Chamber and committees

Children and young people with complex additional support needs can continue, where appropriate, to attend local hubs to secure continuity in their care and support.

Children and young people with complex additional support needs who have not attended local hubs will continue to be provided with bespoke learning activities which can be adapted to meet their individual learning needs. In some cases, this is supported by home visits, and helpline support from local educational psychologists and education managers.

To ensure digital equity for all children and young people, we are investing an initial £9m which will provide devices and connectivity for 25,000 learners across Scotland to help ensure as many children and young people as possible are able to connect with their schools, continue their learning, access support and engage with their peers.

Support and advice is available children and young people and their families though the Scottish Government's Parent Club website and a range of partner organisations including CALL Scotland, Dyslexia Scotland, Reach and Enquire.

We have remained in regular contact with education authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic about how support is provided for children and young people, including those with additional support needs.

Local authorities are best placed to identify how to meet the needs of the children and young people in their local area during these challenging times.

Children and young people with complex additional support needs can continue, where appropriate, to attend local hubs to secure continuity in their care and support.

On 31 March, we published guidance about the continued provision of care and support for the children of key workers and vulnerable children and young people, including those with complex additional support needs. On 21 May, I issued a joint letter with COSLA to all directors of education confirming that critical childcare will continue throughout June and the summer break to ensure ongoing provision for key workers and vulnerable children.

Local authorities are best placed to identify how to meet the needs of the children and young people in their local area during these challenging times. In doing so, it is vital that all decisions taken at a local level align with the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 framework for decision making, be fully risk assessed and based on the individual needs of the child or young person.

We continue to engage with local authorities and third sector partners to ensure that children and young people with additional support needs get the support they need during this challenging time.

In addition, children and young people with complex additional support needs can continue, where appropriate, to attend local hubs to secure continuity in their care and support.

One of our key priorities is to ensure that children and young people with additional support needs who may be finding this difficult time particularly challenging, continue to be supported with their learning, whether at home or at a local hub.

We have worked closely with local authorities, Education Scotland and other partners to develop and publish a range of guidance to support schools, local authorities and families during this time. This includes guidance for term 4 that gives an overview of the measures in place and steps being taken, at a national and local level, to support all children and young people’s learning, including those with additional support needs; and guidance to help local authorities, early learning centres and schools continue to support children and young people's learning during the coronavirus outbreak, including advice on the provision of blended learning for children and young people who need support.

Children and young people with additional support needs have been, and will continue to be, provided with bespoke learning activities from their schools and local authorities. Support and advice is also available for their parents and carers though our Parent Club website and from a range of partner organisations including CALL Scotland, Dyslexia Scotland, Reach and Enquire.

We will continue to work closely with local authorities, Education Scotland and other partners to ensure all children and young people continue to be supported with their learning and that their needs are fully considered as we look, and plan, ahead.

Under the current educational continuity direction, issued on 10 June 2020, schools remain closed except for the specific purposes of planning and preparing for the provision of learning and teaching of children and young people on the premises or remotely from August 2020.

We continue to engage with local authorities and third sector partners to ensure that children and young people with additional support needs get the support they need during this challenging time.

In addition, children and young people with complex additional support needs can continue, where appropriate, to attend local hubs to secure continuity in their care and support.

Local authorities are best placed to identify how to meet the needs of the children and young people in their local area during these challenging times.

Children and young people with complex additional support needs can continue, where appropriate, to attend local hubs to secure continuity in their care and support.

Children and young people with complex additional support needs who have not attended provision have been, and will continue to be, provided with bespoke learning activities. In some cases, these are supported by home visits and helplines have also been set up to access support from local educational psychologists and education managers.

Some third sector organisations have been able to sustain their local and national services, while changing their model of delivery, in order to maintain support to children and young people as part of multi-agency plans. Specific advice is also available for parents and carers of children with additional support needs though the Scottish Government's Parent Club website and a range of partner organisations.

We continue to engage with local authorities and third sector partners to ensure that children and young people with additional support needs, including those with complex needs, get the support they need during this challenging time.

We recognise that children and young people with additional support needs may be finding this difficult time particularly challenging.

On 5 June, continuity in learning guidance was published, which includes advice on the provision of blended learning for children and young people who need support, including those with additional support needs, and support for families and carers.

To further support local authorities and schools, Education Scotland has developed bespoke resources to assist in planning the individual support that children and young people with additional support needs may require in their transition back to school or in their progression to another learning setting.

We are working closely with local authorities and other partners to ensure all children and young people continue to be supported with their learning and that their needs are fully considered as we look, and plan, ahead.

Mobile ice-cream vans are licensed as street traders under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. The legislative framework devolves most aspects of the creation and management of the licensing regime to local licensing authorities.

The Scottish Government considers that the 1982 Act works well in allowing licensing authorities sufficient flexibility to adapt their licensing regimes to their local circumstances. The Scottish Government has no plans at this time to make changes to the street traders licensing regime.

Such traders are permitted to operate under COVID-19 restrictions provided that they can do so safely in line with Scottish Government guidance.

Testing in Scotland happens through the NHS or through the UK Government expanded testing programme. Staff undertaking swabbing at NHS testing sites are all health board staff. Every healthcare employee in Scotland is required to complete public protection training at a level appropriate to their role.

Testers at the expanded testing programme sites are trained in carrying out swab testing but are not necessarily health professionals. No specific child protection training is provided in recognition that interactions with the public are brief. Advice and resources are available for each site to ensure staff are equipped to respond sensitively and effectively if they are asked for help. The expanded testing programme falls under the remit of the UK Government.

Contact tracing is currently carried out by specialised health protection teams in local NHS health boards. A national contact tracing centre is also being established to support the contact tracing process and is due to go live later in June. All contact tracers and team leaders who will be employed by the national centre will be provided with training on child protection which is appropriate for their grade. Appropriate referral processes are also being developed within the programme should staff become concerned that a child is at risk.