Tag: Holyrood

Cash call for crumbling colleges

More funding, more flexibility, and clearer priorities need to be given to Scotland’s college sector according to a report issued by Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People Committee.

The Committee have been looking at the progress of the regionalisation of Scotland’s college system. Their new report has found that while the reforms have had some positive impacts, Scotland’s colleges are being held back by funding issues. The Committee is now urging the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council to do more.

The Committee is extremely concerned about the significant back log in maintenance work that Scotland’s colleges need. Its report highlights a survey from 2017, which disclosed that one third of the college estate was not wind or watertight. This will also counter any progress with the sector reaching its net zero targets.

In response, the Scottish Funding Council told the Committee that it was providing colleges with around £30 million per year for maintenance. Yet a briefing from Audit Scotland said that this figure meant there was a £321 million shortfall in maintenance funding since 2018-19.

The briefing said that maintenance needs “…pose a risk to colleges’ ability to maintain the suitability and safety of their buildings.”

Scottish Government reforms to the college landscape began in 2012, resulting in the creation of 13 college regions. It was hoped that college provision would be better aligned with employer and learner needs, helping meet national ambitions for jobs and growth.

The report finds that the reforms have had some positive outcomes. The creation of ‘colleges of scale’, which are better placed to engage with educational and economic partners, is one such positive. The report also credits regionalisation with helping to widen access to higher education.

The Committee compliments colleges for their good work in the report, noting that they support skills development and platforms for lifelong learning. The report also says colleges play a critical role in helping the Scottish Government deliver its economic strategy.

However, the financial issues identified by the report are likely to become more pronounced. Colleges must meet net-zero commitments by 2045.

To help, the report asks the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council to ensure colleges have greater flexibility. Changes to colleges’ finances and goals are viewed as vital in ensuring their financial sustainability and delivering on their ambitions to support both the learner and the economy.

Sue Webber MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee said: “Our report lays bare the shortcomings of the current funding model and the lack of flexibility our colleges have.

“During our inquiry we heard witnesses express frustration about colleges finances. The challenges colleges face will make it more difficult for them to respond to Scotland’s needs and priorities.

“However, the critical findings in our report are not a reflection on the hard work of colleges or their staff. Colleges continue to deliver high-quality, highly respected qualifications and professional training.

“Regionalisation has been, on balance, beneficial, but we want to help colleges meet the ambitions of all Scots. The Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council must work together to ensure our colleges have more cash, more flexibility, or clearer priorities.”

Campaigners call on Scottish Government to develop national strategy to prevent child sexual abuse

Stop It Now! Scotland and NSPCC Scotland are calling on the Scottish Government to develop a national strategy to tackle child sexual abuse that focuses on prevention to make the country a safer place to grow up.

The two charities hosted an event in partnership with the Scottish Parliament this week (Wednesday, March 15) with leading experts in the field.

They discussed the devastating harms and long-lasting impact that sexual abuse can have on victims, that punishment alone will not eradicate this problem and what we can do to prevent children being abused in the first place. They also talked about the next steps we need to take to guarantee Scotland is the safest country for children to grow up.

They are urging the Scottish Government to develop a comprehensive and coordinated national approachto prevent child sexual abuse, which involves health, police, education, community safety, children’s services, social services, housing and the wider community. The child protection charities say it is vital that everyone understands what child sexual abuse is and knows how they can be part of preventing it.

A review of UK data revealed that 15 per cent of females and 5 per cent of males will experience some form of sexual abuse before the age of 16.

This means at least 80,000 children in Scotland will have been affected by this issue before they leave high school. Although this is thought to be an under-representation of the scale of the problem and the actual number of children who have experienced sexual abuse in Scotland is not known.

The charities say that to understand the numbers of children in Scotland affected and the scale of the suffering it is crucial that a prevalence survey is conducted.

Professor Elizabeth Letourneau, Director of the Moore Centre for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, School of Public Health, John Hopkins University, said: “Child sexual abuse affects about one in nine children – 12 per cent of all children – globally. Victims are at risk of immediate harms, such as fear, injury, and pregnancy, and a broad array of serious health problems can emerge and last across the lifespan.

“Only one in five cases of child sexual abuse are ever reported to the authorities. This means that we miss at least 80 per cent of cases, so punishment will never be enough if we are to effectively address this public health problem.

