Iriss.fm

Gillian Henderson, Information and Research Manager; and Malcolm Schaffer, Head of Practice and Policy, Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA) talk about recent research into the care and permanence planning for looked after children in Scotland. Working to fill a gap in evidence and to inform changes in policy and law through the Scottish Government's Looked After Children Strategic Implementation Group, the SCRA research team analysed the content of both SCRA and court records to map decision-making, placements and time taken to permanence for 100 children. Care planning processes were found to be the main reason for delay in decision-making, rather than court processes as anecdotal accounts suggest. Significant periods of time passed for children from the point that they were first involved with services to when an Adoption Order or a Parental Responsibility Order was made: among the 100 cases reviewed the shortest period was 12 and a half months and the longest 10 years and 10 months. Over the