Children’s Minister Clare Haughey is encouraging more people to consider fostering.
Currently, around 500 additional foster families are required to provide stable and nurturing homes for children who cannot be looked after at home.
Ms Haughey said: “Fostering is an amazing experience. I know this because I grew up in a family that fostered and fully appreciate the positive benefits of what a loving fostering environment can do to improve the lives of children and young people.
“All children are different, and we are looking for new foster carers from a variety of backgrounds and with different life experiences, skills and qualities to help meet the needs of our young people.
“I know that deciding to foster is a big step, and I am asking people to consider carefully whether they could provide the love and stability that some of our children and young people need.”
Iain Wilson, who, with wife Anita, has been a foster carer for 22 years, said: “Fostering is part of our lives and our birth children’s lives. It’s not always easy, but there are so many kids out there who need a home and an adult who will be there for them and commit to them.
“Fostering is certainly not a one size fits all, but when you’re sure of your reasons for wanting to foster and have the facilities to be able to, why wouldn’t you? It’s about giving young people the time, space, and ability to blossom into the people they want to become.”
Read foster carer Laura’s story about how little Abbi has thrived in her care:
Pupils in Scotland celebrated national Walk to School Week (16-20 May) with a series of events and a special guest.
Walk to School Week is organised by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking. Families are encouraged to walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or ‘Park and Stride’ for the week to see the big differences that come from small steps, from healthier and happier children to fewer cars outside the school gates.
Pupils at schools in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Shetland, Stirling, Moray, Orkney, Renfrewshire, Thurso and Wick were joined by Strider, the Living Streets mascot for a series of events to celebrate Walk to School Week.
Living Streets is working with Scotland schools to deliver WOW – the walk to school challenge in over 120 schools.
WOW is a pupil-led initiative where children self-report how they get to school every day using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker. Pupils who travel actively at least once a week for a month are rewarded with a WOW badge.
Chris Thompson, Schools Manager, Living Streets Scotland said:“Walk to School Week is a fantastic excuse to celebrate the many social, health and environmental benefits that come from walking to school.
“Schools across Scotland are working really hard to get more active on the school run and reduce congestion outside the school gates. We were thrilled to take Strider along to meet some of the pupils swapping the school run for a school walk on what was Strider’s furthest visit north!”
Suzanne Carson Headteacher at Gilcomstoun School, Aberdeen City said: “It is wonderful to be part of a national campaign inspiring children to think about how they get to school while promoting their health, fitness, and mental welling which is a key focus area for our Eco Warriors and our Health and Wellbeing Ambassadors.
“As a city centre school we promote active travel – walk, scoot and if you need to come by bus or car, getting off the bus early or parking further away and striding the last part of your journey to school.
“We hope the enthusiasm for choosing greener ways to travel lasts beyond Walk to School week and that our pupils are encouraged to consider the importance of sustainable travel.”
Mrs Caroline Leask, Road Safety Lead, Sound Primary School, Shetland said:“Sound Primary School are delighted to be selected as Living Streets feature school and are thrilled to welcome Strider to launch the WOW challenge.
“Our pupils are enjoying taking part in the Walk To School challenge each day and earning their badges. The campaign has encouraged pupils to take more active journeys to and from school whilst also being ECO friendly in their travel options.”
Elaine Skinley, Road Safety Officer, Shetland Islands Council, said:“The WOW walk to school resource is great for schools as it increases active travel and encourages pupils to walk to and from school.”
A dedicated fund to repay mesh removal costs will open for applications on 6 June.The Transvaginal Mesh Removal Reimbursement Scheme will enable women who have paid for surgery to claim their money back.
To be eligible, arrangements for treatment must be made by 3 June.
After this date, patients wishing treatment funded by the NHS will be seen through the Complex Pelvic Mesh Removal Service in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Any woman who expresses a preference to be treated outside of Scotland will be able to request a referral to one of the NHS England specialist centres.
Progress in making arrangements for future mesh removal surgery to take place in independent hospitals, where women wish, continues. An agreement is in place for Spire Health Care in Bristol to accept referrals and positive discussions continue with Dr Veronikis, in Missouri, United States.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The opening of the scheme is a significant milestone enabling women to claim back the money they felt they had to use to get their treatment. The cut-off date will give sufficient time for anyone who is currently in the process of finalising arrangements to do so before it opens.
