Large increase in children at risk
High profile cases prompt social workers and members of the public to act sooner
Published:
The number of young children placed on child protection registers across the north and north-east went up by more than a third last year, according to new figures.
The increase is put down to a growing willingness by councils to step in, and by the public to report concerns, following high-profile cases such as that of Baby P.
Statistics published yesterday show that 898 youngsters were placed on child protection registers across the north and north-east in 2008-09, up 35% on the previous year.
The number of youngsters taken off the register over the year went up 15% from 747 to 861.
The number of referrals fell 22% from 3,389 to 2,617, in stark contrast to the trend across Scotland which was up by 29%.
Social work departments in Aberdeen, Dundee and Moray have recently been criticised for failing children at risk.
In Aberdeen the number of referrals fell 68% from 1,385 to 435, but the number of registrations shot up 47% from 156 to 229.
In Dundee, where 23-month-old Brandon Muir was killed by his mother’s drug addict boyfriend Robert Cunningham, the number of referrals was up 30% from 163 to 213. The number of registrations was slightly changed from 110 to 114.
A Dundee Council spokes-man said: “These figures show that child protection is taken very seriously in the city, with more referrals made and more of these actually resulting in case conferences.
“It is also the case that a higher percentage of case conferences result in children being placed on the protection register.”
In Moray registrations went up 11% from 230 to 256 while the number on the register shot up 132% from 32 to 72.
Children’s Minister Adam Ingram said the rise in referrals and children on the register was consistent with the general upward trend in recent years.
He said: “Every child in Scotland deserves to be safe and secure as they grow up. Ensuring fast and effective protection is available to every young person at risk of neglect or abuse is a key priority for this government. Everybody has their part to play and these figures suggest more people are reporting their concerns and support is being put in place more quickly, more effectively and more collaboratively.”
Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Margaret Smith said: “The human costs of these statistics can be seen in tragic cases like little Brandon Muir in Dundee.
“This report has found that in 85% of cases where the suspected abuse is serious enough for joint action by social workers and other agencies, the primary abuser was the child’s natural parents.”
Labour leader Iain Gray said the figures came in the wake of an education inspectorate report which showed nearly one in four councils were not fully meeting the needs of children.
“Social workers do a great job in working with problem families but the system needs to be re-examined,” he said.
Tory children’s spokes- woman Liz Smith said the figures were symptoms of Scotland’s “broken society”.
“Each case here represents a blighted young life and the fact remains that many children are suffering from having at least one parent dependent on drugs or alcohol,” she said.
