JIGSAW JIGSAW
The UK Government Budget Edition
This Week
Events
Iamdelightedtoletyouknowthatwewillbepublishing Part1ofourEducationBriefings-focusedonAdditional SupportforLearningtodaytocoincidewiththeUK GovernmentʼsBudgetannouncements.
Thankstoyou,wearegatheringdataabouttheuseofparttimetimetables(orflexiblelearning)andthoughtitwould bebettertopublishourbriefingontheuseofpart-time timetablesalongsidethisdatasoPart2ofthebriefingswill bepublishedinearlyDecember!Thankyousomuchfor yourhelpwiththis.
TheUKGovernmentBudgetisalwaysabigdayinpoliticsas Governmentpoliciesarelinkedtotheallocationoffunds madethroughthebudget.ManydecisionstakenbytheUK Governmentwillhaveabearingonfundsallocatedto Scotland.Weʼllbepostingcommentsandreflectionsonthe BudgetandourTransformingLivescampaignthroughout thedaysokeepyoureyesonoursocialmediapagesfor moreinformation.
Best, Hello,
Aimee
Updating our 24/7 Support Structure
For 25 years, includem’s 24/7 helpline has been a vital part of our support for children, young people and families.
As more people have contacted workers directly, helpline calls, particularly in evenings and weekends, have reduced dramatically. While this direct access has brought many benefits, it has also increased pressure on individual workers.
From December 2025, we will reintegrate more helpline responsibilities back into teams, ensuring the service continues to meet the needs of all our programmes. We want to thank our phoneline team for their exceptional work. Their responses have been lifesaving.
Alison McDonald will join the West Dun and continue in the Multiple Risk team, while Laura Dryburgh continues with the Youth Inspire Group, and Ibby Stephen will carry on in Dundee.
Sadly, the changes mean that we will say goodbye to Laura George, Johan McIvor, Lisa Morrison, Laurie Miller and Ann Orr.
Teams with helpline responsibilities will now cover calls from 5–10pm Monday to Friday and throughout weekends, supported by managers and backed up across services. Overnight and weekday (9–5) helpline staffing will remain unchanged.
By bringing the 8–10pm helpline back into teams, we aim to increase flexibility in evening and weekend support, strengthen local resource directories, and improve both phone and in-person responses.
We will gather feedback from staff, children, young people and families over the coming months to ensure the helpline remains effective and future proofed. Please speak to your manager with any questions or suggestions.
The helpline continues to be a core part of how we support families in ways few organisations can. It is something we are all very proud of, and excited to watch it evolve.
Festive Donations Tracker
We are asking all staff to help capture who’s donating and what’s being given. It really helps our comms team do their job.
This will give us a clearer picture of all the generosity, create PR opportunities, and help us tally the impact..
You can find the tracker on the Festive Hub tile (or below).
Please do favourite the tracker on your browser to keep it easy to access
Flu Jab Season
Getting vaccinated is one of the simplest ways to protect yourself and the people you support.
The flu jab helps stop serious illness and keeps services running smoothly through the winter months.
We highly advise to book through your GP, pharmacy, or local health board as soon as you can.
Learn more and check eligibility at nhsinform.scot/flu
Comms & Public Affairs will shortly publish a new briefing focused on ASL across the education system and its impact on the children, young people, and families we support.
It will be the first of two direct briefings, with the second using insights from our teams on part-time timetabling.
Drawing directly from frontline practice across our teams, the briefing highlights how reduced timetables are being used, the consequences for learning and wellbeing, and the changes we believe are urgently needed.
A copy of the briefing will land in your inbox through HUB news.
If you have any questions, drop us a message.
Comms Request Form
The Comms Request Form is live once again. If you are requesting any work from the Comms team, please make sure to complete the form and a member of the team will be back in touch with you!
Today (Wednesday 26 November), the UK Government will announce the forthcoming budget.
As part of our efforts to campaign for change, we will be highlighting the experiences young people and families have shared with us as part of our Transforming Lives Whole Family Support campaign through a day of action across our social media platforms. th
We have called this “Amplifying the ignored voices” as that is how many of those we support have told us they feel. This will also form part of our messaging going into the Scottish Parliament Elections. Here’s a taster of what you will see today on #includemTL:
This morning we will be sharing the key findings from our Beyond the Budget report which was published in March. The report examined the continued impact of the rising costof-living on those we support.
This afternoon we will be sharing the housing experiences of young people and families we support. This includes highlighting key findings from our report and more importantly what they told us. Lisa will kickstart our focus on housing with the publication of her latest blog which you can read here.
Look out for our response to the budget where we hope to see policy announcement that will significantly improve the lives of those we support including the abolishment of the two-child limit, introduction of a nationwide Youth Guarantee and more.
+ the launch of our Education briefing!
Radha’s Little Helper’s Radha’s Little Helper’s
Radha’s Little Helper Campaign has been relaunched, but as an organisation there is lots more going on across the teams. Do let comms@includem.co.uk know if your team is planning anything. We’d love to help!
The Young Person’s Fund JustGiving page is in the spirit. Share far and wide! Click here:
Our new Festive Hub tile has been live for over a week!
We’ve added even more-downloadable leaflets (for gifts, toys, books and more), plus tailored social media graphics for each team to spread the word.
Fundraise for FREE with EasyFundraising
Did you know you can raise funds for includem for FREE while you shop online?
With Black Friday this week and Christmas just around the corner it is the perfect time to make sure you are signed up.
Simply pick includem, add the Chrome extension and you’re good to go. All takes less than 2minutes!
For more info on how to sign up click the Youtube thumbnail
West Duns
Recently,ayoungpersonandKerrywentforawalkaroundLoch LomondShores.Thisgavetheyoungpersonsomemuchneeded spacetobreatheandtothinkaboutsomepersonalissues.Not onlydidtheysnapthisbeautifulpicture,theywerereally thankfultoKerryformakingthetriphappen.
Keeping Connected
ayside Bairns’ Hoose
y gpersonwithsupportfromRachel,exploredemotionsand workedondevelopingtheirself-esteemandconfidence.Bycreatinga game,theyoungperson(andthewiderteam)hadtoguesswhat emotionthecatwasexpressing.Thisreallycoolactivitywasagreat boosttotheyoungpersonʼsself-confidence.
Aberdeen TFS
Afterbattlingtosecureaplaceinsupportedaccommodationforayoung person,weweredelightedthatKerrywasabletofurthersupportthe youngpersonbypurchasingaTVthroughtheYoungPersonʼsFundfor theirnewhome.
North Lanarkshire
ewalksaplentythisweek.Thisbuddingphotographerwasableto getoutsideforoneofthosecrispdayslastweek.Itwasagreat opportunitytodiscussanoftenstressfultopic...work.Hesaidhewould likeajobinawarehouse.Louiseissettingupachatwithhiscareers advisor.Ahugesteptowardshimgettingsomeindependence.