A joint inspection of services in Na h-Eileanan an Iar - the Western Isles for children and young people subject to compulsory supervision orders while living at home with their parents has found strengths plus some areas for improvement.
Inspectors from the Care Inspectorate, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland found that most children and young people were receiving support to reduce risks and to effectively address their needs.
Passionate and committed staff were ensuring that children and young people felt seen, listened to and understood.
The use of compulsory supervision orders was keeping children and young people safe and helping them stay in secure, stable home environments.
However, the quality of children and young people’s plans were evaluated as adequate or below in the majority of records read.
Inspectors also said the strategic direction for corporate parenting was lacking and actions and progress were not effectively monitored.
Self-evaluation, quality assurance and multi-agency training were under-developed. This meant opportunities for practice improvement and staff development were limited.
Jackie Irvine, Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate, said: “There are strengths in the delivery of services in the Western Isles. The staff demonstrate an enabling culture in working with children and young people which has made a positive impact on their lives.
“While leaders recognise the areas they need to focus on, and are committed to doing so, capacity and context has made it difficult to make this a priority. For this reason, the partnership would benefit from additional support to help focus attention on what needs to be done and how. This will enhance our confidence in the partnership’s ability to deliver an improvement plan and provide them with valuable opportunities to work together effectively. The Care Inspectorate will request a joint action plan that details clearly how the partnership will make improvements in the key areas identified by inspectors.”
The full report can be read here.
A Gaelic translation is available here.
You can also listen to a podcast about the inspection featuring one of our Young Inspection Volunteers and one of our strategic inspectors here.