Chamber and committees

All agencies that work with children and their families have a shared responsibility for protecting children and promoting, supporting and safeguarding their wellbeing. National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2014/05/3052/0, published by the Scottish Government in 2014, provides a national framework for agencies and practitioners at local level to understand and agree processes for working together to safeguard and promote the wellbeing of children. Local Authority Chief Officers, Chief Executives of Health Boards and local Police Commanders are responsible for determining the most appropriate child protection arrangements for their respective area.

The Scottish Government does not provide any specific guidance for local authorities regarding children’s welfare in schools when a case of teacher misconduct arises. In such a case we would expect local child protection procedures to be followed in line with the National Guidance. Where child protection issues are identified the Education Scotland Area Lead Officer will liaise closely with the authority to ensure appropriate action is being taken to safeguard the rights of children and young people.

Teachers in Scotland are employees of the local authority and therefore any issues about their professional conduct are for the Council to deal with in line with their locally agreed policies and procedures in this regard. The Director of Education at the Council has overall responsibility for this.