We will work with stakeholders to monitor the impact of expansion of early years workers on other areas of the social services workforce and to consider what action might be beneficial, in the light of any significant impacts identified.

Attracting and retaining the right people, and raising the status of social care as a profession, is key to delivering quality care. That’s why we have taken action to protect our social care services, including paying the Living Wage to adult care workers.

We support our public body, the Scottish Social Services Council, in their work to help and promote recruitment in the sector, which includes the development of foundation and modern apprenticeships, Career Ambassadors and a range of resources for those providing careers advice.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-11664 on
1 November 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The information requested is not held centrally.

I receive requests from NHSScotland staff on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of matters. All meeting requests are considered on a case by case basis but are not recorded by the employment or whistleblowing status of the individual requesting the meeting.

The recording of requests from NHSScotland staff to meet Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Care Inspectorate are matters for these bodies to determine.

Under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, prescribed bodies or persons are independent bodies or individuals who whistleblowers can approach to make a ‘protected disclosure’ rather than their employer. Depending on the nature of the concern, these are usually scrutiny or legislative bodies and include Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. This information would require to be requested from individual health boards.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of people from Scotland treated by the NHS in the rest of the UK, or on the number of people from the rest of the UK treated by the NHS in Scotland.

Reciprocal arrangements between NHS bodies in Scotland and the UK are managed by individual health boards. The information requested would require to be obtained from individual health boards.

This information is not centrally held.

It is the responsibility of Health and Social Care Partnerships to plan and deliver services for their area using the integrated budgets under their control. This includes hospice and palliative and end of life care services.

In 2015, the year before integration went live, the Scottish Government published statutory guidance on strategic commissioning setting out that each Partnership's strategic commissioning plan should be based upon a Strategic Needs Assessment of local people, including those with palliative and end of life care needs. Within this wider context NHS Boards remain responsible for the procurement of palliative and end of life services, including those provided by Hospices.

Last year we announced funding of £30 million over five years to address the specific issue of support for children and young people’s palliative and end of life care needs. This investment brings funding for children's hospice services in line with that provided for adult hospice services.

Training places for social care are not centrally controlled. Demand for places is assessed through colleges working in partnership with employers to meet the needs of local labour markets.

This information is not centrally held.

The Scottish Atlas of Palliative Care, which was published in September 2016, provides Scotland specific data on levels, location and types of specialist palliative care services across Scotland which has previously been subsumed within UK data. The Atlas can be found at: https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_486122_en.pdf

Additionally, the Children's Hospice Across Scotland (CHAS) published the Children in Scotland requiring Palliative Care (CHiSP) study in October 2015. This study sets out the numbers of children and young people in Scotland with palliative care needs and generated evidence to support the planning and delivery of paediatric palliative care in Scotland. The CHiSP study can be accessed at: http://www.cen.scot.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2017/02/ChiSP_report.pdf

Guidance for the procurement of palliative and end of life services, including those provided by independent adult hospices, is set out in Chief Executive Letter, CEL 12 (2012). The CEL makes clear that funding of mutually agreed specialist palliative care services should be reached by NHS Boards and independent adult hospices on a 50% calculation of agreed costs.

Last year we announced funding of £30 million over five years to address the specific issue of support for children and young people’s palliative and end of life care needs. This investment brings funding for children's hospice services in line with that provided for adult hospice services.

Health and Safety is a reserved matter under the terms of the Scotland Act (1998). The duty holders in NHSScotland under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA) and relevant regulations, are NHS Boards, as they are separate legal entities to the Scottish Government. Individual NHS Boards are responsible for Health and Safety within their own areas.

Through Healthcare Improvement Scotland and NHS Boards the Scottish Government and its officials ensure that the HSAW act is adhered to. In addition, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) can and does enforce health and safety legislation within NHS Boards in accordance with its policy on patient safety.

HSE’s role in patient health and safety is explained in the Letter of Understanding between Health and Safety Executive and Healthcare Improvement Scotland and is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/howwework/framework/letter-of-understanding-his.pdf

Reducing Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI) is a key priority for the Scottish Government. Health Protection Scotland provide the Scottish Government with quarterly and annual reports, which are used to measure the progress in tackling HCAI across NHSScotland. The information also highlights areas of good practice, which is shared across all Health Boards to ensure they continue to drive forward improvements in this area.