policy

The Child Protection Committee (CPC) is the lynchpin in implementing strategic plans at local level. In this report the CPC has, in accordance with the National Guidance on Child Protection Committees – Protecting Children and Young People 2005 (Appendix 2), given an account of its work in the previous year, demonstrated the quality of inter-agency co-operation in undertaking the work of the Committee, and presented a business plan for the coming year.

Fife Child Protection Committee (CPC) Annual Report 2005 to 2006 and Annual Plan 2006-2007, illustrates the successes, the work underway and plans to build on continuous improvement in child protection.

This is the report of the Alcohol and Drugs Delivery Reform Group. In January 2008 the Delivery Reform Group to improve alcohol and drug delivery arrangements and ensure better outcomes for service users was established by the Scottish Government. Members were invited from the Scottish Advisory Committee on Drug Misuse (SACDM) and the Scottish Ministerial Advisory Committee on Alcohol Problems (SMACAP).

Report intended for policy makers interested in prison and sentencing reform. It presents evidence about the situation in Scotland and ideas for future policy development in Scotland. These ideas are based on research presented by academics at a seminar on sentencing reform held 12 December 2008.

Leaflet highlighting the dangers of second-hand smoke to health and raising awareness of the usefulness of smoking policies in the workplace and the legal responsibilities of employers in this regard.

Report assessing the market for welfare beds in secure children's homes, identifying key market characteristics, highlighting the key demand and supply trends together with their underlying drivers, positing potential future scenarios and suggesting some policy options.

Booklet providing information and advice for employers on drawing up alcohol and drugs policies for their organisations to help alleviate problems such as employee absenteeism and lost productivity.

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 extended the duties of local authorities toward homeless people in Scotland, while also recognising that Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) had an increasing role to play in providing housing for statutorily homeless households. A growing body of evidence suggests the use of Section 5 differs across Scotland and that its use may be less than had originally been anticipated. There also seems to be confusion regarding the purpose and scope of the requirements.

This Annual Report and Business Plan dovetails with the overarching outcomes as detailed in North Ayrshire’s Integrated Children’s Services Plan (2005-2008) and reviews the performance of the Committee in accordance with the Scottish Executive's performance indicators.

An increasing media and public attention surrounding cases of child abuse start to take place. Amongst the areas of concern is the way in which such victims are dealt with by the criminal justice system. Efforts to address this issue have led to developments such as the joint investigation of child abuse by police officers and social workers, as well as the videotaping of investigative interviews with children.