- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 10 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken and what additional resources are being provided to improve access to qualifications, training and support for residential childcare staff, in the light of the findings of the article by G Heron and M Chakrabarti, "Examining the perceptions and attitudes of staff working in community based children's homes: are their needs being met?", in Qualitative Social Work, Volume 1, 2002.
Answer
The Scottish Executive, in partnership with employers, has made a significant investment in the training of the residential child care workforce. In 2001 the Executive established the Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care to ensure residential child care staff across Scotland have access to the skills and knowledge they require. This has already made a significant impact.The Regulation of Care Act 2001 has created a regulatory framework for staff and residential child care staff will be amongst the first group to be registered. The act has introduced national care standards for care homes for young people. The standards are explicit about the need for employers to ensure staff are suitable and properly trained for this demanding area of practice.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 3 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33444 by Mike Watson on 5 February 2003, which specific policies and practice give due regard to the objectives and principles in Part II of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of the Scots language.
Answer
The Scottish Executive considers the Scots language to be an important part of Scotland's distinctive linguistic and cultural heritage. The implementation of many of the objectives and principles in Part II of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages are for other public bodies and institutions. The Scottish Executive would expect that due recognition would be given to these objectives and principles at these levels.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take with Her Majesty's Government to comply with Part II of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of the Scots language.
Answer
By signing the Charter, the UK Government recognises the distinctive nature and cultural value of the Scots language. The Executive has made good progress in complying with the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages in respect of Scots and the Executive considers that its policies and practice give due regard to the objectives and principles in Part II of the Charter.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a short-term working party or project to look at the needs of the biological children of foster carers and establish a best practice document on this matter, as recommended in point 3 of the short-term actions section of the report by the Fostering Network, Modernising the Foster Care Service in Scotland: "Trying to Meet the Standards".
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33306 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the code of practice on the recruitment, assessment, approval, training, management and support of foster carers, as recommended in point 5 of the short-term actions section of the report by the Fostering Network, Modernising the Foster Care Service in Scotland: "Trying to Meet the Standards".
Answer
The recruitment, selection, approval, training and support of foster carers is covered by the National Care Standards for foster care and family placement services and will be regulated by the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission a short-life national training programme to ensure that carers are aware of the component parts of the education system and are able to support the children in their care, as recommended in point 1 of the short-term actions section of the report by the Fostering Network, Modernising the Foster Care Service in Scotland: "Trying to Meet the Standards".
Answer
We are considering this report from the Fostering Network and how best to take forward the proposals they have made to improve the fostering system in Scotland. We will be examining those concerning the legal framework for fostering during the second phase of the adoption policy review, which is due to report next year. Many of the remaining proposals involve the management and delivery of foster services and are the responsibility of local authorities. We are also in contact with the Department of Health on their review of fostering services, Choice Protects, which is considering similar issues for England and Wales, as well as some reserved matters involving pension arrangements for foster carers. We will continue to discuss relevant issues with the Fostering Network.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a short-life working party to examine the training requirements of the foster care service and consider the establishment of a centre of excellence, as recommended in the medium-term section of the report by the Fostering Network, Modernising the Foster Care Service in Scotland: "Trying to Meet the Standards".
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33306 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the discussions on the registration of foster carers in the longer term remains on the agenda of the Social Services Council, as recommended in point 1 of the long-term actions section of the report by the Fostering Network, Modernising the Foster Care Service in Scotland: "Trying to Meet the Standards".
Answer
Under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, foster carers could be registered by the council as a social service worker. There are no plans or timescale set to register this group of workers but the Scottish Executive will keep this matter under review.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission research into the advantages of the different reward and fee structures for carers and produce information for agencies to use when considering different reward typologies, as recommended in point 3 of the long-term actions section of the report by the Fostering Network, Modernising the Foster Care Service in Scotland: "Trying to Meet the Standards".
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33306 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will promote a national approach to the assessment, approval, support and reward for friends and family carers, as recommended in point 4 of the short-term actions section of the report by the Fostering Network, Modernising the Foster Care Service in Scotland: "Trying to Meet the Standards".
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33306 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
