 of 316
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Energy efficiency Salix Energy Efficiency Projects Participant • Salix are public sector energy efficiency financiers who are working with the Scottish Government to support continued investment of former Central Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF) money. CEEF was a Scottish Government scheme to reduce public sector carbon emissions, and when it was abolished in 2016, Councils were permitted to retain their funding. Salix are supporting the continued investment of this money via match-funding Council investment with interest-free conditional grants. • Salix projects in Midlothian have covered the installation of a range of technologies to reduce the energy consumption and carbon output of the Council’s estate. Examples include fitting Building Energy Management Systems, new boilers and LED lighting. Further information in this regard is noted in 3f of this report. Energy efficiency, renewable energy /low carbon heat Local Heat & Energy Efficiency Strategy / Local Heat & Energy Efficiency Delivery Plan Lead •Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES) are area-based plans for improving the energy efficiency of buildings and decarbonising heat. The Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (Scotland) Order 2022 required Councils to publish their first LHEES on or before 31/12/2023, then update them every five years. Midlothian published their LHEES in December 2023 Work has progressed at pace to review the findings of the previously reported Stage 4 LHEES study, the outcome of which has provided a good foundation for the remaining stages. There has been positive and good engagement with internal stakeholders’ business and community representatives, and regular engagement with Joint Venture Partners Midlothian Energy who will be an essential partner in delivering an effective and viable plan. •Midlothian has worked with key stakeholders including Changeworks for analysis of our building’s fabric and Vattenfall (via MEL) for our heat network analysis. •The Delivery Plan (section 11 of the LHEES) presents the timeline of events for achieving decarbonisation of heat and energy efficiency approvements across the council. Food & Drink Allotment & Food Growing Strategy 2020 - 2030 Lead • This was created in response to the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 which places a duty on local authorities to publish a food growing strategy for their area. • The implementation of the Strategy will help to reduce the carbon footprint and food miles of Midlothian’s residents. • The Strategy also recognises the contribution that allotments make to biodiversity. It therefore includes an action to prepare a biodiversity gardening leaflet for new plot- holders so that these benefits are maximised. Page 298 of 316
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Raising Awareness Council E-Training Module and Climate Change Web Page Lead •MLC recognise that there is a need for significant updating of its climate focused web pages. This is not something that the Council has managed to resource in recent years. The Climate Change page of the Council’s web site was given a temporary overhaul in 2021, with it now containing an ‘e-learning’ course (primarily for staff, but also of interest to the wider public) and the Council's Climate Change Strategy amongst other things. • The ‘e-learning’ module contains details on the science of climate change, the Council’s commitments in this area and what people can do to reduce their emissions. It asks employees to take a ‘pledge’ to reduce their carbon footprint. Page 299 of 316
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Transport Electric Vehicle Chargin6g Infrastructure Lead • The Council own public EV chargers operated via Charge Place Scotland. Live Maps depicting types of charger, whether they are in use, costs of tariffs etc can be found on the Council website. There are 112 in operation across Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith, Danderhall, Easthouses Gorebridge, Loanhead, Mayfield, Newtongrange, Penicuik, Roslin, Rosewell and Shawfair • There are also non-public access (workplace) chargers at the Bonnyrigg Depot, Midlothian House and Stobhill Depot to promote the use of electric vehicles for Council business trips, which are managed by Travel & Fleet staff (part of Neighbourhood Services). • In addition to publicly accessible chargers, we also have fleet vehicle charging at our depots. These include: o Stobhill: 8X 7kW single socket units o Fushiebridge: 2X 7kW single socket units o Bonnyrigg Garage: 4X 7kW single socket units o Midlothian House: 8X 7kW single socket units + 1X dual socket unit. • MLC continue to support and participate in the South of Scotland EV Charging Infrastructure Partnership (S0S-EVCIP), for the maintenance and expansion of the region’s Electric Vehicle charging network. • Chargers were initially funded by the Local Authority Investment Programme (LAIP), under which Councils could receive 100% capital grants for chargers. Part of the Council’s 2021/22 LAIP fund (£72,777) was carried over into 22/23 and went toward installing 12 new charging points. The total costs for the work was £95,587, with this including electricity supply connections, underground cabling works and cost of all charging units, installation of the charging units, maintenance contract and commissioning costs. • Transport Scotland replaced the LAIP after 2021/22 with the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (EVIF). This will run until 2025/26 and aims to support Councils to draw in private investment across Scotland through owner/operator models in partnership with private sector. Councils have been allocated £140,000 over the 4-year period as resource funding for the purposes of developing an Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy and Infrastructure Expansion Plan. Page 300 of 316
