Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 02 November 2011
02 Nov 2011 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Looked-after Children
I am sure that Mr Paterson agrees that we can achieve thorough and timely assessments.
I can imagine how adoptions, which birth parents often contest in the courts, can take two years, but other options to achieve permanence for children—such as foster care or permanence orders—do not need to take two years. Across the system, we must remember that time is of the essence: our children grow and develop from the day that they are born and have only one childhood.
The SCRA report is important. I published the Scottish Government’s response to it on 21 June, outlining our plans to address the issues that it raised. Our aim is nothing less than a radical shift in care planning towards fewer placements for children, early permanence decisions for every child and a system that puts the child at the centre. That offers our children in care the best possible chance of securing an adoptive or permanent placement.
Our response lays the building blocks for the care system to provide every child with a safe, stable and nurturing home. A child’s journey through care starts with an assessment of parents’ capacity to provide the consistent care that a child needs to attain their potential. Therefore, we recognise the need for more robust assessment tools to determine parental capacity and to identify the support that parents need to provide that care for their child.
Through the work that the early years framework supports, we are committed to identifying children who are at risk and to taking steps to prevent that risk from materialising. We are committed to taking effective action to help parents, families and communities to develop their own solutions, using accessible, high-quality public services—parenting classes; therapeutic support for parents who experience drug and alcohol problems; and support with health and disability issues, to name a few.
We want to support every child in their whole journey through care, the transitions that they experience and beyond. We need to ensure that appropriate decisions are made quickly and that support is in place to provide permanent care for children who cannot live with their birth parents.
Our response to the SCRA report highlights and shares current good practice. We plan to make extensive use of our new centre for excellence for looked-after children, which launched in September, to do that. We are asking the centre to work with our partners to improve the experiences and lives of all looked-after children, their families and care leavers. It will work to ensure that all those who are involved in the care of looked-after children have the appropriate skills, knowledge and support and that any decisions about looked-after children are well evidenced and always have the child’s welfare and rights as their paramount consideration.
The Government places great importance on working in partnership to deliver its ambitions for Scotland’s children. We are in a period of engagement with key stakeholders on how to translate the key areas of work into specific activities. I have written to local authorities seeking their involvement in that process.
The Scottish Government has started the work to create a more responsive system. I mentioned the centre for excellence, which will be instrumental in future work. We have also created Scotland’s first national adoption register, which is already providing greater opportunities for placing children in stable and permanent families. I urge all local authorities to make a commitment to use it by the end of this year.
I ask each one of us, as corporate parents, to challenge local authorities, health services and third sector organisations in our constituencies to engage with the work that is being undertaken. Every organisation that is involved in the lives of looked-after children will have examples of practice that works to promote the wellbeing of the children it serves. Each of us has a duty to help to identify and promote that good practice as widely as possible.
I also intend to increase the pace of change. I will ask all local authorities to provide me with their adoption service plans by April 2012. I will expect an ambitious approach and evidence that every local authority has clear plans to increase the number of young people afforded permanence or adoption.
I can imagine how adoptions, which birth parents often contest in the courts, can take two years, but other options to achieve permanence for children—such as foster care or permanence orders—do not need to take two years. Across the system, we must remember that time is of the essence: our children grow and develop from the day that they are born and have only one childhood.
The SCRA report is important. I published the Scottish Government’s response to it on 21 June, outlining our plans to address the issues that it raised. Our aim is nothing less than a radical shift in care planning towards fewer placements for children, early permanence decisions for every child and a system that puts the child at the centre. That offers our children in care the best possible chance of securing an adoptive or permanent placement.
Our response lays the building blocks for the care system to provide every child with a safe, stable and nurturing home. A child’s journey through care starts with an assessment of parents’ capacity to provide the consistent care that a child needs to attain their potential. Therefore, we recognise the need for more robust assessment tools to determine parental capacity and to identify the support that parents need to provide that care for their child.
Through the work that the early years framework supports, we are committed to identifying children who are at risk and to taking steps to prevent that risk from materialising. We are committed to taking effective action to help parents, families and communities to develop their own solutions, using accessible, high-quality public services—parenting classes; therapeutic support for parents who experience drug and alcohol problems; and support with health and disability issues, to name a few.
We want to support every child in their whole journey through care, the transitions that they experience and beyond. We need to ensure that appropriate decisions are made quickly and that support is in place to provide permanent care for children who cannot live with their birth parents.
Our response to the SCRA report highlights and shares current good practice. We plan to make extensive use of our new centre for excellence for looked-after children, which launched in September, to do that. We are asking the centre to work with our partners to improve the experiences and lives of all looked-after children, their families and care leavers. It will work to ensure that all those who are involved in the care of looked-after children have the appropriate skills, knowledge and support and that any decisions about looked-after children are well evidenced and always have the child’s welfare and rights as their paramount consideration.
The Government places great importance on working in partnership to deliver its ambitions for Scotland’s children. We are in a period of engagement with key stakeholders on how to translate the key areas of work into specific activities. I have written to local authorities seeking their involvement in that process.
