COSLA's Health & Social Care Spokesperson
Cllr Paul Kelly spoke at #DigiFestScot in Glasgow today, highlighting:
✅Social work & care’s role in development of the new #MyCare.scot service
✅Collaboration on ethical AI policy
✅Great work of the Digitally Enabled Workforce Team.
📣 Last chance to register!
All Councillors in Scotland are invited to join our Elected Member webinar tomorrow (10 Dec) at 10:30am.
Hear from Cllr Ricky Bell on COSLA’s budget campaign: Strong Councils, Strong Communities.
Register now: bit.ly/48NLu71
Preventative services save money and change lives — but they’re being cut because councils can’t stretch budgets any further.
Flat cash = fewer services.
We need fair, flexible funding in the #ScottishBudget.
Read about our budget lobbying campaign 🔗 bit.ly/4pIpSjP
Scotland’s housing emergency is worsening:
🏘️ 17,000 children homeless
🏘️ £720m spent on temporary accommodation
🏘️ Significant real terms cut to affordable housing investment
We need urgent action in the Scottish Budget.
Read more: bit.ly/4pIpSjP
Social care pressures are spiralling.
Integration Joint Boards have faced £497m pressures in 2025/26.
A £750m investment in the Scottish Budget could stabilise the system and add 19k social workers + 9k care packages.
Read more in our budget campaign➡️bit.ly/4pIpSjP
Scotland’s Councils need sustainable, multi-year funding — now.
We've launched our 2026-27 Scottish Budget campaign today: Strong Councils, Strong Communities.
🔗 bit.ly/4pIpSjP
A purple graphic with white text. A photo of Edinburgh can be seen in the background. The text reads: Councils need sustainable funding to protect our services. At the bottom right more white text reads: COSLA Manifesto 2026. A white COSLA logo can be seen at the bottom right-hand corner.
🏡 Councils deliver the services that make communities thrive.
But without sustainable funding, these services are under threat.
We’re calling for fair, multi-year funding and local revenue-raising powers.
cosla.gov.uk/__data/asset...
The front cover of the COSLA 2026 Manifesto document, which asks the next Scottish Government for investment in and empowerment for Scottish Local Government. Title text in purple and black reads ‘COSLA Manifesto 2026’. Three photos from local authorities in Scotland can be seen which show (from left-right) a gritting vehicle on duty on a snowy rural road; a harbour in a small fishing village; a worker maintaining a public garden.
📢 COSLA’s 2026 Manifesto is here: Strong Communities Start with Local Government.
We’re calling for sustainable finance, empowered local democracy & investment in people and places.
Let’s work together to help Scotland live well locally.
🔗 bit.ly/4qIhhP1
COSLA's Brussels Office participated and attended several events including at the EU Council of Regions and Scotland House. Pictured from our sister Local Government Associations: Cllr Billy Webb, Cllr Alison Bennington & Cllr Dermot Nicholl from NILGA, and Cllr Marianne Overtone from @local.gov.uk.
Four people smiling.
The EU Week of Regions and Cities took place this week in Brussels. #EURegionsWeek 2025 is the largest annual event dedicated to all matters Local and Regional Government. It involves over 200 sessions & attracts almost 1000 local government representatives from across Europe.
Image in background of people walking across a street in a city. Text shows 'Join Public Health Scotland's 2025 Annual Review'. A purple banner is at the bottom with the white PHS logo.
Our next Annual Review takes place on 7 November 📝
All are welcome to submit questions and attend this formal event with our Board, Scottish Government and COSLA, where we'll review the year's achievements and challenges, and set plans for the year ahead.
More info 🔽
https://ow.ly/SmEH50X9Ecn
Our family support hubs in South Lanarkshire have been shortlisted for the Cosla Excellence Awards - practical and successful examples of early intervention in action. Very worthy contenders!
www.cosla.gov.uk/news/2025/ce...
A photo of COSLA President, Councillor Shona Morrison, with a quote which reads: " The COSLA Excellence Awards are a highlight of my year and it’s always inspiring to hear about so many positive and innovative projects being nominated, especially given the challenging times we are in. Council teams use their creativity, innovation and genuine passion for their communities every day to overcome increasingly complex challenges. The Awards exist to recognise exactly this talent and passion."
✨Our fantastic fifteen finalists in this year's COSLA Excellence Awards have been announced! We are looking forward to finding out the winners at the Awards Ceremony in November, as part of the COSLA Conference & Exhibition.
