The number of future graduatesdepends on the number of places offered by institutions, the number of studentschoosing the particular subject and remaining with that subject and their successat gaining a qualification. All these are matters determined by the universitiesand the individual students.

Working for Families has resultedin reduced costs of child care for a number of families who have moved towards andinto employment. Financial assistance has been provided in the form of a child caresubsidy, provided to parents for a limited time at key transitional points. Thisincludes moving into employment, accessing training or volunteering opportunities,and engaging with other Working for Families projects, for example confidence buildingand soft skills training. Working for Families has also ring fenced places withlocal child care providers to ensure provision of affordable and available childcare for Working for Families clients.

At 30 June 2005, 301 parents registered with Working for Families had experienced a successful transition, including to full and part-time employment, training or education, volunteer work and improved or sustained employment. The current number entering employment was 141.

Updated figures for July to September 2005 are due to be submitted to the Scottish Executive in November 2005. These figures will be published on the Working for Families website:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Social-Inclusion/17414/15075.

NHS Education for Scotland in association with Stirling University now offer an MSc in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The first course ends in January 2006.

Additionally, the Doing Well by People with Depression Programme sponsored by the Scottish Executive is building capacity in the use of cognitive behavioural therapy in the treatment of people affected by depression. The programme is working with 10 NHS boards on delivering CBT to appropriate patients and is developing web-based training packages for practitioners.

The promotion of individual care therapies and treatments are a matter for clinicians in consultation with the relevant professional staff/multi-disciplinary team. Decisions in each case should always be based on individually assessed clinical needs.

The Doing Well by People with Depression initiative, currently in its third year, is seeking to build capacity in psychological therapies, including cognitive behavioural therapy, for people with depressive symptoms. Currently, 10 NHS Scotland health board areas (including NHS Highland) are operating capacity building projects which include access to cognitive behavioural therapy treatments and a learning network is open to all NHS boards.

The Scottish Executive published guidance in 2001 on the best organisation of local accessible psychological services, care and support recognised the important contribution that psychological interventions can make to the recovery process.

Allocations of Working for Families funding were made to local authorities based on the numbers of children in households dependent on key benefits.

Working for Families services are targeted towards lone parents, parents on low income and parents with other stresses in the household. These groups have been identified as those in the greatest need. Services are not restricted to the 15% most deprived areas. Local authorities’ plans are assessed and signed off by the Scottish Executive thus ensuring that the projects fit with the aims of the fund and focus on the target groups.

Normal audit arrangements will apply to Working for Families spending. In addition, the Employment Research Institute at Napier University has been contracted to carry out independent monitoring and evaluation. This will include a cost benefit analysis, looking at the impacts (outputs and outcomes) against the financial cost of the services.

The allocations of Working for Families funding for 2004-06 and 2006-08 were announced on 9 December 2003 and 23 August 2005 respectively. The following tables give details:

Table 1 – Local Authorities receiving funding 2004-08

	£ Million p.a
Glasgow	2.5
North Lanarkshire	1.5
Renfrewshire	1.0
Dundee City	1.0
North Ayrshire	1.0
Highland	0.6
East Ayrshire	0.6
West Dunbartonshire	0.6
Inverclyde	0.6
Dumfries and Galloway	0.6
Total	10

 

Table 2 – Local Authorities receiving funding 2006-08

	Allocation £ Million p.a
Edinburgh (City of)	0.75
Fife	0.75
South Lanarkshire	0.75
West Lothian	0.45
Aberdeen City	0.45
Falkirk	0.45
Aberdeenshire	0.35
Angus	0.35
Midlothian	0.35
Clackmannanshire	0.35
Total	5

 

The Employment Research Institute at Napier University will be carrying out a cost benefit analysis as part of their evaluation of the Working for Families fund. The final evaluation report is due in February 2007.

The Scottish Executive is sponsoring the Doing Well by People with Depression Programme over a three year period from April 2003. The programme is seeking to build capacity for self help and to improve access on a sustainable basis to psychological therapies which have an appropriate evidence base The programme is working across 10 NHS boards and is piloting a range of initiatives such as access to self help therapists, bibliotherapy, computer based training and sign-posting to voluntary organisations.

Only the courts can decide whether a particular local authority has acted in contravention of the law in any particular case, and it is open to any individual with a direct interest to seek a judicial ruling on his or her particular case in a court of law. The Scottish Executive has already been in contact with each individual local authority to remind them that they should not charge for assistance with the preparation of food.

The Scottish Executive does not hold this information centrally. PAN 74 was published in March 2005 and planning authorities are expected to have regard to the advice it contains when reviewing development plans.

Local plans across Scotland are at different stages and their preparation is in the control of local authorities. However, the Scottish Executive intends to monitor the impact of PAN 74 over time and will collect relevant data.