COSLA

@cosla.gov.uk

784 Followers 273 Following

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. COSLA is the voice of Local Government in Scotland. https://linktr.ee/cosla

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.
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.
Four people smiling.
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."
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."
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.
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.
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 Resources Spokesperson, Cllr Katie Hagmann will join a panel discussing 'Adapting to Fiscal Challenges: Future-Proofing Scotland's Public Services' at @CIPFA Public Finance Live Scotland 2025 Conference next week. Read the programme & find out more: www.cipfa.org/training/cipfa-scotland-public-finance-conference
"The presentations we heard today exemplified the innovative approaches being taken to improve wellbeing across Scotland and the important role Local Government can play in connecting initiatives to support the best possible outcomes in our communities."
A purple graphic with white text. The text reads: Elected Member Bulletin - the latest news from COSLA and Scottish Local Government
"I look forward to continuing to champion this work as it progresses and ultimately delivers better outcomes for our citizens."
"Councils hold a shared vision of a Scotland where children’s human rights are embedded in all aspects of our society and public services." -Councillor Tony Buchanan, Children & Young People Spokesperson, COSLA
A photo of Councillor Katie Hagmann with a quote which reads: "I’m pleased that a two year pay settlement has been agreed – which will bring a welcome period of stability and certainty about pay for our workforce."
White text on a purple background. The text reads: Elected Member Bulletin - 3rd July 2025
A photo of COSLA's Resources Spokesperson, Councillor Katie Hagmann with a quote which reads: "If this offer is accepted, workers will see an increase in their pay of 7.64% by March 2027, providing our employees with much-needed certainty and stability around their income over a two-year period."
"Three in five of us will take on a caring responsibility in our lifetime. Every single day, carers enable people they care for to get the most out of life, and I would like to thank each carer for their vital contributions to the health and social care system. I recognise that there is still a long way to go to ensure equality for all carers and am committed to working with local and national partners to achieve this."
"This year we welcome a Mental Health Awareness Week focused on the importance of community, recognising that being part of safe and positive communities is vital for our mental health and wellbeing. Communities provide a sense of belonging, purpose and support, and we know Local Authorities play an important role in creating and supporting the environments and opportunities to bring them together. I welcome the opportunity to highlight the importance of these community connections. "
A quote from Councillor Paul Kelly: "In light of the various strands of reform and improvement underway across health and care, I see the Whole System Strategic Improvement Group continuing to play a key role in ensuring this work is both coordinated and has clear governance arrangements, while embedding social care alongside health to support integration by default."
At the heart of cohesive society is a strong, well-functioning democracy that respects the critical role and voice of the communities it serves. COSLA and Scottish Local Government are committed to strengthening local democracy where communities of place, interest and practice are all able to participate and be involved in the decisions that affect them most. At the heart of this must be a relationship based on trust and mutual respect. Not only do we want to see a more diverse and representative elected member body across Scotland, we also want a society where we all live free from discrimination, harassment and victimisation. COSLA and its member Councils will continue to put our communities at the heart of the services we deliver.