Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 26 March 2025
26 Mar 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Secure Accommodation Capacity
Absolutely. Scotland is not alone in facing such a situation. It is well known that placements across the rest of the UK are volatile, and children are often placed in secure accommodation in Scotland due to the limited availability of placements in England and Wales. I understand that the UK Government is currently working on those issues, as per its recently announced Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
The Scottish Government is clear that cross-border placements should occur only in exceptional circumstances and when such a placement is in the child’s best interests. We have made provision through the Children, Care and Justice (Scotland) Act 2024 to allow ministers to further regulate cross-border placements in residential care in Scotland. We are currently developing a bolstered regulatory framework, with the overarching aim of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child who is placed into care in Scotland from other parts of the UK.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a statement by Natalie Don-Innes on secure accommodation capacity in Scotland. The minister will take questions at the end of he...
The Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise (Natalie Don-Innes)
SNP
Since my statement in January, the Government has been taking a range of actions to address Scotland’s secure care accommodation capacity. As I have set ou...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
The minister will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes, after which we will need to move on to the n...
Roz McCall (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I thank the minister for advance sight of her statement. The strain on Scotland’s secure accommodation provision and the complex factors involved might not...
Natalie Don-Innes
SNP
I was actually able to answer those questions in committee this morning. The first question from the children’s commissioner was about the number of childr...
Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the minister for advance sight of her statement. The minister indicated that 78 beds were available across Scotland—that is according to Scottish G...
Natalie Don-Innes
SNP
For clarity, under the Scotland Excel contract, there are 78 beds, but not all of those are being used at the moment due to the issues with St Mary’s Kenmure...
Audrey Nicoll (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)
SNP
The minister’s update is welcome, including her announcement on the new four-bed national secure care provision at Rossie. More broadly, it is vital that c...
Natalie Don-Innes
SNP
As the member knows, that is extremely important to me. The Government commissioned the Children’s and Young People’s Centre for Justice to consider the futu...
Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con)
Con
I appreciate that the minister had a tough appearance at the Education, Children and Young People Committee this morning, where she was repeatedly unable to ...
Natalie Don-Innes
SNP
It is my intention to introduce the bill to Parliament prior to the summer recess. I explained in committee that I am not able to give any further commitment...
Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
SNP
It is right that Scotland is committed to a rights-based approach to youth justice that is focused on prevention and early intervention. With that in mind, w...
Natalie Don-Innes
SNP
Wherever possible, children who are in conflict with the law should be supported via appropriate community-based support. In practice, those interventions ar...
Pauline McNeill (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
The increased duration of some placements as a result of the increased sentenced and remand populations is welcome. Will the minister outline whether appropr...
Natalie Don-Innes
SNP
All of that is contained in the conversations around and the plan for the child who is entering secure care. Mental health needs would be recognised. As we h...
Fulton MacGregor (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP)
SNP
The steps that the Scottish Government is taking to develop a more responsive system of secure care provision are welcome. Can the minister provide an update...
Natalie Don-Innes
SNP
As I noted in my statement, although the immediate focus is on stabilisation, our efforts must also look forward. In the medium and long term, we are committ...
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green)
Green
One issue that was unearthed by Parliament’s scrutiny of the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill was the almost completely unregulated nature of the ...
Natalie Don-Innes
SNP
Absolutely. As the member will be aware, there are a number of regulations—I just referred to those relating to children staying in secure accommodation beyo...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
It is utterly shameful that the minister has presided over cobbled-together provision for people who are in desperate need of secure accommodation. We were p...
Natalie Don-Innes
SNP
I can guarantee that. As I have said, every child is looked at on a case-by-case basis. I disagree with the member’s idea of cobbled-together provision. He h...
Ben Macpherson (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
SNP
The minister has previously advised that work is being undertaken to consider effective alternatives to secure care so that children and young people receive...
Natalie Don-Innes
SNP
Maximising alternative measures is absolutely critical to ensuring that no child is deprived of their liberty unnecessarily. The core responsibility for deve...
Meghan Gallacher (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
I find it difficult to believe that the minister has come to the chamber this afternoon to announce that four additional beds will solve secure care accommod...
Natalie Don-Innes
SNP
Capacity was not reduced by 20 per cent—
Meghan Gallacher
Con
Yes, it was.
Natalie Don-Innes
SNP
It was originally, but it has improved now, because there has been a further restoration of capacity at St Mary’s Kenmure. I believe that the four secure c...
Stuart McMillan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP)
SNP
The minister has previously spoken about the use of cross-border placements. Can she comment on how the secure accommodation situation in Scotland compares w...
Natalie Don-Innes
SNP
Absolutely. Scotland is not alone in facing such a situation. It is well known that placements across the rest of the UK are volatile, and children are often...
Michael Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
In relation to the national contingency resource, I am sure that the minister will agree that Rossie should be provided with stable financing to allow it to ...