Chamber and committees

(a) Care Inspectorate inspectors discuss infection control measures during weekly scrutiny and support calls with care services, and more frequently as required.

(b) Information collected from a Care Inspectorate weekly survey of care services is shared with the NHS NSS Triage Hub to provide an overview of any clinical consumables and PPE shortages across Scotland, to help resources to be appropriately directed.

(c) If there are to be admissions to a care home with a COVID-19 outbreak this must be discussed with local Public Health teams. The Care Inspectorate shares Health Protection Scotland (HPS) guidance updates when this is published, with all care services via national provider updates, Care Inspectorate website and social media.

In addition to the work undertaken by the Care Inspectorate, Scottish Government Care Home Action Group are pulling data from across the system, including Directors of Public Health, to provide the necessary assurances and drive national action.

The Care Inspectorate has changed their operating model in response to COVID-19 by establishing:

• daily notifications for suspected cases and deaths in care services
• a new system of red, amber green notifications for services to indicate if they were experiencing staffing difficulties
• a twice per day Gold command group and once daily Silver command group, deciding what action is required based on the intelligence gathered
• collaboration with Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC)/NHS Education for Scotland (NES) Hub to successfully route staff to services experiencing staffing difficulties
• training of inspectors on the use of 'Near Me' to utilise real time video footage to examine the circumstances within services, to provide further assurance, and to ensure that IPC and PPE are adequate in each service.

In common with other UK regulators and counterparts in Ireland, the Care Inspectorate took the decision early in our response to the pandemic to scale down, recognising that this may put an unnecessary burden on the care sector, may contribute to spreading COVID-19, and put their inspectors at risk.

Additionally part of the continuous review in their response to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Care Inspectorate has put in place a programme of increased unannounced site inspections.

The Care Inspectorate has been very active in monitoring services and has been making regular contact with care homes and their parent companies, often daily. They are also actively working with Health Protection Scotland, local Public Health teams, Health and Social Care Partnerships, local authorities and others in order to monitor, direct and guide services.

The Care Inspectorate changed their operating model in response to Covid-19 by establishing:

• daily notifications for suspected cases and deaths in care services
• a new system of red, amber green notifications for services to indicate if they were experiencing staffing difficulties
• a twice per day Gold command group and once daily Silver command group, deciding what action is required based on the intelligence gathered
• collaboration with Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC)/NHS Education for Scotland (NES) Hub to successfully route staff to services experiencing staffing difficulties
• training of inspectors on the use of 'Near Me' to utilise real time video footage to examine the circumstances within services, to provide further assurance

Under the Coronavirus (Scotland) (No2) Act 2020 the Care Inspectorate has new duties to report on inspections and deaths in care homes. These reports will be laid in Parliament accordingly.

Under the Coronavirus (Scotland) (No2) Act 2020 the Care Inspectorate has new duties to report on inspections and deaths in care homes. These reports will be laid in parliament accordingly.

In March 2019, 110 inspections were carried out at care homes. In April 2019, 99 inspections were carried out at care homes. In March 2020, 71 inspections were carried out at care homes. In April 2020, no inspections were carried out at care homes, but the work noted above was undertaken.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-28437 on 27 April 2020. 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

In addition to the UK Government’s COVID-19 business support measures, such as the Coronavirus Job Retention, the Scottish Government has granted airports including those operated by HIAL, as well as ground handling services providers and Loganair, 100% non-domestic rates relief for the 20/21 financial year.

I am working closely with partners across the health and social care sector, including NHS Boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships and local employers, to ensure mental health and wellbeing support is in place for the workforce.

A range of support services has been established at local level, including staff wellbeing ‘hubs’, common rooms and rest areas, helplines and listening services, links with Occupational Health and Chaplaincy services, peer support, leadership development and coaching initiatives, mental health guidance and digital offerings. We have encouraged the sharing of services across health and social care to ensure as many people as possible can benefit from these.

On 11 th May, we launched the National Wellbeing Hub for health and social care workers (www.promis.scot). The Hub signposts staff, unpaid carers, volunteers and their families to relevant services, and provides a range of self-care and wellbeing resources designed to support the workforce as they respond to the impact of Covid-19. The Hub is part of a programme of activity at the national level which includes the allocation of a further £3.8 million to begin to increase the capacity of NHS 24’s Mental Health Hub and Breathing Space service, alongside increased access to digital therapies.

Based on evidence and experiences here and internationally, we will continue to explore how best to respond to those who need more specialist mental health support and care over the coming months.

Unfortunately, I am unable to provide this data at this time.

