The rights of children from Gypsy/Traveller and Roma backgrounds in Scotland

The Scottish Government has a strong commitment to strengthening children’s human rights, with the aim of making Scotland ‘the best place to grow up and bring up children’. The Education (Scotland) Act 2016 introduced a raft of measures to boost the rights of children with additional support needs (ASN). The programme for government in Scotland, published in September 2020, included a commitment to incorporate the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child into Scottish domestic legislation. In order to examine the extent to which the rights of Gypsy/Traveller children are being respected in practice, this paper draws on an analysis of official statistics conducted as part of an ESRC funded project entitled Autonomy, Rights and Children with Special Needs: A New Paradigm? (ES/P002641/1), which ran from 2018 to 2020. In addition, the paper uses findings from an Independent Children’s Rights Impact Assessment which was carried out in summer 2020 with a view to investigating the impact of the emergency measures implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the terms of the Coronavirus Act 2020, schools across the UK were closed, with widespread implications for children and young people, particularly those with additional support needs. The central aim of this paper is to explore the impact of the emergency measures on the recently enhanced rights of children with ASN, with a particular focus on the rights of children from Gypsy/Traveller backgrounds. I conclude that people living itinerant lives experience long-standing exclusion from mainstream schooling and wider society, and their marginal status has been reinforced during the recent pandemic when children’s human rights have been side-lined.

On the Line - Revitalising Place Identity: A Case Study in Balintore, Scotland

<p>Once proud fishing villages in the North of Scotland used to be lively and industrious gateways to the ocean for much of the country’s population. Modernisation and industrialisation of the fishing industry has seen a depletion of not only fishing stock but also a sense of identity that accompanied these historic coastal settlements (Scottish Government “Socio-Economic Briefing on Rural Scotland”). Balintore is a powerful example of this issue, where an ageing population has a disconnection from their distinct cultural identity (Brookfield 6). The settlement now has less than one percent of its population employed in the fishing industry (Streetcheck). This thesis will explore how identity can be revitalised with reference to the fishing industry and grounded with the unique characteristics of Balintore, such as landscape types, cultural tradition, climate conditions and architecture. An aquaculural insertion to the site will act as a driver to feasibly revitalise the struggling economy and allow explorations into how an experience with the product can create place identity, alluding to fishing industry history. The experience of place aims to portray unique characteristics of the site, cultural traditions and an engagement with the product which associates a contextual relationship between the two. The landscape of Scotland is intrinsically tied to the cultural identity and therefore the sense of place which people possess (Robertson 154). The fact that the identity in question is fundamentally based on a spatial relation, despite having cultural, social and economic factors, allows landscape architecture to act as a useful framework in exploring possible scenarios. This thesis will seek to once again provide an integral bond between the people and their environment which can foster a revitalised place attachment, one which will transcend generations and provide a sustainable sense of place in Scotland’s future.</p>

On the Line - Revitalising Place Identity: A Case Study in Balintore, Scotland

<p>Once proud fishing villages in the North of Scotland used to be lively and industrious gateways to the ocean for much of the country’s population. Modernisation and industrialisation of the fishing industry has seen a depletion of not only fishing stock but also a sense of identity that accompanied these historic coastal settlements (Scottish Government “Socio-Economic Briefing on Rural Scotland”). Balintore is a powerful example of this issue, where an ageing population has a disconnection from their distinct cultural identity (Brookfield 6). The settlement now has less than one percent of its population employed in the fishing industry (Streetcheck). This thesis will explore how identity can be revitalised with reference to the fishing industry and grounded with the unique characteristics of Balintore, such as landscape types, cultural tradition, climate conditions and architecture. An aquaculural insertion to the site will act as a driver to feasibly revitalise the struggling economy and allow explorations into how an experience with the product can create place identity, alluding to fishing industry history. The experience of place aims to portray unique characteristics of the site, cultural traditions and an engagement with the product which associates a contextual relationship between the two. The landscape of Scotland is intrinsically tied to the cultural identity and therefore the sense of place which people possess (Robertson 154). The fact that the identity in question is fundamentally based on a spatial relation, despite having cultural, social and economic factors, allows landscape architecture to act as a useful framework in exploring possible scenarios. This thesis will seek to once again provide an integral bond between the people and their environment which can foster a revitalised place attachment, one which will transcend generations and provide a sustainable sense of place in Scotland’s future.</p>

Development of a Pathway for Multidisciplinary Neurodevelopmental Assessment and Diagnosis in Children and Young People

