[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f10b3rz2z388kj":3,"$f1kh57lwwolkdw":16},{"id":4,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":5,"is_featured":6,"title":7,"slug":8,"content":9,"content_overview":10,"published_at":11,"seo_title":7,"seo_description":12,"image":13,"created_at":14,"updated_at":15},"01m5yr36vzgnkxw06xbrd8qvy9","1",false,"We can change Scotland's story on alcohol","we-can-change-scotlands-story-on-alcohol","\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"mso-special-character: footnote;\">\u003C!-- [if !supportFootnotes]-->\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Justina Murray, Chief Executive, Aberlour Children’s Charity\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This week we have seen further evidence of Scotland’s toxic relationship with alcohol, with the publication of the latest alcohol-specific death figures.\u003Ca href=\"#_edn1\">[1]\u003C\u002Fa> In 2025, 1,152 people in Scotland died through alcohol.\u003Ca href=\"#_edn2\">[2]\u003C\u002Fa> This may be 3% lower than the previous year, but it remains 13% up on pre-pandemic levels. Alarmingly, death rates for women are rising (3% up).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The human toll of this loss is traumatic for families and communities. So, so many lives lost. And this sits alongside the everyday harms felt by those concerned about their own drinking, and those desperately worried about keeping their loved ones alive. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The story of alcohol in Scotland today is that we have a higher rate of alcohol deaths than England and Wales. We buy more alcohol per adult than England and Wales. Almost 1 in 5 of us drink enough to harm our health and to be classed as hazardous, harmful or dependent drinkers. More of us are diagnosed with chronic liver disease each year. We don’t really think about alcohol being linked to over 200 health conditions or causing 7 different types of cancer. In a country where we routinely hear, “There is no money”, alcohol harm is estimated to cost us up to £10 billion a year.\u003Ca href=\"#_edn3\">[3]\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There is little sign of any shift in Scotland’s entrenched ‘Alcohol Everywhere’ culture. Just this week (only a day after the alcohol death figures were released), a hospitality chain in Edinburgh asked for licensing permission for unaccompanied 12-15 year olds to be in their pubs until 8pm, describing these as “family-friendly” and “accessible” environments for young people.\u003Ca href=\"#_edn4\">[4]\u003C\u002Fa> And earlier this month we saw the First Minister raising a glass of whisky on the front cover of the SNP conference handbook, of all of the images which could have been used under the banner ‘Choose Scotland’.\u003Ca href=\"#_edn5\">[5]\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what is the story for the children and families we support? I joined Aberlour last year - our 150th birthday year. Perhaps due to that timing, or certainly encouraged by it, I often reflect on the organisation’s long history and deep legacy, including what might be the same or different now compared to the early days of the Aberlour orphanage. This grew to care for up to 600 children at any one time, all in one place. Nowadays our models of care have radically altered, with our remodelled Sycamore children’s houses providing safe and loving family-sized homes in the community for 3 or 4 children at a time, alongside a broad continuum of services to support babies, children, young people and families facing disadvantage and adversity, from early help to the most intensive support. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite all these changes, that thread of alcohol harm in families - and the havoc this creates in every respect - runs through every chapter of our 150 years. This harm impacts the lives of children and families across every one of our services today, just as it shaped the story for so many children arriving at the original Aberlour orphanage.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But we are also working alongside families to change Scotland’s story on alcohol. There is quite rightly a call for better prevention and early support for families, but how we respond in a crisis speaks volumes. We offer a range of specialist services for pregnant and new mums and their babies where there is harm through alcohol and other substances. This includes our residential Mother and Child Recovery Houses, alongside community-based perinatal and intensive perinatal services. The impact of these services is mind-blowing, with 65-70% of mums staying safely with their babies, when previously their children were at extremely high risk of going into care - with all the accompanying human and financial cost of this. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These services provide concrete and costed evidence that with the right approach and investment, we can write a whole new chapter alongside children and families. This support offers a blueprint for whole family recovery, helps us #KeepThePromise (not just say it), delivers effective child protection, and models outcomes-focused Public Service Reform. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s time for a different story on alcohol harm in Scotland, let’s turn the page. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cdiv style=\"mso-element: endnote-list;\">\u003C!-- [if !supportEndnotes]-->\u003Cbr clear=\"all\">\u003Chr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\">\u003C!--[endif]-->\n\u003Cdiv id=\"edn1\" style=\"mso-element: endnote;\">\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Ca style=\"mso-endnote-id: edn1;\" title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref1\" name=\"_edn1\">\u003Cspan style=\"mso-special-character: footnote;\">\u003C!