Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-08740 on 27 April 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The Scottish Government is committed to working with NHS Boards to provide the best neonatal care for babies and families in Scotland. This is reflected in the Scottish Government review - The Best Start - a five year forward plan for maternity and Neonatal are in Scotland. Scottish Government continues to work with NHS Boards through the implementation of The Best Start to ensure appropriate cot capacity and the best care for babies.

The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives, part of NHS Health Scotland, to provide information and advice on workplace health and wellbeing. The Centre, and the network of advisers in territorial NHS Boards, offer free and confidential advice on a wide range of issues relating to health, safety in the workplace. This includes promoting wellbeing in the workplace, managing sickness absence and supporting employees to return to work.

Health Working Lives runs training courses for employers on managing and promoting good mental health in the workplace.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with Integration Authorities to strengthen the links between health, social care and employability, however decisions for the delivery of services at a local level are for Integration Authorities to agree depending on local priorities.

The Scottish Government recognises the very specific challenges that people with mental health conditions can face in securing sustained employment. In designing our devolved employment support programmes, we have made sure to consult with service providers and people who use services to better understand the challenges and how they can be addressed. With devolved employment support, we have an opportunity to do things differently in Scotland and we are currently exploring ways in which we are able to join up devolved employment services with other key areas including health and social care, and justice.

The Mental Health Strategy 2017 – 2027 focuses on the important role of getting a job and staying in work. In particular, action 37 commits to explore with others innovative ways of connecting mental health, disability, and employment support in Scotland.

Our one year transitional employment programmes were launched at the beginning of April 2017. Work First Scotland will deliver employment support for up to 3,300 disabled people, including those with mental health conditions. Work Able Scotland will provide employment support for up to 1,500 clients with a disability or a health condition, including those with mental health conditions, who are at risk of long term unemployment.

While one of the key target groups for support through these services, as they are both wholly voluntary, we cannot state how many people with a mental health condition we expect to volunteer to participate or achieve job outcomes. However, we are collecting customer information on type of health condition and aim to include this in the Scottish Government statistics publication due for release later in the year, which will report on the transition year employability services.

From April 2018, we will introduce a new Scottish employability service - Fair Start Scotland. It is expected that the programme will support a minimum of 38,000 people over 3 years of referrals. People with mental health conditions are one of the key client groups we aim to support into work through Fair Start Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-08740 on 27 April 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The Scottish Government holds the principle that care services should be as well-coordinated and seamless as possible. Our programme of health and social care integration, which brings together NHS and Local Authority care services, is helping to deliver this. With a greater emphasis on community-based and more joined-up, anticipatory and preventative care, integration aims to improve care and support for people who use health and social care services. Improving the wellbeing of people with mental health problems is a key priority for Integration Authorities, who recognise that employment is an important factor in promoting wellbeing and recovery.

The Mental Health Strategy 2017 – 2027 focuses on the important role of getting a job and staying in work. In particular, action 37 commits to exploring with others innovative ways of connecting mental health, disability, and employment support in Scotland.

Information sourced from the Annual Population Survey in Table 1 shows the employment rate for the working age population overall, and also for those reporting health problems related to mental health.

Those reporting health problems related to mental health in these data are defined as those who responded to the APS reporting:

• that they had a physical or mental health condition or illness lasting or expecting to last 12 months or more; and,

• that their main health problem was either ‘Depression, bad nerves or anxiety’ or ‘Mental illness or suffer from a phobia, panics or other nervous disorders’.

Data is provided for the period between 2010 and 2016, with 2016 being the most recent data available.

Table 1: Employment rate (aged 16-64) for Scotland and for people whose main health problem was related to mental health

Source: Annual Population Survey, ONS (January to December in each year)

The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives, part of NHS Health Scotland, to provide information and advice on workplace health and wellbeing. The Centre, and the network of advisers in territorial NHS Boards, offer free and confidential advice on a wide range of issues relating to health, safety in the workplace. This includes promoting wellbeing in the workplace, managing sickness absence and supporting employees to return to work.

Health Working Lives runs training courses for employers on managing and promoting good mental health in the workplace.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-08740 on 27 April 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx