Call for child protection shake-up
Agencies say they will consider proposal for improvements from Moray councillors
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Moray Council’s child protection sub-committee yesterday called for a major shake-up in the way services to protect vulnerable youngsters are delivered across the north-east.
Chairman Allan Wright explained that under their proposals, Moray, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen would each have their own team for tackling day-to-day issues affecting vulnerable youngsters in their area. Services are currently overseen by the North East of Scotland Child Protection Committee (NESCPC), made up of representatives of the police, council and health board.
Yesterday agencies involved in protecting vulnerable youngsters said they would consider the proposal. In February, the Press and Journal exclusively revealed details of a report by HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) which rated as weak 10 out of 18 aspects of the service in Moray, making it one of the worst in the country.
The situation was also bleak in Aberdeen. Last year, inspectors heavily criticised the service after they found many children were left at considerable risk and were not getting the support they needed.
Mr Wright hopes a new way of working would help boost services in all areas.
“What we want is a child protection committee representing the council, the police and the NHS in Moray.
“That way Moray would have its own system which could be more easily updated and audited,” he said.
“It just gives us a degree of autonomy that the sub-committee believes would represent best value in looking after the welfare of young people in the area.”
Mr Wright stressed the committee was “relaxed” about overall strategy and planning coming from the NESCPC, however.
An NHS Grampian spokesman said it would “consider any representations made to the group” by a partner agency.
Grampian Police’s Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Blake said they would do what was best for young people at risk. He said: “Grampian Police, together with our partners, are committed to providing the highest possible standard of child protection. This effort continues and as part of the drive for continuous improvement, work is ongoing among local partner members of the Child Protection Committee to decide the continuing structure of our joint arrangements. All partners have been actively engaged in the process and constructive discussions are ongoing at a senior level."
A spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council said it was committed to keeping children safe but said “no conclusions have yet been reached” in discussions with NESCPC being held as part of a comprehensive review.
Gordon Leslie, chairman of the children’s sub-committee at Aberdeen City Council said he had not heard the proposal but that any plan which might improve children’s services should be considered.
He said: “In my view, anything that can be done to help to improve child protection across the north-east of Scotland would be welcomed.”
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