³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

During 2022, we will take forward necessary preparatory work to support the national rollout of the Caledonian System with the aim of making it available to all 32 Scottish local authorities by the end of the parliamentary term.

The size of a local authority, and the domestic abuse offending rates within, play a significant role in any forecasting. The Caledonian System is currently available in 19 local authorities and by expanding its availability across Scotland we will significantly increase the number of men accessing the programme.

On the day the report was published on 8 March, the First Minister welcomed the recommendations and thanked Baroness Helena Kennedy and the working group for their efforts over the past year. The First Minister made clear the issues raised in the report are pivotal in challenging society’s tolerance of misogyny and sending a clear message that male attitudes that emanate from prejudice and misogyny have no place in a modern, equal Scotland.

The Scottish Government is considering the detailed recommendations with a view to ensuring that any provisions proposed for legislation in due course are workable and can meet the expectations of, and intentions behind, the working group’s report.

We will provide our initial response to the report in the coming weeks and will outline the next steps then.

I can confirm that at present 48 schools have registered for access to ESAS materials and resources. While some of these schools are very active and have undertaken many ESAS activities, others are planning to begin the work next academic year and so are not yet “active” ESAS schools.

During the ESAS design and pilot stages (2016-2020), the University of Glasgow carried out formative evaluation research with staff and students. This type of evaluation seeks to test acceptability and feasibility with a view to improving the intervention. The research team also used ‘systems thinking’ to map sexual harassment within school systems (drivers, occurrence of, and responses to); understand ‘what counts’ as sexual harassment). Learning from the formative stage can be found at: .

Alongside the roll out of ESAS, the research team has designed a ‘real-world’ evaluation study (2022-2024) that will aim to 1] assess whether the ESAS intervention improves ‘whole-school’ culture in relation to preventing and addressing gender-based violence; and 2] to understand what works, how, for whom and under what circumstances. We plan to follow up 30 schools, randomised to immediate start and delayed start (one year later). Schools will have option to opt into the evaluation. Students and school staff will have the opportunity of providing direct feedback on ESAS activities in various ways including during group interviews.

The work on the payment panel research was paused due to other Covid-related work. The development of a specification for the gathering of vital data and evidence has resumed and we would hope to share this specification with the Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association after summer. The co-operation of the profession in building this evidence base will be crucial to this work which will underpin an evidence-based approach to setting payments for legal aid services in the future. The Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid was able to gather vital data with the support of the Law Society of England and Wales which helped inform the recommendations made. We would hope to gather similar data on the position of Scottish solicitors who deliver legal aid as part of the payment panel research.

We are taking a range of actions, within our devolved powers, to help people facing the impacts of higher energy bills and other cost of living pressures. Our recent £290m support package includes an extra £10m to continue our Fuel Insecurity Fund, to help households at risk of self-disconnection, or self-rationing energy use. However energy pricing and obligations are reserved, so we must see action by the UK Government to address the energy cost pressures on householders.

The Scottish Government’s Home Energy Scotland (HES) Loan and Cashback scheme offers interest-free loans with cashback grant for renewable heating systems, including heat pumps. Loans of up to £10,000 are available, of which up £7,500 is available as non-repayable cashback grant. Through the Scottish Government’s Heat in Buildings Strategy, we have committed to replacing the cashback grant element of the scheme with a standalone grant during 2022-23. This will give households the option of accessing a loan, grant or combination of both.

In addition the Home Energy Scotland advice service includes specialist home renewables and zero emissions heating advice, via a team of specialist advisers and resources such as the Green Homes Network and the Renewables Installer Finder Tool. Over the past five years, over half a million households have used the Home Energy Scotland service to get advice and support on making their homes greener, warmer and cheaper to heat.

Capital and running costs of heat pumps vary depending on building type and characteristics. Over the last year, the Scottish Government has commissioned and published via ClimateXChange two research projects into the costs and performance of heat pumps:

1. (April 2021)

2. (October 2021)

In addition, Scottish Government analysts draw on a range of modelling and real-world data, including analysis produced by the UK Committee on Climate Change, and the National Household Model. This informed the analytical annex to the Fuel Poverty Strategy published in December 2021, available at:

The current functions of SQA will continue and staff working in those functions will continue to carry out their work, as they currently do. We recognise and appreciate the valuable skills, experience and knowledge held by all staff across SQA, and a primary consideration in the reform process will be in making the most of these attributes in the future. As decisions are made about the roles that are needed in the successor bodies, a process will be taken forward to enable matching of current staff to roles - this process will be designed with the input of staff and trade unions and the underpinning commitment to protecting terms and conditions, and no compulsory redundancies as a direct result of reform, will be in place.

We will continue to work closely with staff, facilitated through existing arrangements including via recognised trade unions, to develop the transitions framework and timeline for implementation and to consider impact on groups of staff and individual posts, including identifying suitable redeployment opportunities if they are needed. TUPE and/or COSOP will apply, and as the activities currently carried out by existing bodies move to new bodies, the staff carrying out those activities who are deemed to be in scope of transfer will transfer.

Further detail on programme structures will be published in spring.

The Independent Review into the delivery of Forensic Mental Health Services in Scotland, published at the end of February 2021, made 67 recommendations for improvements to the delivery of forensic mental health services, including several on community forensic mental health.

The Scottish Government supports the recommendations of the review, agrees that community provision is a crucial component of the forensic mental health system and that forensic community mental health teams are key to supporting mental wellbeing in the community. Recommendations 18 and 19 of the Review recommend that work be undertaken to define the service remit of community forensic mental health teams and to ensure they are appropriately resourced to meet demand. The Forensic Mental Health Services Managed Care Network is gathering information on current provision to establish a baseline to take this work forward.

The Scottish Government takes seriously the responsibility to ensure those going through the criminal justice system with mental health issues are appropriately supported, treated and cared for, while ensuring their rights are being maintained, especially during these challenging times that may have a significant impact on people’s mental wellbeing.

A new national standard for Psychological Services and Therapies, which will describe what good quality psychological care looks like, is currently under development with a publication date of Summer 2022. This will include describing the provision of care in forensic and prison services. This will help ensure that Psychological Therapy services and therapies are delivered and measured in equitable ways across the prison estate in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has invested £9 million in 2021-22 for Psychological services in Scotland to grow the Applied Psychology, and Psychological Therapies workforce. Further funding will be provided for 2022-23 to support services to provide Psychological care to all clinical areas of care detailed in the Psychological Services and Therapies standard.