This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Vulnerable children given high priority
17/09/2002
Giving vulnerable young people the opportunities to
flourish and make the most of their lives must be a key
priority, First Minister Jack McConnell said today during a
visit to a residential unit for young people in care in
Dundee.
The 2002 Spending Review has allocated additional money
for improvements to throughcare and aftercare of looked
after children and their educational attainment over the
next three years. It will provide up of £2.5 million in
2003/04, £9 million in 2004/05 and £10.5 million in
2005/06.
Mr McConnell said:
"Opportunities in Scotland must be available to all
young people. Care leavers must not be left behind. All of
us have a duty to ensure they have a decent chance in the
transition to adulthood.
"The money announced in the spending review last week -
more than £20 million to improve the lives of children in
care, particularly their aftercare and education - will be
used to make sure this vulnerable group gets the support
they need. It must be used to ensure these young people get
the same chance as those with a caring family behind them.
"It is essential for those who feel they have no one
to turn to know there is support and help - the kind of
support most young people take for granted.
"Young care leavers must not be forced to give up their
education or training because they have no one to provide,
for example, equipment, short term loans, clothing and
travel.
"Less than one per cent of young people in care go to
university and a large number of young offenders have been
in residential care so it is easy to see why we must do
more to increase their ambitions and educational
chances.
"A lot of work has already been done to support those
under 16 achieve better educational results. But we also
need to look at what we can do to help those who are 16 and
over.
"This support must be about more than just ensuring that
the educational opportunities are available. It must be
about ensuring that they have the opportunities to improve
every aspect of their young lives.
"The investment from the spending review will help
prevent these young people falling into crime,
under-achieving at school and wasting their young
lives.
"Our ambitions for these young people in care should be
as high as they are for every young person. We must lift
our game and ensure that their ambitions and talents are
nurtured and encouraged.
"I know that if we do our bit - they will undoubtedly do
theirs."
Fairbairn Street Young Person's Unit in Dundee was built
in 1994 and provides residential care for young people aged
between 13-16 years.
The focus of the work done there is rehabilitate the
young people with their families, place them with foster
carers or to progress through an Independent Living
Programme to their own accommodation or to supported
lodgings.
There are currently 11,000 children in Scotland who are
looked after by the state.
Recent research has shown that only 30 per cent of young
people in care had received a throughcare programme, 40 per
cent had not had a leaving care review and by the age of
18, 61 per cent had moved three times or more with 40 per
cent experiencing some period of homelessness.
The Executive is currently consulting on the
recommendations of an expert working group on throughcare
and aftercare. Local authorities have been instructed to
collect better information.