Official Report: search what was said in Parliament
The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
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Education, Children and Young People Committee
National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Meeting date: 9 November 2022
Ruth Maguire
Good morning. I have found this session really useful. Colleagues have covered a lot of ground.
I take on board the points that you make about the importance or otherwise of structure. We have experience of going through health and social care integration. Reflecting back on that and looking forward to potential change that is coming, I am interested in what lessons have been learned. Some of the concerns that have been raised about the bill are around the risk of disruption of services.
From the perspective of children and families in our communities that need the services that are provided, what lessons have we learned through integration that can help us as we move forward?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Meeting date: 9 November 2022
Ruth Maguire
Moving on to Tony Buchanan, my question is about how we protect families from risk. There will always be an element of risk with any change to services, so how do we best protect children and families as we move through the change?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Meeting date: 9 November 2022
Ruth Maguire
I have just realised that my supplementary is a little bit co-designy. Is that permissible?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Meeting date: 9 November 2022
Ruth Maguire
That is helpful. Thank you.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Universities
Meeting date: 2 November 2022
Ruth Maguire
Although my question is about university finances, it is more from a student perspective. I believe that I have raised this issue in writing directly with you, minister, and I also raised it in a previous evidence session.
An educational psychology student who does a work placement with a local authority is not classed as a student during that placement and therefore does not have access to council tax reduction or other benefits that the university might provide, such as in relation to a welfare fund or childcare assistance. We are pretty short of educational psychologists. I will not go over all the details—the minister can read the Official Report of the previous session. Is there anything that the Scottish Government can do in respect of students such as the educational psychology students? There are other professions in which a grant is given—I am thinking of midwives and some nurses—so the issue may well affect more than that specific cohort. I am interested in hearing the minister’s views on that.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Colleges Regionalisation Inquiry
Meeting date: 2 November 2022
Ruth Maguire
Good morning, minister. Articulation is an important tool in widening access. Four out of 10 Scottish index of multiple deprivation entrants to university come through the college route, and, during evidence sessions, principals told us that that is a reflection of the additional credibility that regionalisation has given colleges. The other figure that we were given is that 58 per cent of articulating students are granted advanced standing, which means that they go into the second or third year of their course. One principal said that that would have been impossible 15 years ago, before regionalisation, so it is obviously a success, but do you think that enough is being done, and what more can be done to encourage further progress?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Colleges Regionalisation Inquiry
Meeting date: 2 November 2022
Ruth Maguire
Thank you. I appreciate those answers. I would just say that it feels like the citizens who would use those services are going to be in for a really hard time, so a bit of urgency around that would be appreciated.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Colleges Regionalisation Inquiry
Meeting date: 2 November 2022
Ruth Maguire
In a number of evidence sessions, my colleague Bob Doris has raised the importance of the work that colleges do for those people who are furthest away from education. You have just made the point that colleges are not just for feeding students to universities.
That work requires quite a bit of investment. Graeme Dey covered the topic of flexibility around college budgets. Do you agree in principle that, because the funding for more expensive—but high-value—work of that nature can be cut in times of challenge, it is crucial that, in the climate that we are in, in which all budgets are constrained and tested, every flexibility is given to public bodies to deliver those important but often costly services to our citizens?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Universities
Meeting date: 2 November 2022
Ruth Maguire
The fact that an arrangement is of long standing does not mean that is should remain unchanged. I know that that is not what you are implying, but I thought it important to make that clear. The matter feels important, as those individuals are studying for a profession in which there are shortages—there is certainly a shortage of psychologists in Ayrshire and Arran. We know that meeting the demand for mental health support for children and young people is a challenge, particularly in relation to the provision of educational psychologists. Thank you for noting my comments.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Pre-budget Scrutiny: Early Learning and Childcare
Meeting date: 26 October 2022
Ruth Maguire
That is helpful. Convener, I am interested in knowing whether there is demand for funded places on evenings and weekends.
