Chamber and committees

Respite foster care can go ahead under Level 4 COVID-19 restrictions subject to the appropriate professional assessments being carried out. Care planning and issues surrounding care planning are a matter for local authorities to decide and we would expect local authorities to consider the risks of respite foster care before making any decision on a case by case base, whilst adhering to public health measures.

Decision makers must ensure that the safety and wellbeing of children, young people, families, carers and staff members is at the heart of decision making. They must balance these safety considerations with a child’s rights and the detriment to the child if a respite placement does not go ahead.

The Scottish Government will shortly be publishing updated Coronavirus guidance about family contact for Looked After Children. This guidance will support decision makers in ensuring that the risk of exposure is minimised, whilst children are supported and enabled to meaningfully maintain relationships which are essential to their wellbeing.

The Scottish Government has not published specific guidance for ceremonies such as baby naming ceremonies, Christenings or baptisms. We have issued specific guidance for marriage ceremonies and civil partnership registrations .

Our guidance for the safe use of places of worship outlines that where ceremonies such as Christenings, baptisms and coming-of-age ceremonies form part of a wider religious service in a place of worship, the gathering should consist of no more than 50 people in total in areas at Levels 0-3 as set out in the strategic framework . Outdoor acts of worship conducted in accordance with Coronavirus (COVID-19): events sector guidance in areas at levels 0 and 1 areas may have up to 200 people in attendance.

Under the current Level 4 restrictions affecting most of Scotland set out in the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 as amended, places of worship must be closed to the public except for limited specified purposes. These specified purposes do not include a baby naming ceremony, Christening or baptism.

If a naming ceremony, Christening or baptism is not happening in a place of worship or as part of a permitted act of worship outdoors, the gathering should comply with the restrictions on social gatherings in the relevant protection level set out in the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 as amended.

Any celebrants conducting naming ceremonies permitted under the present restrictions should work with families on whether aspects of the ceremony need to be adapted in line with physical distancing and hygiene requirements in order to help ensure the safety of all present.

Current planning is for 8am - 8pm, 7 days opening but as I indicated in the chamber on 13 January 2021 we have the capacity to extend these hours including to 24/7 and we will keep this position under review.

All social care staff employed in registered adult social care services and personal assistants will be in scope of the pro rata £500 payment being made to those NHS and adult social care staff who have been employed since 17 March 2020. This includes those employed in the statutory, third and private sector, or by the person who they support directly.

Scottish Government Ministers want to recognise the extraordinary effort that front line NHS and social care staff have made to our national effort during this pandemic. There is no mechanism for opting out of receiving the payment or nominating a charity to receive it. All recipients are however free to do with they wish with the payment, including donating to charitable causes if they should choose. Full details have been published at the following link:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): £500 payment for health and social care staff - questions and answers - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

On 23 December 2020, the Scottish Government published full details of eligibility for the pro-rata £500 payment, including expected payment dates. Payments to health and care workers will commence in February 2021, with the majority of social care staff receiving payment in March 2021. To reduce the potential impact a single payment may have on any benefits staff may be receiving, we will ask employers to offer the option of spreading this payment over three months. Full details have been published at the following link:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): £500 payment for health and social care staff - questions and answers - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . .

People who are given a COVID-19 vaccine are provided with a nationally produced leaflet, that tells them what to expect after the vaccine and includes a reminder about their second dose. They are not given any paperwork as a ‘record’ of the vaccine. As with other vaccines, their vaccination is recorded electronically by NHS Scotland. For COVID-19 vaccination, a Vaccination Management Tool is used by local NHS Boards to record vaccinations.

Students who worked on temporary paid contracts during the pandemic for a period of at least one month during the qualifying period, and have since returned to university, will receive the payment. This includes Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professional students who undertook paid placements over the Summer. However, clinical students on unpaid placements within health and social care are not eligible.

The Scottish Government has published a list of frequently asked questions regarding this payment which provide information on eligibility and payment arrangements. The FAQ can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-gbp500-payment-for-health-and-social-care-staff---questions-and-answers/ .

Since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak the Scottish Government has worked closely with the UK Government and private and public sector partners to develop a range of support mechanisms for businesses. To varying degrees, the leisure industry have utilised the job retention scheme, non-domestic rates relief, business hardship fund, and the Strategic Framework Business Support.

a) The Finance Secretary recently announced an additional £41 million to top up support for non-essential retail and gyms, which are required to close in level 4.

b) The Scottish Government is working with COSLA to finalise a lost income scheme, including support for ALEOs, worth an estimated £90 million which when added to the committed £49 million consequentials will provide an extra £139 million of funding.

Occupational therapists who work in local authority health and social care departments will be in the scope of the pro rata £500 payment being made to those NHS and adult social care staff who have been employed since 17 March 2020. Full details of the categories of workers who are eligible for the payment are set out in the Scottish Government's announcement .