Seòmar agus comataidhean

The member will be aware that we are investing in social care in order to provide support for people who need to access it. Although we have overall responsibility for health and social care support policy in Scotland, it is for local authorities and health and social care partnerships to ensure that social care support services are in place to provide people with the appropriate support in the right place and at the right time.

Our budget for 2025-26 sets out almost £2.2 billion of investment in social care and integration, exceeding our commitment to increase investment during this session of Parliament.

The Scottish Government has regular meetings with all our local systems. I would be comfortable if the member were to furnish me with more details of the individual so that I can consider raising the individual’s case with the local system, which has responsibility both statutorily and operationally for the delivery of a care package to her.

The latest published statistics from Public Health Scotland show that, as of 3 March 2025, six people were waiting in hospital for a social care assessment in North Ayrshire. Over the past 12 months, on average, three people were recorded as waiting for a social care assessment in hospital in North Ayrshire, and no more than 12 people at any one point.

The same publication also shows that, on 3 March 2025, 44 people were waiting in hospital for a care-at-home package in North Ayrshire, which is 30 more than was the case in the same week in 2024, when, on 4 March 2024, 14 people were waiting.

The latest published statistics on delayed discharge also show that, as of 30 January, 15 people were delayed in North Ayrshire as they were awaiting a social care assessment. A further 46 people were delayed in hospital as they were awaiting completion of care arrangements, primarily for care-at-home services.

The statistics may well include patients who are delayed in a hospital that is outwith their health board area of residence. It is important that I point that out.

I am sorry, but I really would like to progress. I have a number of issues that I want to get round to, including some of the issues that Mr Marra raised.

We have established the national autism implementation team—or NAIT—which is supporting NHS boards to develop, enhance and redesign existing local adult neurodevelopmental services. In addition to NAIT, we have commissioned NHS Education for Scotland to provide professional learning to healthcare staff, including those involved in diagnosis of ADHD and neurodevelopmental conditions at informed, enhanced, specialist and expert levels.

On community support for autistic adults, we directly invest £1 million a year through our autistic adult support fund to deliver such support. Again, I would just highlight that support can be accessed without a formal diagnosis. The Scottish Government also funds Scottish Autism to provide an autism advice line, which is staffed by advisers who are trained and experienced in working with autistic people and their families.

Mr Burnett again invited me to attend the cross-party group on autism. As I outlined in my response to his initial invitation, I will shortly be responding to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee’s questions as a follow-up to my evidence session, and I have offered to copy the CPG into that response, which I believe will answer many of its questions. Should the committee have further questions, I am more than happy to hear from it again, as I outlined in my response.

It is also important for clarity and for the record that I explain again to Mr Burnett that a number of criteria need to be met before people can be treated under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. No one in Scotland can be detained simply because they are autistic or have a learning disability. The coming home programme is focused primarily on people who have concluded their period of treatment in hospital and are waiting for discharge, and that does not include people who have been admitted to a state hospital.

Mr Marra mentioned CAMHS waiting lists. CAMHS is a specialist service that provides support for mental health conditions, and it has its own referral criteria, which have been in place for some time. The referral for neurodevelopmental assessments does not go through the CAMHS waiting list. That is why we have been able, through a whole-system approach, to put time, effort and investment into improving the CAMHS waiting list. Some of that methodology will be used to look at the approach to neurodevelopmental assessments, as the same level of intensive effort and a whole-system approach will clearly be required to improve the system. The member is conflating and confusing two different referral pathways.

I also want to point out some of the vital work that is being done outside the proposed LDAN bill, which aims to address the inequalities that the groups experience. The Scottish Government wants people with learning disabilities to live longer and healthier lives, and offering annual health checks is a big step towards fulfilling that ambition. We are fully funding that policy with annual investment of £2 million.

Health checks, which are being delivered to thousands of people, are already yielding positive results in identifying unmet health needs and supporting access to the right care and treatment.

Furthermore, on 20 March, I confirmed to Parliament that the Scottish Government will allocate £10 million over the next two years to provide an additional 150 changing places toilets across Scotland. I am delighted about that announcement and delighted that we are able to deliver on that promise.

