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Vulnerable Children and Young People

Introduction

  1. All children and young people deserve the best possible start in life. They deserve to be cared for and to be protected from harm. Many children and young people will, however, experience pressures in their lives – from within their family or from their peers and wider community. For some children these pressures will increase the possibility of damaging behaviour and negative outcomes such as self-harm, substance misuse, sexual exploitation through prostitution and running away.

  2. It is important that action is taken to address the underlying issues that can increase a child’s vulnerability and potentially lead to their involvement in high-risk activity. This preventative work is not solely about preventing running away or sexual exploitation through prostitution but is about supporting all children and young people and seeking, through early intervention, to prevent a range of negative outcomes.

  3. The key to successful prevention is early identification and sound assessment and this needs to underpin all interventions. Practitioners need to understand, and be able to identify, the risk factors that may increase a child or young person’s vulnerability. The Scottish Executive is continuing to work towards an integrated approach to assessment. As part of this through the Modernising Government Fund, it is working with a number of local authorities and NHS Boards to pilot an integrated assessment system that would then have the potential to be applied more widely.

  4. The Executive is supporting work to address many of the issues identified as trigger factors and supporting better integrated delivery of children’s services throughout Scotland to ensure that every child has the best opportunities to prosper. The Changing Children’s Services Fund is a catalyst for change in enabling local authorities, health boards and voluntary organisations to work together to deliver better outcomes for the most vulnerable and deprived children.

  5. Examples of work to address some of these underlying issues includes:

Bullying

  • Scottish Anti-Bullying Network enabling teachers, parents, young people and other members of the school community in Scotland to share ideas about how bullying should be tackled.

  • ChildLine Anti-Bullying Helpline is a free, confidential telephone helpline for any child or young person concerned about bullying.

  • The Scottish Schools Ethos Network aims to encourage the creation of a positive ethos in schools.

  • The implementation of the Discipline Task Group report will have a significant and positive impact on bullying in schools.

Early Intervention

  • Sure Start Scotland provides support for families with very young children (0-3) with a focus on families living in areas of deprivation.

  • Child Health Demonstration Project Starting Well aims to demonstrate that child health can be improved by a programme of activities to support families and provide access to enhanced community based resources.

  • Improving access to high-quality, affordable day-care for children aged 0-14.

  • The Executive is pledged to provide a quality part-time pre-school place for each eligible 3 and 4-year old.

Support for Parents

  • ParentLine Scotland is a free telephone helpline for parents which is operated by Children 1st.

  • The Parent Zone website provides information for parents and carers on a range of issues with a focus on school educational issues.

  • Support for parents is an important element of the New Community Schools programme, the Child Health Demonstration Project Starting Well and Sure Start Scotland.

  • The Supporting Parents programme encourages the involvement of parents in their child’s education.

6. The papers provided here on Young Runaways and Sexual Exploitation through Prostitution are the result of a wide ranging consultation and input from a Steering Group representing the voluntary and statutory agencies (membership of Group attached) for whose help we are very grateful. These will be reviewed from time to time as required and there may be other areas where similar information and guidance may be provided to supplement these.

7. All the documentation is on the Scottish Executive website and should you need further copies of the pack please contact: Alison Knox, Children & Families Division, Area 2B (N), Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ; Telephone 0131 244 0789; e-mail alison.knox@scotland.gov.uk .

Scottish Executive
July 2003

 

MEMBERSHIP OF THE WORKING GROUP ON YOUNG RUNAWAYS AND CHILDREN ABUSED THROUGH PROSTITUTION

Name

Organisation/Division

Sarah Smith

Chair, The Scottish Executive, Children & Families Division

Stella Everingham

Aberlour Child Care Trust

Inspector Gordon Hunter

Lothian & Borders Police HQ

Daljeet Dagon

Barnardo’s Scotland

Anne Houston

ChildLine Scotland

Marion Pagani

Glasgow Children’s Panel

John Hosie

The Corner

Kathleen Harper

Crown Office

Martin Henry

Edinburgh & Lothian Council

Iain Mitchell

Scottish Children’s Reporters

Moira McKinnon

Glasgow City Child Protection Committee

Stephen McLeod

The Big Step

Donald MacKenzie

Dundee City Council

Deirdre Watson

Who Cares? Scotland

Alison Elliot

Glasgow City Council

Kezia Danabie

Stonewall Youth Project

Alison Mason

The Scottish Executive

Colin McGowan

Communities Scotland

Gillian McCole

The Scottish Executive, Criminal Law Division

Brad Gilbert

The Scottish Executive, Homelessness Team

Lorna Belfall

The Scottish Executive, Police Division 2

Jackie McRae

The Scottish Executive, Women & Children’s Unit

Diana Sampson

The Scottish Executive, Pupil Support Division

Fiona Montgomery

The Scottish Executive, Social Inclusion Division

Stella Perrott

The Scottish Executive, Social Work Services

Melanie Weldon

The Scottish Executive, Transition to Work Division

Fiona McKinlay

The Scottish Executive, Young People & Looked After Children

Gita Jackson

The Scottish Executive, Children & Families Division

Mark Meiklejohn

The Scottish Executive, Young People & Looked After Children

Jan Raitt

The Scottish Executive, Children & Families Division

 

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