“Women who require mesh removal surgery are now also able to ask to be referred to a specialist NHS centre in England or to an independent provider. These options are being offered in conjunction with the service already provided in NHS Scotland and all options will be provided free of charge to the patient.
“I encourage anyone who wishes referral to one of these services to make their wishes known to their clinical team, if they have not already done so.”
The scheme will be administered by NHS National Services Scotland (NSS).
Further information on the scheme and how to apply will be available on the mesh pages of NHS NSS website.
Projects to improve the care and support available for people with long COVID are to benefit from an initial tranche of £3 million of Scottish Government funding.
Following a thorough planning process undertaken by health boards to determine the key priorities, the first allocations of the long COVID Support Fund across 2022 will provide £3 million for boards to introduce care co-ordinator roles, extra resource to support a patient-centred assessment, including a multi-disciplinary assessment service, and additional capacity for community rehabilitation to support people with issues affecting their day-to-day quality of life.
Support for people with long COVID is already available across a full range of NHS services. However, this additional investment has been informed by patient experience and expert views brought together by the long COVID Strategic Network set up by the Scottish Government – drawing on priorities identified by people affected by long COVID and recommendations from clinicians.
As well as the awards to boards, NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) has also been awarded £370,000 to support a national programme of improvement work led by the National Strategic Network – this includes £200,000 to provide digital tools to support the care of people with long COVID. The network will also provide an analysis of the specific needs of children and young people living with long COVID in Scotland.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, who announced the allocation during a Scottish Parliament debate, said: “We have already supported thousands of people struggling with long COVID through a wide range of measures but the investment announced today has been shaped by priorities highlighted by people with long COVID themselves.
“We’ve engaged directly with NHS Boards, alongside clinical experts and those with lived experience, to identify the support that they need. This will help ensure the investment through our £10 million long COVID support fund will make the biggest different to people living with long COVID.
“Given the range of symptoms which can be involved, we know there’s no ‘one-size fits all’ response and our approach is to support people with long COVID to access care and support in a setting that is appropriate and as close to their home as practicable.
“It’s for each board to explore what is the best service they can provide, this can include a Long COVID Clinic if they believe that is the best model to adopt – and today’s funding will help boards to bolster existing provision for those with long COVID.
“However, just because a service doesn’t say ‘long COVID’ on the plaque when you walk through the door, it doesn’t mean that these services cannot provide, or are not providing, a long COVID service. There is not a specific treatment being provided within long COVID clinics elsewhere that is not already available to those accessing NHS Scotland services.”
NHS Highland Associate AHP Director, Linda Currie said: “The funding allocation is welcomed. Self-management will be offered and we will recruit Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy to support holistic interventions like fatigue management, vocational rehab, goal planning and dysfunctional breathing.This funding will support coordination of care across the relevant clinical teams and our partners.”
This academic year has seen the return of National exams and Highers in Scotland after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. For many children and their parents and carers, the exam period can be an anxious and stressful time.
A return to normality in September has seen Childline provide more support to anxious students as end-of-year tests loomed on the horizon.
In the year between April 2021 and March 2022, Childline practitioners delivered 1,734 counselling sessions to children and young people across Scotland and the rest of the UK with concerns about exam stress and revision, which is a 62% rise on the previous year.
When talking to Childline counsellors about their upcoming exams this month, children shared that their worries were affecting their mental health, anxiety levels and ability to sleep.
It is important for young people to know that they aren’t alone if they are feeling like this. Instead, that they are encouraged to share any concerns or worries with their friends or a trusted adult.
Parents and carers can help by reassuring their child that they are there to listen to what they might be feeling and to help them to take the time to think about what to do next.
There are lots of places young people can get support, including the Childline website where they can get advice on dealing with exam stress, visit our message boards or even use an art box to draw through what they want to happen and look at potential next steps.
Childline is here for every child and young person and our specially trained counsellors are also ready 24/7 to discuss exam worries and other concerns free on 0800 1111 or www.childline.org.uk
Around a third of children and young people in Scotland’s publicly-funded schools (that’s around 233,000 pupils) need additional support. And that number has been increasing for years (writes STEPHEN MOORE, a Member of the Accounts Commission) .
There are many reasons why a child might need additional support. These can be as varied as having a life-threatening physical condition to being a young carer. Most children and young people who need additional support go to a mainstream school, with a much smaller number going to special schools.
The Scottish Government’s stated ambition is for all children and young people in Scotland to have the opportunity to grow up loved, safe and respected, enabling them to reach their full potential.
