Chamber and committees

Guidance for local authorities and schools on teaching relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education is available on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/conduct-relationships-sexual-health-parenthood-education-schools/.

A summary of resources available to schools and teachers to support delivery of RSHP education is available on Education Scotland's National Improvement Hub at https://education.gov.scot/improvement/learning-resources/a-summary-of-rshp-resources/. However it is for education authorities and schools to decide which resources they use in supporting their teaching, and it is recommended that schools involve parents and pupils in their consideration of resources .

We recognise that children’s and young people’s mental health may have been affected during the pandemic and want to ensure that anyone who needs support can get access to appropriate services.

We continue to prioritise support for mental health and wellbeing in schools and the provision of Educational Psychologists, school counselling services and school staff are a key part of the support being offered. The Scottish Government supports our local authority partners with £16 million in funding to ensure that every secondary school has access to counselling services support delivery of the commitment.

In addition, the Mental Health in Schools Working Group developed a mental health professional learning resource for all school staff to assist in responding to and supporting children and young people’s mental health in schools. Education Scotland has also provided tools and guidance for school staff to further strengthen support to children and young people.

Since 2020, the Scottish Government has made available a package of support for the education workforce which is designed to help staff look after their own wellbeing, those of colleagues and those they lead. An evaluation in 2022 found that 93% of participants report an increase in their confidence to manage their own mental health and wellbeing since engaging with this support.

The Scottish Government will of course need to consider the recommendations in the final report before providing a formal response. The Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment, led by Professor Louise Hayward, will report to the Scottish Government by the end of May 2023.

The Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment, led by Professor Louise Hayward, will report to the Scottish Government by the end of May 2023. The Review’s interim report was published on 3 March and includes a model for a new approach to qualifications and assessment which is currently being tested further with stakeholders.

The Scottish Government will need to consider the recommendations in the final report before providing a formal response.

The Scottish Government recognises the negative impact the pandemic has had on some people’s mental health and wellbeing, including teachers and school staff. This has been evidenced through several UK and Scottish studies.

Since 2020, the Scottish Government has therefore made a package of support available for the education workforce which is designed to help staff look after their own wellbeing, those of colleagues and those they lead. This includes coaching and group sessions focussed on looking after individual mental health and wellbeing and that of any staff managed and also values based-leadership aimed at supporting teachers in the early phase of their career. An evaluation in 2022 found that 93% of participants report an increase in their confidence to manage their own mental health and wellbeing since engaging with this support.

Local Councils employ our teachers and school staff; as such they have a responsibility to ensure workplaces support and promote good mental health benefits for the individuals they employ.

The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for ensuring that local authorities comply with the legislation and requirements, and this includes the assessment of risks from asbestos.

The Health and Safety Executive undertakes school inspections to assess the management of risks from asbestos within schools.

The Scottish Government will consider the final revised EU environmental crime directive, once it is agreed, against our policy as stated in the Policy Statement issued under section 6 of the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021 to maintain alignment where appropriate with EU law, taking account of our existing actions to strengthen the legal protection of nature.

Conclusions drawn from the Health and Wellbeing Census are available on the Scottish Government's website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/health-and-wellbeing-census-scotland-2021-22/ .

It is essential that public services have a robust understanding of the issues affecting children and young people, so that appropriate support is put in place for them and their families. The Census data provides schools, education authorities, health and social care partners, as well as national Government, with the best source of evidence on children and young people’s health and wellbeing. The data collected in this first Census will provide a robust benchmark to measure future Census data collections against.

We will now work with local authorities to learn from their experiences of having undertaken the Census both to understand fully the benefit to them, and whether there are areas for improvement in the process.

All projects are subject to ongoing review and consideration. It is for NHS Grampian’s project team, in discussion with the contractor, to determine whether any client changes are actioned.

The Scottish Government has not had correspondence with Scottish Water regarding The Baird Family Hospital and The ANCHOR Centre. Scottish Water's engagement on this project is directly with NHS Grampian, who are responsible for delivering the project.