Chamber and committees

I refer the member to my response to question S4W-02683 on 26 September 2011 which concerns the process by which decisions on required qualification levels are reached.

Responses to the consultation about type of work and responsibilities of workers in care homes for adults indicated that there were four levels of workers which should be registered and that different levels of qualification requirement should be set for them to reflect the different roles and responsibilities they hold.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/MAQASearch/QAndMSearch.aspx.

Detail of this level is not collected by the Scottish Executive. However, I will ask the Chief Executive of the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) to respond to your question.

As noted in the response to question S4W-02683 on 26 September 2011, qualifications levels reflect the type of work and responsibilities held by workers. When the SSSC consulted on and set qualification requirements for residential childcare workers it was very conscious of the need to ensure that these workers have a level of academic ability that ensures they are able to support the children in their care to make the best use of their education and achieve qualifications which will increase their career and life opportunities.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Comparative survival for lung cancer is shown in the following table. It is important to note that survival depends on many factors, including data quality, characteristics of the patients and their tumours (case-mix), and health service factors. Survival estimates are also subject to random variation, especially when based on relatively small numbers of patients.

Lung cancer survival at one year and three years after diagnosis for Scotland, (i) NHS board and (ii) Regional Cancer Network by sex are in the following table.

Cancer of the Trachea, Bronchus and Lung (ICD-10 C33-C34)

Relative Survival¹ (%) at one and three years following Diagnosis for those Diagnosed aged 15 to 99 in 2002-06

Notes:

Source: UK Cancer Information System; September 2011

1. The relative survival estimates shown above are adjusted for background mortality in Scotland as a whole but not for differences in overall life expectancy in the NHS boards in Scotland (because life tables for NHS boards are not readily available). The survival estimates are not standardised for age or sex.

2. Key to NHS Cancer Networks:

(a) North of Scotland - is defined as a grouping of the following NHS boards:

Grampian; Highland and Argyll; Orkney; Shetland; Tayside; Western Isles.

(b) South East of Scotland - is defined as a grouping of the following NHS boards: Borders; Dumfries and Galloway; Fife; Lothian. (c) West of Scotland - is defined as a grouping of the following NHS Boards: Ayrshire and Arran; Forth Valley; Greater Glasgow and Clyde; Lanarkshire.

3. Separate data are not shown for the Island NHS boards of Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles due to small populations.

4. Note that confidence intervals have been omitted for clarity of reading.

Lung cancer survival by age groups is available at Scotland level on ISD's website at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Cancer-Statistics/Lung-Cancer-and-Mesothelioma/.

Comparative survival for lung cancer is shown in the following table. It is important to note that survival depends on many factors, including data quality, characteristics of the patients and their tumours (case-mix), and health service factors. Survival estimates are also subject to random variation, especially when based on relatively small numbers of patients.

Lung cancer survival at one year and three years after diagnosis for Scotland, (i) NHS board and (ii) Regional Cancer Network by age group are in the following table.

Cancer of the trachea, bronchus and lung (ICD-10 C33-C34)

Relative survival¹ (%) at one and three years following diagnosis for those diagnosed aged 15 to 99 in 2002-06

Source: UK Cancer Information System; September 2011.

Notes:

“*” = not available due to small numbers involved.

1. The relative survival estimates shown above are adjusted for background mortality in Scotland as a whole but not for differences in overall life expectancy in the NHS boards in Scotland (because life tables for NHS boards are not readily available). The survival estimates are not standardised for age or sex.

2. Key to NHS Cancer Networks:

(a) North of Scotland - is defined as a grouping of the following NHS boards: Grampian; Highland and Argyll; Orkney; Shetland; Tayside; Western Isles.

(b) South East of Scotland - is defined as a grouping of the following NHS boards: Borders; Dumfries and Galloway; Fife; Lothian.

(c) West of Scotland - is defined as a grouping of the following NHS boards: Ayrshire and Arran; Forth Valley; Greater Glasgow and Clyde; Lanarkshire.

3. Separate data are not shown for the Island NHS boards of Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles due to small populations.

4. Note that confidence intervals have been omitted for clarity of reading.

I understand that the Care Inspectorate has advised Castlebeck Care (Teasdale) Limited that it will be seeking the deregistration of Ranaich House as there are continuing concerns about the quality of care provided by this particular service.

The Care Inspectorate is undertaking frequent monitoring visits and liaising with local authorities for alternative placements for the residents.

On 1 April 2010, the establishment numbers for the Care Commission was 595.78 FTE, extracted from SCSWIS records.

The Social Work Inspection Agency was 40 FTE (full-time equivalent) and HM Inspectorate of Education was 210 FTE; the figures for SWIA and HMIE have been extracted from the Office of National Statistics published Civil Service Employment data for 31 March 2010.

The Scottish Government has established a Development Group with responsibility for supporting implementation of its 2010 guidance on the Procurement of Care and Support Services. The Development Group, which is chaired by the Scottish Government, has agreed a work programme which includes activity to identify and disseminate good practice. It involves all key stakeholder interests, including service user and carer representative organisations, service providers, local authorities, COSLA, Scotland Excel and the Care Inspectorate.

As part of its wider powers to scrutinise social work services, the Care Inspectorate is able to consider local authorities' commissioning practices and make recommendations in its reports.

The UK Government has not provided sufficient detail on the implementation of its proposed welfare reforms for the financial impact on future Scottish local government expenditure to be known. The Scottish Government has made repeated requests to the UK Government for further detail and will continue to press for this to be made available.

The legislation for free school meals is currently linked to a number of prescribed benefits and it is expected that a number of these will be repealed under the proposed UK Government welfare reforms. The Scottish Government will therefore consider making changes to the entitlement criteria in light of the UK Welfare Reform Bill and its regulations. School clothing grants are not linked to benefits by legislation, they are awarded subject to entitlement criteria set by local authorities.

The proposed UK Government welfare reforms will not change the entitlement criteria for Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), which are based on household income, age, residency and validity of the student’s course.

Local authorities are best placed to make decisions about the entitlement criteria for the payment of kinship care allowances and the level of the rate paid, taking account of the child’s needs and the carers’ overall financial circumstances. The Scottish Government is working with COSLA to develop a shared understanding of the likely impact of the UK Government’s proposed welfare reforms.