Stirling Council - Focus Winter 2009

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Focus

STIRLING

.

Inside..

for everyone living in the Stirling Council area

winter 2009

Party at the Castle Win FREE tickets

to our Hogmanay bash!

Winter Festival

Sparkling

seasonal events

How are we doing?

8-page Annual Performance Review

Winter roads

Home insulation School enrolment... all the advice you need

Food waste collection is here Your caddy, your kitchen, your way

delivering quality services 0845 277 7000 stirling.gov.uk

This edition also includes key information about school placements and enrolments, fire safety, winter gritting and energy saving advice.

Food waste collections will be introduced right across the Council area by early next year, and the story on pages 14-15 might give you some ideas for setting up a quick and easy food waste collection routine in your kitchen when you receive your food waste caddy. There’s lots more information on our website at www.stirling.gov.uk/waste.

Finally, it’s time for our annual performance review (pages 19–27), which gives a snapshot of how we’re achieving our vision for people across the Stirling area. As always, we welcome your feedback.

I wish you and your family a safe and happy Christmas and New Year.

focus facts Stirling Focus is published by Stirling Council and delivered by the Royal Mail’s Door to Door service. This issue cost approx 26p per copy to print and distribute, including calendar.

Competition winner in the last issue of Stirling Focus was: A Mitchell, Balfron (Adamo Hotel break) Copyright © Stirling Council 2009. No article or photograph in this magazine may be reproduced without the consent of Stirling Council. Details are correct at the time of going to press.

For access to all Stirling Council services phone the contact centre on:

& 0845 277 7000 text: 07717 990 001 www.stirling.gov.uk 8 To:

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As the Year of Homecoming comes to its finale Focus has news about all the Winter Festival celebrations and events to come, including Stirling’s hosting of the final leg of the prestigious Intercontinental Rally Challenge and a look behind-the-scenes of our always-popular Schools’ Concert. And it’s time to start looking ahead at the traditional Christmas and New Year celebrations, including the Christmas lights switch-on, Santa Parade and our not-to-be-missed Hogmanay Party at the Castle.

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STIRLING FOCUS

HELLO

Graham Houston

Tel 01786 443360 email stirlingfocus@stirling. gov.uk or write to Stirling Focus, Communications and Marketing, Old Viewforth, Stirling FK8 2ET.

If you need this information in large print, Braille, audio or in another language please contact 0845 277 7000 and quote reference number 8922.

0845 277 7000 0845 277 7000 0845 277 7000 0845 277 7000

Read and Recycle Correction: The credit for the photograph of Ian Rankin on p12 of the autumn 2009 issue should have read © Rankin.

Winter 2009

The waste and recycling calendar is a great Regulars

reminder about whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a grey bin or brown bin week.

2 Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on

(see centre pages for your

3 Competition

cut-out-and keep calendar.)

29 Your councillors

Contents

1

10 Award-winning Riverbank Centre Cafe

30

19

8

Annual review 08-09

Community newspapers

8 page special:

11

Our promises, our performance

Up for the social work challenge

Winter roads reminders

Feature Stories 7 Shop local this Christmas

12 Working with the community: Fire and Rescue

7 Safe Base 09 10 Social work action plan 12 Your waste collection calendar 16 School enrolment 27 Management changes

Cover photo: Stirling resident Rona Grant has food waste collection sorted. (p14).

Schools Christmas Music see page 9

STIRLING FOCUS

Winter festival Stirling’s St Andrew’s Day

2

Revving up for the Rally Challenge!

As Stirling’s Year of Homecoming draws to a spectacular finish there’s another major event to look forward to when the International Rally of Scotland 2009 takes place over the weekend of 19 - 21 November.

The rally, which is the final leg of the prestigious Intercontinental Rally Challenge series, is the first major rally to take place on Scottish soil in twenty years. Organised

by International Motor Sports, and supported by EventScotland, Homecoming Scotland, Stirling the rally route will take in some of Scotland’s most iconic and historic landmarks.

photo

Council and Perth and Kinross Council, it will involve three days of fiercely competitive and exciting driving over special forest stages, a closing ceremony on the spectacular Stirling Castle Esplanade and a large service park at Forthside. Don’t miss the last round of this international series, hosted with warm Stirling hospitality.

Tickets Tickets for the Rally of Scotland 2009 are now on sale. Book in advance for the best value.

Hotline: 0844 847 2488 Or in person at: Barrhead Travel 29 – 31 Murray Place Stirling FK8 1DQ Tel: 01786 457780 Opening times: Mon – Sat, 9.00am – 5.30pm Sun, 10.00am – 5.00pm

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Stirling will celebrate St Andrew’s Day and the finale of Homecoming Scotland 2009 by hosting an exciting range of events from Thursday 26 to Monday 30 November, including ‘To See The Sky…’ at the Tolbooth (28 November, 7.30 pm), a unique fashion show, gig and exhibition that will showcase the exceptional collaboration between Scottish fashion designer Iona Crawford and Japanese fine artist Yukako Sakakura. A hot selection of Scottish indie bands will also perform with a contemporary Scottish DJ rounding off the evening.

The RACMSA Rally of Scotland is also offering a range of hospitality packages. For tickets and more information visit www.rallyofscotland.com

Other Stirling events for St Andrew’s Day and the Homecoming Finale Weekend will include a fabulous ceilidh at the Albert Halls, a Stirling Castle ceilidh, city centre entertainment and a St Andrew’s Day Farmers’ Market.

Stirling Castle and the National Wallace Monument will also be free to the public on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November.

For more information see visitstirling. org or call 01786 442535

3

Sunday 22 November 1.00pm – 5.00pm Thistles Santa Parade..................1pm (route: Albert Halls-Corn Exchange-King Street-Port Street-Murray Place)

Visit the reindeer in the pen near Costa Coffee from...............1.30pm - 2.30pm Thistles Santa’s Grotto............... 2pm Entertainment with Central FM Roadshow and Stageworx......2-5pm Christmas Lights Switch On.........5pm Join Santa and the reindeer in the Thistles Parade and celebrate with the Central FM gang and Provost Fergus Wood for a special day of fun and entertainment. Full details at www. stirling.gov.uk/winterfestival, or pickup a copy of the Winter Festival leaflet from the Thistles, libraries and other venues.

Remember to look in this year’s Festive Guide for all things Christmassy and lots of what’s on information.

The MacDonald Brothers

Stirling’s Hogmanay Party Tonight we’re going to party like it’s 2010!

X Factor and Stars in their Eyes faves The MacDonald Brothers and Gary Mullen will top the bill as Stirling throws one of the brightest and best Hogmanay parties in the country on the Esplanade of Stirling Castle.

The combination of fantastic live music, a unique, dramatic backdrop, a fun, friendly atmosphere and a spectacular firework finale all make Stirling’s Hogmanay Party the place to be at the Bells.

Central FM’s DJs will get the party started around 9.00 pm, and then the MacDonald boys will be joined

by Freddie Mercury performer Gary Mullen, a winner of ‘Stars in Their Eyes’, to rock towards midnight.

Tickets are available from Albert Halls, Tolbooth and macrobert, or online at www.ticketsoup.com

Have Hogmanay on

us!

We’ve got two sets of four tickets for Stirling’s not-to-be-missed Hogmanay Party at Stirling Castle. Simply answer the question below:

In which Scottish town were the Macdonald Brothers born?

The draw will take place on 11 Dec. Answer: Name: Address:

Tel no:

Send your answer to: Hogmanay Party Competition, Communications and Marketing, Room 8, Old Viewforth, Stirling FK8 2ET or email stirlingfocus@ stirling.gov.uk See www.stirling.gov. uk/stirlingfocus for competition rules.

Stirling’s Hogmanay Party is presented

by Central FM and Stirling Council and supported by Aurora Hotels.

