 The final item of business this evening is a member's business debate on motion 2798, in the name of Rona Mackay, on support for the 7030 campaign to reduce ACEs by 2030. The debate will be concluded without any questions being put, and I would ask those wishing to contribute to press the request-to-speak buttons now or as soon as possible. I will place an R in the chat function and I call on Rona Mackay to open the debate for around seven minutes. I thank all members across the chamber who supported my motion on the WAV Trust 7030 campaign to end ACEs by 2030. Before I was elected, I was a children's hearing panel member in Glasgow East, a work that I found enormously rewarding. At every hearing, we saw a child, or sometimes just the parents or guardians of a child, who needed help and intervention. Often we saw or considered the case of a child who had been caught in the system for years, caught in an endless cycle of supervision orders, neglect or offending behaviour. That child was typical of a youngster who had suffered a catalogue of adverse childhood experiences throughout their life. Everyone in the chamber who is listening to the debate will appreciate that ACEs and their often devastating consequences are now well known. There is no respect to their background. A young person from an affluent home can experience ACEs just as one from a less privileged background can. A well-off parent can neglect or abuse a child in the same way that a poorer parent can. However, we know overwhelmingly that poverty is an acute driver of ACEs and is the root cause of so many damaging issues for young people. Poverty can lead to hopelessness, parental addiction, which often leads to neglect, lack of a positive role model, a chaotic lifestyle and so much more. Children do not need money to stay on the right path but they need attachment, stability and love to feel secure and happy. ACEs can lead to a lifetime of trouble, low expectations, dependency, poor health and insecurity. The Wavetrust is a UK and Ireland-wide network of individuals, organisations and elected representatives, led by CEO George Hoskins and his team, who also act as the secretary of the cross-party group of which I am a convener. They are dedicated and passionate about achieving the ambitious but feasible goal of achieving a 70 per cent reduction in ACEs by 2030. At least half of the children in the UK will suffer ACEs during their childhood. To achieve that goal, the right policies and actions taken by decision makers and those holding the purse strings are essential. In 2015, Professor Sir Harry Burns, the former chief medical officer of Scotland, said, I do not view 7030 as either wishful thinking or an unattievable goal. On the contrary, reducing child maltreatment by 70 per cent in the next 15 years is a minimum acceptable outcome in responding to this unacceptable and profoundly costly harm to our youngest children. The cross-party group that I convened is called for the prevention and healing of ACEs, and the word healing in the title is particularly important, because ACEs can be healed with early intervention, attachment and a holistic approach. For example, instead of saying to a troubled child what is wrong with you, say what happened to you. We know so much more about the cause and effect of ACEs today, largely because of a group of dedicated health professionals. One of those is research scientist Dr Suzanne Zidike, a passionate advocate of attachment in early years. Dr Zidike's ground-breaking and on-going work has been pivotal in our understanding of ACEs and attachment. I would also like to mention Pauline Scott, an amazing early years practitioner in my constituency, the late Tina Henry, Julie Day, lawyers Melissa Rutherford and Ian Smith and many more people who are contributing so much to eliminating ACEs day in and day out and to add to our understanding. I was proud to hold an event in Parliament to screen the ground-breaking film Dock Resilience, which features the work of pioneering Californian paediatrician Dr Nadine Burke-Harris. I wholeheartedly recommend everyone to watch this inspirational film. Dr Burke-Harris examined the science between childhood adversity and toxic stress, revealing the physical changes in the brain that happens when traumatic events occur. She also reveals how we can disrupt this destructive cycle through interventions that help to retrain the brain and body, foster resilience and help children, families and adults to live healthier, happier lives. Since I was elected in 2016, much progress has been made on ACEs, not least in public awareness. We are now working towards a trauma-informed judiciary, law practices, educators and police. In fact, most public service practitioners now understand ACEs and how important being trauma-informed is. Indeed, today sees the introduction of sentencing guidelines for young people, which means that trauma will now be formally considered by the judge a huge step forward. The Scottish Government is also committed to introducing a bairns hoose based on the Barnahouse holistic care system for children in the justice system, which has been so successful in Scandinavia. We doubled the child payment, introduced the baby box, the tackling child poverty delivery plan and introduced the Scottish ACEs hub, which aims to encourage action in sectors across Scotland. Those are so important, Presiding Officer, because again I emphasise that one of the key drivers of ACEs, poverty, must be tackled for us to fight the