Aberdeen councillors look at the future of children’s social services

08 September 2016

Three reports were commissioned today (8 September) that will help shape the future of children’s and young people’s services in Aberdeen.

The council’s Education and Children’s Services Committee requested the reports in response to new statutory requirements stemming from the Children’s And Young People Act (2014) around continuing care, aftercare, kinship care, the adoption register and services for children at risk of being looked after.

The first report is scheduled to be delivered by November this year and will set out how residential children’s homes will deliver on continuing care. A further report scheduled for January 2017 will detail the allowances paid to remunerate foster and kinship carers who care for young people in a continuing care placement.

A further report, for the next Education and Children’s Services committee meeting, will outline the financial implications of delivering the statutory duties of the Act. Aberdeen City Council was provided with a whole year proportion of £285,970 in October 2015, of the additional Scottish Government funding of £10.1 million set aside for kinship allowances.

The committee also approved the recommendation that Chief Executive, Angela Scott, write to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills asking for a guarantee that the council will receive funding sufficient to cover the costs of the duties imposed by statute.

Angela Taylor, Convener of the Education and Children’s Services committee at Aberdeen City Council said: “While new Scottish Government funding is welcome, our initial calculations demonstrate this will be insufficient to cover the full costs associated with delivering on our legislative duties.

“That is why we are commissioning these reports and planning to write to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary now; so we can address the full cost implications and plan ahead to ensure we continue to meet the needs of children and young people”.