Every child has the same rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, including the right to an education that develops their personality, talents and abilities to the full, and the right for their parents to get the support they need. Schools, councils and other public bodies are required to work together to provide the right type of support for all children and their families. But this isn’t always happening as it should.
The needs of children and young people vary considerably. Some children only have a short-term identified need. Others have complex needs that will require ongoing support throughout their lives. Some children and young people need help involving specialist educational support as well as social work services, health services and the voluntary sector.
At their best, these multidisciplinary teams work together, enabling children and young people to get the support they need, empowering them to reach their full potential and live the life they choose.
These ambitions aren’t, however, consistently being delivered in practice. In 2020, an independent review found that not all pupils in Scotland are always getting the additional support they need, when they need it. In many cases, individuals’ needs are not given the focus they should be. Numerous aspects of additional support therefore need to be improved.
It’s distressing and frustrating that we repeatedly hear of the barriers that some families fight against to get the right support to help their child to learn. Too often, families are worn down by a prolonged search for the right support, and by having to manage a crisis that could have and should have been avoided. Families are partners with public services and should be regarded as such.
On top of that, transitions between school stages – and how they are managed – can have a big influence on the success or otherwise of someone’s journey through the education system.
A child’s needs can evolve over time, from pre-school until after they have left school. Not getting the right support both at these different stages and to make moving between the stages as seamless as possible can have a lasting impact on learning, wellbeing and happiness. Public services are required to anticipate these changing needs and plan accordingly.
Councils provide support in different ways, with a wide variation in spending on pupils who need additional support. This partly reflects the different ways services are provided and the varying costs of supporting individuals – but may also reflect local decisions by councils to prioritise between a wide range of services.
Education aims to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people, supporting wider outcomes such as life skills, apprenticeships and employment. This is set out in the National Improvement Framework and is embedded across the education system. School education and success shouldn’t just focus on exam results. It’s vital to monitor the outcomes that matter most to individuals who need additional support but, as we’ve said previously, information to allow this to happen isn’t always available.
From the information that is available, even the current measures show wide disparity. We know that children and young people who need additional support don’t always get the opportunities they deserve. Overall, a smaller proportion of school leavers with additional support needs progress to a ‘positive destination’ such as college, university, training or employment. This potentially affects their life chances and personal fulfilment.
And the proportion of children who achieve expected Curriculum for Excellence Levels for their stage at school is significantly lower for pupils who need additional support compared to those who don’t.
Across so many areas, Covid-19 has exacerbated and deepened risks and inequalities. School closures and reductions in vital support services have intensified inequalities for children and young people who need additional support. We know that individuals who have disabilities and complex needs, along with their families, were particularly affected.
The impact on the mental health of children and young people who need additional support has also been significant. Some families have asked if their child can repeat a year at school due to the difficulties they’ve experienced, or because there was insufficient planning to move from one stage of learning to another.
However, it must be recognised that for some children who need additional support, learning at home rather than in a school environment was a more positive experience.
The Scottish Government and councils are already working to implement changes following the independent review in 2020. These changes need to consider the wide range of services that should work together to put the child/young person and their family at the centre. Public services need to improve how they’re joining up, across professions, to plan and provide the right support to meet individuals’ needs.
We’ve seen that many public services responded quickly to the challenges presented by the pandemic, showing that change can happen quickly and effectively to support individuals and communities. And councils have the power to improve services as they ‘build back better’. Children and young people must be given the support and access to the right services that enable them to flourish and thrive. It will be crucial to make improvements to services and staffing that ensure continuity as someone moves through the education system.
Central to the Accounts Commission’s priorities is emphasising and reporting on the debilitating and life-impacting inequalities faced by too many across Scotland’s communities. The lack of the right support, at the right time, for children and young people who need additional support – and their families – can exacerbate and intensify these inequalities. So we will continue to focus on this important area as part of our ongoing work.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition commented: “The blog raises issues that we have been highlighting for several years, reiterating our concerns that children and young people with additional support needs (ASN) and their families, are on many occasions not receiving the care and support that they need when they it.
“There are still too far many barriers faced by families seeking support, often leaving them in a crisis situation that could easily have been avoided with prompt access to the appropriate services.
“While we have witnessed a more than doubling in the number of those with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems over the last decade, putting an immense strain on services, there has been a cut in spending on additional support for learning and a slashing in specialist educational support.
