Tayside safe children project rolled out across Scotland

A project currently being piloted in Tayside, which gives parents details of sex offenders in their area, is to be rolled out throughout Scotland.

Parents will be given the right to know if a sex offender has access to their children under the new scheme.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has announced the pilot disclosure scheme in Tayside will be introduced nationwide by the end of the year.

Fife Constabulary and Central Scotland Police have already indicated they are keen to have the scheme operating in their areas by the autumn.

Mr MacAskill said: “Scotland is one of the leading countries in the world in terms of its approach to the management of sex offenders, and we will continue to strengthen this approach.

“We have made progress in recent years to toughen up safeguards in place, but I am determined to go even further.”

The scheme in Tayside allows members of the public to call for background checks, with a presumption the police will tell parents if the person identified has convictions for sex offences.

If a youngster is found to be at serious risk of harm, child protection measures will be instigated.

Details of the pilot project being run by Tayside Police were given in a report which went before last month’s meeting of Forfar Community Council.

Constable Ally Smith, community liaison officer with the force, reported public attention was being drawn to the project, known as the Keeping Children Safe Sex Offender Disclosure Pilot.

This is a process where, if a member of the public has concerns about a person who has access to a child, they can ask the police for disclosure of their previous convictions.

His report said: “Disclosure of information will only be made when the individual causing the concern is a Registered Sex Offender with convictions relating to children and there is a risk.

“The project commenced at the end of September and has had 25 enquiries to date.

“There have been many productive outcomes in relation to child protection, which includes generation of useful intelligence in relation to sexual and violent offenders, which has in turn led to improved safety not only for the children directly involved but to children in the community.”