Vulnerable child care
Lack of consistent prescribed care for highly vulnerable children due to insufficient care package reviews and staff training.
97 items
1 source
7 inquiries
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Inquiry recommendation
83match
67 - Information for the child's carer
The fullest possible information about the background of the child should be made available to the child’s carer together with such administrative detail as the carer will require for the well-being of the child (16.41).
Matched on
terms: care, child
Inquiry recommendation
78match
120 - Interviewers involved in care decisions
Interviewers should be involved in decisions relating to the care of the children while they are in places of safety and the extent of their involvement should be defined (17.60).
Matched on
terms: care, child
Inquiry recommendation
78match
99 - Agreement terms available to foster carers
Where children are placed with foster carers belonging to another local authority, a copy of the terms of the agreement between the two authorities regarding the placement should be available to the foster carer so that lines of support and communication are clearly understood (17.36).
Matched on
terms: care, child
Inquiry recommendation
74match
98 - Keep foster carers informed
Foster carers should be kept informed of any developments regarding any child in their care and of any course of action being taken with the child (17.35).
Matched on
terms: care, child
Inquiry recommendation
74match
97 - Written report for foster carers
Foster carers should be given a written report at the time when the child is placed, or as soon as practicable thereafter, with as much personal information about the child as possible (17.34).
Matched on
terms: care, child
Inquiry recommendation
70match
138 - Review Children's Hearings in child protection
Consideration should be given to the review and revisal of the work of the Children’s Hearings in the area of child protection (18.1-6), including as is suggested later the transference to the Sheriff of all matters relating to a child in a place of safety (18.7).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
66match
193 - Assistance for the nine children
Every opportunity should be taken to secure such advice and assistance for the nine children whose removal was the subject of this Inquiry to ensure that they are untroubled for the future so far as any effects of the Inquiry or the incidents which occasioned it are concerned (19.32).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
66match
152 - Procedure and evidence in children's cases
Consideration should be given to certain matters of procedure and evidence in relation to cases involving children (18.34).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
66match
150 - Parents' presence and child's interests
The right of parents to be present throughout a Children’s Hearing should give way to the interests of the child when the child’s interests so require (18.32).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
66match
131 - Maximum two interviews per child per week
In general a maximum of two investigative interviews per child per week should be appropriate and the frequency of interviews is a matter for regular review (17.73).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
66match
122 - Facilities for interviewing children
Attention should be given to the development of more facilities suitable for interviewing children in relation to child abuse (17.62). Area Child Protection Committees should undertake an audit of premises and facilities that may be available locally (17.63).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
66match
93 - Continued education of children
Where local authorities exercise any powers involving the removal of a child from home, their Social Work and Education Departments must, at the earliest practicable stage secure that provision is made for the continued education of that child (17.31).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
66match
87 - Children keep personal possessions
In general, children should be allowed to retain such personal possessions as they reasonably wish or require (17.22).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
66match
77 - Consider the views of the child
Due consideration should be given to the views of the child in all matters affecting him or her (17.7).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
57match
153 - Press reporting restraints
Consideration should be given to the desirability or otherwise of introducing further restraints on press reporting of proceedings before Children’s Hearings and in the Sheriff Court in children’s cases (18.35-36).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
57match
151 - Representation before Hearings
In considering the whole question of the representation of children and of their parents before Children’s Hearings attention should be paid to the necessity to avoid the introduction of any formal or adversarial character into the proceedings (18.33).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
57match
149 - Inform parties of business meetings
The child and the child’s parent or guardian should be informed of any ‘business meeting’ of the Children’s Hearing and their position presented orally or in writing at that meeting (18.31).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
57match
142 - Transfer processing of Orders to Sheriff
The processing of Child Protection Orders should be transferred from the Children’s Hearing to the Sheriff with certain consequential changes in the procedure of referral (18.21).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
57match
136 - SWSG to prepare interviewing guidelines
As part of the national guidance already recommended SWSG should undertake the preparation of guidelines for the investigative interviewing of children in consultation with representatives of all the agencies and professions who may be involved in that work (17.78).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
57match
115 - Consistent background information for interviewers
Each interviewer should wherever possible have consistent and relevant background information about the child and in particular about his or her emotional, physical and mental development (17.54), and an assessment of the child’s wider family (17.55).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
57match
112 - Seek consents before interviewing
The consents of parents and of children where of a maturity to give consent should be sought prior to investigative interviewing being undertaken (17.51).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
57match
102 - Lists of persons for medical examinations
Local authorities should prepare lists of appropriate persons to carry out medical examinations of children suspected of sexual abuse in so far as they have not already done so (17.39).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
57match
101 - Medical examinations before placement
Medical examinations of children removed under Child Protection Orders should be carried out before they enter their placements (17.38).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
57match
89 - Keep access under review