problem at its root cause, and we as legislators must take responsibility for that. In my motion I say that 123 MSPs and 513 MPs have signed the Wavetrust 7030 campaign pledge. That is a great figure, but we need everyone to sign up, and I urge those who have not done so to contact the Wavetrust directly or email me to say that they want to sign. It is incumbent on all of us to reset the future for disadvantaged children and families to give them a chance of a happier, healthier life, and I ask that we work together to bring this about. We have the power, so let's use it to create a fairer, more equal society where no young person has to grow up, blighted by ACEs. I thank everyone who is taking part tonight, and I look forward to everyone's contribution. Thank you very much indeed, Ms Mackay, and I call on Gillian Martin to be followed by Sue Webber for in four minutes please, Ms Martin. Thank you Presiding Officer, I just get my mask off and get myself organised. I want to thank Rona Mackay for securing this debate. It's a topic worthy of a Government debate, and I find it very difficult to squeeze all my comments into four minutes. I will try my best. In recent weeks, the impact of adverse childhood experiences has been something that has been forefront in my mind. It has been involved in taking evidence in two of the health committee inquiries. The first in perinatal mental health has highlighted the importance of care for new and expectant mothers, not just in clinical settings but in community settings, and the second has been into health and wellbeing of our young people. Adverse childhood experiences take many forms, and I wanted to concentrate my contribution today on the impact of ACEs on care experience to young people and new parents with care experience. Those who are care experienced are the most likely to have the largest proportion of adverse childhood experiences and, as a result, the worst health outcomes as adults. As a result of their unresolved trauma, as they themselves go into adulthood and potentially become parents themselves, they could be in need of particular support. The two things were brought up to me by a care experienced young parent in the formal session that I attended recently. The first was that very often young care experienced new parents can be stigmatised by some of the health professionals that they come into contact with. A young father told us that he felt that there were assumptions made on his ability to parent once his experience was disclosed. In that same session, another young parent said that she knows for sure that care experience mums can be worried about disclosing their childhood trauma and care experience because they are frightened that that may arouse concern on their own ability to parent and that their child might be at risk of being taken away from them. That might not be the case, but it certainly can be the perception of some. That, in turn, can lead to them not coming forward pre-year post-birth if they are having issues with their mental health. If your experience as a child has been of parental neglect or abuse, becoming a parent yourself may already be quite a triggering experience. That does not say to me that they cannot become successful parents far from it. It says to me that if people who have experienced ACEs do not get trauma-informed care and support, not just in childhood but throughout, particularly when the health and care systems know of their trauma, they are letting them down. I was particularly impressed by a young woman who pointed to the good work done by Who Care Scotland, who, during the pandemic, used emergency Covid response funds given by the Scottish Government to set up a telephone counselling service that could be accessed at any point without any need for referral. For care experience young people who were living on their own after having left, say, foster care, isolation can already be acute anyway, but during the pandemic doubly so. The young woman made a very good point in that we know that care experienced young people with adverse childhood experiences and no wraparound family support are more likely to carry that trauma into adulthood and that, on leaving care, their mental health is at particular risk. She said that every year local authorities know how many young people are leaving care settings and at what date. She made the plea for the Covid counselling service model to be extended beyond the pandemic for care experience children and young adults, and, as ideas go, it is right up there with the best of them, in my view. Presiding Officer, I am more than pleased to see the emphasis that the Government is putting on delivering on the promise and the many interventions into the causes of childhood trauma, in particular mitigating the childhood poverty that Rona Mackay has mentioned. I thank Rona for her focus on that because it is fundamental. I fully support the 7030 campaign and, again, I thank Rona Mackay both for today's opportunity to discuss ACEs and her continued work with children and young adults. