looked after children

The role of the designated manager for looked after children and young people in schools was established following the publication of the Learning With Care report in 2001. Having a designated manager in educational establishments and developing a reciprocal role in residential child care establishments is central to improving educational outcomes. This Scottish Government guidance is aimed at assisting designated managers in discharging their responsibilities to looked after children, young people and care leavers.

This At a glance summary presents a new ‘systems’ model for serious case reviews. The model provides a method for getting to the bottom of professional practice and exploring why actions or decisions that later turned out to be mistaken, or to have led to an unwanted outcome, seemed to those involved, to be the sensible thing to do at the time. The answers can generate new ideas about how to improve practice and so help keep children safe.

Scottish Government guidance to assist corporate parents in ensuring that the children in their care are safe, but at the same time have the chance to form lasting friendships. Issued under section 5(1) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968.

This document is based on Working Together to Safeguard Children: A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (Department of Health et al, 1999). Working Together sets out how all agencies and professionals should work together to safeguard and promote children’s welfare.

Report that makes important recommendations both to improve current services and to enhance provision in the future regarding the duty of local authorities to provide support to young people leaving care and making the transition from the care system to independent adult living.

This document is based on two resources: Working Together to Safeguard Children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children; and the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. Working Together sets out how all agencies and professionals should work together to safeguard and promote children’s welfare and the Assessment Framework outlines a framework for use by all those who work with children and families determining whether a child is in need under the Children Act 1989 and deciding how best to provide help.

Resource created for workers working with young people to help them make the most of contact with the media, local and national, when talking about their experiences in care.

Report of a study which followed up an investigation by the National Care Standards Commission in 2004 into the management of medication in care and children's homes in England which found homes were not performing well in this area.

The follow up study found some improvement but not enough to be wholly satisfactory.

Scottish Government evaluation of the Reading Rich programme, a partnership between National Children's Homes Scotland and the Scottish Book Trust which aimed to introduce a 'reading rich' environment for children and young people who are looked after in residential and foster care settings in Scotland so they could benefit from reading, books and literature. It ran from 2004 to 2007.

Information leaflet for parents, carers and family members on how out-of-school-hours learning activities promote learning, healthy lifestyles and fun.