Jackie Baillie

9 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive  what effect local authority commissioning policies for adult social care have had on the sustainability of Choices Care.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-02397 on 22 September 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…

9 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what inquiries it has made into the causes of Choices Care entering administration.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government has given reassurances about the continuity of care for service users, and is working in close partnership with COSLA, SCSWIS (Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland) and ADSW (Association of Directors of Social Work) through…

9 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what regulatory bodies are responsible for the oversight of the governance of publicly limited companies delivering community care services on behalf of local authorities.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Responsibility for legislation relating to any oversight of the governance of a public limited company whether for community care purposes or not would fall within the “regulation of a business association” reservation in Head C1 of Schedule 5 to the Scotland…

9 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards are in place to ensure that publicly limited companies taking over all or part of the business of Choices Care do not experience similar problems.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Responsibility for legislation relating to any oversight of the governance of a public limited company, whether for community care purposes or not, would fall within the “regulation of a business association”, and is therefore reserved to the United Kingdom P…

9 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place to prevent publicly limited companies avoiding the scrutiny of local authority commissioners' approved provider processes by purchasing companies that are trading or in administration.

Answer · John Swinney: As the question relates to local government I have asked COSLA to consider the question and provide a response. Officials from COSLA replied to the member on 23 September 2011.

8 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the establishment of an allied health professional workforce bank for the NHS.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government has funded National Services Scotland to produce the outline business case for the National Staff Banks/Erostering. In the meantime, five NHS boards in Scotland have established or are in the process of establishing a board AHP Bank, p…

7 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland did not carry out a full inspection of the Elsie Inglis Nursing Home until 20 April 2011, given that a complaint about standards of care at the home was lodged with the City of Edinburgh Council on 25 March 2011.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Following the death of a resident of the Elsie Inglis Nursing Home on 18 May 2011 a report was submitted by Lothian and Borders Police to the Procurator Fiscal in Edinburgh. Lothian and Borders Police and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service continu…

7 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian did not put their staff into the Elsie Inglis Nursing Home until 12 May 2011, given that Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland carried out a full inspection of the home on 20 April 2011.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: On 6 April a multi-agency meeting, including representatives from the City of Edinburgh Council, NHS Lothian and the Care Inspectorate was held to discuss care arrangements within Elsie Inglis. Following that meeting it was agreed that the City of Edinburgh C…

7 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that there is “direct dialogue and accountability” between local communities and their NHS boards, as indicated by a Scottish Government spokesperson in the Herald on 1 September 2011.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02562 on 15 September 2011. All answers to written parliamentary uestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/MAQAS…

7 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition is of kinship care.

Answer · Angela Constance: Kinship care is when a looked after child is placed by a local authority with an approved kinship carer. The Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009 defines a potential kinship carer as a person who is related to the child or who is known to the chi…

7 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy has decided not to visit NHS (a) Tayside, (b) Dumfries and Galloway, (c) Borders, (d) Shetland, (e) Western Isles, (f) Lothian and (g) Ayrshire and Arran to chair their annual reviews.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02562 on 15 September 2011. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/MAQA…

7 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money is given to local government for kinship care, also broken down by local authority.

Answer · Angela Constance: The vast majority of the funding provided to local government by the Scottish Government, including the funding for kinship care allowances, is provided by means of a block grant. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financia…

7 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy is not chairing each NHS board annual review.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The performance of all NHS boards against key government targets and measures are closely monitored on a continuous basis, including formal Mid-Year Reviews. The changes to the Annual Review arrangements are about encouraging as much direct dialogue and accou…

7 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many kinship carers there are, also broken down by local authority.

Answer · Angela Constance: Data on the number of kinship carers of looked after children is not held centrally. As of 31 July 2010 there were 3,172 children living in kinship care arrangements.

7 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many established staff transferred from HM Inspectorate of Education to (a) Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland and (b) Education Scotland on 1 April 2011.

Answer · Michael Russell: Six staff transferred from HM Inspectorate of Education to Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland on 1 April 2011. One hundred and seventy-nine staff transferred from HM Inspectorate of Education to Education Scotland on 1 July 2011. Only permanen…

7 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the establishment numbers were for (a) the Care Commission, (b) Social Work Inspection Agency and (c) HM Inspectorate of Education on 1 April 2010.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: On 1 April 2010, the establishment numbers for the Care Commission was 595.78 FTE, extracted from SCSWIS records. The Social Work Inspection Agency was 40 FTE (full-time equivalent) and HM Inspectorate of Education was 210 FTE; the figures for SWIA and HMIE …

7 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the establishment figures were for inspection staff at Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland on 1 April 2011.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: On 1 April 2011 the establishment figures for inspection staff at Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland was 286.78 full time equivalent.