There is a variable standard of access to quality neurodevelopmental assessment and diagnosis. People may have negative experiences, encountering lengthy waiting times, and inconsistent practices. Practitioners need guidance on standards and practices for assessment and diagnosis matched to new ways of working. In this paper, we present a new pathway and recommendations for multidisciplinary neurodevelopmental assessment and diagnosis for children and young people (<19 years), developed by the Scottish Government funded National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT). Our research used the Medical Research Council guidance for the development of complex interventions and included several iterative stages. Stage 1: n = 44 stakeholders attended an event on developing new practices for diagnosis and assessment. Stage 2: a literature synthesis was completed by the research team of clinical guidelines and diagnosis and assessment tools. Stage 3: an event with n = 127 stakeholders included discussion and debate of the data from stages 1 and 2. Recommendations and a draft pathway were written. Stage 4: successive drafts of recommendations and the pathway documentation were circulated among an advisory group, including multidisciplinary clinical experts and people with lived experience, until the final pathway was agreed upon. The finalised pathway includes guidance on terminology, assessment, diagnosis, triage, time standards and engagement of people with lived experience. The new pathway has been adopted by the Scottish Government. The pathway and associated documentation are freely available online for use by others.

Adherence to treatment and prevalence of side effects when medical abortion is delivered via telemedicine

BackgroundThe Scottish government introduced legislation during the COVID-19 outbreak to permit medical abortion at home with telemedicine. All women received an initial telephone consultation. For those choosing medical abortion, we provided self-administered medications to eligible women with pregnancies under 12 weeks’ gestation.AimsTo assess adherence to the recommended abortion drug regimen, with particular focus on the number of misoprostol doses used and the interval between mifepristone and misoprostol administration and the induction–expulsion interval. Additionally, to evaluate use of analgesia, antiemetics and antibiotics, and the side effects, pain and bleeding profile of medical abortion at home.MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study of 663 women choosing medical abortion at home via telemedicine at an NHS abortion service in Edinburgh, Scotland between 1 April and 9 July 2020. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were completed at telephone follow-up 4 and 14 days following treatment. Outcome measures were self-reported and included use of mifepristone and misoprostol, induction–expulsion interval (time from misoprostol administration until expulsion of pregnancy), antiemetics, antibiotics, analgesia use, pain scores, rates of side effects, bleeding and preparedness for treatment.ResultsAmong the respondents, 652/663 women (98%) answered at least one questionnaire, and 594/663 (89.6%) used both abortion medications as directed (24–72 hours between medications). The mean (SD) induction–expulsion interval was 4.3 (4.3) hours. Antiemetics were used by 611/663 (92%), 383/599 (64%) completed the course of prophylactic antibiotics, and 616/663 (93%) used analgesia, with mean (SD) worst-pain scores of 6.7 (2.2) out of 10. Regarding side effects, 510/663 (77%) experienced either nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or headache, 101/663 (15%) experienced headache and 510/663 (77%) experienced bleeding that was heavier than a period; 554/663, (84%) felt prepared for their treatment by teleconsultation.ConclusionPatients are able to correctly self-administer abortion medications following a telemedicine consultation. Further research is required to optimise pain management and gastrointestinal side effects during medical abortion.

Scotland

The fourth chapter looks at the case of Scotland. The surge of secessionism within Scottish nationalism is puzzling considering that demands for Scottish territorial autonomy were met in the late 1990s with devolution. Yet, a mere 15 years later, 45 per cent of Scots supported independence in a referendum. Scottish autonomy was conceived as mostly static during key periods of political development. Devolution in the United Kingdom was a settlement, a new political and constitutional order, not originally meant to be adapted or enhanced. Yet, devolution created a series of changes to Scottish politics that immediately put pressure on the new status quo. Although the Commission on Scottish Devolution was established in late 2007, it did not include the SNP, which was then forming the Scottish government, and, with British general elections on the horizon, its impact on Scottish autonomy was uncertain. By the time the Commission’s recommendations would start being implemented in 2012, the SNP had already formed a majority government committed to holding an independence referendum. When this government was considering a multi-option referendum question comprising an option for more powers to Scotland as well as independence, the British government refused: devolution was, at that time, a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. In other words, short of independence, Scottish autonomy would remain as it was; the British government was then offering static autonomy.

Pharmacy students’ experience of a novel government-funded experiential learning initiative: A mixed-method study (ACTp Study)

Background: In 2018, the Scottish Government made the Pharmacy Additional Cost of Teaching (ACTp) funding available to support the development of Experiential Learning (EL) in undergraduate pharmacy education. To inform the further expansion of EL in the pharmacy degree evaluation of new EL sites was required. Aim and method: A mixed-methods study was undertaken to determine students’ perceptions of four new areas included in an EL pilot: primary care, out-of-hours, specialist sites, and remote and rural. Results: There were 43 survey respondents (response rate 72%). Majority agreed the pilot had developed their clinical (n=28, 74%) and communication skills (n=31, 82%), and prepared them for future practice (n=30, 79%). One third felt the EL did not permit them to interact with patients. Focus group and interview participants were positive about their experience and the opportunity to experience new pharmacy roles in non-traditional settings. Many highlighted the lack of hands-on experience and facilitator feedback. Facilitator training and quality assurance of sites are warranted. Conclusions: Future work should focus on assessment of and feedback for students, and interprofessional opportunities within EL.