“I believe our failure to focus on prevention stems from a general misgiving that child sexual abuse really is not preventable. That people who are at risk of perpetrating abuse are monsters and their behaviour cannot be predicted or prevented, and they will only respond to punishment.

“But we know this is not true. We already have good evidence that we can effectively prevent child sexual abuse perpetration.”

Pat Branigan, Assistant Director of NSPCC’s Together for Childhood, said: “One of the most important messages from today is that child sexual abuse is preventable and not inevitable.

“The ultimate goal is to develop a framework, based on evidence of what we know already works, which can be used to support agencies and organisations to work together and prevent child sexual abuse in communities.

“We need to create strong local partnerships between social care, schools, health, voluntary groups, the police and communities that focus on preventing people from offending, and empower and educate children and adults to recognise the signs of abuse and how they can report their concerns.

“Ultimately it will not be governments, experts or professionals who eradicate child sexual abuse, it will be individuals, families and communities.”

Stuart Allardyce, Director, Lucy Faithfull Foundation / Stop It Now! Scotland, said: “Last year we helped 7,000 people across the UK through our Helpline.  Not all were adults worried about their own sexual thoughts, feelings and behaviour, but around half of them were.

“We also had adults who were worried about another adult, or because they had found evidence their partner has been seeking out child sexual abuse material online.

“We believe that if you build prevention initiatives, people will come – professionals, protective adults, but also those who worried about the risk that they may present to children. We can no longer say that people won’t use self-help prevention resources, because the evidence is that they can and do and that prevention works.”

Childlight, based at the University of Edinburgh, also launched the first comprehensive global data repository this week, which will look at all forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA), with the aim of being able to show the scale and nature of this abuse. 

Children and young people can contact Childline for free, confidential support and advice 24 hours a day online at www.childline.org.uk or on the phone on 0800 1111

Anyone with concerns about a child’s wellbeing can contact the NSPCC Helpline on help@nspcc.org.uk. The NSPCC practitioners provide free and confidential help and advice and can take appropriate steps to help keep children safe. If a child is in immediate danger, please call 999.

The NSPCC also has advice and resources for parents, carers on how to have simple, age appropriate conversations with children to help prevent sexual abuse through their Talk PANTS campaign. This helps children understand that their body belongs to them and to recognise when something is not okay and how to tell someone.

Holyrood approves 3% rent cap

Emergency protections for tenants extended

Private rent increases will be capped at 3% and restrictions will remain on enforcement of evictions under measures approved today by MSPs.

The changes to the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) Act will mean that from 1 April 2023:

  • If a private landlord chooses to increase a tenant’s rent mid-tenancy, the increase will be capped at 3%
  • Private landlords will alternatively be able to apply for a rent increase of up to 6% to help cover certain increases in costs in defined and limited circumstances
  • Enforcement of evictions will continue to be paused for up to six months except in a number of specified circumstances
  • Increased damages for unlawful evictions of up to 36 months’ worth of rent will continue to apply

These measures will be extended to 30 September, provided they remain necessary, with the option to extend for another six-month period if required.

As previously announced, the social sector rent freeze has been replaced with agreements from landlords to keep any rent increase for 2023-24 well below inflation. The rent cap for student accommodation is to be suspended, recognising its limited impact on annual rents set on the basis of an academic year.

Tenants’ Rights Minister Patrick Harvie said: “Our emergency legislation has given tenants across the rented sector additional protection as we continue to live through these challenging and uncertain economic times.

“It is clear that many households in the private rented sector in particular continue to struggle, which is why we are capping in-tenancy rent increases in the private sector at 3% from next month, with safeguards in place recognising the effects the cost of living crisis may have on some landlords. Our restrictions on evictions will continue across all sectors, with the social sector rent cap having been replaced with voluntary agreements from landlords to keep rents affordable.

“We will continue to keep these measures under review, ensuring they remain necessary and proportionate to the challenges at hand.”

The evictions moratorium pauses enforcement of eviction actions resulting from the cost of living crisis except in a number of specified circumstances. Evictions can be delayed for a maximum of 6 months while the measures are in force.

Landlords can apply to Rent Service Scotland (RSS) to increase rent to partially cover specific costs including increased mortgage interest payments on the property they are letting, an increase in landlords’ insurance or increases in service charges paid as part of a tenancy, subject to an overall limit. This limit is currently set at 3% of total rent. From 1 April the limit will be increased to 6%. In effect this retains the ability for landlords to raise rents at a level of 3% above the cap.

