Tag: Young people

Mental health ‘perfect storm’ for young people

As schools reopen, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading independent and third sector providers of children’s services, has warned of a mental health “perfect storm” for children and young people.

The warning comes on the back of figures obtained by BBC Scotland via an FOI request which indicate that the number of referrals for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) has dropped by a staggering 57 per cent* between April and June 2019 and April and June 2020.

These range from a 28 per cent fall in requests for NHS Orkney to 80 per cent in NHS Dumfries and Galloway. NHS Lothian reported a drop of 48%.

The SCSC has warned that mental health services will face an overwhelming and unprecedented pressure due to pent-up demand created by the COVID-19 lockdown, coupled with a cut in youth support services. This could potentially lead to a “lost generation” of vulnerable children and young people who are missing out on the support they vitally need.

It has urged the Scottish Government to work with authorities and invest significantly in mental health services as children return to school and to ensure that teachers and other staff are aware of the services on offer for young people needing support.

The SCSC has warned that self-isolation and social distancing have had an impact on young people struggling with issues such as anxiety and depression. It has noted that even the most resilient children are going to need additional support as they navigate this transition back into whatever is the new normal, and some will need a lot of extra support.

A  report commissioned by Young Scot, YouthLink Scotland and the Scottish Youth Parliament, called Lockdown Lowdown, found almost two-fifths of young people felt moderately or extremely concerned about their own mental wellbeing.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “These latest figures are deeply troubling and point to a ‘perfect storm’ for our young people, with increased demand coupled with cuts in services.

“While referrals have dropped during lockdown and children are not accessing support, we are storing up immense problems for the future as mental health services face being overwhelmed due to greatly increased demand.

“The Government needs to work urgently with the relevant authorities to ensure that not only is there sufficient provision available at the local level, but that this is clearly communicated and easily accessible for young people and their parents or carers.

“Mental health services must be given funding and resources equal to that of physical health provision and this pandemic has ushered in an urgency and necessity that cannot be ignored.

“Not just the NHS but also third sector and other independent organisations who play such a key role in addressing mental health services must receive the funding they vitally need or we face having a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people.” 

Support needed for children as they return to school,says NSPCC 

An NSPCC Scotland spokesperson said: “We know that many children in Scotland have suffered difficult and traumatic experiences over the past few months.

“During lockdown, we saw a rise in contacts to Childline about mental and emotional health and our NSPCC helpline made 40% more referrals to Police Scotland and local authorities.

“Now, as children across the country return to school, it is crucial they are given the support they need to help them recover from any mental and physical harm. The Scottish Government, local authorities and health boards need to ensure that they have sufficient resources in place to respond to a likely increased need for therapeutic services.”

A new kind of Festival for Scottish young carers

The Scottish Young Carers Festival has sadly been cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 would have been the Festival’s 13th year, providing young carers with a much needed break from their caring responsibilities. 

Young carers provide unpaid care for a family member or a friend, who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.

The Festival provided the opportunity for young carers to meet other young people in similar situations, share new experiences and of course, have fun!  The event also provided a national celebration for young carers to share their experiences, the impact that caring has on them and to suggest changes that could make their lives better.

Carers Trust Scotland and the Scottish Government have been working with young carers and their services to plan a new kind of Festival this year!

Scottish Government funding is providing over £100,000 for Carers Trust Scotland to administer a small-grant scheme to eligible young carer services.  These services will be able to apply for funding to provide fun and respite to the young carers they support.  The outcomes of this scheme are broad to ensure that services can take a local, tailor-made approach in supporting their young people and provide meaningful respite in a safe way.

Furthermore, Carers Trust Scotland will bring Festival fun to young people through our first ever virtual Festival, “Best of the Fest!” On Wednesday 5 August to Friday 7 August, there will be the opportunity for young carers to take part in dozens of activities and events including; mindfullness, yoga, magic shows, paint a-longs and live music! 

Resources will also be shared on our website for young people to access at any time after the virtual Festival has taken place.

Our traditional marketplace at the Festival, which invites organisations to promote their services and resources to young carers and their services, will also be found online this year! Organisations such as Young Scot and the Scottish Youth Parliament will host live workshops for young carers and youth workers to find out more about the opportunities available.

