Calls about at-risk children soar across Scotland

Referrals and calls from the public about at-risk children have soared in the wake of high-profile child death cases, figures show. Several council social work departments attributed the rise to concerns about alcohol and substance abuse.

A total of 16 councils across Scotland were contacted in the wake of a report on the death of 23-month-old Dundee toddler Brandon Muir in March 2008.

Some councils also said the Baby P case had prompted more people to call.

The councils were contacted by the Press Association to gauge whether the publicity surrounding cases like those of Brandon Muir – who was assaulted by a drug addict in his home in Dundee – and Baby P had had an impact.

Of the 16 councils informally surveyed, all but three reported a rise in the number of calls from the public as well as referrals from professionals like social workers, police, health workers, teachers, youth workers and housing officers.

Child deaths

The referrals are investigated before any decision is made about placing a child on the protection register.

It has also emerged that the cases of two children who have died since 2006 while on protection registers have been reviewed.

The significant case reviews refer to a boy aged seven weeks who died in 2007 and a girl aged six weeks who died last year. Neither death was suspicious.

A spokesman for Edinburgh City Council said: “Significant case reviews are not routinely made public in Scotland. Government guidance states that decisions on releasing reviews are the responsibility of chief officers at local authorities and none of the Edinburgh reviews have been published.
   
“One of the key reasons is the risk of identification of a family and the potential implications of that.”.

Edinburgh council said there had been a rise in calls regarding child protection from the public, with 33 from November to March this year, to 35 from April to August. The council also said it had 274 children on its register as of 31 July.

There were also deaths of children on the protection register reported by South Lanarkshire and South Ayrshire Councils.

A spokeswoman for South Lanarkshire Council, which saw referrals for its protection list leap from 107 in December last year, to 135 from April to June this year, said: “One child died in 2006 when registered on the child protection register. The death was investigated and a report sent to the procurator fiscal.

“The death was considered to be a cot death and no further action was taken by the procurator fiscal.”

South Ayrshire Council said it had one child who died of natural causes on the protection register since January 2003 but an investigation into the circumstances revealed there was “nothing to suggest that any action or lack of action by the agencies involved contributed to his death”.

The council said it also saw referrals increase by 16% from 134 in 2007 to 2008, to 155 during 2008 to 2009.

‘Shared responsibility’

Glasgow City Council had the highest amount of youngsters on its list compared to the other councils quizzed with about 300 when it responded on 19 August.

Glasgow also said there appeared to have been a rise in referrals compared to last year, although figures are still being compiled.

Dundee City Council said it had seen an increase from 60 referrals per quarter in 2008, to 93 in the period from April to June this year.

Aberdeen City Council said referrals to Children’s Services increased from 1,601 for the quarter ending December last year, to 2,075 for the quarter ending June this year.

The council said the number of youngsters on its child protection register was 200 by July 31 – an increase of 37% on the previous year.

Clackmannanshire Council saw referrals rise from 97 between 2007 to 2008, to 200 between April 2008 and March this year, although a spokeswoman said there was no increase in the number of calls from the public.

East Renfrewshire Council also saw referrals increase by 39% from 93, between July 2007 and July 2008, to 130 between July last year and July this year.

A spokesman for the council said: “It would be fair to say that the rise in investigations this year reflects the attention of these high profile cases.

“It’s also that our community has responded by recognising that protecting children is the responsibility of each and every one of us.”

‘Domestic violence’

Renfrewshire Council said it had seen referrals increase by 625 to 5,232 between 2007 to 2008 and 2008 to 2009.

A spokesman for the council said parental drug and alcohol abuse was driving the increase in referrals.

Perth and Kinross Council saw referrals increase by 19% from 1,907, in 2007 to 2008, to 2,285 from 1 April last year to 31 March this year.

But a council spokeswoman said: “Evidence suggests that the increase in numbers locally relates to a rise in substance misuse and domestic violence issues. The council has also been running a public awareness-raising campaign about child protection in Perth and Kinross.”

Stirling Council had also seen a rise during the same period from 249 to 304, along with West Dunbartonshire Council and Argyll and Bute Council.

Scottish Borders Council said it had seen a decrease in referrals and calls regarding “at risk” children during the last year and the number of children on its child protection register had also dropped by nine since December 2008.

North Lanarkshire Council and Inverclyde Council also said referrals had dropped from last year.