Chamber and committees

We do not calculate a separate R value for care homes.

Scottish Government is informed of the findings of independent academic researchers such as those of the SPI M sub group who are developing methods for estimating transmission in care homes. This is not focused on using R but instead on developing care home appropriate measures of covid infections within care homes. These care home appropriate methods when completed will provide an understanding of transmission in care homes in Scotland. The Scottish Government is carefully considering a range of Covid statistics on care homes. This includes data produced daily by Scottish Government on the number of number of care homes notifying cases of COVID-19, and the number of suspected cases of COVID-19 in care homes.

Scottish Government officials have also been working with representatives of the Care Inspectorate, Scottish Social Services Council, Scottish Care and care home providers to produce a number of resources which will support care homes to identify factors that may impact on the health, safety and wellbeing of residents as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest details on the resources being made available can be found at:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-clinical-and-practice-guidance
-for-adult-care-homes/ .

This is a matter for individual Health Boards and the information requested is not held centrally .

We are now in phase two of the route map out of the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown. Health Boards are remobilising services in line with the ‘Remobilise, Recover and Re-design Framework’ that we published on 31 May. We have outlined this should start with the expansion of non-cancer urgent inpatient and outpatient services and we expect this to include the gradual re-introduction of some chronic disease management from 6 July that could include pain services.

How different specialties categorise and prioritise the urgency of cases will be informed by guidance from professional bodies and local circumstances such as the availability of relevant facilities and other specialists to assist with complex procedures.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-30075 on 8 July 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 '.

Following publication of draft Orders on 5 December 2019 Transport Scotland received a significant amount of representations, including objections, to the proposed scheme. Transport Scotland is currently reviewing and considering all of the representations received alongside progressing the work associated with the review, which has a specific focus on whether it is feasible and desirable to further improve the proposed exemplar active travel facilities and public transport provision whilst not creating additional impacts for local landowners, residents and businesses. The conclusions of the review will be shared in due course.

The Scottish Government remains committed to undertaking improvements at Sheriffhall and will continue to engage with Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal partners as part of the review process.

These types of schemes are managed by local authorities and it will be the decision of each local authority whether to extend or refund.

A recognised structure for supporting recovery is already in place and supported by local authorities through Regional and Local Resilience Partnerships. The Lothian region comes under the Lothian and Borders Local Resilience Partnership, the partnership supported by their Scottish Government Resilience Partnership Co-ordinator has established a Recovery group encompassing all local authorities.

As outlined to you in my letter dated 23 June 2020 we understand that this is a difficult time for parents and carers and know that many will be feeling additional pressures. The Scottish Government is working with a range of partners to support children and families and mitigate the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has on their mental health. We have made support and advice around mental health available for parents, carers and their children on the Parent Club website. This includes free access to Solihull Online, which is a resource which helps parents and carers to better understand their child’s emotional development and supports the development of healthy relationships. The resource is signposted on Parent Club, ParentZone and Clear Your Head.

Schools remain a key link for parents and carers in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, including those with additional support needs. Through guidance staff or senior management they continue to be available to discuss any concerns about a child’s mental health.

Education Scotland have used national survey data to identify emerging anxieties which parents and families are facing during lockdown. This has resulted in a range of new content being developed on the Learning at Home section of ParentZone Scotland to address anxieties and concerns which are impacting on the wellbeing of families. These include resources relating to topics such as ASN, bereavement, mental health and transitions.

In addition, the National Parent Forum of Scotland has collated helpful resources for parents on their website. These include resources provided by Parenting Across Scotland as well as the Parentline helpline provided by Children 1st. There are also a variety of sources aimed at helping parents and carers to support the wellbeing of their children.

We have recently established a sub-group to our COVID-19 Advisory Group that specialises on education and children’s issues. The group will provide advice to support and inform the development of operational guidance for providers of learning, childcare and children’s service. As part of a range of work addressing health and safety issues, the sub-group will look at the evidence for face coverings and other protective barrier mechanisms such as visors, both in school and on school transport.

Guidance on this will be published in full in advance of schools reopening.

Care providers are expected to fully meet the standards required of them, including in respect of infection control and hygiene standards, and this is monitored by the Care Inspectorate working with other partners.

New arrangements to significantly strengthen oversight of Scotland’s care homes were published on 17 May. Clinical and care professionals at NHS boards and local authorities now have a lead role in the oversight for care homes in their area. Every Health Board and local authority has put in place a multi-disciplinary team comprised of key clinical leads and the area’s Chief Social Work Officer. These arrangements will help ensure clarity and consistency across the country about the role of Health Boards and local authorities in helping to keep care home residents and staff safe from coronavirus.

The Scottish Government has also stepped in to provide both top up and emergency provision of PPE to care homes and social care organisations to ensure staff have what they need so they and residents are fully protected.

In addition to this, the Scottish Government has provided initial funding of £50 million to help the social care sector deal with the financial implications of COVID-19. The funding is additional to the increase announced in the 2020-21 Scottish Budget and will help address immediate challenges and support ongoing provision of social care. We will continue to work closely with COSLA and NHS Boards to ensure that our frontline services have the resources needed throughout this pandemic.

This year our package of investment to support care services under integration will exceed £800 million.