This year’s alternative Scottish Young Carers Festival takes place during a challenging time for many young carers. A new Carers Trust Scotland survey shows the pandemic’s dramatic impact on the wider wellbeing of young carers in Scotland. 

Meaningful respite for these young people is more important than ever, with 42% of young adult carers in Scotland stating they are unable to take a break from caring as a result of Coronavirus. 

Furthermore, 69% of young carers and 76% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey felt less able to stay in touch with friends since coronavirus.74% of young carers and 73% of young adult carers in Scotland also said they are feeling less connected to others since coronavirus.

The results point to a steep decline in the mental health and wellbeing of young people across Scotland who provide unpaid care for family members or friends.

These results highlight the need for continued support to young carers and the opportunity for meaningful respite and engagement opportunities throughout the year.  Despite the cancellation of our Scottish Young Carers Festival, our small-grant scheme and online activities aim to provide fun and respite to these young people in alternative, safe ways.

Minister for Public Health, Joe FitzPatrick said: “Young carers make a vitally important contribution to our society. Often though, because of their responsibilities, they haven’t got the same amount of free time and opportunities as their peers.

“Although the Festival cannot take place this year, I hope young carers across the country will be able to benefit from the Scottish Government funded small grant scheme which will enable local services to provide them with some much deserved respite and extra support.”

Paul Traynor, Policy and External Affairs Manager of Carers Trust Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be working with Scottish Government to deliver these new kind of Festival activities for young carers across Scotland for 2020.

“The pandemic has been difficult for a lot of young carers and many have reported taking on additional caring responsibilities, feeling isolated, and feeling disconnected to their friends and wider communities.

“Although some young carers may be disappointed that the annual Scottish Young Carers Festival event has been cancelled, the small-grant scheme provides new opportunities for local young carer services to plan and deliver activities to ensure young carers still have an opportunity to get a break from caring and have fun.

“We also hope that our ‘Best of the Fest’ virtual events will provide that Festival feeling that gives young carers the opportunity to be children and young people first.”

Substantial gap remains in early mental health support for young people, warn MSPs

A Scottish Parliament Committee has warned that more needs to be done to ensure that young people who need help with their mental health can access support at the earliest opportunity.

A Scottish Parliament Committee has warned that more needs to be done to ensure that young people who need help with their mental health can access support at the earliest opportunity.

In a report published yesterday, the Public Petitions Committee has said that despite efforts to improve the provision of early intervention mental health services, more needs to be done to ensure that young people feeling low or anxious, or both, can access advice and support.

The Committee’s inquiry into mental health support for young people in Scotland was driven by petition PE1627, which called for consultation with, and consent from, a parent or guardian before prescribing medication to treat mental ill health if the patient is under 18 years of age. The petition was lodged by Annette McKenzie following the tragic death of her daughter, Britney, from an overdose of prescription medication.

While there was limited support for the primary action being called for in the petition, the Committee backed the current guidance, which asks GPs to encourage patients to speak to their families and seek support.

MSPs were however concerned by the evidence heard highlighting serious concerns about the experiences of young people seeking help for their mental health, particularly for the first time.

Some young people explained that they felt cast aside by their GP, despite their obvious signs of distress, and in some cases, the distress escalated to self-harming and attempting suicide.

During its inquiry, the Committee found that young people, and those supporting them, are often unaware of the availability of initial support services. As a result, young people are often inappropriately referred to specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) only to be rejected for not meeting NHS board criteria.

While the Committee welcomed the Government’s commitment to ensure every secondary school has access to counselling services, it warned that this alone will not address the wide-ranging needs of young people. It can therefore only be part of a larger package of measures, complementing existing services and forms of support.

To achieve this, the Committee has made recommendations for the Scottish Government, COSLA, integration authorities and Education Scotland.

