Exclusive:Social workers 'taking children home' due to chronic lack of care spaces
Scotland’s chief social workers have taken the rare step of issuing a joint warning that children are at an increased risk of harm and sexual exploitation
Social workers are being forced to take children home with them due to a chronic shortage of suitable care.
Scotland’s chief social workers have issued a stark warning of a system close to collapse.
They say the lack of options is increasing the risk of harm to children from physical, sexual, emotional abuse or exploitation and neglect.
In a rare joint statement, experts have described children sleeping on sofas, toddlers being placed in residential units with teenagers and newborns being left in the care of hospital nurses.
Such is the dearth of suitable homes, children are being placed in expensive specialist provision when there are no appropriate places for them.
The 32 Chief Social Work Officers say they have written the statement in a desperate bid to force political action.
It reads: “Across Scotland there is now an acute shortage of suitable homes and carers for children who are unable to remain in the care of their family.
“The lack of options increases the risk of harm to children from physical, sexual, emotional abuse or exploitation and neglect, as well as placing undue and unsustainable pressure on the people entrusted with keeping Scotland’s children, young people and adults safe.
“The crisis is occurring at a time of growing concerns about the impact of poverty on families, a shortage of housing, and national attention on child sexual abuse and exploitation.”
Scotland’s most senior social workers detail how newborn babies are remaining in the care of hospital nurses.
Children as young as three years old are being placed in residential homes with young adults; a setting characterised by frequently changing staff and other young people.
Older children are sleeping on the sofas of foster carers and residential homes.
In such scarcity, where any safe placement will do, expensive specialist options are being used for children who do not have high levels of need, making them unavailable for those children who do.
Duncan Dunlop is now a Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP but was previously the chief executive of Who Cares? Scotland, the advocacy charity for care experienced people.
Mr Dunlop MSP said: “Ten years ago, the SNP promised that reform of the care system was a priority, but they have never properly engaged the public on this issue.
“The government should be helping the public to provide the conditions for these children to be cared for and loved.
“Their failure to do so has resulted in a lack of care beds and a lack of long-term loving relationships that are so critical for the life chances of these young people.”
During Nicola Sturgeon’s tenure as First Minister the government pledge to implement sweeping root and branch reforms to the care system, dubbed The Promise.
However, proposed changes are lagging years behind and critics say original plans have been watered down.
Mr Dunlop added: “The SNP are failing to realise and implement the Promise.
“If the government does not fix this as a matter of urgency, their neglect will continue to have a life-long limiting impact on the futures of care-experienced children.”
The social workers detail a system close to collapse but for the commitment of foster carers and care staff.
The statement continues: “The capacity of the care system is saturated, and it is only thanks to the incredible efforts of Scotland’s carers, social work staff and other professionals that we have been able to prevent the system collapsing entirely.
“Some carers have not had a break in many months, and in some parts of the country social workers have had to take children home with them, as no other safe options are available.
“This is an emergency for Scotland’s care system, and we ask Scottish Government and Local Government leaders to work with us to take necessary action.
“Principally, we – as the leaders of social work in local government – require the flexibility to authorise placements which we deem suitable to protect the welfare and wellbeing of children.
“We also need to see political commitments to alleviate the administrative demand on social work implemented at pace.”
Children, Young People and The Promise Minister Siobhian Brown said the issues raised in the statement are being taken “very seriously”.
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She said she has met with Social Work Scotland.
“Any child or young person who cannot live at home, regardless of their age, must be able to stay in a safe, stable and caring environment,” Ms Brown added.
She said the government is committed to delivering The Promise and has provided an extra £22.2 million for foster and kinship carers.
She added: “We also brought new legislation in March to regulate cross-border placements in residential care – this should help ensure more places are available for local authorities in Scotland.
“And this year we launched the National Social Work Agency to strengthen and support the social work profession.
“However, I recognise that significant pressures remain, and we will work closely with Social Work Scotland, COSLA, and other partners, to ensure we have the right placements across the country for children and young people.”
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