Joe Long
Scottish Labour · Scotland
“I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests regarding my former employment at Scottish Autism. At the 2021 election, one of the key asks of campaigners for new legislation for neurodivergent people was for more systemic accountability through the whole-life journey, including the many life transitions that can create…”
“People in Kincardine, in Fife, desperately need a new health centre. The existing practice was condemned as not fit for purpose in 2016. A decade on, can the cabinet secretary provide any indication of when we might see the first wave of community hubs and when spades will finally be in the ground in Kincardine?”
“Alison Thewliss: We are continuing work with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the children and young people’s neurodevelopment task force to deliver the actions set out in the implementation review of the national neurodevelopmental specification for children and young people.”
“My entry in the register of members’ interests will show that I was employed by Scottish Autism until my election in May. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of people with learning disabilities and complex needs who remain in inappropriate hospital placements, eight years on from its report, “Coming H…”
“There is a growing consensus among the community, academics, clinicians and support professionals that neurodevelopmental assessments should be holistic and combine consideration of different traits and neurotypes rather than simply giving a binary answer to the question of whether someone fits a particular profile such as autism, which m…”
“Such a profile can be a useful tool in parental or self- advocacy to have those needs met. A true pathway should be one of assessment, diagnosis and support for neurodivergent people. That last step is really important.”
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“However, I would be more than happy to receive more detail about the area that the member is championing.”
“People in Kincardine, in Fife, desperately need a new health centre. The existing practice was condemned as not fit for purpose in 2016. A decade on, can the cabinet secretary provide any indication of when we might see the first wave of community hubs and when spades will finally be in the ground in Kincardine? Angela Constance: I know that there is great interest in primary care in terms of GP services and local health centres. We have made a number of commitments with three pilot areas, which I mentioned in my statement, and which will help us to develop a standardised approach to replacement projects. We have identified 12 projects, which were in our manifesto, and, after the delivery of those projects, other areas will be able to be considered.”
“Alison Thewliss: We are continuing work with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the children and young people’s neurodevelopment task force to deliver the actions set out in the implementation review of the national neurodevelopmental specification for children and young people. We have provided more than £2.9 million of additional funding for that.”
“I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests regarding my former employment at Scottish Autism. At the 2021 election, one of the key asks of campaigners for new legislation for neurodivergent people was for more systemic accountability through the whole-life journey, including the many life transitions that can create points of need— whether that is from childhood to adulthood, as Steven Bonnar notes, or when people become parents, undergo menopause or reach older age. The Presiding Officer: Question, please. Joe Long: There was also an ask for legislation that worked across policy silos. When will the long- promised learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence bill be introduced, and how will it provide that whole-system accountability?”
“My entry in the register of members’ interests will show that I was employed by Scottish Autism until my election in May. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of people with learning disabilities and complex needs who remain in inappropriate hospital placements, eight years on from its report, “Coming Home”. (S7O-00102)”
“We should be clear that, when we talk about the prevalence of neurodivergent people in the criminal justice system or in mental health services, we are not talking about a temperamental predisposition but about the consequences of unmet need. I therefore welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to take forward the recommendations of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland on combined neurodevelopmental pathways for assessment, diagnosis and support across Scotland. However, let us be clear that those who require support cannot and should not wait any longer. 18:18”
“The research laid bare the frustrations and feelings of abandonment felt by people who are left waiting for months and years on end, often with little communication about the process of assessment and who they might see or when, and who frequently find little in the way of support after diagnosis. That is exactly the story that we heard Dawn Black recounting. However, it was also recorded that, for some, diagnosis was life changing and was about more than just meeting clinical need, as it brought clarity, self- understanding, identity and a community of peers. When we talk, as the motion does, about the cost of undiagnosed autism and ADHD, our main focus must be the human cost of failure.”