These include:

• That authorities set out clear pathways to support for young people seeking help by the end of 2020.
• That there should be local ‘inventories’ of mental health services in each area so it is clear to professionals what support is available in each area. This work should be completed no later than by the end of 2020.
• That work is undertaken to identify how to support parents and carers in accessing information about their children’s mental health, as well as signposting them to the right services.
• That the provision of school counsellors is reviewed to ensure they are delivering their services most effectively; and that Personal and Social Education (PSE) becomes more relevant and empowering for young people.

The counsellor review should be reported to Parliament by early 2022, with the Government review of PSE due to be implemented in March 2021.

• That teachers are empowered to identify and support young people with their mental health. Mental health first aid training should be included in Initial Teacher Education by the start of academic year 2021/22.
• That the Government should consider ways to help employers of young people fulfil their duty of care when it comes to supporting their mental wellbeing.

The Committee also recognised the efforts and dedication of all those supporting young people, and hope that this work will allow young people themselves, as well as parents, carers, teachers, medical professionals, and others working with young people to feel able to find the right help.

Committee Convener Johann Lamont MSP, said: “The Committee wants to recognise the work of Annette McKenzie, who has shown such courage in highlighting the concerns in her petition. She has done so in circumstances which no parent should ever have to face.

“During the Committee’s work on the inquiry, we have found a troubling picture.

“Though anyone can experience low mood, anxiety, or both, at some point in their life, when it comes to seeking support, young people often find themselves facing a cluttered and even confusing landscape, which too frequently does not provide the support needed.

“While the Committee welcomes those measures announced by the Scottish Government to improve the situation, these are not enough to address the substantial gap that remains in the provision of mental health services, or to improve understanding of the help available.

“Therefore, we believe that the Government should work urgently with authorities to ensure that not only is there sufficient provision available at the local level, but that this is clearly communicated and easily accessible, both for young people and those they are turning to for help.

“The need for this work will only be increased by COVID-19, and its consequent impact on young people’s mental health.”

Steep decline in mental health of young Scottish carers

New Carers Trust Scotland survey shows pandemic’s dramatic impact on wider wellbeing of young carers in Scotland:

  • 45% of young carers and 68% of young adult carers in Scotland say their mental health is worse as a result of Coronavirus. 
  • 71% of young carers and 85% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey were more worried about the future since coronavirus.
  • 51% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey are spending more money due to coronavirus.
  • 58% of young carers in Scotland who responded to the survey say their education is suffering as a result of Coronavirus.
  • 42% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey say they are unable to take a break from caring as a result of Coronavirus.

“[Coronavirus] has made me more anxious, lost, unconnected, unsure and very sad that we can’t hug our dad, nanna, aunts/uncles, cousins and friends. Future so uncertain.” – 15-year-old female carer in Scotland

The results of a new Carers Trust Scotland survey, published yesterday, point to a steep decline in the mental health and wellbeing of young people across Scotland who provide unpaid care at home for family members or friends.

The survey is the first of its kind to provide a base of evidence for how worries relating to Coronavirus and increased isolation caused by the lockdown has affected the mental health and wellbeing of Scotland’s young people with caring responsibilities.

It is part of a larger Carers Trust survey of young carers from across the UK. Young carers aged 12 to 17 and young adult carers aged 18 to 25 responded to the survey.

Coronavirus increases caring hours and pressures on young carers

Even before the outbreak of Coronavirus, young carers and young adult carers were all too often spending significant amounts of time caring for a relative in addition to the time they needed to spend on education, work and time for themselves.

Coronavirus has significantly increased those pressures. The survey found that 10.6% of young carers in Scotland who responded to the survey said that they had seen the number of hours they spend caring per week increase by 30 hours.

A similar proportion of young adult carers reported the same increase in caring hours per week.

Most disturbing of all, 6.4% of young carers and 10.59% of young adult carers who responded to the survey, said that they are now spending over 90 hours a week caring for a family member or friend.

When asked what difference Coronavirus had made to them, 58% of young carers in Scotland said their education was suffering and 45% said their mental health had worsened. Asked the same question, 68% of young adult carers said their mental health had become worse and 42% said they had been unable to take a break from caring.

Responding to findings published today, Director of Scotland and Northern Ireland at Carers Trust, Louise Morgan, said: “This is the first snapshot of how Coronavirus is affecting thousands of young people with caring responsibilities across Scotland.

