Chamber and committees

An equality impact assessment will be undertaken by the Scottish Government's Chief Scientist Office to support the development of a new health and social care research strategy to replace the current 2015-2020 strategy. The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) does not provide funding specifically for medical research. A review would therefore not be directly relevant to the SFC. The SFC meets its obligations under the Equality Act 2010 by adhering to the Scotland-specific advice and guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Applications for applied health research, including in children’s mental health, can be submitted to the two open competitive response mode grant scheme committees operated by the Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office. Applications submitted are funded following independent expert assessment of the quality of the research projects proposed with funding recommendations made by an independent expert committee. Since neither committee has made funding recommendations in financial year 2019-20 as yet, no funding for applications submitted to the committees has been awarded.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-22686 on 14 May 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 .

The Scottish Good Practice Statement on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) clearly highlights that some psychological therapies, such as graded exercise therapy (GET) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), are not effective for everyone and it specifically states their use remains controversial. It also advises people with ME should not be pressed into accepting unwanted treatments and, as with all other medical conditions, have the right to refuse any specific treatment offered.

The Scottish Government and NHS Scotland recognise the World Health Organisation definition of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) as a neurological condition. Healthcare professionals are expected to be aware of recognised guidelines, such as the National Institute of Care and Excellence and the Scottish Good Practice Statement on ME/CFS, and to treat people, so they receive appropriate care and support for their symptoms, regardless of the professional's personal views.

We are committed to ensuring that people in Scotland living with ME are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care. We continue to work with the neurological community, including those living with ME, to develop Scotland’s first National Action Plan on Neurological Conditions. We are carefully considering feedback received during a recent consultation and will publish our final plan later this year.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-22686 on 14 May 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.

The Health and Social Care Standards took effect on 1 April 2018. The Standards seek to provide better personal outcomes for everyone and to ensure that the human rights we are all entitled to are upheld. The Standards are focussed on the individual experiences of people using services and underpinned by five principles: Dignity and respect; Compassion; Be included; Responsive care and support; and Wellbeing.

The Engender report identified key issues of concern about disabled women’s reproductive rights. All women have a right to good sexual and reproductive health care. Achieving this is a key aspect of gender equality being reached, but we will not achieve this unless all women receive quality care, and this must include disabled women. The Engender report has been considered by Ministers across key portfolios and action is being taken. For example, for the first time we have included priority actions on sexual health and parenting rights in our learning disability strategy “the Keys to Life”, published in March 2019. It recognises the rights of women with learning disabilities to enjoy and maintain sexual relationships, addresses discrimination around reproductive rights and recognises the need for appropriate sexual health and parenting education supported by access to services.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that sexual health services in Scotland are all-inclusive and accessible to all disabled women. Following the publication of the Engender report, we have contacted all Sexual Health lead clinicians to learn what can be done to improve disabled women’s experience of sexual health services.

Progress is continuing on a fully integrated National Health and Social Care Integrated Workforce Plan, setting out our priorities for the health and social care workforce Scotland will require for the future. As with the previous three parts of the National Plan, we are working with stakeholders to ensure their views are fully and carefully considered and reflected. The Integrated Plan is being co-produced and will be jointly published with COSLA later this year.

Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) provides a broad set of national guidance to support schools in developing their curriculum. However, the specific content of teaching programme is decided by schools and local authorities in order to meet children’s and young people’s needs at local level.

Guidance on teaching of Nutrition and healthy eating comes under Food and Health in the Health and Wellbeing Experiences and Outcomes of Curriculum for Excellence beginning in Early Years, continuing through primary school and delivered predominantly via Home Economics in secondary schools. The Health and Wellbeing Experience’s and outcomes and Benchmarks are a set of clear and concise statements about children's learning and progression in each subject area, including Food and Health/Home Economics. They are used to help plan learning and to assess progress.

https://education.gov.scot/Documents/health-and-wellbeing-eo.pdf .

Curriculum for Excellence outlines the entitlement for children and young people to experience a number of Broad General Education Experiences and Outcomes from 3-15 education beginning at early learning and child care stage and continuing through primary school right up to S4-S6.

Benchmarks make clear what learners need to know and be able to do to progress through the levels, and to support consistency in teachers’ and other practitioners’ professional judgements .

Food education permeates every area of the curriculum and is a great context for real life learning. Learning to cook is a skill for life. The Good Food Skills resource supports practitioners with information & activities in relation to the classroom management and teaching of practical food education and skills from early level to fourth level. The importance of Home Economics teachers within secondary schools should be emphasised in relation to building on prior learning from primary school experiences, and teaching combined health, nutrition and practical skills.

The resource will build knowledge and understanding appropriate for every level and offers a skills progression framework with suggested recipes which match the skill set of learners at every level. This will ensure highly effective teaching & learning experiences for children and young people relating to practical food education.

STEM Bursary Scheme The Scottish Government has included home economics in the STEM bursary scheme which allows students to obtain a bursary of £20,000 to study for a PGDE in home economics. Home economics is the only subject in the curriculum which can address issues around food in the twenty first century and give young people the knowledge, skills, capabilities and attributes they need to make informed, healthy food choices now and in the future.

Scottish Government has worked with GTCS and Initial Teacher Education Establishments to promote Home Economics as a viable career pathway and to increase significantly the number of Home Economics PGDE places available for students as an emerging trend of alternative routes into teaching.

Scottish Government working with Education Scotland has promoted the bursary scheme through the Home Economics Lead Officer (HELO) network who have direct links to Head Teachers and Education Managers. This network is key to the promotion of Home Economics in Scottish schools with the intention of increasing the number of Home Economics teachers across Scotland over the next few years.

Food for Thought Fund 2012 – 2021

The Food for Thought Fund gives financial support to develop food and health as a context for learning. The fund aims to improve practitioner confidence in providing progressive, high quality, skills based learning experiences which help to embed food education into the ethos of the establishment.

Through Food for Thought funding we are inviting practitioners and school leaders to make the most of the opportunities that exist and to take forward actions that a lack of resources had previously inhibited.