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Seòmar agus comataidhean

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 26 November 2024
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Displaying 1026 contributions

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Education, Children and Young People Committee

Additional Support for Learning Inquiry

Meeting date: 28 February 2024

Ben Macpherson

If that question is not appropriate, I will withdraw it.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Additional Support for Learning Inquiry

Meeting date: 28 February 2024

Ben Macpherson

Thank you all.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Additional Support for Learning Inquiry

Meeting date: 28 February 2024

Ben Macpherson

Please do.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Additional Support for Learning Inquiry

Meeting date: 28 February 2024

Ben Macpherson

I have a few questions, so please bear with me. First, thank you for all that you do, for being with us today and for your submissions.

I absolutely appreciate that, as one of you said, no one size fits all and that the needs of every individual student or young person are important. You have already covered many areas, including staff training, specification, continuing professional development, facilities in the school estate and the support that third parties give.

With regard to the reconsideration of the action plan and how we go from identifying the problems and the challenges to finding solutions and improvement, what change could we make that is deliverable and that would improve things on a consistent basis? What I am getting from all of you is that consistency of support is a real challenge in different parts of Scotland, and that it depends on how empowered different families feel and what information they have. How do we get to a better position with regard to the provision of consistent support, while appreciating that every individual child has their own needs?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Additional Support for Learning Inquiry

Meeting date: 28 February 2024

Ben Macpherson

That involves training and continuous professional development.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Additional Support for Learning Inquiry

Meeting date: 28 February 2024

Ben Macpherson

I am sorry to cut you off, Suzi, but I want to feed that to Glenn Carter, who argued that there is not enough capacity in the system and that we do not have enough trained people to provide that specialism in every setting in which it is required. Is increasing the capacity a priority for you?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Additional Support for Learning Inquiry

Meeting date: 28 February 2024

Ben Macpherson

I am trying to consolidate them, so I will do. Thank you, convener.

Deborah Best talked about the average patient not being aware of the plan. Is that a key takeaway?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Additional Support for Learning Inquiry

Meeting date: 28 February 2024

Ben Macpherson

I do not know whether our other two witnesses want to add anything on consistency, but I am happy to ask my other questions later, if there is time, convener.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Additional Support for Learning Inquiry

Meeting date: 28 February 2024

Ben Macpherson

I have two final questions on areas that we have not covered already.

We have talked about schools today. Do you want to emphasise anything about the experiences of young people in further and higher education or in apprenticeship programmes? Also, and relating to what we have discussed already, a lot of my case work is about the housing crisis, and many of the constituents I try to assist are in temporary accommodation and have children with additional support needs. Do you want to emphasise anything about the effects of the housing crisis on the young people you support?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Additional Support for Learning Inquiry

Meeting date: 28 February 2024

Ben Macpherson

So, universities do not provide their own support.