“And the results are extremely concerning. It’s clear that the pandemic has made what was already a very worrying picture for young carers in Scotland far, far worse. That’s why we are calling for more support and more services to ensure that young people with caring responsibilities get the support they need.”

Other key findings from the survey:

69% of young carers and 76% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey felt less able to stay in touch with friends since coronavirus.

74% of young carers and 73% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey said they are feeling less connected to others since coronavirus.

69% of young carers and 76% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey said they are feeling more stressed since coronavirus.

59% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey are struggling to look after themselves.

56% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey are feeling overwhelmed by the pressures they are facing now.

See below a series of quotes from young carers and young adult carers in Scotland on how they have been affected by Coronavirus:

The voices of young carers  in Scotland

All the responses below were given in response to the following question in the Carers Trust survey: “What difference has coronavirus made to your life as a young carer or young adult carer?”

“It’s made it harder. I don’t get any respite, no time away or family support.” 12-year-old female carer in Scotland

“Coronavirus has made it harder to get a break from my caring role and has made me feel more unsafe at home” 14 year-old-female carer in Scotland

“Has made me more anxious, lost, unconnected, unsure and very sad that we can’t hug our dad, nanna, aunts/uncles, cousins and friends. Future so uncertain.” 15-year-old female carer in Scotland

“I’m stressed with having to care and take care of myself as well as struggling to sleep” 17-year-old male carer in Scotland

“I feel as if it has made it more difficult to care for my father as I have been unable to take care of myself properly” 18-year-old male carer in Scotland

“The difference now is that I can’t get out of the house for a day and we can’t afford to do or get anything. We are just getting by with only making 80% of our wages. It’s a lot harder to keep on top of the rent and we spend more money on alcohol and cigarettes which makes it harder to afford electricity and some foods.

It’s harder to eat fresh and healthy because we can’t afford it at the moment. I have gained a lot of weight since lockdown and it really affects my mental health. Everyone in my household including myself are sick of constantly seeing each other and cabin fever is really bad as well.” – 19-year-old female carer in Scotland

“I have no help or support whatsoever now – I’m caring 24/7 and I’m exhausted and mentally drained. My young carers service is closing before lockdown ends so I now won’t have any support and I don’t know how I’m going to cope” 22-year-old female carer in Scotland

“It has made my caring role more pronounced/taken away other outlets of my life such as study. It has made me feel more isolated from my friends who don’t have caring responsibilities.” 24-year-old female carer in Scotland

New knife crime campaign on Tik Tok

Young people have a new and unusual TikTok challenge to get their teeth into during lockdown.

The #NoKnivesChallenge encourages young people to take their breakfast routine to a whole new level. The challenge is to butter a slice of toast with anything but a knife.

The No Knives Better Lives (NKBL) campaign is all about getting people to think about knife carrying, we may be in lockdown but the issue of knife crime has not gone away.

NKBL exists to reduce the incidence of knife carrying amongst young people by raising awareness of the potentially devastating risks and consequences associated with carrying a knife and promoting positive life choices.  NKBL is a primary prevention, national initiative that is delivered at a local level across Scotland.

The TikTok ‘Butter your Toast’ challenge will run for a month and will be hosted on the YouthLink Scotland TikTok account (@YouthLinkScotland). Young people who create a #NoKnivesChallenge video will be in with a chance of winning a £50 Amazon voucher.

Emily Beever, National Co-ordinator for NKBL at YouthLink Scotland said: “Knife crime has significantly reduced in Scotland since 2009 but it is still crucial to talk to young people about knife carrying.

“Peer influence plays a significant role in preventing knife crime. The #NoKnivesChallenge uses humour to encourage young people to have a conversation with their friends and say, ‘Carrying a knife isn’t ok. Ever!’ We are excited to see the weird and wacky things young people are going to butter their toast with.”

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We have seen knife crime in Scotland fall drastically over the last decade and No Knives Better Lives has played a crucial role in this. 

“We know however that there is still much more we can all do to reduce this further. The #NoKnivesChallenge will encourage young people from all over Scotland to highlight and talk about the consequences of carrying knife.