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Firstly, I would like to draw the chamber's attention to my register of interests as a City of Edinburgh councillor. I would like to thank Rona Mackay for bringing that motion to the Parliament and securing the member's debate in the chamber this evening. As we have heard today, the 7030 campaign is a UK and Ireland-wide network of individuals, organisations and elected representatives working together and committed to reducing child abuse, neglect and other adverse childhood experiences by at least 70 per cent by the year 2030. While that sounds ambitious, it is necessary because at least half of the children in the UK will suffer ACEs during their childhood. It is fantastic that over 700 MPs, MSPs, MLAs, AMs, mayors and local councillors across all political parties have signed the 7030 campaign pledge. I welcome the opportunity to further speak in this debate today to help to continue to raise awareness of the campaign. Last year, I met with Jay Haston, a wave ambassador in my remit as the shadow minister for drugs policy. After meeting him, I was immediately on board with the wave trust's ambition to reduce levels of child abuse and neglect by 2030. Each time that I have subsequently met Jay, I have been struck by his resilience and I see his commitment and determination to have his children grow up in a family home that is different from his experiences and how, despite all the challenges that he has faced, his ability to inspire all those around him as his role as the wave trust ambassador. In October last year, in my role as an Edinburgh councillor, I submitted a motion to full council entitled early prevention of adverse childhood experiences. I called on the city of Edinburgh to explore ideas with the wave trust on how to achieve 7030. I know that, within Edinburgh, there are relevant departments across the county that would have no problem in talking with wave 7030 for further consultation. In fact, I was heartened to hear of the wide understanding of adverse childhood experiences across our city services, including education, and the awareness of the impact that those can have on children as well as adults, and in turn their care of their own children and the decisions that they subsequently make as adults. My conversations with the wave trust make it clear that a preventative approach must be embedded across organisations, not just a few select managers or senior leaders, but from all staff, from janitors to dinner ladies to the senior management. Taking a preventative approach on addressing and combating adverse childhood experiences will have a significant impact on the inequalities that rightly or wrongly continually feel so entrenched within our society. It will give every child or young person the very best chance to have a thriving life. We owe that to all of our young people. I share the determination that Gillian expressed this afternoon with the issues that she raised around the care of the children and young people who have been in care and the information that we gathered through those informal sessions. It was really quite gut-wrenching at times. It is now time to turn all of the policy papers, all of the promises and all of the pledges for supporting the motion in front of us today into action. Let us send the shockwave through our society and stop talking and start helping our young people. I welcome the cross-party support for this campaign and I will continue to do all that I can to support the 70-30 campaign across Scotland. Thank you very much indeed, Ms Webber. I now call on Collette Stevenson, who will be followed by Co-Cab Stewart. I thank Rona Mackay for bringing this debate. I support the Waves Trust campaign to reduce adverse childhood experiences or ACEs by 70 per cent by 2030. Before my election, I worked in outdoor education and for a children's charity, so I know how services can transform children's lives, but I also know that we can and must prevent ACEs. Of course, the impact of child neglect and abuse is often severe with development issues, disability and poor life outcomes. It is so important that we have the services there to mitigate from these potential consequences and help children and young people to get the best out of life. However, we must look beyond that too. More than ever, when it comes to child neglect and abuse, prevention is better than cure. Prevention is at the heart of the 70-30 campaign. And for the estimated one in five kids who even today experience neglect and abuse, we must press on with that work. However, we need to remember that ACEs come in many forms. In fact, seven in 10 adults in Scotland have experienced at least one ACE. For many people, that might not have had a severe impact on their life, but this can depend on the nature of that experience. However, for those who experience four or more ACEs, the impact on adult life can be significant. Lower educational attainment, more cardiovascular health problems and poorer mental wellbeing. There are ACEs that transcend socioeconomics, but in many cases poverty is a common factor. There are things that too many people take for granted, such as buying new clothes for their kids when they need them and not having to choose between heating their home and eating. Add to that the link between socioeconomics and mental health problems, addiction and early deaths and the effects of poverty on children become clearer. There has been a lot of progress in Scotland in recent years, but we must continue work to eradicate poverty and deliver supportive services. The delivery of 1140 hours of childcare is transformational, giving children better opportunities to learn, play and build their confidence. It can help parents back into work and increase family resilience by improving wellbeing of children and parents. The Scottish Government's new child payment is, in the words of campaigners, a game changer in tackling poverty. The