Under the agreement on social rents for 2023-24, COSLA has committed to keeping local authority rent increases to an average of no more than £5 a week. Members of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and Glasgow West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations have reported planned increases averaging 6.1%.

A Parliament for All: Reforms to strengthen representation and participation at Holyrood unveiled

Over the last year, the Scottish Parliament has been carrying out an audit looking at barriers to equal representation and participation at Holyrood.

A cross-party board established in early 2022 to look at the representation and influence of women at Holyrood published its recommendations yesterday.

They include:

  • Rule changes to guarantee women’s representation on key bodies and groups such as committees, the Parliamentary Bureau and the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.
  • A rule change to ensure there are no single sex parliamentary committees.
  • The establishment of a forum for women MSPs to discuss issues of mutual interest.
  • A review of the Parliament’s sitting time data to determine what changes need to be made to limit unpredictability of sitting times and maximise inclusion and wellbeing.
  • The permanent introduction of a proxy voting scheme covering parental leave, illness and caring/bereavement leave.
  • The establishment of an Advisory Group to oversee the implementation of the recommendations and make sure progress continues.

Read the report: ‘A Parliament for all’

The report acknowledges that the Parliament has made good progress since 1999 in a number of areas. But the audit showed that there have been fluctuations over time in the number of women in leadership and decision-making roles. This suggests that equal representation of women is not yet embedded within the Parliament, nor is it guaranteed going forward.

The audit found that women are less likely than men to intervene in debates and to participate in First Minister’s Question Time. Other findings suggest that women tend to be under-represented in some committees such as Finance, Audit and Standards and Procedures.

Launching the report, Presiding Officer, Alison Johnstone MSP, said: “We currently have the highest percentage of women elected to the Parliament since 1999, and women are well represented in some of our key positions. However, history shows us that progress cannot be taken for granted.

“The package of measures published today is designed to strengthen equal representation and participation at Holyrood.

“Having women in key roles and ensuring they are properly represented across the Parliament helps bring different voices and perspectives to decisions.

“This report is only the first step towards substantive reform. I believe that the recommendations will help drive institutional change over the short, medium and longer-term.

“I am very grateful to Dr Fiona McKay and the Board for all their work on the audit and report over this past year. I look forward to working closely with colleagues to make sure that these recommendations are implemented.”

Commenting on the report, Dr Meryl Kenny, a member of the board and the University of Edinburgh said; “The recommendations together promise an inclusive Scottish Parliament for the twenty first century; one that in its work, procedures, and institutional culture is representative and effective.”

Her colleague, Professor Sarah Childs, another board member added: “This report marks an important moment, with Scotland building on its record and joining a growing number of countries around the world committed to reforms that will gender sensitise its parliament.”

The report states that short, medium and long-term measures are needed to secure the lasting impact of cultural change and that further research, data collection, monitoring and adjustment of new rules and reforms, will be essential.

It also calls for an advisory body, made up of cross-party MSPs, to be appointed to oversee the effective delivery of the recommendations, drive forward the Parliament’s overall progress and ensure alignment with internationally recognised standards.

You can read the report with the full set of recommendations:

Gender-Sensitive-AuditDownload

Scotland must turn its back on poverty-related stigma, say MSPs and activists

A new report published by Holyrood’s Cross Party Group on Poverty says that bias against people in poverty affects their mental health and wellbeing, makes it harder to access the support they are entitled to, lessens their educational chances and makes policies designed to tackle poverty less effective.

Group convener Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP said: “Scotland is a place that believes in compassion and justice, but people in poverty and on low incomes are having to face almost daily prejudice. That’s just not right, and it must stop.

“Poverty is caused by an unjust economy, and a social security system that doesn’t meet people’s needs. Our inquiry has found that the way people talk about poverty matters, and can have a clear impact on people on low incomes. That’s especially true when the people talking are politicians, in the media, or those delivering the public services that we all rely on.

“It’s time for everyone in Scotland to turn our back on these unjust attitudes and behaviours, and to call it out when they come across it. We’ll be a better, fairer, more just society as a result.”

Since January last year, the Group has been carrying out an inquiry into the stigma associated with poverty in Scotland today, hearing evidence from people with lived experience of living in poverty and on low incomes.

One disabled participant speaking to the Glasgow Disability Alliance said: “It can be difficult if you have a hidden impairment – people think there is nothing wrong with you or you are ‘at it’. My adviser at the Department for Work & Pensions actually said ‘This is not a disability’.”

One 15-year-old school pupil told the Child Poverty Action Group: “Well, I think if all of your friends or people you know go to the after-school clubs, school trips, that kind of isolates you from them. You’re singled out, you’re not with them, just a spare person.”

Another 12-year-old pupil said: “They talk behind your back [about what you wear] and stand staring at you.”

The Group heard evidence about the difficulties faced by parents on low incomes. The Child Poverty Action Group spoke to parents and caregivers heard about the ‘guilt, embarrassment and shame’ they are often made to feel about their financial situation.

Poverty Alliance director Peter Kelly said: “We all have a right to social support, and no-one should be made to feel ashamed for using it. We are recommending that more investment is made into making sure every household is able to get all the help they’re entitled to.”

The inquiry report highlights how involving people with experience of poverty can make public services better. The new Social Security Scotland agency was praised for its work to make sure staff know how important it is to treat people with dignity and respect.

The Group is calling for people who work with the public in Scotland to be trained about the reality of poverty, and for a strong stand against language and behaviour that stigmatises people on low incomes.

And the report also recommends making education about poverty part of Scotland’s national curriculum for schools, helping to project young people from its effects and giving them the tools and confidence to call it out and stand up against it.

Pam Duncan-Glancy said: “The submissions to this inquiry have highlighted that poverty-related stigma is extensive and deep-rooted in Scotland.

“It is impacting people’s mental health and wellbeing, erecting barriers to accessing support, restricting educational attainment, and influencing the design and resourcing of policies that can tackle poverty.

“Now is the time to end it.”

Report-of-the-inquiry-into-stigma-CPG-on-PovertyDownload

Focus on the future at Holyrood’s International Women’s Day event

Two pupils from a high school in Cumbernauld will address over 350 women in the debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament tomorrow (Saturday 4 March) as part of this year’s International Women’s Day event.

Zara De Almeida and Grace Lennon both in S5 at Our Lady’s High School, Cumbernauld, will address this year’s theme of breaking the bias, at the event which is held jointly with the Scottish Women’s Convention.

The First Minister the Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP will also address the Chamber, along with comedian Susan Morrison and academic Dr Radhika Govinda.

A cross party panel of MSPs (Meghan Gallacher MSP; Rhoda Grant MSP; Kaukab Stewart MSP; and Beatrice Wishart MSP) will also take questions from those attending.

The Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, speaking ahead of the event said: “The Scottish Parliament has celebrated International Women’s Day with this event for over 15 years, inviting women from across Scotland to address collectively the challenges they face.” 

Agnes Tolmie, Chair of the Scottish Women’s Convention said: “Women make up more than 50% of the Scottish population and we have still not achieved equality.

“However, when we look at the wonderful work done by women in Scotland we have every reason to celebrate. We are looking forward to an afternoon of inspiring and motivational contributions which showcase Scotland’s achievements in working for a fairer society.”

Women from across Scotland will join the event at the Parliament, including 60 high school pupils from S4 to S6 from Our Ladies High School, Cumbernauld; Drumchapel High School; Govan High School; St Ninian’s High School, Kirkintilloch; University of Edinburgh’s Women in Politics society; and members of the Digital Dairy Chain from the University of Strathclyde. 

The event will be broadcast by the Scottish Parliament and will begin at 2.00pm on Saturday 4 March.

Scottish Parliament refuses consent for Retained EU Law Bill

Constitution Secretary said Bill threatens vital laws

The UK Government should withdraw the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill after MSPs voted to withhold the consent of the Scottish Parliament, according to the Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson.

Speaking during a debate in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Robertson said the Bill, which is currently in the House of Lords, threatens vital regulations in the environment, food standards and employment sectors and must now be withdrawn.

With MSPs refusing to provide legislative consent, Mr Robertson said the reaction of UK Ministers would be a key test of whether or not it plans to continue to ignore or override the views of the Scottish Parliament.

If the Bill is not withdrawn, the Scottish Government has published updated amendments to lessen the impact of the Bill.

Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The Scottish Government and a number of key organisations across a range of sectors have many concerns about the Bill and we have repeatedly called on the UK Government to withdraw it.

“Firstly, it risks deregulation and threatens the high standards the people of Scotland experienced and benefited from as an EU member state for over 47 years. Secondly, the Bill includes powers for UK Ministers to act in areas of devolved responsibility without the consent of Scottish Ministers or this Parliament.

“This is clearly unacceptable and how the UK Government reacts will be a key test of whether or not they intend to continue to ride roughshod over devolution. Thirdly, the Bill includes a ‘cliff-edge’ sunset provision, which could see thousands of laws wiped overnight.

“I am pleased colleagues across the Scottish Parliament have voted to withhold consent for the Bill and I urge the UK Government to scrap it entirely. If the UK Government are intent on a race to the bottom that will impact standards across the UK, we have published a series of updated amendments to the Bill to mitigate the worst of its impacts.”

Cultural communities: Is enough being done to support culture at community level?

What cultural activities are happening in communities across Scotland? This is just one question being asked by the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee as it starts a new inquiry.

The inquiry will see the Committee look at the Scottish Government’s Cultural Strategy, which focuses on what it calls a ‘place-based’ approach. The Committee will look at what this means for communities up and down the country and what barriers are in the way to developing local cultural activities.

Now the Committee want to hear from those who participate, attend or organise cultural activities in their local areas. It wants to find out what more needs to be done to support these activities and what difference they make to people’s lives.

Speaking as the inquiry launched, Committee Convener Clare Adamson MSP said: “Scotland has a rich cultural heritage and the very heart of that lies within our local communities.  From community choirs to book clubs, local galas to theatre groups, there is a huge range of activities taking place each and every day.

“But these activities are not always easy to access or indeed organise, so we want to find out what support is needed to make these events happen. And importantly, where this support should come from.

“Culture enriches us all and this is especially true for our communities. Which is why we want to hear directly from those at the very heart of Scotland’s local communities.”

Questions the Committee is asking include:

  • What are the key factors that support you to attend or participate in cultural activities?
  • What support has there been in place to develop and grow cultural activities or events in your local area?
  • What needs to be in place to enable or to support a variety of cultural activities or events being organised and delivered in your local area?

Scottish Budget Bill passed

Further support for councils, culture sector and island ferries

An additional £223 million will be provided to local authorities to support pay awards to staff as part of the 2023-24 Scottish Budget.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said an improving financial position enabled him to address some pressing asks. The extra money for local authorities comprises a new £100 million for non-teaching staff and the £123 million announced last week for 2023-24 to support a new pay offer for teachers which would see salaries rise by 11.5% from April.

It comes on top of the additional £570 million already included in the local government settlement and takes the total settlement to nearly £13.5 billion.

Opening the Budget Bill Stage 3 debate in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Swinney also announced a £6.6 million increase to Creative Scotland’s budget and promised to fund the revenue cost increases incurred by local authorities managing the inter-islands ferry network.

He said additional funding confirmed by the UK Government in Supplementary Estimate figures this morning had enabled him to go further in 2023-24 – but stressed that the financial position remained exceptionally challenging and would require continued prioritisation throughout the coming year.

Mr Swinney said: “I am very aware of the challenges faced as we manage our way through this cost crisis and this Budget is designed to do as much as we possibly can to assist at this most difficult moment.

“None of this is easy – this is by far the hardest Scottish Budget process that I have led – with the effects of raging inflation being felt against the impact of more than a decade of austerity and Barnett funding down 5% in real terms since 2021-22.

“I hope this additional funding will enable a swift agreement in the Scottish Joint Council pay negotiations so that relevant staff receive a pay increase as early as possible in 2023-24.  

“The Budget strengthens our social contract with every citizen of Scotland who will continue to enjoy many benefits not available throughout the UK. Delivering support for people most in need, in these difficult times, is the foundation of this Budget.

“The Budget that has been set out to Parliament enables us to invest in our public services, to ensure a strong boost to local authority funding and to ensure that we help those who need it the most.”

The Deputy First Minister’s statement to Parliament.

SARAH BOYACK ON SCOTTISH GOVT’S DECISION TO REVERSE CULTURE CUTS

The Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, announced an uplift of £6.6 million for Creative Scotland in his Scottish Budget statement on Tuesday.

John Swinney acknowledged “the calls form Claire Adamson MSP, Convener of the Parliament’s Culture and Constitution Committee to continue to sustain our investment in culture and the arts.” 

In his statement, Scotland’s Deputy First Minister said: “We had asked Creative Scotland to sustain investment next year by utilising £6.6 million from their accumulative Lottery reserves in place of a further year of additional grant funding to compensate for generally lower National Lottery income.

