WIREDGOV

Scottish social workers have begun receiving advice from a new hub of child protection expertise - the first in the UK - as they work to keep young people safe from neglect or abuse.

The Multi-Agency Resource Service (MARS), based at the University of Stirling, is helping child protection professionals work through difficult cases and share good practice to help spread successful approaches across Scotland.

Minister for Children and Early Years Adam Ingram, who today officially launched the MARS during a visit to the unit, said:

"There is no greater responsibility than the safety of our children and Scotland is leading the way on child protection measures, with the most scrutinised system anywhere in the UK.

"This new pioneering hub of expertise - another UK first - is allowing child protection professionals to seek advice from specialists with decades of experience in this area. Nobody can underestimate the difficult decisions which those working in child protection face every day in their crucial role which is why, where particularly complex or unusual situations arise, expertise or advice on successful approaches from far-afield is now at hand.

"Having just completed the most in-depth examination ever of child protection services in Scotland, we have the clearest picture of measures on the ground and where there are successes and difficulties. This new MARS unit will further help us build on the good practice across Scotland, allowing areas with shortcomings to learn from what works and drive consistency, while we work to protect children in communities across the country."

MARS director Beth Smith said:

"This is a challenging time for child protection practitioners and I look forward to playing my part in improving services by developing a community of expertise across Scotland. Part of my role is to actively promote good practice and I intend to build on the positive partnership work and child protection networks already in existence throughout the country."

The Scottish Government has allocated funding to create and run the MARS, which will develop a community of knowledge and facilitate access to experienced professionals to help agencies deal with particularly challenging child protection situations. It has already begun helping practitioners but becomes fully operational this week. Over time its experience of services on the ground will be used to inform national child protection policy and training.

MARS Director Beth Smith - former Head of Services for Children and Families and Criminal Justice Social Work in Dumfries and Galloway, and Chief Social Work Officer - has worked in children and families social work services for over 20 years.

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