recent announcement on the Scottish Government's £500 million family wellbeing fund will play an important preventative role by helping families before they reach crisis point and ensuring that children get the support and compassion that they deserve. However, although the Scottish Government undertakes this work to reduce poverty and help children to live safe, healthy and active lives, the UK Government has cut universal credit and is doing nothing to tackle the cost of loving crisis. To conclude, let's continue the work to reduce ACEs, get it right for every child and ensure no matter their background that children can grow up happily in a safe, loving environment and have the opportunities to reach their potential. In my previous job as a teacher, I gained first-hand experience of working with children that have sadly suffered from great abuse, violence or have fallen mercy to the impacts of parental drug and or alcohol misuse to name but a few harmful experiences. For those children, early intervention and noticing trauma and neglect are crucial. Taking the time to have the gentle conversations and provide opportunities for expression, whether that be verbally, through play, music or art, for example, can be the first step in getting a child the support that they need. Along with other members from across the chamber, I have also been honoured to meet with Jay Haston, the ambassador for an ambassador for the Wavetrust, and I met him just last week. I have his permission to share some of his story. In Jay's early childhood, he was caught up in domestic violence, was also sexually abused, he attended five different schools, was unable to concentrate and often displayed erratic and unpredictable behaviours. Jay was, by his own admission, manipulative and controlling. Factors that made establishing and maintaining relationships difficult, further compounded by feelings of anxiety and depression, clearly displaying the signs of aces. Later, Jay became involved in crime and eventually attempted suicide. But, by the age of 37, he finally was able to make the massive step of reaching out for help. The lived experience of Jay's story demonstrates so acutely the devastating impact of aces and trauma that impacts on life chances, but it also highlights that hope exists for those who do receive the right kind of support. A few years since then, Jay now fails an immense sense of purpose, and, while his experiences will stay with him, he is able to share his journey of recovery with others and instill in them the notion that help is always an option. I wholeheartedly welcome the Scottish Government's ambitions to create a more compassionate, trauma-informed and trauma-responsive approach with a focus on early intervention. In 2011, the Christie commission reported on the future delivery of public services, estimating that 40 to 45 per cent of public spending on Scotland is focused on dealing with symptoms rather than root causes. I welcome the Government's commitment to universal health visiting services, roll-out of family nurse partnerships and investing in perinatal and infant mental health. I know that aces-aware training is being delivered. I have undertaken that training myself. I would welcome further roll-out to all adults who are in contact with children that are in a prime position to notice behaviours that may be indicative of a wider struggle in that child's life. Whether it is teachers, jannies, dinner staff, police officers, NHS workers, we all have a sense of duty to the young people around us by taking the time to see and hear what that child is trying to communicate and to respond in a way that prevents further harm and supports recovery. I welcome the development of the Ben Seuss approach as part of the child protection improvement programme. To sum up, although the task of reducing adverse childhood experiences by 70 per cent by 2030 may sound daunting, I am optimistic that we can achieve it and we can make Scotland the best country in the world for children to grow up. I thank Rona Mackay for bringing the debate to the chamber. The impact of adverse childhood experiences on individuals' lives can be scarring, devastating and long-lasting. Memories of childhood often stay with us, but for many, those memories are not ones to look back on fondly. We have heard from others in the debate that poverty, abuse, neglect and other aces cause significant mental and physical difficulties for people in our country, and indeed those experiences can also impact on an individual's personal development. However, in understanding more about aces, it is important to note that research conducted across the UK tells us that adverse childhood experiences are more likely to be experienced in areas of high deprivation. That highlights yet another devastating health inequality in our country that needs to be addressed with purpose. Moreover, as outlined by Public Health Scotland, an ACE survey with adults in Wales found that compared to people with no aces, those with four or more aces, as has been mentioned, are more likely to have been in prison, develop heart disease, frequently visit the GP, develop type 2 diabetes, have committed violence in the last 12 months or have other health harming behaviours. That is deeply concerning to us all, and I consider it important that the Scottish Government conducts perhaps a similar ACE survey with adults in Scotland to ascertain whether the impacts are similar, given Public Health Scotland has advised that it could