Chamber and committees

This is a matter for the Scottish Social Services Council. The information requested is not held centrally.

There is no national guidance stating a timescale for a rehabilitation support worker to be allocated to a service user in order that their physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, cultural and social care needs can be met. The timescale is dependent on the needs of the service user. There is no data collected on the timescale for allocation of a rehabilitation support worker.

Recruitment of staff, including rehabilitation support staff, is a matter for each NHSScotland board as an employer. NHSScotland boards are required to have the correct staff in place to meet the needs of the service and ensure high quality patient care. The Scottish Government works closely with boards to support their staff recruitment efforts.

Information on how many rehabilitation support workers there have been in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area, is not centrally held.

While the Scottish Government provides the policies, frameworks and resources for high quality healthcare in Scotland, it is for each NHS board to decide best how to utilise funding, facilities and staff while taking account of national and local priorities to meet local health needs. We expect NHS boards to plan their facilities and workforce to deliver these services and to have robust processes in place to ensure the provision of safe, effective and high quality patient care, which is delivered by the right professional at the right time.

The Scottish Government has taken every opportunity to engage constructively with Qatar on human rights, and to share good practice. Earlier in 2015 I spoke with the Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy to raise Scotland’s concerns around human rights in relation to their World Cup preparations. That followed an earlier offer from Shona Robison MSP, who, as Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games and Sport, met Qatari authorities in May 2014 and then wrote to them offering to share lessons learnt in preparing for Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games, and on how to ensure respect for human rights throughout the preparations and staging of the World Cup. I have raised the issue of migrants’ rights personally a number of times in the last three months.

Scottish Ministers have not held any meetings with Qatar officials or the Scottish Football Association (SFA) specifically on the decision of whether or not to proceed with the Scotland versus Qatar football match which took place on Friday 5 June 2015. This decision was a matter for the SFA and we support the statement made by Amnesty International that boycotting the match would not have been a constructive way forward.

Scotland has a very strong commitment to securing democracy, the rule of law and fundamental human rights around the world. Therefore, the Scottish Government remains committed to continuing dialogue with the Qatari authorities, and will seek to raise human rights issues where the appropriate opportunity presents itself, as a constructive partner.

There has been no contact between Creative Scotland and Qatar officials.

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has no responsibility for the activities of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, which is an independent public body. I have however passed the Member’s question to the Commission to respond.