Matching Resources to Needs Working Group

Working Group One will audit current provision for children in residential care and develop a strategy for the development and supply of residential child care services to match the full range of needs of the children and young people. This group is being chaired by Andy Kendrick.

The Working Group met for its first one day meeting on 17th September and explored its remit and main objectives. The group explored a wide range of issues regarding both Needs and Resources including the current position, changing trends and what needs to be addressed when looking to the future. The group also began to identify sources of information and the range of stakeholders who need to be engaged in debate and discussion about the development of services for the future
The first meeting of each Working Group was preparation for a two day residential which took place in November when all groups came together to develop detailed work plans and to share common issues and themes. Since the residential the Matching Resources to Needs Group has worked and continues to work on a number of the actions in its work plan. A key task it is currently working on is the collation of data and information from a wide range of sources to assist in undertaking an audit of current provision. It is also seeking information about i) the range of children’s and young people’s needs that residential care is currently meeting and ii) the specific needs which are not being met.

Stakeholders are invited to respond, either online or at one of the four stakeholder events in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Inverness, to a number of questions which will assist the working group in undertaking its audit and assessing the extent to which needs are not being met and how they can best be met in the future.

Please feel free to answer as many questions as you wish – it would be helpful if, where possible include in your response reference to

• Specific needs
• Age and gender of children and young people
• Type of provision

1. What needs are best met by residential child care?
2. Can you identify and describe specific needs of children and young people which have not been met/are not currently being met through a residential placement in Scotland?
3. Can you provide us with /signpost us to examples of models of care that have met/currently meet these needs?
4. Are you aware of any recording/evidence of unmet need
5. How do you think these unmet needs could be addressed?
6. Can you provide/cite examples/models of practice of effective matching of resources to need?
7. What are the barriers to effective matching of resources to need?

Submit a question or message to the group

Membership of Matching Resources to Needs – Working Group One