Chamber and committees

The COVID-19 Education Recovery Group, the group which is bringing together national and local government and key education and early learning and childcare stakeholders to provide advice on taking forward Scottish education in the light of COVID-19, has not received or considered any proposal for pupils to repeat a school year due to the COVID-19 crisis. That Group is focussed on supporting the education system so that pupils may resume attendance at schools and early learning and childcare at the earliest time it is safe to do so.

Local authorities, schools, teachers and practitioners have been working together to provide support to pupils since schools closed in March 2019, and that support will continue when young people return to school. In addition, local authorities continue to offer support for eligible children through their Hub provisions and the Scottish Government has published guidance on supporting learning in Term 4 and ensuring continuity of learning beyond that . Any concerns regarding individual pupils should be raised with their school and education authority.

The recruitment and deployment of teachers is the responsibility of the local authorities who have the statutory duty for education expenditure. Local authorities are responsible for providing a complement of teachers and other staff which meets the needs of each of their schools and its pupils within the resources available.

We are currently working with local authorities to establish what additional staff are needed to support COVID-19 education recovery. Once we know that, we will work with local authorities to meet that demand.

There is a range of guidance available for care homes regarding COVID-19 and how to protect staff and residents including those with learning disabilities and staff. Health Protection Scotland (HPS) publishes infection control guidance COVID-19: Information and Guidance for Care Home Settings’ which is for all care homes, including those that care for people with learning disabilities. This guidance is based on National Infection Prevention and Control Manual for health and social care settings which provides advice on how to prevent and manage the spread of all respiratory infections including COVID-19. To supplement HPS guidance, the Scottish Government also issued the ‘National Clinical and Practice Guidance for Adult Care Homes in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic’. This was first published on 13 March and updated most recently on 15 May. This guidance draws on the HPS guidance but provides more detailed information on some of the practical steps that are required to protect staff and residents, including guidance specific to homes that care for people with learning disabilities. Both the HPS and the Scottish Government guidance is continually reviewed to take account of the emerging picture around COVID-19.

In addition, the Scottish Commission for Learning Disabilities (SCLD) have been working with Scottish Government to produce easy to read information on COVID-19 and how people can protect themselves. This includes advice on staying at home, infection control, PPE, shielding and physical distancing. Information on the phases in the route map out of crises is also being developed with phase one now available. SCLD have also worked with Glasgow Universality to develop a series of booklets for services supporting vulnerable people on staying physically and mentally healthy when physical distancing. The Scottish Government, with their partners created a ‘Clinical guide for front line staff to support the management of patients with a learning disability, autism or both during the coronavirus pandemic’. This alongside other guidance is available on SCLD’s website.

The following table shows the estimated number of long stay care home residents with learning disabilities, by age group, in Scotland as at 31 March 2017, the latest time period for which data are available.

Guidance on the personal use of face coverings during coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was published on 28 May and will be updated as guidance changes. You can find the latest face covering guidance here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-public-use-of-face-coverings/ .

NHS Scotland has not sent any COVID-19 tests abroad for analysis, all NHS testing has been undertaken in Scottish laboratories.

a) This information is not held centrally.

b) This information is not held centrally.

c) Of the 285 deaths involving COVID-19 which took place at home or in a non-institutional setting which had been registered by 14 th June, 84 had been referred to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

d) Of the number above, 7 were subject to a post-mortem.

The Scottish Government have been working with the Scottish Commission for Learning Disabilities (SCLD) and People First Scotland to create easy read versions of all official Government Coronavirus related advice and information relevant to people with learning disabilities. Information on COVID-19 symptoms, access to testing and social distancing in an easy read format can be found on NHS Inform's website .

The link for (a) COVID-19 symptoms can be found at https://www.nhsinform.scot/media/3549/20-21-coronavirus-easy-read-nhs-inform-1-overview-9-june-2020.pdf . The link for (b) access to testing can be found at https://www.nhsinform.scot/media/3556/20-21-coronavirus-easy-read-nhs-inform-10-testing-9-june-2020.pdf . The link for (c) social distancing can be found at https://www.nhsinform.scot/media/3178/v3-coronavirus-covid-19-nhs-inform-guidance-part-4-social-distancing-9-apr-2020.pdf . Additionally the link to the easy read version of the advice on testing can be found at the bottom of the door drop leaflet on Test and Trace.

Easy read documents are the most effective methods of written communication for people with learning disabilities and the easy read documents are the most accessed alternative formats of Government advice on NHS Inform’s website.

We are always looking to make more information relating to COVID-19 in Scotland publicly available, where appropriate. We need to be confident that data is accurate and robust, within legal guidelines and protecting people’s right to confidentiality.

In line with new statutory reporting requirements, the Care Inspectorate now provide a weekly report on the total number of death notifications they receive from adult care homes to the Scottish Government, which is laid before Parliament and also published on the Scottish Government website. https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-additional-data-about-adult-care-homes-in-scotland/ .

Care services across Scotland are working tirelessly under very challenging circumstances. The Care Inspectorate works closely with care providers, health and social care partnerships, care industry leaders and the Scottish Government to ensure services get the support they need during the pandemic.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29039 on 25 June 2020. 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