Tag: Scottish Childrens Services Coalition

Record number of pupils in Scotland are identified with additional support needs as support falls

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, has raised concerns over an increase to a record high in the number of pupils identified with additional support needs (ASN).

The figures were released today (10 December) in the Scottish Government’s annual census of pupils and teachers in publicly funded schools.1 Concerns have also been raised about a decline in the number of special schools, and the level of statutory support being offered to those with the most complex needs, meaning that thousands of children and young people are being let down overall.

The figures show that the number of pupils with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems in 2024 has reached a record high of 284,448. This  represents 40.5% of the pupil population, rising from 140,542 in 2014 (20.8% of the pupil population).2 

It amounts to a more than doubling (102.4%) in numbers over the past decade.

Amounting to more than two out of five of the pupil population, this is set against a backdrop of budgetary cuts and an ongoing lack of support for those with ASN, including cuts in numbers of specialist ASN teachers and support staff.

The SCSC has called for increased resourcing to address this growing need, which is also having an impact on surging levels of classroom disruption and violence, as well as adequate training and development of staff. This includes increases in the numbers of specialist teachers, pupil support assistants, mental health professionals and educational psychologists.

The rise in the number of those with ASN, is against the background of a slump in the number of special schools, which have fallen from 145 in 2014 to 107 this year.

The SCSC has also voiced concerns over a declining number of those with complex or multiple ASN needs receiving a co-ordinated support plan (CSP).

Prepared by local authorities, CSPs are the only education plans that are legally enforceable documents. They require services such as education, health and social work to work together to give a child or young person the support they need. This provides some guarantees of entitlement to additional resources and legal redress, placing statutory duties on local authorities to review and ensure the provisions contained within it are being met.

Despite a Scottish Government promise that there would be no reduction in the proportion of pupils receiving them since their introduction in 2004, there has been a significant fall in the number of pupils with a CSP. In 2014, there were 3,128 pupils with CSPs.3 However, in 2024 this number had fallen to 1,215.4 This amounts to a drop of 61.1% and is a reduction from 2.2% to 0.4% of those with ASN.

The coalition has called for an expansion in access to CSPs, with the Scottish Government, local authorities, health and other relevant agencies collaborating more effectively to ensure that those requiring such a legal plan receive one.  

This needs to be supported by the necessary resourcing, and increased awareness and understanding of CSPs by families or carers and professionals.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “While more children and young people are being identified as having ASN, now at a record high, this is against the increasingly challenging backdrop of a lack of specialist teachers, support staff and the resources needed to support them.

“This is not only letting down thousands of children and young person, but also their fellow pupils, teachers and support staff. Increased support is critical, especially post the Covid-19 pandemic and the damaging impact this has had on many of our children and young people, exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis, all of which is hitting the poorest hardest.

“A decline in the number of special schools is also worrying, putting increased pressure on the mainstream sector, with many of those with ASN more suited to a special school environment.

“We are also concerned that despite an increase in the numbers of those with ASN, there has been a notable decline in the use of CSPs, which are legally enforceable and designed to support those with the most complex needs.

“The Scottish Government, local authorities, health and other agencies need to work in collaboration with the private and third sectors to provide the necessary resourcing and support to address the needs of children and young people with ASN. They must also work together to ensure that those who are entitled to a CSP receive one.

“With those with ASN drawn disproportionately from poorer neighbourhoods, if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap, these children and young people must get the care and support they need when they need it.”

‘Continued improvement’ in child mental health waiting times

Best performance since national target was set – but charities say targets are still being missed

Almost 90% of children and young people accessing mental health services started treatment within 18 weeks of referral from July to September – the best performance since a national target was introduced a decade ago.

Latest Public Health statistics show 89.1% of those who were assessed as suitable for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) were seen within 18 weeks – the Scottish Government target is 90%.

The figure is up five percentage points on the previous quarter and 13.5 percentage points on the same quarter the previous year.

Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: “We are working hard to ensure that everyone gets the support they need, when they need it, so the continued improvement in CAMHS waiting times is very welcome.

“These positive figures are testament to the dedication of the staff who work so hard to help the children and young people they care for. While the national standard applies only to each quarter, it is also encouraging that the highest ever monthly performance – 91.3% was recorded in September.  

“However we know there is still more to do, which is why we have provided local authorities with more than £65 million, since 2020, to develop and deliver community-based mental health support for children, young people and their families. We have also invested £16 million a year to work towards ensuring every secondary school in Scotland has access to school counselling services.”

Children 1st Chief Executive, Mary Glasgow.

