Responding to the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration’s annual report, Hugh Mackintosh, Director, Scotland – Barnardo’s, said: “On the basis of a quick look at the figures they certainly present a stark picture in terms of the national increase of care and protection based referrals and this has to be of concern to all agencies working with children and young people.

The number of children in care is at the highest level for a quarter of a century, according to new figures. Scottish Executive statistics revealed that almost 13,000 youngsters or 1% of youths in Scotland, are looked after by local authorities.

{mosimage}Scottish children in care have gained more qualifications this year but most are still not fulfilling their potential, according to Deputy Education Minister Robert Brown. New statistics show that this year half of children left care with at least one qualification – up from 43 per cent in 2005.

The biggest improvement was for children who were looked after at home, with 45 per cent gaining a foundation level Standard Grade – rising from 35 per cent last year. The number of children in care gaining qualifications in English and maths has also increased from 28 per cent to 34 per cent.

Mr Brown said: “Today’s figures confirm what we already know – too many looked after children are not fulfilling their academic potential. That’s why we have invested resources and focused so strongly on their educational needs in the last few years.

A pioneering home for disabled young adults has been closed to new residents amid a police investigation into an alleged sexual assault.

{mosimage}Watchdogs yesterday confirmed they have imposed a moratorium on admissions to the Camphill community in Blair Drummond, a stately home in Stirlingshire next to Scotland’s only safari park. The ban, which the centre hopes to see lifted soon, came after police were called to look into an incident between two residents this summer.

It followed a separate investigation into what Camphill community called a “malicious allegation” against a member of staff, which proved to be unfounded.

Looked-after children in Scotland are set to benefit from a £7m windfall from the Scottish Executive. The extra funding was announced by deputy education minister Robert Brown at a conference on children in care this week. Foster carers and kinship carers will be able to apply for £2m to help buy essentials like bunk beds, a washing machine or additional bedroom furniture.

A new community centre and care home for the elderly is set to be built on the site of a former Edinburgh primary school which was demolished following a devastating fire. Health and council bosses hope to build the new 60-bed care home in the grounds of the former North Merchiston Primary School.

Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry has been appointed as the new Education and Young People Minister to replace Peter Peacock who resigned for health reasons. First Minister Jack McConnell said: “Peter is a sad loss to the Cabinet. He has achieved a great deal in the post, including a major school building programme, changes to the curriculum and raising the level of ambition in all our schools. Peter leaves the education system in very good shape and his decision to stand down was the right one for him and his family. I hope he makes a full and quick recovery.

NHS reform should be based on clinical need rather than political point scoring say Scotland’s doctors. This is just one of the Priorities for Health that the BMA is prescribing for Scotland’s political parties as they prepare to go to the polls for the 2007 elections. Priorities for Health is BMA Scotland’s election manifesto, which outlines the policies and principles that doctors believe will improve Scotland’s health and health services. The report is based on a survey of doctors in Scotland and presents a series of proposals for public health, NHS reform and the medical workforce.

An overarching strategy ‘Delivering Care, Enabling Health’ will give nurses, midwives and allied health professionals (NMAHPs) in Scotland a far bigger role in the delivery of care, while ensuring that caring for, and empowering, patients remains at the heart of modern health services. The proposals in the ‘Review of Nursing in the Community’ provide a blueprint for the future of nursing designed to fit in with the changing face of health care in Scotland. With an increasing emphasis on anticipatory and community based care, this new approach will provide an opportunity to test and develop a new Community Health Nurse role.

A new campaign designed to challenge attitudes towards knife carrying in Scotland – Knives: Let’s Not Scar Another Generation – has been launched. Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson and head of the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan, set a roadshow in motion that will visit areas hard hit by violent crime. In addition to the roadshow, the eight-week £580,000 campaign includes radio, newspaper and bus adverts, outdoor posters and marketing.