“I am looking forward to seeing what creative ideas everyone comes up with during this challenge.”

Young People and Knife Crime in Scotland

At its inception in 2009, No Knives, Better Lives was a response to the very high incidence of knife crime in Scotland and the corresponding high numbers of young people charged with handling an offensive weapon.  This position has changed dramatically over the last decade.

Between 2008-09 and 2018-19, the number of violent crimes recorded by the police in Scotland has nearly halved (falling by 48%), while recorded crimes of handling an offensive weapon (where not used to commit another offence) have fallen by 53%.

The number of young people, under the age of 18, convicted of handling an offensive weapon has fallen by 83% (from 456 in 2008-09 to 80 in 2018-19).

The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey also shows a 48% fall between 2008-9 and 2018-19 in Violent Crime experienced by adults in Scotland, and that 11% of adults thought that people carrying knives was common in their area in 2018-19, down from 22% in 2009-10.

The general trend has been a large reduction in violent crime and weapons possession over the last decade. No Knives Better Lives attracted a lot of positive publicity for playing its part in helping to make Scotland a safer place for young people.

Over the ten-year period from 2008-09 to 2018-19, the number of crimes of handling an offensive weapon (where not used to commit another offence) recorded by the police in Glasgow City decreased by 65%.

About NKBL

No Knives, Better Lives (NKBL) is a national programme designed to deter young people from using and carrying a knife. It is a youth-work focused initiative supported by Scottish Government delivered by YouthLink Scotland in collaboration with local partners.

The aim of the initiative is to reduce the incidence of knife carrying amongst young people by raising awareness of the potentially devastating risks and consequences associated with carrying a knife and promoting positive life choices.  NKBL is a primary prevention, national initiative that is delivered at a local level.

Since 2014 all Local Authorities have been able to access support from NKBL.

NKBL – How does it work?

There are two main strands to our prevention work with young people:

  1. Working with partners in individual local authority areas in Scotland to support a strategic capacity building approach to prevention and to reach and train 100s of practitioners every year, who in turn deliver prevention work with tens of thousands of young people every year.
  1. Communicating prevention messages to young people through social media and innovative engagement programmes

College drop-out rates for adopted young people ‘alarming’, warns charity

A “huge and concerning” college drop-out rate among adopted young people has led Adoption UK to call for governments in all four nations of the UK to rethink our education system. 

The charity’s Better Futures report reveals a third of adopted young people who started a college course within one year of leaving school, were unable to complete it.

A similar proportion were not in education, employment or training (NEET) at some point between the ages of 16 and 24 – three times the national average.

More than half of the adopted people surveyed for the report, all of whom are aged 16 or older, revealed they did not feel confident about their academic ability while they were at college.

Low self-esteem and lack of confidence in their ability to meet the academic standards had a detrimental effect, especially among those who had previously struggled at school.

Many adopted young people will have had a very difficult start in life. Three quarters of them have experienced abuse and neglect. All have lost their birth family and endured moves through the care system before finding a permanent home. In school, they are much more likely to be excluded, to have complex special educational needs, and to leave with few or no qualifications.

Rebecca Brooks, Adoption UK’s education policy advisor and author of the report, said: “The traditional smooth trajectory from school to further education and on to work or higher education is out of reach for too many adopted young people.  

“Poor experiences of school, changes taking place during adolescence, and the additional challenges of navigating the transition to adulthood while coming to terms with a complex history and identity can result in young people arriving at post-16 education with unique and complex support needs.”

The majority of respondents to Adoption UK’s survey did not benefit from the provision of a mentor or key worker, or access counselling or wellbeing services while they were at college. More than half found the college environment overwhelming and even threatening.

Mrs Brooks continued: “The current lack of awareness around this group of young people’s needs and the subsequent failure of our education system to effectively support them has a dramatic impact, not only in terms of attainment, but also on mental health, motivations to continue with education, and long-term prospects.”

Adoption UK is urging the governments across the UK to provide greater support for all care experienced children in schools; track the attainment of adopted young people in post-16 education and provide more realistic post-16 options for all young people.

