Author: Jackie.McCabe

The REHIS office will close at 3pm on Tuesday 24 December 2024 and will re-open on Friday 3 January.  If you have an urgent query, please email contact@

The IFEH Magazine Environment & Health International Volume 24 No 3, Nov 2024 Edition is now available here

The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) School’s Initiative that helps to provide qualifications to 10,000 pupils every year, many in areas of high deprivation, is at risk after co-funding was withdrawn by Scotland’s public sector food body.

REHIS is a long-established awarding body in Scotland and has made its Elementary Food Hygiene course available to secondary schools since 1993 and Elementary Food and Health course since 2015. More than 300 schools in all areas of Scotland are registered with the Institute and have been delivering these REHIS qualifications, both of which are on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) at level 5, to over 10,000 pupils each year.

As well as providing pupils with nationally, and industry recognised qualifications, which will be of use to them and future employers, the initiative is supporting the local economy and food businesses who are able to recruit young adults with a recognised qualification to work in the food sector.  The courses play an important role in helping schools in Scotland meet the SQA Curriculum for Excellence, Health and Wellbeing (Food and Health) experiences and outcomes.

Following a recent survey of schools about the initiative, 120 schools responded. Feedback from teachers overwhelmingly say the qualifications are important to their young people in terms of understanding healthy eating, food safety but also in terms of gaining a formal qualification that can lead to employment.  In particular, the fully funded initiative supports schools in areas of high deprivation to allow them to offer the qualifications.

One teacher said: “In my case, I was working with young people who were not able to access mainstream education so were already disadvantaged in terms of academic achievement. REHIS qualifications give them real currency in the job market given how recognisable the qualification is, so helped them transition into a positive destination.”

REHIS has worked in partnership with Food Standards Scotland to co-fund the initiative since 2007, enabling over 200,000 young people to gain skills and knowledge in food safety and food and health.  The Institute said that it and the schools were appreciative to Food Standards Scotland for its past support of the hugely popular initiative.

REHIS continues to offer the qualifications to schools at a subsidised rate, however it is recognised that some schools do not have the funds to purchase the resources, which is unfortunately widening the attainment gap and inequalities in education.  Since the announcement of the funding arrangements earlier this year, only 46 secondary schools have been in the position to purchase qualification packs, compared to 180 secondary schools at the same time when the project was fully funded.

For it to operate on a fully funded basis, the Institute is seeking another co-funding partner to provide this service free of charge to the schools, particularly to those schools in areas of high deprivation.

Earlier in the year, the Institute became aware of the University of West of Scotland’s (UWS) decision not to accept first year entrants (2024/25) to the BSc (Hons) in Environmental Health with Professional Practice course.

The Dean of School of Health & Life Sciences at UWS, has now confirmed the BSc (Hons) in Environmental Health with Professional Practice remains closed to new entrants and will not re-open. This is despite the Institute responding with a willingness to collaborate and work with the University to look at modifying the course. The Institute is extremely disappointed with this decision by the University.

The University have given a commitment to allow the existing 2nd, 3rd and 4th years to continue. 

The Institute is committed to work with stakeholders to progress alternative academic routes to the profession.

REHIS Fellow and Past President, Emeritus Professor Kofi Aidoo has been appointed to a prestigious role for his standing in the international public health community.

The Institute was delighted to learn that the Singapore National Medical Research Council has recently appointed Kofi to the Scientific Advisory Board Open Fund – Large Collaborative Grant (OF-LCG) programme titled “Integrated Innovations in Infectious Diseases (I3D)”.

The OF-LCG aims to support the best teams of researchers from public institutions to advance human health and wellness, and create economic value for Singapore and Singaporeans, through the pursuit of excellence in research and its applications.

Along with two other SAB members, he will advise and guide the research team in their research directions, as well as providing feedback to the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) Office on a yearly basis on areas such as

• Research progress, directions and priorities;
• Research collaborations, locally and internationally with academia and industry;
• Potential to exploit any background and foreground Intellectual Property (IP);
• Human capital and research capability development;
• Impact of the research activities on the industry, economy, health/ healthcare and the society;
• Research translation pathway.

The Institute congratulates Kofi on this new appointment and wish him all the best in this role.

For members of the Institute, notification of the Institute’s AGM is posted on the ‘Your REHIS’ members section of the website.

The Scottish Government has published the Education (Scotland) Bill.  This can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/bills/education-scotland-bill/introduced along with some explanatory notes. 

You may be aware that SQA is preparing to launch the new SVQ Regulatory Services SCQF Level 7 qualification later this year.

SQA is the awarding body for the qualification and are seeking Quality Assurance Subject Experts to support the approval and verification of centre’s who will be delivering in partnership with SQA.

Working as a Quality Assurance Subject Expert for a few days per year is excellent CPD opportunity gaining transferrable skills and knowledge which will support colleagues.

Full details of the opportunity can be found at: https://appointeeopportunities.sqa.org.uk/vacancy/quality-assurance-subject-expert-svq-regulatory-services-scqf-level-7-556958.html

For further information or queries, please contact SQA: Anne.Andrew@sqa.org.uk or Mark.Hood@sqa.org.uk

The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) became aware very recently of the University of West of Scotland’s (UWS) decision not to accept first year entrants (2024/25) to the BSc Hons in Environmental Health with Professional Practice course.

In light of this concerning news, the Institute requested an urgent meeting with the University which was held on Tuesday 5 March where unfortunately the University confirmed their decision.  The Institute is extremely disappointed with this and understand that the University are reviewing the current structure of the course.  The University will continue to accept entrants to second year and are committed to supporting all students who are enrolled on the course. 

The Institute has given a commitment to work with UWS and other partners on this critical issue. We will endeavour to keep all members updated with progress on this.

The Autumn Journal, Environmental Health Scotland is now available in the members section of the website.

Notice is hereby given that the Institute’s Annual General Meeting will be held in hybrid format on Friday 17 November 2023 at 2.00pm at at the Edinburgh Training and Conference Venue, 16 St Mary’s Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SU, or remotely by MS Teams.

Members will receive further details included with their AGM papers which will be sent out in October. The election of members to the Council will take place at the AGM. If any member wishes to make a proposal at the AGM, please contact the Chief Executive by 28 September 2023.

Protecting and improving public health is a fundamental objective of Environmental Health and the work of both REHIS and SOCOEHS. Recognising the contributions of our colleague, Martin Keeley, who sadly passed away in 2022, an award has been established to recognise individuals, groups or organisations for actions which have significantly promoted or improved Environmental Health (this can be for single element or wider environmental health).

Applications are invited for the award by the 30 September 2023 and should be submitted using this nomination form, and submitted to contact@