This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Vulnerable children must be at the heart of quality services: McConnell
04/04/2001
Education Minister Jack McConnell today pledged to put Scotland's vulnerable young people at the heart of the Executive's drive to provide quality services.
"Today I want to raise the profile of looked after children even higher. These are Scotland's most vulnerable young people - many apparently destined to fail.
"They need, they deserve, the best quality services we can provide and today, I hope we can unite as a parliament to demand they get them. I want them to know they are our priority and to believe their life chances can be better."
Speaking during a debate on adoption and children in care, the Minister added:
"The children who are looked after in Scotland deserve the best to help them cope with the problems they face.
"Today I can outline 10 key areas of action which will help achieve that.
- We have launched today the Adoption Policy Review
- We are tightening up procedures and processes on inter-country adoption at GB level
- We are working on improving standards and recruitment in foster care services
- We will be improving the inspection of residential child care services and the standards of service through the Commission for the Regulation of Care,
- We will see a rise in the skills and competencies of social work staff through the Social Services Council, once established
- We will be following up with local authorities the action taken in the light of the joint HMI/SWSI report on the education of looked after children.
- I expect to push ahead a more strategic approach to secure accommodation, in the light of advice from the Secure Accommodation Advisory Group due to reach me later this month
- We will be investigating the quality and extent of Home Supervision to ensure that the right support is available to the 6000 young people who are looked after at home
- We have launched the multi-disciplinary study into child protection procedures and will be taking action on its findings
- We are taking forward a range of measures to strengthen the Children's Hearing system, particularly on the recruitment of Children's Panel members.
"This 10 point programme of action is designed to impact ultimately on the quality of the lives of children and young people within the care system. They will help give them the best possible start in life, whatever stage they have reached.
"With more than 11,000 children and young people in care throughout Scotland, it is absolutely vital the support they receive is of the highest quality. We must all work to turn their lives around."
BACKGROUND
1.Information on Looked After Children at March 31 2000.
- Just over 11,300 children were looked after by local authorities at 31 March 2000.
- 58 per cent of all children looked after were boys and 40 per cent were aged between 12 and 15.
- 48 per cent of all children looked after were under a supervision requirement at home at 31 March 2000. In addition, 29 per cent were under a supervision requirement away from home and 12 per cent were classed as 'accommodated under Section 25 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995'.
- Just under half of all children looked after lived at home with their parents. Those living with foster carers and in residential accommodation accounted for 27 and 14 per cent, respectively, of the total.
- The proportion of children looked after in the population varied considerably between local authority areas.
News Release: SE0919/2001
4 Apr 2001