A selection of attractions in the Stirling Council area for full details visit www.stirling.gov.uk/whatson Box Office 01786 27 4000 www.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth

4

Thurs 12 November, 8pm

Malinky Malinky underscore their reputation as one of Scotland’s most distinctive and accomplished folk bands. www.myspace.com/ malinkymusic £12/£10 Sat 14 November, 8pm

Primrose Piano Quartet Join the Primrose Piano Quartet for an evening of exquisite classical music from Schubert, Fauré and Brahms. £10/£8 Mon 16 November, 8pm

Gilded Balloon Comedy Club Eleanor Tiernan and Gregg Fleet The comedy circuit stops in Stirling as another group of stand ups provide the gags and laughter. £10

Thurs 19 November, 7pm

Along the Miners’ Rows A special event commemorating the worst Scottish mining disaster of the 20th century. With seldom-seen films and poignant music from Bill Adair and the Bridgend Sessions Band. www.sadjebmusic.com £10/£8 Fri 20 November, 7pm

A young jazz quartet heralded on both sides of the Atlantic as the hottest ticket around. www.myspace.com/ empiricalmusic £12/£10

✽

Anecdotes and music from a performer who has starred with Warren Zevon, Lucinda Williams, Harry Dean Stanton and many, many more. £10/£8

Wed 25 November, 8pm

James Grant One of Scotland’s finest singersongwriters makes a welcome return to the Tolbooth. £12/£10 Thurs 26 and Fri 27 November, 7pm

Lord of the Flies William Golding’s famous and unsettling boys’ adventure story is given an interesting spin by Stirling University Drama Society’s all-female cast. £7/£6 Fri 4 December, 7pm

Reloaded 2

✽

£4 Sat 5 December, times vary

To register interest, or for more information, contact

Empirical

Gurf Morlix

Live music in the café bar. Free

Celebrate the voice in this fun day of workshops, culminating in a performance in the evening by all taking part.

Wed 18 November, 8pm

Thurs 10 December, 8pm

The Electronic Bar

Day of Song

Empirical

Along the Miners’ Rows

✽ Daimh

Tolbooth

The Bee Gees Story

STIRLING FOCUS

Winter festival

Fri 11 December, 8pm

Dàimh

Now officially a six-piece, the charging pipe and fiddle-led assault has seen the ‘Pirates of Puirt’ rocking far and wide. £12/£10 Sat 12 December, 7pm

Reloaded with Bleed from Within This Glasgow band’s live gigs have won them a following of dedicated fans. £6 Fri 18 December, 8pm

Fence Collective’s Christmas Pop Special King Creosote and friends share their take on the festive period. £14/£12 Sat 19 December, 3pm

Christmas Ceilidh – Family

Thurs 10 December, 7pm

Traditional as tinsel and crackers, the Christmas ceilidhs are back at Tolbooth for another seasonal knees-up. £6 /4 for £20

The Acoustic Bar

Sat 19 December, 8pm

Live music in the café bar.

Free

Christmas Ceilidh – Evening

Carolyn Paterson patersonc3@stirling. gov.uk or 01786 274023

£8 / 4 for £27

✽

Winter 2009

d Enter our competition an

win

tickets to Stirling’s Hogman

ay Party (see p.3)

Primrose Piano Quartet

Sun 6 Dec, 7.30pm

ALBERT HALLS

Stirling Orchestra Presents: The Dark Side of Stirling Orchestra

Box Office 01786 473544 www.stirling.gov.uk/alberthalls

The Orchestra bears its teeth to bring you an evening of drama and menace. £9/£7. £2 accompanied schoolchildren

Mon 2 November, 7.30pm

Fundraising Concert for Artlink Central Local and known bands helping to raise awareness about and reduce the stigma of mental illness in young people. £8 Sun 8 November, 7.30pm The Nutcracker: Presented by Russian State Ballet Academy of Perm Tchaikovsky’s famous fairytale ballet is a delightful treat for the whole family.

Tickets £18.50/£16 Thurs 12 November, 7.30pm

Magic: A Kind of Queen Hear and see Magic proudly performing the Music of Queen, now with a bigger line-up and a massive new sound. £14/£12.50 Fri 13 Nov, 7.30pm

Des Clarke Rising star Des is a highly successful comedian and one of television’s hottest young presenters. £9/£7

Sun 13 Dec, 7.30pm

The magic of motown

Aberlour Concert

Thurs 19 Nov, 7.30pm

In aid of Aberlour Child Care Trust. £7/£5.

Direct from the USA. . .The Magic of Motown

Mon 28 Dec, 1.00pm and 3.30pm Tues 29 Dec, 11.00am and 2.00pm

‘Reach Out’ – the 50th Anniversary Tour. You’ll be dancing in the aisles! £18.50

The Singing Kettle presents Christmas Pyjama Party

Sun 22 Nov, 7.30pm

Schools Concert Stirling Council’s annual Schools’ Concert brings together over 200 musicians from all seven high schools in an unmissable musical extravaganza. *See story on page 9. £6/£3 Sat 28 Nov, 7.30pm Gordon Smith: Beyond Belief Tour One of the most accurate mediums in the world. £20

The gang are having a pyjama party just before Christmas and you’re all invited. Remember to dress in pyjamas and a Santa hat! £11/children £11 Family of four £40/ groups of 10+ £8 Thurs 31 December, 8.00pm

Hogmanay Ceilidh

Wed 2 Dec, 7.30pm

See in the New Year with superb toe-tapping music. Canapés and festive punch on arrival, followed by traditional festive fayre. £45.00

Roy Chubby Brown A modern day phenomenon. If easily offended please stay at home. £19 Fri 4 Dec, 7.30pm

Christmas with Elvis

The Rat Pack

A celebration for the Christmas season.

With special guest appearances from music legends Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison and Marilyn Monroe. £17.50/£15.50

Ceilidh

Sat 14 Nov, 7.30pm

The Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular Starring The Rat Pack Trio. The Purveyors of Cool dazzle with a sensational show featuring some of the greatest music of the 20th century. £19 Balcony/£17 Stalls

5

opping a Sunday

To help with Christmas sh

service Park and Ride will be available on Nov 22, 29 and Dec 6, 13 and 20.

Sunday service times are 10am- 6pm.

STIRLING FOCUS 6

Winter festival Christmas Tingles

STIRLING SMITH ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM

12 Dec – 24 Jan 2010

Dumbarton Road, Stirling, FK8 2RQ To book call 01786 471 917 www.smithartgallery. demon.co.uk

Works of art from the Scottish Bible Society collection. Artists include Elizabeth Frink, Eric Gill, Patrick Heron, Graham Sutherland and Peter Howson.

19 Sep – 6 Dec

Sun 13 Dec, 3 pm

Scottish Society of Architect Artists

A Christmas Box of Surprises

Scottish architects show off their outstanding artistic skills in a variety of media during their 22nd annual exhibition.

A Brush with the Bible

with John J Coutts.

Wed 16 Dec, 11 am

Poems for Christmas Chosen and read by Lesley Duncan, Poetry Editor of the Herald.

Thurs 17 Dec, 11 am

Illustrated talk on Christmas Films by Thomas Christie.

14 Nov - 10 Jan 2010

Christmas Tingles Now in its third year, Tingles showcases outstanding contemporary art and crafts. Ceramics, jewellery, cards, paintings and original prints, all ideal Christmas gifts.

Sat 28 Nov

Felt-Making Workshop by Morag Lloyds Full-day workshop £52.95 including lunch and materials.

Booking essential.

Fri 11 Dec, 7.30 pm

A Brush with the Bible Opening of exhibition of the Methodist Collection of Church Art by artist John Lowrie Morrison.

ews See p2 for lots of St Andr Day events news.

COUNTRYSIDE RANGERS Stirling Council Countryside Team events are a great way to discover nature, explore new areas and enjoy the health benefits of being outdoors.

And all for free! For all events children are welcome but must be supervised by an adult at all times.

To book please phone 01786 442971 during office hours (Mon - Fri, 9am – 5pm). If you’ve booked a place and can’t make it, please call to cancel so your place can be given to someone else. www.stirling.gov.uk/countryside Sun 22 Nov, 10am – 3pm

Balquhidderock Wood Countryside Action Day

Christmas Tingles

Wed 23 Dec, 11am

Meditations on the Bible Paintings with the Reverend John Butterfield, Minister of Stirling Methodist Church.

Sun 24 Jan, 3pm

Psalms across the Centuries

by John J Coutts.

16 Jan – 21 Mar 2010

Girls in the Lead Celebrating 100 years of Girlguiding UK. Sun 31 Jan, 2 Feb, 3 Mar 2010, 3pm

Talks on Girlguiding UK. Part of the centenary celebrations.

Care for this special woodland by helping with tree-thinning and litterpicking. Places are free but limited – advanced booking is essential.

Sun 6 Dec, 1pm – 3pm

Natural Christmas Decorations Make your own decorations using natural woodland items. We’ll bring the materials, you bring your creativity and imagination!

