This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Adoption and fostering standards
27/03/2002
Two sets of national standards to ensure high quality
adoption and fostering services were published today.
The
National Care Standards: Foster Care and Family Placement
Services; and
National Care Standards: Adoption Agencies are the
latest to be issued by the Scottish Executive under the
terms of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001.
Minister for Education and Young People, Cathy Jamieson,
said:
"These complete the package of care standards we have
put in place for children and young people's services.
"Both sets of standards are comprehensive and have been
written from the point of view of those using the
services.
"The adoption standards cover services for children,
young people and adults, services for birth families, and
for adoptive parents and prospective adoptive parents. The
fostering standards range from the recruitment and training
of foster carers to the work of fostering panels.
"By ensuring high quality and consistent care services
are available across Scotland, we are putting the needs of
children and young people first."
Under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001,
Ministers have a duty to prepare and publish a set of
national care standards covering a wide range of services.
These will be taken into account by the new Scottish
Commission for the Regulation of Care (Care Commission),
which becomes operational on 1 April 2002. It will take
over responsibility for registration and inspection of care
services across Scotland. A new Scottish Social Services
Council will regulate the social care workforce.
The National Care Standards Committee (NCSC) was set up
in September 1999 to develop draft national care standards.
The NCSC carried out this work with the help of a number of
working groups, consisting of service providers, experts in
particular fields, as well as people who use services and
carers. Seventeen sets of standards have now been
published.
Copies of the two sets of care standards published today
can also be obtained from The Stationery Office Bookshop,
71 Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH3 9AZ.
These standards will not come into force until 2003.
However, people who use services and providers are aware
that work on their development is complete and it is
important that they are published now so that services can
begin to use them before they seek regulation by the
Commission.
The fostering standards cover services provided by
fostering agencies. These agencies may be voluntary and
independent, or they may be local authorities acting as
fostering agencies.
The standards cover:
- recruiting, selecting, approving, training and
supporting of foster carers
- matching children and young people with carers
- supporting and monitoring foster carers
- the work of agency fostering panels and other
approval panels
The adoption standards cover services provided by local
authorities acting as adoption agencies, and registered
adoption services.
Standards for early education and childcare, care homes,
and residential schools, were launched by Ms Jamieson on 11
March.