Question reference: S5W-30080
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 18 June 2020
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Current status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 July 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to address an increased need for mental health provision for pupils, as a result of COVID-19 and school closures, when schools return on 11 August.
Answer
The COVID-19 Education Recovery Group recently published guidance to support continuity in learning to support education authorities and schools plan and prepare for pupils returning to school.
This guidance offers high-level advice to local authorities as they consider the support required to address the impact of interrupted learning and disconnection from school or early learning and childcare for many children and young people.
The guidance promotes health and wellbeing considerations and other areas where children, young people and their parents and carers may need support and in some cases, advice specific to the individual child or young person.
Local authorities and schools are already familiar and trained in a wide range of mental health interventions and strategies, which will be critical in supporting children and young people returning to school.
A mental health in schools working group has been established to develop and strengthen mental health resources available to schools, including a whole school approach framework to support positive mental health and a new professional learning course in mental health for all school staff. The group will develop the resource and training as part of a ‘toolkit’ of support which is expected to be available to school staff towards the end of 2020.