News Banking


‘Scotland will always be home’ – RBS chief Staff Reporter


Te Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) will once again be a “flagship Scottish company”, according to its chief executive. Stephen Hester, who was appointed by the UK Government after it bailed out the bank in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, said: “Scotland is our home – and it always will be.” Hester told Holyrood magazine that although RBS was an international bank “we remain deeply committed to Scotland. I want RBS to be a flagship Scottish company again.” He was speaking ahead of a reception it is hosting later


Social return


Call for successful mentoring programme to be rolled out


Katie Mackintosh Health Correspondent


Te Scottish Government has been urged to adopt a mentoring scheme that steers young people away from a life of crime, after independent reports published today praised its success and cost effectiveness. Social Return on Investment analysis of the YMCA’s plusone mentoring scheme, found it resulted in a social value of £1.05m for an investment of just under £108,000 – a social return of £10 for each £1 of investment. While another report carried out by the Scottish Institute for Policing Research at the University of Dundee found that 86 per cent of young people in the programme significantly


6 Holyrood 13 June 2011


improved their behaviour, and around 80 fewer crimes have been committed. Te scheme, which has been piloted in Perth and Kinross, North Lanarkshire and Fife for two years, helps young people aged 8-14 whose behaviour is becoming a concern. Peter Crory, National General Secretary for the YMCA Scotland, said the reports show the charity’s model for youth mentoring is “transforming young lives.” He said: “We now know clearly that a plusone mentor, working alongside other professionals, can be the conduit for significant changes in a young person’s life. Te difference was amazing as young people went back to full school timetables, stopped or reduced their offending and avoided progressing into the


adult justice system.” Crory calls on the Scottish Government to put the “proven model” at the heart of its early intervention programme. “YMCA Scotland was delighted to receive such strong, externally produced reports to show our method really does work. We’ve shown that you can bring about change in young people’s lives and at the same time, with minimal cost, save the system a lot of money. Now, with less money around to spend in years to come, we’re keen to talk to government and other local authorities about how to replicate our success in other areas.” Andrew Lowe, president, Association of Directors of Social Work, said the pilots had surpassed expectations. “ADSW, YMCA, police,


Scottish Government, academics and local authorities have worked together as joint architects of this new model of early intervention – investing in each other’s strengths and producing results beyond those that even we had hoped for.” While John Carnochan, Detective Chief Superintendent, Violence Reduction Unit, agreed the programme should now be rolled out across Scotland. “Tere is no doubt that such mentors can have a powerful influence on young people’s lives and we must encourage more of this type of intervention. Plusone mentoring provides a cost-effective intervention that works and I hope [it] will be added to the services available to local authorities throughout Scotland,” he said.


this month in the Scottish Parliament. Te bank was “extremely proud” of its heritage, said Hester. But he added: “Te special status we hold for Scotland is no way just sentimental or because of historical association. “It is because of the high quality and effectiveness of the people that we have here. World- class universities mean we can continue to recruit the best on our doorstep. Scotland is a great place to do business.” His comments will be welcomed by those concerned about RBS’s future presence in Scotland. For the past three years, Hester has been restructuring the RBS Group and changing the culture to become more customer focused and less risk-taking.


Te aim is to allow the taxpayer to recoup its investment and create long-term value for shareholders. At the reception, Hester will emphasise RBS’s position in Scotland: “We employ 15,000 people here and every year put nearly £600m into the Scottish economy. “We play a massive part in Scottish life whether it be through lending to businesses, giving people the opportunity to buy their own home [and] helping communities. “I am proud of the role we play in Scotland and that is not going to change. If anything, we want to deepen it.”


Full story see page 26


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