Tag: Scottish Childrens Services Coalition

Resource Spending Review: Ambitious but realistic?

An ‘ambitious but realistic’ public spending framework has been published which outlines how more than £180 billion will be invested to deliver priorities for Scotland.

The Resource Spending Review, which is not a budget, outlines how the Scottish Government will focus public finances in the coming years to tackle child poverty, address the climate crisis, strengthen the public sector as Scotland recovers from Covid and grow a stronger, fairer and greener economy.

A targeted capital spending review has also been published to address a reduction in capital investment by the UK Government. As well as supporting the NHS and affordable housing, the capital spending review will invest around £18 billion up to 31 March 2026, with over half a billion of additional funding directed to net zero programmes compared to previous plans.

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes said: “We are of course still recovering from the Coronavirus pandemic. There is still acute pressure on the NHS, on business and the wider economy. The illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine is a humanitarian crisis, which is affecting the global economy. Rising energy prices and constrained supply chains have affected countries worldwide. While inflation is also  impacting other countries, it is not impacting them equally.

“The UK currently has the highest inflation of any G7 country– almost twice the rate of France.  Brexit has made this problem worse, with increases in food prices, hitting the poorest hardest. We are experiencing an unprecedented cost of living crisis. Inflation is at a 40-year high of 9 per cent with households facing considerable hardship.

“Today’s Resource Spending Review is not a Budget. However, it is essential to share high-level financial parameters with public bodies, local government and the third sector, so we can plan ahead together.

“Today I set out an ambitious but realistic public spending framework for the years ahead. It does not ignore the realities of our financial position, but neither does it roll back on our ambitions for change.”

Further changes to Scotland’s fiscal position and to tax and social security forecasts are expected to change the funding picture ahead of annual budgets.

The spending review however does prioritise sending in key policy areas.

These are:

Tackling child poverty and supporting households and businesses with the cost of living

  • £22.9 billion for social security assistance
  • increasing the Scottish Child Payment from £10 to £25 and expanding eligibility by the end of this year
  • providing universal free school meals to primary school children in P1-5 and expanding provision beyond that
  • uprating devolved benefits

Securing stronger public services

  • investing £73.1 billion in health and social care including developing a National Care Service
  • increasing investment in frontline health services by 20 per cent over this Parliament
  • spending more on primary and community care to ensure people get the right treatment in the right place
  • funding of £42.5 billion for local government for the delivery of services
  • investing £11.6 billion in the justice system

Achieving net zero and tackling the climate crisis

  • up to £75 million per year to deliver the Heat in Building Strategy, enabling £1.8 billion investment towards decarbonisation
  • up to £95 million towards meeting woodland creation targets
  • £46 million to introduce the community bus fund and an increase in funding for concessionary travel schemes
  • investment of over £12 million in peatland restoration
  • £4 million of resource spending alongside £150 million capital and financial investment for the North East and Moray Just Transition Fund

Building a stronger, fairer and greener economy

  • capital investment of £581 million to support the economy, including our enterprise agencies and the Scottish National Investment Bank
  • continuing through the Inward Investment Plan to attract high quality inward investment in areas such as energy transition and the space sector
  • pushing forward with the export growth plan A Trading Nation to scale up Scotland’s international reach
  • embedding entrepreneurship in education, to give young people opportunities to start and grow businesses

The spending review provides a platform for engagement ahead of the next budget on how best to reform Scotland’s high performing public sector to become more efficient, to deliver ambitious outcomes. That means rapidly digitalising the public sector, maximising revenue through public sector innovation, reforming the public sector estate and the public body landscape, and improving public procurement.

The annual Medium Term Financial Strategy has also been published to provide the economic and fiscal context for the Resource Spending Review and Capital Spending Review, including the fiscal challenges that lie ahead.

Read the Cabinet Secretary’s statement to the Scottish Parliament in full here.

