Chamber and committees

The announcement to refresh Scotland’s drug strategy reflects the change in contemporary drug use in Scotland and the landscape in which drug and alcohol services are planned and delivered. The Scottish Government will be taking forward work to engage with stakeholders from a range of backgrounds with an aim of publishing in 2018.

2017-18 Funding 

Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice (CYCJ)

£700,000

To support improvements in youth justice. Work centres on 3 key activities:

Practice Development: Working with practitioners and policy-makers in developing, supporting and coordinating activities to improve youth justice

Research: Undertaking, supporting and coordinating research which helps with understanding youth justice

Knowledge Exchange: Supporting the sharing and dissemination of knowledge.

CYCJ – Interventions for Vulnerable Youth (IVY) Project

£220,000

A national psychological and social work service offering assessment, formulation and management for high risk young people aged 12-18 who present with complex psychological needs and high risk behaviour in terms of their violent conduct.

CYCJ – Secure Care National Advisory post

£68,626

To carry out an independent, analytical, strategic and practice focused review of secure care in Scotland.

Up-2-Us – Time for Change

£47,334

Gender-specific service targeted at young women aged between 14-18 years deemed to be at significantly high risk of admission to secure care or custody

Action for Children – Side Step

£49,981

An intervention service that engages with and supports young people aged 12-18, who have been or are at risk of involvement in organised crime, with the aim of ending that involvement.

The Wise Group – Get the Life You Want

£11,250

Motivational pre-release courses in Polmont challenging attitudes and behaviours and encouraging positive engagement with support services

Youth Advantage Outreach

£59,550

Residential courses providing diversionary activities and interventions for young people who are on the cusp of crime, disadvantaged or disengaged from society and education.

No Knives Better Lives (NKBL)

£237,000

NKBL is a youth programme that works with local partners (council, police, youth groups etc) to deliver a range of activities and events to get the message across to young people about the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife, whilst encouraging them to make positive life choices.

Violence Reduction Unit - Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP)

£50,000

The MVP programme seeks to educate young people (aged between 12-18) about anti-violence prevention methods and encourage them to feel confident about speaking out against all forms of violent behaviour.

Barnardos Scotland- ‘Here and Now’

£71,056

This pilot project is to explore support needs in relation to Trauma Bereavement and Loss for young people leaving HMP and YOI Polmont. The main purpose is to improve the mental health and wellbeing of referred offenders and build workforce capacity through provision of staff training, and follow on support.

Since 2008, £92 million recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act has been committed to the CashBack for Communities Programme and other community initiatives. The programme has funded nearly 2 million activities and opportunities for young people.

CashBack activities range from diversionary youth work to more long-term potentially life-changing intervention projects which turn young people’s lives around and provide them the opportunity of getting into employment, education or volunteering. Projects such as the Celtic Foundation’s Cashback gateway to employment provides 1:1 intensive mentoring and group work for 16-24 year olds who have offended or at risk of offending and will provide support to sustain positive destinations.

The Cashback for Communities Youth work Fund is an annual small grant scheme to resource community based youth work organisations to provide diversionary activities for disadvantaged young people. Phase 4 funding 2017-2020 will up to £2,447,000.

Ready Steady Baby App launched in December 2012 and cost a total of £91,475 to develop and launch. A breakdown of these costs is:

• Fees to an external supplier and additional production costs (£28,572)

• Internal staff time - project management, marketing, web (£54,803)

• Promotional marketing material (£8,100)

Over the period since its launch (Dec 2012 – Aug 2017), there have been 71,020 downloads of the app and the app is regularly updated by NHS Health Scotland as part of the annual maintenance programme of Ready Steady Baby (print and web).

On 31 March, we launched a consultation entitled' Improving Parking in Scotland', which closed on 30 June 2017 for the general public and 31 August for local authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships. The consultation paper considered how parking is currently managed and enforced across the country. Our consultation sought views about the enforcement of disabled persons’ parking places, and in particular, what opportunities there are to deal with the misuse of advisory parking places in residential and supermarket car parks.

