Chamber and committees

This Government issued a national apology in 2023 for the lifelong suffering that was experienced by those affected by historical forced adoption. Those practices should not have happened, and it is right that we listen to the experiences of mothers and adoptees who continue to feel the impact.

The First Minister recently met with the Movement for an Adoption Apology Scotland and committed to exploring the potential for an oral history project. That would offer a space for sharing and proper recording of personal testimonies, acknowledging the past and providing wider societal recognition and education.

I thank Roz McCall for her questions. I do not agree with the sentiment that we are in the same position that we were in when I delivered my first statement on the issue. I have been very open and transparent with the Parliament. I have recognised the issues, and we have taken direct action. I have laid out progress in every single statement that I have made to the Parliament. Although I appreciate that there are still on-going issues, I am committed to laying out, and have been very open and honest with the Parliament in doing so, the routes that we are exploring at the moment. They might not all come to fruition, but this Government is taking action.

On how many children are placed in secure care or have not been able to get a place, the Scottish Government does not routinely hold case-specific information on that—I believe that I gave the same answer to Roz McCall in response to her question on my previous statement. However, I assure her that every single child’s case is assessed on a case-by-case basis to ensure the safety of that child and of the other children in the secure care estate. That will continue as we go on. I highlight that we have four spaces, and I am looking to augment that further.

I am interested in understanding how Meghan Gallacher believes that the statement shows that we have no confidence in our response. I have been very clear that I have confidence in our response. It is a difficult issue, and nobody is backing away from it. Meghan Gallacher is bringing to me hypotheticals about what would happen if Rossie was not available. Rossie is available, as a direct result of Scottish Government funding and Scottish Government priority.

I do not want to deal with hypotheticals; I want to deal with fact and reality, which is exactly what I have laid out in my statement.

In relation to the Promise bill, I was clear in committee, and I have been clear today, that the Promise bill is coming, and that it will come in good time to ensure that the committee can scrutinise it. I want to make sure that the bill is as strong as possible so that it can deliver on the Promise that was made to care-experienced children and young people, and I am sure that, when the bill is introduced, it will do just that.

I disagree entirely. This has not been hashed together in the form of some rash decision. Concerns about capacity arose just prior to Christmas 2024. Since then, I have been working on the matter continuously, and officials, COSLA and all the relevant partners have been focused on the matter up to today, and that continues. As I have laid out in my statement, a number of actions are being looked into, considered and worked on to improve the situation.

Ms Duncan-Glancy refers to workforce issues. We are taking a number of actions to support our social work workforce, because we understand that a strong, qualified and experienced workforce will be absolutely fundamental to the delivery of the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 and the delivery of the Promise.

Let me be clear that I extend my deepest sympathies to all those who have been affected by those practices. What is most important is that we listen to those with lived experience. We have listened to people with lived experience, and the Government’s response is based on that engagement. That includes peer support for those who are affected, lived experience sessions, the funding of a service to help individuals and families to connect, and better information and awareness raising. That is on top of the further work that I alluded to, which the FM has requested.

Mr Briggs asked for a timescale for the work. The work is under way and I am more than happy to respond to Mr Briggs once the timescale has been finalised.

Do I have time, Presiding Officer?

I am happy to consider all options. Mr Marra will know that I cannot commit to anything in the chamber, but, as I have said, local government and the Scottish Government are embarking on work to try to find a solution, and I have committed to raising the issue at my next meeting with Councillor Tony Buchanan.

Once again, I thank Mr Marra for bringing the debate to the chamber. It is, and will continue to be, an important and challenging issue, but it is one that, with local authorities at the forefront of delivery, we must collectively work to resolve.

I thank Mr Marra for raising this issue and for leading the debate, and I thank all members for their speeches. I am sorry to hear some of the accounts that members have read out in relation to families’ access to services.

The subject of support for children who have disabilities and additional support needs—be it during the school day or, as has been highlighted in the debate, outside of school hours, such as during the holidays or activities—is an important and emotive one. That has been demonstrated by the passionate speeches that members have made.

I acknowledge the concerns and will respond to some of the points that have been made in the debate before setting out how we plan to address those concerns.

I hear very clearly the frustrations and challenges that are experienced by the parents and carers of children who have disabilities and additional support needs—from accessing specialist services that meet their expectations and provide quality experiences for their children to finding sustainable employment opportunities that are manageable around established care routines.

I have also heard parents and carers express the challenges that they experience in finding and accessing the services that they need to support them to work, when that is possible, to allow time for a short break and to ensure equality of opportunity for their children to take part in activities and play.

When it is available, holiday activity provision plays a vital role in supporting both child and parental health and wellbeing and has a disproportionately powerful impact on the lives of disabled children and their families. That can be extremely positive when the system works well but problematic when it does not.

Despite the challenges, many high-quality and well-established services are being delivered across Scotland. Many of them have been highlighted in the debate, and I commend the good work of local authorities and the third sector in delivering that support for families. Those services are often supported by parents and volunteers, which takes dedication and time.

However, I recognise that more must be done to ensure fair and consistent provision for children and families, and I acknowledge that a postcode lottery can sometimes exist, particularly in more remote and rural areas. I reaffirm the Government’s commitment to getting it right for every child.

As members have noted throughout the debate, the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 places statutory duties on local authorities to provide care, as is appropriate, to children in need in their area

“outside school hours; or... during school holidays”.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to consult

“at least once every two years”

the parents and carers of children in their area about providing appropriate care. They also have a duty to

“prepare and publish their plans in relation to the provision of”

such care. When that works well, that should help in relation to the delays and issues with planning ahead that members have raised. If local authorities have concerns about what they find following consultation, they are able to discuss those with the Government.

Again, what I will touch on at the end of my speech will address that point directly, but I have regular meetings with Councillor Tony Buchanan, the COSLA spokesperson, and I am more than happy to discuss the issue with him at my next meeting, which I believe will be arranged in due course.

The Government is absolutely committed to building a system of school-age childcare that meets the needs of all children, families and communities. Through projects that we have been funding with our investment to date, we are learning what is needed to provide high-quality, affordable activities and childcare provision for children with multiple and complex disabilities, as well as for children with additional support needs. The projects include those supported by our access to childcare fund and our early adopter communities in Fife, Shetland, Glasgow, Clackmannanshire, Inverclyde and Dundee. Projects such as Support, Help and Integration in Perthshire have been supporting families of children with profound and multiple learning difficulties for years and, since 2020, our funding has been supporting children and parents to access a reliable and high-quality service round about the school day and in the holidays.

Understanding the specific needs of families and children with disabilities or additional support needs through early delivery of services is a key part of the work of the school-age childcare programme. From our learning to date, we know that individual and creative solutions are often needed to ensure that a service is the right fit for a child and their family. Our reporting processes will help to develop a picture of the number and proportion of families accessing childcare and family support services who have children with disabilities or additional support needs. I hope that that response helps to address some of the concerns that have been highlighted.

In addition to the investment in learning, my officials are beginning to work with partners across local government to understand the range of approaches being taken to implement their statutory duties. By working through an improvement lens and identifying opportunities to strengthen existing approaches across local authorities, we will move towards a position that ensures that families have the support that they need, regardless of where they reside in Scotland.

I appreciate Ms Grahame’s and other members’ concerns about the matter. As the First Minister highlighted, it is important that greater clarity is provided on whether mothballing is the appropriate action to take.

On the issue of the timeline, the review of the guidance is under way and ministers will consider the findings when they are available. I am happy to commit to providing Ms Grahame with a further update once those timings are available.