be similar prevalences here in the Scottish population. However, we have to be absolutely clear that aces should not define an individual's life. They should not stop an individual from being successful or being content. It is crucial that support is in place for children, young adults and adults to come forward and talk about their experiences. There can be no room for stigma in such discussions and it is important that such support is accessible, free and comfortable for those coming forward. The adverse childhood experience occurred for the children during a period of innocence and the unknown makes the impact that bit more significant. That is why I fully support calls of the 70-30 campaign to reduce instances of adverse childhood experiences by at least 70 per cent by 2030, as we all have agreed here in the chamber tonight. That is not only an achievable target but a necessary target, one that we must, in order to be proactive and deliver for those who have experienced these events. We must invest more in early years and we must place more focus on addressing health inequalities and we must conduct research and analyse data to ensure that we have the most up-to-date information where it does not exist already to allow us to take action underpinned by solid evidence. I stand in this chamber regularly to call on the Scottish Government to do more to eradicate poverty. I do so because failure to act equates to a fear to stand up for those who, for whatever reason, struggle in life and need us to stand up for them in this modern society. Adverse childhood experiences link closely to poverty and inequality and therefore, to be effective in our endeavours, we must address the root causes. That allows us to support those growing up in the most deprived areas today and hope that we can reduce the numbers who have an adverse childhood experience in the future. The debate this evening is important because it reaffirms the view of us all in the chamber. I have heard that from everybody that this is a matter that we all care about. We must discuss it and we must address it. By working together, we can progress this. My hope for the future is that no child suffers adult childhood, adverse childhood experiences and that they all grow up happy and content in their life and that we as parliamentarians can help that to happen. I begin my contribution by thanking my colleague Rona Mackay for screwing this debate on such an important issue. I also bring members' attention to my register of interests that I am a serving councillor on West Invertonshire Council. Everyone in this chamber, indeed across the country, has likely had at least one adverse childhood experience in their life. Those experiences are wide-ranging that can include family bereavement, neglect and child abuse. Adverse childhood experiences, ACEs, are associated with poor health outcomes in the widest context. Researchers indicated that those include injury, death during childhood, premature mortality and suicide, disease, mental illness and poverty. However, negative outcomes due to ACEs are not inevitable. Without hesitation, I signed a 70-30 motion on behalf of the residents of Clydebankamoguy, a representative area that takes in part of West Invertonshire, which is above-average economic challenges that impact negatively on health and unemployment. Residents who I have spoken to in visiting organisations such as the excellent alternative project have highlighted their own ACEs in childhood, have negatively impacted on their lives and adulthood, and are likely contributing to the statistics that currently reflect West Invertonshire. It was only when those previous deep-rooted childhood experiences were brought to light that those affected could access local services and were able to move on and support others to share their own stories. Research showing the link between ACEs and the risk of experience a wide range of physical and mental conditions that are contributing to the issues that are faced in West Invertonshire is not surprising that local authority is addressing that as a priority. The efforts of staff and volunteers need to be highlighted and commended, which, without hesitation, I do so today. West Invertonshire Council was the first local authority to sign up to the 70-30 pledge. To promote the development of support to address the impact of ACEs, staff at West Invertonshire health and social care partnership organised screenings of the film, resilience, the biology of stress and the science of hope. The aim of the screening was to develop approaches in West Invertonshire that are designed to develop nurturing relationships and peer support to address the toxicity of ACEs. As a result, that led to a learning and engagement event, nurturing individuals and building resilience communities. That was in collaboration between Clive Bank high schools, Learning Festival and West Invertonshire's HSCP. That event was attended by 30 participants, 300 participants and culminated in the relaunch of the West Invertonshire ACEs hub, transforming it into the resilience hub. The hub is dynamic in its actions. It is increasing awareness of ACEs and sharing information among people working in West Invertonshire, including changes to the national and local strategic context. It is using new research, new resources, fiddle clips, training opportunities and local events. It enables networking and shares organisational news or information about access to services in referral pathways. That positive