Chamber and committees

The Children & Young People’s Mental Health Taskforce, originally charged with taking forward the 2018/19 Programme for Government (PfG) commitment of developing services to aid community mental wellbeing, counted representatives from the third sector amongst its direct membership. A wider range of third sector expertise was also engaged through involvement in the Taskforce's arm's - length 'working groups'.

The Children & Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Programme Board, who will take forward the work of the Taskforce, will develop and monitor the delivery of support in the community as set out in the PFG commitment. Membership of the Programme Board includes a representative from the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) who will represent the interests of all their members.

Scottish Government support for the Green Party amendments to the Transport Bill on the Workplace Parking Levy was contingent on the exclusion of hospitals and NHS premises, because of their particular circumstances. The Workplace Parking Levy provisions give wide powers to local authorities to apply local exemptions to reflect local circumstances. It would be for each local authority to determine if there was a need for a workplace parking levy in its area and to determine any additional local exemptions that might apply.

I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24309 on 30 July 2019. 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

Psychopathy is antisocial personality disorder. The Scottish Government has no plans at present to produce guidance on this. NICE clinical guideline [CG77] on “Antisocial personality disorder: prevention and management” was published in January 2009, and updated in March 2013. This guides clinical practice in the UK. The Royal College of Psychiatrists also publishes information for the public on personality disorders that includes information on psychological and physical treatment: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/problems-disorders/personality-disorder

17 SGBs supported activities to accelerate and expand reach with the inactive and under-represented across multiple groups. This included young people, women and girls, older people, disabled people, those living in deprived areas, ethnic minorities communities, and the LGBTI community.

It is not possible to specify how much funding went directly to BAME communities, as these projects targeted multiple groups (including BME-specific groups).

The awards made to the five projects referenced in the Scottish Government Race Equality Action Plan: Year 1 action report are:

• Badminton Scotland – awarded £30,000
• Scottish Athletics – awarded £30,000
• Scottish Gymnastics – awarded £50,000
• Scottish Squash – awarded £27,000
• Tennis Scotland – awarded £20,600

The Scottish Government jointly launched the Local Governance Review with COSLA to consider how powers are shared across national and local government, and with communities. The Review reflects our shared commitment to Scotland’s different places and diverse communities having a direct say over decisions which affect them. We are taking a whole system approach. This means looking across Scotland’s public services, and ensuring that measures to empower people and places in different spheres of governance are cohesive and mutually supportive.  

We will shortly be consulting on a new National Transport Strategy for Scotland. Part of the development work for the Strategy, included a review of transport governance which considered arrangements at national, regional and local levels. It is recognised that there is a need for change, in the current arrangements, and that further work is required to determine what a future model or models might be acknowledging that a one-size-fits approach all may not work. This work will commence when the outcomes from the NTS consultation are known.

We take child and adolescent mental health very seriously. The wellbeing of school pupils is vitally important, and we recognise the impact that pressure at school can have on children and young people. That is why health and wellbeing is a key priority of the Curriculum for Excellence. All adults working in schools are responsible for supporting and developing mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing to support successful learning and happy lives.

All schools should help young people to develop resilience and personal coping skills, and should have measures in place to support young people who experience stress. Opportunities should be available through the school year for young people to have regular conversations about their learning and progress.

Language is important to people affected by trauma and to those who provide services. The Scottish Government does not routinely use the language "adverse childhood experience-aware". Rather, the terms Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), childhood adversity and trauma- informed would be used.

In 2017, the Scottish Government and NHS Education for Scotland published Transforming Psychological Trauma: a Knowledge and Skills Framework for the Scottish workforce . This was informed by evidence and co-produced with employers, experts in psychological trauma and people with lived experience. Pages 20 – 23 of the Framework discusses language and terminology and how these interrelate. The diagram on page 20 provides an illustration of how the terms overlap.

The Framework recognises that terms used in this area are complex and overlapping. The terms “Adverse Childhood Experience and “trauma- informed” are not interchangeable. Trauma can be experienced at any point in life. Childhood adversity can cause trauma but a person who has not experienced childhood adversity can still experience trauma.

In 2018, the Scottish Government established a National Trauma Training Programme coordinated by NHS Education for Scotland (NES), to implement this Framework, giving the workforce the evidence, skills and confidence to recognise and respond effectively to people affected by trauma and adversity. The evidence base on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is incorporated in course content, along with wider evidence on the impact of trauma and appropriate responses.

Further information on the principles of trauma-informed practice and guidance for employers are available on the NHS Education for Scotland webpage on National Trauma Training Framework .

We are actively working with schools and local authorities to tackle serious disruptive behaviour, violence and anti-social behaviour. Developing and promoting positive relationships and behaviour with children and young people is at the heart of all of our schools, and all staff should be proactive in promoting this.

Our new policy guidance, ‘Developing a positive whole school ethos and culture: relationships, learning and behaviour’ https://beta.gov.scot/publications/developing-positive-whole-school-ethos-culture-relationships-learning-behaviour/ , in response to the findings of the most recent Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research contains actions designed to support local authorities, establishments, practitioners and partners to further improve the ethos and culture, and relationships and behaviour in Scottish schools.