Meet at Guide Hall, Glebe Avenue, Stirling.

Tues 8 Dec, 10am - 3pm

Back Walk Blitz It’s a challenge keeping the Back Walk and Gowan Hill free of litter. Come along and help. Meet outside the Stirling Smith car park.

en Safe base 09 will be op at The Basement in Back Wa

lk

7

Shop Local this Christmas Why not avoid the hustle and bustle of the larger cities and visit the great selection of stores closer to home?

Enjoy all the major high street stores such as Marks and Spencer, Boots, Laura Ashley, Debenhams, Next and many more by making Stirling the place to buy gifts for all the family.

There’s also a rich variety of quality independent shops and the newlyrefurbished Victorian shopping arcade, Stirling Arcade, with interesting boutiques full of great ideas for presents.

By using Stirling’s Park and Ride services which run from Castleview and Springkerse you can reach the shops without traffic jams and

changing Room

Box Office 01786 473544 www.stirling.gov.uk/changingroom 7 Nov - 19 Dec

Now is the time Katy Dove and Simon Yuill Using the University of Stirling’s Norman McLaren archive as a starting point for developing new artwork,

spend as long as you like without paying parking charges. Extra buses running at peak times make it a hassle-free way of getting into the city centre.

Why not leave the car at home this Christmas? Here are some useful links: Car sharing www.stirlingliftshare.com Public transport times and journey planning www.travelinescotland.com Tel 0871 200 2233 Road works and disruptions www. stirling.gov.uk/ disruptionsclosures Dial a Journey www.dial-a-journey.org Tel 01786 465355 Shopmobility Tel 01786 449606 Taxi card www.stirling.gov.uk/taxicard 0845 277 7000

‘Now is the time’ is a collaboration between artists Katy Dove and Simon Yuill.

Late night openings

25 and 28 Nov, 11 and 18 Dec.

safe base 09 Following its success last year, safe base will once again be open in Stirling during the festive period. safe base, at the Basement, just below Central Library at the Back Walk, is a place to go to if you’re stuck in Stirling late at night and need help or information on how to make your way home. It’s staffed by an experienced and impartial team who are here to help and listen in confidence. Last year the team helped a number of people to sort out unexpected and often difficult problems and situations safely and quickly. safe base is one of a number of initiatives that Stirling’s Night Time Economy Group have achieved for the City Centre. Improved lighting, enhanced transport provision, upgraded CCTV and taxi marshalling will all be in place again this year. safe base opens its doors on Friday 20 November and will be open from 10pm to 2am each Friday and Saturday night for 5 weekends before Christmas, from Friday 20 November until Saturday 19 December.

STIRLING FOCUS

newspa of the y per ear

From the start we have 8

invited readers to get involved

participation and responsibility

Winn

Commuer nity

in the newspaper. h Co-editor e (centre) wit Stewart r marguerit hn ito Jo ed er ers ag Villag business man d an on us Ali Ferg

The Villagers: voices of the community The Villagers is the community newspaper for Balquhidder, Lochearnhead, Strathyre and St Fillans and is Newspaper of the Year in the stirling community newspaper forum’s 2009 Community Newspaper Awards. Focus met editor Marguerite Kobs to learn more about a much-loved local institution.

Marguerite, how did The Villagers get started?

The original idea came from Balquhidder resident Margaret Ritchie, who together with Pauline Perkins produced the first issue in 1993 with the help of Stirling Council’s Community Resource Centre. Margaret was a member of the local community council which brought together residents from the villages of Balquhidder, Lochearnhead and Strathyre.

“The Villagers” isn’t just local -

we have subscribers

all over the world.”.

Reporting on the community council’s meetings was a great way of keeping village residents in touch with local issues.

From the start The Villagers invited readers to get involved by writing in with news, views and articles, as well as advertisements for goods and services.

And it’s still going strong in 2009.

Yes, and this year we added another village – St Fillans. Today the newspaper has grown to 28 pages, and carries a wide range of articles; serious and humorous, straightforward and controversial.

How do you feel the newspaper benefits your community?

It’s got news about what’s happening in our area, but it’s also a forum for discussion, a photographic record of social pastimes, a trade directory of local goods and services, somewhere to showcase local artists, poets and writers, a place to celebrate births and marriages and a place to honour and acknowledge people who have died.

How many people are involved?

There’s a team of eight who work on each issue, but really everyone who contributes in any way is involved.

What’s the most difficult thing about producing the newspaper?

Judging what to put in and what to leave out - and trying not to tread on any toes! The whole business of not

supporting community newspapers: Pauline roberts PUBLICITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

Winter 2009

being able to please all of the people all of the time is a hard lesson to learn.

What makes it worthwhile?

Every now and then - more often than I would have thought possible - we publish a story which resonates with a reader far away (we have subscribers all over the world) and letters arrive with reminiscences of time spent in our villages. It makes you feel that wherever they are, people are reading and enjoying The Villagers.

Do you get financial support?

We get lots of encouragement from our readers but there is no financial support from any outside organisation.

So what’s in the future for The Villagers?

To keep producing a great newspaper.

And hopefully there is someone waiting in the wings with lots of enthusiasm to have a go when the present team retires!

focus facts Community Publicity and Development Officer Pauline Roberts offers support and advice to over 25 community newspapers across the Stirling Council area. Pauline is based in the Community Resource Centre, Stirling. If you’d like join the team on your local community title, or you’re thinking of starting your own newspaper, get in touch with Pauline on (01786) 432313 or email robertsp@ stirling.gov.uk

23

Robert digney and josie dinwoodie from McLaren HS ARE TUNING UP FOR THE BIG NIGHT!

Young musicians from across the local area will get together in the Albert Halls on Sunday 22 November, 7.30 pm, to present the Stirling Schools Christmas Concert. Senior Music Tutor Jan Green, co-ordinator of the event, writes for Focus about the importance of music-making for young people.

Music is not just for Christmas - it’s for life

by Jan Green, Senior Music Tutor Learning to express yourself musically can start at any age - the younger the better! And across Stirling Council there is a wealth of opportunities for our school children to help them achieve their music-making dreams.

One of these events is an annual showcase of the talent of our young musicians in the Schools’ Concert. It brings together over 200 musicians from our seven high schools, and includes a vocal ensemble, symphony orchestra, wind band, pipe band, fiddlers, pianists and guitarists.

Apart from the fun of making music, the self discipline and commitment required to learn to play a musical instrument and sing brings lots

of benefits for a young person, and looking at the performers on November 22 you’ll be able to see successful and confident young people who work responsibly as part of a team.

This year for the first time we’re extending the Youth Orchestra and Vocal Ensemble to include young people up to the age of 23. So if any young people reading this have left school but still enjoy making music and would like to join the Youth Orchestra or Vocal Ensemble and inspire the next generation, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me, Jan Green, in the Education Service at Viewforth. Tel 0845 277 7000 email greenj@stirling.gov.uk Tickets for the Stirling Council Schools’ Concert are £6/£3

STIRLING FOCUS better services / participation & responsibility

10

Social work services:

actions and improvements The Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA) is carrying out performance inspections of all local authority social work services in Scotland.

An inspection on Stirling Council’s social work services was completed in February this year, and the report published in July.

s w e i v e R e v Ra

riverbank cafe colleagues with the healthy living award

for the Riverbank ity Cafe n u m m o C e r t n Ce

The community cafe at the Riverbank Centre in Stirling’s Riverside recently won a Healthy Living Award for its fresh and delicious fare.

The Centre provides adults with learning disabilities and profound and complex needs with care and support to be involved in and access centre and community-based activities. As well as the cafe the Riverbank has multi-purpose activity rooms, a therapeutic kitchen, meeting and training rooms, a sensory room, art gallery space, and sensory garden.

“Our cafe area is open to the public, service users and staff, and encourages greater community interaction and inclusion for service users,” explains Manager Angella Fulton.

“It’s a lovely place to visit. You can sit in comfort and enjoy some of our tasty, healthy meals, snacks and sandwiches, admire the works of local artists on the walls, and watch the world go by.

Excellent choices, very reasonably priced.

Nice surroundings.

A really enjoyable experience.

Cafe customer

“Cafe staff also provide catering for companies and groups using our facilities.”

focus fact Run by the Scottish Consumer Council and the Scottish Government, the Healthy Living Awards reward businesses that are making it easier for you to eat healthily when eating out. www.healthylivingaward.co.uk

“We welcomed this inspection,” says Head of Social Care Bill Eadie.

