Chamber and committees

On 27 October 2021, SEPA published independent audits , commissioned from Police Scotland, The Scottish Business Resilience Centre, Azets and its own organisational response to allow others to learn from the SEPA experience. There were 44 learning points identified, all of which were accepted by SEPA and 35 have already been implemented.

The Scottish Government is aware of a growing number of studies linking autistic people (both diagnosed and undiagnosed) to increased chance of suffering from self-harm and suicidality, including the academic report Autistic traits in adults who have attempted suicide published by Richards, G., Kenny, R., Griffiths, S. et al. Molecular Autism and the academic report Links between self-injury and suicidality in autism published by Moseley et al. Molecular Autism in 2020.

People experiencing suicidality often face a complex set of personal issues and circumstances. As such, services must be person-centred and trauma-informed to ensure they provide compassionate and effective support. It is important services recognise and respond to the mental health challenges autistic people face in their day-to-day lives. In terms of learning resources, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) have developed Knowledge and Skills Frameworks for the Scottish Workforce on Mental Health Improvement, Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention, and Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing; these learning frameworks include resources and guidance on providing mental health support for autistic people. In addition, as part of a National Trauma Training Programme funded by the Scottish Government, NES have developed a knowledge and skills framework and training resources to support the Scottish workforce to better understand and respond to trauma.

The Scottish Government set up the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group (NSPLG) to oversee the delivery of the Suicide Prevention Action Plan ‘Every Life Matters’, published in 2018. The Plan continues to deliver a wide range of actions, including: campaigns to reduce stigma and promote suicide awareness (with a focus on reaching groups with a higher risk of suicide), improving suicide prevention skills of the workforce; ensuring effective, compassionate support to anyone in crisis, and supporting local suicide prevention planning.

In developing the new suicide prevention strategy and action plan, which will publish in September, the Scottish Government and COSLA are focussed on how to further develop effective approaches to reach and support groups at heightened risk of suicide, including autistic people. This will include drawing on research, lived experience insight, and examples of good practice.

The Scottish Government published our Learning/Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Towards Transformation Plan in March 2021. The plan looks at the actions needed to shape supports, services and attitudes to ensure that the human rights of autistic people and people with learning/intellectual disabilities are respected and protected and that they are empowered to live their lives, the same as everyone else. Vital to the successful implementation of the plan are actions to improve diagnostic and post-diagnostic services, to improve waiting times and to provide the support newly diagnosed autistic people require.

We are also carrying out new leadership and engagement work where lived experience is at the heart of the whole process. This process looks to empower autistic people and people with learning disabilities to be the leaders in transforming Scotland, starting by looking at what is needed to improve mental health for autistic people and people with learning disabilities.

The independent Barclay Review of Non-Domestic Rates acknowledged that exemption - where types of property are exempt from rating – is not the best way to affect non-domestic rates liabilities. The review highlighted that where properties are not valued and do not appear on the valuation roll the financial benefit to those concerned is unknown, which decreases transparency and has the potential to create unfairness for other ratepayers. Furthermore, exemptions are based on the property characteristics of lands and heritages, rather than occupiers. As such, any exemption for the property types that ALEOs operate would require to apply across the tax base, to all similar lands and heritages.

The independent Barclay Review recommended that charity relief be ended for ALEOs and the existing relief for ALEOs removed. The Scottish Government only accepted this recommendation in part, and on 28 November 2017 it was announced that properties being run by council ALEOs in receipt of relief, charitable or sports club, on that date would be able to retain that relief in full. However, to address the concerns of the continuing expansion of the ALEO approach, the cost of further relief to ALEOs would be offset to councils to mitigate against future ALEO expansion.

ALEOs are still able to claim relief, and Local Authorities may award the relief included within their baseline amount as they see fit. However, if the total amount awarded by the Council exceeds the established baseline, its Local Government settlement is adjusted by an offsetting amount.

The main Mental Health professional groups that the Scottish Government holds data for are Psychiatrists, Mental Health Nurses and Psychologists, including other psychological clinical staff and therapists. The Scottish Government also holds workforce figures for CAMHS, which are multidisciplinary teams that include, in addition to the professions mentioned above, AHPs, counsellors and social workers.

