Expertise and experience wanted to help tackle poverty and inequality
Ideas are being gathered to drive a fairer recovery in the wake of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Organisations and community groups are being asked to share ideas and evidence based on their experiences of responding to the pandemic, and their engagement with people with lived experience of poverty and inequality.
Responses will help inform the work of the Scottish Government’s Advisory Board on Social Renewal, which is tasked with building on the positive policy and practice shifts seen during COVID-19 to tackle disadvantage and poverty, and advance equality and social justice.
Analysis of responses will feed into the board’s discussions, and a report on the outcomes will be published later this year.
Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on the health, wealth and emotional wellbeing of our communities is vital to inform our response to and recovery from the pandemic. We also know particular groups have been disproportionately impacted by the crisis.
“That’s why we established the Social Renewal Advisory Board to focus on reducing poverty and disadvantage and advancing equality across a range of issues.
We now want to hear from the many organisations and community groups working on social renewal that will have adapted, changed and repurposed in light of COVID-19. There is significant learning on this to be shared and we want to capture that expertise.
“Our call for ideas and evidence will help us drive forward our ambitions on creating a fairer, more equal society and ensure that the voices of those with lived experience are heard.”
The call for ideas and evidence will run until 16 October.
The lives of some of the UK’s most vulnerable children are being devastated by a string of missed opportunities to provide them with timely and adequate support, a new report reveals today.
The Adoption Barometer, published by charity Adoption UK, also describes the dramatic impact the right support can have. Now in its second year, the Barometer is based on the biggest ever survey of adopters. This year, 5,000 people responded to the survey.
One of the main themes to emerge is the failure in diagnosing and treating brain damage caused by children being exposed to alcohol in the womb. The report reveals more than one in three adopted children in Scotland (35%) are either diagnosed with or suspected to have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Almost two thirds (63%) of families polled in Scotland had waited two years or longer for a diagnosis, and more than half (53%) felt healthcare professionals lacked even basic knowledge about the condition, even though FASD is more common in the general population than autism.
Adoptive mother Gemma (below) said: “When Isabelle came to us at eight months-old she was described as a perfect baby. At two and a half she started headbutting, kicking and biting. Then she became obsessed with sharp knives.
“She told me she wanted to ‘cut me open and see me bleed’. We went to countless GPs, health visitors and social workers but we got nowhere. We finally got a diagnosis of FASD when she was four years old. It has made a huge difference to the support we’ve been able to access.”
Scotland is leading the field in the UK, as the first nation to establish an FASD diagnostic pathway. In 2019 the Scottish Government backed Adoption UK in Scotland to launch FASD Hub Scotland, supporting all parents and carers of people who were, or may have been, exposed to alcohol during pregnancy, including Gemma and her family.
The service includes a helpline, online support communities, one to one support, access to enhanced therapeutic support, training and information, as well as training and resources for professionals.
FASD Hub Scotland Project Manager, Aliy Brown, says: “During the month of September (FASD Month) we have been working closely with professionals within Scotland, other parts of the UK and further afield to drive the campaign around the need for awareness of FASD, both for prevention as well as support for families, which is so badly needed, as evidenced in the report.
“We are committed to doing everything we can to see the condition recognised in the same way the other neuro-diverse conditions are, and enable both individuals and their families to access early diagnosis, support and intervention to promote positive outcomes for life.”
Around three-quarters of adopted children experienced violence, abuse or neglect while living with their birth families, often with life-long impacts on their relationships, their health and their ability to learn. Despite the considerable challenges, the report shows that adopters remain positive and resilient – 73% of respondents in Scotland would encourage others to consider adoption.
But failures in policy and practice and missed opportunities to intervene mean that problems often build into a crisis. Almost half (48%) of families with older children report severe challenges, such as being drawn into criminally exploitative behaviour, including child sexual exploitation and county lines activities.
Almost two thirds (62%) of respondents from Scotland with secondary aged children anticipate they will leave school with few or no qualifications because they lacked the right support.
Director of Adoption UK Scotland, Fiona Aitken, said: “It is crucial that adoptive families are given the right support from day one, from both a moral and economic perspective.
“The survey shows 68% of adoptive families had no support plan in place, which we know can lead to crisis situations. The cost of a family breakdown is too high for all involved, particularly the children who have already experienced so much.”
The Adoption Barometer also assesses the government policies that regulate adoption. Welsh policies scored best, with three areas of policy scoring ‘good’. However, all nations score poorly in at least one area of policy. Policy relating to finding families for children scores best across the board.
Policy relating to FASD scores worst, with all nations assessed as ‘poor’, and adopter experiences also ‘poor’ in all nations, however Scotland does come across better than the other three nations in respect of their nationwide strategy.
There has been some progress since last year’s Barometer, including the extension of the English Adoption Support Fund (ASF) and the first experimental data collection on school exclusions in England, both of which were recommendations from last year’s report. In Wales there has been a £2.3m investment in adoption services.
Although respondents in Scotland were most likely to consider their social worker to be knowledgeable and understanding they were least likely to be satisfied with the range of support services on offer, perhaps reflecting the comparatively low proportion who were able to access enhanced support services.