“We have seen the successful pilot of a neuroaffirmative diagnosis service delivered by the third sector in Edinburgh—the number 6 service that is run by Autism Initiatives, which was evaluated highly by those who accessed it—but I understand that that pilot has now ended. Last year, while I was working at Scottish Autism, I was co-author of a report on experiences of autism assessment and diagnosis, along with colleagues from autistic-led disabled persons organisations: Autistic Mutual Aid Society Edinburgh, Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics and Autism Rights Group Highland.”
“The approach has been adopted in parts of Scotland, including Fife, the region that I represent, but is by no means available across the board. Adult autism diagnosis pathways were withdrawn by NHS Forth Valley at the start of last year, for example. That inconsistency of assessment across Scotland remains an issue, as last year’s report by the Scottish Parliament information centre found. At the end of the autism strategy, stakeholders were assured that assessment and diagnosis were a priority in the post-Covid recovery and transformation planning. As such, they were not included in consultations on the proposed learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence bill. However, we have some way to go in delivering that consistent support.”
“Such a profile can be a useful tool in parental or self- advocacy to have those needs met. A true pathway should be one of assessment, diagnosis and support for neurodivergent people. That last step is really important. It could include peer support, parental education programmes and support provided by the third sector in the community, as last year’s report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland recognises. None of that is breaking news, and it is worth considering where we are with regard to neurodevelopmental pathways and access to them in Scotland. During the final years of the Scottish autism strategy, which ended in 2021, combined neurodevelopmental pathways were explored by the national autism implementation team that is based at Queen Margaret University.”
“There is a growing consensus among the community, academics, clinicians and support professionals that neurodevelopmental assessments should be holistic and combine consideration of different traits and neurotypes rather than simply giving a binary answer to the question of whether someone fits a particular profile such as autism, which means that the person must start the process of referral and assessment once again for a different profile, such as ADHD, if different needs or traits become evident. It is important to state that holistic pathways should result not just in achievement or refusal of diagnosis but in an assessment or profile of need that can then be used in relation to meaningful accommodations and support, whether those are in education, social care settings or employment, or in accessing other services and activities.”
“I refer to my entry in the register of members’ interests, which shows that, until 8 May, I was employed at Scottish Autism. I welcome the opportunity to debate this topic and I am grateful to Helen McDade for bringing the motion to the chamber. The motion notes that, historically, autism and ADHD were mutually exclusive diagnoses, whereas we now understand that a great many neurodivergent people are likely to have traits that relate to both neurotypes and profiles. That is sometimes known in the neurodivergent community as auDHD.”
“I refer to my entry in the register of members’ interests, which shows that I was employed by Scottish Autism until 8 May. To ask the Scottish Government for what reason over a third of CAMHS referrals have reportedly not been accepted in the last 12 months. (S7O- 00082)”
“I imagine that there will be some relief and good cheer among my former colleagues in the third sector at the consensus and the tone of today’s debate, although that might be tempered by a bit of scepticism among professionals who have heard warm words and sympathetic noises before. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating.”
“If charity-sector organisations and service providers find themselves increasing their campaigning and lobbying, that may be because they feel that Government has historically failed to listen to their expertise or to the lived experience of those that they support through their channels and engagement. We should not expect funded organisations to live in a state of eternal gratitude that means that they cannot speak up for the people who are being failed. In the third sector, the duty to care for groups who are marginalised or disadvantaged and the duty to speak up for those groups are often of a piece—they come together. That is what makes the third sector what it is, and that is why it makes such a rich contribution to our society. I welcome the recognition of that in the Liberal Democrat amendment, which makes it very clear.”
“We must ensure that an ethical commissioning process sees full contract value being taken into account when contracts are uplifted during April funding rounds, because organisations must also employ managers, back- office staff and all the other people who keep the wheels moving and support the work. I thank the member for the intervention. There has been some discussion today about the campaigning and advocacy role of third sector organisations. I welcome the Liberal Democrat amendment and the cabinet secretary’s comments about the right of third sector organisations to campaign and speak up.”
