Child Protection

A collection of resources on the law, policy and practice of child protection. Includes case studies and exercises.

Domestic abuse: a draft training strategy

The focus of this draft strategy is on identifying training and development activity required to support improvement in services to women and children who are experiencing domestic abuse, and to men who use violence.

It is based on increasing capacity to deliver training and providing national co-ordination of training on domestic abuse. This training strategy is set out in 6 sections: context, aims of the training strategy; requirements of the training strategy; taking the strategy forward; capacity building; and an action plan.

Protecting children: a shared responsibility - guidance for health professionals in Scotland (September 1999)

This document specifically aims to provide user-friendly information for all health professionals in Scotland. It will be valuable to those who may very rarely come into contact with an abused child or children and their families. It is also an important source of advice for staff who have had more experience in this area and highlights the need for child protection training to be made available for all staff.

Getting it right for every child: children and young people's experiences of advocacy support and participation in the Children's Hearings System

This research project was commissioned by the Scottish Executive to find out how advocacy for children in the Children’s Hearings System compares with arrangements in other UK systems of child welfare and youth justice and those internationally, and what children and young people and the professionals who work with them think about advocacy arrangements in the Children’s Hearings System and how these can be improved.

Children's hearing system in Scotland

The children's hearings system, Scotland's unique system of juvenile justice, commenced operating on 15 April 1971. The system is centred on the welfare of the child. A fundamental principle is that the needs of the child should be the key test and that children who offend and children who are in need of care and protection should be dealt with in the same system. Cases relating to children who may require compulsory measures of intervention are considered by an independent panel of trained lay people.

Insight 6 : Meeting the Needs of Children from Birth to Three : Research Evidence and Implications for Out-of-Home Provision

In 2001 the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED) commissioned Professor Colwyn Trevarthen and a team of colleagues to review the research evidence on the development of children from birth to three years old, and to consider the implications of that evidence for the provision of care outwith the home.

Services for young people with problematic drug misuse: a guide to principles and practice

Report that aims to provide information and evidence to support the development of services for young people experiencing problems due to their own problematic drugs and/or substance misuse.

The guide focuses on the needs of drug action teams (DATs) in their role as commissioners of services as well as the direct delivery of services. The report includes definitions of the target client group and their needs; discusses key principles underpinning effective services and explores the key issues to address in delivering services.

Growing support : a review of services for vulnerable families with very young children

This report describes the findings and conclusions of an inter-disciplinary review of social work and health services in Scotland to support vulnerable families with young children aged 0-3 years. It also takes account of other important services such as early education and childcare, housing, health services for adults and Children’s Hearings.

How good is our school?: self-evaluation using quality indicators

This edition of 'How good is our school?' replaces that published in 1996. It is designed, as were the earlier editions, to help headteachers and teachers in school self-evaluation and to assist education authority officials in discharging their responsibilities for quality assurance. The continuing strength of this set of quality indicators is that it is used in external evaluation by HM Inspectors as well as in self-evaluation by schools and by local authorities in quality assurance procedures.

Scotland's children: the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 regulations and guidance - Volume 2: children looked after by local authorities

This is the second of four volumes of comprehensive guidance on the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. The Regulations, Directions and Guidance which are included in this and the other volumes are designed to provide guidance on the implementation of Parts II, III and IV of the Act. Volume 2 sets out the legal framework for local authority responsibilities for children who are looked after; home supervision; fostering service; residential care; registration and inspection of certain residential schools; secure accommodation; throughcare and aftercare.