Image source, bbc

Maureen Finn from STEP says local authorities tend not to deal with children not enrolled in that local authority.

"That troubles me greatly," says Mr Cole-Hamilton.

Chris Oswald from the Equality and Human Rights Commission says a social work intervention when a Gypsy/Traveller is being bullied is not appropriate.

Mr Cole-Hamilton says that is no what he was saying he meant social work getting involved due to chaotic family lives or other factors.

Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton asks about the children that are under supervision and looked after.

Maureen Finn from STEP: Centre for Mobile Cultures and Education says there are very few looked after children that go to mobile families.

Mr Cole-Hamilton says there may be a number of children in the Gypsy/Traveller community who need to be brought under supervision and aren't being reached.

Ms Finn says "it is a problem definitely" and that there are those that "fly under the radar".

Chris Oswald from the Equality and Human Rights Commission says: "Gypsy/Travellers are already covered by the Equality Act."

Mr Oswald says the protection is there it is what is being done with the protection that is the issue.

He says to create a separate protection would be a distraction and a red herring.

Committee convener Christina McKelvie asks if the Gypsy/Travellers and whether that should be a particular protected group.

"Do we need to use a sledgehammer to crack the nut" with this, she asks.

Maureen Finn from STEP: Centre for Mobile Cultures and Education says this feeds into the leadership discussion and that things are changing.

Ms Finn says the things that make leaders stand up and take notice is what Ms McKelvie is describing.

Image source, bbc

Labour MSP Mary Fee says the recent social attitudes survey results in terms of Gypsy/Travellers were "horrifying".

Ms Fee asks if there is a benefit in myth busting being rolled out across every school.

Michelle Lloyd says: "Yes, is the very short answer to that."

Chris Oswald from the Equality and Human Rights Commission the problem is not of Gypsy/Travellers making and that "society needs to change"

Image source, bbc

Labour MSP Mary Fee says any strategy to break down the barriers faced by Gypsy/Travellers would not work withouth their involvement.

Ms Fee asks after so many promises would Gypsy/Travellers want to be invovled.

Michelle Lloyd from MECOPP says many people she works with would and are already raising awaress.

She says Gypsy/Travellers would have to be at the core of any awarness raising campaign.

Labour MSP Mary Fee says "local authorities shy away from standing up for Gypsy/Travellers and want a national strategy."

Chris Oswald from the Equality and Human Rights Commission says some local authorities that have no sites seem to claim that there is no need for sites and that makes no sense.

Mr Oswald says it makes no sense to say that a site is not required in Ayrshire.

Chris Oswald from the Equality and Human Rights Commission says the regulation of sites will come in in 2018.

Mr Oswald says this is a very long lead in period meaning Gypsy/Travellers are living in poor sites.

He says tenancy rights have become stronger and there is more of a national template.

Image source, bbc

Mr Oswald says press coverage had bedeviled the Gypsy/Traveller community, but there has been some progress in Scottish newspapers.

Awareness raising campaigns must be targeted at homeowners, he says.

Mr Oswald agrees there is a failure of leadership and successive government's have pulled away from a national strategy on Gypsy/Traveller sites.

Michelle Lloyd from MECOPP says "very little" has changed.

Ms Lloyd says there is minimum site guidance but this is just guidance and perhaps is not strong enough because often it is ignored at local level.

She says MECOPP did some training, which was Gypsy/Traveller led, with the regulator.

Ms Lloyd says there are "appalling and horrendous conditions on site". She says the fact that the regulator has a role in terms of Gypsy/Travellers sites is positive but it needs to be much better.

Image source, bbc

Labour MSP Mary Fee says she is "deeply, deeply disappointed that we are once again talking about Gypsy/Travellers" as "nothing or very little has changed since the last report in 2013".

Ms Fee raises the recommendation to the Scottish government to have an awareness raising campaign and she says she cannot understand why that has not been done.

The Labour MSP says there was a call for strong leadership in 2013.

Ms Fee asks: "Has anything changed?"