“I am now in a position now to require that and I will provide an uplift of £6.6 million for Creative Scotland for 2023-24 to ensure their reserve funding can supplement rather than replace grant funding.” 

The decision comes following calls from trade unions, artists, cultural organisations and campaigners to reverse the cuts.

Last week, the Scottish Trades Union Congress wrote to John Swinney and Culture Secretary Angus Robertson on behalf of the Musicians’ Union, the Scottish Artists Union, BECTU, Equity, the Writers’ Guild, Scottish Society of Playwrights and the Society of Authors, warning that cutting arts funding is “the wrong choice at the wrong time.”

Commenting, Scottish Labour’s Culture spokesperson, Sarah Boyack MSP said: “I welcome Scottish Government’s U-turn and the decision to reverse the culture cuts.

“The proposals to cut Creative Scotland’s funding should have never been put forward – they simply didn’t make sense and if implemented, would have added to the huge pressure the culture sector is facing because of the cost of living crisis and rising costs.

“Culture workers have been living with uncertainty, precarious and under-paid work for years – the current crisis has only made things worse for them.

“There is so much more that the Scottish Government should be doing now to support the sector. In my own city for example the King’s Theatre needs support now. ”

David Watt, Chief Executive, Arts & Business Scotland, said: “We warmly welcome yesterday’s announcement by the Scottish Government to reverse the proposed £6.6m reduction in Creative Scotland’s funding for 2023/24.

“Arts & Business Scotland serves as the bridge between Scotland’s cultural and business sectors, fostering innovation and cross-sector collaboration and delivering major cultural, social and economic benefits both here and internationally. The success of our nation’s cultural profile relies on this and the creative and cultural sector has an essential role to play in facilitating a thriving and innovative economy.

“Scotland’s creative and cultural sector continues to reel from the aftermath of the pandemic, from rising energy costs and from increasing inflation; so opportunities to maintain ongoing financial support are very much a step in the right direction for both the sector and for the many businesses across Scotland that collaborate with them.

“Indeed we believe the coming together of the arts, culture and business communities can bring innovation and fresh thinking to the economy. Whilst we welcome this renewed confidence in the sector, we now need to look towards a sustainable, longer term future that embrace Scotland’s creative and cultural landscape as a catalyst for social and economic, as well as cultural, change.”

Holyrood report: Employers should invest in mental wellbeing services and flexible working policies

Mental health and chronic pain are having the most significant impact on economic inactivity rates in Scotland, according to a new report from the Scottish Parliament’s COVID-19 Recovery Committee.

The report considers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Scotland’s labour market, looking specifically at long-term illness and early retirement as drivers of economic inactivity.

The Committee found that although the pandemic has not significantly impacted economic inactivity in Scotland, it has clearly highlighted the extent to which a healthy working-age population is required to sustain a healthy economy.

The Committee heard that implementing remote and/or flexible working practices may improve employees’ wellbeing, bring more people into the labour market, including disabled people and people with chronic or mental illness, and support older workers to remain in the labour market for longer.

However, evidence from employers highlighted that many employers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, require additional support to implement flexible working and improve reasonable adjustment policies.

The report expresses disappointment that due to budgetary pressures, the Scottish Government’s plans for a ‘Centre for Workplace Transformation’, which would seek to embed some of the learning gained from the pandemic, was not delivered on target in 2022.

Additionally, the Committee noted that best practice from wrap-around employability services, like the Fair Start Scotland programme, which provides tailored support to get working-aged people who are disengaged from the labour market back into employment, should be shared across all of Scotland’s local authorities.

Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s COVID-19 Recovery Committee, Siobhian Brown MSP, said: “Whilst our report found the pandemic has not had a significant impact on economic inactivity levels, issues such as poor mental health and chronic illnesses, are part of the complex challenges to Scotland’s economic and social recovery from COVID-19.

“Increased partnership working between the Scottish Government and employers to support investment in employees’ wellbeing and embedding post-pandemic opportunities for flexible working is crucial to supporting more people into the labour market.

“Remote and flexible working practices could also support more disabled people and those living with chronic health or mental health conditions into the workforce, whilst also enabling older people to stay in the labour market for longer.

“It’s important that as a priority, the Scottish Government sets out what additional support it is providing for employers to develop practical resources to support the adoption of flexible working policies and share best practice, which are vital to improving Scotland’s economic activity levels.”

ROAD-TO-RECOVERY-reportDownload