“These young people’s stories should prompt a radical overhaul of the way we support adopted and care-experienced people in further education throughout their lives, so that all those who did not have an equal start in life can have an equal chance in education,” Mrs Brooks added.

The pause in formal education due to lockdown, and subsequent transition plans, are a vital opportunity to reflect seriously on how to give the UK’s most vulnerable students equal opportunities to learn.

Young workers face highest risk of unemployment

  • UK is on the brink of a surge in youth unemployment, warns TUC
  • Government must introduce a job guarantee scheme to prevent the misery of long-term unemployment

New analysis published today by the TUC shows that young workers (aged 25 and under) face the highest risk of unemployment due to the coronavirus crisis.

The analysis compares unemployment risk related to the coronavirus crisis across industrial sectors. And it looks at the age profile of workers in sectors with highest risk.

Sectors at highest risk

Workers in all sectors of the economy face unemployment risks due to the coronavirus crisis and the recession that is expected to follow.

However, two sectors are at much higher risk of losing jobs compared to others: ‘accommodation and food’ and ‘arts, entertainment and recreation’.

Our analysis uses three measures to assess risk: (1) the rate of furloughed workers, (2) the proportion of businesses that have paused or cancelled trading, and (3) the proportion of businesses with turnover falling more than 50%.

These two sectors not only rate the highest for all three measures, they are also in a league of their own, with rates far exceeding the construction sector in third place.

Sector Workforce furloughed Businesses pausing trading Businesses with turnover falling more than 50%
Accommodation and food 83% 74% 62%
Arts, entertainment and recreation 73% 75% 63%
Construction industries 41% 19% 40%
Average for all industries 28% 18% 26%

NB – this table shows selected data from the analysis. For a full table covering all sectors, see the research note.

Young workers

The analysis suggests that, without urgent action, the UK may be on the brink of a surge in youth unemployment.

  • Of 4,352,000 UK workers aged 25 and under, 890,000 work in either accommodation and food, or arts, entertainment and recreation.
  • It means that 20% of workers aged 25 and under work in these two sectors, compared to 6% for workers older than 25.
  • Workers aged 25 and under are therefore three times more likely to work in one of the two sectors where jobs are at greatest risk.

Women workers aged 2 5 and under face the greatest risk of all. They are six times more likely than male workers over 25 to work in the highest risk sector, accommodation and food.

In addition to lay-offs, recessions make it harder for young people seeking to enter the labour market for the first time, as employers hire less. This part explains why youth unemployment tends to be much higher than for other workers following a recession.

UK job vacancies have already fallen 25% compared to this time last year. And the sector with the biggest fall is accommodation and food (42%).

Job guarantee scheme

Research shows that prolonged unemployment when young has negative impacts on later working life. This includes a greater likelihood of further periods of unemployment and work with lower pay.

The TUC is calling for a job guarantee scheme to stop those without work becoming long-term unemployed, with early access to the scheme for young workers.

It would resemble the future jobs fund, which was part of the national recovery plan following the recession in 2008 caused by the private banking crisis. A government evaluation found that, two years after starting the programme, participants were 27% more likely to be in unsubsidised work.

Key features of the TUC’s proposed jobs guarantee scheme:

  • Supports additional jobs that would not otherwise be created by employers
  • Enables work that benefits the UK, such as helping to decarbonise the economy
  • Offers secure contracts of at least six months
  • Pays at least the real living wage
  • Gives training opportunities to help people move into longer-term work
  • Provides guaranteed access to trade union representation

Alongside the job guarantee scheme, the TUC says that government must work with businesses and unions to protect as many jobs as possible. This should include extending the job retention scheme for employers who cannot easily adapt to social distancing.

And ministers should form a national recovery council alongside unions and employers, to design and deliver a recovery plan that protects and creates decent jobs.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “We know it’s a tough road ahead. But the more people there are in work, the faster we can work our way out of recession.

“Our national recovery plan must be centred on jobs – both protecting those we have and creating more.  We need more good jobs in social care, in the green tech that our future depends on, in UK start-ups and in a revitalised manufacturing sector.

