Child Safeguarding in Scotland
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported details of abuse that came to light during sentencing at Glasgow High Court yesterday, what its position is on whether child safeguarding in Scotland has failed.
Keeping children safe is our utmost priority.
The news from yesterday’s trial is horrific, and my thoughts are with the children who have suffered such abhorrent abuse. No sentence can take away their suffering. However, the perpetrators have only been brought to justice because of the bravery of their victims in coming forward.
Understandably, all of us are shocked when we hear about such terrible crimes, and I welcome the news that an independently led case learning review is under way, in line with national guidance, to ensure that child protection in Scotland is as robust as it can be and that all learning is acted on.
As a mother, my heart broke when I heard about the tragic circumstances of the abuse that was suffered by those children.
Of course, the Scottish Government has a duty to safeguard vulnerable children, yet the case reeks of institutional failures. Those children were on the child protection register, yet they were failed. Those children were known to agencies with a duty of care to protect them, yet they were failed. Those children were chronically absent from school, yet they were failed. Those children showed blatant signs of neglect, yet they were failed. The Scottish Government has presided over that catastrophic failure at every single level. Minister, are the children of Scotland safe?
Always speak through the chair, please.
I agree with some of the sentiments about the experiences of those children. I am a mother, and the case absolutely horrifies me. There is no getting away from the fact that those children were failed.
As I said, the details of the case are horrific, but I understand that the case review that is taking place will be carried out to learn lessons and to ensure that safeguarding is bolstered in Scotland. My priority right now has to be on the actions that we are taking, whether through the national strategic group, the newly established task force or the work that we are doing on the Promise and on improving child protection across the Government. My focus has to be on the actions that we are taking to protect children.
Yet again, catastrophic system failures have been brought to light by brave survivors and interveners. That shows that there is a problem in the system. A child’s background, behaviour and perceived social status must never impact on how they are protected in a civilised society; the mere fact that they are children must be enough. The fear of creating offence must never overshadow the instinct and the duty to protect children.
Let me be very clear that the right to and expectation of protection from abuse that the children in question had must be judged solely on the fact that they are children, and failure is not an option.
Will the Government outline what it will do to urgently address the serious safeguarding failures that have been brought to light?
I gave much of the answer to that question in my previous response. The Glasgow child protection committee has brought in an independent reviewer to lead the independent review that will be carried out. That reviewer will be from outwith Glasgow but is still to be appointed. I am confident that we will learn lessons from the failings as we consider what to do to protect children in the future.
I have previously outlined—both to the member and others—the actions that we are taking to protect children, such as through the national strategic group that has been set up and, in relation to online harms, through our newly established task force. I will continue to look for ways in which we can bolster child protection measures. If the member wishes to discuss that with me, I am more than happy to have such a discussion.
This is a harrowing case. It is absolutely vital that we enhance our child protection services and learn lessons.
The minister will be aware that I recently raised with the First Minister the specific issue of mandatory reporting. Can she say any more about what steps the Scottish Government is taking to improve child protection, including through the new task force that it has set up to tackle online harms?
I thank the member for his question and his continued engagement on this important issue, particularly around support for victims. On mandatory reporting, it is important to note that professionals in Scotland have an existing duty to report child abuse.
It is vitally important that we do all that we can to protect children from abuse and sexual exploitation. That is why, earlier this month, I announced that the First Minister had asked the Minister for Victims and Community Safety and me to form the new task force on online safety. The task force will provide oversight, challenge and direction in order to identify what more can be done to protect children and young people from online harms.
I have already referred to the new national child sexual abuse and exploitation strategic group, which was established on 24 October to review current actions and agree on the areas in which additional focus is needed to better protect children. We want the group to be able to act in a way that is informed by the experience and expertise of practitioners. That is why the group is co-chaired by senior police officers and social work representatives.
During yesterday’s sentencing, Lord Beckett, the judge, praised the children for their “formidable strength” and “courage and perseverance”. Without that, the vile individuals involved might never have been caught and would still be offending and wrecking lives today. However, it should not fall on child victims to bring such monsters to account.
Given the system’s failure to intervene sooner, despite the children having been in contact with services, what lessons have been learned? What immediate changes are being introduced to ensure that this never happens again?
I feel as though I have already partly answered the question. I have spoken about the independent review, led by Glasgow, that will take place to establish what lessons can be learned from the failings and what further action can be taken so that we do not see anything like this happen again.
The member will be aware of a range of work that the Scottish Government is doing in relation to the Promise and whole-family wellbeing, and in getting into families’ and young children’s lives at an earlier point in order to intervene early, stop crisis points arising and improve children’s lives.
Over and above the work that we are doing on the Promise, which is directly linked to child protection, there is the on-going work of the national strategic group and the task force. If there are other measures that members would like to see us going further on, I am always happy to discuss that, as this is a very important issue.
The minister has said that there is to be an independently led case review, but surely we must have some answers now and not in a year’s time. Perhaps she could clarify the timescale.
How could the people who were protecting the children in question, who were under 13, have missed the signs of the deep levels of abuse that were taking place in a flat when there were children screaming and there were comings and goings? Surely the minister is not satisfied with simply leaving it to a case-led review to give us some answers to that key question.
I ask the minister whether anything can be done to give us some preliminary answers now. If we are expected to wait longer than that, I do not see how the minister can say that she is satisfied that all Scotland’s children are in fact protected.
I do not believe that I said that. I was very clear that I believe that the children in question have been failed. This is an abhorrent case. I am doing my best, and everyone in Government is doing their best, to ensure that nothing like it ever happens again.
At the moment, I do not have the details on the independent review that is being set up. As I have already said, we are still waiting for an independent reviewer to be appointed. I will be more than happy to share details of that with the member once they are available, and to discuss any further queries that she might have.
Ash Regan, Sharon Dowey and Pauline McNeill have all rightly asked for urgent action. I have listened carefully to the minister’s responses and have heard nothing urgent about them. We have an independent review that does not have a chair, and we do not know when it will report. Can the minister reassure members in the chamber and people who are watching that the Government is considering the issue urgently? What discussions have there been at Cabinet about it, given that it impacts on every child right across Scotland?
I am aware that the issue was discussed at Cabinet this morning. I do not attend Cabinet regularly, so I cannot provide any details, but I am aware that it was discussed.
I understand the strength of feeling about the case, and I have been quite clear that I am not necessarily satisfied with all the details of the case. I am more than happy to go away and look into what urgent action can be taken over and above what I have already laid out in relation to the case and to keep members updated on that.
Thank you. That concludes the urgent question. I will allow a moment or two for front-bench members to organise themselves for the next item of business.
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