In response to part a) Information on deaths by suicide are published yearly by National Records Scotland (NRS), usually in June for the previous calendar year. The report for 2019 has been delayed as NRS has not received some of the information it relies on to categorise these deaths. It is not possible to produce reliable statistics without this information. In relation to deaths by suicide in 2020, usually this data would not be available as official statistics until June 2021. However, officials are looking at ways to extract reliable data from other sources quicker to inform local and national suicide prevention in Scotland.

In response to part b) the term attempted suicide is not used when collating data as self harming behaviour can have a range of purposes and intents. A table presenting the number of patients admitted to acute and psychiatric hospitals in Scotland with a diagnosis of self-harm in the period 2007 – 2019 (up to and including September 2019), broken down by hospital and year of admission has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 61455).

The Scottish Government does not hold estimates on the number of people that will be affected by mental health concerns as a result of domestic abuse during the COVID-19 crisis. However, we understand from regular discussions with key stakeholders that the mental health impact of lockdown continues to be a significant concern for organisations who support victims.

A Mental Health Research Advisory Group has also been established and will follow research developments closely to understand the medium and long term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.

Backed by £1.5 million of Scottish Government funding, support services have made changes to ensure they can still be accessed and are there to help people. National helplines are fully operational and also now with text and web chat functions.

Scottish Government published Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on domestic abuse which makes it clear that rules on staying at home do not prevent anyone from leaving their home to escape or keep themselves safe from domestic abuse.

We are also continuing to provide wider mental health support in Scotland through this time. The Scottish Government has provided funding to increase the capacity of NHS 24’s mental health services and digital therapies. These services will continue to be available throughout the COVID-19 pandemic for anyone who needs it.

Investment of more than £1 million has also been provided to roll out the Distress Brief Intervention programme on a national basis. The programme gives people over the age of 16, who are in emotional distress, the opportunity to speak to specially trained staff.

The Scottish Government’s £50 million Wellbeing Fund is supporting third sector organisations that have expanded their work to provide vital assistance for communities at risk in the face of Covid-19. Among the 558 organisations recently offered funding in the first application round for Wellbeing Fund support are 344 for which applicants identified “Mental Health and Wellbeing” as the primary area of focus and which collectively received £8.07 million. Provisional results from the second application round show that 392 applications have been approved for funding, with a total value of £7,592,000. More detailed breakdown information about these (including how many focus on mental health and wellbeing) will become available shortly.

On 12 May we extended eligibility for the Small Business Grant Fund (£10,000) to include non-domestic properties in receipt of any Charitable or Sports Rates Relief, and eligible for Small Business Bonus Scheme who also meet the qualifying criteria.

Through the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention & Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund, the Scottish Government is continuing to contribute to the core costs of Third Sector organisations which support the emotional wellbeing of children, young people and families.

In addition to a number of third sector partners funded to help deliver our vision for improved mental health and wellbeing in Scotland, we have announced additional support this year to the following third sector organisations responding directly to the increased demand resulting from the Covid-19 crisis:

• As part of the £1 million to expand and develop the Distress Brief Intervention programme into a nationwide response to people in distress associated with Covid-19, support to third sector bodies including the Scottish Association for Mental Health, Penumbra and Support in Mind Scotland as key partners will be over £800,000.
• We announced a £1 million package for children, young people and families on 1 May which includes:

- £768,000 for a relationships helpline to be delivered by The Spark counselling service

- £105,000 to support Young Scot to develop enhanced digital content and resources on mental health

- £205,000 to support 47,000 autistic people across Scotland. This consists of funding to increase capacity at the Scottish Autism Helpline, and help for the National Autistic Society to keep people in touch online during lockdown.

The Business Support Grant Scheme is administered by local authorities, and they aim to make payment within 10 working days from receipt of a fully completed application and once all information and evidence in support of an application has been verified. Applications can be subject to delay if incomplete or incorrect details are supplied.

We do not hold information as to which individuals attended the match.

Our mental health policy response to the pandemic will remain fluid and adaptable and will be led emerging evidence as it becomes available. The Mental Health Research Advisory Group has been established to follow research developments to understand the medium and long term impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on mental health and will help us to put evidence-based services and support in place to help meet the mental health needs of the population.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Scottish Government has introduced a number of new mental health supports and services, as well as extending existing services. Many of these will remain relevant and helpful in the event of a second wave of coronavirus.

The “Clear Your Head” campaign will continue to help the population look after their own mental health and wellbeing during the Covid-19 outbreak and could be adapted to support people through a second wave.

Support services including the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub, Breathing Space and Distress Brief Intervention Programme will remain available throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. NHS Mental Health services will also remain open and available for specialist mental health treatment for those who need it.

We will also continue to provide mental health and wellbeing support to the health and social care workforce.