East Lothian Conservation Volunteers get ‘a lotta lolly’!
It has never been easier to help keep our coastline clean thanks to a £1,000 donation from the Doris Family who operate the ice cream vans at Gullane and Yellowcraig and own the Amalfi Ice Cream Parlour, Dirleton. 
With the donation, East Lothian Countryside Volunteers (ELCV) have been able to supply litter picking equipment which is now available for use by the general public at both Gullane and Yellowcraig beaches.
Information on how to borrow the equipment is available on site at Gullane and Yellowcraig, and on the ELCV website: https://www.elcv.org.uk/tasks/litter/
David Oldham, chair of ELCV said: “This donation which has helped purchase litter picking equipment for ELCV is hugely appreciated, and will give visitors to Gullane and Yellowcraig the opportunity to give something back during their visit in helping to keep our countryside clean.”
David Wild of East Lothian Council Ranger Service added: “Litter in our countryside and on our coastline poses significant threats to wildlife, and undermines people’s enjoyment of our wonderful wildlife habitats. ELCV make a huge contribution to litter clearance projects at Yellowcraig and around the county and having the opportunity to extend this to casual visitors to our sites is warmly welcomed.“
E:CV are a group of over 200 volunteers who help look after the countryside in East Lothian. They look after footpaths, remove invasive plants, erect sheep fences, survey wildlife, check the ponies grazing on the laws, and clean the litter off the beaches, among other tasks. For more info please visit: www.elcv.org.uk Friends of Yellowcraig are an ELCV volunteer conservation group that meet monthly whose activities are co-ordinated by East Lothian Ranger Service.
Public protection is everyone's responsibility
Why do I need to do this training?
The training will promote the East Lothian Council vision of “Our vision is that East Lothian should be even more prosperous, safe and sustainable, with a dynamic and thriving economy that enables our people and communities to flourish. We are committed to working together with the Council’s partners and the people and communities of East Lothian to achieve this ambition.” By attending this training it helps demonstrate to the residents of East Lothian staff are informed to help keep them safe.
What will I learn from attending the training?
By the end of the training you will:
- Understand the themes of public protection and the effects of trauma through the lifespan.
- Know how to recognise harm and abuse.
- Understand the different types of harm and abuse.
- Understand your role and responsibilities if you are concerned someone is being harmed.
- Know what action to take.
What are the dates of the training and where is the training held?
- 26 August from 1.30pm – 4.30pm in Esk Room 1 & 2
- 19 September from 9.30am – 12.30pm in Esk Room 1 & 2
- 15 October from 9.30am – 12.30pm in Esk Room 1 & 2
- 29 November from 9.30am – 12.30pm in Esk Room 1 & 2
Venue – Brunton Hall, Ladywell Way, Musselburgh, EH21 6AF
How do sign up to attend one the training dates?
Email emppo@eastlothian.gov.uk and the East Lothian and Midlothian Public Protection Office will either confirm your place or advise you if that date is full and ask you to select another date.
Freedom of East Lothian granted
The Freedom of East Lothian was granted to the Lothians and Border Yeomanry in a special presentation and parade held in Dunbar last month.
The Lothians and Border Yeomanry’s links with East Lothian date back to 1797 with the formation of the East Lothian Yeomanry Cavalry. The Dunbar, Seton, Salton and Gifford troops eventually disbanded and joined with other areas before reforming in 2014 under its current name.
East Lothian Council’s Armed Forces Champion Councillor Jim Goodfellow conferred the Freedom of East Lothian to the Yeomanry, represented by Major Stuart Vine, in the shadow of Lauderdale House, the Regiment’s original home. 
Following the presentation, the Regiment paraded along Dunbar’s High Street, saluting Councillor Goodfellow outside the Town Hall, before continuing on to its War Memorial on the town’s Queen’s Road for a rededication ceremony. Representatives from the council, serving and veteran members of the Armed Services community and their families, support organisations, and crowds of well-wishers witnessed the occasion.