“SWIA identified for improvement areas which we had already focused on in our own selfevaluation. In some cases we had already started taking action, and that’s acknowledged in the report.

“SWIA also recognised that our staff were committed and working hard to deliver services, and that many of the people using our services were satisfied with them and said they had made a difference and made them feel safer and included.

“The inspectors found that in some areas we had been slow to modernise our services. Work to change this is now well underway.

We’ve developed an action plan and will be monitoring progress closely and reporting back to SWIA regularly. Overall the service achieved gradings of adequate, although there are two areas identified as weak. The Council has already taken action to address these areas.

“We’ll show our commitment to improving services in the follow-up inspection due in the next year.”

Read the full report at www.swia. gov.uk

Winter 2009

...

To end violence against women and children

t ith people and wan I enjoy working w to help them achieve their potential.”

Welcoming new social workers Stirling Council’s Social Care service is welcoming an intake of seven newlygraduated social workers to the Community Care and Children and Families services.

“Our new social care staff will take part in an induction programme linked to the Scottish Social Services Council's registration requirements for social service workers,” explains Head of Social Care Bill Eadie.

“The programme will give all kinds of background information and support.

For example, it includes learning

about Stirling Council and the local area, an online module about child protection, access to dedicated mentors, a new practitioners group, and protected learning time.

“As our new social workers set out on this crucial but exciting time in their careers there’s ongoing support from managers and from the professional development unit.

“Social services staff will be dealing with complex and demanding tasks in their careers, and the induction is part of making sure we offer a quality service to local people.”

cil over Christmas

Contacting your Coun

Contact centre staff will be here to answer urgent calls and emergencies on the public holidays over the holiday season: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and 2 January 2010. Normal service is available at all other times.

Tel 0845 277 7000 email info@stirling.gov.uk visit www.stirling.gov.uk text 07717 990 001 Local offices will close at 4pm on Christmas Eve and re-open on 3 January 2010.

Get involved: Tues 1 December, Half-day seminar for young people, led by Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust Queen Victoria School Dunblane (pupils from all Stirling high schools invited to attend.)

Thurs 3 December, 6pm White Ribbon March from Stirling Castle to Old Viewforth led by Central Scotland Police Pipe Band and Provost Fergus Wood Thurs 10 December, Half-day seminar on Child Trafficking, Municipal Chambers led by ECPATUK (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children) PLUS • Violence against Women and Child Protection themed booklists in local libraries • White Ribbon materials and information in Stirling Council offices and schools • Personal safety classes at The Peak • Amnesty International ‘We are all Born Free’ exhibition celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights through posters designed by acclaimed artists and illustrators. On display in Stirling Council offices and libraries. For more information contact: Anne Salter, Lead Officer, Child Protection, tel 01786 443379 email saltera@ stirling.gov.uk

11 better services / participaton and responsibility

“I became a social worker because

Setting out on a challenging career: some of the new intake of social workers with Head of Social Care Bill Eadie at Viewforth.

Nov 25 – Dec 10 Supported by Stirling Child Protection Committee and Stirling Community Safety Partnership.

STIRLING FOCUS equalities and diversity

12

The new national campaign is raising awareness.

Act against harm

supporting and protecting vulnerable adults A new campaign highlighting the role of The Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 has been launched by The Scottish Government in partnership with Age Concern and Help the Aged in Scotland, Alzheimer Scotland and Momentum. The Act was introduced to support and protect adults who may be at risk from harm, whether physical, psychological, sexual or financial.

Preventing and

Judy Reed, Stirling Council’s Lead Officer for Adult Support and Protection, tells Focus: “This legislation is designed to protect those who are unable to protect themselves.

“Research showed that there was a very low awareness of the Act across the board, and that a job needed to be done to make sure people facing harm, people caring for at risk adults and the general public were better informed.”

An advertising campaign recently appeared in the press and on television screens across the country. Councils have been working in partnership with the national campaign to help raise awareness in their own areas.

“This campaign aims to help reduce the number of adults in at risk

situations and ultimately to change public attitudes towards reporting what they believe to be harmful situations”, explains Maureen Thom, Information Manager at Alzheimer Scotland.

“By reassuring people that we understand what they are going through, and that we can support them, we hope to help protect more Learn adults across Scotland.’

s e R d n a e r i F

by Station Manager Danny Lake, Fire Safety Department, Stirling Fire Station

P

reventing and protecting people from fire and other dangerous situations is the key aim of Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service.

While the Service responds to emergency incidents such as fires and road accidents, the prevention of such situations is key to reducing the loss of life, serious injury and damage to property and our environment.

Free home fire safety checks The Service works in partnership with other agencies including Stirling Council to deliver community safety education and support. Firefighters and dedicated community safety staff offer free home fire safety checks to everyone in the

more about the Fire and Rescue

Service at www.centralscotlandfire.gov.uk

winter 2009

Free home fire safety checks are available for all local residents.

Protecting:

scue Ser vice Stirling Council area. And every new tenant is automatically offered a free check when they take up tenancy of their home.

Safe Drive Stay Alive We are also part of the Central Scotland Road Safety Partnership, and together with Central Scotland Police, the Scottish Ambulance Service, Forth Valley NHS and members of the public, we deliver the annual ‘Safe Drive Stay Alive’ road-show. This event, which is held at the macrobert each January, is aimed at young people who may be a passenger in a car with a young driver, or learning to drive themselves.

It takes a hard look at the life-changing and life-long consequences that being involved in a road traffic collision can have. The main audience is invited from local high schools, and there is also an evening show which is open to the public.

station manager danny lake: protecting the community

Crucial Crew Another important project is Crucial Crew, which teaches life safety skills, including what to do if there is a fire, to Primary 7 children from schools all over the Stirling Council area. Together with the Council’s Dog Warden, Trading Standards and Environment Services we give children information that will help keep them safe from a wide range of dangerous situations, and look at how to react in dangerous circumstances.

The event is interactive and the children are encouraged to make their own decisions on how to act, with guidance from the professionals.

Inspecting buildings for fire safety Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service has a legal duty to make sure public and commercial buildings are safe from fire and that in the event of 13 a fire people are warned and able to escape. Specialist fire safety officers work in partnership with Stirling Council’s Building Control team to ensure that the requirements are met and maintained. We inspect buildings regularly, particularly in the run-up to Christmas, paying particular attention to retail premises to make sure fire exits are clear and escape routes are not obstructed by excess stock. It’s a vital part of our work to protect the public and the staff who work in these buildings.

BE FIRE SAFETY AWARE THIS CHRISTMAS

• Make sure any decorative lights •

meet British Standards and are in good working order.

Decorative lights should be turned off at night and when you go out.

• Never leave candles burning unattended or close to curtains or other objects that could catch fire.

• Keep decorations, wrapping paper and greetings cards away from decorative lights, candles, fireplaces and heaters.

• If you are using fireworks, always follow the firework code.

• Make sure guests who are staying •

overnight know how to escape if a fire starts in your home.

Don’t leave the cooker unattended, and take extra care if deep-frying food.

Collecting food waste BETTER SERVICES

STIRLING FOCUS 14

separately keeps your grey bin free from the waste that goes off quickly.

Stirling resident Rona Grant is supporting the new food waste collections.

A food waste set-up to suit you... and your kitchen Got your food waste caddy yet? Almost half the homes in Stirling Council are now eligible for a weekly food waste collection - and everyone should be able to get one by early 2010.

(ABOVE) under the sink; (below) or outside the back door - it’s your choice.

If you don’t already have a food waste caddy, one will be left in your blue recycling box when they are distributed to your area, so please put your box out every week. Otherwise, you can ring us and we’ll deliver one.

It only takes a few seconds a day to collect your food waste as you’re cooking or clearing up.........

.

Please line your caddy with a biodegradable liner (we’ll supply some with your caddy to help you get started) or newspaper, and pop in peelings, cores, leftover meat, bones and skin, used tea bags and coffee grounds – even pet food. Leave it out for collection each week in your blue recycling box.

“Collecting food waste as you’re cooking and tidying up after mealtimes only takes a few seconds a day,” says Waste Projects and Communications Team Leader Jim McBrier.

