Official Report 1154KB pdf
The next item of business is a statement by Natalie Don-Innes on the capacity and future of secure accommodation. The minister will take questions at the end of her statement, so there should be no interventions or interruptions.
17:09
Over the past year, I have updated Parliament several times on recent challenges in the provision of secure care in Scotland and on the actions that this Government has taken to address them.
I also committed to inform Parliament of work being undertaken to build on the strengths, address weaknesses, and deliver a sustainable, future-proofed system that is aligned with the Promise. In June, I published the Government’s response to the report “Reimagining secure care: a vision for the future”, which focuses on the actions that are necessary to achieve that.
I want to ensure that Scotland’s secure care system treats children as children, with their rights and wellbeing at the heart of all decisions that are made with, for and about them.
That system must, by necessity, provide an intensive trauma-informed environment for the very small number of children whose needs in relation to safety, support and stability are acute. However, it must also aim to reduce the need for secure care through earlier, more effective intervention.
Our immediate priority is, of course, to stabilise and strengthen secure accommodation capacity. As of today, 11 secure care places are available. That relatively positive position is one that we have seen for the past four months. It comes as a result of close monitoring and collaboration to restore capacity and to build resilience in the system.
Recent actions that have been delivered include a commitment of up to £8.4 million in funding to cover the placement of sentenced and remanded children, and up to 16 beds across the secure estate to maintain capacity in 2025-26 and 2026-27. There has also been a commitment of up to £2 million in funding to support contingency actions in 2025-26, updated practice guidance on alternatives to secure care, which was published in March 2025, and a new four-bed national contingency resource, which opened in April at Rossie.
Significant work is under way to strengthen the provision of secure care, and access to it. Our goal remains to uphold an effective and equitable system for children who might require secure care, recognising that placement decisions rest with independent courts, children’s hearings, chief social work officers and secure accommodation providers.
Progress at St Mary’s Kenmure is a key part of our recovery efforts, with staffing increases enabling a safe and sustainable extension of capacity. Government officials continue to provide support to help restore capacity and to meet Care Inspectorate requirements to enhance the quality of the service. We expect St Mary’s to return to offering 14 places by the end of this month, and 16 by the end of 2025.
In July, the Good Shepherd Centre’s board decided to temporarily restrict capacity from 18 to 12 beds to allow the centre to undertake physical remediation work and recruit to key roles. That temporary restriction has not adversely affected overall capacity across the secure estate, and Good Shepherd continues to accept referrals. When I visited the Good Shepherd Centre last week, I was advised that the board is meeting next week to consider restoration plans. I was encouraged to hear that it continues to make progress in Promise-keeping practice development, in particular in areas around reducing restraint, advancing violence reduction and restorative approaches. Government officials have been actively engaging with St Mary’s and Good Shepherd to offer support to ensure the restoration of full capacity as soon as that is safely possible.
I am also determined to deliver greater resilience and longer-term sustainability in the sector. I therefore announce today that, subject to the necessary approval and registration, a further new four-bed national contingency resource at Rossie should be operational in early December. Those additional spaces provide the further contingency that our system may require in the longer term, not least to provide safe and appropriate care options for young people who will no longer be placed in young offender institutions, but whose offences still necessitate a deprivation of liberty.
However, the Promise Scotland has rightly highlighted the need to strike a careful balance between ensuring sufficient capacity to meet current demand without overprovision that could signal overreliance on deprivation of liberty and undermine longer-term sustainability. Planning in a systemic way for change is important. I therefore advise Parliament that we are working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to develop a joint action plan, bringing together local and national Government to co-ordinate efforts, clarify responsibilities and drive progress in a coherent and collaborative way.
As announced in January, we have agreed to fund a dedicated professional lead within Social Work Scotland for a 12-month period, to strengthen support for placing authorities, and I am pleased to say that the successful postholder started work at the end of August. The aim is to enhance confidence and awareness among key professionals who work in that challenging environment and, through working closely with Government officials, placing authorities and providers, to support effective decision making and practice.