-- [if !supportFootnotes]-->\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">[1]\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C!--[endif]-->\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa> \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nrscotland.gov.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Falcohol-specific-deaths-2025\">https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nrscotland.gov.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Falcohol-specific-deaths-2025\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv id=\"edn2\" style=\"mso-element: endnote;\">\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Ca style=\"mso-endnote-id: edn2;\" title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref2\" name=\"_edn2\">\u003Cspan style=\"mso-special-character: footnote;\">\u003C!-- [if !supportFootnotes]-->\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">[2]\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C!--[endif]-->\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa> \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">Note that alcohol-specific deaths only include those specifically caused by alcohol, such as alcoholic liver disease, alcohol poisoning.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv id=\"edn3\" style=\"mso-element: endnote;\">\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Ca style=\"mso-endnote-id: edn3;\" title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref3\" name=\"_edn3\">\u003Cspan style=\"mso-special-character: footnote;\">\u003C!-- [if !supportFootnotes]-->\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">[3]\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C!--[endif]-->\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa> \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">You can find lots of useful information and statistics at Alcohol Focus Scotland on Scotland’s relationship with alcohol and alcohol harm, including a great series of monthly blogs by Chief Exec Carolyn Lochhead, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk\u002F\">https:\u002F\u002Fwww.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk\u002F\u003C\u002Fa> \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv id=\"edn4\" style=\"mso-element: endnote;\">\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Ca style=\"mso-endnote-id: edn4;\" title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref4\" name=\"_edn4\">\u003Cspan style=\"mso-special-character: footnote;\">\u003C!-- [if !supportFootnotes]-->\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">[4]\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C!--[endif]-->\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa> \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002Fcm62yj7nqj77o\">https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002Fcm62yj7nqj77o\u003C\u002Fa> \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv id=\"edn5\" style=\"mso-element: endnote;\">\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Ca style=\"mso-endnote-id: edn5;\" title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref5\" name=\"_edn5\">\u003Cspan style=\"mso-special-character: footnote;\">\u003C!-- [if !supportFootnotes]-->\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">[5]\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C!--[endif]-->\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa> \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fs3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com\u002Fwww.snp.org\u002Fuploads\u002F2026\u002F06\u002FSNP-Handbook-26-online-5-public.pdf\">https:\u002F\u002Fs3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com\u002Fwww.snp.org\u002Fuploads\u002F2026\u002F06\u002FSNP-Handbook-26-online-5-public.pdf\u003C\u002Fa> \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv style=\"mso-element: endnote-list;\">\n\u003Cdiv id=\"edn5\" style=\"mso-element: endnote;\">\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>",null,"2026-10-29T00:00:00.000000Z","This week we have seen further evidence of Scotland’s toxic relationship with alcohol, with the publication of the latest alcohol-specific death figures.","media\u002F1301_transform.webp","2026-10-27T13:16:48.000000Z","2026-10-30T08:58:49.000000Z",{"id":17,"blog_author_id":18,"blog_category_id":5,"is_featured":6,"title":19,"slug":20,"content":21,"content_overview":10,"published_at":22,"seo_title":19,"seo_description":23,"image":24,"created_at":25,"updated_at":26,"next":27,"prev":28},"01m2ndea3c4hycfb1md1eg972n","9cdbdd6d-4900-4646-a012-d3e67a5ee788","Children must be heard as Scotland's drug deaths continue to destroy families","children-must-be-heard-as-scotlands-drug-deaths-continue-to-destroy-families","\u003Cp>The number of drug-related deaths will be announced this week, once again heralding one of the bleakest days in Scotland’s year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bleak because, once again, we are forced to confront the human cost of this crisis, in lost lives and bereaved families, and our enduring failure to ease the pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bleak because this tragedy has become an annual opportunity for political point-scoring, for hand wringing and finger pointing, for turning a public health calamity coloured in shades of grey into binary black and white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It has become a hollow, repetitive, black-edged day of claim and counter claim when too many of the voices that demand to be heard – including the voices of children - are lost in the stramash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than 600 children lost a parent in 2020 to drugs, according to analysis four years later, and there is nothing to suggest that level of loss, or its impact, has eased dramatically in the years since. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time last year the National Records of Scotland revealed 1017 drug-related deaths in 2024, a year when 3167 children were placed on the child protection register. Almost 40 per cent of those registrations were linked to the substance use of parents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hundreds of children in Scotland lose parents to drugs every year. Thousands more grow up on the constant brink of crisis and the edges of care because of the impact of drug harm on their families. Their childhoods are turbulent, education sabotaged, talents untapped, and opportunities curtailed. It cannot go on. Our country cannot allow so many babies, children, and young people to be the invisible and forgotten victims of this crisis. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The number of lives lost to drugs last year will be revealed this month [WEDNESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER] when a single number will, inevitably, be framed as a simple measurement of our success, or otherwise, in tackling the worst drugs death rate in Europe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is, of course, more than a number. This is about life and death, grief, and loss, and our response demands more than over-hyped, quick win “solutions” or politically-motivated potshots. After the sound and fury, when the news cycle spins again, will we be any closer to tackling the symptoms of this crisis never mind the root causes?  Well, we should be. We know what works and needs to be done. We have known for years. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tomorrow? Next year? The decade after? That will demand practical policies, political will and far-sighted strategy to transform the lives and life chances of children living in our poorest postcodes. It demands long-promised support to end child poverty, close the attainment gap, create opportunities, jobs and apprenticeships, encourage hope, and rebuild thriving communities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today? We must do whatever we can, as much as we can, and certainly more than we are doing, to heal those lives damaged by substance use, shore up families, and support children to a better future. That means throwing a protective arm around them and their families. It means support that is expert, intensive, and encompassing and, most crucially, there when needed for as long as it is needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his Programme for Government announced earlier this month, First Minister John Swinney promised to eradicate child poverty and treat drug use as a public health emergency, while vowing prevention and early help will be a seam running through our care, health and criminal justice services.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look up prevention and early help in the dictionary and you might find a picture of our Mother and Child Recovery Houses. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fservice\u002Fmother-and-child-recovery-house-falkirk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Burrow\u003C\u002Fa> in Falkirk and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fservice\u002Fmother-and-child-recovery-houses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Discovery Grove\u003C\u002Fa> in Dundee offer residential recovery spaces for pregnant and new mums with a history of substance issues, allowing them to recover while staying safely with their babies. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We wrap around both mother and child, supporting bonding, building their confidence as parents, and laying the foundations of a safe and secure childhood for their baby.  Without our intensive support, many of those children would be placed in care. With it, three quarters of babies remain safely with their mothers when they leave. For all sorts of good reasons our two houses, backed by the Scottish Government and shaped by the experiences of the women living there, make sense. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intensive perinatal support for pregnant and new mums and their babies transforms the lives of whole families. It is an investment which is already paying off in better lives, thriving families, stronger communities and (let’s not overlook this) significant money saved. An independent evaluation of our community-based intensive perinatal services in Falkirk estimated it saved £1million a year in avoided care placements for babies and other crisis interventions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Money invested in drug and alcohol recovery and high quality, intensive support for mums and their children is best spent keeping families safely together, than managing their separation through a lifetime of crisis-led state intervention. This is true child protection. Wherever they live in Scotland, pregnant and new mums need a straightforward route to expert, effective and non-judgmental support, giving their children the best start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is not about new money but smarter spending, to ease the pressure on our partners in social work and health care in every region of Scotland. The big question is not whether our country can afford to roll out and scale up these services nationally, but whether we can afford not to?