“It’s really a win-win. You’re keeping your grey bin free from the waste that goes off quickly and starts getting smelly, and the food waste collected goes to make great compost instead of being buried in landfill and breaking down to release noxious gases that are dramatically affecting our climate.”

When you get your caddy you might want to try out a few set-ups in your kitchen to see what feels right.

“Some people like to keep the caddy handy beside them as they cook and then tuck it out of the way under the sink when it’s not in use,” continues Jim. “Or you might prefer storing it outside the back door if you’ve got one, and just keeping a small plastic

Waste collections red circle shows approximate area of urban routes. other areas are on rural routes.

tub with a lid or a mini counter-top bin out to collect the waste. You can then just empty it into the caddy each day. It’s quick, easy and clean.

STIRLING

“It’s all about finding a set-up that suits you best and that you feel comfortable with. We’ll help all we can with information, advice and suggestions.”

FESTIVE SEASON RECYCLING AND WASTE REMINDERS Christmas and New Year’s Day are both on Friday this year. Households that would normally have their brown or grey bins, kerbside boxes and food waste caddies collected on Friday 25 Dec or 1 Jan will have them uplifted two days later on Sunday instead. All other collections will be on the normal day, as usual.

Once the festivities are over, please remember: • wrapping paper and Christmas cards in the blue box • real Christmas trees cut up into pieces and leave in your brown bin, with the bin lid shut.

Thank you for recycling.

focus facts • Twenty liners are supplied free with your kitchen caddy. If you run out and would like to keep using them, 100% biodegradable liners are on sale in local shops and supermarkets and available online. Look for the 100% biodegradable symbol (shown below). Check Stirling Council website for a list of suppliers.

• We can’t accept food waste in plastic carrier bags. They can’t be composted and will contaminate the load.

• Newspaper makes a good lining for your caddy, as it is biodegradable.

YOUR CUT-OUT-AND-KEEP WASTE AND RECYCLING CALENDAR

15 Keep this handy calendar on your kitchen noticeboard or fridge door to remind you whether it’s a grey or brown bin week. You don’t need to wait until the New Year to start using it, as December 09 is included.

Blue recycling boxes and food waste caddies are collected every week.

There are two versions of the calendar – one for everyone living on the urban collection route (which is mainly Stirling city, Bridge of Allan and Dunblane) and one if you live on the rural route which covers the rest of the Council area.

If you’re not sure which route you’re on, just enter your postcode at www.stirling.gov.uk/my/ bins or give us a ring on 0845 277 7000 to check.

We’ve included both versions because this is the most economic way to get the correct information to everyone.

For a reminder about which materials go in which container please see the back of your calendar.

New for

Callan

der A new-lo ok Hous ehold W Recyclin aste g Centre is now op busines en for s in Lag rannoch where y , C a ll a nder, ou can b ring eve from old rything comput ers and to fridg microwa e freeze ves rs, moto garden r oil and waste. O pening hours: Mon - F ri: 5pm - 8pm Sat: 10a m -2pm Sun: clo sed

sustainability

Map: Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of HMSO. © Crown copyright and database right 2009. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100020780.

WINTER 2009

STIRLING FOCUS better services

16

School enrolment The 2010/2011 school year starts on 17 August 2010. This is the only date for beginning primary school education for that year.

All children who are five years old on or before 17 August 2010 are of school age and must start their primary school education on that date.

Children who are five years old between 18 August 2010 and 28 February 2011 may start their primary school education on 17 August 2010 for the 2010/11 school year.

If you want your child to start school in August 2010 you should enrol him or her by 22 January 2010. For details on school catchment areas, or for further information on enrolment procedures, please contact your local school or Education Services, Viewforth, Stirling on 01786 442648 or visit www. stirling.gov.uk.

Gaelic Medium Provision Gaelic Medium Provision is available at Riverside Primary School, Forrest Road, Stirling.

If your child is due to transfer from primary to secondary school Children currently in P7 will transfer from primary to secondary education in August 2010. You will receive notification of transfer arrangements through your primary school. Enrolment at a secondary school other than your catchment school will need a placing request even if your child already attends an associated primary school of your chosen secondary school.

Placing requests for session 2010/11 Parents or guardians who wish to make a placing request for the school session 2010/11 need to do so in writing by no later than 15 March 2010. This includes requests that your child be placed in a school other than the school which normally serves the area in which you live. Application forms and guidelines are available from Education Services, Viewforth, Stirling on 01786 442666.

It is essential that you enrol your child at the school that serves your local area even if you are making a placing request for another school.

Please note that if your placing request is successful school transport will not be provided for your child.

If you would like to find out more, please contact the school.

you should enrole by 22 Jan 2010.

Information on local authority schools in Stirling Council and placing request arrangements are available from Planning and Performance, Education Services, Stirling Council, Viewforth, Stirling.

Information on individual schools is available from the schools themselves.

Parents wishing to apply for enrolment to Our Lady’s RC Primary School, St Mary’s RC Primary School, St Margaret’s RC Primary School, St Mary’s Episcopal Primary School and St Modan’s High School should contact the school to discuss enrolment policy. www.stirling.gov.uk/schools Remember to enrol your child by 22 Jan 2010.

Making enrolment easier...

0

ol in Aug 201

arts scho If your child st

Schools information

As part of the enrolment process we now check the residency of all parents wishing to enrol their child at their catchment school.

To avoid delay when you attend your catchment school, please bring with you :

• your child’s birth certificate • child benefit book/award letter • a recent council tax bill.

Tel 0800 512 012 for a home energy assessment .uk

rg lationscheme.o su in e m o .h w w w

Home insulation scheme

sustainability

17

A safe walk to callander primary school.

‘Hands up’

Who enjoys walking to school!

Stirling area schools have been taking part in a survey this autumn to find out how children travel to and from school.

The ‘Hands Up’ study is run by sustainable transport charity SUSTRANS, and tracks the numbers of children and young people who walk, cycle, are driven, use buses or scooters, take part in ‘park and stride’ or take a taxi.

“A lot of work has been done to encourage sustainable ways of getting to and from school,” says Bannockburn Primary School Headteacher Camilla Dickson. “For example, in our school children receive a map outlining safer walking routes. We’re hoping even more children get involved this year.”

SUSTRANS also supports work on a mapping project. “This will improve website information on all road safety features between the home and school, such as school crossing patrols, pelican

crossings and traffic calming measures,” says Jonathan Padmore, Transport Planning and Access Team Leader. “It’ll help parents and pupils choose safer walking and cycling routes to schools.”

Improvements have been made in and around schools based on the findings of school travel plans.

For instance, at Callander Primary School pupils highlighted in their travel plan some concerns about safe walking and cycling to school.

The result has been traffic calming measures outside the school and improvements to the nearby bridge and pavements.

The Council and SUSTRANS are improving safety around 13 schools in 2009/10 to help encourage walking and cycling.

Householders across the city of Stirling will have the chance to benefit from a new £15m Scottish Government funded home insulation scheme.

Managed by the Energy Saving Trust, the scheme will offer eligible households free energy audits and advice on becoming more energy efficient, as well as loft and cavity wall insulation at a specially negotiated price or free of charge.

Stirling’s was one of ten successful bids for funding, and of the 96,000 homes across Scotland to benefit from the scheme, over 19,500 are in the city.

You could qualify for insulation if you live in: Bannockburn, Cambusbarron, Causewayhead, Raploch, Riverside, Town Centre, Top of the Town, Kings Park, St Ninians, Braehead, Broomridge, Hillpark, Whins of Milton, Torbrex, Cornton and Chartershall. This represents the largest area to be covered by the scheme anywhere in the country.

Home energy assessors will be visiting homes between November and March.

STIRLING FOCUS

b

Child

b

Protection

18 BETTER SERVICES / participation & responsibility

Child protection: your views

The Council’s Research Team and Anne Salter, Lead Officer for Child Protection, recently carried out research with local people who are members of the Stirling Sounding Board to find out their views about, and awareness of, child protection issues.

Key results:

• Parents abusing drugs or alcohol, a poor diet and keeping children out of school were all viewed as examples of abuse or neglect.

• Underage drinking and overpushy parenting were not seen as child abuse or neglect. There were mixed views over whether passive smoking was abuse or neglect.

• A child’s behaviour was more likely than physical signs to make participants suspect that the child was being abused or neglected.