Currently all support services are expected to be provided by agencies, with the exception of the Big Lottery Funded Therapeutic and Education Support Services in Adoption (TESSA), hosted and provided by Adoption UK Scotland.
The Adoption Barometer calls on the governments in all four nations of the UK to provide detailed therapeutic assessments for every child before they arrive in their new family, with up to date support plans to be maintained into early adulthood.
Police Scotland is pleased to confirm that a woman found seriously injured in Laverockbank Road, Edinburgh, around 5.30pm on Sunday, 27 September, has now been identified.
Officers would like to thank everyone who got in touch as a result of our appeal to find out her identity.
Enquiries are continuing to find out what happened and anyone with information can contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 3537 of Sunday, 27 September, or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Yesterday’s Appeal:
Police are trying to identify a woman found seriously injured in Laverockbank Road in Trinity.
Around 5.30pm yesterday (Sunday 27 September), the woman was found injured by a member of the public lying on the pavement.
Emergency services were called and she was taken to hospital, where her condition has been described serious.
Detective Inspector Jon Pleasance, Edinburgh CID said : “We are trying to establish the identity of the woman and are needing the assistance of the public in doing so.
“The woman is described as being about late 60s, between 5’ 5” and 5’ 7” in height with short grey hair. She has a dental plate with four teeth.
“She was wearing navy coloured trousers, a white coloured vest top, a teal coloured cardigan all from Marks and Spencer. She had a navy coloured raincoat and was wearing black shoes with a Velcro strap.
“She was wearing was a yellow and white metal ladies watch – Lorus brand. The only other possessions she had were four keys, two mortice and two padlock type keys on a brown leather fob with the word ‘Traidcraft’ written on it.
“At present we are trying to establish how this woman came about her injuries. We need to find out who she is so we can let any family members know where she is and that she is very unwell. I would appeal to anyone who can assist in identifying her or was in the area of Laverockbank Road area of Edinburgh yesterday afternoon to come forward.”
Information can be passed to Edinburgh CID via 101 quoting reference number 3537 of Sunday 27 September. If you wish to remain anonymous, then call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
An estimated £97.7 million was lost on shopping vouchers that went unused during lockdown, according to new Which? research.
The consumer champion found a quarter (25%) of UK adults had a shopping voucher – worth £45 on average – that expired during the period when many shops and businesses were forced to close their doors.
Almost half (49%) of those with an expiring voucher said it was automatically extended by the retailer, while one in seven (15%) said they had to request an extension.
However, just over a third (36%) – an estimated 3.1 million – did not receive an extension on their shopping vouchers worth £30 on average, automatically losing all the money they had left. This equates to an estimated £97.7 million across the whole of the UK.
Those from an older demographic were more likely to lose money, with almost half (46%) of those aged over 55 claiming they did not receive an extension for their shopping vouchers.
Around two in five (42%) of those aged 35-54 did not receive an extension either, however this figure dropped to just one in five (20%) of those aged 18-35.
According to the Gift Card and Voucher Association, the gift card industry is worth £6 billion every year.
Many retailers introduced new Covid-19 terms and conditions during lockdown and offered to extend vouchers. While some proactively reached out to customers, others were not so helpful.
One person told Which? they had emailed a retailer regarding vouchers that were due to expire during lockdown, and received a swift response extending the voucher, while another said they were left “disappointed” when they contacted the company who told them “hard luck, basically”.
Which? is advising anyone who had a voucher that expired during lockdown to contact the company to try and get an extension. All retailers should also be reasonable and extend vouchers that customers were not able to use during lockdown.
Anyone considering buying shopping vouchers should be wary, as coronavirus has had a severe financial impact on many retailers – with some big names disappearing from the high street altogether. The possibility of further coronavirus lockdown restrictions in the near future could also make it difficult to spend vouchers.
Adam French, Which? Consumer Rights Expert, said:“Our research suggests consumers may have lost tens of millions of pounds on expired vouchers during lockdown.
“Many retailers have extended shopping vouchers that expired during lockdown, so if you have a voucher you were unable to use it is worth contacting the company.
“Anyone considering buying a voucher should be aware of the risks, as some well-known retailers have collapsed in recent months and further coronavirus restrictions could make it difficult to spend vouchers and gift cards.”
Flu immunisation begins in autumn. This year, with coronavirus (COVID-19) circulating, the flu vaccine is being offered to more people than ever before in Scotland.
Please note that flu vaccinations are being offered differently in some areas of Scotland this year, and might not be at your GP practice as in previous years.
The following groups are eligible for the free flu vaccine this year:
Those living in the same home as people previously shielding from coronavirus
A second phase is planned to begin in December, and will include those aged 55 to 64 (by 31 March 2021) who would not usually be eligible.
The vaccine is safe, effective and is the best protection against flu. It reduces your risk of getting flu and spreading it to others, especially those who are most at risk.