“There is one aspect of funding that has not come up much in today’s debate. We have spoken about year-on-year funding but there is also core funding. So much of the funding that is allocated is project based, but organisations such as Citizens Advice Scotland, which supports 200,000 people a year, often struggle for core funding. Does Mr Long have any reflections on that as we try to come up with a fair funding model? Joe Long: That was going to be my next point and has been well made by the member, as it was in Holly Bruce’s contribution earlier. The costs borne by the third sector do not come just from the pay of front-line staff, although we might be forgiven for thinking that when we see the contracts that come from local authorities around April.”
“That is not a point about the politics of envy because those in the NHS absolutely deserve the pay, recognition and rewards that they get—and more—but there is a fundamental inequality at the moment. Without even taking into account things such as unsocial hours payments or defined benefit pensions, third sector social care providers are not only facing competition for employees from the retail or hospitality sectors but risk losing staff to local government services and to the NHS when their own contracts with local government or Government mean that offering similar pay and conditions is just not possible. That sort of inequality must be looked at and understood. Calum Kerr: Joe Long has made a number of important points. As someone who has been on many boards, I know the challenge of finding a treasurer in particular.”
“They have a concern for their workforce who, as we have heard from several members, including Holly Bruce, are often in quite precarious positions. When we talk about engaging the sector, volunteer boards must be particularly thought about. On the subject of the precarity of employment, we are, at the moment, seeing a compounding of the inequalities in pay and conditions between the public and third sectors. We can take social care as an example. Last October, a report from the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland showed that the difference between the salary of a band 3 NHS worker and that of a social care worker in a third sector organisation could be as much as 14 per cent, although their jobs require a similar level of skill and responsibility.”
“I know of instances of charities waiting several months into the financial year to find out whether they would be funded from that April. As Murdo Fraser said, that is a real circumstance, so I am pleased to see it being addressed and discussed in the open today. In that context, I will say a word about third sector boards. We have not talked much about boards today, but trustees are themselves third sector volunteers and often take on significant responsibilities for governance and finance. The precarious funding situation means that they are often weighing fiduciary responsibilities against loyalty and concern for their staff, who they want to employ and do not want to see go while they are waiting for funding decisions.”
“The public service reform aspect is very important, because it is about delivering better public services. For example, preventing homelessness is better for the Government and it is better for the individual involved. It is not about cuts; it is about better public services for everyone, including the people we are here to serve. Joe Long: Absolutely: I fully recognise and agree with that. There certainly seems to be cross-party consensus about the need for multiyear funding. We have repeatedly heard that from across the chamber today. I know from my own experience that year-on-year funding agreements can cause significant financial risk for organisations, some of which, as has been said, are very small and have limited reserves to draw on. Colm Merrick mentioned a cliff edge and Kate Nevens described situations that are very real.”
“The register of members’ interests will show that, until 8 May, I was employed as a director of Scottish Autism, which is a third sector organisation. It is precisely because of that background that I have been heartened to see the cabinet secretary lodge the motion, resulting in the consideration of the needs of the sector so early in this parliamentary session. Last week, in the debate on public service reform, I argued that public service reform and the new deal with the third sector need to be considered in the round. I repeat that sentiment having heard today’s speeches; that was certainly evident from last week’s debate. Shirley-Anne Somerville: I am grateful to Joe Long for giving way, particularly when he has just got started.”
“Inevitably, the third sector will be impacted, so the Scottish Government’s promised third sector partnership needs to be firmed up in dialogue with the process of public service reform.”
“As many charities grow from particular communities or groups with shared experience, voluntary sector organisations are often well placed to engage people who rely on those services in the processes of user involvement, decision making and planning that the motion envisages. Yet, all too often, third sector services are commissioned on a short-term basis, with little certainty about contract renewal. That often leaves their employees on more precarious contracts while budgets are settled, and with less beneficial pay and conditions than their public sector peers. Often, those third sector preventative services are the first to be cut when times are tough. Many third sector organisations are in stressful, financially precarious situations right now and there is anxiety about what public service reform will look like.”