• The groups said that if they suspected that a child was being abused or neglected, depending on the situation, they would contact Social Services, the police, speak to the child or speak to the child’s family.

main barriers to members of the public taking action if they suspected child abuse or neglect. Other barriers included being fearful of being implicated, and feeling responsible for breaking up a family.

• Having more information about what is likely to happen if they report child neglect or abuse would help residents with their concerns. Focus group members said they would welcome a point of contact in the community, such as a GP’s surgery, where anyone could go to for advice about concerns.

• Participants would like to have one national number to contact about child protection.

• Anne Salter, Lead Officer, Child Protection, commented, “These findings will help us develop information material locally, and we’ll also share this feedback with the Scottish Government.”

b

STIRLING Council wants our area to be a place where all children and young people are safe, enjoy good health, and have access to a wide range of positive experiences and opportunities to achieve their potential.

bThe safety

of our children is everyone’s responsibility.

If you have any concerns for a child or young person, seek advice and support from: During the day: Social Work Initial Assessment Team 01786 471177 Child Protection Co-ordinator 01786 443493 Police 01786 456000 Health Contact your local health centre and speak to your health visitor or GP. Reporter to the Children’s Panel Authority Reporter 01786 476400 Out of hours: Emergency Duty Team After 5 pm and at weekends

Social Work at 01786 470500 or 0845 277 7000

d e Sounding Boar Police • Being uncertain or simply getting More about th 01786 456000 it wrong were seen as the www.stirling.gov.uk/soundingbo ard

WINTER 2009

Stirling Council

Annual Review

08 09

Our vision

19

This report presents a summary of our performance over the last year: what we said we would do in 2008/09 and what we have done for each of our strategic priorities, which are to make the Stirling area a place: ■ with a vibrant economy that is open for business ■ with jobs and opportunities for all ■ where lifelong learning is valued and encouraged ■ where improved wellbeing adds years to life – and life to years

fishing in callander

■ with safe, strong and resilient communities

Our area

■ with a high quality environment.

The Stirling Council area stretches almost 2,200 square

We are also working to make services better, encourage participation and responsibility, make Stirling more sustainable, and promote diversity and equality through everything we do.

kilometers from the city of Stirling and its surrounding towns

If you would like to comment on this annual review or would like further information on our performance, please contact the Performance Team on (01786) 443486, email stirlingperforms@stirling.gov.uk, or visit www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingperforms.

You’ll also find more information about our plans and priorities for the Stirling area at www.stirling.gov.uk/ shapingstirling.

and villages to the shores of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, and from Crianlarich, Tyndrum and the southern Highlands to Killin, the shores of Loch Tay and the Eastern Villages of Plean, Cowie and Fallin. It is home to around 88,000 people.

Stirling Council provides hundreds of services to these communities.

This annual review lets us give local people a snapshot of how we’re performing.

STIRLING FOCUS 20

What we are doing in 2009/10 ■ Working with partners to develop and deliver a new Economic Strategy for

Local business graham’s family dairy.

Stirling, based on sustainable growth,

Vibrant economy Stirling is Scotland’s sixth and newest city. We want to make sure that the area continues to be a location of choice, with a growing population and a vibrant economy that is open for business even in the difficult financial times we are all now facing.

innovation and enterprise.

■ With partners, providing our local Homecoming 2009 programme.

■ Starting work to improve Friar Street and Baker Street in January 2010.

■ Reviewing the City Parking Strategy.

■ 68% of planning applications we received this year were dealt with within 2 months. Our target is 80% so although we are improving, we need to do more to meet this target.

What we said we would do in 2008/09

■ 81% of consumer complaints we received were dealt with within 14

Develop research and

development in rural areas) are

days, which is above our target of

development links with the

giving support and assistance to rural

75%.

university and college and give

businesses and business associations

■ We dealt with 97% of business

support and assistance to rural

across the Council area.

advice requests within 14 days,

businesses and business associations.

Conduct a pilot project on

Links with Stirling University and

safer transport for people

Forth Valley College are helping to

leaving the city at night.

identify key areas for research and project opportunities. Additionally, support through the small tourism grants scheme, the development of film location work, destination development and the LEADER + Programme (a programme of European funding which promotes community and economic

The Safebase Project was piloted over the 2008 festive season, with more than 2000 contacts made with the public and revellers travelling home safely due to a variety of resources provided through the project, including taxi marshals and extra night buses.

exceeding our target of 90%.

Our Economic Strategy will be based on sustainable growth, innovation and enterprise.

Winter 2009

Jobs and opportunities What we are doing in 2009/10 21 ■ Starting work on a new Local Development Plan to replace the existing Local Plan and Structure Plan.

■ Providing co-ordinated pathways to help people develop skills for work , in partnership with others.

■ Developing an Antipoverty Strategy.

■ Starting to build new Council houses.

■ Continuing to work with local housing associations to ensure at least 75 affordable rented homes are completed.

■ Increasing availability of Council-owned temporary accommodation to eliminate routine use of bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless households

by March 2011.

Raploch resource centre plumbing apprentice kyle hamill

■ The Employability Service

We want our area to be a place with jobs and opportunities for all. We will make sure that people across the Stirling area have access to a range of core services, and take action where poverty, cultural differences, vulnerability or geographic isolation make it harder for people to access opportunities.

supported 129 adults with disabilities, learning difficulties or multiple barriers to employment into training, employment, further education or voluntary activity during the year. This is well above the annual target of 80.

What we said we would do in 2008/09

■ 47 young people left youth learning initiatives to move into

Continue to build houses in

Plan and develop the creation of a

new community with 2,500 new

Raploch; work on the 900 planned

The number of young people not in

new houses began in January 2008 and

employment, education or training

will be completed in 2018.

has fallen from 369 at the start of

developer have taken place and further

Construction has started on site with

the year to 320 in October.

meetings are planned, the developer has

51 units and discussions are underway

■ The overall level of tenant

not yet submitted a proposed timescale

for the next phase of affordable rented

satisfaction with Housing Services

for developing the site.

housing in Raploch.

was 93%.

homes at Durieshall.

While initial discussions with the

training, employment or education.

STIRLING FOCUS 22

Lifelong learning We want Stirling to be a place where learning for all people at all ages is encouraged and valued. Stirling is already a high performing education authority, with good schools and high overall levels of attainment. We want our schools to continue to provide high quality education, and to increase the opportunities for learning after school so that people can achieve their personal community and economic goals throughout their lives.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;buddyingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; younger children at riverside primary school.

new Additional Support Needs structure.

Support for Learning assistants are now located in each school, instead of being in a centralised team.

Planning is now underway to review the

What we said we would do in 2008/09

use of services such as Artlink, Music Therapy, the Compass Partnership and

Improve performance in

Deliver the new Community

Riding for the Disabled to ensure the

all schools and nurseries, with

Learning and Development

effectiveness of support for young people

specific focus on the lowest attaining

Strategy.

Overall exclusions have reduced

20% of young people.

Work is now underway to establish

by 14% this year.

Exam results in Stirling remain significantly better than the Scottish average. 42% of Stirling pupils gained 5+ awards at Standard Grade compared with 34% nationally. At Higher level, 29% of pupils received 3+ awards in Stirling, compared with

the quality framework within which

Set out how we can support

and improve the progress of children moving to primary 1 in all schools.

The Teacher Involvement in Nursery framework is now in place in all early years services and received a very positive evaluation from teachers in June 2008.

22% nationally.

The Standard Grade results of young people looked after by Stirling Council have improved. 15 young people from this group achieved level 3 or above in at least one subject, and 8 achieved both English and Maths. Two young people also achieved a number of passes at credit level.

the strategy will be developed.

Carry out the recommendations from the review of our inclusion policies for children with additional support needs, including support for children and young people in mainstream schools through curriculum flexibility and alternatives to exclusion.

We have continued to implement the key elements of the Inclusion Review improvement plan. This has included the development of a Positive Behaviour Policy, and a

Plan ways to help people learn English when it is their second or other language.

This year 672 speakers of other languages learning English successfully achieved their personal outcomes, against a national target of 88.

Winter 2009

What we are doing in 2009/10 ■ Identifying and addressing barriers to learning across all stages.

■ Making progress with local implementation of the key national

Improved wellbeing

23

Spinning classes at The PEAK

strategies Curriculum for Excellence and Assessments for Learning.

■ Supporting young people to make a successful transition from schools to jobs, further education or training.