Responding to the latest CAMHS quarterly waiting list figures, Children First chief executive Mary Glasgow said: “Today’s figures show thousands of children are still in desperate need of support.

“It’s a decade since the Scottish Government committed to 90 percent of CAMHS referrals being seen within 18 weeks. This target has still not been met. 

“Our teams across Scotland are supporting young people who are frightened, worried, anxious and need help now. The fact remains that children are often not getting support until they are in severe distress. This must stop.  

“Ahead of tomorrow’s budget, the Scottish Government must invest more in early help and support to prevent children reaching crisis point.

“We want to see more funding so that families can quickly get support for their children when they need it.” 

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, is calling on the Scottish Government to deliver a budget for mental health tomorrow (4th December).

The call comes as the latest waiting time figures from Public Health Scotland published today (3rd December), indicate that 115 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in the quarter ending September 2024.1 

The figures also show that a total of 4,231 children and young people were still stuck on waiting lists to start treatment at the end of that quarter.

This comes against the background of an increasing level of violent incidents in the classroom, a result in part due to the current mental health emergency, exacerbated by the long shadow of the Covid lockdown and cost-of-living crisis.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, cases of poor mental health in children and young people were at unprecedented levels, with under-resourced services struggling to keep pace with growing demand, leaving an increasing number of vulnerable individuals unable to access support

However, it should be noted that despite this challenging situation, only 0.75 per cent of the total NHS budget was spent on CAMHS in the 2023/23 financial year.2 

Indeed, spend on mental health services generally has declined by 4.5 per cent in real terms over the past three years.

The SCSC is calling the Scottish Government to up its game in the budget and make the treatment of mental health issues a key national priority, prioritising spending and avoiding a potential lost generation of children and young people with mental health problems.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “The latest figures highlighting that more than 4,200 children and young people are still waiting for treatment from mental health services, with 115 waiting over a year, is extremely alarming.

“We are facing a mental health emergency and many of our children and young people are at breaking point, with stress and anxiety reaching alarming levels as they battle with the long shadow of lockdown and the rising cost of living. This is also having a major effect on classroom behaviour, impacting the young people concerned, their fellow pupils and staff.

“Each one of these statistics is an individual, and we would urge the Scottish Government to up its game and make the adequate resourcing of mental health services for our children and young people an absolute priority in the forthcoming budget.”

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in NHSScotland for the quarter ending September 2024.

Letters: Council must act to increase provision for those with ASN

SCOTTISH CHILDREN’S SERVICES COALITION

Dear Editor

As a coalition of organisations that support vulnerable children and young people, it is no surprise that recent FOI enquiries highlight that more than half (56 per cent) of requests for places in special schools have been refused by City of Edinburgh Council.

The number of those with additional support needs (ASN) has escalated considerably, increasing by 145 per cent for primary school pupils, and 219 per cent for secondary over the last decade. Just over half of secondary pupils in the capital are now identified as having an ASN, including the likes of autism, dyslexia and mental health problems.

This escalation has put incredible pressure on our mainstream schools, which have been hit by a perfect storm of cuts in the number of ASN teachers, support staff and resources.

For a growing number of children and young people with increasingly complex needs, mainstream schooling is not appropriate, and the needs of these children and young people are better met in a specialist setting.

It is therefore understandable that parents are seeking such support, which can dramatically improve the wellbeing and prospects of the child or young person concerned and reduce impacts on fellow non-ASN pupils and staff.

However, while there is a growing requirement for special schools, we have seen their numbers cut from 13 to 10 over the last decade in the capital, and the number of pupils at these has declined from 695 to 686.

This is something that the Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council will need to recognise and act on. We would therefore urge that the additional boost for the government arising from the recent UK Budget is in part used to increase this vital specialist provision.

Yours faithfully

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition:

Kenny Graham, Falkland House School

Lynn Bell, LOVE Learning

Stephen McGhee, Spark of Genius

Niall Kelly, Young Foundations

42 Charlotte Square

Edinburgh EH2 4HQ

Tel: 0131 603 8996

Letter: ‘Deep concern’ over cuts to city council’s inclusion services

Dear Editor

As a coalition of organisations that support vulnerable children and young people, we are deeply concerned in relation to proposed budget cuts to City of Edinburgh Council’s inclusion services.

There has been a massive increase in the number of pupils in Scotland’s schools identified with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems. In Edinburgh, this has seen the number of pupils with ASN almost treble in number between 2013 and 2023.

It has been estimated that over 40 per cent of primary school and over half of secondary school pupils in the capital now have an ASN.

Unfortunately, the necessary resourcing required for this group has not increased. For example, the number of ASN teachers in Edinburgh’s schools has declined by four over the period 2013 to 2023, from 170 to 166, despite the massive increase in the number of pupils with ASN.

