About SIRCC

The Scottish Institute of Residential Child Care (SIRCC) was established in April 2000. We are a partnership of the University of Strathclyde, The Robert Gordon University, Who Cares? Scotland and Langside College, and we are funded primarily by the Scottish Government.

Our Mission

SIRCC acts as a catalyst to influence and improve the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people living in residential care. We seek to do this by:

• Providing learning and development opportunities
• Supporting organisational development and workforce planning
• Establishing a sound evidence base which incorporates the views and experience of young people
• Our activities respect and value children and young people and the workers caring for them in residential establishments

Our Vision

For those children and young people who need it, residential care should be a valid, stable, nurturing and therapeutic form of care.

• It should be a placement of choice because it is successful in meeting children and young people’s needs, recognising their rights, and helping them overcome the difficulties that led to their placement
• Placements should be designed to help children and young people grow, develop and realise their potential
• Residential child care should not be a marginalised service seen as a last resort. It is likely to be a relatively small but core service offering specialised and expert provision
• It should be part of a continuum of provision, the balance and focus of which will change in response to changing needs
• SIRCC aims to be a catalyst to achieve this vision

Our Aim

SIRCC aims to ensure that residential child care workers throughout Scotland have access to the skills and knowledge they require to meet the needs of the children and young people in their care.