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

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Vulnerable child care has been flagged across 1 independent accountability source:

97 inquiry recs

This theme has been identified in one data source. As more data is added, cross-references may emerge.

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Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.

Inquiry Recommendations (97) — showing 50 strongest matches

193 — Assistance for the nine children

Recommendation: 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 …

162 — Consult before abandoning a case

Recommendation: 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).

161 — Local guidelines on information to Reporter

Recommendation: 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).

159 — Reporter to check continued detention

Recommendation: 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 …

155 — Press to promote public understanding

Recommendation: 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).

153 — Press reporting restraints

Recommendation: 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).

152 — Procedure and evidence in children's cases

Recommendation: Consideration should be given to certain matters of procedure and evidence in relation to cases involving children (18.34).

151 — Representation before Hearings

Recommendation: 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).

150 — Parents' presence and child's interests

Recommendation: 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).

149 — Inform parties of business meetings

Recommendation: 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).

148 — No extension of time for proof

Recommendation: No special provision should be made for extending the time for a proof on the grounds for referral (18.29-30).

145 — Single overall limit on detention

Recommendation: 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).

144 — Order falls if grounds not served

Recommendation: 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).

142 — Transfer processing of Orders to Sheriff

Recommendation: 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).

141 — Application for recall within seven days

Recommendation: 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).

140 — Immediate recourse to Sheriff

Recommendation: 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 …

139 — Clarify first lawful day hearing

Recommendation: 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).

138 — Review Children's Hearings in child protection

Recommendation: 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 …

136 — SWSG to prepare interviewing guidelines

Recommendation: 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).

135 — Matters to consider before interviewing

Recommendation: 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 …

134 — Review before departing from interview plan

Recommendation: 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).

133 — Initial interview series not above four

Recommendation: An initial series of investigative interviews should usually not exceed four (17.75).

132 — Timescale set at planning meetings

Recommendation: The timescale for investigative interviews should be determined at planning meetings (17.74).

131 — Maximum two interviews per child per week

Recommendation: 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).

130 — Decide number of interviewers in advance

Recommendation: A decision should be made on the number of interviewers required prior to any interviews starting (17.72).

128 — Planned supervision of joint interviews

Recommendation: Where interviews are being undertaken jointly, supervision should be planned on an occasional but regular joint basis (17.70).

127 — Supervision in complex interviews

Recommendation: Where interviews involve complex or multiple sexual abuse allegations there must be provided individual personal supervision, management supervision and detailed interview supervision (17.69).

122 — Facilities for interviewing children

Recommendation: 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).

120 — Interviewers involved in care decisions

Recommendation: 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).

115 — Consistent background information for interviewers

Recommendation: 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).

112 — Seek consents before interviewing

Recommendation: 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).

105 — Tell parent the examination results

Recommendation: In general, a parent should be told the results of a medical examination of their child (17.43).

104 — Sheriff may authorise medical examination

Recommendation: 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).

103 — General health examination alongside abuse examination

Recommendation: 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).

102 — Lists of persons for medical examinations

Recommendation: 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).

101 — Medical examinations before placement

Recommendation: Medical examinations of children removed under Child Protection Orders should be carried out before they enter their placements (17.38).

100 — No Parent's Advocate at present

Recommendation: 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).

99 — Agreement terms available to foster carers

Recommendation: 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 …

98 — Keep foster carers informed

Recommendation: 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).

97 — Written report for foster carers

Recommendation: 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).

93 — Continued education of children

Recommendation: 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).

91 — Same principles for communication

Recommendation: 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).

89 — Keep access under review

Recommendation: Access should be kept under constant review while a child is in a place of safety (17.25).

88 — Reasonable access for parents and relatives

Recommendation: 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 …

87 — Children keep personal possessions

Recommendation: In general, children should be allowed to retain such personal possessions as they reasonably wish or require (17.22).

86 — Review and access for separated siblings

Recommendation: 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).

85 — Keep siblings together

Recommendation: 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).

79 — Allocate a social worker of home authority

Recommendation: 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).

77 — Consider the views of the child

Recommendation: Due consideration should be given to the views of the child in all matters affecting him or her (17.7).

67 — Information for the child's carer

Recommendation: 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).

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