approach is sharing good work, practice and information about what works and it has simulated additional action among individuals and organisations. The hub is 412 members and provides a significant opportunity to develop the approach to supporting those affected by adverse childhood experiences and poverty. I think that we would all agree that this is tremendous work by professional staff and volunteers. In my constituency, the aim of the WAVE Trust's 7030 campaign is to eradicate poverty and reduce child abuse and neglect other ACEs by at least 70 per cent by 2030. If all other areas across Scotland can replicate the work done in my constituency, then by working together, sharing ideas of good practice, I would see our countries well in the way to at least making a significant dent in eradicating poverty, child abuse and ACEs by 2030. Thank you very much indeed. I now call on Karen Adam, who joins us remotely. We'll be followed by Paul MacLennan. Around four minutes, please, Ms Adam. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Firstly, I want to thank Rhona Mackay for bringing this debate to the chamber. She's been a mentor to me in Parliament and I know that she really does care very much for this campaign and the ACE's CPG, which I'm grateful to be a part of. When I was elected, one of the first organisations that I wanted to meet with was the WAVE Trust. As adverse childhood experiences were something that had unfortunately been a part of my life personally and as a parent, I, however, had never reached out to any organisations like many in my circumstances. We often tried to muddle on and leave the past behind, often never disclosing those experiences from our past because we're trying to shut it out, unaware of how things can eventually catch up with us. The WAVE Trust has 24 years' experience of researching and working in the field of trauma. It has delivered training and workshops on adverse childhood experiences across the UK. The National Council of WAVE has an aim that I not only support but can empathise with. WAVE has created a united voice of lived experiences where survivors of abuse and neglect, like myself, can become powerful change makers in society. Coming together to tackle the negative impacts of childhood adversity, I'm working to create a culture focused on prevention and healing of ACEs. Maybe I'm one of those who, as a result of my ACE, have been on a journey that has led me to this place—wobbly legs and all. The instability of my legs is caused by adrenaline regulation issues. They're a fight or fight response. When I assume my mind has forgotten my body remembers and it tries to protect me when there's a sense of anticipation or slight raise in heart rate. As many of my colleagues in the chamber will know, I recently tried to speak up on the importance of acknowledging that abusers can and do walk among us. They're often people we know and people we trust, at least until the mask is taken off. I was subjected to horrific abuse and death threats for this, and I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone across the party who filled my inbox and sent notes of love and solidarity from this Parliament and beyond. That, unfortunately, pushed me to explain myself. Therefore, I opened up, albeit with my arm twisted behind my back, but I have had many childhood abuse survivors now reaching out to me feeling empowered by the revelation of my ACE. It was then, in the midst of this, that I realised how a community and support, after all those years, was so incredibly important. The shame is not mine to bear. The motion that Rona Mackay brings before us today is rightly a matter of cross-party action and attention. Preventing ACEs means tackling the issue from all sides. I agree with my colleague Cabinet Secretary, Marie Gougeon, as she once put it. This is not just a health issue, it is not just an education issue. It is about health, education, social work, justice, welfare and many other elements, all working together to challenge the myriad of issues that children face. The effects that abuse and neglect have on children must never be far from our agendas or thinking. For those who have suffered, it never leaves us. It impacts at the time and into our future. I support WAV Trust's campaign to reduce the amount of children who suffered abuse and neglect by 70 per cent by 2030 and to take a holistic and far-reaching approach to the causes and solutions to how we go about tackling such abuse. Much like the new campaign for violence against women, which finally is having the focus firmly on the perpetrators, holding men to account to not being that guy, we must also, while supporting our survivors, take a firm stance and shine not just a bright light but a blazing sun on those who neglect and abuse our children. We cannot continue to fight fires without looking at the source. This means ensuring an education system that teaches boundaries and what inappropriate relationships are, provides an easy route for children to speak up, a clear path and support for them to be heard and believed for those in positions of authority to be able to spot those signs early. We cannot let the burden of duty fall on those who have been abused. We must all bear that burden and share it. I thank the WAV Trust for doing just that. Thank you very much indeed, Ms Aramon, for sharing that experience with me. I call the final speaker in the open debate, which is Paul MacLennan. Again, for four minutes, Mr MacLennan. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I thank Rona Mackay for bringing forward the debate tonight. Like a few others, I had the pleasure of meeting Jay Haston a few months back, and I hope that he is watching this tonight. I mean, talking about his experience, and I think that Cacab Stewart talked about it, and he is open about his experiences and how he changed his life. Jay, if you are watching, your inspiration on what you are talking about has really opened up the subject and allowed us to bring this debate tonight, so thank you for that. I think that the 7030 campaign pledges to create a better future for everyone with ACEs. Working with those with adverse childhood experiences, that must be seen within the wider context of tackling societal inequalities. I thank the 7030 campaign for their work on reducing child abuse and neglect and other adverse childhood experiences. There is more of a risk of experiencing ACEs and areas of higher deprivation in East Lothian, and almost a quarter of children are living in poverty. I commend the Scottish Government for implementing policies such as increasing Scotland's child payment. However, there is much to do to reach a target of reduction by 70 per cent by 2030. When children are exposed to adverse and stressful experiences, it can have a long-lasting impact on their ability to think, interact with others and also on their learning. There is much to be done to offer hope in building resilience in children, young people and adults who have experienced adversity in their life. It is crucial to note that people with high numbers of ACEs in their childhood often have strong resilience and are unable to lead fulfilled lives. Protector factors in children's lives can mitigate many of the adverse effects of those experiences. There is increasing evidence that children and young people's mental health in Melbourne can be supported even times of adversity by having a trusted adult in their life. I know that Jay talked about that when we had a discussion a few months back. That might be someone within the family or in the school or in their community who can make a difference to how young people cope with the managers' experience that happened to them. I think that it has been touched on the Scottish Government's vision to make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up. The Children and Young People's Act and Shrines and Law actions require to support the wellbeing of Scotland's children and young people. Balding on Gurfwick, the Scottish Government's national approach to improving outcomes and supporting the wellbeing of children and young family. The £500 million whole-family wellbeing fund, with the aim of investing 5 per cent of community-based health and social care spending and preventive whole-family support, is again very welcome. Locally in East Llywyddian, policies and care experience young people, care strategy, young care strategy, positive destinations, and links with Edinburgh College and Queen Margaret University, and child protection policies are examples that impact on the development of the approach to those support with ACES. East Llywyddian has a four-prong approach, approach and pathway support, working with third sector organisations and key stakeholders to assess the support needs and increase key points of support, training capacity and network building, and I think that we've touched on that in environmental health training and school-based nurture work and creation of a course of a practitioner network. Data is being used well to ensure that young people are being listened to regularly, and data is being gathered from CAMHS, third sector and support pathways, alongside the multi-agency trial to show the impact of the multi-agency input. Lastly, I'll look at building resilience in individuals and communities with raising ACE awareness and increasing training for practitioners and implementing the place of kindness initiative. I look forward to working with the 7030 campaign and with the Scottish Government to achieve the goals of the 7030 campaign. For my constituents in East Llywyddian and across Scotland, this will allow us to continue to work to tackle child poverty and ensure that children are growing up in a safer, more equal Scotland. I should have mentioned that I referred to members to manage their ventures from a serving councillor in East Llywyddian, thank you. Thank you very much indeed, Mr McLean. I now call on the minister to respond to the debate for around seven minutes, please, Ms Hoy. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer, and I want to add my thanks to Rona Mackay for bringing this motion to the chamber. To all the members for their important contributions, there have been many considered contributions from across the parties about the impact of poverty, about the need for a compassionate and trauma-informed approach. I think that the most powerful one, and I'm sure that we would all agree, was the contribution from my colleague Karen Adam sharing her personal experience, which was very moving to hear. I congratulate her on her bravery and being able to do that. I wholeheartedly share the ambitions of the Waves Trust campaign, and I'm extremely grateful for the strength of the cross-party input this evening. I thank the Waves Trust and the many third sector organisations and public services that have worked tirelessly to campaign for and support children and young people. In particular, I want to thank all the children and young people and adults