“Some industries may need help for longer through the job retention scheme so they can retain staff while they adapt to new safety standards.

“And for those who lose their jobs, the government must set up a job guarantee scheme. Young people in particular can’t be left to the misery of long-term unemployment. And it’s the best value option for the treasury.

“Making sure everyone has a decent job on a fair wage is how to recover faster and build back better.”

FM: Young People – you are not immune

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House on Friday 5 June:

Good afternoon everyone. As you can see, I’m joined today by Iain Livingstone, Chief Constable of Police Scotland and by Professor Jason Leitch, our National Clinical Director.

I’ll start today – as I always do – by updating you on some of the key statistics in relation to COVID-19.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,582 positive cases confirmed – which is an increase of 29 from yesterday.

A total of 995 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That represents a decrease of 26 from yesterday, including a decrease of nine in the number of confirmed cases.

Now as I said yesterday, in relation to the number of people who had their deaths registered in the previous day, we have to be very careful at reading too much into single day figures, but nevertheless I think it is reasonable to point out, that this is the first time since the 30 March, that the number of patients in hospital has been lower than 1,000. So again, a positive indication of the progress that we are making.

A total of 23 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is a decrease of five since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,778 patients who had tested positive for the virus have now been able to leave hospital.

In the last 24 hours though, 14 deaths have been registered of patients confirmed through a test as having COVID-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,409.

Now as I always do, I want to stress that these numbers are not just statistics. They are individuals whose loss is being deeply felt by their loved ones. So – once again – I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

I also want to express my thanks – as I always do – to our health and care workers.  Your efforts are enormously appreciated – and not just by me and by the Scottish Government, they are appreciated, I know, by everyone in Scotland.

There are – of course – many other frontline and key workers who are helping the country through this crisis and with the Chief Constable here today, I want to take the opportunity to say a special thank you again, to our police officers and staff. They are also working under real pressure at the moment but they are doing an exceptional job for all of us.

There are two items I want to cover today.

The first concerns the economic impact of COVID-19.  I have just come from the Cabinet sub-committee on the economy earlier this morning – where we noted the latest monthly report, from our Chief Economist. 

That document, which was published this morning, provides a summary of Scotland’s key economic statistics.

Among other things, it shows that – in the first half of May – almost 1/5 of businesses in Scotland were temporarily closed and that contributed to more than 750,000 people being furloughed or unable to work as normal.

The report also shows that turnover is down in almost every sector of our economy.

And it contains new modelling, which takes account of the different phases for easing lockdown. On that basis, the report forecasts a more gradual economic recovery – one which might not see us return to pre-crisis levels, for a number of years.

In short, today’s publication confirms the scale of the economic crisis that we now face. In doing that, it further underlines why government action is so important and why it will continue to be so important.

The Scottish Government has already allocated more than £2.3 billion to help businesses and protect jobs.  And of course that’s before we consider important UK-wide measures currently in place – such as the Job Retention scheme.

That kind of support is helping to mitigate some of the economic impact of this crisis.  And it will continue to be vital as our businesses seek to rebuild.

And I want to again today give an assurance that the Scottish Government is determined to everything we can to support that process of rebuilding and recovery.  We will continue to do everything we can to protect your livelihoods.   That’s important in the short-term, but it is also vital to help lay the groundwork, for a sustainable economic recovery.

Of course that recovery will be helped by continued progress against this virus. If we have a set-back in tackling the virus, it will make the re-opening of our economy all the more difficult.

So the second item I want to cover today, is directly related to the first, and it concerns the current lockdown restrictions and particularly how I hope the people will comply with them over this weekend and beyond.

We’re now, of course, at the close of the first full week since we moved into phase 1 of our route map out of lockdown – and eased some of the restrictions.  So far, the vast majority of people have stuck by the new rules.  And I want to take the opportunity again today, to thank all of you who have continued to do the right thing.

However, it’s also clear that – over the past week – not absolutely everyone has done that.  The Chief Constable may say more later about compliance – and how the restrictions will be enforced, if necessary.

