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Domestic violence and abuse can be a driver of poverty vulnerability for partners fleeing abuse. More than two-thirds of survivors of domestic abuse have reported their partners withheld money from them as a key method of controlling and mistreating them, according to the Women’s Aid report, The Economics of Abuse.

  We want to make it easier for people to get education benefits for their children. By matching information held on our the council’s benefit system to that held in our education system, we have automated some payments of school clothing grants and free school meals this year. To date 190 individual payments of £100 have been issued to people that have an entitlement for school clothing grants but hadn’t submitted a claim.

We're looking for a new Chief Executive. Could it be you? Cleland Sneddon, current Chief Executive, talks about some of his favourite times in the role and explains why it's such a great job. More information on the post. More information on life in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute.

Genna Lugue is just one of the people who will be featured in a new campaign to promote abplace2b.scot, the website designed to provide information on just what makes ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute the ideal place to build your life. Talking about what makes ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute such a special place for her, she says:

Applications are being invited for the council’s Supporting Communities Fund 2020/21. Groups can apply for up to 100% of the total funding costs for their project or activity from the fund, with a maximum award of £2500 available.

This week ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ will join voices raised against poverty as it demonstrates what is being done to tackle poverty across the area. It will take part in Challenge Poverty week, a campaign started by the Poverty Alliance to highlight the reality of poverty and challenge the stereotypes. The week will showcase the solutions to poverty and increase public support for action to solve the problem.

What makes a good council Chief Executive? We asked some of our employees and here is what they told us. If this sounds like you, our Chief Executive vacancy could be a great career move for you:  A good Chief Executive:

Focusing roads’ maintenance expenditure on improving roads classified as ‘amber’ as well as  â€˜red’ is good practice and more cost-effective by avoiding greater expenditure by leaving the road condition to deteriorate further. This was one of the conclusions made by a review panel for the Audit and Scrutiny Committee, which considered how the Operations Team prioritised roads maintenance work, how surfacing methods used were determined and what other technologies had been considered. Other findings included:

When Louise Nicol was given the opportunity to work as a supply teacher at Rothesay Joint Campus on a temporary, three month basis, she jumped at the chance. Much to Louise’s delight, the position got extended and, 22 years later, she is still working at the school and has moved up the ranks to become head teacher. Louise started her teaching career at Trinity High School in Renfrew, where she worked as an English teacher, before making the move to Bute in 1997.

¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ has welcomed the announcement of a £50million Rural Growth Deal as a ‘transformational vote of confidence’ in the area. The council has been championing a deal for ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute with the UK and Scottish Governments, based on a number of projects developed with public and private sector partners. Today (Wednesday 2 October) the UK and Scottish Governments announced investment of £25million each in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute.