The next item of business is a statement by Natalie Don-Innes on secure care and the wider care system. The minister will take questions at the end of her statement, so there should be no interventions or interruptions.
14:29
I acknowledge the current capacity constraints in secure care. Alongside partners, we are taking a range of actions to address those challenges, and I have been updating the Parliament regularly since the beginning of the year. I highlighted those actions during my most recent statement in late March and, at the end of April, I wrote to the conveners of the Education, Children and Young People Committee and the Criminal Justice Committee.
Today, I will set out again the work that we are doing to bolster our secure care estate, to develop preventative alternatives to deprivation of liberty, and to improve the wider care system. In doing so, we aim to maintain an integrated, equitable approach to children who may require secure care. Decisions around the placement of children in secure accommodation—and the appropriate continuation of placements—remain with the relevant decision makers, including the independent courts, children’s hearings, chief social work officers and secure accommodation providers. Every appropriate action is being taken to protect capacity across the secure estate and, as of 10 am, four secure places were available.
On capacity, I am pleased to confirm that the new national contingency resource opened in Rossie last month. Those beds are now available and are being used to care for children. That represents a significant Government commitment, but we expect to take further capacity restoration action in the months ahead. I am very grateful to providers and other partners for their continued agility as we consider options.
One key factor that will directly inform the extent of capacity restoration action will be the continued recovery at St Mary’s Kenmure. St Mary’s is currently actively augmenting staff capacity and wishes to support an incremental, sustainable and increased capacity as soon as is safely possible. I understand that some key appointments have been made and others are in train.
Our primary focus has been on stabilising and restoring capacity within secure accommodation. This is essential to ensuring that children have continued access to the care and support that they need to keep them and others safe in environments that are best suited to their individual needs. I assure the Parliament that we are approaching that work with urgency and care. Indeed, each action must be implemented in a way that upholds the highest standards of safety and overall equity of access.
By funding a dedicated professional lead at Social Work Scotland for the next 12 months, we are supporting improved awareness and confidence among professionals who work in Scotland’s placing authorities. The policy and practice adviser will work alongside officials in Scottish Government. The recruitment process is now well under way, and the interviews have been held in the past week.
My late April correspondence to committees confirmed that I had intended to deliver a further statement next month, at which point we would be able to confirm other elements of our contingency actions, alongside our response to the “Reimagining Secure Care” report. That said, I assure members that the Scottish Government has been active across the three key domains of the challenge—looking at possibilities before, during and after secure care. All three are essential aspects of a comprehensive response.
In order to be as helpful as I can to Parliament, I will summarise some options that have been generated over recent weeks, although I emphasise that not all of these leads will be realised. I will say as much as I can without breaching potential partners’ confidence or risking child confidentiality. I am grateful to everyone across the sector who has generously supported that activity. At each stage, we have benefited from advice and support from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and Social Work Scotland.
We hope to confirm shortly the offer of another Government-funded national contingency resource. Officials have also contacted and visited former secure accommodation and residential childcare sites in Edinburgh and North Lanarkshire, to see whether those sites could be brought back into service to support restored capacity. We have also asked each current secure provider how they might be able to assist with restoring capacity. We might even consider new-build flexible secure provision, in line with what is set out in the Promise and the “Reimagining Secure Care” report. Beyond direct secure capacity, officials have reached out to NHS Lothian colleagues to learn about multidisciplinary health-led teams that offer trauma-informed alternatives. Officials have spoken with a range of potential third sector partners.
I have been clear that secure accommodation should be used only when absolutely necessary. That is why we are also working closely with third sector partners to identify and develop high-intensity, wraparound services that offer credible, safe alternatives to the deprivation of liberty. These services will help to improve outcomes, reduce reliance on secure care and deliver the ambitions of the Promise. Further information will be included in our response, which will be published next month, to the “Reimagining Secure Care” report.
Members are aware of how crucial early help and support is in preventing families from reaching crisis in the first place. To ensure that holistic family support is available in our communities and to help families thrive and prevent crisis, we have increased funding for children’s services planning partnerships, through the whole family wellbeing fund, to £38 million this year. I am pleased that the latest social work statistics, which were published in April, suggest that progress is being made. There has been an 18.1 per cent reduction in the number of children and young people who are in care since the Promise was made in 2020. Although that only tells part of the story, it is encouraging progress.
This activity will continue to be informed by the next stages of “The Promise Progress Framework”, which was published jointly with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and The Promise Scotland last year. It will also be informed by the work that is being led by The Promise Scotland in the year ahead to further develop “Plan 24-30” and the route maps for change.
Children’s care services also rely on a skilled and specialist workforce. That is why we continue to focus on ensuring that a sustainable supply of graduates are entering into the Scottish social work profession. I am pleased to announce today that the Scottish Government will be uplifting the value of the postgraduate social work bursary that is administered to eligible students by the Scottish Social Services Council to £11,000 per year from the 2025-26 academic year.
Another part of our unwavering commitment to Scotland’s children is our continued support for the development of bairns’ hoose, which includes £10.5 million in additional investment for 2025-26. With 10 pathfinder and affiliate partnerships now established across Scotland, that funding will strengthen efforts to enhance care, health and justice outcomes for children and young people who are affected by trauma.
As this week marks the first week of foster care fortnight, it is important for me to be clear that foster carers and kinship carers provide safe, stable and loving homes to children and young people who cannot remain with their families. That is why we introduced the Scottish recommended allowance in August 2023, which will help to ensure that all eligible foster and kinship carers receive a consistent minimum level of financial support. While we consider the findings of an independent review of the SRA, which will be published later this month, we will increase the SRA in 2025-26 with an additional £1.9 million.
This week, we also launched a national marketing campaign aimed at recruiting more local authority foster carers, and, by the end of 2025, we will publish a new vision for kinship care, reaffirming its central place in the care system. These broader measures aim to support children before they come into crisis and before they may need interventions like secure care.
As confirmed in the programme for government last week, I will introduce legislation ahead of the summer recess to further advance the changes that are required to keep the Promise to Scotland’s children and to our care-experienced community. Following the bill’s introduction, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with members from across the chamber.
I hope that this statement reassures members of our continuing focus on secure accommodation capacity and that we are maintaining our commitment to the highest standards of care across the entire system. I am aware that members will have further questions, which I will be pleased to answer now.
The minister will now take questions on the issues that were raised in her statement. I intend to allow around 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 to press their request-to-speak buttons now, if they have not already done so.
I thank the minister for advance sight of her statement.
I note that the purpose of today’s statement was to reassure members of the Scottish Government’s focus on secure accommodation capacity and to maintain the commitment to the highest standards of care across the system. However, I am not convinced that the statement has done either of those things.
There are so many things in the statement that worry me. There is a reliance on the whole family wellbeing fund, which varies per local authority. There have been minimal changes in the court process. There has been a reduction in the number of children who have been taken into care, which is said by many to be delaying proper support. Despite a drive last year, there has still been no substantial change in the number of foster carers. The four-bed national contingency resource in Rossie was supposed to alleviate the pressure on the system—there are four beds, but there were four places available this morning. We were told that St Mary’s Kenmure will be returning to increased capacity, but that there are still staffing issues.
This is now the third statement on the matter in a few months, and we are stuck in exactly the same position as we were in at the beginning: a secure care system that is bursting at the seams and is unable to deliver what was promised during the passage of the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024. My questions are simple. Will the minister finally confirm to the chamber, at the third time of asking, how many children in the past six months have been unable to be placed in secure care? Is she still of the view that overprovision would run contrary to the Promise? Will there be tangible change in the statement that we are getting next month?
I thank Roz McCall for her questions. I do not agree with the sentiment that we are in the same position that we were in when I delivered my first statement on the issue. I have been very open and transparent with the Parliament. I have recognised the issues, and we have taken direct action. I have laid out progress in every single statement that I have made to the Parliament. Although I appreciate that there are still on-going issues, I am committed to laying out, and have been very open and honest with the Parliament in doing so, the routes that we are exploring at the moment. They might not all come to fruition, but this Government is taking action.
On how many children are placed in secure care or have not been able to get a place, the Scottish Government does not routinely hold case-specific information on that—I believe that I gave the same answer to Roz McCall in response to her question on my previous statement. However, I assure her that every single child’s case is assessed on a case-by-case basis to ensure the safety of that child and of the other children in the secure care estate. That will continue as we go on. I highlight that we have four spaces, and I am looking to augment that further.
I thank the minister for advance sight of her statement.
We are in a really challenging position with regard to secure accommodation. We have talked about the availability of four beds today. That is, in fact, three beds plus one emergency bed, which fulfils a different role in the system. In the previous statement, when we talked about Rossie, those four beds were offered as a contingency resource. If not for that resource, we would be completely full today.
On 4 June, it will be one year since the bill received royal assent, and we are having the same discussions again and again. Does the Scottish Government recognise that the lack of forward planning, in the face of all the evidence that is coming, is continuing to fail some of our most vulnerable children in Scotland?
I recognise the concerns that members are bringing to me. I disagree that there was a lack of forward planning. I was very clear during the passage of the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill, and in each of my previous statements to the Parliament, that a huge amount of planning had taken place to ensure that we were ready for the changes that were introduced as a result of that bill. At the time, there was ample capacity in the secure care system, but it is an evolving matter. As I said, I have laid out the additional capacity. We have four beds currently, and we are looking at implementing other measures to increase that further.
I point to the “Reimagining Secure Care” work. There are complexities in relation to the placement of a child in secure care, which I am sure that we will get into in other members’ questions. I believe that our work on reimagining secure care for the future will continue to help with the issue.
I welcome the minister’s statement and her consistent engagement with the Parliament and the Criminal Justice Committee on the issue. She has been clear before that the issue is not unique to Scotland and is complex. Will the minister therefore set out how our multi-agency approach in Scotland is bringing partners together in supporting the principles of getting it right for every child?
That ties in entirely with our preventative approach. I hope that the statement reflects that the key to making the best use of secure care and to preserving space for the children who need it most is to deliver on GIRFEC—lately, The Promise Scotland has helpfully communicated with us on that exact point. It means getting the right preventative and de-escalatory interventions in place at the right time. The aim should be to support children in the right way and at the right time to prevent concerns from developing to a point where a child is in crisis and may need those high-intensity services and interventions. As I have already said, we will reinforce that in our upcoming response to the reimagining secure care report.
It is in the interest of the whole of society for there to be an effective and compassionate system for young people who require secure care. I know, from my area, that the current system of merely tagging known troublemakers is completely ineffective. There have been a number of disturbing violent examples, particularly around retail, where a tagged young person has been free to wreak havoc and misery and clearly has not feared the consequences. What firm plans does the Scottish Government have to tackle that problem and when will they take effect?
The provisions that are placed on a child as a result of an offence would be a matter for the children’s hearings system and the reporter. I cannot comment on individual cases. If Ms Dowey has recognised an issue that is increasing in her constituency, I am more than happy to discuss it with her. However, as I said, I cannot necessarily comment on specific cases.
I note that the programme for government outlined plans to introduce the children and young people (care) (Scotland) bill. Will the minister outline how the bill will make changes to several key areas in the children’s care system, particularly in taking on board recommendations from recent consultations?
I recently confirmed to the Education, Children and Young People’s Committee my intention to introduce a bill to the Parliament prior to the summer recess. That was also set out in last week’s programme for government. Members know the parliamentary procedures for the introduction of legislation and will appreciate the fact that I am not able to give any further detail on the content of the bill ahead of its introduction.
However, I note that we have carefully considered the views that were gathered through the numerous consultations that were undertaken last year, including on the next stages of reform of the children’s hearings system, the future of foster care, the definition of care experience and the support that is available to those who are moving on from care.
I look forward to introducing the bill in the coming weeks and strongly welcome the opportunity to engage with members on it, as I said in my statement.
The Scottish National Party Government has failed yet again to implement its own legislation, which was predictable. Indeed, during scrutiny of the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill, I warned the minister that
“you cannot expect members across the Parliament to vote for a bill that relies so heavily on social work without any reassurance from you that support will be in place ... to meet the demands of the bill”.—[Official Report, Education, Children and Young People Committee, 1 November 2023; c 6.]
Thirteen months have passed since the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 was passed, and it is clear that that support is not in place. With three statements on capacity in five months, it is also clear that, despite what the minister says, the response is not one of urgency and care; it is more one of panic and chaos. Will the minister finally admit that it is not the system that is failing young people this time but her Government?
I disagree entirely. This has not been hashed together in the form of some rash decision. Concerns about capacity arose just prior to Christmas 2024. Since then, I have been working on the matter continuously, and officials, COSLA and all the relevant partners have been focused on the matter up to today, and that continues. As I have laid out in my statement, a number of actions are being looked into, considered and worked on to improve the situation.
Ms Duncan-Glancy refers to workforce issues. We are taking a number of actions to support our social work workforce, because we understand that a strong, qualified and experienced workforce will be absolutely fundamental to the delivery of the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 and the delivery of the Promise.
I once supported young people with experience of secure care, and I understand just how vital early access to support is. Children in secure care often require multiple services, such as mental health support, education and vocational training, among others. Will the minister outline how the Scottish Government will work to foster greater collaboration between health services, local authorities, education providers and, importantly, the third sector to ensure that the wider support needs of these young people are met with a person-centred approach?
Absolutely. Again, that needs to be considered in our response to “Reimagining Secure Care” and in our prioritisation of a preventative approach. As I said in my previous statement, I do not necessarily always agree that secure care is the appropriate place for a child. I believe that those conversations and access to alternatives are absolutely fundamental. I strongly support the need for the effective partnership working that Elena Whitham refers to across all relevant sectors, whether that be health or education, to optimise the outcomes of secure care placements and, as I said, to ensure access to appropriate alternatives. It is an area that we are considering as part of that work, and I will be more than happy to provide a further update on that as it continues.
When the minister gave her previous statement, I asked whether she could provide an update on the development of regulations on secure transport provision for children in secure care. We included that in the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill because of evidence of the totally inappropriate use of restraints such as handcuffs. At that point, the minister said that she would write to me with an update. I am happy to correct the record if I have got this wrong, but I do not believe that I have received that. Will she provide that update at this point?
Absolutely. Mr Greer is correct—he has not yet received that update. I will be writing to him shortly with more details.
I can confirm that we laid the commencement regulations on 24 April to set that in motion. The first set of national standards on secure transport will be prepared, published and laid in Parliament within one year of those regulations coming into force. The regulations will come into force in September 2025, so the secure transport standards will be laid in Parliament by September 2026.
A working group has been set up to consider the development of those standards. As I say, I will be writing to Mr Greer, and if there is anything else that he would like me to include in that communication, I am more than happy to do that.
If the minister does not know how many young people have been denied secure care, how does she know how many extra secure beds are required?
It is not a static process so it is not a case of saying that on a certain day, X number of secure care beds are required. It is an evolving process. Children require entry into secure care for a number of different reasons. As I have said, there can be a multitude of reasons why a placement cannot be found or why that can be difficult.
I cannot emphasise more the work that we have under way to ensure that there is sufficient capacity in the system and that every child’s case is considered individually and in a way that is in the best interests of all children involved. I am confident in the Government’s response because, as I have said, the process is evolving and can change daily.
St Mary’s Kenmure is in my constituency, so I welcome the minister’s continued focus on the issue. It is very welcome to hear that capacity in the secure care system has increased, but, as the minister says, it fluctuates daily. Will the minister reiterate how capacity has increased since the end of last year?
The annual social work statistics confirm that between July 2023 and July 2024, there were an average of 60 children in secure care, against an average overall availability of 71 beds. The placement embargo was imposed at St Mary’s in October 2024, following the Care Inspectorate’s improvement notice, which, as the member is aware, confined St Mary’s to offering nine beds to children who were already in its care.
St Mary’s made sufficient progress by March 2025 to enable it to open up a further three beds. Four new secure beds in Rossie have now been fully funded by the Scottish Government and they opened up last month.
Updated guidance has been issued by the Care Inspectorate this year, enabling providers to have more flexibility over the use of emergency beds.
As my statement indicated, we expect to take further capacity action in the next short period, and we are looking at a range of measures to support that.
The statement tells me that the Scottish Government is not confident in delivering the outcomes and targets that have been announced by the minister. If the new national contingency resource facility had not been opened last month, there would be no beds available for children who require secure accommodation. That is not progress.
Members have asked about data in relation to young people who have not been able to be placed into secure accommodation because of the lack of beds. It is simply nonsense for the minister to respond by saying that the Scottish Government does not hold any data on that whatsoever. The minister has known that we need such data in order to scrutinise the work of the Scottish Government. Why has she not looked into that?
We are talking about matters relating to the Promise, so why has it taken the minister so long to introduce the bill, given that her party gave its word to care-experienced young people that it would be introduced before the end of this parliamentary session?
I am interested in understanding how Meghan Gallacher believes that the statement shows that we have no confidence in our response. I have been very clear that I have confidence in our response. It is a difficult issue, and nobody is backing away from it. Meghan Gallacher is bringing to me hypotheticals about what would happen if Rossie was not available. Rossie is available, as a direct result of Scottish Government funding and Scottish Government priority.
I do not want to deal with hypotheticals; I want to deal with fact and reality, which is exactly what I have laid out in my statement.
In relation to the Promise bill, I was clear in committee, and I have been clear today, that the Promise bill is coming, and that it will come in good time to ensure that the committee can scrutinise it. I want to make sure that the bill is as strong as possible so that it can deliver on the Promise that was made to care-experienced children and young people, and I am sure that, when the bill is introduced, it will do just that.
On Monday, the First Minister launched a new national campaign on fostering. Will the minister outline what the message of the campaign is, what it will do and how MSPs across the chamber can help to support it?
As I noted in my statement, on Monday, to coincide with the start of foster care fortnight, the Government launched a national recruitment campaign. The focus of the campaign is that ordinary can be extraordinary for a child in foster care, which will involve showing that everyday moments can change lives.
Fostering is open to people from all walks of life. No specific qualifications are needed, and people do not need to have children of their own. The campaign will run for seven weeks across television, video, on demand, radio and press. I hope that MSPs will support the promotion of the campaign in their local constituencies and online.
On Monday, I wrote directly to all MSPs to provide details about the campaign. Together, we can help to ensure that every child has the stable and nurturing home that they deserve.
The minister needs to understand that we do not have confidence in her statement. She is the minister who is responsible for the system, and what she has brought to Parliament today is another set of maybes aye, maybes no. That is not the way to run any aspect of Government, especially when we are talking about some of the most vulnerable young people in our country.
I will give the minister an opportunity to be a little bit more precise about the issue of operational capacity. First, can she please define, for the purposes of this Parliament’s information, what full operational capacity is? Secondly, can she give a specific guarantee on the timeline by which that capacity will be in operation?
I am not quite clear that I understand the basis of Mr Kerr’s question, so if I do not answer it in my response today, I am more than happy for him to write to me, and I will respond in writing.
I am sorry that members do not have confidence in the statement, but I do not believe that we are dealing with ifs and buts. My statement delivers real action to restore capacity. I have tried to be open and honest with members, and to share with them the range of measures that are available. I would have preferred to have made the statement in June, when I would probably have had more concrete progress to advise on, but I wanted to be as open and honest as I could be.
Not all the measures that I have announced today will be fulfilled, but I am confident that the Government is taking the action that is needed, and that we will deliver for the children and young people who need it most.
That concludes that item of business. Before we move to the next item of business, there will be a brief pause to allow front-bench members to change places.
Previous
Portfolio Question Time