COSLA has stated that the implications of the Scottish Government’s spending plans for the rest of the parliament are deeply concerning for communities across Scotland and fail to recognise the fundamental role Local Government has in addressing the Government’s own priorities of child poverty, climate change and a stronger economy.

The ‘Resource Spending Review’, published on 31 May, shows no prospect of an increase to Local Government’s core funding for the next 3 years, which is especially concerning in the current context of soaring inflation and energy costs.

This “flat-cash” scenario gives extremely limited scope for recognising the essential work of our staff, whose expectations around pay continue to be, quite rightly, influenced by Scottish Government’s decisions in relation to other parts of public sector. Put simply, the plans as they stand will mean fewer jobs and cuts to services. COSLA is seeking an urgent meeting with the First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance to discuss this further.

COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Gail Macgregor said “Every year at Budget time, COSLA argues for fair funding for Local Government to maintain the essential services our communities rely on.

“No increase in our core funding damages these services and yesterday’s announcement will see this continue for at least the next three years. Our communities are starting to see and feel the difference”

Yesterday, the Fraser of Allander Institute also immediately recognised the impact on councils –   “The local government budget will decline by 7% in real terms between 2022/23 and 2026/27…….the real terms erosion of the funding allocations of local authorities represents the continuation of a longer trend”

Commenting on the resource spending review, a spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition commented: “The Scottish Government’s resource review, which highlights a spending gap of around £3.5 billion by 2026/27, points to highly challenging times ahead for our public services (1st June 2022).

“The Fraser of Allander Institute noted that, within this, councils will see real term cuts of 7 per cent between 2022/23 and 2026/27, the implications of which are highly disturbing for those with additional support needs (ASN) who we support.

“Those with ASN make up around a third of our children and young people, including autism, dyslexia and mental health problems, many of whom were already facing considerable barriers to support and not receiving the care they need when they need it.

“While we have witnessed a more than doubling in the number of these individuals 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, denying care to many, and with these latest swingeing public service cuts we are potentially facing a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people.

“We would urge the Scottish Government and newly elected councils to work together to ensure that those children and young people with ASN are made a priority, able to access the necessary support to allow them to reach their full potential.”

The STUC have yet to comment on the Spending Review.

Additional support for learning – the gap between ambition and reality for our children

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.”

Call for greater resourcing from new Scottish councils as spending to support vulnerable children is slashed

  • Spending cut of £874 per pupil to support those identified with ASN since 2012/13
  • ‘Postcode lottery’ of spending between local authorities on ASN
  • Near doubling in the number of pupils with ASN since 2012
  • Cut in the number of ASN teachers

An alliance of leading providers of children’s services, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), has called for greater resourcing to support children and young people with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems.

The call which comes as new council administrations are being formed, comes as new figures contained in a parliamentary answer to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP.

This reveals that spend supporting those pupils with ASN has slumped dramatically. IIt comes against a backdrop of the number of pupils with ASN increasing and the number of specialist teachers supporting them dropping to a new low.

The SCSC is calling on incoming town hall administrations to put the needs of vulnerable children and young people at the very heart of policy and funding commitments.

The figures highlight that average spend per pupil on additional support for learning by councils in Scotland (primary, secondary and special education) has fallen from £4,276 in the 2012/13 financial year [1] to £3,402 in 2020/21 [2] (in cash terms). This amounts to an overall cut in spending of £874 per pupil, representing a 20.4% drop.

Spend per pupil ranges from £2,210 in the Scottish Borders to £5,901 in the Shetland Islands, pointing to a ‘postcode lottery’ in spend across local councils (see Notes to Editors for figures by council). 

This fall is against the backdrop of a 92.2 per cent increase since 2012 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,011 to 226,838 in 2020, amounting to 108,827 individuals. Those with ASNcurrently represent just under a third of all pupils (32.3 per cent).3

Between 2012 and 2020 the number of full-time equivalent ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,389 to all-time low of 2,860, a decrease of 529 teachers, representing a cut in numbers of 15.6 per cent.4

Against the background of Covid-19 and its disproportionate impact on those with ASN, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and councils to ensure that those with ASN in Scotland’s schools receive the care and support they need

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: ““It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need, when they need it, especially as we come out of the current Covid-19 crisis.