“Next week, there will be a separate debate about the role of the third sector—one that I welcome—but thinking about the public sector and third sector in a siloed way will not help us. Scotland relies on the agility of the third sector to fill in gaps where statutory services are not present and we must be mindful that, if statutory services retreat in any way, those gaps will get bigger. The third sector provides a significant proportion of our social care services. Not-for-profit service providers innovate and provide specialist services on behalf of local authorities and health and social care partnerships across Scotland; and charities and voluntary groups often provide the services that fill the preventative function envisaged in the Government’s motion.”
“People in mental health crisis, young people with additional support needs who struggle to cope in busy classrooms, young people who find themselves on the path to crime or addiction, and those with health difficulties that go unchecked until they present at accident and emergency—all those failures bear a heavy human cost and require a significant resource to address. I think that we are agreed that we will not avert that crisis-driven spend without significant upstream investment, so I look forward to seeing the plans brought forward in line with the Scottish Government’s motion. Thirdly, I appeal for recognition in our planning and thinking that our public services are delivered not only by the public sector.”
“However, all too often, we do not see long-term evaluation of impacts or the roll-out of successful projects, even when we know that there is a need for systemic change. We already have multiple evaluations, pilots and proofs of concept that we can draw on across a range of policy areas, so let us not miss this opportunity to implement that learning system-wide for long-term benefit. We do not need to reinvent the wheel when we have tried things that work. Secondly, and with that first thought in mind, I welcome the motion’s focus on preventative spending. We have heard consensus on that in the chamber today. Like many who have worked in public services, I lament that, 15 years on from the recommendations of the Christie report, we have not seen the full-scale shift to prevention that many of us know is needed.”
“I understand that there will be pressure for quick wins in public service reform, but, as we look to employ new technologies and adopt new ways of working, I hope that we explicitly consider future generations—whether in terms of the skills and training that we need or the sustainability of the changes that we make—and that we acknowledge the technological, environmental and demographic changes that Michael Marra laid out at the beginning of the debate. Having worked in public services for the past two decades, I note that we have seen many pilots of new ways of working, innovative projects that demonstrate how we can do things differently, and cross-sectoral partnerships and collaborations.”
“I note that the register of members’ interests will show that I worked until 8 May for Scottish Autism, which is a third sector organisation. As Michael Marra laid out at the beginning of the debate, Scottish Labour fully recognises the need for public service reform. Since the shape of that reform is still evolving, I offer three thoughts that should contribute to the framing of the decisions. First, I hope that public service reform is undertaken with a long-term perspective in mind. In recent times, there have been useful contributions to the public debate by Carnegie UK, which is based here in Scotland, and other organisations about the need for policy making to look beyond the horizons of a five-year parliamentary session and to consider the needs of future generations.”
“The Presiding Officer: That concludes decision time. Screen Sector”
“Motion, as amended, agreed to, That the Parliament believes there is a need to restore public trust in politics following multiple recent financial scandals, including those uncovered by Operation Branchform; further believes that an independent review into party political finances would go some way towards restoring this trust; believes that, to avoid this becoming a nakedly partisan process, it should be independently led rather than conducted by parliamentary committee, and that its remit must apply to the funding of all political parties; recognises wider concerns about the role of money in politics, including the scale of donations by extremely wealthy individuals, and the influence of organisations that refuse to disclose their funding sources, and calls for the devolution of power over the regulation of political parties and their funding to allow for the implementation of any recommendations of the independent review that would require legislative change.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I was unable to vote. I would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: Your vote has been recorded. For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Ahmed, Irshad (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab) Anderson, Heather (Dundee City West) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley) (SNP) Barratt, David (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North) (SNP) Black, Dawn (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Bonnar, Steven (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Bouse, Gary (Falkirk West) (SNP) Brown, Alan (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Campbell, Kate (Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent) (SNP) Campbell, Michelle (Renfrewshire North and Cardonald) (SNP) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Day, Martyn (Falkirk East and Linlithgow) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill) (SNP) Duane, Iris (Glasgow) (Green) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Gethins, Stephen (Dundee City East) (SNP) Ghani, Zen (Glasgow Cathcart