Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-31160

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the executive director of qualifications and assessment at the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) was involved in the review of Higher History in 2024.

Question reference: S6W-30649

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 8 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the evidence received by the Economy and Fair Work Committee, as part of its inquiry on the disability employment gap, which stated that there are few conversations with disabled young people about getting a job once they leave school because of a perception that employment will not be for them.

The Scottish Government will provide a full response to the Committee’s report within two months of its publication as consistent with Parliamentary Guidance.

Education authorities have duties under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 to identify, provide for and review the additional needs of their pupils.

Where a young person needs support from other agencies to transition from school, the authority should work with those agencies, taking into consideration the views of the young person, to establish the support required and ensure it is put in place.

Skills Development Scotland’s careers advisers work closely with local schools to support young people with additional support needs, including disabled young people and this is captured in their school partnership agreements and close work with guidance and pastoral care to identify the young people who require more intensive support. They also offer support to transition planning and take an individual centred approach.

When a young person is expected to leave school the education authority has a duty to request and share information within specific timeframes to help support their transition. This should take place no later than 12 months before the expected leaving date. They must provide information to other agencies no later than six months before a child or young person is expected to leave school. Local authorities are encouraged to prepare for children and young peoples’ transitions wherever possible in advance of these timeframes.

All planning and support for disabled children and young people should be underpinned by ‘Getting it right for every child’ (GIRFEC) – Scotland’s holistic approach to upholding the rights and wellbeing of our children and young people. Using the GIRFEC approach, practitioners and lead professionals should support a child or young person's wellbeing through transitions by working alongside them and their family, and other practitioners involved in transition planning. They should ensure the views and rights of the young person and family are considered in decisions throughout a transition. Effective transfer of information between services during transitions, in line with information sharing guidance, is also essential to achieving successful outcomes for the child or young person and their family.

Question reference: S6W-30647

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what processes for monitoring and measuring outcomes local authorities were required to implement to gather evidence on the effectiveness of the delivery of its school meal debt fund.

Question reference: S6W-30648

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 8 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendation in the Economy and Fair Work Committee report, Closing the Disability Employment Gap in Scotland, regarding training for teaching staff and careers advisors on the specific needs of disabled and neurodiverse young people.

The Scottish Government will provide a full response to the Committee’s report within two months of its publication as consistent with Parliamentary Guidance.

The Scottish Government remains committed to an all-age careers information and guidance offer that supports all people, including the specific needs of disabled and neurodiverse young people to progress rewarding careers.

In regards to training for teaching staff, we are working closely with local government partners to improve the experience of children and young people with additional support needs at school, implementing the recommendations of the 2020 review of additional support for learning Supporting documents - Additional support for learning: action plan - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). In November 2022, an updated action plan Additional Support for Learning review: action plan - November 2022 update - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) was published alongside a second progress report Additional Support for Learning review action plan: second progress report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). A further update is due to be published in the coming weeks.

Furthermore, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) are developing a new Continuous Professional Development (CDP) framework for careers practitioners with dedicated elements supporting transition support for disabled individuals. SDS also have mandatory internal learning highlighting Equality Responsibilities for all staff.

All planning and support for disabled children and young people should be underpinned by ‘Getting it right for every child’ (GIRFEC) – Scotland’s holistic approach to upholding the rights and wellbeing of our children and young people.

Question reference: S6W-30645

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) children and (b) families had their school meal debt written off as a result of its school meal debt fund, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-30646

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what processes for monitoring and measuring outcomes it has implemented to gather evidence on the effectiveness of the delivery of its school meal debt fund.

Question reference: S6W-31028

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 7 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the "waking watch" system in apartment blocks in Glasgow since it was introduced in February 2023.

The total cumulative spend incurred on Waking Watch services in apartment blocks in Glasgow is £2.2 million. Waking Watch costs for one building within the pilot programme were reimbursed by the responsible developer.

Latest published data shows a breakdown of the waking watch grant and contract costs for entries in the pilot in Glasgow to the end of quarter one 2024-25; spend is updated quarterly, the next update will be published in quarter three 2024-25. Single Building Assessment programme: spending information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-30644

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) criteria were used and (b) supporting information or evidence was requested from each local authority in order to access its school meal debt fund.

Local authorities were asked to consider whether they wished financial support to cancel school meal debt while adhering to guidance produced by COSLA on the issue. Local authorities are expected to use any grant for the purpose of clearing school meal debt and that in accepting the offer of funding, local authorities will agree to adhere to the COSLA Good Practice Principles for School Meal Debt Management in their management of school meal debt going forward. The COSLA Good Practice Principles are available through the following web link: Good-Practice-Principles-for-School-Meal-Debt-Management.pdf (cosla.gov.uk)

Local authorities were asked that any bid included details of the amount of school meal debt accrued as of 31 March 2024, as well as the amount that they were seeking to write off. This could include any debt that the local authority has cleared prior to that point.

Question reference: S6W-30642

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding in total has been received by local authorities through its school meal debt fund.

Question reference: S6W-30605

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group last met, and when it plans to next meet.

The Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group’s remit was to inform the development of a Student Mental Health Action Plan as set out in our 21-22 Programme for Government. The Action Plan was published in September 2024.

We are considering how best to support delivery of the Action Plan, including oversight and support.

We will shortly be engaging with the higher and further education sectors and health and other public and third sector organisations to update them on next steps and request their support and participation going forward.

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