Scotland's Redress Scheme: combined annual report 2023

6.10 Rossie Young People Trust

Introduction

Rossie signed up to Scotland’s Redress Scheme in December 2021 as part of the national endeavour to address the harms of historical child abuse. The Scheme provides financial and non- financial redress. We made an initial financial contribution of £50K in 2021 and a second payment of £35K in April 2022. The official letter of apology issued by the Chair remains on our website. We have commented on the Redress scheme’s framework for an apology by former residents and have not received further advice or guidance. We have not been asked for a direct apology, assistance on tracing families or any other types of support since signing up to the Scheme.

Information is provided in this Report about the non-financial arrangements we have developed, and continue to develop, to prevent any forms of abuse occurring. This evidences our commitment to providing the highest standards of care/protection, education, health and psychological support to all young people who live with us. We are a trauma-informed organisation and deliver all services in line with The Promise, UNCRC, Secure Care Pathway and Standards Scotland, and our legislative and regulatory requirements.

Culture

Our culture is informed by our values of Respect, Integrity, Delivery, Accountability, and Collaboration. Our Board has endorsed these, and all staff are introduced to our values at induction stage, where we set out our expectations and standards for behaviours in the organisation. Young people are also aware of our values, and how these relate to expectations of positive behaviours by them, and what they can expect of all staff. Our services are therapeutic and trauma-informed, and delivered by multidisciplinary teams. The CEO and all members of the senior team have high visibility across the organisation, and operate an ‘open door’ policy for staff and young people.

Governance

Our Board of Governors (volunteers) provides strong governance – 10 formal Board meetings/10 finance subcommittee and 10 Care, Health, Education and Training (CHETs) meetings are held per annum. Reports are prepared in advance for Governors on all strategic developments, financial and operational aspects of our charitable business, providing opportunities for scrutiny/challenge/ support and approval.

Staff Recruitment

Robust staff recruitment processes/clear job descriptions/person specifications and pre-employment checks are in place. Our young people are involved in the selection process of all staff, across all departments and their scoring of candidates contributes to the selection and appointment process.

Staff receive a comprehensive induction/mentoring programme/ annual appraisal and supervision. Our culture encourages staff to propose ideas/developments to improve the organisation eg dance studio, forest school, outdoor gym, apiary etc. Our long service financial award scheme recognises/values staff for their commitment to Rossie and work with our young people. These processes ensure we recruit and retain the best talent.

Clear career pathways are in place for staff – we make significant investment in learning and development opportunities for all staff, across all departments. We have an on-site accredited SQA Centre delivering core operational qualifications to ensure best practice. All front line staff must register with the SSSC and abide by their Code of Conduct – annual re-registration is required to ensure authority to engage in social care practice.

We have very strong links with Universities at local, regional national and international levels. We engage in relevant research projects and provide student placements across a range of disciplines. All of these actions ensure our knowledge is current, delivering services which are evidenced based and to the highest standard.

Our Young People – Personalisation, Engagement and Voice

We operate a culture of care/respect and are committed to our young people achieving a better future for themselves. This is realised through a relational approach with staff, ensuring young people can develop trust in adults, receive appropriate health/ psychological interventions and education as per the Scottish, English and Welsh curricula (we are a national/UK-wide service). Our young people achieve educational awards/accreditation/certification as well as practical employment placements and skills.

Our young people have delivered workshops to our Board, CEO and Senior Leadership and Management Team on what a “rights respecting school” means to them – this ensures our core mission/purpose remains front and centre of the organisation, at the most senior level.

Safeguarding

Rossie is an active member of the Angus Child Protection Committee, which is the local strategic planning partnership responsible for developing and implementing child protection policy and strategy across and between agencies. The committee is responsible for:

• The co-ordination of training for professional and other staff
• The development of policies, procedures and protocols
• Ensuring the effectiveness and quality of local child protection services through continuous improvement
• The provision of public information about child protection.

We have developed a comprehensive safeguarding policy, which is in line with national and local requirements, and has been signed off by the Committee. All staff attend safeguarding training and will receive ongoing refresher training. There is an annual review of joint protocols. The Deputy Chief Executive Officer has lead responsibility for this work.

UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

Rossie is committed to delivering all services in line with the UNCRC. Article 12 states that every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously. Our young people are extensively involved in the day-to-day decision-making across the organisation, personalisation of services and choice. We have a contract with Who Cares? Scotland, to ensure young people receive independent advocacy as well as enabling their participation in a wide range of activities and developments.

Article 25 states if a child has been placed away from home for the purpose of care or protection they have the right to a regular review of their treatment, the way the are cared for and their wider circumstances. Rossie ensures young people are supported in attending their Children’s Hearing and that accurate and current reports are prepared in a timely manner. Our Governors carry out monthly unannounced visits, and they review any incidents or complaints/compliments, which may have been made, as well as take the opportunity to meet with young people and staff. Procedures related to making complaints are communicated to all young people and their families/carers at the time of admission – these procedures are published on our website. As a care provider, we are highly regulated and receive unannounced annual visits from the Care Inspectorate. The Care Inspectorate currently assess our secure and residential services as “good and very good”.

