Letter sent to the Herald 22nd February 2008: Lesson of Kerelaw is effective leadership and well-trained staff

Letter sent to the Herald 22nd February 2008: Lesson of
Kerelaw is effective leadership and well-trained staff

The Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care (SIRCC) wishes to acknowledge
the serious concern generated by publicity about abusive care practices and
inadequate management in the now-closed Kerelaw secure unit and residential
school. While there are numerous concerns to address, we have focused on
three areas for the purpose of this letter. We express our sympathy to the former
residents who have been abused and harmed by the care they received. The
safety of young people and the challenges in providing good residential care are
at the forefront of our minds. We are concerned because when children and
young people do not receive the level of care they deserve, it is not only their
future which is undermined but also that of Scotland as a whole.

Previous inquiries such as the Kent Report (1997) and others have made clear
what is required to care well for children. Many measures to protect children have
been put in place throughout Scotland in recent years. The recent Glasgow City
Council report, however, outlines failings in areas that are recognised to be
essential in maintaining healthy cultures in residential settings that support the
best outcomes for young people. The particular importance of actively listening to
children, having independent scrutiny, and listening to staff who report poor
practice, for example, are fundamental to providing good care. These are not
new lessons for the residential care sector, and it is essential that these lessons
are learned and applied, not just in residential care but across all children's
services. This cannot be achieved without effective leadership and well-trained
staff.

We are convinced that a highly trained and registered residential childcare
workforce is necessary. The quality of care can only be improved by supporting
the development of skilled and competent staff and management, and shaping
the cultures in which care is provided. Most of the young people placed in
residential services have major difficulties in their lives through no fault of their
own, and providing good-quality care to ensure positive outcomes involves
commitment from a wide range of social work, education and health staff.
SIRCC has been funded by the Scottish Executive to support organi-sations that
provide residential care, and aims to be a catalyst in improving care in Scotland
in conjunction with these stakeholders, by providing education, consultancy and
undertaking research on best practice.

We caution that organisations and staff who were not involved in supporting
abusive practice are not tarred with the same brush as those convicted of serious
offences nor blamed for the failings of management. It is likewise vital that those
who have been found guilty of abusive practice are not free to work elsewhere.
Full registration of the workforce should make this goal more straightforward.
All of us with a role in residential childcare services must work together actively
to apply the lessons, and avoid future failures by providing high-quality services
that young people deserve and that Scotland can be proud of.

Jennifer Davidson, Director, Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care,
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.