In addition, I give evidence to the Local Government and Communities Committee on 21 June, in response to its post legislative scrutiny of the Disabled Persons' Parking Places (Scotland) Act 2009. The findings of our consultation paper and the Committee’s findings of its post legislative scrutiny of the 2009 Act will inform our next steps in how disabled parking bays are managed and enforced.

Furthermore, officials will continue to support local authorities on this issue and have also set up a stakeholder event on 9 October with parking managers from all local authorities in Scotland to explore how we can resolve some of the issues related to the 2009 Act.

The Mental Health Strategy 2017 - 2027 published on 30th March 2017 contains 40 ambitious actions, two of which are specifically focused on individuals experiencing dual diagnosis of a mental health illness and substance misuse problem.

This is a ten year strategy with actions to be developed, implemented and assessed over the entirety of its life span. A Mental Health Strategy implementation group meets monthly to track progress. This is reviewed at a biannual forum of stakeholders and will be reported annually. Initial work has focused on understanding current activity for dual diagnosis in place across Scotland with a plan to encourage the development of better dual diagnosis service arrangements across Integrated Authorities. This work will act as a platform for the improvement of service delivery and outcomes for those affected by dual diagnosis.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland have published “Reducing Suicide Risk: Mental Health Team Discussion Framework” in May 2015. This document raises awareness and assists teams in taking action around mental health and drug and alcohol team joint working. The organisational existence of a specific policy or protocol on the management of patients who are being supported by mental health services and drug and alcohol teams is known to reduce suicide risk and this has been widely communicated to service providers.

Improving the life chances of all our children and young people is vitally important. That is why the Scottish Government recognises the important role of our education system and the need to provide a positive and inclusive learning experience for all school pupils.

The Scottish Government published its refreshed guidance “Included, Engaged and Involved Part 2: A Positive Approach to Preventing and Managing School Exclusions” on 19 June this year. This guidance focuses on the importance of early intervention measures to prevent the need for exclusion and it promotes the importance of positive relationships in schools, recognising that exclusion should only be used as a last resort and where it is a proportionate response.

The guidance also highlights the importance of schools and education authorities recognising the impact that exclusion can have, particularly on disadvantaged children. We recognise that excluded and disengaged learners may require additional support, which is why Education Scotland provides support and advice through a range of national networks and working parties for schools, wider education partners and third sector groups who are working to improve educational outcomes for learners at risk of being excluded.

Parents are ultimately responsible for ensuring their child’s regular attendance at school. Schools will authorise absences where they are satisfied there is a legitimate explanation. Where no satisfactory explanation is given, an unauthorised absence will be recorded. When a child is regularly absent, the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 allows local authorities to impose an Attendance Order on a parent if they cannot provide a satisfactory explanation for their child’s absence. This Order will require the parent to ensure their child regularly attends at the school named in the Order. Failure to comply can result in criminal proceedings being brought against the parent.

The attendance rate in Scottish schools has remained steady at just over 93% since 2007, with pupils' rate of attendance increasing from 93.1 per cent in 2010-11 to 93.7 per cent in 2014-15. The Scottish Government recognises that, to promote good attendance at school, pupils must feel included, engaged and involved in their education. This is a fundamental principle to achievement and attainment at school. Absence from school, whatever the cause, disrupts learning.

To support this we published, with key stakeholders, “Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1: attendance in Scottish schools”. This document provides guidance to schools, communities and local authorities on how to promote engagement and motivation, including among those who may be at risk of poor attendance.

Following the conclusion of the Independent Advisor on Poverty and Inequality’s contract in July, there is one remaining independent adviser; the Race Equality Framework Adviser. The Race Equality Framework Adviser provides
strategic independent expertise, insight and advice to the Scottish Government in taking forward the actions in the framework.

The Scottish Government additionally receives advice through a number of channels, including working groups, Commissions, Commissioners and advice from stakeholder organisations. In some cases, staff from external agencies are seconded to the Scottish Government to undertake specific projects or for a particular piece of work.

There are currently no independent advisers who are paid either the maximum or ceiling fees across all banding for both chairs and members, as outlined in the Public Sector Pay Policy for Senior Appointments, Chairs and Members fee framework.