who have bravely shared their own personal experiences of the impact of adverse and traumatic childhood experiences. Without doubt, that has led to increased understanding and action to tackle ACEs. We have declared a national mission to tackle child poverty, calling on the whole of society to work with us to drive change. The Scottish Government is doing all it can within our devolved powers to help families impacted by the pandemic and the current cost-of-living crisis. We have repeatedly called on the UK Government to make fundamental changes to universal credit and to reinstate the £20 uplift to universal credit made during the pandemic to make it a proper safety net and to help struggling families. We are making £197 million available in the year ahead to support the doubling of the Scottish child payment to £20 per child per week from April. That will immediately benefit 111,000 children under the age of six. Ahead of the full roll-out of the payment to all eligible children under the age of 16, we are also continuing to deliver bridging payments worth £520 this year for as many school-aged children as possible. We are investing in the expansion of early learning and childcare, free school meals and grants for school clothing, and increasing access to good-quality affordable homes. Those actions are crucial to addressing ACEs overall. We know that experiencing poverty and inequality increases the risk of other adverse experiences and pupils' capacity to overcome such experiences. Preventing and responding early to adversity and trauma is central to our long-standing national approach of getting it right for every child. That multi-agency GERFIC approach is being updated and refreshed, building on the valuable experience of practitioners and professionals across Scotland. We continue to invest in our enhanced health visitor home visiting programme and the family nurse partnership programme, providing innovative support for first-time mums and their newborns. We have also invested over £16 million in perinatal and infant mental health and £16 million a year in secondary school access to school counselling support. Our £500 million whole family wellbeing funding will run over the course of this Parliament, and the current priority is working with partners to develop and test proposals for the initial £50 million spend starting from this April. Quality, holistic and whole family support is central to the wide-ranging actions that we are progressing to meet our commitment of implementing the promise by 2030. As you all know, the Scottish Government is committed to giving children's rights the highest possible protection in Scotland, and by incorporating the UNCRC, we will be providing children with positive nurturing experiences and ensuring that their safety and protection is enshrined in law. The UNCRC requires a clear, unified approach to protecting children from all forms of neglect, abuse, exploitation and violence, and supporting parents, families and carers. Scotland's approach is consistent with this principle, rooted in accessible, responsive universal services and a holistic, proportionate approach to statutory intervention, acknowledging that third sector expertise will often be key to reducing risk without stigmatising families. The shift is made in the revised national guidance for child protection in Scotland, which was published in September last year, and it integrates child protection with the GERFEC approach, recognising that all children must receive the right help at the right time. Through the work of our national implementation group, local child protection committees and practitioners across services, we are working to ensure that robust child protection procedures are in place wherever there is a likelihood or risk of a child coming to harm. We are also taking action to help children affected by domestic abuse and by harmful parental alcohol or drug use, and we are currently creating a national bearing's house model to provide a child-centred approach to delivering justice, care and recovery for children who have experienced trauma. Before I end, I want to briefly highlight the groundbreaking work of our national trauma training programme. It is a progressing, adjoint, cosla and Scottish Government ambition to develop trauma-informed workforces and services across Scotland, and it supports workforces in understanding the impact of ACEs in trauma and responding in ways that support people's recovery and prevents re-traumatisation. I have seen the difference that can be made to the lives of children and young people by dedicated, compassionate practitioners working in such trauma-informed ways that foster safety, trust and collaboration. The Scottish Government is also committed to developing a national strategy on trauma and adverse childhoods experiences during 2022, and that will build on the types of cross-portfolio actions that have been outlined and will further support embedding trauma-informed approaches locally and nationally. Finally, my thanks again to Rona Mackay and all the members who have contributed to this important debate this evening, and to all those working so hard to give children and young people across Scotland the best start. The Scottish Government is firmly committed to tackling child poverty and adverse childhood experiences, and I will continue doing all that I can to work in partnership to ensure that children grow up safe, loved and respected so that they can all reach their full potential.