“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.

“Given this, it is disappointing to note cuts in spending supporting those with ASN and we would urge Scotland’s newly elected councils to put the needs of vulnerable children and young people at the very heart of policy and funding commitments.

“Councils and the Scottish Government must 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.”

Record number of school leavers in postive destinations

Almost half of Scottish pupils go on to higher education

A record 95.5% of pupils were in a ‘positive destination’ including work, training or further study within three months of leaving school last year.

Latest figures published yesterday also show 45.1% of school leavers went on to higher education courses at college or university – the highest since records began in 2009-10.

The gap between those from the most and least deprived communities achieving a positive destination was the lowest since 2009-10.

The statistics show that for National Qualifications:

  • 87.7% of school leavers achieved at least one pass at SCQF Level 5 (eg National 5) or better – up from 85.7% in 2019-20 and 77.1% in 2009-10
  • 66% achieved at least one pass at SCQF Level 6 (eg Higher) or better – up from 63.9% in 2019-20 and 50.4% in 2009-10
  • the gap narrowed between the proportion of pupils from the most and least deprived areas leaving school with at least one pass at SCQF Levels 4, 5 and 6 or better
  • the proportion of school leavers achieving vocational awards to support them into the workplace continued to increase

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, 95.5% of pupils were in positive destinations three months after leaving school. This reflects the resilience and hard work of our young people and all who have supported them during the past two turbulent years.

“The narrowing of the poverty-related attainment gap shown by the figures is also very welcome. So, too, is the increase in the proportion of pupils gaining vocational qualifications and in those going on to higher education in college and university.

“It is important, though, to view the statistics against the backdrop of COVID-19. Exams had to be cancelled for two years and National Qualifications were awarded using different methods. The pandemic will also have affected the choices made by some school leavers and the opportunities available to them.

“Our focus remains on ensuring that all children and young people, regardless of their background, have the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential in school and beyond.”

Commenting on the Scottish Government’s statistics for initial destinations for school leavers (2020/21), a spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition – an alliance of leading children’s care providers – said: “We greatly welcome the increase in school leavers with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems, entering a positive destination three months after leaving mainstream school.

“This includes the likes of further education, higher education, employment and training.

“While 92.8 per cent of 2020/21 school leavers with ASN were in a positive destination three months after leaving school, this is an increase on 2019/20 when the figure was 89.6 per cent.  For those with no ASN the figures are 97.0 per cent and 95.4 per cent respectively.

“The gap between those school leavers with ASN and those with no ASN in a positive destination has decreased from 5.8 per cent for 2019/20 to 4.2 per cent in 2020/21.

“It is deeply encouraging to see an increase in the percentage of school leavers with ASN in a positive destination and to note that this gap is narrowing when compared with those with no ASN.

“The key here is to ensure that we maintain this position when the statistics are published for those in a positive destination nine months after leaving school. The figures for 2019/20 showed a disappointing decrease on the previous year, and it is important that increased resourcing is targeted at those individuals with ASN to give them the best possible opportunities, both in the classroom and as they transition beyond it.2

“This is clearly challenging in an environment of austerity, however, the cost to society in the long term if adequate resourcing is not provided will far outweigh any potential savings made today.”

Summary Statistics for Attainment and Initial Leaver Destinations

Concerns raised as number of legal plans for those with additional support needs 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 a sharp decline in the number of legally-binding education support plans for those with complex or multiple additional support needs (ASN).

So-called co-ordinated support plans (CSPs), prepared by local authorities, are the only education plans that are legal documents.  

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, from 3,448 in 2012 1 to 1,420 in 2021 2, amounting to a drop of 58.9%. This is a reduction from 2.9% to 0.6% of those with ASN, amounting to 0.2% of the pupil population.

