Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a Net Zero, Wellbeing economy and a highly skilled workforce is critical to this ambition. Our National Strategy for Economic Transformation is clear that we must adapt our education and skills system to become more responsive and agile so that it can deliver on our key priorities.

Information on Social Care Eligibility and Waiting times is collected and published by the Scottish Government. This is publicly available via the following link: Social Care Eligibility Criteria And Waiting Times, Scotland, 2020-21 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Many Local Authorities have reported difficulty in providing the information asked for in this data collection, which has had a significant impact on the robustness of the information available for analysis. We have been working with Public Health Scotland (PHS) to consider the future of this data and are developing plans to capture waiting times data within existing Social Care collections returned to PHS, aiming to make it more straightforward for partnerships to provide data, and in turn resulting in more complete and consistent data in the future.

The Scottish Government is working with local government partners on the Additional Support for Learning Project Board to deliver the recommendations of the 2020 additional support for learning review by March 2026. As outlined in our updated action plan , published in November 2022, we have committed to revise GIRFEC policy and practice guidance, including a single planning process for children and young people.

On 30 September 2022, the Scottish Government published a series of refreshed GIRFEC policy and practice guidance to provide practitioners and professionals working with children, young people and their families with the confidence, clarity and practical support to continue to embed the GIRFEC approach.

The next phase of the GIRFEC refresh includes guidance on planning for children and young people. This is in the early stages of development and requires a collaborative and pragmatic approach between all stakeholders to ensure its success within a shifting legislative and policy landscape.

The statutory Supporting Children’s Learning Code of Practice already provides advice on the relationship between statutory and non-statutory plans. However, this matter will be considered further as part of our work to refresh the Supporting Children’s Learning Code of Practice which will take account of the refresh of the GIRFEC Policy and Practice Guidance.

A further progress update is due to be published in May 2024.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the average pay rates for social care staff across the private, public and third sector.

From April 2023, adult social care workers delivering direct care in commissioned services will see their pay increase to a minimum of £10.90 per hour; in line with the Real Living Wage rate for the 2023-24 Financial Year.

These are the minimum rates of pay for these workers and many providers choose to pay more than these minimums.

Yes. A working group, including representatives from local authorities, COSLA, the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland, Education Scotland and Scottish Government officials, has been formed to explore options for the development of an accredited qualification and registration programme for Additional Support Needs assistants. The working group is scheduled to bring forward final proposals by autumn 2023.

Commercial waste zoning was included in our consultations on the Circular Economy Bill and the Waste Route Map and we are considering options in light of consultation responses and further research.

The Programme for Government committed the Scottish Government to bring forward a Circular Economy Bill in this Parliamentary year, at which point the content of the Bill will be made public. Our final Route Map is due for publication later in 2023.

Teachers can access support and expertise to understand and meet the needs of all learners from colleagues nationally, regionally and locally. This may include Education Scotland staff, third sector organisations, Regional Improvement Collaborative teams and colleagues from their own local authorities. Within their local authority this may include; Pupil Support Staff, early learning colleagues, specialist teachers, hearing and sight impaired teachers, other class teachers, senior leadership teams, Community Learning and Development colleagues, inclusion officers and educational psychologists. When a child or young person is supported by partners out with education services, for example, social care, health or the third sector, their teachers can also liaise with these colleagues using the team around the child approach.

Re-occurring requests from teachers have been received. These are requests to further support their knowledge, understanding and practice on specific concerns relating to inclusion, additional support needs including areas on rights and equalities, relationships, wellbeing and care, inclusion, the additional support for learning process and specific areas of need for example autism, dyscalculia, dyslexia, trauma informed approaches. These requests are received in a range of ways for example:

• National networks and working groups led and facilitated by Education Scotland or the Scottish Government.
• National practitioner networks facilitated by Education Scotland.
• Teachers engaging with national professional learning programmes.
• Feedback from Regional Improvement Collaboratives and individual local authorities.

To ensure all educators can access free high-quality support Education Scotland is leading on the collaborative development of a new national Inclusion Wellbeing and Equality (IWE) professional learning framework. This framework uses four interconnecting themes and aims to provide a range of information, guidance, resources and professional learning and engagement opportunities to support the needs of educators and their learners. The four interconnecting themes are:

1. Rights and Equalities.

2. Relationships.

3. Wellbeing and Care.

4. Inclusion.

As detailed in my reply to question S6W-15995, on 11 April 2023, the Ministerial Working Group met on 29 June 2022.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Education Scotland are leading on a national engagement programme for Pupil Support Staff, which sought the views of Pupil Support Staff, senior leaders, children and young people and parents and carers.

The 4 month consultation element of the programme was extended and closed in March 2023. Over 2,500 surveys were completed representing all 32 local authorities. Analysis and evaluation of all the programme responses is in progress as is the programme report and should be completed by July 2023.

The programme has provided the first national opportunity for Pupil Support Staff to share their views on a range of areas including whether they feel it would be beneficial to have their own workforce vison and set of values. They were also asked to collaborate on the development of any potential workforce vision and values using draft versions provided. A wide range of suggestions and comments were received and this feedback is currently being collated within the programme evaluation report.

Once a Community Payback Order (CPO) has been imposed, its management – including with regard to compliance and attendance – is a matter for the courts and local authority justice social work services. The Scottish Government therefore does not collect or collate this information.

Managing compliance effectively is critical to achievement of the purposes of a CPO. If an individual does not attend any part of their CPO, this will be investigated by justice social work services. If the reason for absence is not acceptable, this will result in the commencement of a formal warning process, which can result in the case being returned to court under breach procedures, where the court will consider the breach.

Seventy-nine per cent of orders which ended during 2021-22 did not involve any breach applications for the duration of the order. It is up to the independent courts to decide the most appropriate outcome where a CPO has been breached, based on all of the circumstances of the case, and ultimately this may include the imposition of a custodial sentence.