Charity lends support to social workers as they warn they are at breaking point

Care system is saturated say care professionals

Scotland’s care system is in emergency, with children at risk because councils cannot find enough safe places for them to live.

In an unusually blunt joint statement, all 32 chief social work officers said an “acute shortage” of suitable homes and carers was putting vulnerable children in danger and pushing staff beyond breaking point.

Some social workers have been forced to take children home with them because no placement could be found, they said.

The warning, published by Social Work Scotland, was aimed directly at Scottish Government and council leaders.

The officers said the system was now “saturated” and would already have collapsed without the “incredible efforts” of carers, social work staff and other professionals.

They said: “This is an emergency for Scotland’s care system, and we ask Scottish Government and local government leaders to work with us to take necessary action.”

Chief social work officers are the strategic and professional leads for social work in Scotland’s 32 councils.

They said the shortage was increasing the risk of children suffering physical, sexual and emotional abuse, exploitation and neglect.

The statement also warned that the pressure on those responsible for keeping children, young people and adults safe had become “undue and unsustainable”.

It said Scotland’s commitment to The Promise — that all children grow up loved, safe and respected by 2030 — would not be achieved unless basic child protection duties could be met.

“We share these ambitions wholeheartedly,” the officers said. “But the primary responsibility of public authorities is to protect the welfare and wellbeing of people, and if we are unable to do this fundamental task, those ambitions will never be realised.”

NSPCC Scotland said the warning showed how badly the system had been stretched.

Joanne Smith, the charity’s policy and public affairs manager, said every child unable to live safely at home must have access to safe, stable and nurturing care as early as possible.

She said delays and poor-quality care could have “devastating and lifelong consequences” for children who had already experienced early adversity.

Smith said the lack of suitable placements was leaving babies and children in unsafe, unstable or inappropriate situations, with immediate and long-term effects on their wellbeing.

She added: “This must be a turning point. We need urgent action to increase the number of suitable foster placements, ensure better support for professionals and carers, and invest in early help so that fewer families reach crisis point in the first place.”

Children’s minister Siobhian Brown said she took the warning “very seriously” and had asked to meet Social Work Scotland as a priority.

Brown, who became minister for children, young people and The Promise after last month’s Scottish elections, said any child unable to live at home “must be able to stay in a safe, stable and caring environment”.

She said the Scottish Government remained committed to delivering The Promise, including through efforts to recruit more foster carers and an additional £22.2m in support for foster and kinship carers.

Brown also pointed to new legislation, introduced in March, to regulate cross-border placements in residential care, and to the launch of the National Social Work Agency.

But she said “significant pressures remain” and pledged to work with Social Work Scotland and other partners to ensure the right placements are available across the country.

The Scottish Association of Social Work said the warning “must be a catalyst for change”.

Susan Dobson, SASW professional officer, said social workers taking children home because there was nowhere else for them to go “cannot be normalised”.

She said the situation could have “potentially catastrophic consequences” for the children involved.

Dobson called for immediate support for social work leaders and longer-term changes to funding and resources for services protecting vulnerable children and young people.

COSLA said it recognised and shared the officers’ concerns.

Tony Buchanan, COSLA’s children and young people spokesperson, said the issues raised pointed to “real and growing risks” for children, families and the workforce.

He said local government would work with Social Work Scotland, ministers and partners on urgent action and longer-term solutions.

Buchanan added: “Without stabilising system capacity, there is a risk that the progress we all want to see for children and families will not be achievable.”