This is in contrast with England where the number of those receiving an education, health and care plan (EHCP), the CSP equivalent, is 3.7% of the pupil population. Amounting more than 18 times the rate of those percentage of those receiving a CSP in Scotland, this is also on the increase.

A concern raised by the coalition is that councils are reluctant to issue CSPs due to the legal protections they afford, against the backdrop of a lack of resources to support these, with non-statutory alternatives often being offered in their place.

This sharp fall in the number of CSPs is against a background of a dramatic increase in the number of pupils with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems which in 2021 has reached a record high of 232,753.

 Of this total 58.0% cent are boys. This represents 33.0% of the pupil population, rising from 118,011 in 2012, and is a near doubling (97.2%) in numbers from that year.

The coalition has called for an expansion in access to CSPs, ensuring that those requiring it receive the care and support they are entitled to, and to revise the relevant statutory guidance, with the necessary resourcing to support this.

A spokesperson for SCSC commented: “We are deeply concerned that there has been a decline in the use of CSPs, which are designed to support those with the most complex needs.  This is despite a Scottish Government assurance that they would not decline and a dramatic increase in the numbers of those with ASN.

“By not providing this statutory support, many of those vulnerable individuals are being failed and not getting the support they are entitled to, which is of particular significance given the impact of Covid-19. The Scottish Government, local authorities and other agencies need to collaborate to ensure that those requiring a CSP receive it, with the necessary resourcing to support this.

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

Concerns raised as a third of pupils identified with Additional Support Needs while statutory support falls

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

It has also voiced similar concerns over a declining number of those with ASN receiving Co-ordinated Support Plans (CSPs), the only education plans that are legal documents. This is despite a Scottish Government promise there would be no decline in the numbers of those receiving them.

The figures were released yesterday in the Scottish Government’s Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland 2021, the annual census of pupils and teachers in publicly funded schools.1

The figures show that the number of pupils with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems in 2021 has reached a record high of 232,753. Of this total 58.0 per cent are boys. This represents 33.0 per cent of the pupil population, rising from 118,034 in 2012, and is a near doubling (97.2 per cent) in numbers from that year.2

The SCSC has also raised concerns at the number of those receiving a CSP.

This is a legal document, the only education plans that are legal documents, requiring services such as education, health and social work to work together to give a child or young person the support they need.

It 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 CSPs, from 3,448 in 2012 to 1,420 in 2021, amounting to a drop of 58.9 per cent (publicly funded primary, secondary and special schools). This is a reduction from 2.9 per cent to 0.6 per cent of those with ASN.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “While it is promising that this increase tells us that more young people with ASN are being identified, it is against a worrying background of damaging cuts to services.

“Ensuring the adequate provision of educational support for children and young people with ASN is critical, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and the damaging impact this will have on them

“We have major concerns over a lack of resources and specialist staff to support these children and young people. This clearly has an impact not only on the individuals concerned but also on their peers and teachers.

“It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need, which 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.

“We are also concerned that we are experiencing a decline in the use of CSPs, which are designed to support those with the most complex needs. This is despite an increase in the numbers of those requiring such support

“As we recover from COVID-19, the Scottish Government and local authorities, along with the private and third sectors, need to work together to provide the necessary resourcing and support to address the needs of these vulnerable children and young people. It must also work with local authorities to ensure that those who require a CSP get it, making parents and carers aware of their legal rights.”

The EIS has also commented on today’s publication of National Improvement Framework (NIF) data, saying that the data confirms the need for greater investment to support education recovery for Scotland’s young people.

The data released today simply confirms what the EIS has been saying for the past year, which teachers have understood instinctively – that the Covid created disruption to learning has affected all pupils to some degree but has disproportionately impacted on children from the most deprived backgrounds.

It is noticeable, also, that children with additional support needs have been impacted in a similar manner – 42% achieving Literacy levels against a national figure of 76% and in Numeracy 53% against a figure of 83%.