As members will be aware, the needs of children and young people are changing and, often, becoming much more complex. As acknowledged in our response to “Reimagining secure care”, we need our future provision to evolve to meet emerging and developing needs.
Last month, I had the opportunity to visit Kibble and learn more about the support that it offers to children. For more than 160 years, Kibble has provided support and services to children and young people in Scotland, including the provision of secure care for young people up to the age of 18.
Kibble already provides care in three small group houses, which each accommodate up to six young people in a safe and nurturing environment with a consistent staff team that provides round-the-clock care and support. I announce today that the Scottish Government is working with Kibble to construct up to three future-proofed four-bed houses that are designed to create a trauma-informed environment and provide adaptable environments that respond to the evolving and complex needs of the children who are cared for. Those additional houses will not only add useful capacity to the secure care system and estate; they will help to signal our intent, which is shared with secure care providers and partner agencies, to develop what and how we provide in the future.
As we start to reimagine secure care for the future, it is important to gather views, knowledge and experience to inform the development of options. As part of the Government’s response to the report “Reimagining secure care”, I have committed to consulting on those options before the end of the parliamentary session. That includes the consideration of the future purpose of secure care, the routes into and transitions from it and the more practical aspects of how it will be provided in the future—including commissioning and contract management, and how best to co-ordinate a national response to the acute needs and interests of a very small number of children and young people from across the country, who have a wide range of backgrounds and circumstances.
Placing children and young people with complex and acute needs in secure accommodation—sometimes far from family, often outwith their local community and sometimes for considerable periods of time—is one of the most serious things that we as a society do. We should not take that lightly. We should always be cognisant of our responsibilities to not just the children involved but the children’s panel members, the judiciary and the chief social work officers who have to make those decisions, the professionals who support that decision making and the people who provide care. A caring, professional, supported and supportive workforce is vital. The children and young people who are placed into secure care, either in short or longer-term situations, deserve nothing less.
I want everyone who works in and around those most difficult and complex circumstances to know that they are valued and appreciated and that we are committed to enhancing their capacity and confidence. Members in the chamber will want to echo that, and I welcome the close attention that many have paid in recent months to what is a most important issue in my portfolio.
My statement seeks to reassure members that, over the summer, our focus has very much been on addressing the immediate capacity issues. The interventions and the work that I have set out mean that we are achieving that. I am assured that the steps that we have taken and are taking will minimise the risk that the challenges that were experienced earlier this year will arise again. We are pressing forward with further positive capacity investment and interventions; we continue to work in close partnership with secure care providers, placing authorities and third sector organisations; and we are drawing on their expertise and commitment to ensure that every child receives the care and protection that they need, in safe and trauma-informed environments. In short, we are laying the foundations for a more sustainable and resilient system for the future.
I am happy to take questions.
The minister will now take questions on the issues that were raised in her statement. I intend to allow about 20 minutes for questions, after which we will move on to the next item of business. I encourage members who wish to ask a question but have not yet pressed their request-to-speak buttons to do so.
I thank the minister for advance sight of her statement.
The Scottish Conservatives have consistently warned ministers that the situation on the ground in our secure accommodation sector was not sustainable. The minister’s statement demonstrates that the Scottish Government has failed to competently implement its policy to date, despite those warnings.
At the weekend, a story was reported in the Sunday Post regarding a vulnerable Aberdeenshire teenager, Callie Thomson, who has been inappropriately placed in all four of Scotland’s secure units since the age of 14. Callie, who has just turned 17, has now been discharged from the Rossie secure unit without a care package in place. She has been directed to homelessness services—a 17-year-old is being placed in homeless accommodation with people who have recently been released from prison and people with substance abuse issues. Callie said:
“I feel like I have been utterly abandoned, and nobody seems to care if I live or die.”
The destination on discharge from secure placements was not mentioned in today’s statement, but I am deeply concerned at the picture that is emerging. I believe that this will be the next big scandal to face the Scottish Government and shows its failure to meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable children and young people in our society. In 2024, 19 per cent of children were discharged with “other” recorded as their destination.
What is clear from today’s statement is that secure accommodation capacity across our country remains completely unstable. I ask the minister two questions. First, will she personally intervene and investigate the failings in Callie Thomson’s case? Secondly, given the continuing pressure facing wider children and young people’s services, will the minister undertake a review of the inappropriate placement of young people in adult homelessness services and adult mental health services?
I cannot comment on individual cases, but I was very sorry to hear about that story. All children who are placed in care settings, including in secure accommodation, should expect to receive the highest standards of care. That includes when they leave secure accommodation, because we have pathways for that. Any decision to place a child in secure accommodation is taken by the relevant decision makers, including the independent courts, children’s hearings, chief social work officers and secure accommodation providers.
Mr Briggs asked me two questions. I am more than happy to look into the direct details of the case, because I am very concerned about what I am hearing. On the wider issue of housing services, I would be more than happy to discuss those issues directly with Mr Briggs after my statement.
I, too, thank the minister for advance sight of her statement.
In relation to the case that Miles Briggs has just raised, I think it is right to say that the Scottish Government would remain the corporate parent for that individual up until the age of 18 at the very least, so it does have a direct responsibility.
I have two questions. The evidence shows that we currently have 65 beds—I welcome the fact that provision will be expanded—and that, currently, 54 beds are occupied. Can the minister confirm, first, how many of those beds are occupied under cross-border placements and, secondly, how many are occupied by young people who are on remand from the court system? As the minister pointed out, there are a number of ways in which young people can end up in secure accommodation.
I understand Mr Whitfield’s point about the case that Mr Briggs referred to, and I have committed to looking directly into it.
In relation to the secure care numbers, I can confirm that six children from England and Wales are currently placed in Scotland on cross-border placements. I will have to get back to Mr Whitfield on the number of beds that are occupied children who are on remand—I will do so following my statement.
I welcome the publication of the Government’s response to the “Reimagining Secure Care” report. St Mary’s Kenmure, in my constituency, is an excellent facility, and I was pleased to hear the minister’s announcement on capacity there.
What steps does the minister intend to take to develop secure care provision in the longer term? How can stakeholders engage with that work? What are the strengths of the current system? Where does the Scottish Government envisage changes potentially being required in the future?
The Scottish Government is committed to building on the strengths of the system while embracing a future vision for change in line with the priorities that are laid out in “The Promise”. That may involve radical change when and where improvements to children’s experiences and outcomes demand it.
Our response to the “Reimagining Secure Care” report will be delivered over two phases: first, as I set out in my statement, on capacity restoration and reinforcement; and, secondly, on road-testing elements of reimagined secure care. The next steps include exploring the report’s recommendations with partners in more detail, and establishing good practice examples and testing out some of those approaches. As I confirmed in my statement, we are working with COSLA and Social Work Scotland on the development of a joint action plan, which will allow us to progress that work. I have also confirmed our commitment to consult on the future of secure care by the end of this parliamentary session, to ensure that we get the views of those who matter.
In her statement, the minister has hailed the establishment of another working group to deliver another action plan. Does she not accept that the Government should surely just get on with delivering the consistent capacity in secure accommodation that is so clearly needed?
That is exactly what I have done today. I have informed Parliament of the actions that have already been taken—the introduction of a new four-bed house and a contingency plan. I also introduced two new capacity restoration actions today in relation to Kibble and Rossie. I agree with Mr Ross that we need to get on with ensuring capacity—that is exactly what we are doing. I am also focused on how we ensure that the system is fit for the future, and that is exactly what I read out in my statement.
