SCSC – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Call for urgent action as number of legal plans for vulnerable children in Scotland slumps to a new low

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 urgent action following 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. These provide 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.

However, 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, as highlighted in the recent Scottish Government’s annual census of pupils and teachers in publicly funded schools.

In 2014, there were 3,128 pupils with such a plan.¹ However, by 2024 this number had fallen to 1,215.² This amounts to a drop of 61.1% and is a reduction from 2.2% to 0.4% of those with ASN, amounting to 0.2 per cent of the pupil population.

This sharp fall in the number of CSPs contrasts with a dramatic increase in number of pupils with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems, which in 2024 reached a record high of 284,448.³ This represents 40.5% of the pupil population, rising from 140,542 in 2014 (20.8% of all pupils).⁴It amounts to a more than doubling (102.4%) in numbers over the past decade.

This situation is in contrast with England, where the number of those receiving an education, health and care plan (EHCP), the CSP equivalent, is 4.8 per cent of the pupil population.⁵ Amounting to around 24 times the percentage of those receiving a CSP in Scotland, this figure is also on the increase.

A concern raised by the SCSC is that local authorities are reluctant to issue CSPs because they are seen as cumbersome and time-consuming, as well as being resource-intensive and subject to enhanced scrutiny.

This is all set against the backdrop of a lack of resources, with many local authorities now reluctant to provide, what would be legally enforceable support, due to cuts in health, education and social work services. With legal action taken if the needs of the child or young person are not believed to have been met, non-statutory alternatives are often being offered in their place, with families or carers not being offered the option of a CSP.

Despite a greater prevalence of those with ASN in the most deprived communities, CSPs are more likely to be opened for pupils with ASN living in the least deprived neighbourhoods, compared with those living in the most deprived neighbourhoods. This means that they may not be getting the care and support they so vitally need.

The SCSC 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 of the services involved, and increased awareness and understanding of CSPs by families or carers, and professionals. This includes training for local authority and school staff, including highlighting statutory entitlements.

The SCSC has also called for a particular focuson care- experienced children and young people, and those from the most deprived neighbourhoods.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “We are calling for action following figures highlighting 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 against the backdrop of a dramatic increase in the numbers of those with ASN.

“By not providing this legally enforceable provision, many of these vulnerable individuals are being failed and not getting the support they are entitled to. This is of particular significance given the devastating impact of Covid-19 and cost-of-living crisis. The Scottish Government, local authorities and other agencies need to collaborate to ensure that those requiring a CSP receive it, with the necessary resourcing in place 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.”

¹Scottish Government, Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland, No. 5: 2014 Edition, 10^th December 2014, table 3.5.

Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/summary-statistics-schools-scotland-5-2014-edition/pages/16/ (accessed 10^th December 2014).

²Scottish Government, Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland 2024, 10^th December 2024, figure 23. Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/summary-statistics-for-schools-in-scotland-2024/pages/classes-and-pupils/ (accessed 10^th December 2024).

³Ibid.

⁴Op. Cit.,Scottish Government, Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland, No. 5: 2014 Edition,

⁵Department for Education, Special Educational Needs in England 2023/24 ,20^th June 2024. Available at:https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england(accessed 13^th December 2024).

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.¹Concerns 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.”

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. “

Call for action as number of legal plans for vulnerable children slumps

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 action following 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.

These provide 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.

There were 3,279 pupils with such a plan in 2013 ¹. In 2023, this had fallen to 1,318, amounting to a drop of 59.8%. ²This is a reduction from 2.5% to 0.5% of those pupils 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 4.3% of the pupil population.

Amounting to more than 22 times the percentage of those receiving a CSP in Scotland, this figure is also on the increase.³

A concern raised by the coalition is that local authorities are reluctant to issue CSPs because they are seen as cumbersome and time-consuming, as well as being resource-intensive and subject to enhanced scrutiny. Being legally enforceable, with legal action taken if the needs of the child or young person are not believed to have been met, is also another cause of this reluctance to issue.

This is all set against the backdrop of a lack of resources to support adequate CSP provision, with non-statutory alternatives often being offered in their place.

Also of concern is the fact that CSPs are more likely to be opened for pupils with ASN living in the least deprived neighbourhoods, compared with those living in the most deprived neighbourhoods This is despite the fact that there is a greater prevalence of those with ASN in the most deprived communities.

This needs to be supported by the necessary resourcing and increased awarness and understanding of CSPs by families/carers and professionals. It has also called for a particular focus on care- experienced children and young people, and those from the most deprived neighbourhoods.