Any further axing in staff, who are already overstretched and under-resourced, in supporting these pupils will prove absolutely devastating.

This will impact not only them, but also fellow pupils who will face reduced teaching time given the need to support those with ASN, as well as putting even more pressure on teachers and support staff.

We would urge City of Edinburgh Council to reconsider its approach, as this sticking plaster solution of budget cuts will simply lead to reduced life chances for these individuals, with the resultant impact on society and the economy.

Yours faithfully

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition:

Kenny Graham, Falkland House School

Lynn Bell, LOVE Learning

Stephen McGhee, Spark of Genius

Niall Kelly, Young Foundations

42 Charlotte Square

Edinburgh EH2 4HQ

Tel: 0131 603 8996

Letters: Keeping the Promise?

Dear Editor

The recent Scottish Government report highlighting the work done to date on improving the lives of care-experienced children and young people is to be welcomed. There is however much to be done.

‘The Promise’ is a commitment that by 2030 all care-experienced children in Scotland will grow up loved, safe and respected, with the ability to reach their full potential.

Those in this category represent some of the most vulnerable members of our society, experiencing considerably fewer life chances than their peers, with poorer health and educational outcomes.

Recent data reinforce this, noting that the figures for exclusion of pupils who have been looked after in the past year are still between five and six times as high as the levels found across the total pupil population. This is despite a commitment that all formal and informal exclusions of care-experienced pupils would end. Scotland is still very far away from achieving that.  

As a society, if we want to build a care system which has love and respect at its very heart, we must provide the resources necessary to ensure that that this group of individuals get the vital care and support they so desperately need.

Only through this can we ensure that ‘The Promise’ is kept.

Yours faithfully

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition:

Kenny Graham, Falkland House School

Lynn Bell, LOVE Learning

Stephen McGhee, Spark of Genius

Niall Kelly, Young Foundations

42 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4HQ

Tel: 0131 603 8996

Coalition urges £150 million raised through adding VAT to fees to go to pupils in Scotland with support needs

  • Use funding from adding VAT to private school fees to support pupils with additional support needs (ASN) in state schools
  • Concerns raised over impact of adding VAT for those with ASN, with increased movement of pupils into an under-resourced state sector
  • Near doubling in the number of pupils in state schools with additional support needs since 2013

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, has called on the Scottish Government to use funding from adding VAT onto private school fees to increase support to those with ASN in state schools.

The UK Labour Government reiterated its manifesto commitment to increase VAT on school fees – at the standard rate of 20 per cent – in the recent King’s Speech. This could potentially boost Scottish Government education spend by £150 million (although it should be noted that this figure does not take account of pupils leaving the independent sector and thereby not contributing).

In addition, the SCSC has raised concerns over the impact that potential displacement of those with ASN from private schools into the state sector will have.

A high percentage of children in private education, estimated at around 9,000, have ASN, and many will have their learning disrupted, by being forced to leave their school, causing them significant problems.

Local authorities will also have to accommodate more pupils in already under-resourced schools and be required to increase funding to support these.

There has been a near doubling (96.8 per cent) between 2013 and 2023 in the number of pupils identified with ASN in state schools, from 131,593 to 259,036, amounting to 123,628 individuals. This includes those with mental health problems, learning disability, autism and dyslexia, and currentlyrepresents more than a third of all pupils (36.7 per cent).

However, this comes against a background of spending cuts and reductions in specialist support.

The Scottish Government’s annual teacher census, for example, indicates that between 2013 and 2023 the number of ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,290 to 2,898, a decrease of 392 teachers, representing a cut of 11.9 per cent.1

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “We would urge that any additional funding that comes through adding VAT to private school fees is used to support those with ASN in our state schools, giving those who need it the care and support that they need, and supporting closing the educational attainment gap.

“However, we would urge caution when it comes to adding VAT on fees for those with ASN, as this will have a potential major impact.

“Many of these will be forced to leave school, with their learning disrupted and further exacerbating pressures on an already over-stretched state sector, which is having difficulty coping, and brings further costs to local authorities.

“Clarification is needed from the Scottish Government as to how it intends to address the issue of adding VAT to fees for those with pupils with ASN.”

1 Scottish Government, Pupil Census 2023 supplementary statistics, 19th March 2024, table 1.5.

Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/pupil-census-supplementary-statistics/ (accessed 12th December 2023).

2 Scottish Government, Teacher census 2023 supplementary statistics, 19th March 2024, table 6.7. Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-census-supplementary-statistics/ (accessed 19th March 2024).

