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CYCJ alerted the Scottish Government to its intention to cease hosting this service at Strathclyde University in November 2017. The Scottish Government have been engaged in a number of discussions between the IVY service, CYCJ and potential alternative hosts since the decision was taken.

CYCJ alerted the Scottish Government to its intention to cease hosting this service at Strathclyde University in November 2017. The Scottish Government have been engaged in a number of discussions between the IVY service, CYCJ and potential alternative hosts since then. The Scottish Government have also initiated discussions with interested partners willing to consider hosting the IVY service and we continue to support these on-going discussions.

We understand that the IVY service are in discussions with the organisations responsible for the 10 young people IVY are currently working with to ensure appropriate support continues to be in place for them. Support for young people who may have been referred to the IVY service will be considered by the local authority through multi-agency planning and local resources.

The Scottish Government has continued to have regular engagement with Orkney Islands Council since 2016 regarding the resources available to the Council for the delivery of affordable homes in Orkney. Scottish Government and Orkney Islands Council officials work closely together to maximise the delivery of affordable housing on the islands. Orkney has an agreed Strategic Housing Investment Plan and continues to deliver various housing options for Orkney communities with both mainstream affordable housing supply programme and the Islands Fund.

A total of £136,377 from the Islands Housing Fund has been spent in Orkney since 1 April 2016.

A total of 16 homes have been approved through the Islands Housing Fund, with seven complete. A further 20 projects have been assisted with feasibility support and overall £1,343,551 has been allocated towards Island Housing Fund projects.

Since 2016, there have been two main applications to the Islands Housing Fund from Orkney. One project has completed, the other has been approved and is on site. No applications have been withdrawn or not approved. The Scottish Government has also provided feasibility funding to explore housing options on Sanday, Shapinsay, Stronsay, Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre, Westray and at St. Margaret’s Hope.

Following the announcement on the Islands Housing Fund, the Scottish Government issued a news release in September 2016 to confirm availability of the Fund. Information on the fund is also available on the Scottish Government website, including links to a number of projects that have already completed homes. Presentations have been made by the Scottish Government at relevant rural housing events, including Community Land Scotland Conference, Rural and Islands Housing Association Forum conference and two Rural Housing Scotland conferences. The stakeholder group for the development of our Rural Housing Fund, which comprises a wide range of stakeholders representing the housing sector, has also promoted the availability of the Fund. The Scottish Rural Network, local authorities and partner organisations regularly promote the opportunity directly to communities.

Rural Housing Scotland was one of the organisations on the rural housing sounding group that helped inform the fund set up and guidance. The group was reconvened in autumn 2017 to discuss progress of the fund and to provide comments on the guidance. Rural Housing Scotland did not put forward any specific changes to the written guidance at that time. The rural housing sounding group is due to meet again in autumn 2019 to further look at the operation of the fund and guidance. There are around 250 homes in the pipeline which have had initial feasibility funding and are now working through the detail of securing planning, building warrants, tenders and starting on site. The evidence from project applications does not support the statement that there are substantial barriers to using the funds. However, by their nature rural housing projects can take considerable time from concept to delivery, whether supported through the funds or otherwise.

In respect of other settings and through the quarterly reporting templates agreed with Integration Authorities (IAs), we have specifically asked what recruitment is being undertaken, the roles involved and where exactly the workers will be based.

The level of detail received from the IAs in respect of this request has been varied. Some areas have provided specific detail on the roles of the workers to be recruited and where they will be based (for example support workers recruited through the third sector to work in a community hub providing an out of hours service).

However some areas have only provided a general statement around the initiatives they are looking to develop and how this will assist people in mental health crisis/distress. One of the reasons for this is because they are still in the planning stages for these (as with the key settings of the commitment) for years three and four of Action 15.

Policy officials however remain in constant dialogue with IAs on their recruitment plans under this commitment and a fourth quarterly update will be published in November 2019.