You have to be immunised every year because the virus changes each year and your immunity reduces over time. The vaccine takes around ten days to work so the sooner you get it the better. Help our NHS avoid the pressure that a spike in seasonal flu would put on top of coronavirus.
Getting your flu vaccine is one of the most important reasons for leaving your home. Strict infection prevention and control measures will be in place during vaccination.
If you are eligible due to a health condition, the risk of getting seriously ill with the flu virus is greater than the risk of going to get your vaccine.
Find out if you’re eligible for a free flu vaccine and get more information about this year’s vaccine. Or call 0800 22 44 88 (open 8 am – 10 pm, 7 days a week).
The installation of nearly 1MW of solar panels on at least six buildings in Edinburgh is planned by Edinburgh Community Solar Co-operative (ECSC) as they return for Phase 2 in their quest to make Edinburgh a cleaner and greener city.
To do this ECSC has launched a share offer on 28 September 2020 to raise £660,000 by the issue of £1 shares. The minimum investment is £100 and priority will be given to local residents who reside in the EH postcode districts.
The six sites are:
Kirkliston Leisure Centre
Gracemount Leisure Centre
Craiglockhart Leisure Centre
Waverley Court
Edinburgh Road Services
Sighthill Recycling Centre
In 2015 ECSC successfully launched their first share offer which resulted in over £1.4 million being raised that funded the installation of nearly 1.4MW of solar power on 24 buildings owned by City of Edinburgh Council.
Today ECSC continues to generate solar power from these buildings and members receive share interest on their investment as projected with all surplus profits allocated to the Community Benefit Fund which came into operation in 2018.
Speaking of the launch of the share offer, Lesley Hinds, Chair of ECSC, said “ECSC is an ethical, community-based, social enterprise. We came together with a plan to help reduce carbon emissions, address Fuel Poverty and make renewable energy more commonplace in our city.
“We especially welcome smaller amounts, as we would like as many people to join ECSC as possible, which is why the minimum investment is as low as we can make it.
“Parents and grandparents can also apply for shares in ECSC for their children and grandchildren or can apply for shares on their behalf and leave them in their will”.
Shares in ECSC are understood to be exempt from inheritance tax under present rules.
ECSC is supported and assisted byEnergy4All, the leading social enterprise in the UK for delivering community owned renewable energy schemes. Energy4All projects have raised over £80 million to build and operate community renewable energy generation all over the UK.
Additional guidance has been published for those living in student households after new measures were announced last week to protect the population from the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science Richard Lochhead has written to college and university principals and student accommodation provider networks to set out the new guidance. It has been developed in consultation with the National Union of Students Scotland and Universities Scotland.
The guidance is intended to address questions from students and encourages them to remain on campus if they are able to do so. It outlines what students can and cannot do and what they need to think about if they are considering a return home on a permanent basis.
This includes where students are isolating and require support to allow them to comply with the requirement to self-isolate. Under the guidance, the household students are returning to are asked to also self-isolate and states that public transport should not be used.
Mr Lochhead said: “Our priority is to try and keep people safe from a virus that, even for young people, can do a lot of damage to physical health.
“We would encourage students to remain living in their current accommodation where they are able to, so they can continue to benefit from both a blend of digital and in-person learning, where that is possible and the opportunity to engage with others, within the restrictions, to build new networks and to make new friends.
“However, we know that many students may be struggling with the prospect of not being able to return home to visit family and other support networks, especially if is the first time in their life they have been away from home.
“Knowing what to consider in deciding whether to return home will help support wellbeing and enable students to make informed choices, but it is important to stress that adjusting to life away from home is always challenging.
“And, as the First Minister has made clear, we are strongly advising that students do not visit pubs and restaurants for the remainder of this weekend.
“I’d like to thank students for playing their role at this very difficult time when they are trying to benefit from further and higher education against a backdrop of a global pandemic.”
Responding to the updated guidance, NUS Scotland said: “Today’s guidance provides welcome clarity to the students in halls, who will be considering their next steps.
“We welcome that students will be able to return home on a permanent basis.
“However, we are disappointed that the government continues to talk up in-person teaching, which may keep students on campus and increase risks unnecessarily. We continue to call on the Scottish Government to strengthen teaching guidance so remote learning is the default, and a reality for as many students as possible.
“We recognise that some students may want to return to halls at a later date. We would welcome this opportunity to be open to them, so long as it is safe to do so.
“Students can, by law, end their student accommodation contracts by serving notice for Covid-19 related reasons. We’re calling for institutions and private providers to go further. This isn’t what students signed up for. If students want to end their contracts and return home, they should be fully refunded. And if they wish to defer study, they should be supported to do so.
“For those who wish to remain in halls, they must be provided with first-class support from their institutions – including practical support like food deliveries, as well as mental health and wellbeing support. They deserve nothing less.
“We also welcome guidance for students who may need to return home because they require the support of a friend, family member or other supportive person, to allow them to comply with the requirement to self-isolate.”
The body representing Scottish universities said student welfare must be a priority.
Responding to the additional guidance, Professor Gerry McCormac, Convener of Universities Scotland and Principal of the University of Stirling said:“With the support of their universities, students need to choose what is right for their own physical and mental health.
