Named Person Policy

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 8 June 2016.

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Photo of Elizabeth Smith Elizabeth Smith Conservative

Yes, I will—I have done so already. However, the RCN is on record saying that it wants greater resources, and many people inside the RCN who have come to see me privately are concerned about the extent of the workload. There is an issue in that regard.

The paperwork that is attached to the named person policy is substantial, by any reckoning—we must all accept that. The paperwork that accompanies the wheel of wellbeing and the original measurement of the safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included—SHANARRI—indicators, with no fewer than 307 indicators of wellbeing, is frankly mind-blowing, as is the paperwork that accompanies the 31 categories of the my world triangle and the extraordinary guidance that describes the named person as a “head gardener”. It does not take much imagination to work out what some of our already-overburdened health visitors, teachers and social workers feel about that.

The Scottish Government has said that it will provide 500 additional health visitors, but some people still argue that the case load will be significant and that it will be very difficult for them to cope.

John Swinney said two weeks ago that he wanted to reduce teachers’ workloads. One way to start would be by doing something about the burden of being a named person. When Greg Dempster gave evidence to the Education and Culture Committee, he said that the increasing paperwork is such a responsibility that it is stopping some people applying for primary headships.