This sharp fall in the number of CSPs contrasts with a dramatic increase in the number of pupils with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems. In 2023 this reached a record high of 259,036.⁴ This represents 36.7% of the pupil population, rising from 131,593 in 2013, and is a near doubling (96.8%) in numbers from that year.⁵

If a lower number of those in more deprived communities are receiving a CSP in comparison with least deprived communities, they may not be getting the care and support they need, which has the potential to make closing the educational attainment gap even harder.

Concern over rise in number of young people with mental illness being treated in adult wards

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist children’s services, is urging the Scottish Government to up its game in response to figures from the Mental Welfare Commission noting an increase in the number of young people under 18 being admitted to non-specialist hospital wards for the treatment of mental illness.

In 2021/22 there were 90 admissions involving 80 young people to mainly adult wards, an increase on 2021-21 when there were 86 admissions involving 62 young people.

Admission of a young person to an adult ward should only be acceptable in rare situations.

However, despite a greatly increased demand on mental health services, there are currently only 48 specialist hospital beds provided by the NHS in Scotland for children and young people (aged 12 to 18) with mental health problems.

Given the lack of provision, many children and young people with severe mental health problems are therefore being admitted to non-specialist adult and paediatric hospital wards, settings which are in many cases inappropriate to their needs.

The coalition has urged the Scottish Government to ensure that there are adequate specialist bed numbers that can address need, including provision north of Dundee. It has also called on it to refocus its efforts on prevention and early intervention, ensuring that issues do not escalate so that they require the provision of these specialist services.

Under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment (Scotland) Act 2003 Health Boards are required to provide appropriate services and accommodation for young people admitted to hospital for treatment of their mental disorder.

Given admissions to non-specialist mental health wards, it is clearly arguable whether appropriate services are being provided.

There are a number of differences between specialist units and wards designed to treat the needs of adults with serious mental illness, both in terms of staff training and the overall ward environment.

Given this, there is a clear concern that the needs of a young person may not be met in a comparable way when admitted to an adult mental health ward as opposed to a specialist CAMHS inpatient unit.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition commented: “We are clearly concerned about the increasing number of those being admitted to adult mental health wards, often inappropriate to their needs, both in terms of staff training and the ward environment.

“The Scottish Government needs to up its game on this and provide adequate facilities, ensuring that there are sufficient specialist bed numbers for those requiring them. There is also currently no provision north of Dundee and this requires to be urgently addressed.

“For children and young people who require inpatient mental health care, a lack of such services means that they frequently remain at home, often until the family reaches crisis point, leaving them feeling isolated and delaying recovery.

“These are among the most vulnerable members of our society and we owe it to them to give them the adequate care and support that they need.”

Children’s service providers warn of mental health emergency caused by cost-of-living crisis

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist children’s services, has warned of a child mental health emergency caused by the cost-of-living crisis, driven by increasing energy costs.

With inflation, energy costs and shopping bills now outstripping wage levels, this has replaced Covid and lockdown restrictions as the primary cause of poor mental health for children and young people

The coalition has called for an urgent co-ordinated response by both the Scottish and UK Governments to address the crisis and avoid a potential “lost generation” of children and young people with mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression and self-harm. It has also called for greatly increased investment in mental health services.

Poverty is a major contributor to mental ill health, and children living in low-income households are three times more likely to suffer mental health problems than their more affluent peers. ¹So more young people will experience worse mental health as a result of the current cost-of-living crisis and as families fall behind with their bills, causing increased anxiety.

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

The pandemic and cost-of-living crisis have exacerbated this, with more children and young people driven into poverty, with the resulting impact on their mental health. This has led to unprecedented demand and backlogs, with services struggling to keep up.

Figures published by Public Health Scotland in June indicate that over the quarter covering January to March 2022, 9,672 children and young people were referred to CAMHS for treatment, a staggering 22.4 per cent increase in numbers from the same quarter of the previous year when the equivalent figure was 7,902.² The cost-of-living crisis is set to further worsen this. At the end of March 2022, a staggering total of 1,322 children and young people had been waiting for over a year for treatment.³

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “Millions of our children and young are at breaking point, with stress and anxiety reaching alarming levels because of the effect of the cost-of-living crisis.

“Since the pandemic, referrals have increased and the cost-of-living crisis is only going to make it worse, creating a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people.

“If we don’t give young people the support they need, when they need it, the consequences can be catastrophic.

“By minimising the drivers of mental health problems – such as poverty – we can reduce the impact on services and we would urge the Scottish Government and UK Government to work together and address this.”