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Transport Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy / Electric Vehicle Policy Lead • Councils were originally allocated £140,000 from the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (EVIF) for developing an Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy and Infrastructure Expansion Plan. In 2022/23, Midlothian Council commissioned consultants Mott MacDonald to produce these. . Work has so far has involved various tasks including: o Forecasting demand for electric vehicle charging until 2030, establishing the Council’s role in supporting infrastructure provision to meet this demand; o Providing an assessment of delivery models and developing an expansion delivery plan; and o Hosting a public consultation and workshops with various Council departments and Elected Members. • A working group has also been formed to update the Council’s 2019 Electric Vehicle Policy including minimum standards, designs for new charging facilities in general and those specific to new developments. A Planning Officer is also developing the Council’s Parking Standards and there will be some cross-over of this with the Electric Vehicle Policy. • Joint procurement for a new Charge Place Operator has commenced and once a new operator is in place, an anticipated 15 year contract will be agreed. The region has received an award of £6,383,565.63 from Transport for the purpose of leveraging private sector infrastructure investment through the concession contract). The Lead Authority is City of Edinburgh. Procurement is expected to conclude by Spring 2026.” Transport Staff Cycling Facilities Lead • Lockers are available in Fairfield House and Midlothian House on a first-come, first-served basis for staff that cycle to work . The Council now have a total of 24 bike lockers across Midlothian House and Fairfield House locations. • Cycle parking facilities include an externally-funded covered cycle shelter in the car park behind Midlothian House and rails behind Fairfield House. • Upgrading the Council’s staff shower facilities was done with Cycling Scotland funding and there are now two for staff use – in Fairfield House and in the Old Fairfield building. • Because of the above initiatives, Midlothian Council was awarded “Cycle Friendly Employer” status by Cycling Scotland. Page 301 of 316
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Transport Staff Bike Loan Scheme Lead • 17 bikes are available for staff on a rolling basis for commuting. 4 the bikes having been purchased over the 2024/25 reporting period using funding arising from a 2019 Cycle Friendly Award from Cycling Scotland . Future schemes will involve the use of E-bikes for staff with these being purchased using the People and Place fund. Scheme should be live by 2026. People are lent a bike for free for up to six months, after which it will go to another member of staff. Bikes are reserved on a first-come basis but a waiting list is also in place. Accessories such as a lock and lights are also provided. • The bikes themselves were funded through Cycling Scotland and the ongoing operation of the scheme formerly supported by Smarter Choice, Smarter Places and now Transport Scotland. • It is hoped that the initiative will encourage staff to buy their own bike and change their travel behaviour after the hire period. Transport Staff Cycling Training Events Lead • 6 members of MLC staff completed Cycle ride leadership courses during 2024/25. Other courses were cancelled due to budget issues. Training has been rescheduled for Communities, Lifelong Learning and Employability staff members for late 2025. • There were 5 Dr Bike sessions in 2024/25. Danderhall. Penicuik, Newbattle, Gorebridge and Woodburn. Transport Active/Sustainable Travel Maps Lead • The Council produces a range of mapped resources that allow people to find out about local active travel infrastructure and journey times. These encourage both staff and Midlothian’s residents to use active travel. These include an active travel map created by Spokes (a Lothian-wide cycle campaign) which the Council placed on its interactive consoles around Midlothian to support more accurate travel planning and sustainable journeys. • Walking and cycling maps are provided on a regular basis to libraries/leisure centres and health centres around Midlothian. They are also given out at active travel events. Updated maps for Dalkeith, Bonnyrigg, Loanead, Penicuik, Gorebridge, Mayfield were produced during the 2024/25 reporting year. Page 302 of 316
