THE head of a charity has called for sweeping reforms of Scotland’s system for looking after children from troubled backgrounds, as the Government launched a major review of the care system.
Duncan Dunlop, director of Who Cares? Scotland, said many of approaches still used for “looked after” children had been developed decades ago. “We’ve been trying to get this right for 150 years, and I’m not sure at any point we could say we were doing it well,” he said.
Mr Dunlop cited deaths in care, poor education outcomes and frequent moves between home, children’s units and foster care as examples of children being let down by the system.
“We have lost a young person from a care background every month since Christmas, all under 25,” he said. “Kids can suffer up to 30 moves of home and be cut off from siblings.”
While there are many successes and good practice in the system, the review could transform lives, he said. “This is ground-breaking, and I don’t think people realise what Scotland is doing,” he said.
Who Cares? Scotland has nominated young people from a care background who will sit on the review group and help ensure 1,000 voices from care are heard.
Mr Dunlop’s comments came as Nicola Sturgeon announced the full membership of the independent group set up to carry out the “root and branch” review of the care system. The First Minister said the review would cover the law, practices, culture and ethos of care. “The care system must and can do better by our most vulnerable children and young people,” she said, adding the review was about “how we create a system that puts love for the children it cares for at its heart.”
Fiona Duncan, chairwoman of the independent review group said: “We can, will and must deliver a review that changes lives. Without the voice of care experience this review would not be happening – and without that voice, it will not deliver.”
The first phase of the review will examine what good care and protection should be for Scotland’s 15,000 young people in care.
Members of the review include leading figures from Police Scotland, the NHS and local authorities as well as several young people with experience of state care.
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