Seòmar agus comataidhean

One of our key priorities is to ensure that children and young people with additional support needs, including those arising from health or disability, who may be finding this difficult time particularly challenging, continue to be supported with their learning, whether at home or at a local hub.

We have published a range of guidance to support schools, local authorities and families during this time. This includes guidance for term 4 that gives an overview of the measures in place and steps being taken, at a national and local level, to support all children and young people’s learning, including those with additional support needs; and guidance to help local authorities, early learning centres and schools continue to support children and young people's learning during the coronavirus outbreak, including advice on the provision of blended learning for children and young people who need support.

Children and young people with additional support needs have been, and will continue to be, provided with bespoke learning activities from their schools and local authorities. Support and advice is also available for their parents and carers though our Parent Club website and from a range of partner organisations.

We are working closely with local authorities and other partners to ensure all children and young people continue to be supported with their learning and that their needs are fully considered as we look, and plan, ahead.

The Health and Safety Executive have published advice on the risk of Legionella in buildings which are closed or running with reduced occupancy during the COVID-19 crisis. This can be found on the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) website at https://rehis.com/story/legionella-risks-during-coronavirus-outbreak

We do not have plans to introduce legislation to create a Commissioner for Older People in Scotland. Our focus continues to be to keep people safe, protect the NHS and save lives, and we are doing that by working with our key partners in the Older People’s Strategic Action Forum. Members of the Forum will also be participating in our new Social Renewal Advisory Board which is focusing on how we will create the change we want through the phases of recovery.

Fairness and human rights will remain at the heart of the Scottish Government’s approach as we work to keep older people safe, cared for and connected, with access to the essentials they need. This has been demonstrated by funding of around £1.7 million to organisations who are directly supporting the needs of older people during the Covid pandemic, including funding for helplines, food distribution and keeping people connected.

Additionally, the work of the National Taskforce for Human Rights Leadership is key to Scotland becoming a world leader on human rights.

The Taskforce will develop proposals for human rights legislation and we will seek to ensure the work of the Taskforce informs our human rights work in the context of COVID-19 recovery. The priority work for the Taskforce will be a statutory human rights framework that gives effect to internationally-recognised human rights in domestic law.

Like every member of society, older people are entitled to all of the rights set out in international human rights treaties which apply to Scotland.

We welcome research on the impact that the current pandemic could have on mental health, both now and in the future. Which is why we are asking the Mental Health Research Advisory Group (RAG) to focus on this task and working closely with Public Health Scotland. This will inform our ongoing response.

The web resource Aye Feel was launched on the 18 May, and is a universal offer, available to all children and young people, and connects general population level information and links to practical support. There are appropriate links and signposting for young people who may be experiencing mental ill health or distress, to ensure young people can access the right support for their circumstances, this includes advice and information about loneliness.

The Scottish Government is aware of the report by the Care Quality Commission in England.

The measures Ministers and services have taken in Scotland will help avoid the situation which the report suggests may have happened in England. On 16 April, the Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and Sport and Interim Chief Medical Officer wrote to all services stating that alcohol and drug services, including opiate Substitution Treatment (OST) remained urgent and were not to be de-prioritised during the pandemic. Subsequently, on 11 May, the Minister and Chief Pharmaceutical Officer issued a joint letter to Directors of Pharmacy across Scotland asking they ensure that essential pharmacy services are maintained and supportive of vulnerable groups, including those who use drugs.

Throughout the pandemic our Drug Death Taskforce, alongside Public Health Scotland, Police Scotland and other stakeholders, have been closely monitoring information about potential rises in drug related deaths. To date, information from Police Scotland does not suggest similar issues have arisen here.

National Records Scotland (NRS) are responsible for publishing the Scottish drug death statistics on an annual basis. The last publication made by NRS was in July 2019.

We are currently awaiting details from them with regards to the date of publication for the 2019-2020 drug death statistics, which will include information on the number of recorded drug-related deaths during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Clinical and care staff across health and social care teams in Scotland have been providing care, support and treatment to people recovering from Covid-19 in line with the principles of psychological first aid, which include education about responses to trauma, provision of information on coping, and care for immediate needs. When clinically indicated, appropriate access will be provided to the range of evidence based support and care, including specialist psychological support.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to developing a trauma informed and trauma responsive workforce across Scotland that can minimise distress, overcome barriers and build trust. Since 2018, we have invested over £1.5 million in a National Trauma Training Programme to support all sectors of the workforce in trauma informed practice, as well as to embed and sustain this model of working.

The Scottish Government is investing a total of £6 million of additional funding to support the population’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. This includes £3.8 million to increase the capacity of NHS 24’s telephone and online services, and to extend the availability of digital therapies, and £1 million to roll out the Distress Brief Intervention Programme on a national basis.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29790 on 18 June 2020. 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 .

We have invested £105,000 to support Young Scot to create Aye Feel, an enhanced digital mental wellbeing resource for young people. The new content is hosted on Young Scot’s own digital platform – as well as on social media. Aye Feel provides a place where young people can find information and advice within Young Scot’s well-established set of services which young people already use.

We have made support and advice around mental health for parents/carers and children available on Parent Club. This includes free access to Solihull Online, which is a resource which helps parents and carers to better understand their child’s emotional development and supports the development of healthy relationships. The resource is signposted on Parent Club, ParentZone and Clear Your Head.

In March, £2 million of new funding was allocated to Local Authorities to support the planning and development of new community mental health and wellbeing services for 5-25 year olds, their families and carers. Services are expected to be in place this financial year and will be part of the long term solution for those experiencing poor mental health and wellbeing, including as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. To enable delivery of the services funding of up to £15 million per annum will also be available.

There will be many people in Scotland caring for, or supporting, people with mental health problems. Some will require PPE, depending on their caring role.

Given the immense pressure that global supply chains for PPE have been put under during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Scottish Government has set up supplies of PPE from the national stock to support organisations and individual carers providing social care support.

Social care PPE Hubs were set up in local communities in March, and are now providing PPE for unpaid carers and Personal Assistants that need it, as well as supporting the wider social care sector with its PPE needs, where normal supply routes fail. Stocks at the Hubs include the key PPE items and hand sanitiser.

There is advice on the Scottish Government website for unpaid carers, Personal Assistants and social care provider organisations about how to access their local Hub.