I thank Daniel Johnson for lodging the motion for debate, and I reaffirm my commitment to the proposed learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence bill. As I have said, I am aware that time constraints mean that I have been unable to respond to every issue that has been raised. I again emphasise that my door is open and I am happy to meet members and to make progress together on the issues.

As many of the people with whom we have engaged on the LDAN bill are well aware, we are continuing to make progress on the bill. As I have said, we will publish draft proposals before the end of this term of Parliament. We are working on those together. We will hold a series of meetings to discuss them, which we will schedule over the next few months. [Interruption.] I need to make progress, as multiple issues were raised during the debate, and I am keen to respond to them. That said, I am happy to offer to meet the member who sought to intervene at a later date, should his questions not be responded to.

As the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills recently set out to Parliament, she will engage with the Auditor General on Audit Scotland’s ASN report.

For children and young people, our national neurodevelopmental specification aims to ensure that children and families can access support and services that meet their needs. That support will often be community or school based. As I have already stated, receipt of support should not be dependent on a formal diagnosis, and I would expect NHS health boards, children’s services and other partners to work together to implement the specification and to provide the support that is required by children and families, which might include assessment, diagnosis or other interventions.

Over the past five years, we have invested £65 million in community-based mental health support and services for children and young people and their families, including support for neurodivergent children and young people. We continue to provide £16 million a year to local authorities to provide access to school counselling services for all school pupils aged 10 and above.

As for adults, we are aware that there has been a significant increase in the number of neurodivergent people seeking a diagnosis and requiring support. Although that creates challenges for a range of services, we recognise just how important it can be to a person’s wellbeing to receive such a diagnosis and support. Long waits for support are not acceptable. I assure members that the Scottish Government is working closely with local health and social care—[Interruption.] I am sorry—there are several points that I want to respond to, and I have only a couple of minutes left.

We are working with local health and social care bodies to improve access to services and support for neurodivergent people. Last year, we allocated £123 million to health boards to improve the quality and delivery of mental health and psychological services, including neurodevelopmental services for adults and for children and young people.

My officials have reached out to all the health board areas that have made such decisions. As I understand it, a process of redesign is under way, because the services are overwhelmed and are unable to respond to the need. A redesign process is going on. Health boards’ communication to people who are on waiting lists has not been good, and I would like that to be improved.

I am grateful to Daniel Johnson for lodging the motion and allowing us the opportunity to discuss an important topic. I am also grateful to the other members who contributed, many of whom have highlighted their personal experience. It is always powerful when members bring their own personal experience to the issues that we debate in the chamber.

In raising the topic for debate, Mr Johnson brings attention to the disadvantage and structural exclusion that neurodivergent people and people with learning disabilities experience. My work with and for those groups is a key part of my portfolio, but I also believe strongly that we need to change our approach in that area.

The motion that Mr Johnson lodged notes the disappointment that many people have expressed about the lengthened timescales for the LDAN bill. I acknowledge that neurodivergent people and people with learning disabilities have needed to campaign for far too long for the changes that they need. I understand how disappointing and frustrating that is, and I have met many individuals and our partners to express that I share their sense of frustration at the length of time that real change can take.

However, it is important that we recognise how far we have already come. The proposed bill started from a successful campaign by leading charities to highlight the need for greater accountability for those groups of people. From that early starting point, we have built a significant body of work over the past three years, and central to that has been the extensive consultation paper that was produced in partnership with the lived experience advisory panel. I am grateful to all the stakeholders who were involved in designing and responding to the consultation. The high number of responses that we received demonstrates the importance and relevance of the work.

I assure members around the chamber that the Government’s commitment to developing the LDAN bill has not changed. We have made a clear commitment that the work continues to progress and that the next steps will be for us to publish draft provisions with the benefit of the consultation evidence and further targeted engagement in forming our refined proposals.

The bill is, of course, only one piece of the puzzle, and members have rightly raised a number of other points that I wish to address in turn. In education, neurodivergent children benefit from existing protections under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. Local councils have a legal duty to plan and provide support for neurodivergent children. It is important, however, to point out that it is not necessary for children to have a diagnosis to receive the support that they need when they are in school. It is important that I correct the motion, because it is not correct to say that only 6 per cent of teachers are trained to provide support with additional support needs. All teachers undertake ASN training during initial teacher education; indeed, that is a requirement to meet the professional standards for registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I was unable to vote in time, and I would have voted yes.

I thank Paul O’Kane for initiating this really important debate regarding young carers action day, and I thank all the members for being here to discuss young carers and the absolutely vital contribution that they make to society.

I value young carers action day because it not only puts a spotlight on the important issues that young carers face but allows us to hear directly from them. I am so delighted that more than 150 young carers are here in the Parliament today. It was an absolute pleasure to chat with many of them outside at the photo opportunity this morning. I am really pleased that they are speaking about what they need from us as decision makers, and that they are listening and learning about how they can create change.

On the point that Mr Balfour raised, I know that my colleague Gillian Mackay from the Green Party will be very well known to many people in the carer community. She will undoubtedly be very sorry that she is unable to attend the Parliament today because of unexpected personal circumstances.

I am absolutely delighted that the Parliament has been given the opportunity to acknowledge the positive role that young carers play in their families and in our society. However, it is important that we also take time to reflect on some of the pressures that they face.

This year’s young carers action day theme is “geezabreak”—that is my very best Scots, which is not bad for a Highlander. The contributions of young carers in Scotland are absolutely vital and are deeply appreciated, so it is really important that they receive the support that they need to take a break from their caring role, and it is equally important that they feel supported to pursue their educational and work aspirations.

Like many members in the chamber, I have been honoured to hear at first hand from young carers, this morning and at last year’s Scottish young carers festival, just how important rest and respite are for them—not only for their wellbeing, but to enable them to be children, first and foremost.

In a similar debate marking last year’s young carers action day, I welcomed the launch of Carers Trust’s young carers covenant. At that time, I committed to engaging with my ministerial colleagues about the possibility of the Scottish Government signing up to it. Over the past year, consideration has been given to making that commitment in order to understand what it would mean for the wide range of policies across Government that are relevant to young carers. I am absolutely delighted to confirm today that the Scottish Government will be formally committing to the young carers covenant and the 10 outcomes that are contained within it. Doing that will make us the first Government in the UK to do so, and we hope that it will serve as an example to other organisations to do the same.

The outcomes within the covenant align with our policies and actions, including those in our national carers strategy. Work is already under way in many areas, including those that are linked to this year’s young carers action day’s theme and to the motion. Those outcomes are that young carers have time for themselves, are able to thrive in education and can access and succeed in employment or training opportunities.

I am grateful for this opportunity to mention some of the work that we are undertaking to achieve those outcomes and to support young carers. The Scottish Government recognises the demand on young carers and is working to support their access to breaks, hobbies and opportunities for time for themselves. I have been very grateful for the cross-party support for our proposed legislation to establish a right to breaks for carers in what is now the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill. I will not split hairs with my colleague Brian Whittle, but primary legislation is absolutely necessary to give carers that right, rather than just to fund their breaks.

Ahead of that legislation, we are increasing the voluntary sector short breaks funding in 2025-26 by a further £5 million, to a total of £13 million. That is expected to support up to 15,000 additional people, including young carers, in taking short breaks away from their caring responsibilities. As part of that, we are increasing funding for the Young Scot young carers package to £400,000 in 2025-26. That means that the package can provide more opportunities for more young carers to access some form of respite and to enjoy time with family and friends. I absolutely echo my colleague Colin Beattie’s point: we need more young people to be aware of that package, and if the uptake was 100 per cent, that would be great.

Alongside those measures, we continue to fund the annual Scottish young carers festival. It is an amazing and important event to help young carers to have a break, to pursue new opportunities and to have fun.