“Covid-19 has had a further major impact on those with ASN, for whom exclusion from school and lack of vital support proved devastating. This however exacerbated a situation that existed long before that and we are potentially facing a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people, not able to access the support that they need, with a resultant impact on the economy and society.
“We would urge the Scottish Government and newly elected local authorities to work together to ensure that those children and young people with ASN are a priority and that they can access the necessary support to allow them to reach their full potential.”
Families from across Edinburgh and the Lothians turned out in force at the Dalkeith Minis Rugby Festival 2022 on Sunday (15 May), which was supported by leading housebuilder Stewart Milne Homes.
Hosted at King’s Park by Dalkeith Rugby Club, more than 400 primary school children across six teams including Dalkeith, Falkirk, Lasswade, Leith, Penicuik, and Preston Lodge competed in the round robin festival of 12-minute matches throughout the day.
With a people-first ethos, Stewart Milne Homes was the main sponsor of the event and provided funding to support the organisation of the minis rugby festival which has been encouraging friendly community sport for over 15 years.
The award-winning housebuilder also provided a gazebo for the event which was the main hub for all attendees on the day and supplied re-usable water bottles for all the children to keep them hydrated throughout the event and take home for future use.
Rugby balls were also donated to the club for the kids to use when on the pitch and all participants proudly took home a competition medal as a keepsake of the action-packed day.
Dawn Lawrence, Sales Consultant at Stewart Milne Homes’ Shawfair development, said:“Events such as the Dalkeith Minis Rugby Festival are the foundation of thriving communities, and at Stewart Milne Homes we share the club’s passion in creating vibrant places and a sense of belonging that people want to call home.
“After virtual events have dominated the agenda for the last two years, it’s fantastic to see a huge number of youngsters get outdoors once again into green, natural space and participating in activities that promote healthy lifestyles.
“We’re very proud to work with community groups and sports clubs, and it is humbling to be able to offer a helping hand to an organisation which shares our people-first values. I’d like to say thank you to Dalkeith Rugby Club for collaborating with us on such a fun, family-orientated event.”
Christopher Boyle, Head of Minis Rugby at Dalkeith Rugby Club, said: “The Minis Rugby Festival is one of the highlights in our calendar and we are thrilled to see such a fantastic turn out for the 2022 event.
“The whole team shares a passion for enhancing sporting opportunities across the Midlothian region and beyond for our next generation and seeing these efforts culminate in events is incredibly rewarding.
“The funding support and gifted items from Stewart Milne Homes have been gratefully received by the Club and everyone who attended.”
Stewart Milne Homes is currently creating a number of new developments across Central Scotland, including Shawfair in Midlothian, which will feature 115 new homes as well as communal green space and excellent active travel links to the wider community.
The luxurious three-, four-, five- and six-bedroom homes on offer are from the housebuilder’s new ‘Villages’ range which has been expertly designed for modern-day lifestyles, creating the very best of contemporary and considered living for the whole family.
Payments made to over 3,000 children and young people across Scotland
More than £3.25 million has been issued in disability payments to children and young people since Child Disability Payment launched.It is estimated that as of 31 March 2022 a total of 3,050 children and young people were in receipt of the payment.
The total number receiving payments includes 555 people who have had their Disability Living Allowance for children payment transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions.
Figures for 26 July 2021 to 31 March 2022 include an initial pilot period where Child Disability Payment was only available in Dundee City, Perth and Kinross and the Western Isles local authority areas. The benefit opened to people across Scotland in November 2021. Payments began in February for children and young people whose awards transferred from DWP.
Almost three quarters (74%) of applications were made online, with 16% by phone.
Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “Social security is a shared investment in building a fairer Scotland and we encourage those who are eligible for support to apply.
“It is excellent to see that Child Disability Payment is already making a difference to the lives of thousands of children and young people, and their families. Families who find themselves in need of support can access this help in a way that suits them best.
“For the first time anywhere in the UK, we have an online application facility for applying for our disability benefits , and the high number of people choosing to use this demonstrates that we have been responsive to the way people want to access social security.
“We are determined to ensure there is a seamless process for all recipients whose payments are moving from DWP to Social Security Scotland, and we will continue to transfer cases in a safe and secure manner. Importantly, the process is automatic – people do not need to reapply and they will be kept informed at all times.”
Mark Ballard, Head of Policy for the National Deaf Children’s Society Scotland, said: “It’s been very important to have such positive and productive discussions with Social Security Scotland around our shared goal of making the new Child Disability Payment work for deaf children.