Mental health emergency as child referrals increase by more than 22%

Over 1,300 children waiting more than a year for treatment

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist children’s services, has warned of a mental health emergency and called for greatly increased investment as the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the young become clearer.

It notes that the mental health of children and young people is set to further worsen given the cost-of-living crisis, as more people are driven into poverty.

The SCSC has also warned of the devastating impact of cuts in public services on those with mental health issues, as outlined in the Scottish Government’s Resource Spending Review, with an estimated £3.5 billion spending shortfall by 2026/27.

The call comes as new figures published by Public Health Scotland yesterday (7^th June 2022), indicate that over the quarter covering January to March 2022, 9,672 children and young people were referred to specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) for treatment.

This includes issues such as anxiety and depression and represents a staggering 22.4% increase in numbers from the same quarter of the previous year when the equivalent figure was 7,902.

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 before the pandemic, cases of poor mental health were at unprecedented levels with services in crisis, and there are a growing number of vulnerable children who cannot access adequate support. The pandemic and cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated this, with more children and young people driven into poverty, with the resulting impact on their mental health. This has led to unprecedented demand and backlogs, with services struggling to keep up.

In total, 5, 016 children and young people started treatment at CAMHS during the period January to March 2022, an increase of 7.7% from the previous quarter (4,659). Just over a quarter (26.8%) were not seen within the Scottish Government’s maximum waiting time for the NHS of 18 weeks from referral to treatment (to be met by at least 90% of patients).

A total of 1,322 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment at the end of March 2022.

In addition to increased investment in specialist CAMHS, the SCSC has called for greater workforce planning and a renewed focus on expanded prevention and early intervention services, reducing the need for referral to costly specialist mental health services. 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 have been warning for some time that we are facing a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people, whose mental health is being impacted even further by the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.

“Adding to this are cuts in public services, which will impact especially on local government and the third sector, responsible for many of the preventative and early intervention services supporting those with mental health problems.

“Faced by such a devastating series of factors, there must be a radical transformation of our mental health services, investing in specialist services and with a renewed focus on preventing such problems arising in the first place through intervening early.

“This is a crisis we can overcome, but as the country comes to terms with the biggest hit to its mental health in generations, 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.”

Call for greater resourcing as spending to support vulnerable children is slashed

Spending cut of £874 per pupil 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 in advance of tomorrow’s local council elections (Thursday (5^th May), comes as new figures contained in a parliamentary answer to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, reveal that spend per pupil with ASN has slumped dramatically.

This 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.

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 2012/13 to £3,402 in 2020/21 (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 per local authority).

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).

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.

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 to 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.”

Table 4 – Additional support for learning spending per pupil (£, cash terms)

	2020/21
Aberdeen City	3,196
Aberdeenshire	2,392
Angus	3,024
Argyll & Bute	3,833
City of Edinburgh	3,093
Clackmannanshire	4,344
Dumfries & Galloway	3,226
Dundee City	2,274
East Ayrshire	4,432
East Dunbartonshire	4,500
East Lothian	3,865
East Renfrewshire	2,785
Falkirk	3,798
Fife	2,794
Glasgow City	4,133
Highland	3,062
Inverclyde	3,722
Midlothian	4,100
Moray	3,110
Na h-Eileanan Siar	5,757
North Ayrshire	2,379
North Lanarkshire	5,490
Orkney Islands	4,540
Perth & Kinross	3,023
Renfrewshire	3,477
Scottish Borders	2,210
Shetland Islands	5,901
South Ayrshire	4,868
South Lanarkshire	3,505
Stirling	3,374
West Dunbartonshire	3,589
West Lothian	2,700
All Local Authorities	3,402

Sources:

1. Local Financial Returns – Education (LFR 01) statistical return provided by local authorities to the Scottish Government.

2. Pupil Census – 2020 school statistics collected by Scottish Government

Children’s coalition warns new councils of a ‘lost generation’

An alliance of leading children’s service providers has warned that Scotland faces a potential “lost generation” of children and young people with additional support needs (ASN), heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic and cost of living crisis.

In its Manifesto for the council elections, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), which campaigns to improve services for vulnerable children and young people, has called on incoming town hall administrations to put their needs at the very heart of future policy commitments.

Proposals include a plea for the increased funding of services for children and young people with ASN and care experience, better training of those working in this field, substantially increased investment in mental health services, for an elected councillor to be appointed as ‘mental health champion’ and for greater investment in programmes that support those with ASN and care experience into training and employment.

