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 East Lothian as very good.
Inspectors found that children and young people were safer as a result of staff’s effective recognition and response to risks and concerns.
Partners worked well together using inter-agency referral discussions to plan responses if children and young people were at risk of harm.
Most children and young people experienced positive relationships with staff that had helped to keep them safe.
The Single Point of Access* had enabled many children and young people to receive effective support for their mental health and wellbeing.
Children and young people at risk of harm felt that staff working with them listened to and respected their views.
There were examples of meaningful involvement at strategic level, but senior staff were not consistently seeking, collating and using the views of children and young people and their families to inform service improvements.
Leaders worked well together through clear governance structures and reporting arrangements. Staff had confidence in their leaders.
However, partners had not fully established ways to collect, analyse and report on the difference services were making, and could develop a greater understanding of this.
Jackie Irvine, Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate, said: “Whilst some improvements are required to maximise the wellbeing and experiences of children and young people, the strengths identified in the inspection clearly outweigh areas for improvement.
“The Care Inspectorate and our scrutiny partners are confident that the partnership in East Lothian has the capacity to make changes in the areas that require improvement.
“The Care Inspectorate will request that a joint action plan is provided that clearly details how the partnership will make improvements in the key areas identified. We will continue to offer support for improvement and monitor progress through our linking arrangements.”
The full report can be read here.