Chamber and committees

During 2018 the average (median) time taken for Scottish Welfare Fund applications to be processed was one working day for Community Care Grant (CCG) and the same working day for Crisis Grant.

We are unable to provide an accurate figure for the longest time, as we cannot distinguish between cases that are being processed and cases that have been closed and reopened. The most recent statistics on processing times are available in tables 8 to 11 of the official statistics publication “Scottish Welfare Fund Statistics: Update to 31 December 2018”, published at: https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Social-Welfare/swf/SWF31Dec2018 .

We are committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of our children and young people and recognise the key role schools have by providing healthy, balanced and nutritious food and drink.

In 2018 we consulted on proposals put forward by a scientific technical working group which reflected latest scientific evidence and dietary advice to make school food and drink even healthier. This included a proposal to introduce a maximum level of red and red processed meat served in schools.

The Scottish Government will be publishing the consultation report and detail on the changes to be made to the school food and drink Regulations, including action on red processed meat before the end of the June.

The staff below Senior Civil Service in Social Security Scotland are employed on Scottish Government Main (SGM) terms and conditions. The overtime rates in SGM are detailed in the following table. Staff in the Senior Civil Service are not entitled to claim overtime.

The Scottish Government provides funding to universities in Scotland, including Heriot-Watt, via the Scottish Funding Council; this includes grants for teaching, research, and capital. As autonomous institutions, it is for each university to determine how to best use this funding to meet the outcomes set out by Scottish Ministers; as such, information on funding to the School of Textiles and Design is not held centrally.

The Programme has required to date, and will continue to require, specialist resources that are either not currently available or are in short supply within the Scottish Government.

To ensure the levels of resourcing and skills required for delivery are in place, the programme manager post is currently held by a highly experienced contractor. Their expertise in programme management from both public and private sector provides the opportunity for Scottish Government staff to learn key skills directly.

The Programme Manager leads the Programme Management Office functions and reports to the Programme Director, who has overall responsibility for the delivery of the totality of the programme. Senior roles within the programme have been consistent for the life of the programme. The Social Security Director and the Programme Director – the two most senior roles in the programme - have been in post since the beginning of the programme.

The culture and values of the social security programme is key with a focus on support and development of staff. This is achieved through staff engagement, providing the appropriate guidance and support for both line managers and staff and creating the right environment for staff to work in.

Social Security Scotland aims to recruit a diverse workforce, to ensure a positive induction process, and to provide ongoing learning and development opportunities.

Before an employee takes up a post, Social Security Scotland identify any adjustments which may be required to support an individual in their employment.

Social Security Scotland employs people on Scottish Government terms and conditions and aligns with Scottish Government People policies, ensuring a full range of employee support is available that reflects our values of dignity, fairness and respect.

As at 20 May 2019, the total spent to acquire third-party pieces of coding and software for the social security programme is £1,813,806.50. This figure excludes VAT and associated implementation costs.

The Programme will continue to review and adapt it’s Agile approach as the scale and complexity of work changes. These continued reviews will look at the existing methodology we are using and also other frameworks that have been used elsewhere within government on Programmes of a similar size to develop the best approach for any increase in the Programme’s scale.

Social Security Scotland’s Executive Advisory Body provides strategic advice and constructive challenge to the Chief Executive and the Senior Leadership Team. It specifically supports those activities for which the Agency Chief Executive is Accountable Officer. The Agency works closely alongside our Policy and Programme colleagues, in the Social Security Directorate, to deliver the devolution of social security in Scotland.