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One mum hailed the support she found in Discovery Grove after struggling to find the help she needed elsewhere: \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>It isn’t all cuddles and fluffy blankets, there is a lot of hard truths and hard work, but there is also kindness, patience, and respect. Until now, I had been crying out for help but felt like no one could hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>It is time to start listening to Scotland’s mums and their children and now, today, is a good time to start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Justina Murray\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Aberlour CEO\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This article was written for The Scotsman and published on 22nd September 2026.\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>","2026-09-22T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour Children's Charity's CEO, Justina Murray, calls for more family support as drugs deaths statistics in Scotland are announced","media\u002FRS1300_0E5A9849.jpg","2026-09-16T15:30:22.000000Z","2026-09-22T08:43:28.000000Z",{"id":17,"blog_author_id":18,"blog_category_id":5,"is_featured":6,"title":19,"slug":20,"content":21,"content_overview":10,"published_at":22,"seo_title":19,"seo_description":23,"image":24,"created_at":25,"updated_at":26},{"id":29,"blog_author_id":18,"blog_category_id":5,"is_featured":6,"title":30,"slug":31,"content":32,"content_overview":10,"published_at":33,"seo_title":30,"seo_description":34,"image":35,"created_at":36,"updated_at":37},"01m1c46rdpbpvheh232nn9q4dv","FM must try harder on child poverty","fm-must-try-harder-on-child-poverty","\u003Cp>For families across Scotland, the last few weeks have been all about returning to school. Shiny new school shoes and pressed uniforms, brightly coloured pencil cases, and full-to-bursting school bags packed with excitement and anticipation for the year ahead. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This will have been true for many children, but sadly not all. For so many children we support at Aberlour, returning to school brings uncertainty and anxiety, prompted by the stress and strain of growing up in poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today it’s the turn of Scotland’s MSPs to return for their new term at Holyrood, for their ‘first day at school’. The most pressing subject for them must be making real and lasting progress on ending child poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite commitments to tackle child poverty by successive First Ministers over the last quarter of a century, Scotland remains a country where 1 in 5 children continue to grow up in poverty. This is shocking and shameful. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>John Swinney has repeatedly stated that, as Scotland’s First Minister, it is his number one priority to “eradicate child poverty”. We welcome that renewed commitment and sharp focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only is this the right thing to do to make Scotland a fairer and more equal society, but the Scottish Government also has legally binding targets to reduce child poverty, set down by the Scottish Parliament. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ending child poverty and meeting Scotland’s child poverty targets means that welcome words must be backed by clear and targeted actions, significant investment and a coherent plan. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he sets out his Plan for Government today, the First Minister has the chance to tell 210,000 children living in poverty exactly what he plans to do to help them and their families. So we expect to hear about urgent and immediate support for those in greatest need, alongside longer-term strategies to lift children and families out of poverty for good. This means working across all parts of government to end the housing emergency, strengthen routes into fair work, remove barriers faced by children with disabilities and tackle the public debt crisis. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is no easy task. We need connection, coherence and collaboration across government, the wider public sector and third sector, with everyone stepping up for children and families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most direct action the First Minister can take is to put more money into families’ pockets. The Scottish Child Payment is already providing real help, by increasing incomes for Scotland’s poorest families. But much more is needed as cost of living pressures continue to bite. We want to see this Payment increased immediately, reaching £55 a week by the end of this Parliament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is essential, but social security alone is not enough. High quality whole family support is also vital, to reduce the impact of poverty now and prevent it in the future. Easy-to-access, community-based support services, which stay alongside families for as long as they need help, means challenges don’t become crises. Offering practical, emotional and financial support together responds to the multiple challenges that families face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Making sure social security measures and good quality family support reach all children and families living in poverty can only happen with long term funding and investment at scale. This is the approach we need to lift families out of poverty for good. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the First Minister stands up in Parliament today to share his Plan for Government, we will be standing alongside Scotland’s children and families, ready to mark his homework.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Will he get full marks and go to the top of the class? We can’t wait to see.\u003C\u002Fp>","2026-09-01T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour Children's Charity CEO, Justina Murray, shares what she hopes to see in the Scottish Government's Programme for Government on Tuesday 1st September 2026 to end child poverty for good in Scotland.","media\u002FJustina Serious on stairs.jpg","2026-08-31T14:40:06.000000Z","2026-09-01T11:07:16.000000Z"]