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Scottish Government legislation places a duty on local authorities to keep siblings together when they can’t live at home with their family. We published National Practice Guidance in 2021 alongside the legislation to support practitioners with implementation.

This guidance clearly sets out that while the presumption should be in favour of keeping siblings together, a robust assessment must be made with the aim of keeping a child safe and promoting their wellbeing.

No two cases will be the same and the circumstances of each child need to inform the approach taken, within the context of the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach.

Where there is evidence that it is not appropriate or safe for brothers and sisters to live together, local authorities have a duty to put measures in place to nurture their relationships.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. It is for local authorities to determine their own mechanisms for recording instances of restraint in relation to looked after or care experienced children and young people and any record of this would be held at local authority level.

The Care Inspectorate collects data on the number of restraints that occur in registered care settings, such as care homes for children and young people, school care accommodation services and secure accommodation services. The Care Inspectorate does not collect data on restraint from local authorities. In order to improve monitoring and reporting of restraint of children in these settings, the Care Inspectorate intend to publish its data on restraint annually. The first report is due to be published shortly.

In school settings, existing guidance is clear that any decision to physically intervene must be recorded and monitored by local authorities. The Scottish Government is bringing forward new guidance on the use of physical intervention in schools to help improve practice in this area and prevent the use of restraint and seclusion.

The wellbeing and safety of children and young people is always paramount, and the Scottish Government is clear that the use of restraint should always be a last resort in exceptional circumstances when it is the only practicable means of securing the welfare or safety of the child or another person.

The Scottish Government has worked with local authorities to introduce new data related to siblings into the annual Looked after Children Statistics (CLAS). This data will help establish the extent to which children are placed together with their siblings in care. The definition of siblings includes sibling-like relationships, in recognition of the diversity of family relationships and children’s experiences.

The first year of data collection, 2023-2024, will be treated as a test of change and will provide the basis for further development to data to understand reasons for sibling separation.

The Care Inspectorate publish quarterly statistics which includes the numbers of registered care services in Scotland. The link to the most recent statistics, published on 15 August 2024, can be found here:

https://www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/publications-statistics/219-statistics-and-data/statistics/quarterly-statistical-reports/quarterly-statistical-summary-report-qtr-1-2024-25

These show that, as at 30 June 2024, there are 353 residential care services in Scotland (to note this does not include residential schools). This is made up of 115 local authority services, 166 private services, 71 voluntary/not for profit services and 1 health board.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information in relation to children’s residential homes. Residential children’s homes can be owned and operated by health boards, local authorities, private, or third sector not for profit organisations.

The Scottish Government has some limited information in relation to fostering agencies. Fostering services can be owned and operated by local authorities, or third sector not for profit organisations. We are publishing a consultation on the future of fostering later this year which will include questions on the role of independent fostering agencies.

I am giving careful consideration into how remaining ScotWind funding should be deployed in both the current and future years. Through our emergency controls and savings announced on 3 September, I will seek to minimise usage of ScotWind in 2024-25.

Successive Scottish budgets have demonstrated Scotland’s commitment to addressing the climate change crisis, using all the power and resources at our disposal to accelerate the just transition to a net zero, climate-resilient and biodiverse Scotland.

Funding and spending decisions for 2025-26 will be set out in the 2025-26 Scottish Budget in December.

The Scottish Government welcomes the 2021 Competition and Markets Authority report. We continue to consider the recommendations relevant to Scotland in line with implementation of the Promise. We are working alongside COSLA and local government to consider what further steps could be taken in Scotland.

In 2020-2021, there was a total of £118.9m spent on accommodation-based services for children and young people. A breakdown by provider is not available for this year.

In 2021-2022 there was a total of £133.4 million spent on accommodation-based services for children and young people. This can be broken down to £110.5 million for care homes run by the council and £22.9 million for care homes not run by the council. A further breakdown by voluntary and private providers is not available.

In 2022-2023 there was a total of £139.6 million spent on accommodation-based services for children and young people. This can be broken down to £115 million for care homes run by the council and £24.6 million for care homes not run by the council. A further breakdown by voluntary and private providers is not available.

The data for 2023-2024 will be published in February 2025.

The implementation of the Scottish Recommended Allowance for Foster and Kinship Carers was an agreement between Scottish Government and COSLA. Part of this agreement was that where local authorities were already paying above the national minimum allowance, this would continue so that kinship or foster carers currently in receipt of the allowance would not be worse off because of this commitment. Therefore, while the national rate has been implemented, the allowances paid by local authorities may still differ. Officials are working with Social Work Scotland to ensure that all local authorities are publishing their allowances online, so that rates paid are transparent.

The wellbeing and safety of children and young people is always paramount, and the Scottish Government is clear that the use of restraint should always be a last resort in exceptional circumstances when it is the only practicable means of securing the welfare or safety of the child or another person.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many looked after or care experienced young people have been subject to restraint.

The Care Inspectorate oversees reporting and monitoring on the use of restraint in care services and collects data on the number of restraints that occur in registered care settings, such as care homes for children and young people, school care accommodation services and secure accommodation services. In order to improve monitoring and reporting of restraint of children in these settings, the Care Inspectorate intend to publish its data on restraint annually. The first report is due to be published shortly.