All those initiatives are highlighted in our national carers strategy. Now into its third year of implementation, the strategy sets out our approach to addressing issues facing carers, and our long-term vision for building a sustainable future for young carers. We recognise in the strategy that young carers’ education and their future prospects are incredibly important. That is why we fully fund an education officer at Carers Trust Scotland and will continue to work with education colleagues to ensure that young carers are seen and supported in school.

Through that collaborative work, the Scottish Government, Carers Trust Scotland and Education Scotland produce an e-learning module for all education staff to help them to better understand how they can identify and support young carers. The module is fully accredited by Education Scotland. I would be more than happy to write to the member with more details of what we are doing to support the outcome of that collaboration.

It would be remiss of me not to mention school nurses, because they play a vital role in the health and wellbeing of school-age children and families in our communities. We have completely transformed their role over the past few years to address health needs in school-age children at an early stage. Their work centres around 10 priority areas, one of which is young carers.

We have been working with Skills Development Scotland and employers on projects such as carer positive to ensure that, when young carers are ready to join the world of work, there continues to be flexibility and support for them.

All the work that I have just mentioned has been guided by young carers telling us what they need. That is why it is so important that they are here in the Parliament today, making sure that their voices are heard. We will continue to listen to young carers in shaping our work.

On the issue of data, the carer population surveys, including for young carers, are published annually, based on the Scottish health survey. Those data are based on about four years of survey results—I am sorry: they are based on four years of results, not “about four years”, so I had better be accurate when we are talking about data—to improve accuracy. The results rely on people recognising themselves as carers, which is amplified for young carers, because the surveys are completed by adults. We are including questions on caring in the schools health and wellbeing census, and we are working to raise awareness among teachers of the importance of noting whether a student is a young carer in the SEEMiS Group’s survey.

One of the big contributors to the underestimate in the data is the fact that many of our young people do not identify as carers. As was quoted by Martin Whitfield, they say that

“it’s just what we do.”

I also love that Martin Whitfield mentioned love, as it is very appropriate for today’s debate. I am grateful that he highlighted that people care with love.

In closing, I acknowledge members’ powerful contributions. Some spoke directly for their constituents and some brought caring to life by reflecting on their own experiences.

Most important is that I acknowledge the huge contribution that is made by young carers right across Scotland. I reiterate the Scottish Government’s commitment to doing what we can to make sure that young carers have access to the support that they deserve when they need it.

I thank Paul O’Kane for initiating this really important debate regarding young carers action day, and I thank all the members for being here to discuss young carers and the absolutely vital contribution that they make to society.

I value young carers action day because it not only puts a spotlight on the important issues that young carers face but allows us to hear directly from them. I am so delighted that more than 150 young carers are here in the Parliament today. It was an absolute pleasure to chat with many of them outside at the photo opportunity this morning. I am really pleased that they are speaking about what they need from us as decision makers, and that they are listening and learning about how they can create change.

On the point that Mr Balfour raised, I know that my colleague Gillian Mackay from the Green Party will be very well known to many people in the carer community. She will undoubtedly be very sorry that she is unable to attend the Parliament today because of unexpected personal circumstances.

I am absolutely delighted that the Parliament has been given the opportunity to acknowledge the positive role that young carers play in their families and in our society. However, it is important that we also take time to reflect on some of the pressures that they face.

This year’s young carers action day theme is “geezabreak”—that is my very best Scots, which is not bad for a Highlander. The contributions of young carers in Scotland are absolutely vital and are deeply appreciated, so it is really important that they receive the support that they need to take a break from their caring role, and it is equally important that they feel supported to pursue their educational and work aspirations.

Like many members in the chamber, I have been honoured to hear at first hand from young carers, this morning and at last year’s Scottish young carers festival, just how important rest and respite are for them—not only for their wellbeing, but to enable them to be children, first and foremost.

In a similar debate marking last year’s young carers action day, I welcomed the launch of Carers Trust’s young carers covenant. At that time, I committed to engaging with my ministerial colleagues about the possibility of the Scottish Government signing up to it. Over the past year, consideration has been given to making that commitment in order to understand what it would mean for the wide range of policies across Government that are relevant to young carers. I am absolutely delighted to confirm today that the Scottish Government will be formally committing to the young carers covenant and the 10 outcomes that are contained within it. Doing that will make us the first Government in the UK to do so, and we hope that it will serve as an example to other organisations to do the same.