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Transport Places for Everyone Participant • During the 2024/25 reporting year, MLC purchased 60 scooters to run a scooter loan programme within schools. This included the purchase of ramps, rails, helmets and protection pads. Classroom packs were also devised to give pupils fun games and challenging sessions. • During 2024/25 MLC installed 6 tool stations across the authority. This provides a location for cyclists to maintain their bike utilising basic but necessary tools that they may not have access to at home or on a commute. • Two Clan stunt shows were undertaken by MLC’s active travel team during the 2024/25 reporting year to draw larger crowds at our community events. Around 300-400 participants witnessed the clan stunt teams performance and also benefited from the stalls and free bike maintenance sessions with qualified mechanics. • Skateboarding sessions undertaken by the Rubicon skateboarding company were run across 12 MLC schools highlighting skateboarding as a viable active travel method. 500 pupils participated in these sessions. Staff Lunchtime Walks •This is a monthly activity, whereby staff participate in 30min walk during their lunchbreak and have free lunch catered for upon their return to the office. The premise here is to encourage staff to be more active during their working day if they are mainly office based, and also highlight the numerous walking routes and paths that are accessible to them in close proximity to their work location. •The free lunches made available to those walking has worked as a great incentive for those taking part. The appetite for staff lunchtime walks has been consistent throughout the year running from April 24- March 25 , gaining roughly 10 participants each time. These were advertised to staff in advance via staff weekly email, on the councils Intranet, and walking group email sent by organisers. Step Count Challenge- Midlothian Council Staff •The Step Count Challenge was agreed to take place in May 2024, but to be covered within the funding from 23/24’s SCSP projects. Staff sign up in teams of 5 and track their count accumulatively across the duration of the challenge. This year the Challenge ran for 4 weeks in the month May. MLC managed to accumulate a great number of teams participating this Page 303 of 316
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year across the workplace. This will have been aided by the extensive promotions internally with the comms team, and the time of year it has arranged for, being in a month of the year with generally improved weather conditions as opposed to taking place in Wintertime. Stats: 257 participants, 53 teams entering Transport Participant • Cycling and Walking Safer Routes is a Scottish Government scheme that funds Councils directly. Midlothian’s proposed projects for 2024/25 were: o Rosewell to Auchendinny (National Cycle Route 196) path resurfacing; o Edgehead village traffic calming; o Pedestrian crossing improvements on Lauder Road; o Traffic calming and pedestrian crossing improvements at Gore Glen Primary School; o Pedestrian crossing improvements at Bog Road, Penicuik; o Traffic calmStreet lifghing and pedestrian crossing improvements at Sherwood Crescent, Bonnyrigg; and o Pedestrian crossing improvements on the A7 at the Sun Inn. Transport Promoting Other Active Travel Events Participant • The Council participated in various events in 2024/25 to promote active travel in Midlothian. These included: o Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel in March 2025. It is the UK’s largest inter-school walking, wheeling, scooting and cycling challenge and aims to get pupils active during the school run. During the two-week challenge, schools compete to record the greatest number of pupils walking, using a wheelchair, scooting and cycling to school, whilst learning about the benefits of active travel; 6 of our Primary schools took part in the Big Walk and Wheel event. o Promoting Bike Week on the 16th – 20th September 2024 with every primary school participating in activities throughout the week. o The Midlothian Outdoor Festival (working with the Midlothian Ranger Service and Communities, Lifelong Learning and Education) to deliver active travel events in October 2024. Transport Loanhead Bike Refurbishment Project Lead • This involves staff from Communities Lifelong Learning & Education, who are also bike technicians, offering bike maintenance to feeder schools for Lasswade High School, though they have also offered their services in local parks. This is called ‘The Bike Tent’. • They are funded by Levenseat, the council’s bulky waste recycling partner who have pledged financial support for local organisations involved in reuse/recycling initiatives and sustainable/environmental activities. Page 304 of 316
