Looked After Children
Children and young people under the care and supervision of a Local Authority are referred to as “Looked After Children”.
Looked After Children fall into two categories:
Looked After and Accommodated
These are children and young people placed with foster carers, in a residential unit setting, or with relatives by the local authority or by the Children’s Hearings system.
Looked After at Home
These are children who are made subject to a Supervision Requirement via the Children’s Hearing system, but remain at home with their families receiving support and assistance to address the grounds of referral that led to their attendance at a Children’s Hearing. See SCRA links above for more information.
Children's Hearings
You can view or download the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA) leaflets below on the following:
- Information for Children and Families - when going to a hearing
- This leaflet includes information for children about what a hearing is, who will be there, what will be discussed and what decisions can be made.
- For families, it includes information on how the Children's Hearings System works.
- Information for Families - now that a Supervision Requirement has been made
- This situation includes an additional requirement that the child stays in Secure Accommodation.
- The leaflet includes information for families on what happens next, is it compulsory, how long will it last and appeals.
- Information for Families about Secure Accommodation
Principal Statutory Legislation
The principal statutory legislation that outlines the local authority's responsibilities towards "looked after children" is the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, mainly:
Section 25
Sees children and young people looked after and accommodated usually with foster carers, at the request of their parents. It is therefore a voluntary agreement.
Section 70
This is the statute by which children become subject to Supervision Requirements (either at home or accommodated through the decision of a Children’s Hearing.)
Section 86
Refers to those small numbers of looked after children who are subject to Parental Responsibilities Orders as they are unable to be returned to their parents care and have required the local authority to undertake parental responsibilities.
Planning and Reviewing Arrangements for Looked After Children
All looked after children are obliged to have their Care Plans reviewed on a regular basis. This is defined under Section 31 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995.
It is current practice to involve and invite all professionals involved with a child and their family, in order to progress the best possible planning for each child or young person and their circumstances.
Each child or young person has an allocated Social Worker to coordinate and report on the progress of their Looked After Care Plan, with the guiding principal being that the plan should help to ensure that they are only looked after for as long as necessary and beneficial for them.
Statistics
For statistical information, you can view or download the document below:
- Looked after children statistics 2009/10
- Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG)
- Children's Handbook Scotland
- Comprehensive guide to benefits and tax credits where children are living away from their parents. This includes children who are in kinship or foster care, or looked after by the local authority, or at residential school, in residential care or hospital. It includes practical examples and easy to use checklists, and is fully referenced to legislation and caselaw.
- Children's Handbook Scotland
More information
- Clackmannanshire Council press release July 2011
- Enquire
- Why label me because I'm in care?
- Want to know what it is like being a looked after young person?
- Why label me because I'm in care?
- The truth about care blog
- Young people's experiences of the care system
- The Who Cares Trust's campaign film showing the good and bad sides of growing up in the care system.
- Scottish Government
- These are our bairns
This document provides guidance to councils and their community planning partners on how to improve outcomes for looked after children and young people and care leavers, through better fulfilling their corporate parent function.
- These are our bairns
Publications & Documents
External Links
See also
Page & Site Tools
Contact information
For further information about this page please contact:
Child Care Services
Lime Tree House, Castle Street, Alloa, FK10 1EX
Tel: 01259 225000 / 450000
Email: childcare@clacks.gov.uk
Or use the on-line contact form
