Hansard

I thank Johann Lamont for bringing forward this sensitive but important subject for debate.

I thank members for their thoughtful contributions, and I thank members who have been involved in the work of the cross-party group on adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Johann Lamont and Margaret Mitchell are pre-eminent among them, and of course others have been involved over the years. As Michael Russell and the motion set out, the group played a prominent role in developing the national strategy for survivors of childhood abuse, which has been instrumental in raising awareness and improving knowledge of abuse.

I had been due to meet the office bearers of the cross-party group, but I regret that the meeting had to be rearranged—I cannot quite remember what events caused that. I will be happy to meet any member of the cross-party group—indeed, any member of this Parliament—to discuss any issues regarding our approach to childhood sexual abuse, should they request that.

Since 2007, £1.5 million has been invested in the in-care survivors service Scotland and £9 million has been invested in third and voluntary sector organisations that provide a wide range of local services to support all survivors of abuse across Scotland. However, since the survivors strategy was launched 10 years ago, we have learned more about the complex health and wider social needs of survivors, and we know that services must be more responsive to their individual needs. One size does not fit all. We also have more evidence on what services and interventions work well, enabling survivors to thrive and recover in all aspects of their lives.

Our recently published strategic outcomes framework sets out our vision. It builds on the legacy of the 2005 strategy and prioritises our actions to meet survivors’ needs. The priorities, which I am sure we all support, include preventing child abuse, enabling and educating Scotland’s public service workforce to be trauma informed, and continuously improving the wide range of local support services that provide vital support to survivors every day.

A recently published report by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children reveals that one child in eight will report abuse, but we already know the shocking statistic that one child in four is a victim of abuse. Preventing abuse is, therefore, a priority for this Government.

Achieving that will require professionals across all sectors to work together to identify our most vulnerable children and protect them from abuse and the devastating impact that it has regardless of where it has taken place. A national training framework led by NHS Education for Scotland will support that work, ensuring that there is a strategic and consistent standard of training for all those who need it across all the sectors that provide vital support to survivors.

Protecting children from abuse is a duty that is shared among us all as a society. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning has made clear that she is committed to improvement in child protection, and she will make a statement to the Parliament early in the new year.

The recent launch of the e-learning resource that was developed in partnership with Roshni, the Scottish Government and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is an example of how organisations are working in partnership to share their expertise and knowledge on this important issue. It is a free online resource that will raise awareness and help to build the skills and knowledge that our workforce needs to support survivors.

I am grateful to the service providers throughout Scotland in the statutory, voluntary and third sectors. The Moira Anderson Foundation in Airdrie, Rape Crisis, which works right across Scotland, and the specialist trauma centres in Lothian and Glasgow are just a few of the organisations that provide a valuable range of services to survivors of childhood abuse regardless of where or how long ago it took place.