Adam Ingram: It is not for ministers to comment on correspondence between third parties.
Adam Ingram: The issue of whether the transfer of undertakings (protection of employment) regulations (TUPE) applies is a matter of law to be determined by the relevant parties or failing that by an Employment Tribunal. Such issues do not form part of our consideration of awards of grants, nor is it for ministers to speculate on the implications of such issues, nor comment on them, in relation to any...
Adam Ingram: The new Additional Support Needs National Advocacy Service will be delivered by a partnership between Barnardo’s and the Scottish Child Law Centre. Barnardo’s, which submitted the application on behalf of the partners, was informed that the application had been successful on 15 October 2010. A short introductory meeting was held with Barnardo’s and the Scottish Child Law Centre on 21...
Adam Ingram: No, the £100,000 funding is provided from existing funding streams.
Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government are very conscious that children who have a parent in prison may have additional support needs in terms of section 22 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. Some steps we have taken so that these needs can be highlighted are: 1. The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 strengthened the 2004 Act which placed a duty on education authorities to...
Adam Ingram: This information is not held centrally because schools are not obliged to maintain an asthma register. However, they are required to take action to ensure the wellbeing of children and young people, including those with asthma. Therefore this is a matter for education authorities and schools themselves.
Adam Ingram: The number of managers of day care for children and their qualification levels are published on the Scottish Government website. The latest published data indicate there are 4670 managers of day care service and 34% hold a childcare qualification at degree level. This data is taken from Statistics Publication Notice: Education and Training Series: Pre-School and Childcare Statistics 2010,...
Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government’s key priority is to promote best practice for information sharing where appropriate and which electronic systems should support. The national practice model under Getting it Right promotes the culture, practice and system changes needed to secure such best practice. The newly revised child protection guidance also includes best practice guidance around improved...
Adam Ingram: Setting the Scene: A Map of Disabled Children in Scotland was published in December 2010 by the For Scotland’s Disabled Children Liaison project, which in developing the project consulted widely with stakeholders concerned with the children’s disability sector in Scotland. Setting the Scene lays out a range of data specific to Scottish disabled children and the services they and their...
Adam Ingram: Setting the Scene: A Map of Disabled Children in Scotland was published in December 2010 by the For Scotland’s Disabled Children Liaison project, which in developing the project consulted widely with stakeholders concerned with the children’s disability sector in Scotland. Setting the Scene lays out a range of data specific to Scottish disabled children and the services they and their...
Adam Ingram: Our funding for the Scottish Book Trust is currently focused on the Early Years Bookgifting Programme which provides books for all our young children. We have no plans to extend this universal approach to pupils in other school years. We are aware, however that the Early Years Bookgifting Programme is linked into the Trust’s wider children’s programme, so that a real continuity of impact...
Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government places great value on what is achieved for children through the Scottish Book Trust’s Early Years Bookgifting programme and we will be providing aggregate funding of £1.05 million for 2011-12. This was announced by way of a news release on 10 February 2011 at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2011/02/10112505
Adam Ingram: The Scottish Book Trust plans a large scale evaluation of the Bookbug programme in March to April 2011. We look forward to discussing the outcome of this evaluation with them. The Scottish Book Trust must, of course, comply with the grant conditions which are applied by the Scottish Government to our funding and these are monitored.
Adam Ingram: As noted in the answer to question S3W-38465 on 26 January 2011, consideration of the report took place in the context of the Draft Budget 2011-12. The report was then published once ministers concluded consideration of the recommendations.
Adam Ingram: Is the member aware of my colleague Shona Robison’s recent announcement of the revision of Hall 4 guidance, which—among other things—addresses the issues that he raises by providing for regular reviews of children on a universal basis, including the introduction of a 24-month review of the child’s development and the nature of relationships? That is an important improvement.
Adam Ingram: We welcome the opportunity to have this debate. However, the motion that we are debating rather implies that we in Scotland have not got the message about the importance of the early years and early intervention—nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is that this Government has already heeded the national and international research on the early years. We have had a...
Adam Ingram: NHS Lothian is the test site for our family-nurse partnerships. The member should look at the figures and the situation in the round. In terms of health board commitments, I will allow my colleague to return to the issue in her summing up. Public health nurses and health visitors are very valued members of the community care team. We remain committed to maintaining their vital contribution to...
Adam Ingram: I take issue with Mary Scanlon’s analysis of the situation. CAMHS have been underfunded for decades and we are now looking at increasing their capacity rapidly. We are piloting a programme to increase health care capacity in schools, particularly in communities with the most vulnerable children and young people. The programme’s focus is on early intervention at key transitional stages of...
Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government greatly values the Scottish Booktrust’s bookgifting programmes for children. We are currently looking at future funding and intend to notify the organisation very shortly of our decision.
Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that parents and guardians are given the opportunity to engage fully and meaningfully in the strategic review of learning provision for children and young people with complex additional support needs. The secretariat to the review will shortly be writing to the parents or guardians of pupils attending independent, grant-aided and local...