The outcomes within the covenant align with our policies and actions, including those in our national carers strategy. Work is already under way in many areas, including those that are linked to this year’s young carers action day’s theme and to the motion. Those outcomes are that young carers have time for themselves, are able to thrive in education and can access and succeed in employment or training opportunities.

I am grateful for this opportunity to mention some of the work that we are undertaking to achieve those outcomes and to support young carers. The Scottish Government recognises the demand on young carers and is working to support their access to breaks, hobbies and opportunities for time for themselves. I have been very grateful for the cross-party support for our proposed legislation to establish a right to breaks for carers in what is now the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill. I will not split hairs with my colleague Brian Whittle, but primary legislation is absolutely necessary to give carers that right, rather than just to fund their breaks.

Ahead of that legislation, we are increasing the voluntary sector short breaks funding in 2025-26 by a further £5 million, to a total of £13 million. That is expected to support up to 15,000 additional people, including young carers, in taking short breaks away from their caring responsibilities. As part of that, we are increasing funding for the Young Scot young carers package to £400,000 in 2025-26. That means that the package can provide more opportunities for more young carers to access some form of respite and to enjoy time with family and friends. I absolutely echo my colleague Colin Beattie’s point: we need more young people to be aware of that package, and if the uptake was 100 per cent, that would be great.

Alongside those measures, we continue to fund the annual Scottish young carers festival. It is an amazing and important event to help young carers to have a break, to pursue new opportunities and to have fun.

All those initiatives are highlighted in our national carers strategy. Now into its third year of implementation, the strategy sets out our approach to addressing issues facing carers, and our long-term vision for building a sustainable future for young carers. We recognise in the strategy that young carers’ education and their future prospects are incredibly important. That is why we fully fund an education officer at Carers Trust Scotland and will continue to work with education colleagues to ensure that young carers are seen and supported in school.

Through that collaborative work, the Scottish Government, Carers Trust Scotland and Education Scotland produce an e-learning module for all education staff to help them to better understand how they can identify and support young carers. The module is fully accredited by Education Scotland. I would be more than happy to write to the member with more details of what we are doing to support the outcome of that collaboration.

It would be remiss of me not to mention school nurses, because they play a vital role in the health and wellbeing of school-age children and families in our communities. We have completely transformed their role over the past few years to address health needs in school-age children at an early stage. Their work centres around 10 priority areas, one of which is young carers.

We have been working with Skills Development Scotland and employers on projects such as carer positive to ensure that, when young carers are ready to join the world of work, there continues to be flexibility and support for them.

All the work that I have just mentioned has been guided by young carers telling us what they need. That is why it is so important that they are here in the Parliament today, making sure that their voices are heard. We will continue to listen to young carers in shaping our work.

On the issue of data, the carer population surveys, including for young carers, are published annually, based on the Scottish health service. Those data are based on about four years of survey results—I am sorry: they are based on four years of results, not “about four years”, so I had better be accurate when we are talking about data—to improve accuracy. The results rely on people recognising themselves as carers, which is amplified for young carers, because the surveys are completed by adults. We are including questions on caring in the schools health and wellbeing census, and we are working to raise awareness among teachers of the importance of noting whether a student is a young carer in the SEEMiS Group’s survey.

One of the big contributors to the underestimate in the data is the fact that many of our young people do not identify as carers. As was quoted by Martin Whitfield, they say that

“it’s just what we do.”

I also love that Martin Whitfield mentioned love, as it is very appropriate for today’s debate. I am grateful that he highlighted that people care with love.

In closing, I acknowledge members’ powerful contributions. Some spoke directly for their constituents and some brought caring to life by reflecting on their own experiences.

Most important is that I acknowledge the huge contribution that is made by young carers right across Scotland. I reiterate the Scottish Government’s commitment to doing what we can to make sure that young carers have access to the support that they deserve when they need it.