It isn't obvious why there is a need for WithScotland. The agency, which has just seen its funding terminated by the Scottish Government is a centre of expertise in child protection, providing advice and support to people working to combat abuse and neglect.

Many may agree with the online commenter who said it seeemed "more like a career opportunity than actually solving the problem" in response, when I wrote about the cut.

To understand why WithScotland was necessary, you need to have trawled through the reports of numerous serious case reviews (SCRs) following the failure to protect a child. Or to have been at the press conferences where another social services chief is forced to apologise for missed chances to intervene. You have to recognise the repetitiveness of the phrases: Communication failures; inexperienced frontline workers; warnings from members of the public overlooked; need for more training.

Such problems have cropped up time with each report hoping to be the last of its kind.

The setting up of a centre of excellence to help advise and guide those working in this sensitive area was an explicit recommendation of the 2005 Western Isles child abuse inquiry. Scotland's Social Work Inspection Agency concluded three young girls had been horrifically abused over lengthy periods. But as well as child protection errors made during the case, the investigation carried out by police and soicial workers was fatally flawed and noone was ever prosecuted.

The agency which became WithScotland was a direct response to this.

Is there a reason why it is no longer needed now? That is the key question from Donald Urquhart, former chair of Glasgow's Child Protection Committee, who doubts the sense behind cutting Government funding from the agency.

The Scottish Government appears to intend that another agency will now provide the same support.

It commissioned research last year into three 'centres for excellence' which work in varied ways to help troubled children. WithScotland, based at the University of Stirling and the Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice and the Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland, both based at the University of Strathclyde.

It may be that this review, carried out by respected childcare expert Romy Langeland concluded WithScotland was not value for money. But it has never been published.

Supporters of WithScotland point out that neither of the other agencies reviewed have the same expertise.

WithScotland has helped establish consistent standards for serious case reviews based on the 'no blame' approach used to improve safety in the aviation industry.

With an increased focus on the protection of vulnerable adults - another area in which WithScotland offered expertise - the ongoing Getting it Right for Every Child (Girfec) agenda, and especially the new Named Persons coming into effect in August, a case can be made that With Scotland is needed more than ever. The Scottish Government says named persons will still have access to expert advice.

Critics of the Government's decision can't be accused of being ill-informed. One of WithScotland's key achievements has been setting up a national community of expertise. It is members of that community who are now raising the alarm about the effect the loss of funding will have.