Chamber and committees

The Early Years Taskforce has published its shared vision and priorities, which includes initial guidance for Community Planning Partnerships on the Early Years Change Fund. This paper is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 54022).

Further guidance will be provided for Community Planning Partnerships by the Early Years Taskforce by the end of the year.

Decisions relating to benefit levels in an independent Scotland would be for the administration in power to take.

The Scottish Government's aim is to ensure that all members of staff are able to work in an environment that is free from bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation and to feel safe and secure either in the workplace, or during work-related activities. Our Fairness at Work policy makes clear that the Scottish Government, as an employer, will not tolerate behaviour considered to be unacceptable and that we will take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that staff are able to work in a safe and non-threatening working environment. The policy makes specific reference to homophobic bullying and homophobic language. In addition the Scottish Government Staff Etiquette Guide sets out what is expected from staff when communicating with different groups of staff or stakeholders, including LGBT groups. In addition our two days diversity training course covers the legislation and behaviours expected in relation to LGBT groups. The course also includes a session with an LGBT lay speaker.

The Scottish Government recognise the early years and childcare workforce is predominately female with latest Scottish Social Services Council statistics showing 96% of the workforce in Day Care of Children are women. We are working with Men in Childcare to help redress this gender imbalance and part fund them to provide access to accredited training and targeted support to men interested in entering the early years and childcare profession. Men in Childcare also work with local government to provide advice and support for the recruitment and retention of more men into the workforce.

The Equalities Act 2010 places public bodies, including schools, under duties to proactively prevent discrimination related to protected characteristics including sexual orientation. This includes direct and indirect discrimination based on perception and based on association. This means that schools must work to prevent pupils being discriminated against due to their sexuality either directly or indirectly and they must work to prevent discrimination because someone is believed to be gay or is associated with someone who is gay, for example family members or friends. These comprehensive duties provide the broader context in which homophobic bullying should be challenged.

A toolkit for teachers, titled, Dealing with Homophobia and Homophobic Bullying in Scottish Schools was distributed to all secondary schools and local authorities in 2009. Funded by the Scottish Government and developed by LGBT Youth Scotland in partnership with Learning and Teaching Scotland (now Education Scotland) the toolkit is designed to support teachers in recognising, challenging, and effectively reducing homophobia and homophobic bullying in their schools.

In 2010, the Scottish Government published A National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People. Developed in partnership with the Scottish Anti-Bullying Steering Group, the purpose of the National Approach is to communicate and promote a common vision and aims; and to make sure that work across all agencies and communities, including local authorities and schools, is consistently and coherently contributing to a holistic approach to anti-bullying to anti-bullying in Scotland.

The Scottish Government also funds the national anti-bullying service, respectme. Respectme work with all adults who have a role to play in the lives of children and young people and help to give those adults the practical skills and confidence to deal with bullying behaviour, wherever it occurs. They offer free training at events across Scotland and work with organisations at a local and strategic level, including local authorities and schools, to develop and review anti-bullying policies and practices.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

HM Young Offenders Institution Polmont currently offers the following opportunities and services to support fathers and expectant fathers:

In addition to the minimum entitlement of visits, young offenders who are fathers or expectant fathers can access visits aimed at improving the quality of the interaction with their children. These additional visits are referred to as “bonding” or “birth” visits.

Access to family activity visits. These are held periodically throughout the year typically at Christmas, Halloween and Easter.

Positive Parenting Programme. This programme is delivered over eight sessions. Each session lasts approximately four hours. The sessions focus on communication, health and safety, the role of the father, childbirth and the father’s role in childbirth. Practical sessions focus on cooking, appropriate play and storytelling skills.

Young offenders are also able to purchase soft toys and cards through the Young Enterprise Scotland (YES) venture at the prison called “Giftco”. Further initiatives are being explored to promote father and child contact.

Additional support is also available through the Chaplaincy Service and partners including Local Authority Social Work.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2011 set out the minimum statutory provision for visits. The rules provide various punishments which may be imposed when a prisoner is found guilty of a breach of discipline and do not include the withdrawal of the right to visits by any person of the prisoner’s choice, including a visit by a child.

The prison rules do not provide for bonding visits however some prisons have set aside specific visiting times for children. These visits can form part of the minimum entitlement or can be additional visits provided as part of an incentive scheme and are a privilege. Where they are provided as part of an incentive scheme and are a privilege they may be removed, for example, should the prisoner be found guilty of a disciplinary offence. The minimum entitlement to visits by any person of the prisoner’s choice, including a visit by a child, is unaffected.

The Scottish Government places a great importance on the need to ensure that NHSScotland provides services which are accessible and responsive for all communities including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.