The children’s care system is in a state of emergency with vulnerable children in danger and staff being pushed beyond breaking point. This must not be normalised.
On June 12th Scotland’s 32 Chief Social Work Officers (CSWOs) issued a joint statement that “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.” All the CSWOs – every strategic and professional lead for social work in each of the local authorities in Scotland – have made it clear that urgent action is needed from Scottish Government and council leaders to address the acute shortage of suitable homes and carers for children who are unable to remain in the care of their family.
The CSWOs bluntly state that placement shortage is increasing 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 care system is overstretched, the emergency placement measures that are being taken are not sustainable, and these emergency measures must not be normalised:
- Social workers are having to take children home as there are no other safe options.
- 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.
- Older children are sleeping on the sofas of foster carers and residential homes.
- Expensive specialist options are being used for children who do not have high levels of need.
- Some foster carers have not had a break in many months.
Community Care has reported that Siobhian Brown, who became minister for children, young people and The Promise after last month’s Scottish elections, said she took the issues raised by the statement “very seriously” and has asked to meet with Social Work Scotland “as a priority to discuss their concerns”. The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) – the local government leadership body – has recognised and shares the CSWOs’ concerns.
Social Workers Union (SWU) General Secretary John McGowan who is a SSSC registered Scottish Social Worker said:
“Social workers in Scotland are going above and beyond and I applaud their compassion and dedication. Despite poor working conditions, social workers are regularly stepping in to support people in crisis by personally funding basic items for people they support and opening their homes to children with nowhere to go. On top of this, social workers are working an average of 11 additional hours of unpaid overtime per week.
“However, it never should never have come to this. Social workers should not be forced to choose between a child’s safety and putting themselves in a position of risk. The government must take its duty of care to the social care workforce seriously and invest in the care system to keep children, young people, and adults safe. The system’s reliance on the shadow labour of social workers must end.”
SWU shares the CSWO’s concerns and agrees with comments from the Scottish Association of Social Work (SASW) that this must be a catalyst for change:
The statement by all 32 of Scotland’s Chief Social Work Officers last week highlighted the scale of the crisis in children’s care. A report from social work leaders warning of social workers taking children home because no alternative safe places can be found, of children being placed with young adults, and expensive independent providers being used out of necessity rather than assessed need, must be a catalyst for change.
The dedication of the workforce to those they support is clear, but social workers having to take children home because there is nowhere else for them to go cannot be normalised. Alternative care placements are needed to protect children who are not safe at home, where these do not exist, children can remain in unsafe homes. This environment has potentially catastrophic consequences for those children.
For Scotland’s children and young people to be in this position over six years since The Promise was made is a stark indication of how far we are from our national ambitions. Making The Promise was easy, but keeping it is proving much more difficult.
We recognise that the Minister is new in post and has met with colleagues from Social Work Scotland within just a few days of the statement being made. That, and the commitment to finding solutions with the sector, is welcome and a positive first step. However, this engagement must be followed by concrete action to support children and young people.
The immediate needs of children must be the priority, and we must support the profession’s leadership to provide for them in the short-term. In the long-term, there must be significant changes to resourcing and funding for services to protect and care for vulnerable children and young people.