- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 12 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure that young people in secure care have access to independent information and advice.
Answer
The national care standards require young people to have access to other agencies and services including advocacy. Young people in secure care have access to Who Cares? Scotland staff, children''s rights officers or other independent advocacy organisations, including legal representation. The Care Commission takes into account the national care standards when inspecting secure care services.
Responding to the recommendations of the recently published Independent Inquiry into Abuse at Kerelaw Residential School and Secure Unit, the Scottish Government recently announced its intention to commission a national survey to identify the access, availability and funding of advocacy services to children. We will seek to publish a report by the end of 2009.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 12 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to develop an information pack for distribution to young people entering secure units.
Answer
The Scottish Government has funded two booklets on children''s rights for children and young people being looked after away from home, one specifically aimed at those in secure care. These booklets are being used as part of a package of information local authorities will provide to children and young people when they enter secure care.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 12 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to produce national guidance to aid consistency in the use of single separation in secure units for young people.
Answer
The use of single separation should be covered within existing guidance for care staff and all incidences of single separation should be recorded. These records are monitored during inspections by the Care Commission.
In addition, I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24554 on 12 June 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 12 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to develop a single nationally accredited system of training and independent monitoring for the teaching and other staff of secure units for young people to ensure consistency across units.
Answer
The training and regulation of staff of secure care services, including teaching staff, is a matter for the General Teaching Council, Her Majesty''s Inspectorate of Education, the Care Commission and the Scottish Social Services Council.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 12 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure that secure units for young people are adequately staffed and resourced.
Answer
Staffing levels in secure care services are agreed between the Care Commission and the provider. The Care Commission has enforcement powers which it can use where services fail to meet the requirements set out in the legislation and the national care standards.
The resourcing of the independent secure care services is a matter for the owners and boards of managers of the services.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 12 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure that young people entering secure units have a clear understanding of the secure care system.
Answer
The national care standards set out the standard of care that a young person can expect from any care service including secure care. They require the young person to have up-to-date information on the care home, and staff are expected to explain responsibilities, rules and policies in a way young people can easily understand.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 12 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to produce national guidance to aid consistency in relation to the use of physical intervention and restraint in secure units for young people, including guidance for the relevant young people on the circumstances in which physical intervention and restraint may be necessary.
Answer
The Scottish Government has asked the Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care to work with secure care providers and partners to consider strengthening the current guidelines and standards on the use of restraint and other associated measures.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 12 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to ensure that young people in secure units have the opportunity to speak to an independent advocate.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24549 on 12 June 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 12 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to produce national guidance to ensure consistency in approach, values and practices of secure units for young people.
Answer
The national care standards set out the standard of care that a young person can expect from any care service including secure care. They aim to ensure a consistent standard of service provision and are underpinned by a set of values care providers are expected to adopt.
The Care Commission is responsible for the regulation of secure units and has enforcement powers which it can use where services fail to meet the requirements set out in the legislation and the national care standards.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 12 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure a consistent approach across secure units to consulting the young people in their care and involving them in the development of their care plans.
Answer
Local authorities have a duty to make a care plan for all their looked after children, including young people in secure care. This is monitored as part of inspection. The forthcoming Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009 seek to ensure that the young person is at the centre of decisions and require that young people are consulted about their care plan.
