procedures

For children to be effectively protected it is essential that everyone accepts responsibility for the welfare of children. For this to be effective within education, it means that everyone must be aware of child protection arrangements, alert to the needs of children and clear about their own contributions to the system.

This response to the Children’s Safeguards Review by Roger Kent sets out the Government’s proposals for improving the quality of care for children who are looked after away from home.

This includes the recruitment, selection and vetting of residential child care staff; training of residential care staff; their registration and inspection; the inter-relationship with education child protection; support for children in boarding schools; investigation and monitoring of children in prison, refuges and helping young abusers.

The consultation paper Protecting Children: Securing Their Safety - A Pre-legislative Consultation Paper on Establishing an Index of Adults Unsuitable to Work with Children was published in July 2000. It set out the Scottish Executive’s intention to establish an Index of persons dismissed from employment (including as unpaid volunteers) with children in circumstances leading to the conclusion that they might pose a threat to children.

This consultation paper outlines why the needs of young runaways and children involved in sexual exploitation through prostitution are important and looks at the preventative work which is being taken forward to address the underlying issues which may increase a child’s vulnerability.

The provision of services to support children and young people is also discussed.

This document provides a clear and concise overview of the Children's Hearings System including Children's Panels.

The guidance is aimed at parents, employers, children and families. Simple information is given about the process, those involved, training, and youth justice.

This report outlines the findings of a case management inquiry into the way in which a young man was placed by the Adult Placement Service in a family where he then seriously abused two children. The inquiry considers events in the areas of: response to the need for an emergency placement; care planning; and the Social Services Directorate's policy and procedures. Failure of the Leaving Care Team to carry out a risk assessment or pass on information about previous incidents to the Adult Placement Service are highlighted. Recommendations are included.

This report by the Improving the Effectiveness of the Youth Justice System Working Group describes the characteristics of effective local management of youth justice services and outlines a set of standards to improve delivery.

The group was asked to develop a strategic framework of national objectives and standards for Scotland’s Youth Justice services, to help achieve the national target of reducing the number of persistent offenders by 10% by 2006.

In April 1997 the Social Services Inspectorate undertook an inspection of the child protection services in Cambridgeshire's Social Services Department. This inspection took place at the request of the Parliamentary Under Secretary in the Department of Health following the non-accidental death of Rikki Neave, a child on Cambridgeshire's child protection register. The 1997 inspection identified serious deficiencies in the standard of child protection services in Cambridgeshire.

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.