ASN provision in Scotland is under severe pressure due to increasing demand, against a backdrop of staff shortages and inadequate services. These have been exacerbated by the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw many of those with ASN miss out on the care and support they needed, as well as increasing mental health problems and the ‘cost of living crisis’.

The SCSC has called on incoming council administrations to renew their focus on services for children and young people with ASN, such as those with dyslexia, autism, mental health problems and are care experienced, and work with the Scottish Government to increase resourcing of these.

It notes that 232,753 children and young people in Scotland’s publicly funded primary, secondary and special schools are classed as having ASN, amounting to just under a third (33.0 per cent) of pupils. This represents an almost doubling (97.2 per cent) increase in the number of those identified with ASN since 2012.^[1]

However, the provision of services has not kept pace with this demand. Since 2012, for example, the number of specialist ASN teachers in council primary, secondary and special schools has fallen by 503, from 3,389 to 2,886 (full-time equivalents), equating to a cut of 14.8%. ^[2]

The SCSC has called for increased resourcing and staffing to deliver a greater provision of those such ASN teachers and pupil support assistants, as well as educational psychologists, mental health professionals and other support services, supporting the closure of the educational attainment gap.

Key recommendations include:

Increased resourcing and staffing: There must be greatly increased resourced and staffing to support those with ASN and care experience. Councils must work with the Scottish Government to ensure the delivery of these.

Better training: There must be better training of teachers, social workers, health professionals and other practitioners, including continuing professional development, so that they can adequately identify and support children and young people with ASN.

· Supporting mental health and wellbeing: Services must have the resources to identify children and young people with mental health problems, helping them get early support. There must be substantially increased investment in community level support, ensuring waiting times for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) are drastically reduced.

· School-based counsellors: All schools must also have access to a qualified and appropriately experienced counsellor, providing support to troubled and/or distressed children and young people, including those with mental health difficulties.

· Introducing a local health champion: Councils should elect one member as champion for mental health. Once a councillor becomes a champion, their role will then include raising awareness of mental health problems in the development of council policies and strategies and in public forums, leading discussions on mental health with NHS organisations in their local area, and speaking with schools, businesses and community groups about mental health.

Right to independent advocacy: Care experienced children and young people must have access to independent professional advocacy, ensuring that they make informed decisions on matters which affect their lives, and this must be made statutory.

· Implement The Promise: Ensure that councils work the Scottish Government to deliver on The Promise, which came out of Care Review, ensuring that children and young people who are or become care experienced are loved and supported to fulfil their potential.

· Training and employment opportunities: there must be greater investment in training and employment programmes by councils to benefit those with ASN and care experience.

Increased specialist provision for children and young people: The educational needs of some children and young people with complex or specific needs, are often better met in specialist settings. The number of special school/unit places available, on a wider geographic basis, and these places may be provided by the local authority or independent sector.

Greater partnership working: There must be greater partnership working and integration between the public sector and private and third sector service providers, so that the needs of the child or young person can be properly supported in the most appropriate setting.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “The Covid-19 pandemic and ‘cost of living crisis’ are having a devastating impact on the lives of many of our children and young people, exacerbating already existing staff shortages and inadequate services.

“That is why it is essential that incoming council administrations put services that benefit the lives of our children and young people at the very heart of policy commitments.

“We are conscious that councils are facing an incredibly challenging financial environment, but they play a critical role in supporting those children and young people with ASN, or we are in danger of facing a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people.

“If Scotland is to be one of the best places in the world for vulnerable children and young people to grow up in, we would urge our councils to work with closely the Scottish Government and other agencies, across the public, private and third sectors, to ensure that we can turn this vision into a reality.”

Worst on record: More than 2,000 children have been waiting over a year for mental health treatment

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of children’s services, has called on Scotland’s political parties to make this new session of the Scottish Parliament a “Parliament for Mental Health”.

The call comes as new figures from Public Health Scotland indicate that at the end of March 2021, 2,012 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.

These figures are the worst on record and represent a near tripling from March 2020 (696).They also represent more than 18 per cent of those waiting for specialist treatment.

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.

While 4,089 children and young people were treated over the period January to March 2021 by CAMHS, only 72.5 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). Only two out of 14 health boards met this target.

In addition to increased investment in mental health services, the SCSC has called for a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention, 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: “These frightening statistics highlight the challenges ahead and a commitment by MSPs to focus on mental health, increasing investment in support services and intervention strategies, must be a priority for this parliament.

“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.

“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.”