- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 18 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place to assist families in receipt of support from the advocacy service provided by Independent Special Education Advice (Scotland) for whom a tribunal has yet to be set or will be held after 14 November 2010.
Answer
The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 places a legal duty on Scottish Ministers to secure the provision of an advocacy service to be available on request and free of charge to support parents and young people in tribunal proceedings. The Scottish Government decided to run competitive tendering exercise to identify one or more organisations who would be awarded a grant to run a suitably specified national advocacy service.
The new service will be provided by Barnardo''s in partnership with the Scottish Child Law Centre. The Scottish Government currently provides funding to Independent Special Education Advice (ISEA) (Scotland) to provide independent advocacy and representation for young people and parents of children with additional support needs.
It is a condition of ISEA''s grant that they will work with the Scottish Government to ensure minimal disruption in the service provided to parents and young people during the transition to the new national advocacy service and funding will be provided to both ISEA and to Barnardo''s, in partnership with the Scottish Child Law Centre, throughout November 2010 to support transition arrangements. Barnardo''s, in partnership with the Scottish Child Law Centre, will be accepting new references from 14 November 2010 or existing cases on transfer from ISEA and have met with ISEA to discuss transition arrangements.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 18 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has transitional arrangements in place to assist families in receipt of support from the advocacy service provided by Independent Special Education Advice (Scotland) for whom a tribunal has yet to be set or will be held after 14 November 2010.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37290 on 18 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 18 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what the value of the annual award is for the new national advocacy service contractor for additional support needs and how long this award has been made for.
Answer
The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 places a legal duty on Scottish Ministers to secure the provision of an advocacy service to be available on request and free of charge to support parents and young people in tribunal proceedings. The Scottish Government decided to run a competitive tendering exercise to identify one or more organisations which would be awarded a grant to run a suitably specified national advocacy service. The grant was to a maximum of £100,000 per annum with the exception of year one which will be a part year.
The new service will be provided by Barnardo''s in partnership with the Scottish Child Law Centre. Their provisional costs are just over £40,000 for year one, covering
five months of operation, and just under £100,000 per annum in years two and three. While no final decision has been taken the contract is likely to be considered for retendering in 2013.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 18 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications were received to deliver the new national advocacy service contract for additional support needs.
Answer
The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 places a legal duty on Scottish Ministers to secure the provision of an advocacy service to be available on request and free of charge to support parents and young people in tribunal proceedings. The Scottish Government decided to run competitive tendering exercise to identify one or more organisations who would be awarded a grant to run a suitably specified national advocacy service.
Expressions of interest for the new service were invited on 14 April 2010 and application packs issued on 30 April 2010 with a deadline of 11 June 2010. Eight applications were received.
The new service will be provided by Barnardo''s in partnership with the Scottish Child Law Centre.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 18 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what transitional arrangements have been put in place to transfer the services provided by Independent Special Education Advice (Scotland) to the new national advocacy service contractor for additional support needs.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37290 on 18 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 18 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the procurement process for the new national advocacy service contract for additional support needs took until the end of October 2010 to come to a decision when applicants were informed that this would be made in July 2010.
Answer
The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 places a legal duty on Scottish Ministers to secure the provision of an advocacy service to be available on request and free of charge to support parents and young people in Tribunal proceedings. The Scottish Government decided to run competitive tendering exercise to identify one or more organisations which would be awarded a grant to run a national advocacy service.
Expressions of interest for the new service were invited on 14 April 2010 and application packs issued on 30 April 2010 with a deadline of 11 June 2010. Initially it was hoped that a decision on the successful applicant would be made in August 2010, however, it proved difficult to find a suitable date for the assessment panel to meet. The panel met on 24 September 2010. The successful applicants were informed of the outcome on 15 October 2010 while unsuccessful applicants were informed on 25 October 2010.
The new service will be provided by Barnardo''s in partnership with the Scottish Child Law Centre.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 18 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the organisation chosen to deliver the new national advocacy service contract for additional support needs was informed that it had been successful.
Answer
The new Additional Support Needs National Advocacy Service will be delivered by a partnership between Barnardo''s and the Scottish Child Law Centre.
Barnardo''s, who submitted the application on behalf of the partners, were informed that the application had been successful on 15 October 2010. A meeting was held with both Barnardo''s and the Scottish Child Law Centre on 21 October 2010 to discuss the establishment of the new service and transition arrangements. Unsuccessful applicants were informed on 25 October 2010.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 17 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive who was on the panel that awarded the contract for the additional support needs national advocacy service.
Answer
The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 places a legal duty on Scottish Ministers to secure the provision of an advocacy service to be available on request and free of charge to support parents and young people in tribunal proceedings. The Scottish Government decided to run a competitive tendering process to identify one or more organisations who would be awarded a grant to run a suitably specified national advocacy service.
Eight applications were received. All applications were assessed individually and then collectively by an assessment panel. The assessment panel comprised Rachel Sunderland, Scottish Government Support for Learning Division; Sarah O''Neill, Head of Policy at Consumer Focus Scotland and Mag Stewart, headteacher and member of the Additional Support for Learning Implementation Group.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards offer acupuncture treatment for patients with chronic pain.
Answer
Information about NHS availability of acupuncture treatment is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the availability of acupuncture treatment for patients with chronic pain.
Answer
Information about NHS availability of acupuncture treatment for patients with chronic pain is not held centrally.