Given that more than 1 in 4 pupils in our mainstream schools have additional needs this is an area of significant concern, which the EIS believes the Scottish Government is failing to tackle with sufficient targeted investment.

Commenting on the data, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “We didn’t need publication of this data to know that children from the poorest backgrounds and those with additional support needs were the ones suffering most from the pandemic.

“Schools have prioritised, quite rightly, the well-being of pupils but as we start to look at education recovery from the pattern of disrupted learning, the Scottish Government needs to up its game in terms of investment in our children’s future.

“Recent OECD research (OECD Education at a Glance 2021), for example, has shown that smaller class sizes where there are patterns of multiple deprivation or additional needs help individual pupil recovery but the Scottish Government continues to resist making any progress in this area.

“The Government’s education recovery plan was far too timid in its ambition given the scale of the impact of Covid on the most disadvantaged young people. The simple fact is that pupil recovery will be delayed and diminished if much greater resource isn’t made available to schools.” 

Call for Scottish budget for mental health as figures show over 1,900 children have been waiting over a year for treatment

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of children’s services, has called for a Scottish Budget for mental health. It urged greatly increased investment in mental health services against a backdrop of concerns over a mental health pandemic as the impacts of Covid-19 on the young become clearer.

The call comes as new figures published today (7th December 2021) from Public Health Scotland indicate that at the end of September 2021, 1,978 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment from specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) provided by the NHS.

This figure represents a doubling from September 2020 (959).They also represent 16.7 per cent of those waiting for specialist treatment. 

With already under-resourced and overstretched services facing overwhelming pressure due to increased demand, the SCSC has raised concerns over a potential “lost generation” of vulnerable children and young people whose mental health is being impacted by Covid-19. 

Even prior to the pandemic cases of poor mental health were at unprecedented levels and in crisis, and there are a growing number of vulnerable children who cannot access adequate support.

While 3,792 children and young people were treated over the period July to September 2021 by CAMHS, only 78.6 per cent were seen within the Scottish Government’s waiting time target for the NHS of 18 weeks from referral to treatment (met for at least 90 per cent of patients). Nine out of 14 health boards failed to meet this target.

Waiting times (with adjustments) for people who started their treatment from July to September 2021, by NHS Board of treatment.

Health boardTotal number seen% seen within 18 weeks
NHS Scotland3,79278.6
NHS Ayrshire & Arran38199.5
NHS Borders7755.8
NHS Dumfries & Galloway8133.3
NHS Fife34083.8
NHS Forth Valley8764.4
NHS Grampian39294.9
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley1,02175.5
NHS Highland17076.5
NHS Lanarkshire18368.3
NHS Lothian66167.9
NHS Tayside35284.1
NHS Island Boards47100.0

In addition to increased investment in mental health services through a Scottish Budget for mental health, the SCSC has called for a renewed focus on expanded prevention and early intervention services, reducing the need for referral to costly specialist CAMHS.

It has also called for greater partnership working between the public, private and third sectors as well as greater awareness of the services on offer, especially those at a community level.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “We are urging the Scottish Government to make the forthcoming budget a Budget for mental health for our children and young people.

“For some time we have raised concerns over a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people, whose mental health is being impacted even further by the Covid-19 pandemic.  It is more important than ever that children can access the support they need, when they need it, irrespective of where they live.

“To achieve this there must be a radical transformation of our mental health services, investing in specialist services and with a focus on preventing such problems arising in the first place and intervening early.

“This is a crisis we can overcome, but it will require a similar energy and commitment to that demonstrated for Covid-19 if we are to achieve this and prevent many young people giving up on their futures.”

Scottish Government publishes education recovery strategy

‘Missed opportunity’, says EIS

Plans to help Scotland’s education system continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic have been published by the Scottish Government – but Scotland’s biggest teaching union the EIS has dismissed the plans as a ‘missed opportunity’ and say Scotland must show more ambition.