“Unfortunately the current situation with this pandemic means these choices do need to be balanced within the wider public health context. There is a real benefit, we believe, in staying at university this semester and benefiting from the blend of both digital and in-person learning and the wider range of services and support that is available.
“The Scottish Government’s additional guidance about households puts the emphasis on staying within existing households and avoiding overnight stays elsewhere for now, but not at the expense of an individual’s wellbeing. It also makes clear that a change of household is possible but offers guidance to limit this to cases where a change then become the person’s main or only residence on a long-term basis.
“It has been a very difficult start to the new academic year for the entire student community, both those returning to university and in particular, those attending for the first time. It is particularly worrying for the students who have tested positive for COVID-19 and for those who have been asked to isolate to protect other students, staff and the local community.
“A great deal has been asked of students in recent times so that the transmission of the virus can be limited, but the prevalence of this virus has been increasing for several weeks and while students have been severely affected, the responsibility for this increase does not just lie with them.
“Nonetheless we must do all we can to curtail the spreads of this deadly disease while ensuring students and staff are fully supported. Universities are providing practical, emotional and financial support to students and every student should feel able to reach out and ask for any support they need – we’re here for you.
“We’re all facing unprecedented challenges whilst trying to protect education as a priority, second only to public health. In institutions, student leaders have been and continue to be a key part of the planning process for managing the virus and there is wide support for the actions taken.
“Looking ahead, the student voice will be a key part of discussions regarding how to manage the approach to the rest of the academic year. Actions taken now to reduce the spread of this disease will help ensure we can integrate further with each other and our loved ones as we head towards the Christmas break.”
Temporary Coronavirus Act provisions due to be debated in the House of Commons on Weds 30 September could substantially restrict or curtail important, hard-won rights that disabled people rely on for their quality of life, says a new report by Westminster’s Women and Equalities Committee.
The Committee insists that they must not become new norms, setting back disabled people’s rights by many years.
The Committee’s scrutiny has focused on three areas:
Care Act easement provisions
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have duties to assess and meet care and support needs that meet certain criteria. Where local authorities’ resources are severely affected by the pandemic, the Coronavirus Act can essentially replace these with a duty to do this only where failure to do so would be a breach of an individual’s human rights. In some cases this is a would be a greatly reduced level of support.
Temporary Mental Health Act provisions
The Coronavirus Act allows applications for temporary detention under the Mental Health Act (sectioning) to be made by a single doctor, and extends some time limits, for example the time someone can be detained awaiting medical assessment from 72 hrs to 120, and removing the 12 week time limit on remand to hospital.
Education, Health and Care Plan duties to young people with SEND
Parents of children, and young people aged 16-25, with special educational needs or disabilities, have a right to request their local authority carry out an assessment of their child’s (or their own, if aged 16-25) education, health and care needs (Children and Families Act 2014).
Where these met the threshold, local authorities have a duty to secure a package of integrated support known as the Education Health and Care Plan within 20 weeks. The Coronavirus Act gives the Government the power to modify this absolute duty to one of “reasonable endeavours”. Regulations also temporarily suspended the time limits.
The report also looks at the statutory arrangements for the six month reviews of the Coronavirus Act, arguing that the “take all or leave all” approach to continuing the provisions is unsatisfactory.
This is an interim report of the Committee’s inquiry into the impact of coronavirus on disabled people’s access to services [link]. The full report will be published [check] later in the autumn.
Chair’s comments
Committee Chair Caroline Nokes said: “Restricting disabled people’s hard-won rights must not become the new normal. This pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for Government but we must ensure that does not become a reason to turn the clock back on equality.
“The “take all or leave all” binary vote will present MPs with no real choice over provisions which have clear and obvious equality impacts for their disabled constituents, and which they may believe are no longer justified – either now or over the 2 year lifetime of the Act.
“The Government must demonstrate its commitment to equality by ensuring that any proposals which potentially restrict disabled people’s hard won rights are properly considered, and separately from the statutory vote.”
Care Act Easement Provisions
If the pandemic had been more clearly under control, the Committee would have recommended repeal of these. But given the precarious stage of the pandemic, and the fragility of the social care sector it accepts that they might need to remain over the winter. The report recommends that these should be kept under constant review, and if the pandemic stabilises or improves they should be repealed at the second six monthly review in spring 2021 – or sooner.
Detailed information about the number and groups of disabled people affected, and the impact on services, proved impossible to find. Together with a lack of published data, this left the Committee unable to scrutinise the impacts properly.
The report calls on the Government to demonstrate that it is keeping local authorities’ use of Care Act easements under thorough review and allow for proper scrutiny of data, and to publish Think Local Act Personal’s report and accompanying data on the effects of the pandemic on social care provision to inform the debate in the House of Commons on Weds 30 September.
Finally, it recommends that Government guidance to local authorities must make it clear that any pre-emptive triggering of easements would be a misuse of the provisions and could leave local authorities open to legal challenge.