Scottish Children’s Services Coalition: 137 children wait over a year for mental health treatment

New figures show 137 children waiting more for a year for mental health treatment  

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, is calling for the Scottish Government to renew its focus on tackling the child mental health emergency.

The SCSC has also warned that the Scottish Government is in in danger of missing its Programme for Government commitment to Increase direct investment into mental health by the end of the parliamentary term, noting that only 75p in every £100 is spent on specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).

While health is a devolved matter, it has also noted that the General Election provides an ideal opportunity to talk about this crucial matter in Scotland.

The call comes as the latest waiting time figures from Public Health Scotland, published on 4th June, indicate that 137 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment from CAMHS in the quarter ending March 2024.

The figures also show that a total of 5,557 children and young people were still stuck on waiting lists to start treatment at the end of that quarter.

In addition, just 86.0 per cent of patients with mental health problems were seen within 18 weeks from referral to treatment at CAMHS. This falls short of the Scottish Government’s waiting time target of 90 per cent being seen within 18 weeks.

This comes against the background of an increasing level of violent incidents in the classroom, a result in part due to the current mental health emergency, exacerbated by the long shadow of the Covid lockdown and cost-of-living crisis.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, cases of poor mental health in children and young people were at unprecedented levels, with under-resourced services struggling to keep pace with growing demand, leaving an increasing number of vulnerable individuals unable to access support.

The Scottish Government in its NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 committed to Increase direct investment into mental health by the end of the parliamentary term in 2026, ensuring that 10 per cent of the frontline NHS budget is invested in mental health, with 1 per cent directed specifically to children and young people through CAMHS.2

However, it should be noted that despite greatly increased demand, only 0.75% of the total frontline NHS budget was spent on CAMHS in the 2022/23 financial year, amounting to £114.799 million (real terms), just 75p in every £100 of the NHS budget.

The mental health budget overall amounts to only 8.53% of total frontline NHS expenditure, a decrease of 0.59% from 9.12% in the past decade (2011/12).3

The SCSC is calling the Scottish Government to refocus on the treatment of mental health issues, prioritising spending and avoiding a potential lost generation of children and young people with mental health problems.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “The latest figures, highlighting that 137 children and young people have been waiting over a year for treatment from mental health services, is extremely alarming.

“We are facing a mental health emergency, and many of our children and young people are at breaking point, with stress and anxiety reaching alarming levels. Despite this, too many are waiting too long for treatment, and if the Scottish Government is to reach its financial commitment to spend 1 per cent of the frontline NHS budget on CAMHS, it will need to radically increase investment.

“While health is a devolved matter, this General Election provides an opportunity to talk about it, and we would urge the Scottish Government to refocus its efforts on delivering services that adequately address the needs of our children and young people.”

Committee warns of “intolerable” situation for children and young people with additional support needs

A Scottish Parliament Committee has reported its alarm at the gap between the ambitions and implementation of a policy that aspires for children and young people with additional support needs (ASN) to be taught in mainstream education.

Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People Committee unanimously agreed that the policy behind mainstreaming is the best route forward, however its inquiry found that the Scottish Government and local authorities are failing to implement it properly.

Speaking as the report was published, Sue Webber MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, said: “The situation faced by children and young people with additional support needs is intolerable.

“During our inquiry, we were extremely concerned to hear about negative experiences of additional support for learning provision, the educating of children and young people in mainstream schools and the detrimental impact this has had on some pupils, their parents and carers, and teachers and support staff.

“Things must change. The Scottish Government and local authorities have been repeatedly warned about the consequences of failing to improve support for children with additional support needs. With a rising number of children reporting with additional support needs, a third of pupils in some areas, the Government and local authorities must not ignore the concerns and recommendations made in this report.”

During the inquiry, children and young people told the Committee that it can be hard to understand when someone does not give them the support they need and that a lack of support staff to cope with the number of pupils who need support can leave them feeling frustrated.

The Committee was particularly concerned by evidence that highlighted challenges of getting children the support they required.

In evidence to the Committee, the National Autistic Society said: “We see continually that autistic children and young people are forced to “fail” in mainstream settings before any other option or support is offered.

“Families have to fight the system to get that support, with many being forced into legal action and having to engage a solicitor before a solution is found.”

Other concerns raised in the Committee’s report look at the problems with a move towards open-plan schools, which could prove extremely overwhelming for children with autism and the number of neurodivergent children who are masking at school.

To improve the situation, the Committee makes several recommendations including reviewing placing requests, undertaking research on the prevalence and impact of masking, and urgently addressing gaps in specialist provision.

