Information on the Sector

The current context for Scotland's residential child care services is described below (including the latest available statistics). Further background information is available in Home Truths: Residential Child Care in Scotland A Context Paper.

Children and Young People

• Nearly 13,000 children were looked after by local authorities on 31 March 2006*
• This is 1.16% of the child population and the highest proportion of children looked after since 1982
• Of those 1638 children were in residential child care (13% of the looked after population), this has decreased substantially in the last 30 years, and stabilised in the last decade

Residential Establishments

SIRCC's Residential Unit Database (RUD) identifies 256 residential establishments throughout Scotland in 2007. Residential child care is provided in:

Setting	No. of Children
Total	1,638
Local authority homes	737
Voluntary and private sector provision	84
Residential schools	663
Secure accommodation	78
Other residential accommodation**	76

Residential childcare workforce

The RUD indicates 4,688 child care staff employed in residential child care in Scotland in 2007:

• 3,806 full time
• 882 part time
• 41.4% are employed in the local authority sector
• 41.7% in the voluntary/independent sector
• 16.9% in the private sector

Qualification levels

The residential child care workforce is becoming increasingly more qualified. SIRCC has undertaken audits of the qualification levels of the workforce. Results from the 2007 Audit show a marked increase in qualified staff who have achieved qualifications and remained in the sector since the 2004 Audit:

• 3330 (72.2% of sector) residential staff responded (up from 3070 in 2004)
• 32% are currently qualified, 68% are not
• Of those not qualified, 22% are undertaking qualifications and will be qualified on completion
• Assuming these are achieved, the number of qualified and potentially qualified staff increases to 54%
• These figures surpass the numbers predicted in the 2004 audit

Comparison of qualification levels of staff between 2004 and 2007

	Currently Qualified		Qualified When Achieved Current Award
	2004	2007	2004	2007
Totals	18%	32%	29%	54%
Manager	7%	39%	24%	66%
Supervisor	30%	39%	39%	64%
Care Worker	16%	30%	28%	51%

* All figures are from Scottish Executive Looked After Children statistics 2005-06 unless otherwise stated. Scottish Executive, (2006).
** Other residential accommodation: in women's refuge, in local authority hostel for offenders, in voluntary hostel for offenders, in local authority hostel for drug/alcohol abusers, in voluntary hostel for drug/alcohol abusers (Scottish Executive, 2005-06 Children Looked After Survey Guidance notes)