Tag: Edinburgh

Willow

Willow Service is in partnership  between NHS Lothian and the City of Edinburgh Council and they work with a number of different partners to address the social, health and welfare needs of women in the criminal justice system.

Willow aims to:  

  • Improving women’s health, wellbeing and safety
  • Enhancing women’s access to services.
  • Reducing offending behaviour.


They offer a wide range of services to women aged 18 years or older, resident in Edinburgh or returning to Edinburgh from custody. Women participate in a programme 2 days a week involving groupwork and key work support. The programme is designed to meet the specific needs of women and is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team.  The team consists of criminal justice social workers, criminal justice support workers, a nurse, psychologists and a nutritionist. The team provides a range of interventions to:  

  • assess all aspects of physical, mental and sexual health
  • support follow up where necessary
  • help cope with the effects of trauma and abuse
  • consider women’s pasts and support them in planning safely for the future
  • address offending behaviour
  • improve mental health and well being
  • develop new skills and coping strategies
  • address substance use problems
  • develop plans for education, training and employability
  • provide new social experiences and relationships
  • link women into services. 

Website

A day with an unpaid work squad

Unpaid work takes place all around Scotland. It allows people to settle their debt to society and build better lives for themselves, their families and communities. A sheriff can order individuals to do from 80 to 300 hours of unpaid work. We follow two unpaid work squads, over one day in Edinburgh.