Chamber and committees

Good morning and thank you for your evidence so far. I will go back to Stephen Morgan’s remark about social work getting its voice back. Sometimes when I am listening to discussions such as these, I think that the voices of service users can go adrift. It would be helpful for the committee to understand what it means for our citizens when there are structural barriers in the way, such as when departments are separate, because people’s lives do not fall into boxes of children’s services, justice services, or housing services, for example. Could you talk a bit more about that? What would a social worker do for an individual when they have a voice and are able to link everything up?

Thank you—that is helpful.

On a point of clarity, you said that the GMB had withdrawn support for the bill. Had it ever formally supported the bill in its form as a bill? I appreciate that you support a national care service.

Good morning to the witnesses. Thanks for being with us. I will come back to Keir Greenaway on one of the questions that Tess White asked. I hear you loud and clear about union representation on the board. She asked what difference that could make to service users. I appreciate that, as a union rep, you are here to talk about pay and conditions for the workforce, but what difference could having front-line workers represented on the board make to service users?

Frank Reilly, do you have any reflections on the point about structure getting in the way, with regard to whether different parts of the system are within or outwith the existing partnerships?

Do other panel members have comments on the importance of having a union voice at the board?

Are teenagers and younger adults self-referring?

Thank you for your evidence so far; it has been really helpful. I will ask questions about the referral process, then move on to holistic care, which you mentioned in your responses to Gillian Mackay.

Figures in the press at the weekend showed that 352 under-18s were referred to the Sandyford clinic and that 130 of those were self-referrals. I am interested in exploring that. The article referred to the youngest individual being seven years old. It would be helpful for the committee to understand how children and young people might be self-referring. You spoke about the open-door policy of the clinic. What does that look like?

What did that process look like? After referral, would they be placed on a waiting list?

Will you explain what diagnostic overshadowing is? I was nodding along, but I do not understand what that is.