and Pollok) (SNP) Gibson, Patricia (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Goodlad, Hannah Mary (Shetland Islands) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie) (SNP) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Hagmann, Katie (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen and Cambuslang) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Kerr, Alex (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP) Kerr, Calum (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Kinross-O’Neill, Kayleigh (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Kumar, Simita (Edinburgh South Western) (SNP) Leask, Kristopher (Highlands and Islands) (Green) MacDougall, Julie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Reform) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Green) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith) (SNP) Manivannan, Q (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McDade, Helen (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Reform) McKee, Cara (West Scotland) (Green) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Easterhouse and Springburn) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Melville, Lloyd (Angus South) (SNP) Merrick, Colm (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Middleton, Jack (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mitchell, Laura (Moray) (SNP) Moodie, Laura (South Scotland) (Green) Nevens, Kate (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Oswald, Kirsten (Eastwood) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) Ross, Angela (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Reform) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Edinburgh Central) (Green) Smith, Alyn (Stirling) (SNP) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stafford, Pauline (Bathgate) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thewliss, Alison (Glasgow Central) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Against Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Bannerman, Max (Highlands and Islands) (Reform) Baxter, Andrew (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (LD) Beresford, Senga (South Scotland) (Reform) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Bland, Amanda (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) Briggs, Miles (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Con) Bruce, Holly (Glasgow Southside) (Green) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Chou Turvey, Yi-pei (North East Scotland) (LD) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh North Western) (LD) Currie, Victor (Highlands and Islands) (Reform) Dijkstra-Downie, Sanne (Edinburgh Northern) (LD) Dunlop, Duncan (South Scotland) (LD) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Fagan, Joe (South Scotland) (Lab) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Con) Green, David (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (LD) Griffin, Mark (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Lab) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Harley, Adam (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (LD) Hoy, Craig (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Kerr, Thomas (Glasgow) (Reform) Kirkwood, David (South Scotland) (Reform) Langan, Jamie (South Scotland) (Reform) Lindsay, Amanda (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) Long, Joe (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) MacCallum, Morven-May (Highlands and Islands) (LD) MacKinnon, Donald (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (Lab) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Massey, Duncan (North East Scotland) (Reform) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Offord, Malcolm (West Scotland) (Reform) Rennie, Willie (Fife North East) (LD) Sangster, Katherine (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab) Simpson, Graham (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) Simpson, Mark (North East Scotland) (Reform) Smith, David (West Scotland) (Reform) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Young, Jenny (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Lab) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on motion S7M-00294, in the name of Anas Sarwar, on an inquiry to restore public trust in Scottish politics, as amended, is: For 71, Against 50, Abstentions 0.”
“Nowhere is that truer than in our health and social care sectors, and I look forward to playing my part. 15:37”
“At that point, my four-year-old chimed in with, “Or you could call it a disco.” That gave me the opportunity to explain that, yes, we could then spend several hours debating whether it should be called a dance party or a disco. I am not sure whether the new Presiding Officer’s desire for more spontaneity and dynamism would stretch to my proposing a dance party this afternoon or how such a motion would be received, but I am heartened by the spirit of openness and good will that I have experienced here in the past couple of weeks. I hope that we can hold on to that in the coming session. I will not resile from holding the Scottish Government to account or speaking up for those who deserve better, but our communities also deserve a more collaborative and constructive politics in the interests of delivering the change that we all need.”
“I want to end on a lighter note and give my final thanks to my family, particularly my wife and daughters, for their tireless support as we figure out a new rhythm to our family life. When I was elected a few weeks ago, I had the challenge of explaining the function of the Parliament to my two young girls. After I explained that members could present their ideas and suggestions and that other people would discuss them and then we would vote on what to do, my eight-year-old asked, “So, if you stood up and said, ‘Let’s have a dance party,’ and everyone agreed, you’d do it?” Members: Yes! Joe Long: I see we have some takers.”
