Chamber and committees

Education authorities and other agencies have duties under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 (as amended) to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils. An additional support need can arise for any reason and be of short or long term duration. Additional support may be required to overcome needs arising from learning environment; health or disability; family circumstances or social and emotional factors. Looked After Children and Young People are deemed to have additional support needs until they are assessed otherwise. As part of this assessment education authorities must also consider whether a co-ordinated support plan is required. However, education authorities must provide and review their support for looked after children and young people whilst they are deemed and it is established that they have additional support needs. The information on the number of assessments which have been carried out is not known by the Scottish Government as this information would be held by local authorities.

Education Outcomes for Looked After Children 2015-16 statistics published on 20 June 2017 show that for young people who were looked after from August 2015 to July 2016 and those who left school during 2015-16,

• The proportion of looked after leavers with one or more qualification at level 5 or better has more than doubled (from 15% to 40%) since 2009-10 – indicating the attainment gap is narrowing for some of our most vulnerable young people.

• 71% of looked after children were in positive follow up destinations compared to 40% in 2009-10.

The member refers to question S5W-11406 answered by Jamie Hepburn on 3 October 2017. It is assumed the reference should be to question
S5W-11416 answered by Mark McDonald on 3 October 2017.

In partnership with Who Cares? Scotland, the Scottish Government is looking at capacity issues and future modelling. As part of this work we will consult with a number of providers and commissioners across Scotland. This project will report in Spring 2018.

A number of organisations provide services to young men leaving custody to support successful transition and rehabilitation back in to their communities. Tailored support is provided on an individual needs-led and trauma-informed basis. It will typically include support around accommodation, education, training and employment, health, substance misuse and finances.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-12412 on
15 November 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Under Section 122(5) of the Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011, Scottish Ministers have the power to enter into arrangements (contractual or otherwise) with any person other than a Local Authority, Children's Hearings Scotland or the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration for the provision of the advocacy service. It is therefore likely that when we introduce our delivery model, any national scheme funding will be delineated from Local Authorities in order to ensure independence and integrity.

The answer to S5W-11416 set out our intention to make significant progress over the next two year period. The Scottish Government will be making an announcement soon on the next steps.

The commencement of section 122 pertains to the availability of advocacy for children's hearings and does not of itself extend a right of advocacy into other domains.

We hope that the number of children who will benefit from a future national children's hearings advocacy scheme will go beyond those that are already care experienced.

The scope and intention of the statutory provisions do not map across directly to children with existing care experience. Rather, they relate to those children who are involved in a children's hearings referral, which may be for the first time. Two mapping exercises conducted by Inspiring Scotland on our behalf in the last two years illustrated a patchy provision of advocacy in relation to children's hearings.

Any future demand led national children's hearings advocacy scheme will require additional capacity.

'Our Hearings Our Voice' is aimed at recruiting around 30 young people who have had, or continue to have, experience of the children's hearings system. These positions will not be permanent employment opportunities. They will be appointments which will provide opportunities for the young people to develop a range of skills and experience, and to support the children's hearings system to better serve young people in the future.

The independent Care Review is expected to last 2-3 years. The timescales and the method by which the Review reports its findings to the Scottish Government is a matter for the independent Care Review. For further information, please contact the Chair of the Review, Fiona Duncan via [email protected]

Exclusion should be used as a last resort, and should only be used as a proportionate response where there is no alternative, with the wellbeing of the child or young person being the key consideration. Local Authorities remain responsible for the provision of education for the child or young person during any period of exclusion.

The Scottish Government is the primary funder of the Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland (CELCIS). CELCIS is promoting and supporting self-evaluation activity within Scotland’s schools and local authorities, to steer practitioners towards systems and practice which is proven to have a positive impact on looked after children’s education.

The Scottish Government, in partnership with local authorities, Education Scotland and other agencies, has invested significantly in a wide range of approaches which focus on improving positive relationships and behaviour and promoting community safety. There are a range of strategies and programmes which schools can and do use to improve relationships and behaviour and prevent the need for exclusion. These include the use of behaviour support teams; the development of whole school solution oriented approaches, restorative approaches and nurture approaches; and programmes to help develop social, emotional and behavioural skills.

The Scottish Government have also set up the Independent care review being led by Fiona Duncan to identify what changes might be required to the current care system to put children and young people's needs at its heart.