Ms Finn says there are children leaving primary school at the age of 11 because of prejudice.

She says often the females take on domestic duties at the Gypsy/Traveller sites whilst the males go out to work with their fathers.

Ms Finn says the work patterns cannot support their future generations.

She says Gypsy/Travellers run from secondary schools because they can be tracked.

Ms Finn says there are still attitudinal barriers coming from school staff and institutions.

She says during recent research one respondent said "don't make it too good or they'll all come running".

The Scottish government responded positively to both inquiries and set up three working groups to respond to the recommendations:

• Gypsy/Traveller Strategy Development Group
• Gypsy/Traveller Site Working Group
• The Scottish Traveller Education Review Group

Read the SPICe briefing on the government actions since they were set up here. , external

Image source, bbc

Maureen Finn from STEP says there are effective policies in place, like in the Additional Support for Learning Act.

Ms Finn says the policies for Gypsy/Travellers are soft descriptors and they fall through the net.

She says the main reason Gypsy/Travellers give for not sending their children to secondary schools is due to bullying and discrimination.

Ms Finn says children excel at primary school and then are forced to make sense of the culture at home and the culture of school, when secondary school looms and they are not included.

Image source, STEP

From the STEP website, external:

"The site provides resources, tools and information promoting innovative approaches to learning.

"Families, young people and teachers have been involved in co-producing every project and resource."

Maureen Finn from STEP: Centre for Mobile Cultures and Education says she is based at the University of Edinburgh.

Ms Finn says she has been gathering research from the Gypsy/Traveller community and the findings, which are "alarming", echo much of what's been said.

She says the patterns that are being described in terms of bullying show that there has been very little change.

Ms Finn says young Gypsy/Travellers are not getting the support they need because they are not identifying as Gypsy/Travellers which they are entitled to do so.

Michelle Lloyd says MECOPP works with strong, proud individuals and they have a wealth of ideas and experience to share.

Ms Lloyd ends with a quote from a Gypsy/Traveller carer for a teenager with learning difficulties who said "I really felt like I belonged........and that doesn't happen very often."

The inquiry found that a key issue for Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland is the lack of suitable sites.

This includes permanent sites, and transit or temporary sites.

Local authorities are responsible for taking decisions about Gypsy/Traveller sites in their areas.

Under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, local authorities are required to develop local housing strategies, supported by an accommodation needs assessment.

However, local authorities have had difficulties setting up sites for Gypsy/Travellers to use because it is often not supported by the local settled community.

The Equal Opportunities Committee visited several sites and described the ‘shocking standards of living’ at council run sites.

As well as recommending ways to improve the development and quality of sites, both permanent and transit, the Committee called for an overarching national strategy for Gypsy/Travellers.

Michelle Lloyd from MECOPP says there are examples of what works up and down the country and often these are run by very small third sector organisations.

Ms Lloyd says the examples of good practice are localised and short-lived and "what's missing is a robust and national strategy."

She says the "stereotyping and prejudice affects all Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland" and that "everyone is tarred with the same brush".

Ms Lloyd says this affects children and students who are trying to access restaurants and clubs and adults who are told they will have to change their name or address for employment purposes.

She says there are opportunities around hate crime to tackle these issues.

Image source, MECOPP

MECOPP, external Statement of Values'By working in partnership with carers, the voluntary and statutory sectors, MECOPP actively seeks to challenge and dismantle barriers that deny Black and Minority Ethnic carers access to health, social work and other social care services in Edinburgh, the Lothians and further afield.’MECOPP , externalworks specifically to:

• Support Black and Minority Ethnic carers to access supports and services appropriate to their caring situation.
• Develop a strategic response to identified gaps in service provision.

• Assist service providers, both statutory and voluntary, in the development of culturally competent services.

• Develop opportunities for the active involvement of Black and Minority Ethnic carers in consultation planning.

• Raise the profile of Black and Minority Ethnic carers and their needs at a national level.

• Works specifically with Gypsy/Traveller communities in rural and urban areas of Scotland.