Access should be kept under constant review while a child is in a place of safety (17.25).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
53match
159 - Reporter to check continued detention
The Reporter on being informed of the execution of a Child Protection Order should check the propriety of the continued detention of a child (18.45) but should also proceed with his statutory functions under Sections 38 and 39 in light of that information (18.46).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
53match
155 - Press to promote public understanding
The press should be encouraged to enable a greater understanding by the public of the problems of child sexual abuse and of child protection work (18.38).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
53match
145 - Single overall limit on detention
A single overall time limit on the detention of a child whether under Section 37 or Section 40 or both Sections of the 1968 Act should be introduced (18.25-26).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
53match
144 - Order falls if grounds not served
If grounds for referral have not been served within seven days of the removal of a child under a Child Protection Order, the Order should fall (18.23).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
53match
141 - Application for recall within seven days
A parent, guardian or safeguarder of the child should be entitled to apply to the Sheriff for recall of the Order at any time within seven days after the removal of the child (18.20).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
53match
140 - Immediate recourse to Sheriff
A procedure should be introduced by an amendment to the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 enabling immediate recourse to be made to the Sheriff for a decision on the question whether a child reasonably requires to be in a place of safety (18.19).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
53match
135 - Matters to consider before interviewing
Before embarking on an investigative interview interviewers should consider the matters of denial and retraction by a child, the interviewer’s knowledge of information relating to allegations, the interviewer’s own agenda, the use of leading questions and the introduction of personal material (17.77).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
53match
105 - Tell parent the examination results
In general, a parent should be told the results of a medical examination of their child (17.43).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
53match
104 - Sheriff may authorise medical examination
The Sheriff should be empowered to authorise a child to be taken for a medical examination (17.41), although the carrying out of the examination should not proceed if the child refuses to be examined (17.42).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
53match
103 - General health examination alongside abuse examination
Where a child is being examined for evidence of sexual abuse a general examination of the child’s health should be carried out at the same time (17.40).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
53match
91 - Same principles for communication
The same principles and procedures as apply to access should also be made applicable to all forms of communication between parent and child (17.29).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
53match
88 - Reasonable access for parents and relatives
In general, reasonable access to a child in a place of safety should be permitted to parents, relatives and friends (17.23) and restrictions on access should only be imposed if there are compelling reasons justifying such restrictions in the interests of the child (17.24).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
53match
85 - Keep siblings together
Where siblings who have been living together are taken into care following allegations of abuse they should not be placed separately unless there is some compelling reason in their own interests for so doing (17.18-19).
Matched on
terms: care
Inquiry recommendation
53match
79 - Allocate a social worker of home authority
Where a child is placed outside the area of its own home authority a social worker preferably of the home authority should be identified and allocated to that child (17.9).
Matched on
terms: child
Inquiry recommendation
45match
134 - Review before departing from interview plan
Any departure from the purpose or number of interviews should only be made after a full review of the situation and the agreement of all agencies (17.76).
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
45match
86 - Review and access for separated siblings
Where siblings are placed separately that matter should be kept under regular review (17.20) and they should be permitted reasonable access to each other subject to an appropriate degree of supervision (17.21).
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
41match
162 - Consult before abandoning a case
Where a Reporter requires to consider the abandonment of a case which has been passed to the Sheriff for proof he should consult the Social Work Department before finally deciding to do so (18.50).
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
41match
161 - Local guidelines on information to Reporter
It should be clearly stated in all local guidelines in what form if any information requires to be given to the Reporter (18.48-49).
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
41match
148 - No extension of time for proof
No special provision should be made for extending the time for a proof on the grounds for referral (18.29-30).
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
41match
139 - Clarify first lawful day hearing
Clarification of the statutory provisions relating to the first lawful day hearing under Section 37(4) of the 1968 Act is required (18.8-18).
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
41match
133 - Initial interview series not above four
An initial series of investigative interviews should usually not exceed four (17.75).
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
41match
132 - Timescale set at planning meetings
The timescale for investigative interviews should be determined at planning meetings (17.74).
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
41match
130 - Decide number of interviewers in advance
A decision should be made on the number of interviewers required prior to any interviews starting (17.72).
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
41match
128 - Planned supervision of joint interviews
Where interviews are being undertaken jointly, supervision should be planned on an occasional but regular joint basis (17.70).
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
41match
127 - Supervision in complex interviews
Where interviews involve complex or multiple sexual abuse allegations there must be provided individual personal supervision, management supervision and detailed interview supervision (17.69).
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
41match
100 - No Parent's Advocate at present
It is not recommended at present that a Parent’s Advocate should be appointed to represent parents in contacts with the Social Work Department (17.37).
Matched on
classifier match