Granting the Freedom of East Lothian to the regiment recognises the sacrifices and service made by its members over the years, and reinforces the council’s commitment to all armed services members living within the county.
East Lothian Council’s Armed Forces Champion Councillor Jim Goodfellow said: “Our commemorations in Dunbar today mark the Lothians and Border Yeomanry’s continued involvement in East Lothian and beyond. It’s right that we recognise the Regiment’s rich history and contribution to our county and it is very special for me to have been able to bestow upon them our county’s highest honour. I believe that the number of people who came along today reflects our deep gratitude to them, and to members of the Armed Services everywhere.”
Major SJ Vine, Squadron Leader, E (Lothians and Border Yeomanry) Squadron, The Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry, said: “E (The Lothians & Border Yeomanry) Squadron are truly honoured to be granted the Freedom of East Lothian. The day marks the reinvigoration of the strong partnership between the community and the Squadron from which many of those serving, have served or represented through our long history and antecedent Regiments live and work - we are grateful for the enduring support. It is significant and fitting that we are able to parade through Dunbar and also rededicate the War Memorial in what is our spiritual home. A truly proud and memorable day and one which reconnects the 'County's Regiment' with the community whom we serve.”
The presentation and parade were part of a day of celebration of the Regiment and Armed Services held in the town. A civic reception was held at the Town House for the Yeomanry and its supporters where a framed ‘Freedom of East Lothian’ certificate was presented. The British Legion hosted a family event at their club for 100 people while Dunbar Museum hosted a special one-day exhibition of the Yeomanry’s military treasures.
Self-Directed Support (SDS) in East Lothian has clear strengths
East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership (ELHSCP) was one of six Scottish health and social care partnerships to take part in a Care Inspection Thematic Review of the Implementation of Self-Directed Support (SDS) in Scotland.
The Care Inspectorate visited East Lothian during September last year and worked with service-users, carers and staff to establish how well SDS was being implemented in the county. They had some very positive insights to share.
They thought that the way that ELHSCP supported people to experience positive personal outcomes through the implementation of self-directed support was good in East Lothian They said that:
"Good conversations and positive outcomes were clear strengths of our inspection findings in East Lothian. Staff…were confident that they were supporting people to achieve positive outcomes…many supported people and unpaid carers were clear that they were experiencing flexibility, choice and control in their care and support and that this was making a difference to their lives."
One East Lothian carer quoted in their main Scottish report said:
"I’ve worked with carers for years and have been one for years. I love what I’m seeing now, and I wish this [SDS] had all been around when I was in the darkest days of being a carer."
They also noted that staff felt confident, competent and motivated to practice in an outcome-focused and person-led way. They rated us as good, saying:
"The majority of social work staff we met…felt autonomous, confident and supported. There were appropriate arrangements in place to express views, share, discuss and reflect on practice issues at events, workshops and individual support levels with managers."
Another area that impressed the inspectors was the way we had effectively communicated and engaged with our stakeholders and promoted more flexible commissioning strategies. They also liked the way that we empowered and supported staff to develop and exercise appropriate skills and knowledge, and they felt that leadership was good too:
"The self-directed support vision, values and culture were generally well established across the partnership…Overall, the partnership was collaborative, innovative and had designed and embedded numerous new ways of working all based around efficiencies, market stimulation and self-directed support principles."
East Lothian Director of Health and Social Care Alison Macdonald says:
"First of all, thank you everyone who spoke to the inspectors during the inspection and all our staff who work on a daily basis to promote choice and control for service-users. The report focuses on our strengths but also highlights areas where we could improve, which is really helpful. A lot of these centre around making our IT systems work better and improving the way that we record the “good conversations” that we have been having.
"We are committed to encouraging more people to take up self-directed support as it means that people can be more creative about the support they need, helping them get more out of life. It’s really encouraging to hear from the Care Inspectorate that our practise is good and that we are doing well."
People wanting to find out more about SDS should visit www.eastlothian.gov.uk/sds or phone 01875 824 309 for a chat with one of our team. You can also find out more about SDS here