The Austin Lafferty Solicitors & Estate Agents Blog

Scotland’s Chief Statistician has recently published the latest statistics relating to children in care and child protection.

Key findings of the publication include:

• At the end of July 2011 there were 16,171 children looked after by local authorities, an increase of 2% over the same period in 2010. The number of looked after children has increased every year since 2001, and is at its highest since 1981.
• There were 3,662 young people reported to be eligible for aftercare services on 31st July 2011. Around 36% of those receiving aftercare and who had a known economic activity were in education, training or employment, a decrease of 1% over 31st July 2010.
• At 31st July 2011 there were 1,810 children and young people under 21 years old being looked after on a current planned series of short term placements.

The data also shows that:

• At 31st July 2011, there were 2,571 children on Child Protection Registers, a 2% increase over the previous year.
• In 2010/11, the total number of registrations on to child protection registers rose by 9% (from 3,551 in 2009/10 to 3,884 in 2010/11), whereas the total number of de-registrations showed no change compared with the previous year.

The Scottish Government has outlined new measures to improve the experience for child witnesses while they give evidence.

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill published renewed interview guidance for police officers and social workers and announced the roll out of visual recording equipment.

With the focus firmly on the best interests of the child, these new developments will help to ensure that the justice and children's hearings systems keep pace with modern life and provide better support for victims and witnesses, allowing them to give their best evidence and participate effectively in the process.

Costs related to the procurement of the visual recording equipment will be met from existing budgets and are expected to be £315,000 in the current financial year. This will deliver 36 interview suites and around 55 mobile recording kits across Scotland.

The revised Guidance on Joint Investigative Interviewing (JII) of Child Witnesses in Scotland promotes best practice for police officers and social workers undertaking JIIs with children.

The Scottish Government set up a multi-agency National Strategic Group to revise the guidance, purchase and roll-out of visual recording equipment and consider training requirements.

The revised guidance ensures consistency with the updated National Child Protection guidance published in December 2010 and will assist compliance with the requirements of European legislation.

The Scottish Government has announced additional funding of £6.8 million to help vulnerable young children and families across Scotland.