Chamber and committees

On Monday—which, incidentally, was United Nations biodiversity day—I visited Ardeer peninsula with the community council and friends of Ardeer. The special development order, which I amended the planning bill to revoke a number of years ago, remains in place, and development and commercial activity on the peninsula are not subject to the usual planning protections.

A sand dune system is being destroyed for commercial gain, and it is a devastating loss of important ecological habitat. I understand the complexity of the matter of revocation and I appreciate the competing rights and interests of community, commerce and public bodies. However, inaction is not an option. Will the minister meet me with a view to resolving the matter sooner rather than later?

I think that what Rachael Hamilton has said is perfectly reasonable.

The points about culture that the cabinet secretary made in her opening speech are important and illustrate why the issue is about much more than what goes on in school buildings. Covid lockdown and school closures were very hard on some pupils and some parents. There was a complex mix of changes and disruptions for children and young people to deal with. As is frequently the case, those with the greatest existing challenges will have been impacted the most.

In briefing me, my local authority confirmed that the additional support needs sector accounts for about half of all incidents that are reported to the council. Those incidents are due to distressed behaviours that are displayed by young people, with no intent to harm being shown on their part. In North Ayrshire, as seems to be common across the country, the number of such incidents following Covid has risen across all sectors.

In part, culture relates to behaviour, so it is important to look at things that drive aggressive behaviour, but we also need to look at broader issues including attendance. As has been mentioned, young people who, during lockdown, faced transition periods—for example, the transition from primary school to secondary school—who had caring responsibilities or who were shielding will have found the return to in-person schooling to be challenging.

Teachers are very well-trained professionals, but I recognise their frustration about what sometimes feels like an endless list of social woes, which we all have a responsibility to change, being landed at their door. Culture change requires society as a whole to respond. In that regard, it is welcome that the Scottish Government will continue to engage with trade unions and will publish updated material to show the national picture. Responding to the issues that are presented by changes in behaviour and relationships in our schools requires that partnership approach, so it is good to hear that the Government will be working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland, trade unions, parents and pupils.

We all agree that any form of violence in schools is completely unacceptable. I think that we can also agree that it is clear that working in partnership is the way to promote acceptable behaviour, prevent violence and disruption and ensure that our learning institutions are safe and productive places for pupils and staff.

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on implementation of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. (S6O-02274)

I thank Rona Mackay for securing the debate on supporting foster carers in the workplace. I recognise and applaud her personal commitment in that regard.

Foster carers provide care in a family setting for children who cannot live with their own families. There are many reasons why children come into care. Foster care can last weeks, months or for the rest of a childhood, depending on the child’s circumstances.

Foster care fortnight is happening right now—15 May until 28 May—and, in my area, the council’s families for children team is keen to attract new carers. To support that, it is hosting an information event from 10 till 3 on Monday 5 June in Irvine’s volunteer rooms for people who are interested in becoming a foster carer. It will be a relaxed drop-in session that will provide information on fostering and adoption opportunities to people who would like to know more. Some of North Ayrshire’s foster carers will be there on the day to share their experiences. I understand that the team is particularly keen to hear from people who feel that they could offer a home to children who have disabilities and those who could take a small family group so that siblings can remain together.

There is no such thing as a typical foster carer. They can be single, co-habiting or married. There are flexible options for foster care, with different arrangements possible. Those include providing short breaks, interim fostering or longer-term support for young people.

I was struck by the personal testimony of North Ayrshire foster carers who shared their experiences ahead of the event. I would like to share some of them with members now. Susanne has been a North Ayrshire foster carer for six years, mainly providing short breaks for young people. She said:

“I became a foster carer because one of my friends was a foster carer, and I witnessed how she had made such a difference to the wee boy she was looking after. She had made such a difference to his life, and I thought that would be something I would like to give to another child.

I enjoy seeing the progress that the children in my care are making. It’s really good to see them thrive and be part of the community, and just see them progressing.”

She said that she feels that there is a good network for carers at the council. There are training facilities, and carers meet up for training and socially for a coffee. She urged folk who are thinking of becoming a foster carer to pick up the phone and contact the health and social care partnership. She said that getting more information, speaking to carers and having an informal chat can be helpful.

Sonya is another experienced foster carer in North Ayrshire. She has been looking after children for almost 20 years and is currently caring for young people on a long-term, short-term and respite basis. She is also an adoptive parent. She shared this:

“At the moment, I have got three children and one young person on a continuing care basis, which is when you look after a child who reaches the age of 18, and they can stay with you for as long as you wish, and they go on to be supported by throughcare services, which offers support up to the age of 26.”

Sonya decided to investigate fostering after seeing an advert in her local newspaper, and she initially cared for two young boys who came into her family when they were aged just two and 15 months. They have now moved on to live with a family member. She describes them as being the light of her life. She added:

“They came in and they made our whole family’s life great—that’s the only way to describe it. Now, they visit me every year.

The bond that me and the boys have got is second to none. It’s like having your own birth child … there is no difference there. For me, that’s what fostering is about. If you can take a child on, they don’t need to be your birth child to love them and give them the security they need.”

According to figures from the Fostering Network’s report, nearly 40 per cent of foster carers combine fostering with other work. Those who do so say that a supportive employer can make all the difference in enabling them to balance employment with looking after children.

I will be following Rona Mackay’s lead in exploring how, as an employer, I can sign up to the scheme, and I encourage employers of all sizes in my constituency to have a look at the scheme. In providing an opportunity to make a difference for families and children in our local community and to provide improved support for employees, it represents a win for everyone.

Good morning, minister. You will be quite familiar with the committee’s inquiry into college regionalisation, in which we called for more flexibility for colleges to manage their finances. You will know that they are restricted in their ability to generate additional income and that they have no ability to borrow or hold reserves, so we need to find a solution to enable them to operate within the current financial envelope in these challenging times.

When the previous minister visited the committee in November 2022, he was pressed on the urgency of those matters and on how quickly things could be dealt with. We now have the SFC’s review on sustainability. Will you talk about that? Also, you said that you met college principals and representatives last week. Did they come with specific ideas for what those flexibilities might look like and how you could assist them?

I appreciate that, and I appreciate the fact that you are not able to go into detail. What I am looking for is an assurance that we can demonstrate colleges’ value by acting promptly on this and giving them those flexibilities.

In line with that, the other area that I want to ask about is the value of colleges in the work that they do for people who are furthest away from education. You will recall that we have spoken about that previously. Such work takes a fair bit of investment as regards both staffing and money. I want to highlight that and also seek your agreement on it in principle. Although that work is of great value to our communities and our learners, it is more expensive, so it is the type of area that can often be cut when budgets are tight. That adds urgency to ensuring that we get a bit of flexibility and sustainability for our colleges.

Are you confident that our colleges will be able to continue delivering high-value but high-investment courses for citizens who need that additional support?

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting culture and the arts in the Cunninghame South constituency. (S6O-02232)

Many barriers prevent our citizens—particularly families on lower incomes—from accessing arts and culture, whether it is lack of expendable time, distance from events or festivals or affordability. How can the Scottish Government ensure that public money that is invested in arts and culture is used for the benefit of all, whether those who are attending or performers and artists who are creating outwith the main cities?