HOW ARE CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE PLACED IN OUR SERVICES?

As the corporate parent of care experienced young people, the Local Authority can agree a placement in an independent residential or day special school for children and young people in their care.

Parents can also make a placing request for a service which the local authority must respond to within 5 days. In the event that the request is refused parents can ask for mediation or they can appeal the decision to the Additional Support Needs (ASN) Tribunal within two months of receiving the refusal letter. If the local authority does not respond to the placing request by the deadline, parents can appeal to the ASN Tribunal within two months of the missed deadline.

All children and young people who are placed in secure care have either been sentenced or remanded through court, or placed through the Children’s Hearings System as looked after children subject to a Compulsory Supervision Order (CSO) or an Interim Compulsory Supervision Order (ICSO), with an authorisation for secure accommodation issued by a children’s hearing on conditions as defined in section 83(6) Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011.

When agreement is reached that a child is to be placed in the service, comprehensive information is shared between the relevant Authority, external partners, care and school staff, along with parents and carers, so that the service can quickly understand the total needs of the child.