Created with input from across the sector, including young people, the Education Recovery strategy outlines how almost £500 million has been used to support learners and staff across the country.

The publication also sets out how the Scottish Government will continue to provide ongoing support to the sector.

This includes:

  • further support for learners who are sitting exams in 2022
  • access to in-school mental health and wellbeing support that young people need, including counselling services
  • recruiting 3,500 additional teachers and 500 support staff over this parliamentary term
  • expanding funded early learning and childcare for children aged 1 and 2, starting with low-income households
  • committing £1 billion to tackle the poverty related attainment gap and support education recovery

Speaking after visiting the site of the new £47.2 million Wallyford Secondary Learning Facility, Ms Somerville said: “Our collaborative and ambitious programme of support to aid recovery right across our education sector has been underway for many months.

“Schools are still dealing with the pandemic and we will continue to support them through these challenging time. However, as a Government we must also be focused on recovery. Supporting children and young people remains our top priority, and almost £500 million of additional funding has already been committed during 2020/21 and 2021/22 as part of education recovery. Of this, £240m is to recruit extra staff to ensure resilience and to provide additional support for learners and teachers.

“Other initiatives will play a crucial role, such as the provision of free school breakfasts and lunches all year round for all children in P1-7, digital devices for every child, abolition of fees for instrumental music tuition, removal of core curriculum charges, and our extended early learning and childcare offer.

“Pupils sitting exams in spring 2022 will be offered a package of support, which will include online revision classes and targeted help for those who need it most. At the heart of all of this is our children and young people, who we will ensure have the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential in school and beyond.”

Read Education Recovery: Key Actions and Next Steps.

Commenting following the publication of the plan, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “Clearly, there are significant elements within the plan to be welcomed – not least the commitment to increasing teacher numbers, the creation of more permanent posts to tackle the scandal of 10% of current teaching posts being temporary, and the reduction in class contact time to 21 hours.

“Overall, however, the plan largely restates existing workstreams and fails to promote a single big initiative such as a reduction in class sizes, which would catalyse an education recovery programme and bring immediate benefits to Scotland’s children and young people.

“Smaller class sizes, even on a limited basis as a starting point, such as P2 and P3 or S1 and S2, would mean more teacher time per pupil and assist with targeted interventions where the pandemic has impacted disproportionately on children’s lives. As a country, we need to be bolder in our ambitions for our youth.”

Responding to the Education Recovery Plan, a spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition commented: “While we welcome the commitment to help Scotland’s education system continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic through this plan, greater action is needed to improve the mental health and wellbeing of our young people.

“Even prior to the pandemic cases of poor mental health were at unprecedented levels and there are a growing number of vulnerable children who cannot access adequate support. At the end June 2021, 1,686 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment from specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), double that of the previous year.

“Increased funding to deliver new and enhanced community-based services, including counselling services, as outlined in the plan is welcomed. This however comes on the back of funding restrictions to these services. We must look to greatly increased investment in an expanded range of mental health services as part of a national crusade to address the impacts of the pandemic.

“We have for some time raised concerns over a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people, whose mental health is being impacted even further by the COVID-19 pandemic.  It is more important than ever that children can access the support they need, when they need it, irrespective of where they live.

“This is a crisis we can overcome, but it will require a similar energy and commitment to that demonstrated for COVID-19 if we are to achieve this and prevent many young people giving up on their futures.”

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

  • Near doubling in the number of pupils with additional support needs since 2012
  • Decline in the number of specialist ASN teachers by 578 since 2012
  • 500 per cent increase in those with mental health problems

An alliance of leading providers of children’s services, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), has called for greater resourcing to support children and young people with additional support needs (ASN), both during and after the Covid-19 crisis.

The call comes as new figures out today (23rd March 2021) from the annual Scottish Government pupil census, reveal that while the number of specialist ASN teachers has slumped to a record low, the number of those pupils with ASN has escalated dramatically.