■ Implementing and reviewing strategies

We will continue to work to make Stirling a place where improved wellbeing adds life to years, not just years to life. This means providing support for those who need it, encouraging healthier lifestyles and helping people to reach their potential and to live as independently as possible.

around literacies and English for speakers of other languages.

What we said we would do in 2008/09

■ 89% of our schools inspected this

Implement the improvement plan

Challenging Behaviour Policy have been

year were evaluated as good or better

resulting from the 2008 HMIE

produced and approved by Council. A

against the core quality indicators -

Child Protection Inspection.

new Carers Strategy, the promotion of

above our target of 85%.

A new social work post was created

carers’ assessments and the “Stirling

■ 1256 literacy and numeracy learners

dedicated to planning for the long-term

Care 24” out of hours service were also

in Stirling achieved their personal

future of children being looked after

launched this year.

outcomes, exceeding the target of 380.

by the Council, information leaflets for

440 studied with the Council’s Adult

children, families and staff have been

Learning programme.

developed, and a group set up to help

■ Visits to libraries for every 1,000

strengthen links between the Council and

people in the Stirling area increased

the voluntary sector.

from 6,104 to 8,292, helped by our

A Continuous Improvement Group has

open space continues to be developed

new Evidence Based Stock

been established with representation

as part of the Anti Social Behaviour

Management System and the

from Stirling Council, Central Scotland

Strategy.

introduction of online requests.

Police and NHS Forth Valley to take

■ Visits to museums increased, from

forward improvements and monitor

670 to 993 per 1,000 of the population.

progress.

Performance peaked between July and November 2008 when the Smith Art Gallery and Museum exhibited a collection of Leonardo Da Vinci drawings.

Carry out the action plan resulting from the 2008 Multi-Agency Inspection of Older People’s Services (MAISOP) in Forth Valley.

Revised eligibility criteria and a new

Review the role of community wardens in the effective management of open space.

There are now four Community Warden teams. Their role in the management of

Consider the use of Safer Design, CCTV usage in planning for open spaces.

Springkerse and Castleview Park and Ride sites were awarded “Park Mark”, a national award giving safer parking status to parking facilities.

STIRLING FOCUS 24

What we are doing in 2009/10 ■ Working with partners to support early years development, mental wellbeing and healthy weight.

■ Developing an Ageing Well framework to improve the co-ordination of services to older people.

■ Continuing to improve and modernise care services

■ Implementing the Road Safety Plan.

■ We submitted 35% of requested Children’s Hearing reports to the Reporter on time. This is a decrease from last year’s 48%. There was a significant increase (92%) in the number of reports requested.

■ 87% of children were seen by a supervising officer within 15 working days. This is slightly higher than last year.

■ The number of carer assessments carried out this year was 76, a large increase from last year (29).

■ The number of homecare hours provided for every 1,000 people aged over 65 decreased slightly from 353.8 to 316.0 hours. We undertook a scrutiny review of care services for older people this year and the recommendations are now being implemented.

■ Attendances at pools dropped from 2,034 to 470 per 1,000 of the Stirling population. This was due to the closure of Rainbow Slides, but with the opening of The Peak in 2009 this figure should increase substantially in 2009/10.

Strong communities We want Stirling to be a place where citizens feel safe and are supported and encouraged to take responsibility for their actions, resulting in safer, stronger and more resilient communities. Public protection, prevention of disorder, road safety and substance misuse are some of the issues of local importance.

What we said we would do in 2008/09

community safety message in our communities.

This is a new priority that has been

■ Continuing to improve arrangements for Child and Vulnerable Adult

added for 2009/10. A range of local

Protection.

outcomes have been developed, which will be monitored over the coming year.

■ The Anti Social Behaviour Team

What we are doing in 2009/10

with 27 cases being referred to

The Community Safety Partnership has identified key platforms for action covering care and protection, anti social behaviour, substance misuse, safety and resilience. Actions will include:

■ Developing policies and services around domestic violence.

■ Reviewing our approach to anti

received 196 enquiries this year, conflict resolution and six Anti Social Behaviour Orders being put in place.

■ There were 1217 social enquiry reports submitted to court by Criminal Justice services. Of these, 96% were submitted by the due date. This is slightly below the target of 98%.

■ We supported 40 successful

social behaviour in the national context.

applications for external funding

■ Integrated working with alcohol and

made by community groups,

drugs partnership.

resulting in funds of £1,094,557

■ Sharing information, knowledge

being received. This is more than

and skills to deliver a strong, common

double last year’s £450,237.

WINTER 2009 volunteers from capita take part in the business in the environment initiative at plean country park.

25 We know that the quality of the local environment is a key reason for living in the Stirling area. We aim to protect and enhance the local built and natural environment to maintain that quality of life.

What we said we would do in 2008/09 Look at ways community wardens can help tackle litter problems.

We are continuing to work closely with Keep Scotland Beautiful on litter prevention. Work to improve links between operations, enforcement and education is ongoing, involving joint working between Council teams and Central Scotland Police. We took part in National Spring Clean Week, promoting activities that saw communities help clean and improve their own areas and the local environment. Community Wardens are now able to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for litter.

Collect all plastics from all council areas and roll out recycling collection in the city centre by June 2009.

We now collect all types of plastic bottles through our household kerbside collections. Recycling now covers 50% of the city centre, with the remaining areas to be included before the end of 2009/10 in consultation with residents, businesses and community councils.

Quality environment Bring forward our “Towards Zero Waste” waste reduction strategy.

This is currently on hold while the Scottish Government consults on its ‘Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan’, which once adopted will commit us all to Zero Waste through eliminating the unnecessary use of raw materials; sustainable design; resource efficiency and waste prevention; re-using products where possible; and recovering value from products when they reach the end of their lives through recycling, composting or energy recovery.

The Council has one of the highest recycling rates in Scotland.

■ Developing an Open Space Strategy with partner organisations.

■ The percentage of our roads needing maintenance fell from 48% to 44.5%. 4.6% of the network

What we are doing in 2009/10

was resurfaced in 2008/09 (2% in 2007/08).

■ Rolling out food waste, Tetra Pak, battery and WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) collection to all households across the Council area.

■ Opening the Callander Household Waste Recycling Centre by October 2009.

■ Protecting and enhancing the natural and built environment.

■ Ensuring environments promote and sustain healthy lifestyles and wellbeing.

■ Raising awareness of our unique environment and improving access

■ The Council is the best performing in Scotland in the diversion of waste from landfill and has one of the highest recycling rates at 42% for 2008/09. This is already above the national target of 40% by 2010.

■ We scored 75 in Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Cleanliness Index (67 last year). Improvements included the introduction of mobile teams and new machines.

STIRLING FOCUS

Better

services Making services

26

better is one of Stirling Council’s strategic themes. Local people play a vital role in Stirling high School catering superviser TRACY WALKER

We aim to make our services better, more effective, and more efficient. We want our services to be designed with customer needs in mind, and we aim to ensure that information about our performance is readily available.

Encouraging participation and responsibility Citizens and local communities play a vital role in shaping our services and we want to encourage your participation.

As well as the Residents Survey we encourage community involvement and community based activities.

We will be working with partners to help to support community and voluntary sectors to be involved in community planning and community life, and help ensure access to a range of facilities and resources.

Making Stirling more sustainable Embedded in all our activities and work is a commitment to sustainable development, including reducing our carbon emissions and ensuring the Stirling area adapts to the effects of climate change.

This will include looking at issues such as: local food production and buying; promoting sustainable development through the Local Development Plan process, continued improvement in waste minimisation and taking steps to cut our own carbon emissions by at least 20% over the next few years.

We will also continue to support Going Carbon Neutral Stirling to work with communities and businesses to reduce their carbon footprints.

Equalities and diversity During 2008/09 we reviewed and updated our Statutory Race Equality Scheme and action plan, and identified actions to improve the accessibility of and appropriateness of our services.

We have also identified where we can work better with our partners to understand and address the needs of our different communities.

shaping our services.

Our total budget for 2008/09 was just over £202m.

Where we spent the money: £1.8

Chief Executive’s Office Corporate Services

£12.1

Children’s Services

£90.2

Community Services

£40.4

Environment Services

£24.7

Trading Operations

(underspend) -£0.6

Police, Fire Service and Assessor £14.9 Other Budgets

£4.2

Loans Charges

£13.8

Total

£201.3

Full details of our audited accounts are available through our website www. stirling.gov.uk/stirlingperforms or contact Jim Boyle, Chief Accountant, on 01786 442899.