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Transport Cycle Solutions / Cycle to Work Scheme Supporting • This started in 2019 and is a Government-backed initiative that enables people to obtain a bike and/or cycling accessories to use for riding to work whilst making tax and National Insurance savings from their gross pay. It is offered to Midlothian Council staff through Eden Red who operate an employee benefits scheme on behalf of the Council. • The Council’s Employment and Rewards staff administer the scheme. Transport Various Cycling Activities In Schools Lead • Bikeability Training – this is rolled out in primary schools by coordinating and managing the school bike loan service and volunteers, as well as delivering the training to school staff as part of their Continuous Professional Development. 1, 1450 pupils at 31 schools participated in level 2 Bikebaility in 2024/25. • The Council's Bike Loan Scheme – Midlothian Council has a fleet of bikes which are available to schools to allow cycling sessions to take place. This year over 450 pupils across 20 schools benefitted from the cycle fleet. It allows pupils who normally wouldn’t be able to take part to do so. • Led Rides – these are provided as part of school PE lessons and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards in high schools across Midlothian. The Active Travel Officer (Schools) provided 14 led rides at Dalkeith High School with groups of pupils from S3. The rides involve taking pupils around the school’s local area and both on and off road cycling so participants learn to cycle on different terrains. • Bike Maintenance Classes - these involve leading maintenance sessions for schools to train pupils and ensure bikes are in a working and safe condition. Maintenance classes were ran at 10 schools (with around 200 beneficiaries within the authority to ensure bikes were safe and fit to be ridden before Bikeability sessions commenced. This also involved working with Saltersgate Primary to maintain their adapted cycle fleet this year in order to allow them to run Bikeability for disabled pupils. Transport Cycle Storage Lead • With year-on-year cycling, scooting and wheeling numbers increasing in many of our primary schools, we installed £125,000 worth of bike, scooter, and pram storage in 9 of our primary schools. • These included: Bilston, Burnbrae, Cornbank, Cuiken, Easthouses/Mayfield, Gore Glen, Roslin, St David’s, St Mary’s, Woodburn Primary School. Page 305 of 316
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Transport School Streets Participant This is an initiative that addresses issues with parking and traffic to support more children to walk, cycle, scoot or wheel to school – ‘School Streets’ are roads outside a school with a temporary restriction on motorised traffic at school drop-off and pick-up times. It involves providing accessible information and guidance to empower local communities who want to see such schemes implemented. The project was rolled out at St Mary Primary school, with next year’s being planned at Newtongrange Primary. School Streets was installed at Newtongrange Primary school in 2025. Page 306 of 316
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Transport Cycle to School Week Participant Cycle to School Week • Midlothian Schools participate in the national “Cycle to School Week” where there are lots of games, initiatives and competitions that are run at schools within the authority. These include: • Bling your bike/scooter - This is a popular competition where pupils compete to see who can create the coolest bike/scooter! It can be done as a home or classroom activity. With the use of recyclables, stickers, or paper etc, they can "Bling up their bike". Pupils should be wary of attaching anything to their bike that can impede pedals, wheels, or brakes. • Ticket to ride - Pupils who cycle to school each day receive a raffle ticket that is then put into a draw at the end of the week for a small prize at the choice of the school (More day's cycling = More raffle tickets to win!). Possible prizes are or any other ideas that a school can create. • Skills session - A simple skills session for those who have brought their bikes is a good activity to get them out riding. Cones set out to create tricky paths (zigzags, tight turns, small area) for the pupils to navigate is a fun challenge. • Bikeability training/recap - A Bikeability recap or running Bikeability sessions is a great way to link in with the week. Great opportunity to complete some Level 1 outcomes in the playground. If any school would like support to complete this, please get in touch. • Smoothie Bike - The smoothie bike is a fantastic way to teach pupils about the benefits of cycling and healthy eating. The bike is available to be brought to a school for a day during the bike to school week. • Hi-Vis, High Reward - A fun competition for pupils to come to school dressed as bright as possible. Teach the children the importance of being bright and seen on the road! Rewards can be given to pupils who are dressed the best and brightest! a variation is using helmets that can be decorated to look cool and bright which pupils can do in class. • Record cycling trips - Teachers can take record of which pupils from each class have cycled to school throughout the week creating a competition between classes to see who cycled the most on average Page 307 of 316
