The Care Inspectorate and its scrutiny partners, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland and Education Scotland, have evaluated the impact of services for children and young people at risk of harm in Moray as adequate, meaning strengths just outweighed weaknesses.
Inspectors found strengths that were having a positive impact. Nonetheless, the likelihood of achieving positive experiences and outcomes was reduced significantly because of key areas of performance that needed to improve.
The report noted that the partnership’s approach to identifying and responding to risk was helping to keep children and young people safe.
The majority of children and young people were benefitting from caring and trusting relationships with key staff, but not all felt that staff spent the time with them that they needed.
Where available, specialist services were helping children and young people recover from abuse and neglect.
However, young people at risk of harm from themselves or to others, or from risk in the community, did not always receive the help they needed to make a positive difference in their lives.
Children and young people - and parents and carers - were contributing to decisions about their lives, though not all had access yet to independent advocacy.
Children and young people at risk of harm were not yet routinely influencing service planning and delivery.
In addition, the child protection committee had not yet fully developed the mechanisms necessary to understand and communicate the difference that services were making to the lives of children and young people at risk of harm.
Jackie Irvine, Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate, said: “The Care Inspectorate and its scrutiny partners are confident that the partnership in Moray has the capacity to make changes in the areas that require improvement.
“Leaders, including elected members, recognised the need for change, had in place appropriate risk management arrangements and demonstrated a commitment to driving forward their improvement agenda.
“The Care Inspectorate will request a joint action plan that clearly details how the partnership will make improvements in the key areas identified by inspectors. We will continue to offer support for improvement and monitor progress.”
The full report can be read here.
A video summary of the report can be found here.