The report also notes that the pandemic has brought a range of pre-existing systemic problems in the social care sector into sharper focus. There is an urgent need for a more sustainable funding solution; resolution of workforce issues including high staff turnover and low pay, and closer integration with health services, as well as a need to value this sector more highly. These issues will be covered in the main report.
Mental Health Act
The temporary provisions have not been needed in England so far, and evidence suggests that future need is unlikely. These also go against the grain of long awaited MHA reforms intended to address inequalities in the system.
The Committee recommends that the Government should either repeal these, or suspend them – leaving the option of reinstating them if they become needed; if the pandemic stabilises or improves they should be repealed at the second six monthly review in spring 2021 – or sooner.
Local authorities: Education Health and Care Plan duties to children and young people with SEND
Was it really necessary to leave many children and young people with SEND with little or no support for three months? The Committee accepts that local authorities needed some flexibility with these duties at the peak of the pandemic, but calls on the Department of Education to review its processes with a view to making faster decisions to return to full duties.
It also calls for: clearer Government guidance on fulfilling the ‘reasonable endeavours’ duty, including minimum standards and a range of examples of good practice; a clear national strategy for managing the backlog of assessments; and for any future relaxation of duties to be local, in direct response to local effects of the pandemic, rather than national.
The Committee heard evidence that the pandemic had exacerbated pre-existing and widely acknowledged systemic issues in the wider SEND system including: funding, inconsistencies in provision, poor integration of services and a lack of accountability in the system. These will be considered in detail in the main report later in the autumn.
There’s more to come
While the temporary measures discussed here are an important part of many disabled people’s concerns about the unequal impact of the pandemic, this interim report does not provided a full picture of their lived experience.
The Committee has heard a much wider range of evidence and will publish a main report later in the autumn. This will scrutinise the clarity and accessibility of the Government’s consultation and communications, and disabled people’s wider experience of accessing health and social care.
These Frequently Asked Questions bring together some of the questions parents and carers have asked since schools started back following the summer break:
If you have other questions please look at the NHS Inform website or ask your child’s school. The school will contact NHS Lothian Health Protection Team if they need help giving you an answer.
COVID-19 symptoms and testing
COVID-19 symptoms are:
A new, continuous cough and/or
A fever/ high temperature and/or
A change or loss in taste and/or smell (anosmia).
Note: A new, continuous cough means coughing for longer than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours. If you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual.
If you or your child have developed one or more of these symptoms (however mild) stay at home for 10 days from the start of your symptoms and arrange a test. (More information about testing is at the end of these FAQs.) Do not go to your GP, pharmacy or hospital.
Everyone in your household should remain at home until you get the result of the test, then follow the advice you will be given with the result. (See more on NHS Inform.)
It is important that anyone with one or more of the COVID-19 symptoms gets tested, so that anyone who tests positive knows to stay at home and self-isolate. The rest of their household should also stay at home and self-isolate, even if they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms themselves.
1.What happens if a child develops symptoms of COVID-19 while in school?
All schools have information from NHS Lothian Health Protection Team, and plans in place for how to respond to any potential cases in school.
Children and young people should know to inform an adult in school if they develop any symptoms.
If your child develops COVID-19 symptoms while in school, they will be looked after safely and appropriately until they can be collected. As with any child who feels unwell at school, staff will do their best to comfort and reassure your child.
Other siblings in the school, or in other schools, should also return home as soon as possible and self-isolate with their household (see question 2, below). All members of the household should remain at home until the person with symptoms gets tested. They should then follow the advice given with the test result. (See more on NHS Inform.)
2.Does the household need to isolate if a child develops symptoms?
Yes. If your child develops one or more of the COVID-19 symptoms they should self-isolate and the rest of the household should self-isolate (stay at home) too. You should arrange a test for your child. You should all remain at home until you get the result of the test, then follow the advice you will be given with the result. (See more on NHS Inform.)
The rest of the household should not get tested unless they develop one or more of the COVID-19 symptoms.
3.What happens if someone in school tests positive?
Test and Protect is Scotland’s public health response to stopping the spread of coronavirus. When someone tests positive for COVID-19 they will get a phone call from Test and Protect. For children under the age of 16, the parent or carer will be contacted. Test and Protect give advice and take details of any recent close contacts. They will talk through what a close contact is. Those contacts will be called by Test and Protect and asked to self-isolate and stay at home for 14 days.
If someone at your child’s school tests positive, or there are multiple people with symptoms, the NHS Lothian Health Protection Team will carry out a risk assessment and will support the school to ensure necessary steps are taken and all close contacts are identified and contacted. They will only know what further steps need to be taken once the risk assessment has taken place. The circumstances and the next steps may be different in different schools.
Parents and carers will be informed that there is a positive case in school. Unless you are contacted and advised otherwise, your child should attend school as normal, provided they are well and have no symptoms of COVID-19.
4.What is close contact?
Somebody who has been near someone with coronavirus and could have been infected. Close contacts may have been near the infected person at some point in the 48 hours before their symptoms appeared, or at any time since their symptoms appeared. Being near someone means:
Face to face contact with the person within 1 metre for any length of time
Within 1 metre of them for one minute or longer without face to face contact
Within 1-2 metres of them for 15 minutes or more.