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Transport Walk to School Week / WOW Participant • Walk to School Week is organised by Living Streets, a charity whose objective is to promote walking in the UK. It is a five-day walking challenge that ran from the 26th to 30th of May 2024. Its purpose is to encourage children to travel to school sustainably. They track their progress each day on a wallchart, unlocking information as they go. Individual activity diaries, daily stickers and end of week pupil rewards complement the activities, reinforcing the benefits and keeping children engaged. • It is part of a larger campaign by Living Streets called WOW - a year round walk to school challenge where participating schools award badges to kids who walk to school regularly. • This entailed an inter school walk which involved taking between 6 and 8 pupils from each school within Midlothian and walking them from school to school creating a continuous chain. This meant 80 pupils from 20 schools walked the streets promoting walking to the public. • Schools across Midlothian are provided “Walk to School Week” posters that were designed by a pupil after winning a competition. These posters are used by classes to monitor which pupils walked to school during the promotion. Once this data has been collected, class teachers are able to identify by percentage the class that walked the most. The class is then presented with a “Mini Walkers Trophy” to signify their achievement. Waste Millerhill Zero Waste Parc Participant • There are two major waste processing facilities at the Millerhill Zero Waste Parc: o The Recycling and Energy Recovery Centre, which is a 25 year joint venture with the City of Edinburgh Council. All of Midlothian’s kerbside collected residual waste is processed here and is used to generate electricity at the facility. A project to use the heat from it in a district heating system is also being implemented; and o An Anaerobic Digester, where Midlothian’s food waste is broken down to produce fertiliser and biogas (which is used to generate heat and electricity). • This is part of a wider strategy to reduce waste to landfill in Midlothian. The work has assisted in lowering CO2 emissions in Midlothian from 1.17 tonnes of CO2 per person in 2011 to 1.07 tonnes in 2020, a fall of 8.5%. Page 308 of 316
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Waste Household Waste Recycling Centres Lead • • There are two Household Waste Recycling Centres in Midlothian, at Stobhill and Penicuik. These allow the public to dispose of waste recycle and recycle a wide range of materials. Local businesses can dispose of waste/recycling at Stobhill Recycling Centre upon payment of the appropriate charge. • Annual Place Performance Reporting 24/25 noted, dedicated capital investment of £4.67m was allocated to accelerate the Council’s Fleet and Plant replacement plan for 2023 through to2025, delivering the Council’s operational activities whilst ensuring our fleet is modern, efficient and fit for purpose. 52 units were purchased over 23/24 and 24/25, including, 10 recycling/waste bin lorries. •Annual Place Performance reporting 2024/25 indicated that as of Q3 23/ 43.6% of all waste disposed was being recycled, 38.9% of waste was used to generate energy and 16.4% of waste was going to landfill. •The contract for the “Digital depot” awarded this year and in-cab technology was implemented into our refuse collection vehicles providing real time reporting to and from our waste service operators. •Food waste collection service expanded to include a further 2,500 properties in rural areas. Page 309 of 316
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Waste Recycling Team new structure and priorities. Lead • As part of a wider Neighbourhood Services review, a new management structure for the Recycling Team was implemented in quarter 1 of 2024/25. This has resulted in the streamlined management of the service, an increase in productivity and improved time management of front line teams. • To further support the new management structure within the Recycling Team, a contract for the “digital depot” was awarded. This is now providing digital in cab technology to MLC’s roadside collection vehicles within waste services and transform the way the front line service is delivered, resulting in efficiencies and improved customer service. • The team have continued to improve the way the service engages with residents in relation to enquiries and complaints. A new way of working has seen a significant improvement to customer service, resulting in a more responsive and timely service to residents who contact the team. • During quarter 3 of 2024/25 , the Neighbourhood service launched the recycling app (LitterLotto) which encourages residents to recycle at home for the chance to be • entered into a free prize draw for £100 each month as well as a £1,000 UK wide free prize draw. The app features benefits such as earning • ‘coins’ for every piece of recycling binned correctly that can be used to claim discounts and rewards. The app also uses advanced AI • technology to recognise waste types, providing information on whether the Council can recycle items and which bin to use as well as • offering tips on recycling items more effectively. This has been widely promoted on our social media platforms and it is hoped to see an • increase in recycling which will provide environmental and financial benefits. Page 310 of 316
