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The arrangements for school inspections this academic year take account of the current situation with COVID-19. As announced on 16 September 2021 HM Inspectors of Education are taking forward a phased approach to scrutiny activity. Initially HM Inspectors are visiting over 90 schools awaiting a further inspection following an inspection before the pandemic. These visits are taking place currently and 64 schools have been visited so far with visits to the other schools planned. HM Inspectors of Education are also visiting schools as part of national thematic inspections. To date 61 school visits have taken place as part of national thematic inspections.

The Scottish Government has proposed a methodology to the Settlement and Distribution Group which was considered on 17 November. A recommendation has been made to COSLA Leaders for adoption when they next meet on 26 November.

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy has responsibility for Ferguson Marine and the vessels under construction there. I am aware that the Cabinet Secretary currently meets with the yards management on a fortnightly basis to discuss progress, as well as receiving detailed monthly reports.

I currently have no plans to meet with the senior management team at Ferguson Marine in the near future, however I maintain an active interest in the progress at the yard and receive regular reports as a matter of course.

The Scottish Government has issued national guidance to inform local authority deployment of this funding, which has been sent to the relevant local authority officers and is available online: .

The guidance provides a strong steer in favour of cash-first responses, and the integration of money advice and holistic support services to prevent future hardship. Local authorities will have flexibility to decide how to provide assistance for those most likely to experience hardship – including people who may have been impacted by the recent UK Government cut to Universal Credit and those who may not be eligible for mainstream support.

Local authorities will be informed of their allocations once COSLA Leaders have considered and agreed the methodology for distribution on 26 November. It is proposed that funding is allocated through a redetermination to General Revenue Grant with payments in the final two weeks of the current financial year which is standard practice for additional in-year funding for local authorities. All General Revenue Grant funding requires the approval of the Scottish Parliament.

To date 251 businesses have been successful and 49 unsuccessful in receiving funding contributing to peatland restoration through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme.

East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnerships have all made progress in reducing delayed discharges but numbers remain high in Edinburgh, given the specific challenges in the city. The four Health and Social Care Partnerships across Lothian have been allocated £18.535m of additional winter funding to provide interim care, enhance care at home, and develop multi-disciplinary teams. The Scottish Government is meeting weekly with the Chief Executive of NHS Lothian, the Chief Executive of City of Edinburgh Council and the Chief Officer of Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership to closely monitor progress.

Each Health Board requires staff to undertake mandatory training to help them understand the Board’s policy on equality, diversity and human rights, and what it means for them in terms of both their rights and any associated responsibilities.

The Scottish Government is exploring how to best deliver a more robust and up-to-date learning on equality, diversity and inclusion based on engagement with those with relevant experience and expertise.

The Scottish Government also fully supports all staff diversity networks and is developing an online platform to help networks across Scotland to share information and resources. We have established a staff led National NHS Ethnic Minority Forum that aims to amplify the voices of ethnic minority staff across the health service and tackle issues of systemic racism.

We know that meaningful, fair work can provide important benefits for people’s mental health and wellbeing. We also know that creating workplaces which support and promote good mental health benefit individuals and employers.

Our ‘Mental Health – Transition and Recovery Plan outlines our response to the mental health impacts of COVID-19 and sets out our commitments to supporting mental health and wellbeing as we recover from the pandemic. The plan includes key employment actions to promote and support mental health and wellbeing at work.

A Short Life Working Group, consisting of employer groups, trade unions and mental health organisations, has been established to help take forward our key employment actions. The group is working collaboratively to identify the issues and challenges that employers are facing in supporting mental health at work. The outcomes of this phase of work will inform the next steps that will be undertaken to ensure employers have the support they need to create mentally healthy workplaces, free of stigma and discrimination.

Last year, the Scottish Government commissioned Dr Nadine Cossette, a liaison psychiatrist, to examine the mental health needs of people hospitalised due to COVID-19. Dr Cossette’s report was published on Friday 2 October and is available .

Work is well underway to implement the recommendations from Dr Cossette’s report. Funding of £4.5 million has been approved to enable Health Boards to set up local networks of mental health clinicians across Scotland, supported by a national strategic advisory group offering clinical expertise and guidance. These local networks will proactively contact all patients who have been hospitalised as a result of COVID-19. At this stage it is anticipated that roughly 3,000 people will benefit directly from treatment.

We are also working to implement our ‘Framework on recovery and rehabilitation from COVID-19’, which puts in place clear principles, priorities and objectives to support planning to meet increasing demand and provide high quality person-centred rehabilitation in different settings. We will develop and implement a rehabilitation pathway that will ensure everyone who requires rehabilitation will be able to access it.