Chamber and committees

Thank you, convener.

Before we move on from talking about buildings, I am interested in whether the panel think that, as a minimum, every school should have safe spaces, be they wellbeing rooms, sensory rooms or small rooms. Maybe that is something that we could do more quickly. Also, is there a need for those safe spaces to be accessible throughout the school day and not to close at certain times? The evidence talked about children wandering into toilets and so on because there was no safe space for them to go to.

Do formal planning processes support better outcomes for pupils with complex needs? On the other side of that, I suppose, when it comes to getting the balance right, is there also a need to recognise and respect the expertise of parents, carers and autistic children and young people in identifying their needs and challenges and how to overcome those effectively, with advocacy support if that is needed?

That point about legal representation is really important.

Suzi Martin said that support should already be in place, so that we do not get to that stage, but I am sure that there will be unfortunate occasions like that. How can we bring information together and make it easier for people to access? Should it be brought together on a website that is easily accessible for parents? What are Suzi’s suggestions?

I have not always been able to see who has been answering questions. Perhaps Suzi Martin.

It sounds as though—if I am picking this up right—the formal plan is important but quite often it is the less formal stuff that lies underneath it that drives the positive outcomes.

I am also interested in how policy makers and local authorities can ensure that there is equitable access to support for families and young people when there are disputes around the provision of additional support. I know that even parents who, for example, work in local government or in inclusion can struggle to access the supports that their child needs.

I will pick up on the fact that there are a lot of different plans. We have the child’s plan—which is called different things across different local authorities—and the co-ordinated support plan. Does the fact that different local authorities call plans different things muddy the waters a bit, and is there a need to standardise that?

I will pick up really briefly on the point about Enquire and advocacy. There is lots of information out there, but parents need to be directed to the information that is most relevant to them and their child.

Some really important points have been made about data. However, I am interested in hearing the panel members’ views on what they see as being the impact on homelessness of the ending of the eviction provisions in the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022, so I invite comments on that.

I am the MSP for the Uddingston and Bellshill constituency in Lanarkshire.

I want to ask about Angela Morgan’s report, which, according to the feedback that I got, documented what parents often already knew. She called for mainstream education to be “redefined” to reflect the needs of pupils who have additional support needs. What needs to change in our schools so that we can achieve that for all pupils?