New Ways of Working:

Management Changes Chief Executive Bob Jack has introduced a new senior management structure for Stirling Council. The change is part of a package of measures saving a total of £3.7m.

My Stirling is a tailored service available from Stirling Council’s website and is the easy way to check when your bins are next collected, whether there are any road closures or traffic disruptions in your neighbourhood or if the local school is closed because of snow. There are new services being added to My Stirling all the time. Simply register for My Stirling at www.stirling.gov.uk/ my and we’ll email and/or text you with reminders and alerts about what’s happening in your area.

Talkback We welcome your feedback to help us improve all our services.

Talkback lets us know how local people feel we’re doing – the good and the bad. Talkback leaflets are available at all Council offices and libraries. You can also phone 0845 277 7000, or go online at www.stirling. gov.uk/talkback. For social work complaints please phone 01786 443231.

In place of Corporate, Environment, Community and Children’s Services, each with a separate Director, the Council will now be run by a single Strategic Leadership Team of Bob Jack plus three Assistant Chief Executives, Janice Hewitt, Linda Kinney and Rebecca Maxwell. They will be supported by eleven Heads of Service, each responsible for service delivery in their specific area.

Bob told Focus, “This framework gives us the best chance to keep improving and meet the challenges that lie ahead in an extremely difficult financial climate. The squeeze on public spending will be a reality for years to come. We must be prepared to think and work in new ways.

“Our goal is to become one of the best performing councils in Scotland, and continue building Stirling’s reputation as a great place to live, work, visit and do business.”

Agreeing the way Forward for Stirling Earlier this autumn leaders from all the organisations which make up Stirling Community Planning Partnership (including Council, Health Board, Police, Fire and Rescue Services among others) met to sign Stirling’s Single Outcome Agreement (SOA).

An SOA is an agreement between the Scottish Government and a Community Planning Partnership about what the local priorities are, how the partners will work individually and together towards making life better for local people, and how the agreed goals link with national government objectives.

SOAs have been agreed in all 32 council areas of Scotland.

You can read and comment on Stirling’s SOA at www.stirling.gov.uk/ shapingstirling Other useful links: www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/ Government/local-government/SOA www.improvementservice.org.uk/ single-outcome-agreements

Each Assistant Chief Executive will have responsibility for strategy in a particular area aligned with Single Outcome Agreement goals:

Janice Hewitt Care, Health, Wellbeing

Linda Kinney Learning, Empowerment, Citizenship

Rebecca Maxwell Sustainability, Economy, Environment

NICE

CCA AND JA

Linda, REBE

27 better services

Find out first with My Stirling

STIRLING FOCUS

Trossachs and Teith

Cllr Tony Ffinch

Conservative ffincht@stirling.gov.uk

28

Cllr Paul Owens

Labour

participation and responsibility

Ward 1

owensp@stirling.gov.uk

Cllr Fergus Wood

Register to vote

snp woodf@stirling.gov.uk

Will you be able to choose your MP? The next General Election must be held by June 2010, and could be called with only 17 working days’ notice.

Only electors who are registered to vote in time (11 working days before polling day) will be eligible to vote in the next UK Parliamentary election.

The annual Electoral Registration Forms were posted to every address in the Stirling Council area (over 39,000) on 7 September, and as long as you returned yours (with or without changes) then you should be registered in time.

If you haven’t returned your form, or if your name or address need to be changed on the register, then you should apply to register to vote now.

If you want to vote by post or to appoint a proxy to vote on your

l is Stirling Counci

r responsible fo

running all elections in this area.

behalf at the next election then please also apply now. The deadline for receipt of postal vote applications for any election is also 11 working days before polling day.

Forms and more information about registering to vote and voting options are available from: Electoral Registration Officer, Hillside House, Laurelhill, Stirling FK7 9JQ Tel 01786-892289 Fax 01786-892255 www.saa.gov.uk/central or www.aboutmyvote.co.uk

Ward 2

Forth and Endrick

Cllr Alistair Berrill

Conservative berrilla@stirling.gov.uk

Cllr Graham Lambie

SNP lambieg@stirling.gov.uk

Cllr Colin O’Brien

Labour obrienc@stirling.gov.uk

Learn more about your councillors on our website www.stirling.gov.uk/councillors Dates of meetings are online at www.stirling.gov.uk/meetings

You can also contact us by phone at 0845 277 7000.

Your Councillors

Ward 5

Stirling West

Cornton Raploch

Cllr Neil Benny Cambusbarron St Ninians

Conservative

Braehead

bennyn@stirling.gov.uk

Broomridge

Cllr Scott Farmer

SNP farmers@stirling.gov.uk

Cllr Andrew Simpson

STIRLING

Labour simpsona3@stirling.gov.uk

Fintry

Ward 4

Ward 3

Ward 6

Castle

Cllr Ian Brown

Dunblane and Bridge of Allan

Cllr John Hendry

Cllr Callum Campbell

Cllr Graham Reed

Conservative

Lib Dem

campbellc@stirling.gov.uk

reedg@stirling.gov.uk

Cllr Colin Finlay

Cllr Jim Thomson

Lib Dem

Labour hendryj@stirling.gov.uk

Labour

Cllr Steven Paterson

snp thomsonj03@stirling.gov.uk

Ward 7

Bannockburn

mcchordc@stirling.gov.uk

snp

finlayc@stirling.gov.uk

Cllr David Goss

browni@stirling.gov.uk

Cllr Corrie McChord

Labour

Lib Dem

Stirling East

patersonst@stirling.gov.uk

(Bannockburn, Cowie, Plean area.)

gossd@stirling.gov.uk

Cllr Graham Houston

snp houstong@stirling.gov.uk

Cllr Margaret Brisley Labour Cllr Alasdair MacPherson SNP Cllr Violet Weir Labour brisleym@stirling.gov.uk macphersona@stirling.gov.uk weirv@stirling.gov.uk

29

on Stirling area roads this winter We will be working with you to keep our area

Road gritting Priorities

30

: 1 major roads, bus routes and roads providing access to emergency service centres and almost all schools are treated for snow and ice 24 hours a day. Precautionary treatments are also carried out between 5.30 am and midnight if required.

2 main roads to housing and industrial areas and some rural roads are treated when a thaw is expected before noon.

3 major housing and industrial areas and some rural roads are treated if conditions are likely to last for 48 hours and no thaw is likely in the next 48 hours.

4 other public roads are treated only in extreme weather and when resources allow.

Pavement priorities:

• places with a group of three or more • • • •

essential premises, such as food shops and post offices. steps and ramps to underpasses and bridges. pavements connecting shopping areas to nearby public buildings. outside individual essential premises in towns or village shopping centres. at sheltered housing and residential homes for older people.

moving this winter come snow, ice, hail or sleet.

Stirling Council will…

• provide a prioritised winter service on the local road network.

• make as large an area as possible accessible as quickly as possible. Sometimes this will mean treating the pavement on one side of a road only.

We ask you to …

• plan your journey carefully. Check weather forecasts and avoid using minor roads if possible.

• travel early or the day before if heavy snow is forecast.

• consider not travelling if roads are likely to become blocked.

• slow down! Avoid sudden braking, and use dipped headlights if visibility is poor.

• keep wheelie bins out of the way of snowploughs.

• use salt bins as necessary to help make minor roads and pavements safer.

• remember neighbours who may be older or have a disability.

We’re not able to …

• keep all roads free from snow and ice all the time.

• prevent ice from forming. When it rains, salt already laid will be washed away. If the temperature then falls suddenly, ice will form. It will then take several hours to treat all roads. Even after the salt is applied, it takes time for the ice to melt.

• stop snow from lying. Even if we are ploughing a route continuously, snow will build up until the plough gets back again.

• clear roads blocked by stranded vehicles.

• treat roads blocked because of inconsiderate parking.

Pavements are normally only treated during working hours, unless there is a build-up of snow.

Stirling Council, Viewforth, Stirling FK8 2ET phone: 0845 277 7000 email: info@stirling.gov.uk text: 0771 799 0001 web: www.stirling.gov.uk

Edited and designed by Stirling Council’s Communications and Marketing Team, Oct 2009

STIRLING FOCUS

Don’t stop moving...

better services

Winterroads

ather alerts at Sign up for roads and we www.stirling.gov.uk/my

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