It is vital that secure care is more than a holding centre—that it keeps communities safe and keeps young people safe from harming themselves. Children and young people need help to break the potential progression into poorer life chances in adulthood, and secure care can do that by giving them access to the same standard of education as their peers. They must also have their underlying health and wellbeing needs addressed. The system must be one where children are still treated as children, with their rights and wellbeing at the heart of all decisions.
Ask a question, please.
How can we ensure that that happens?
I fully agree with the sentiments that Ms Dunbar has expressed. We know that children or young people who do not get those chances will have poorer outcomes. Secure accommodation is a specialised form of residential care and is designed to restrict the liberty of children who represent a significant risk to themselves or others. The primary aims of secure care are to keep children safe; to provide intensive support, therapeutic care and education; to help children—importantly—to re-engage with their communities; and to ensure that any deprivation of liberty is absolutely necessary, rights respecting and time limited.
Secure care providers work intensively to provide support that focuses on equal access to education, addresses health and wellbeing needs and creates a safe and nurturing environment. However, I fully recognise the extremely complex and demanding nature of the work of secure care providers and local authority teams. They play a challenging but vital role in supporting children with significant and often multifaceted needs. I am sure that all members agree with me and deeply value that dedication.
I thank the minister for advance sight of her statement.
Social Work Scotland told the Education, Children and Young People Committee that the system is already depleted and struggling, with the social work workforce effectively static over the past decade, while the volume of duties keeps rising. The minister says that the workforce is vital, and I whole-heartedly agree. During the passage of the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill we warned the Government about the need to build the workforce first.
What specific actions are being taken to ensure that the workforce is supported and that the capacity is there to deliver the desired outcomes?
We have taken a number of actions to improve retention and to improve support for the workforce. The Scottish Government fully recognises the pressure that the social work workforce is under. With sector partners, it is delivering on specific priorities to ensure that children and young people receive the level of care that they deserve. That is absolutely vital, as I have said in the chamber many times. We will only bring about systemic change to operational social work services by investing in those who provide those services—our workforce.
I have spoken before about the national social work agency that we will establish by April 2026 to support registered social work students, social workers and social work assistants across the public, third and independent sectors. National and local government also recognise the need to work differently and more closely together. Therefore, a national social work agency, COSLA and Social Work Scotland will work together as the Scottish social work partnership. As partners, they will share responsibility for a joint strategic plan to address the on-going issues across the social work workforce in Scotland. I assure the member that I hear what she is saying. There are active, on-going discussions about what we can do to bolster the workforce.
Some people have suggested that, now that a larger group of older young people with more serious offending will be able to be detained in secure care, we will need to differentiate the approach in secure care on age grounds and we will need to separate those who are there on welfare grounds from those who are there on justice grounds. I am concerned by that. Does the minister agree that doing that would be unhelpful and that the founding principle of our care for children—that it is based on needs as well as deeds—still holds true?
I agree that that would be very unhelpful. Not only is there no evidence to support the separation of children in that way, but it would be unworkable in practice and run completely counter to the aspirations of the Promise.
Although, for a small number of placements, the reason for a child to be accommodated in a particular setting will be that they have committed an offence, often things are not as clear cut as that. The reason for a placement is usually wrapped up in a number of wider considerations and broader welfare issues. Many of the children who have committed an offence are victims themselves. A rigorous matching process is in place, which safeguards children in those circumstances. When considering the referral of a child for admission to a secure care placement, the provider must carry out its own assessment of whether it can meet the needs of the child while also protecting the safety and welfare of other children in that setting.
The minister outlined investment to expand secure capacity. Will she detail parallel investment in community-based and preventative services that are designed to reduce the need for secure placements in the first place? Will she say more about how the joint action plan with COSLA will ensure that local authorities are resourced to intervene earlier so that secure accommodation is genuinely a last resort?