The closer the contact, the higher the risk.
If you have been identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive, they will pass your details on to Test and Protect and you will be contacted. Test and Protect will not tell you who the person who tested positive is, unless the person has given NHS Scotland clear permission to share this information.
If you are identified as a close contact you will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days, whether or not you have symptoms. This is because symptoms can take that long to develop and you can pass the virus on even if you don’t have symptoms. If you develop one or more of the COVID-19 symptoms, you should request a test.
5.If your child is a close contact should others in the household isolate too?
No. If no one in the household has COVID-19 symptoms, only the person who has been told by Test and Protect that they are a close contact has to self-isolate. Close contacts need to self-isolate and stay at home for 14 days from their contact with the infected person. The rest of the household can go to work and school as usual.
6.Should you get tested if you have been in contact with someone who has symptoms of COVID-19?
No. You should only get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have been advised to get a test by NHS Lothian Health Protection Team.
If you have been identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, Test and Protect will call you to give you advice.
7.Should parents/carers tell the school if children or young people have COVID-19 symptoms?
Yes, it is important to let the school know if children are not attending and why. It is important for schools to record any COVID-19 symptoms among pupils and staff, as this can give early warning of any possible clusters of COVID-19 cases. See page 1 for a reminder of the COVID-19 symptoms.
8.Will everyone be told if someone in the school or class has symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19?
Personal information is confidential and will not be shared. But those who need to take action – any close contacts – will be contacted promptly, and the wider school community will be given information as soon as possible (see below).
Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will be contacted by Test and Protect. They will be asked to pass on details of any close contacts. Test and Protect will phone their close contacts and advise them to self-isolate for 14 days. Test and Protect do not share the name of the person who has tested positive.
If there is a positive case at the school all families will be given the necessary information as soon as appropriate steps are agreed with the school, the local authority and public health. This will not include details of who has tested positive. Information will usually be in the form of a text message to parents/carers asking them to click through to a secure link on their school’s website, or an email providing information, depending on the method most commonly used in that school.
The message will usually explain that someone in that school has tested positive and that robust contact tracing by trained professionals is underway. If they are not contacted they should continue to send their child to school the next day providing they are well and have no COVID-19 symptoms.
If you know of any children or families who have symptoms, or test positive, we would encourage you not to share this information. Anyone can be affected by COVID-19 and there is no shame or stigma associated with catching it. It is for each individual to decide if information about their health is shared.
9.If someone has COVID-19 symptoms, should they stay off school for at least 10 days?
A test is the only way for someone who has one or more of the COVID-19 symptoms to know if they have COVID-19. Testing is important in preventing the spread of coronavirus.
If you, or your child, have one or more of these symptoms you should self-isolate and arrange a test:
A new, continuous cough and/or
A fever/ high temperature and/or
A change or loss in taste and/or smell (anosmia).
The whole household should self-isolate until the person with symptoms gets their test result.
If a child or young person tests negative they can return to school if they are well enough to do so (as per standard school illness policy), and if theyhave not had a fever for 48 hours.
If a child or young person tests positive they should self-isolate for 10 days from the day their symptoms started. They should only come out of isolation after 10 days if they feel better and if theyhave not had a fever for 48 hours. The rest of the household should self-isolate for 14 days from the start of the symptoms, even if they don’t have symptoms themselves. If they develop symptoms of COVID-19 they need to continue to stay at home and arrange to get tested.
If a child or young person is experiencing other types of symptoms e.g. a blocked/runny nose, headache, sore throat, etc., but does not have any of the COVID-19 symptoms, the standard school illness policy should be followed. What this means is:
Children who have mild symptoms, such as a blocked/runny nose or a mild sore throat, but not presenting with any of the COVID-19 symptoms, can still go to school if they are well enough to do so. However, they should of course stay at home if they are too ill to be at school.
Children who do not have one or more of the COVID-19 symptoms should not get tested.
If your child is unwell with other symptoms and is too ill to go to school, you should inform the school in the usual way, telling the school your child is absent and what their symptoms are.
10. If a parent/carer tests positive (or has COVID-19 symptoms) should their child stay off school for 14 days?
Yes. All household members must self-isolate for 14 days if anyone in their household develops symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19.
The person who has tested positive must self-isolate for at least 10 days, and can only come out of isolation once their symptoms have improved and if they have not had a fever for 48 hours.
11.If there is an outbreak in a class/school will everyone be tested? Will everyone be sent home?
If an outbreak is confirmed the local Health Protection Team will carry out a risk assessment and work with the school and local authority to plan next steps. This will include who should get tested and who does not need to get tested. It is unlikely that everyone will need to be tested. The test is most reliable if you have coronavirus symptoms. However the Health Protection Team will sometimes test wider groups of people when there is an outbreak. This is an extra public health measures to control the spread of the virus, and only when the risk assessment suggests this might be helpful.
The risk assessment will also decide if anyone else needs to be sent home. A school should not usually need to be closed. Any plans to send pupils home will be shared with parents/carers and children/young people as soon as possible. The school will be able to organise learning at home for any pupils who cannot attend school.
Schools will close only when a public health risk assessment deems this the only safe option.
12. If someone is told to isolate as a contact of a positive case, should they get tested?
No, unless you have symptoms of COVID-19, or unless you have been advised to get tested by the NHS Lothian Health Protection Team. This is because:
A test won’t confirm if a person has been exposed to the virus. A person who has been exposed to the virus may go on to develop symptoms. People who have had close contact with a positive case may have been exposed to the virus. As a precaution they should self-isolate for 14 days.
Anyone who has had contact with a positive case should monitor for any symptoms (particularly for the 14 days after contact with the positive case), and follow the advice from the Test and Protect team and NHS Inform.
13. Do children have to isolate or quarantine if they have recently travelled from a foreign country that has quarantine restrictions?
Yes. If your family and/or your child return from an area with quarantine restrictions keep them off school and stay at home for 14 days. A negative COVID test will not shorten quarantine as it doesn’t show if you or your child will develop the virus. Updated travel information is on gov.scot
If your family and/or your child have recently travelled to an area that is now in lockdown, visit NHS Inform for up to date information about quarantine advice.
14. Will a test show if someone has had COVID-19 in the past?
No. The test for COVID-19 is a nose and throat swab test. It will only show if there is virus present at the time of testing. It will not be able to tell if someone has had the infection in the past – that would require a blood test which is not currently available.
15.Will we be able to access testing if we have symptoms?
Everyone is working hard to ensure access to testing is available to those who need it. We can all help by only requesting a test when we have one or more of the COVID-19 symptoms:
A new, continuous cough and/or
A fever/ high temperature and/or
A change or loss in taste and/or smell (anosmia).
See more information about testing at the end of these FAQs and on NHS Inform.
Infection control in schools
16.Do children and young people in schools have to physically distance?
The scientific evidence suggests physical distancing between children is not essential in primary school.
Children in primary school do not have to stay 2 metres apart from each other in school.
Children in primary school should stay 2 metres apart from teachers and other adults not in their households (where possible).
All schools should try to keep children and young people in the same groups. Groups should be as small as is practical.
Smaller groups will help reduce the spread of infection if a child or young person tests positive for COVID-19.
The scientific evidence about physical distancing is less clear for secondary school pupils, so they should be encouraged to physically distance in school where possible.
Young people in secondary school should stay 2 metres apart from teachers and school staff/adults (where possible).
Young people of secondary school age should be encouraged to continue to physically distance when not in school, including at shops and on public transport. They should avoid large gatherings. House parties have been linked to outbreaks and are strongly discouraged. See Scottish Government guidance for more information.
17.If there is a positive case in a class or group, will everyone in the group be a close contact?
Not necessarily. Test and Protect and the Health Protection Team will help work out who is a close contact and needs to self-isolate and stay at home.
18.Do teachers and other school staff have to physically distance?
Yes. Teachers and other staff should stay 2 metres apart from each other and from children and young people. Where this is not possible they should wear a face covering, and this should be for as short a time as possible.
19.Will schools help children keep their hands clean?
Schools will make sure hand washing facilities are in place. Schools will support children, young people and staff to keep their hands clean throughout the school day.
Outdoor hand basins or hand sanitisers (gel) will be available at entrances/exits. Help will be given to children who need it.
Hand washing is advised (instead of hand gel) for children with sensitive skin or allergies.
20.Will face coverings be used in schools?
Face coverings are made from cloth or other textiles that cover the mouth and nose, through which you can comfortably breathe. Face coverings are not the same as medical-grade face masks. If you are infected, a face covering may help to limit the spread of infection to people around you.
Face coverings are not required for children in primary schools.
Face coverings are not required for young people in secondary school when they are in class. However secondary school pupils will be asked to wear a face covering in corridors and other communal areas.
Schools may advise pupils and staff to wear face coverings in other situations, e.g. if there is an outbreak in school.
Staff in schools should use face coverings if they cannot physically distance from pupils or other adults.
21.Will school staff be required to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) e.g. a surgical mask, gloves and apron?
For most staff in schools, PPE (which may include a fluid resistant surgical mask, gloves, apron, eye protection) is not normally needed.
Schools have PPE supplies and training on how and when to use it. Examples of when it might be used are when caring for someone with suspected COVID-19 (e.g. if someone at school develops symptoms), or for providing personal care to a child or young person.
22.Will there be additional cleaning in schools?
Yes, all schools have an enhanced cleaning programme. Guidance from Health Protection Scotland tells schools what they should do to keep areas safe and clean.
Where children, young people or staff have to move to different desks there will be cleaning materials to wipe down desks and chairs before and after use.
Additional cleaning precautions are taken when a child or staff member has developed symptoms whilst in school.
23.What about more vulnerable groups?
Some groups may be more at risk of serious illness as a result of COVID-19. Guidance for people with underlying health conditions has been prepared and will continue to be updated. NHS Inform also has additional information that can support anyone in these groups who have further questions. Talk to your school if you need any more help or have any further questions or concerns.
The support required for children and young people with additional support needs will vary and should be considered in individual plans. Talk to your school if you have any questions or concerns.
There is some evidence that children, young people and adults from a Minority Ethnic background who are infected with COVID-19 may be more at risk of serious illness as a result of COVID-19. Talk to your school if you have any questions or concerns.
24.Drop off and pick up: can parents/carers enter schools and/or playgrounds?
Some parents and carers need to drop off and pick up children and young people. If so, they should take extra care to socially distance and reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus.
When dropping off or picking up children:
Please stay 2 metres away from other families/households. Close contact and large groups can increase the spread of coronavirus and could lead to an outbreak in school.
To help stop crowding at the school gates, only one adult per family/household should be dropping off or picking up children.
If your child can walk safely to and from school without an adult, or be dropped off and met at a safe distance from school, please let them. This will make physical distancing easier for those who have to accompany their child.
Parents and carers should not enter school buildings unless required. Please discuss with your school first.
Special arrangements may need to be made for drop-offs and pick-ups of children and young people with additional support needs and those using school transport, including taxis.
25.How can you protect yourself from catching COVID-19?
There are things you can do to reduce the risk of you and your children getting ill with COVID-19. Children and young people may need reminded of how they can keep themselves safe.
You should all:
regularly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, particularly before and after eating
use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
avoid direct contact with people that are ill wherever possible
cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or elbow (not hands) if coughing or sneezing. Put used tissues straight in the bin and wash your hands
avoid touching your face.
Adults should also:
maintain physical distancing, and wear a face covering if you cannot stay at least 2 metres away from anyone who is not in your household.
Older young people (secondary school age) should also:
physically distance from young people and adults where possible in school, AND physically distance when out of school
wear a face covering in school when in corridors or other communal areas
wear a face covering and maintain social distancing in shops and other public places
avoid house parties and other large gatherings
avoid sharing food and drink, and other products like cigarettes
consider how kissing and sexual activity might put themselves and any partners at risk.
Further questions?
Please get in touch with your school in the first instance. Or visit NHS Inform for health advice.
Sales of takeaway alcohol products have risen by more than a third (36%) during lockdown, due to increased intake and offerings, new research shows.
Brand new data compiled by Just Eat and City Pantry reveals the UK’s takeaway habits and how they’ve changed during the pandemic.
Northern Ireland saw the biggest increase in product orders with a rise of 9.3%, while the West Midlands saw the lowest increase at 3.5%.
Continued social distancing and flexible working will lead to steady increase in home deliveries, expert says.
Takeaway alcohol product sales have risen by more than a third (36%) during lockdown, due to an increase in consumption and a wider availability of products, new research shows.
The study, compiled by City Pantry and Just Eat, looks at how the nation’s takeaway habits have changed over lockdown, to reveal whether we’re eating healthier, drinking or eating more, and when in the week we’re most likely to indulge in a takeaway.
Northern Ireland saw the biggest sales increase with orders up 9.3%, followed by the East of England with 7.7% and the East Midlands at 6.4%. The West Midlands (3.5%) and the North West (3.8%) saw the lowest rise.
While this increase could be attributed to a rise in at-home consumption due to Brits being unable to visit the pub, it’s also likely due to more providers adding alcohol products to their takeaway menus than before the pandemic.
This has been instrumental in allowing dine-in restaurants to pivot their services to maintain revenue while restrictions were in place, with all regions partaking in remotely purchasing alcohol products.
Increase in alcohol consumption by region
As well as ordering more alcohol products, the data shows that some regions have grown progressively more adventurous with their meal choices.
Brunch orders have seen the biggest maximum rise overall with orders jumping by 182% in Northern Ireland, while Scotland has seen orders of Greek food – such as moussaka, baklava and gyros – rise by 167%.
Vegan and vegetarian orders are also on the rise, with plant-based takeaways rising by almost a third (29%). Not every part of the UK is onboard with the veggie options, however, as they’ve dipped by 10% in the Midlands and 7% in Scotland compared to before lockdown.
Tom Squire, Financial Director at City Pantry, comments: “As businesses and individuals continue to adapt to the ‘new normal’ and practice social distancing, it’s likely we will see further growth in delivered-in meals.
“As such, it’s important that we in the hospitality industry continue to work together to find solutions that are COVID-safe and adapt to meet the evolving needs of consumers.
“We’ve already seen hospitality businesses adapt and create new offerings during lockdown – from creating recipe boxes of their best-selling dishes to hampers that include treats and alcohol, all available for delivery to people’s homes.
“Convenience and variety have played a big role in this increased demand, with busy remote workers not able to spend sufficient time preparing all their meals from scratch every day.”
And increased alcohol sales isn’t the only habit that has increased during lockdown – dessert orders have risen by a massive 151% in Wales and 141% in the East of England, while the average takeaway order value is now 10% higher than before lockdown.