“Social Security Scotland has consistently taken on board our feedback, which is based on both the lived experience of the families we work with and our own specialist knowledge.
“We look forward to continuing to work with them to develop and enhance Scottish benefits for deaf children and their families.”
Almost 500 young cyclists in Edinburgh and Inverness took to the streets at the weekend to demand action is taken to make the streets safer for cycling.
The events, run by campaign group Kidical Mass, were just two of the hundreds that took place around Europe to raise awareness of the need to make space for the next generation with measures like cycle lanes that are separated from roads.
There are currently 12 Kidical Mass groups in the UK, with Inverness and Edinburgh leading the way in Scotland. The groups organise regular cycle rides, to give young people visibility and help them make their voice heard.
Ewen Maclean was one of the organisers of the Edinburgh Kidical Mass ride. He said: “The Kidical Mass movement is about demonstrating the need and demand to allow kids the freedom and safety to move around our cities in a healthy and sustainable way. Very shortly these kids will be independent young adults and the benefits of encouraging active travel are clear and societal.
“Not only is incorporating active travel into your lives good for your mental and physical well-being, helping to address the inactivity crisis, and the climate crisis, but it reduces traffic volume, pollution and accidents and damage to our roads – which benefits those who need to drive as well as those that don’t.
“The children on the ride were able to chat and laugh and be outside interacting with their community, feeling safe enough to get around.
“These kids were the lucky ones: many, many more would have loved to have joined from Leith, Portobello and other areas further afield but there is no safe route for them to access the ride.
“This is why we need to fight for safe routes across the city for all residents, but this ride was about giving a voice to kids, who can’t vote or participate in consultations – we need to listen to what is important for them for the future.”
Elspeth, aged 6, joined in the ride in Edinburgh. She said: “I loved riding with my friends and waving at people – it was really fun and I felt safe. I loved the music too.”
Bridie Barnett, hospital doctor and mum of 2 from Inverness, said: “It was amazing to see so many kids out on their bikes this weekend – we really see a difference in their confidence when we do these cycles because they aren’t worried about the cars coming close to them – it gives us a real insight into how good things could be if we had proper segregated cycle lanes.”
Investigations are underway to establish links between the latest 4 cases, who all appear to have been infected in London. All 4 of these cases self-identify as gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men (MSM).
Currently, common contacts have been identified for 2 of the 4 latest cases.
There is no link to travel to a country where monkeypox is endemic, and exactly where and how they acquired their infections remains under urgent investigation, including whether they have further links to each other.
Those patients needing medical care are all in specialist infectious disease units at the Royal Free Hosptial, Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle upon Tyne and Guys’ and St Thomas’. The individuals have the West African clade of the virus, which is mild compared to the Central African clade.
These latest cases mean that there are currently 7 confirmed monkeypox cases in the UK, diagnosed between 6 and 15 May.
Due to the recent increase in cases and uncertainties around where some of these individuals acquired their infection, we are working closely with NHS partners to identify if there may have been more cases in recent weeks, as well as international partners to understand if similar rises have been seen in other countries.
Monkeypox is a viral infection usually associated with travel to West Africa. It is usually a mild self-limiting illness, spread by very close contact with someone with monkeypox and most people recover within a few weeks.
The virus does not spread easily between people and the risk to the UK population is low.
However, the most recent cases are in gay, bisexual and other MSM communities, and as the virus spreads through close contact, we are advising these groups to be alert to any unusual rashes or lesions on any part of their body, especially their genitalia, and to contact a sexual health service if they have concerns.
Anyone with concerns that they could be infected with monkeypox is advised to make contact with clinics ahead of their visit. We can assure them their call or discussion will be treated sensitively and confidentially.
Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser, UKHSA, said: “This is rare and unusual. UKHSA is rapidly investigating the source of these infections because the evidence suggests that there may be transmission of the monkeypox virus in the community, spread by close contact.
“We are particularly urging men who are gay and bisexual to be aware of any unusual rashes or lesions and to contact a sexual health service without delay.
“We are contacting any potential close contacts of the cases to provide health information and advice.
“Clinicians should be alert to individuals presenting with rashes without a clear alternative diagnosis and should contact specialist services for advice.”
Symptoms
Initial symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. A rash can develop, often beginning on the face, then spreading to other parts of the body including the genitals.
The rash changes and goes through different stages, and can look like chickenpox or syphilis, before finally forming a scab, which later falls off.