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Waste Waste Education Lead • The Waste Aware Officer is available to provide a wide range of advice, guidance and support on waste, waste minimisation and recycling. o This can be done with schools and youth groups, involving a range of online activities that can be arranged to meet the specific age group, level of awareness and number of participants. These include waste audits, recycling activities and games. o Other activities are geared towards adult groups. These include online seminars and discussion sessions to allow people to ask specific questions on all aspects of recycling and waste management. • The Waste Aware Team also has a range of educational materials, posters and literature, which can be displayed in work places or community venues. Waste Council Food Waste Recycling Lead • In 2019, food waste collection bins were introduced in Fairfield House and Midlothian House for staff to use. These are located around the kitchen areas in these buildings together with other recycling bins, meaning that staff have the opportunity to recycle as many as possible components of the waste they may produce. • Food waste collected is taken to a local anaerobic digester that converts the waste heat generated during the decomposition of the food to energy. The residue is used as an agricultural fertiliser. Waste Household Recycling Charter for Scotland Participant • The Scottish Government published a Household Recycling Charter and Code of Practice which set out a framework for implementing consistent recycling collections across Scotland. The Code of Practice specifies the material streams that should be collected separately and the specific items that will be accepted within each stream through standardisation of the specification for recyclable materials. • The Household Recycling Charter identifies a number of collection strategies to improve recycling performance and develop a consistent national system, whilst leaving scope for Councils to design services around their local context. • Midlothian Council agreed to sign the Charter in 2016 and it will be a key driver of the Council’s Waste Strategy, when approved. Page 311 of 316
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Waste Food Waste Collection in Rural Areas Lead • In November 2021, the Council’s Waste Team received £132,085 from the Scottish Government’s Recycling Improvement Fund to offer a food waste recycling service in some rural areas of Midlothian currently excluded from this service. The money was used to buy an additional vehicle and to provide food waste caddies. • The expansion of the food waste collection service to include rural areas was finalised during quarter 4 of 2023/24 ahead of its implementation in quarter 1. This included a review of current collection routes and consultation with front line staff and trade unions. During 2024/25 food waste collection service expanded to include a further 2,500 properties in rural areas. Miscellaneous Participation in Earth Hour Participant The Council supported Earth Hour, with Midlothian residents being encouraged to follow suit in switching off lights and appliances. This is promoted via the Council’s social media channels. Miscellaneous Midlothian Business Carbon Charter / Midlothian Green Pledge The Midlothian Green Pledge seeks to encourage local businesses to contribute towards goal of achieving net zero across Midlothian Council’s operations and estate by 2045 . This timeline aligning with Scottish Government’s own target of 2045. • Signing the Pledge involves businesses agreeing to undertake various commitments such as switching to a 100% renewable energy supplier, reduce their energy usage and encouraging active travel amongst their employees. Businesses signing up are directed to a range of advice on how to achieve the Charter’s aims, including developing travel plans and energy, waste and water audits. They are also signposted to support from expert partner agencies who can help them review their operations, create a Green Action Plan and help them monitor their activities. • Other benefits to signatories include being highlighted on the Locate in Midlothian website, promoting them via the Locate in Midlothian and Business Gateway Midlothian’s social media channels, dedicated adviser support and access to support through a Pledgers LinkedIn Group. •The Pledge was launched in 2021 , Annual Place Performance reporting 2024/25 showed 179 businesses now signed up. 61 of those signed up had been in the 2024/25 financial year. The Economic Development team continue to work with pledgers to identify the best platform for group sharing. Through the LinkedIn group, pledgers share their experiences and the team continue to share a mix of green information from partners on learning opportunities, support and funding Page 312 of 316
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Miscellaneous Net Zero Nation Collaboration Funder and Project Partner •Net Zero Nation is a social enterprise, founded in 2021 and based in Falkirk and Ayrshire but operating across Scotland to deliver their Net Zero Accelerator Programme. The Programme supports groups of businesses to actively reduce their carbon emissions and develop a Carbon Reduction Plan. One of the key outcomes of this programme is that the businesses become an advocate for Net Zero and inspire the wider business community to embrace it as a gateway to business growth. Net Zero makes their business stronger, be more competitive within the supply chains they serve and attract the future workforce to join them. •Midlothian Council, through our Business Gateway Expert Help programme has funded 13 diverse businesses to participate in the programme which is delivered over the course of one full year. The businesses take part in 12-month