The Scottish Government has started the work to create a more responsive system. I mentioned the centre for excellence, which will be instrumental in future work. We have also created Scotland’s first national adoption register, which is already providing greater opportunities for placing children in stable and permanent families. I urge all local authorities to make a commitment to use it by the end of this year.
I ask each one of us, as corporate parents, to challenge local authorities, health services and third sector organisations in our constituencies to engage with the work that is being undertaken. Every organisation that is involved in the lives of looked-after children will have examples of practice that works to promote the wellbeing of the children it serves. Each of us has a duty to help to identify and promote that good practice as widely as possible.
I also intend to increase the pace of change. I will ask all local authorities to provide me with their adoption service plans by April 2012. I will expect an ambitious approach and evidence that every local authority has clear plans to increase the number of young people afforded permanence or adoption.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-01197, in the name of Angela Constance, on reducing the time needed to find a permanent home for looked-a...
The Minister for Children and Young People (Angela Constance)
SNP
Thank you for your generosity, Presiding Officer.As I am sure we are all aware, this week is national adoption week, which aims to raise awareness of the ben...
Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Lab
The Parliament welcomed the steps taken by the Government to ensure that kinship carers receive the same benefits as foster carers, but that has not been imp...
Angela Constance
SNP
As Ms Grant is well aware, local authorities are best placed to make decisions about financial support for kinship carers and children at local level. That i...
Gil Paterson (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP)
SNP
I know that the minister is aware that I adopted a daughter, so I have some knowledge of this issue. Does she agree that time still requires to be taken in p...
Angela Constance
SNP
I am sure that Mr Paterson agrees that we can achieve thorough and timely assessments. I can imagine how adoptions, which birth parents often contest in the ...
Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
One of the issues facing minority communities, particularly visible minority communities, is that adoptions are not taking place within those communities—chi...
Angela Constance
SNP
That is an example of the type of work that we hope is evident in the adoption and permanence plans that local authorities will have to provide to me by Apri...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome the debate and the chance to discuss improving Scotland’s adoption service and the opportunities and life chances of some of Scotland’s most vulner...
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
There is no greater responsibility than bringing up children—and no greater responsibility for the state than ensuring that children who, for one reason or a...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I mention to members who will take part in the open debate that we have a little bit of time in hand, so if they wish to take interventions, I will ensure th...
Stewart Maxwell (West Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I begin by putting on record my admiration for the work that is done by all those people who are involved in caring for looked-after children in Scotland. Al...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The member should wind up.
Stewart Maxwell
SNP
Thank you, Presiding Officer.Are we searching for the perfect outcome for children when the reality is that no child is brought up, even by their birth paren...
Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome the opportunity to speak in a debate on an issue that is close to my heart, and I am encouraged by the cross-party agreement in the area.I want to ...
Annabelle Ewing (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)
SNP
I hear what the member says, but I understand that the Scottish Government funds the national advice and support service for kinship carers and that consider...
Claudia Beamish
Lab
I thank the member for that helpful intervention. I completely accept that point, but when we consider the range of services that the Midlothian group and pe...
Annabelle Ewing (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)
SNP
I, too, am pleased to speak in this important debate on reducing the time needed to find a permanent home for looked-after children. As has been said, the st...
Richard Lyle (Central Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I could talk about this subject for hours but, in case the Presiding Officer is concerned, I assure her that I will stick to my six minutes.National adoption...
Anne McTaggart (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I add my support for Monday’s launch of national adoption week, which I am sure every member will support. I also acknowledge the foster carers, kinship care...
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
I refer members to my entry in the register of interests. The fact that I am a member of Aberdeen City Council will come up in my speech.When I joined Aberde...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
Last week, members discussed how we can best raise the ambition and attainment of our children and young people. It is not surprising that much of that debat...
George Adam (Paisley) (SNP)
SNP
As Kevin Stewart did, I declare an interest as a councillor, but with Renfrewshire Council. As with other issues that we have discussed, I never really thoug...
Jean Urquhart (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
SNP
As other member have done, I welcome the debate and the minister’s clear commitment to changing for the better the lives of some of our children. I also ackn...
Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP)
SNP
I have taken part in similar debates in previous sessions of the Parliament, and the issue does not seem to move on. Jean Urquhart mentioned that we have to ...
Jean Urquhart
SNP
I agree with that. That is the point that I had hoped to convey, so I am sorry if it did not come across.Yesterday, the Education and Culture Committee heard...
Mary Fee (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I, too, declare an interest. I am a councillor and for four years—until May this year—I was on Renfrewshire Council’s adoption panel.During my time on the pa...
Clare Adamson (Central Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I declare my interest as a corporate parent, as an elected member of North Lanarkshire Council.The SNP Government has demonstrated its commitment to all of S...
Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
It is with trepidation and some humility that I speak in this debate. Trepidation because the subject matter is very important to us all—it is heartening to ...
Derek Mackay (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP)
SNP
The member makes some interesting points. In a spirit of consensus, Mary Fee, George Adam and others have complimented Renfrewshire Council on its leadership...