Read more with comment from @morayshona.bsky.social here: bit.ly/4pFt4gg
A photo of COSLA's Health and Social Care Spokesperson, Cllr Paul Kelly, with a quote: "I’m pleased that COSLA and the Scottish Government are working together to deliver ‘MyCare’, a new online app that will, in time, enable people in Scotland to interact more effectively with health, social work, and social care services, including arranging appointments and accessing their health and social care information."
A new document published today by COSLA and The Scottish Government shares how we plan to roll out the launch of a new personalised digital health and social care service: MyCare.
Read more: gov.scot/publications...
There were 704 deaths from suicide in 2024, a decrease of 11%, in figures released by National Records of Scotland.
COSLA’s Health and Social Care Spokesperson Cllr Paul Kelly commented on the reduction and reiterated the continued need to tackle the inequalities which contribute to suicide.
A bi-annual update on Homelessness Statistics covering 2024-25 has been released today. Cllr Maureen Chalmers, COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson commented:
Our Elected Member Bulletin is live! Read all the latest from COSLA & Local Gov, including:
🟣Key meetings and events
🟣Information about our upcoming Conference
🟣Wellbeing resources for Elected Members
🔗https://us6.campaign-archive.com/?u=f74224074f4382b2e4f41ba43&id=e58365c887
Listen to our Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing, Cllr Maureen Chalmers, on BBC Radio Scotland about homelessness, the housing emergency & the situation across Scotland.
Cllr Chalmer's contribution can be heard from 1:14:53 for approximately 5 minutes.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
📣 Today at the APSE Annual Seminar and Service Awards, COSLA’s Director of Membership and Resources, John Wood, spoke about how Scotland’s local authorities are delivering on key priorities:
✅ Driving a just transition to Net Zero
✅ Supporting fair growth
✅ Delivering for our communities
#apse25
COSLA’s Health and Social Care Spokesperson, Councillor Paul Kelly, has today (10th September 2025) marked #WorldSuicidePreventionDay.
We are very proud of Councillor Heddle, and his friend, on their fantastic achievement!👏
The pair were primarily doing it as a personal challenge, but are all too aware that being able to do this as sixty-something guys (in their own words), is a privilege and that, in the meantime, cancer is affecting, and sometimes taking, the lives of friends and loved ones 💕
They cycled 74 miles per day on average, with their longest day being 102 miles. The total ascent for the ride was just under 50,000 ft, or 1.7 x Mount Everest!🚵♂️🏔️
Cllr Heddle partnered with his friend, Mike, to complete the cycle which was unsupported - taking their stuff along with them, staying in Youth Hostels, B&Bs and hotels along the way!
Here at COSLA, we have our very own ‘feel good Friday’ story for you…
Our Vice President, Councillor Steven Heddle, recently completed a 967-mile cycle from Lands End to John o' Groats in just 13 days, raising a massive £5000 (including Gift Aid) for
@cancerresearchuk.org
🚴♂️
This important forum brings together key partners in health and social care, showcasing the innovative and collaborative work that Local Government is leading to improve outcomes in social care. The use of the Near Me technology in prisons and the Community Health Index within Local Government are great examples of how digital solutions can improve people’s experience of support, enable information sharing and enhance collaboration between services.
Earlier this week, the Whole System Strategic Improvement Group held its latest quarterly meeting.
Read what COSLA’s Health and Social Care Spokesperson, Councillor Paul Kelly, who co-chairs the WSSIG, had to say following the meeting:
Our Chief Executive, Jane O'Donnell, joined a panel discussion this morning at the Solace Scotland Conference.
The panel brought together senior leaders from across Scotland’s public services to share insights on driving transformational reform.
We look forward to the rest of the conference!
Purple graphic with gold details. White text reads: Elected Members Bulletin. There is a COSLA logo in the bottom right corner with a gold 50, celebrating COSLA's 50th year.
Our Elected Member Bulletin is live! Read all the latest from COSLA & Local Gov, including:
🟣Latest media appearances and statements
🟣Information about our upcoming Conference & Exhibition
🟣Wellbeing resources for Elected Members
🔗https://mailchi.mp/cosla/cosla-emb-2nd-september-2025-reissue
hoto of COSLA President Councillor Shona Morrison, with a statement which reads: "COSLA reaffirms the commitment of Scottish Councils to welcome all people who are seeking safety in this country and to work in partnership across our communities to ensure that all feel safe and included and are treated with respect and dignity no matter where they are from."
COSLA's President, Cllr Shona Morrison, & Community Wellbeing Spokesperson, Cllr Maureen Chalmers have shared a statement on community cohesion, following a number of protests reported across Scotland.
Full statement: bit.ly/3JYEwmF
@morayshona.bsky.social @maureenchalmers.bsky.social
