WIREDGOV

The expertise of child protection professionals from across Scotland is being harnessed to help ensure successes are shared and spread throughout the country, a national child protection conference in Edfinburgh was told today.

Children's Minister Adam Ingram said an expert group - which recently began reviewing child protection guidance in Scotland - is enabling best practice to be shared more easily so it can be rolled out to other areas.

Mr Ingram said:

"There can be no greater responsibility than the safety and security of our children and this government recognises that.

"We are committed to ensuring local safeguards are as robust as possible and that means agencies working together to get support to young people who need it, when they need it.

"Swift information sharing is central to that and we know there are many successes across Scotland which can be drawn from and which should be championed.

"For example, an initiative in Dumfries and Galloway means inter-agency intelligence is so fluid that police information about a child who experienced domestic abuse at the weekend can be on the desk of a teacher before school starts on Monday morning.

"The group which recently began a wide-ranging review of Scotland's child protection guidance is enabling such examples of excellence to be shared for the benefit of all vulnerable children in Scotland and those working to protect them.

"While, we already have the most robust child protection inspection system in the UK, this government is constantly working to ensure that the system remains as strong as it can be and that quick, effective support is on hand for vulnerable young people in Scotland."

A working group reviewing the national guidance for child protection practitioners - with representative from CoSLA, ADSW, ADES, ACPOS, SCRA, HMIE, SWIA, NHS and Child Protection Committees - first met last month. It will report regularly to Ministers over 2009.

The Scottish Government's Getting it Right for Every Child approach - which helps local agencies work together more effectively to meet the needs of young people - is being implemented in nine of areas across the country.