For my part, I want to set out very clearly again today, what the current rules are.  And to do that, instead of focussing on what we are now allowed to do, I want to again emphasise what we’re asking everyone not to do because it’s by not doing the things, that we know from the evidence that allows the virus to spread more easily, that we will keep it under control.

So to start, you mustn’t meet people from other households indoors. I know that might be a particular temptation on a weekend like this – when we’re expecting again poor weather. 

But let me be clear, that is extremely high risk. We know –  and we don’t know everything yet about this virus – but we do know that it transmits much more easily between people inside than it does outside.

So if you’re not willing to meet outdoors  – in all likelihood the rain  – please do not meet up with people from other households at all and I cannot emphasise that strongly enough.

I am not exaggerating when I say that if you do meet people from other households indoors, you are putting yourselves and you are putting them at risk of getting the virus of becoming ill with it and potentially dying from it and I would ask you not – please – to take that risk.

However, while the risk of meeting outdoors is lower, it is not absolutely zero  – so that means that if you do meet outdoors, you must not get within 2 metres of members of another household.

You should certainly not be shaking their hands or hugging them, difficult though I know that is and you shouldn’t share food of utensils with people from other households of touch hard surfaces that they may also have touched because again, these are ways in which we know the virus spreads relatively easily.

And were asking that – when two households do meet up – there should be no more than eight people in total in a group. In addition, you should not go more than five miles for recreation and you shouldn’t leave your face uncovered if you are in and enclosed space like a shop and public transport.

Wearing a face covering helps you protect others – and having others wear a face covering – means that they help protect you.

A more general point I want to make is that – even now – you should still be seeing far fewer people than you might normally do.  And you should still be trying to stay at home as much as you possible.

Basically, if you start to feel that your social life is returning to normal – that’s not a good sign right now.

That message applies to everyone – but it’s perhaps particularly relevant to young people. I want, today, to make a special plea to all of you, the young people of Scotland.

Many of you – I know – will be desperate to spend more time with your pals, after weeks of being apart.  You might even think that as young people, you are less likely to become seriously ill as a result of the virus and I know this from speaking to the young people in my own life.

But I want to be very clear – you are not immune from this virus, you can get it and it can be very harmful to you.

But even if you’re not seriously affected yourself, you can still pass it on to other young people.  They might then pass it on to others who are at greater risk from COVID-19 – such as their parents or grandparents.  And that could have really tragic consequences.

So I would urge you – and I know you all know how important this is  –  please don’t just think about your own risk, please think about the risk to your parents and your grandparents and to your friends’ parents and grandparents.

Don’t take risks that you could end up regretting and possibly grieving in the weeks ahead. Please stick to the rules.

Can I also say finally, just a very brief word and a very heartfelt word to those who I know want to make their voices heard this weekend in support of Black Lives Matter.

I want to urge you to make your voices heard. We all feel very strongly about this but I want to ask you, to do so safely.

In normal times, I may well have been planning to join a gathering of support this weekend. But coming together in mass gatherings right now is simply not safe. It poses a real risk to health and it poses a real risk to life.

So I would encourage you to read the statement that was issued yesterday by Kadi Johnson, Sheku Bayoh’s sister, and by Humza Yousaf, Anas Sarwar and Aamer Anwar asking people to protest in different ways.

For example you can make your voice heard online, you can lobby elected representatives, or you can make a donation to anti-racism campaigns but please, please, try to stay within the rules that are there for your own protection and above all please stay safe.

In fact, that’s a message which all of us should heed.  If you’re wondering whether or not it’s okay to do something this weekend, ask yourself if you’ve giving the virus an opportunity to spread.   And if you’re in doubt about whether your plans are within the rules or not, please err on the side of caution.

Above all else, please remember that every single decision we take right now as individuals, will affect the safety and the wellbeing of everyone.

The progress we’ve made against this virus – over these past few weeks – is real and I say that every day because I mean it – and it is as a result of all of us, overwhelmingly, sticking to these rules.  And that kind of collective effort will continue to be vital – as we slow the spread of this virus, even further.

I’m confident that the vast majority of you will continue to play your part.  And I want thank all of you, in advance, for showing that solidarity with each other and for doing exactly that.