HIghland Council pledges to do better for children in care

A massive revamp of how children in care are looked after has been given the green light.

Young people under the care of Highland Council often have to be sent elsewhere due to a lack of facilities in the region.

But now council bosses are working on proposals to create more homes and work with families to solve problems before children need to be taken away from their parents.

A report by Sandra Campbell, the local authority’s head of children’s services, said investing in building more local facilities will save money in the long term as it will reduce the need to pay other councils for care, as well as providing better support for looked after children.

At a meeting of the latest care, learning and housing committee, she said: "This will reduce of out of authority placements to an absolute minimum.

"In short it will save money, deliver better outcomes for young people and as a by-product will create jobs.

"It seeks to address a long standing trend of people being placed a long way from home at a high cost. This is probably the most exciting job I have ever had the privilege to lead on."

The council currently has four care homes and emergency provision, all of which are often full.

The plans were unanimously supported and welcomed by the committee, including council leader Margaret Davidson.

She said: "For years we have been in the habit of thinking if we send a child out of the authority and they have education, like a residential school, it has to be good for the child - not always.

"It is dismal sometimes.

"It’s not the answer and we have known that for years.

"The key issue is that we have to change hearts, minds and long standing practice.

"These are our most vulnerable children and we are trying to do our best for them, not just keep them safe and warm but get better outcomes for them and keep their sense of roots and belonging."

All new homes will include education facilities and CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health services) support.

It was noted that there could be an opportunity for the council to make money by offering placements to other councils but it was agreed that the focus first needs to be on Highland children.

Cromarty Firth councillor Pauline Munro recounted her own experiences as a child in care and said the homes she lived in the Highlands were better than elsewhere.

"I was in the care system periodically throughout my childhood," she said.

"I have been here and I have been down south and we can do so much better here in the Highands."

A business case was agreed at the meeting and a new project team will now be created to come up with in-depth plans.

The proposals also include a review of foster parents’ pay, which is lower in the Highlands than anywhere else in Scotland.

The wages offered to temporary carers’ pay has come under fire recently after a Freedom of Information Request revealed that the council pays hundreds of pounds a month less than elsewhere in Scotland and little more than a third of the highest-paying local authority.

Inverness South Conservative councillor Andrew Jarvie has been campaigning for a pay rise for foster parents and improvements to the care

system since he was elected last year.

He said: "I’m absolutely delighted to see this, it is something I have really wanted to tackle for a long time and I am glad to see assurances coming to fruition.

"This really is the way to go forward."

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