7 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many established inspection staff transferred from (a) the Care Commission, (b) Social Work Inspection Agency and (c) HM Inspectorate of Education, excluding those involved in schools inspection and the regulation of independent healthcare, on 1 April 2010.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No transfers of established inspection staff took place from the Care Commission, Social Work Inspection Agency and HM Inspectorate of Education on 1 April 2010. These bodies were still operating until 31 March 2011. However, as at 1 April 2011, the followin…

7 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many established staff transferred from the Social Work Inspection Agency to (a) Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland and (b) Healthcare Improvement Scotland on 1 April 2010.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No transfers of established staff took place from the Social Work Inspection Agency to Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland or Healthcare Improvement Scotland on 1 April 2010. SWIA was still operating until 31 March 2011, and the new scrutiny bodi…

2 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many beds are provided in Lightburn Hospital, (b) how many of these will be provided in the future if the proposal to close the hospital is agreed and (c) where will these be located.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02513 on 8 September 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/MAQASea…

2 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the planned closure of the Christie Ward at the Vale of Leven Hospital is considered to be a major service change and will be subject to (a) scrutiny by an independent panel and (b) ministerial approval.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s proposal to discontinue adult inpatient mental health services at the Vale of Leven Hospital have already been subject to the Independent Scrutiny Panel chaired by Professor Angus Mackay that sat in the winter of 2007-08 to con…

2 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the planned closure of Lightburn Hospital is considered to be a major service change and will be subject to (a) scrutiny by an independent panel and (b) ministerial approval.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s plans for the redesign of rehabilitation services in North East Glasgow, which include the proposal to close Lightburn Hospital, do constitute major service change, in line with national guidance Informing, Engaging and Consult…

2 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been notified of forthcoming service changes in the NHS which may require to be considered either by (a) an independent scrutiny panel or (b) ministers.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Government officials keep in regular contact with all NHS boards, and this involves discussion around forthcoming service changes in the NHS.

2 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what services are provided by Lightburn Hospital and where each of these will be provided in future, if the proposal to close the hospital is agreed.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s plans for the redesign of rehabilitation services in North East Glasgow, which include the proposal to close Lightburn Hospital, are currently under consideration by ministers who will take all the available information and rep…

2 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis service changes in the NHS will (a) be considered by an independent scrutiny panel and (b) require ministerial approval.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: All major service changes in the NHS must be subject to formal public consultation and ministerial approval in line with “Informing, Engaging and Consulting People in Developing Health and Community Care Services” (February, 2010). Ministers make the final d…

1 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many improvement notices have been issued by Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland or the Care Commission in each year since 2007.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Care Inspectorate now has responsibility, as of 1 April 2011, for inspecting, regulating and supporting improvement of care and social work and child protection services across Scotland. The Care Inspectorate has powers under section 62 of the Public Serv…

1 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the (a) Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland and (b) Scottish Social Services Council inspect and report on (i) the level of qualifications and training of social care staff and (ii) social care employers' staff development and training strategy.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: As part of their inspection process The Care Inspectorate review both the qualifications and the continuing professional development training plans of care home provider staff. Inspectors take account of this information and use it as a factor to determine if…

1 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide substantive answers to questions S4W-01633, S4W-01634, S4W-01635, S4W-01636 and S4W-01637, which received holding replies on 10 August 2011, and what the reason is for the delay.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to questions S4W-01633, S4W-01634, S4W-01635, S4W-01636 and S4W-01637 on 2 September 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at…

1 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-00967 by Nicola Sturgeon on 29 June 2011, whether there continue be concerns regarding Ranaich House.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I understand that the Care Inspectorate has advised Castlebeck Care (Teasdale) Limited that it will be seeking the deregistration of Ranaich House as there are continuing concerns about the quality of care provided by this particular service. The Care Inspec…

31 Aug 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the availability of affordable childcare for the poorest families, in light of the Save the Children report, Making Work Pay.