“In my former workplace, I had the opportunity to engage with the minister with responsibility for mental wellbeing—and, indeed, other members, such as Tom Arthur. We worked on developing plans for new legislation to fulfil the rights of autistic and other neurodivergent people and people with learning disabilities. The bill has yet to be introduced, but I pay tribute to how carefully Maree Todd consulted and listened to stakeholders, particularly those with lived experience. It is now time to act and to deliver on the hopes, aspirations and fundamental rights of those communities. I look forward to working with the minister and contributing in any way that I can.”
“I purposely use the word “proactive” rather than “preventative” in this context because, although there is a growing consensus that we will not fix the NHS without fixing social care, I will always maintain that community services will not perform that role if we treat them like a junior subsidiary of the health service or value them for what they avert. Those social care and community-based services need to be recognised as a sector in their own right. At their best, they provide positive outcomes: connection, belonging and quality of life. Parity of esteem is needed if both our NHS and social care are to thrive. I congratulate the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care and the Minister for Community Care on their appointments, and I will happily work to build cross-party consensus on ways forward.”
“Support for those outcomes is often provided by community services that are run by the charity sector, and such services need to be commissioned by Government in a sustainable way that truly values and rewards the workforce. That way, we can properly support all those people who rely on our diverse social care services, whether that is because of lifelong care needs or disabilities, or because of the needs that arise as we get older. If we get that right, we can move away from crisis-driven care and take pressure off our NHS through that proactive support.”
“Having campaigned and worked alongside autistic people and families of autistic children in recent years, I also hope that this will be the parliamentary session in which neurodevelopmental assessment, diagnosis and community-based support are combined in pathways that are truly neuroaffirmative and which do not result in people being left in limbo on waiting lists for months or years on end. Indeed, it is vital that we improve all our NHS mental health services for those who are in crisis or in acute need. However, we must also recognise that support for our mental wellbeing is not just about access to treatment when we are unwell and we need it, but those vital elements of any good life—connection, acceptance, belonging, contribution and meaning.”
“Far too many people in crisis are still detained in inappropriate hospital placements, sometimes for years on end. It has been good to see some progress being made on that recently through the independent living fund, and I hope that this will be the parliamentary session in which all those people finally come home. I hope that our health services can be made accessible enough that people with learning disabilities no longer live shorter lives than their peers or continue to die in greater numbers from preventable deaths—the fact that they do is one that should shame us all.”
“I come here from the third sector, where my work at Scotland’s biggest autism charity followed many years in health and social care, so it is apt that I am making my first speech in this debate. I am privileged to take on the community care and mental wellbeing portfolios for my party. I will always be proud of our NHS. I was in my teens when I got my first job as a nursing assistant, supporting adults with learning disabilities in a long-stay NHS hospital. I am pleased to say that such institutions are no more, and much of my subsequent career in social care was spent supporting adults in their own homes in the community to live more autonomous lives on their own terms. However, it would not be true to say that the journey is done and that the rights of all people with learning disabilities have been fully realised.”
“It contains the heights of Schiehallion and the coastal villages on the Firth of Forth; the south of the Cairngorms national park and the former mining communities of Fife; agriculture and shipbuilding; the medieval University of St Andrews and the modern campus of the University of Stirling; and, of course, it boasts Scotland’s ancient capital and its newest city, both of which happen to describe Dunfermline, the place that I call home. The region is a microcosm of Scotland not only in its diversity but in the political outcome that it gave us last month, when MSPs of all stripes were returned to this Parliament. That result gives us an effective mandate to find common cause in improving lives and opportunities for those we serve. I have been heartened to hear that recognised and repeated across the chamber in the past couple of weeks.”
“Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I congratulate you on your election. It is an honour to be giving my first speech in this chamber. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve, so my first thanks must go to the people of Mid Scotland and Fife for sending me here. I have lived and worked in the region for many years, and I hope that I can repay their faith through my work in this place to improve their lives. My second thanks go to the Labour members and volunteers who campaigned to have our shared values represented in this Parliament, and I hope that I can do them proud, too. The region that I represent is as diverse as it is large.”
“I, Joseph Jude Long, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law.”