Absolutely—the budget for 2025-26 includes an additional £11 million of support for community justice services and on-going work to further enable a shift away from the use of custody, which brings the total investment in community justice to £159 million, with a total increase in investment of £25 million over two years. That supports a range of community justice services, including diversion from prosecution, alternatives to remand, and community sentencing. That will help us to ensure that justice social work can continue to provide alternatives to custody in the community, when it is deemed appropriate.
I acknowledge the minister’s efforts in the past year to resolve this problem. However, this playing catch-up is typical of the Government’s approach to keeping the Promise. First, we read in the damning Audit Scotland report about the lack of planning by the Government over many years to deliver the Promise, which means that we are now behind schedule. Secondly, in the Education, Children and Young People Committee this morning, witnesses told us about the lack of engagement—and, again, planning—on the new Promise bill. Is the minister going to change the Government’s approach to keeping the Promise?
I welcome the Audit Scotland report and I will take time to consider its recommendations in full. I do not agree that it was damning; there were some real positives in there, and it was clear that we are still on track to deliver the Promise by 2030.
In relation to tracking progress, we have the Promise progress framework and “Plan 24-30”—there are several ways in which we are looking to track progress on the Promise. However, we need to be clear that it is not all about measurable data. There are real people and real lives. We know that the Promise is for transformational change—that is systemic change, and it is not going to happen overnight. Although there are aspects that are measurable, which we will track, there are also real lives at stake. The change that is happening on the ground, which is not always measurable, is very important, too.
Decisions on placing a child in secure care are currently taken locally, and the process involves those who work closely with and support the child and their family. In relation to the “Reimagining Secure Care” report, the minister spoke about the co-ordination of a national response to support the interests and needs of what is a small number of children and young people. Will she expand on that and set out what it might mean in practice?
Looking ahead, the Government remains absolutely committed to developing a more resilient and responsive system of secure care provision, with a strong emphasis on capacity preservation and placement management.
Scotland’s secure care system does not currently have a placement commissioning mechanism or national oversight of placement decisions. We are exploring a future national approach to the placement of children in secure care that would involve that function being held by the national social work agency. The creation of a mechanism whereby a centralised approach was taken to the placement of children in secure care would assist placing authorities in securing a placement and would support better data collection.
Consideration would still have to be given to the issues of resource, remit, functions and costs, but central co-ordination would certainly help to ensure that placement decisions were based on need, rather than geography or availability, which would promote fairness and reduce regional disparities in access to secure care.
The minister said that
“we are laying the foundations for a more sustainable and resilient system for the future”,
following the challenges that were experienced earlier this year. I welcome some of the announcements that she has made today. However, when I was convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, I warned the minister of the very issues that we are discussing today 30 months ago, back in June 2023. In its stage 1 report on the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill, the committee made it clear that capacity was a significant concern. Why did the minister not heed those warnings 30 months ago and act then?
As I set out in my statement and as The Promise Scotland has made clear, we do not want to have overcapacity. Obviously, the situation that we were in last December, which went on for some months after that, was extremely difficult, but we have taken the necessary steps and action. We are now in a much better place—today, 11 secure places are available, and a range around that number has been available for the past couple of months. I have set out how we plan to re-envision that provision for the future in order to future proof it. I take heed of Ms Webber’s comments and thank her for bringing those matters to my attention.
Does the minister think that it is right, going forward, for secure care to be provided by a series of independent organisations that all do things differently and which are accountable to their boards, rather than to the Scottish ministers?
As I noted in my statement, although the immediate focus has been on stabilisation, capacity restoration and encouraging the safe use of alternatives, we must always look forward in an effort to future proof the system.
We are considering future funding and commissioning models as part of our plans for reimagining secure care. We will work in partnership with Scotland Excel, secure providers and commissioning authorities to consult on and co-design a new national commissioning model that reflects our shared aspirations for the future of secure care. That process will consider potential changes in funding and commissioning arrangements to better serve the needs of Scotland’s children.
That concludes the item of business. Before we move to the next item, there will be a brief pause to allow front-bench teams to change over.
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