Response from Children First's Chief Executive to the Chief Social Work Officer Joint Statement

Response from Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive of Children First to the Chief Social Work Officer Joint Statement: Emergency in availability of alternative care options for children

"The issues set out by Scotland’s Chief Social Work Officers about the lack of placements for children at risk of harm are deeply concerning and should be a matter of urgent attention for all of us. No child should be left waiting in hospital because there is nowhere suitable for them to go. No social worker should find themselves carrying responsibility for babies and children in circumstances where safe and appropriate options are so limited. And no carer should be expected to continue indefinitely without the support they need.

"Children First share the concern and recognise the severity of the pressures being described, and also have concerns about some of the underlying assumptions in the statement.

"The narrative risks creating the impression that the primary solution to the challenges facing Scotland's care system is simply to increase the number of placements available. While additional foster carers, residential provision and supported accommodation are undoubtedly needed, we should be careful not to reduce a complex and systemic issue to a question of capacity alone.

"The children at the centre of this discussion are not placement challenges to be solved. They are children whose lives have often been shaped by trauma, poverty, adversity and unmet need. If our response focuses predominantly on creating more placements, we risk overlooking the equally important question of how we can prevent children and families reaching crisis point in the first place.

"We know that many families are struggling with the impact of poverty, poor housing, poor mental health and a lack of timely support. Scotland's Promise challenged all of us to rethink our approach and to invest in family support, early help and community-based services that help children remain safely within their families and communities wherever possible. That ambition remains as important today as it was when it was first set out.

"What is needed now is not simply a call for more capacity, but a concerted focus on practical solutions. We need a system that works more collaboratively across local government, health, education, the not for profit or third sector and communities themselves. Too often, discussions about capacity overlook the strengths, relationships and resources that already exist around children and families.

"There is significant untapped potential in Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) and in making better use of wider family networks. Time and again, we see grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, family friends and other trusted adults stepping forward when they are given the opportunity and support to do so. These networks can provide children with stability, continuity, love and a sense of belonging that no service alone can replicate. Families are frequently the solution, yet they are too often brought into conversations too late or without the support needed to sustain arrangements successfully.

"While there will always be a need for specialist care for some children, the significant sums being spent on high-cost placements come at the expense of the shift towards prevention, early intervention and whole family support that Scotland has committed to through The Promise. If we are serious about reducing demand on the care system, we must invest much more heavily in helping families before difficulties escalate to the point where children need to be removed from their homes.

"We should also be cautious about any assumption that moving a child away from their home, family and community will automatically lead to better outcomes. Removal is sometimes necessary to keep children safe, and where that is the case, we must act decisively. But we know that children can also experience harm within institutional settings and foster care, just as they can within their families. The objective should not simply be to find a placement; it should be to ensure that children experience safety, loving relationships, stability, belonging and lifelong connections. These outcomes cannot be guaranteed by a placement alone.

"Of course, there will always be children who need alternative care and we must ensure there are sufficient high-quality, nurturing placements available for them. But success cannot be measured solely by the number of beds, foster homes or residential places we create. It must also be measured by the number of families we help to stay together safely, the number of crises we prevent, and the quality of relationships and support that surround children throughout their lives.

"This is not an either/or choice. We need immediate action to address the pressures within the care system, but we must also avoid framing the challenge too narrowly. Alongside increasing capacity where needed, we should be investing in family support, strengthening kinship care, expanding Family Group Decision Making and building the collaborative approaches that help children remain connected to the people who matter most to them.

"The concerns raised by Chief Social Work Officers are real and require urgent attention. But Scotland's response must be broader than seeking more placements. It should be rooted in the vision of The Promise, focused on practical solutions, and driven by a shared commitment to harnessing the strengths of families, communities and services working together to keep children safe, loved and supported. Only by making that shift will we create a system that is sustainable, effective and truly centred on the needs and rights of children."