1 Introduction: A review of looked after children in Scotland
Our children are our future. That is why we have committed ourselves to creating a Scotland in which every child matters, where every child, regardless of its family background, has the best possible start in life.
Jack McConnell, First Minister (2001)
The aim of the review
1. This review is about a small but significant group of Scotland's children and young people (1.1%), those who for a variety of reasons are looked after by local authorities. We looked at the range of children's experiences, their daily routines, their relationships with carers and professionals. We found what made a positive difference to children and young people's experiences of being looked after and to them in their future lives.
2. The review is intended for everyone who is concerned with looked after children and their families; elected members, local authority staff, staff in voluntary organisations, foster carers, health professionals and those involved in developing and improving children's services.
Our approach
3. We spoke with 100 children and young people who came from half of all local authorities in Scotland. We also met with 75 carers and staff who worked with children and young people, their social workers and children's rights workers. We looked at the legal and social contexts for children and young people in Scotland today.
4. Attention to the rights of children evolved in the 20th century. They were set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), which came into force in the United Kingdom in 1991. All of the rights contained in the Convention are meant to be enjoyed by every child without discrimination. The Convention is a wide-ranging document, which includes concerns about the welfare of children and child protection as well as giving voice to citizenship claims on behalf of children. Article 12 has particular importance for looked after children:
State Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.
5. Ensuring that looked after children are heard and consulted about all aspects of their lives remains a critical challenge, vital for their current and future welfare and happiness.
How the review was done
6. During the review we:
- analysed local authority statistics in respect of looked after children
- asked professionals who work directly with looked after children and young people about the strengths and weaknesses in current services
- consulted staff in local authorities, voluntary organisations, health services and other interested groups to hear their concerns and priorities for looked after children and young people
- collected examples of successful, innovative or specialist work in Scotland which improve outcomes for looked after children and young people
- reviewed policy and practice in public services for looked after children
- looked at work within the Scottish Executive, which will affect how services for looked after children are delivered in future. This included modernisation of the children's hearings system; examination of the role, practice and organisation of social work in the 21st century; the child protection reform programme; the review of policy and law on adoption; work to develop a framework for integrated inter-agency assessment and action to protect and support children affected by parental substance misuse
- considered the findings of recent inspections carried out by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education ( HMIE) and the Care Commission
- asked children, young people and adults about their experiences of being looked after, reported in Celebrating success (Happer et al. 2006)
- commissioned separate studies into areas where we needed to know more:
- kinship care
- looked after children's daily activities
- their health and emotional development
- the law affecting children and young people.
How the review was written
7. We brought together all this work to learn about the lives of looked after children and young people. Chapters 2-7 end with:
- suggestions to improve services
- a summary of key issues
- suggestions for further reading
- web references for useful contacts and organisations.
8. The young people who contributed to the review were insightful, not just about their own experiences of being looked after but also about those of other young people. They identified key themes concisely. Throughout the report we have used their own words to illustrate certain points. The names used are fictional but the words are those of the young people, without whose enthusiasm and help this review would not have been possible.