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Our guidance for students on visits home (published 27 September 2020) explains how the current restrictions on gatherings apply to students living away from home. It should be read alongside wider Scottish Government guidance and sets out the steps students should take to ensure any return home for a short stay or visit is conducted safely.

As the guidance sets out, a reasonable excuse for visiting home could include a family emergency, wellbeing reasons or employment purposes. What is reasonable will of course depend on the circumstances of each case.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Implementation of the agreed guidance is the responsibility of local authorities and schools, working closely with their school communities.

However, we are working with partners to carefully monitor how the guidance is being applied in practice. We seek regular feedback from partners via the Education Recovery Group about the experiences of pupils and staff in schools for these purposes. Where there is a need to take action, either by updating our guidance or ensuring it is being given practical effect, we will work with partners to do so.

Following 500 initial telephone compliance checks, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has now nearly completed its programme of follow-up compliance visits to 100 schools regarding implementation of school reopening guidance. The HSE’s overall findings were positive. HSE officials provided feedback that, while the use of face coverings did not form a central part of health and safety assessments during visits, in the secondary schools visited use of face coverings in communal areas and corridors was in general well observed.

The Scottish Government is aware that where face coverings and face masks are worn there may be additional challenges for those who are deaf or rely on lip-reading, as well as others with different communication needs. I understand the National Deaf Children’s Society #keepitclear campaign focuses on the importance of both clear masks and clear communication for deaf children.

The Scottish Government has worked to support Scottish manufacturers to produce transparent face coverings. We know of several instances where transparent face coverings are in use in education settings and local authorities have been made aware that transparent face coverings are available through existing procurement routes.

Transparent face coverings may offer benefits in certain circumstances to people with different communication needs, however there are exemptions to the mandatory use of face coverings which include those who are communicating with someone who lip-reads. In these circumstances, Scottish Government guidance states that hands should be washed or sanitised before removing face coverings and a distance of two metres should be maintained whilst communicating. The Scottish Government has run social media campaigns to raise awareness of exemptions to mandatory face coverings.

The National Contact Tracing Centre (NCTC) aims to contact individuals, who have tested positive, within 24 hours of the NCTC receiving notification of the positive result. As at 20 September, the most recent available data, this is being achieved in 83.4% of cases.

Education authorities have a duty under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to make such arrangements as they consider necessary for the transport between home and school of pupils residing, and attending schools, in their area.

In considering these arrangements, authorities are required to have regard to the safety of the pupil. This includes consideration of the individual circumstances of children and young people, including their additional support needs.

Education authorities may use their discretionary powers to make arrangements to provide school transport to pupils who do not meet the criteria set out under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.

Education authorities have a duty under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to make such arrangements as they consider necessary for the transport between home and school of pupils residing, and attending schools, in their area.

In considering these arrangements, authorities are required to have regard to the safety of the pupil. This includes consideration of the individual circumstances of children and young people, including their additional support needs.

The Scottish Government’s non-statutory guidance on home to school transport is currently under review. The aim of the review is to ensure that local authorities are given clear and up-to-date advice on how to maintain and develop an effective home to school transport strategy. This includes meeting the needs of pupils who have additional support needs. We expect to publish revised guidance later this year.

The Scottish Government has considered a number of approaches, including the application process used by the UK Government for their security funding scheme. We will work with faith groups and delivery partners to develop the application process, including the eligibility criteria. The scheme will be open for applications later in 2020.

The Scottish Government has well-developed relationships with representatives from the main faith groups in Scotland. These groups will provide us with an effective way to involve faith communities in the development of the security funding scheme.

Test and Protect is working well and doing exactly what we need it to – identifying positive cases early and tracing contacts so they can get appropriate public health advice.

The National Contact Tracing Centre can be reached using the Freephone number 0800 0308 012, in the event where an individual wishes to urgently speak to a contact tracer following a positive test result, or if they wish to verify that a call from a contact tracer is genuine.

Prior to the COVID 19 pandemic, good progress was made in developing the Scottish Places of Worship Security Funding Scheme. This work has recently resumed including the rescheduling of key elements of the scheme. We aim to open the scheme for applications later in 2020.