Responding to the report, a spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition commented: “The report by the Parliamentary committee on a lack of support to children and young people with additional support needs (ASN) is not a surprise to any of those involved in the sector.

“We have consistently warned of a potential ‘lost generation’ of those in this group, now amounting to more than 259,000 children.

“The number of those with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems, amounts to more than a third of pupils, a doubling in numbers over the past decade, including an increase in those with complex needs. 

“As a coalition of organisations that support vulnerable children and young people, we have however for many years shared the concerns of the committee over a lack of resourcing to support an escalating number of pupils with ASN, including a lack of specialist teachers and support staff.

“There has, for example, been a cut in ASN spending per pupil of just under £2,000 over the last decade, and the number of specialist ASN teachers has fallen by just under 400.

“Under the new First Minister, we need a ‘national crusade’ to address of the needs of more than a third of our children and young people, providing the necessary resources to address their needs.

“While we support the principle of mainstreaming, that all children and young are taught in mainstream classes unless exceptional circumstances apply, it is difficult to see how this can work effectively when those with ASN are in many cases not receiving the necessary care and support. 

“This situation is putting an incredible level of pressure on teachers and other staff, with an impact also in terms of surging levels of school violence and poor behaviour we are witnessing.

“The committee noted this gap between policy ambition and implementation, which is leading to mainstream education being ‘intolerable’ for many children and young people with ASN.

“There are also many of those in mainstream education, whose complexity of needs would be far better served in a special school setting, delivering what is best for their educational and social requirements.

“The Scottish Government, local authorities, health and other agencies need to work in collaboration with the private and third sectors to provide the necessary resourcing and support to address the needs of children and young people with ASN.“

Coalition raises concerns as new figures highlight cuts in specialist support for vulnerable children

  • Decline in the number of specialist ASN teachers by 392 since 2013
  • Near doubling in the number of pupils with additional support needs since 2013

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, has called for greater resourcing to support those with additional support needs (ASN).

The call comes as new figures from the Scottish Government’s annual teacher census indicate that while the number of specialist ASN teachers has fallen to 2,898 in 2023, the number of those pupils with ASN has soared to a record high.

Between 2013 and 2023 the number of ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,290 to 2,898, a decrease of 392 teachers, representing a cut of 11.9 per cent.1

This fall is against the background of an increase of 96.8 per cent increase between 2013 and 2023 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 131,593 to 259,036, amounting to 123,628 individuals. This includes those with mental health problems, learning disability, autism and dyslexia, and currentlyrepresents more than a third of all pupils (36.7 per cent).2

In 2013, while each ASN teacher was supporting 40 pupils with ASN, by 2023 this figure had risen to each teacher supporting 89 such pupils.

Against a background of spending cuts and reduction in specialist support, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and local authorities to ensure that those with ASN, who are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods, are getting the care and support that they need. 

The coalition has also raised concerns about the effectiveness of a presumption of mainstreaming, meaning that all pupils are educated in a mainstream educational environment unless exceptional circumstances apply, without the necessary support.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need. This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods.

“With cuts in support, including in the number of specialist teachers, it is going to be extremely challenging to reduce the current inequalities faced by those with ASN.

“While we also support the presumption of mainstreaming, which means that all children and young people are educated in a mainstream educational environment unless exceptional circumstances apply, it is clearly difficult to see how this is functioning properly given the fall in specialist support and increase in the number of those with ASN.

“The Scottish Government and local authorities need to work together to provide the necessary resourcing to address the needs of those children and young people with ASN, who represent some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. “

Scottish Apprenticeship Week: Look Beyond the Label

Dear Editor

This week marks Scottish Apprenticeship Week (4th – 8th March), a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the vital role apprenticeships play in supporting people, employers and the economy.

Modern Apprenticeships allow people from diverse backgrounds, no matter their background and abilities, to gain and develop skills for every business no matter its size or sector.

The rewards of getting young people who are disabled or care experienced into work are well worth it. They bring passion, skills, dedication and drive to the workplace.

Recruiting a Modern Apprentice enables employers to fill the skills gaps that exist within their current workforce, as apprentices begin to learn sector-specific skills from day one, developing specialist knowledge that will positively affect the bottom line.

However, as always, we can do more and support for businesses and other employers is key as it is they who clearly make the vital difference.

As we mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week, we would urge Scotland’s employers to look beyond the label and take on a Modern Apprentice who may have an additional need, taking advantage of the excellent skills offered by many of these young people.

Yours faithfully 

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition:

Kenny Graham, Falkland House School

Lynn Bell, LOVE Learning

Stephen McGhee, Spark of Genius

Niall Kelly, Young Foundations