Society can’t afford ‘lost generation’, says Clare

LAST week, I had the pleasure of meeting James Smith. He and his husband Neil became the first same-sex couple to adopt in Scotland.

With about 15,000 kids in care, we need big-hearted people like James to open the doors of their homes and change the lives of vulnerable young ones who should be loved and cherished.

He whispered me his story as we waited in the wings of STV’s Live at Five show, which we were both appearing on.

By the time it was our turn to chat with the presenters, I was welling up because of his obvious joy at becoming a father and his adoration for the children in his care.

Anyone under the hideous misconception that his sexuality would deem him in any way unsuitable needs to think again. A good parent is a good parent and I hope many more couples like James and Neil will come forward to adopt.

The whole issue of caring for vulnerable children has weighed on my mind a lot these last few days.

The extent of the lack of support for kids with additional needs in our schools has been laid out in full in a report, which showed that while the number requiring extra help has doubled in the last six years, staffing levels have fallen. Just a few months ago, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition warned we face a “lost generation” of children with additional support needs if funding cuts continue.

A lack of adequate training for staff is also a concern. When this paper told the story of Daniel Gourlay, the nine-year-old boy with a severe form of autism who is only being educated in school for two hours a week because

teachers can’t cope, you’d have hoped authorities would have leapt into action. Because he’s an able learner, ludicrously he has been judged not to fit the criteria for a placement in a special needs school. What a nonsense – and a nightmare for his poor mother Barbara. It’s clear not enough action has been taken across our society to adequately care for the children who need our help the most. When Daniel’s local MSP Fergus Ewing was asked about his situation, his spokesman replied that the council’s director of care and learning would meet with Barbara “to see what, if any, extra levels of support can be provided”. I found that response breathtaking. Why should you care if you don’t have a child with additional needs? Because when kids aren’t supported properly in schools it can have an impact on the whole class. And if we are to get to grips with our education system, this needs to be a priority.

‘Not enough action is taken to care for kids who need our help the most’