Between 2012 and 2020 the number of full-time equivalent ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,389 to 2,811, a decrease of 578 teachers (17%).

This fall is against the background of an overall increase by 92.2 per cent since 2012 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,034 to 226,838 in 2020,representing just under a third of all pupils (32.3 per cent).

The number of those with autism spectrum disorder has increased by over 150 per cent (from 8,650 to 21,820) between 2012 and 2020, those with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties by over 125 per cent (from 23,485 to 52,921) and those with mental health problems by 500 per cent (from 1,254 to 7,524).

Against a background of a per pupil cut in spending and in specialist support, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and local authorities to ensure that those with ASN in Scotland’s schools, who disproportionately come from lower income families and areas of deprivation, 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.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need, especially during and as we come out of the current Covid-19 crisis.

“This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap as we know that those with ASN disproportionately come from lower income families and areas of deprivation. Such a situation is clearly challenging in an environment of austerity and evidence of cuts in spending per pupil with ASN and in the number of specialist teachers supporting this group.

“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 for all those with ASN given this fall in specialist support and increase in the number of those identified with conditions such as autism and mental health problems.

“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. “

Call for Scottish budget to address mental health pandemic for children and young people

A coalition of leading independent and third sector children and young people’s service providers has called on the Scottish Government to deliver a “budget for mental health” this afternoon.

The call from campaign group, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), comes in advance of today’s Scottish Budget and Children’s Mental Health Week (1st-7th February). It comes amid growing concerns over a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people, whose mental health is being impacted by the pandemic. 

The SCSC has urged greatly increased investment in services for children and young people to tackle a current mental health pandemic and called for a national crusade to address this.

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on young people’s mental health and wellbeing, with the recent Prince’s Trust long-running annual survey of young people’s happiness and confidence returned the worst findings in its 12-year history. It found that more than a quarter (26 per cent) say that they feel unable to cope with life since the start of the pandemic.

In addition, half of the young people interviewed said that their mental health has worsened, with more than half (56 per cent) said they always or often felt anxious. 1

Even prior to the pandemic cases of poor mental health were at unprecedented levels, representing one of the greatest health challenges of our time, and there is a growing number of vulnerable children who cannot access services. With a new lockdown and a return to home schooling, even some children who would not have accessed children’s mental health services normally will need support this year.

However, just over 50p in every £100 of the NHS budget is being spent on specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). A frighteningly low figure despite the fact that mental health services are literally creaking at the seams due to greatly increasing demand. 

Research indicates that 10 per cent of children and young people (aged five to 16) has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem (around three in every classroom) – however, it should be noted that these figures are some years out of date and it is widely believed that numbers have increased and will increase further given the impacts of COVID-19.

Recent statistics however point to the fact that only one health board in Scotland is treating children and young people within an 18-week waiting time and more than 1,000 have been waiting over a year to be treated.

The SCSC has also called for greatly increased investment in services and for a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention. This includes on-demand counselling services in GP surgeries and greater community support generally, reducing the need for referral to under-pressure specialist CAMHS. 

A spokesperson for the SCSC said: “Our children are remarkably resilient, but the statistics on the mental health of our young people does create a compelling case for a national crusade to address what is a mental health pandemic representing one of the greatest public health challenges of our time.

“We are urging the Scottish Government to make the forthcoming budget a budget for mental health for our children and young people. Unless the government takes urgent action to improve access to services, this young generation will be destined for a future of mental ill health, with a resultant societal impact. 

“There must be significantly increased investment in and greater collaboration between the public, private and third sectors to deliver adequate mental health support. We must also use this as an opportunity to radically transform our mental health services, both for now and for the future, refocusing on prevention and early intervention.

“This mental health crisis is one we can address, but it will require a similar energy, drive and commitment to that which was demonstrated for COVID-19 if we are to achieve this and prevent this generation of young people giving up on their futures – and themselves.”