Chamber and committees

Management of the NHS clinical waste contract is a matter for Health Boards, and management of the NHS’s relationship with the clinical waste contractor is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland’s (NSS) National Procurement and Logistics Service. The information requested is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government is aware of complaints of bullying by senior members of staff in the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS).

Whilst Scottish Government provide support in applying the appropriate policies, this is a contractual issue which, by law, must remain between an employee and SAS as their employer. We expect all health boards to thoroughly investigate any complaints made about bullying, regardless of grade, and to ensure that these are appropriately actioned.

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.

Monitoring will be expected as part of the grant award process. Successful applicants will be informed in due course.

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.

Since 2018, NHS boards across Scotland have had a legislative duty to provide children and adults who have lost their voice or have difficulty speaking with communication equipment and support, necessary to meet their requirements.

To support and monitor the delivery of this duty, a National Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) advisory group with representation from AAC Executive Leads across all NHS boards including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, was established. Its membership brought together knowledge and influence, as well as specialist expertise to enable best practice to be shared to drive improvement.

In February 2020, the Provision of Communication Equipment and Support Progress Report was published, informed by contributions from the National AAC Advisory Group members, local government, people who use AAC and third sector providers. The report set out progress in the implementation of the legislative duty since commencement in 2018, which included:

• The publication of guidance on the Provision of Communication and Support,
• The development of a National AAC core pathway
• The development of AAC topic related learning modules

More information can be found in the report: Provision of Communication Equipment and Support : Part 4 of the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Act 2016 (www.gov.scot).

Since 2018, NHS boards across Scotland have had a legislative duty to provide children and adults who have lost their voice or have difficulty speaking with communication equipment and support, necessary to meet their requirements.

As such, this information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government as it is for local NHS Boards to determine the levels of funding required for services providing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), based on local priorities and clinical needs.

Teachers in Scotland are directly employed by local authorities, who will have their own local payroll arrangements; therefore provisions relating to the backdated payment of pay awards will differ between authorities. The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of teachers in Scotland who have received backdated payments, because this data is held locally by Councils as the employer of teachers.

On 2 October 2024 the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) issued a joint circular to local authorities regarding the agreed 4.27% pay increase for teachers, at all points in the SNCT pay scales, to be backdated to 1 August 2024.

The legislative duty provides flexibility for the development of future communication equipment technology. Through the assessment process health boards should ensure they have justification based on the circumstances of each individual regarding necessity and reasonability, and taking into consideration the needs, views, and choices of each individual, as is the case with other health provision.

Information on the specific technology and communication equipment that is available in NHS boards is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) support is being delivered across Scotland by NHS boards, primarily through speech and language therapy and often in collaboration with Education, Social Work, and the Third Sector, as appropriate to the assessed needs of each individual.