Under this government (since 2007), the number of:

a. Psychiatric Consultants across all specialities in NHSScotland has increased by 21.6% to 548.8 WTE posts;

b. The Mental Health Nursing workforce in NHSScotland has increased by 34.7% to 9,763.2 WTE posts;

c. Staff providing Psychology Services in NHSScotland has increased by 95% to the current all-time high of 1,359.3 WTE posts; and

d. Staff within CAMHS is up by 83.4% to the current all-time high of 1099.5 WTE posts.

NHS Scotland’s Mental Health Nursing, Psychology and CAMHS staffing numbers were at a record high on 31 December 2021.

Vacancy rates at 31 December 2021 were: 16.6% (107.5 WTE) for Consultant Psychiatrists, 12.4% (1,377.3 WTE) for Mental Health Nurses, 12.3% (191 WTE) for Psychology staff and 14.7% (190 WTE) for staff within CAMHS reflecting demand for staff as services continue to grow.

The Scottish Government also collects and publishes figures for mental health workers recruited under Action 15 of the Mental Health Strategy 2017-27, representing our commitment to recruit an additional 800 mental health workers between 2018-19 and 2021-22, to key settings such as A&E departments, GP practices, police station custody suites and prisons. As at 1 January 2022, 756.9 WTE mental health posts have recruited under Action 15.

The latest Action 15 recruitment figures as at 1 January 2022 can be accessed at Mental health workers: quarterly performance reports - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Despite this workforce expansion, demand for Mental Health Services remains high. The Scottish Government has committed to develop a long-term Mental Health Workforce Plan in the first half of this Parliament, and to ensure that by 2026, 10% of frontline NHS budget is invested in mental health, with 1% directed specifically to children and young people.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08108 on 3 May 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Minister for Equalities and Older People has agreed to meet with the Chief Executive of Hourglass Scotland in the coming weeks. Officials are arranging a suitable date and time.

The Chief Scientist Office as part of the Scottish Government provides fellowship schemes to support the career development of health researchers within Scotland. Details are available from the CSO website. Fellowships – Chief Scientist Office (scot.nhs.uk)

Clinical Academic Fellowship Scheme

This scheme is for clinical professionals early in their career to obtain a PhD. The eligibility for this includes medics in training, GP’s, Nurses, Midwives, Allied Health Professionals and health care scientists.

Early Postdoctoral Scheme

An early postdoctoral scheme which will provide 3 years of funding to health researchers with less than 2 years postdoctoral research experience. This is open to both clinical and non-clinical researchers who are proposing projects within CSO’s overall remit of early translational (experimental medicine), clinical and applied health research and social care.

NES/CSO Lectureship Scheme

A joint scheme run with NHS Education Scotland (NES) for speciality medics in training who have completed a PhD. This scheme provides 50% research time while they complete their training.

NRS Career Researcher Fellowships

This scheme has been running for over 10 years and supports GP’s and NHS-funded clinical staff in developing a research career within their post. The award provides funding for protected time (2 sessions a week) to contribute to, conduct and lead clinical research.

The following table shows the number of cards produced for the Young Persons Scheme (YPS) by close of business 25 April 2022, broken down to local authority level. This information was supplied by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO). NECPO support the 32 local authorities by assisting with the integration of various national and local public services on the National Entitlement Card (NEC) and are the joint controller with local authorities of this data. Please note this data might include a small number of cards produced without the travel product.

The Scottish Government can order a crop haulm to be destroyed at any time during the season. The Scottish Government conducts an annual surveillance programme of testing to ensure potato crops in Scotland remain free from many economically important pests and diseases and, in partnership with the potato industry, ensure that robust measures are in place to maintain Scotland’s high-health status and world-wide reputation for producing high quality seed potatoes.

We are aware of the EU’s policy initiative to propose a new legal framework for plants obtained by targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis and for their food and feed products.

Should the EU move to change its regulatory framework, we will consider the implications for Scotland as details become available.