Net Zero Business Accelerators with funding support from Midlothian Council/Business Gateway Midlothian. In return, they must sign an agreement where they commit to approach their Net Zero strategy and credible carbon reduction plan with vigour, speak at physical and online events to encourage other business leaders to start their own transition to Net Zero. The companies will receive a 12-month carbon accounting software license, an expert partner providing 1:1 support over 12 months to help them produce their audited carbon accounts, their carbon reduction plan produced, an auditor to verify and certify their carbon accounts and carbon reduction plan. After completion in December 2024, the Council commenced case studies on the outcomes for businesses. • Aside from the Net Zero learning and actions taken by the businesses to date we have seen collaborations between businesses, both at a local level and with businesses in other cohorts/areas that are on the programme. Net Zero Nation have now launched their Ecosystem App which all participants can access to share learning, ideas and access further collaboration opportunities via the Forum. Page 313 of 316
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Miscellaneous Wider Business Support Funder and Project Partner • A Business Gateway coffee morning was held on Friday 6th September 2024 at The Craigie Hotel in Penicuik. James Palmer, Development Director of Penicuik Estates, presented an in-depth picture of the plans for the estate, their green approach and the opportunities for partnering with the local business community. Skills Development Scotland, Edinburgh College and the team from the Workforce Mobility Project attended and had stands to introduce themselves to the business.44 businesses attended the event with the majority based in Penicuik and the surrounding areas. • A Business Gateway Coffee Morning was held on Friday 8th November 2024 at the newly opened conference suite at Energy Training Academy in Dalkeith, Midlothian Energy LTD and the City Region Deal Workforce Mobility Project presented.. UKSPF Local Business Support The Green Skills programme to upskill local plumbers, heating engineers and electricians in the installation of Heat Pumps and Solar Panels/Battery Storage was launched this quarter. This programme will upskill in the region of 8 local tradespeople with a further 4 places available to unemployed people to access the Managed Learning Programme which takes an individual with no experience of the trade to become fully qualified gas and heat pump installers. Miscellaneous Climate Week Events Participant • Scotland’s Climate Week is an annual event to raise awareness of the global climate emergency and encourages climate action across the country. Climate Week 2024 saw cross service interaction lead on by our Economic Development Unit raising awareness of the our Green Pledge scheme. This was promoted via the Locate in Midlothian website and both Locate in Midlothian and Business Gateway Midlothian Social Media. MLC raised awareness of simple practical measures different sectors of the community can take that together make a real difference,. - Page 314 of 316
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Miscellaneous Midlothian Council Grants: Large Grants Allocation 2022 - 2025 Lead • Large Grants: o Projects funded under the Council’s Large Grants Allocation fund demonstrate how they achieved the aims of the Single Midlothian Plan. One of the requirements was to evidence how the projects would reduce carbon emissions. Three grants were awarded evidencing support for this objective. The projects were initially to run 2022 to 2025 (subsequently extended to 2027), with a collective budget of £134,000. These are : ‘Orchard Project ‘create and develop a food forest with an orchard, a training and demonstration site, at the Midlothian Community Hospital (£37,300); ‘Changeworks’ -develop and support community climate action in the Dalkeith area to take action to address the climate emergency (£48,670), this being the Changeworks in Dalkeith project; and ‘Cyrenians’ - deliver a range of activities centred around food growing and supporting people to grow their own and learn what to do with the produce (£47,812). Miscellaneous Shared Prosperity Investment Plan Projects Participant • The UK Shared Prosperity Fund has led to 17 projects being awarded around £2m in funding from the UK Government across 2022 to 2025. It is one strand of funding that succeeded the old EU structural funds, which were available before the UK left the European Union. The Council is responsible for approving and distributing the funds locally and an Investment Plan produced by the Council and partners setting out how the money will be spent has been approved by the UK Government. • The projects include climate change related work, such as: o Delivering ‘Green Skills’ courses at Edinburgh College; o Delivering a programme of outdoor-based skills and wellbeing in nature development at Newbattle Abbey College; and o Energy efficiency projects (solar photovoltaic installation and building refurbishment). Q6) Please use the text box below to detail further climate change related activity that is not noted elsewhere within this reporting template Page 315 of 316
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