When young people come to live with us for the first time we have to be confident that they are not carrying prohibited items e.g. matches/lighters/knives on their person, as this could put the wellbeing of others at risk. This means physical searches must be carried out to ensure the safety of everyone in our organisation. In July 2021 Rossie purchased an airport scanner to manage this task, which supports Article 37 requiring young people to be treated with respect. We were the first secure and residential care centre in Scotland to purchase a scanner. Our sector leading approach evidences commitment to treating young people with dignity and respect, and ensures the relationship between young people and staff starts on a positive footing.

We have a sophisticated technical system in place across the organisation, which monitors, records and retails all staff whereabouts at all times. We use CCTV to ensure the safety and protection of all young people and staff.

Also in line with Article 37, Rossie facilitates family visits on our campus. We have made significant investments in digital technology so young people, their families/friends and other key people in their lives can maintain positive and regular contact.

Article 39 states children who have experienced neglect, abuse, exploitation must receive special support to help them recover their health, dignity, self-respect and social life. We have specialist practitioners who provide psychological assessments and interventions to aid recovery from trauma and support reintegration back into their family and community (if appropriate). As a multidisciplinary organisation, we ensure a holistic approach to the needs of all young people, delivering individualised programmes of interventions. We have partnerships with NHS Tayside, CAMHS and a multitude of welfare organisations to provide holistic care packages. We are relaunching our trauma- training programme, and as of the end of October, 100 staff, including the CEO and SLMT, have participated in refresher training.

The Secure Care Pathway and Standards Scotland

Rossie has been actively involved in the design of the Secure Care Pathway and Standards Scotland (referred to as Pathway and Standards) which set out what all children in or on the edges of secure care should expect across the continuum of intensive support and services.

The Pathway and Standards have been co-produced with stakeholders, including children, young people and adults with current and past experience of secure care. They follow a child’s potential journey before, during and after a stay in secure care and are written from their perspective. The Standards provide a framework for ensuring rights are respected, and improving experiences and outcomes for children who are experiencing extreme vulnerabilities, needs and risks in their lives. We ensure all young people have access to our Welcome Video before coming to live with us, to allay anxieties. See link below.

https://vimeo.com/645543380/eb1b630386

The Promise – Physical Restraint Reduction

Rossie is a member of two national working groups (Restraint Reduction Network, Scottish Physical Restraint Action Group) committed to the reduction of physical restraint. All relevant staff are trained and accredited in CALM physical restraint methodology. Once trained, annual accreditation is required for staff to safely, and legally use physical restraints on young people.

Rossie has invested in training front line staff as Instructors, to achieve the highest ratio of CALM Instructors to staff in the UK in any secure or residential care setting. We have 17 Instructors, fully trained in debrief methodology delivering robust support to staff and young people. This approach provides staff with the necessary skills and support to de-escalate violent or harmful behaviours, reducing the need for physical interventions or restraints. Our specialist debriefing supports both staff and young people, post incident to re-establish positive relationships. In the past 6 months

(I) 32 new staff have received CALM accreditation

(II) 91 members of existing staff have been reaccredited

(III) Before the end of this calendar year, a further 10 new starts will be accredited, and 20 existing staff will be reaccredited.

As our regulatory body, the Care Inspectorate requires us to report all incidents to them and carry out reviews as appropriate. As a learning organisation, we ensure we learn from all incidents and improve practice and/or send staff on refresher programmes. All inspection reports are published and available on the Care Inspectorate website.

We prepare reports for our Board on incidents of physical restraints, and monitor, review and analyse trend data. Rossie is committed to using physical restraints only as a last resort in dealing with challenging or violent behaviours.

We have achieved the CALM Quality Assurance Award in 2022 for

(i) our achievements in reducing the use of physical restraints, and

(ii) the high quality and standard of staff practice.

Historical Records/Former Residents

Since signing up to the Redress Scheme, we have been contacted by 7 former residents, 1 family member, 1 local authority, 4 legal representatives and received 2 requests from a voluntary organisation all asking for relevant records on specified individuals. In addition to this, 14 requests for information on former residents have been received via the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. We have responded speedily to all requests providing access to historical records held. We have also cooperated with Case Officers confirming the type of information we have provided to former residents regarding their time at Rossie. We will continue to provide this information to any future requests.

We have offered former residents the opportunity to visit Rossie, to demonstrate the range of protective measures, systems and procedures we have in place to ensure the highest standards of care. To date this invitation has not been taken up.

Conclusion

Rossie was on the first list of contributors as part of the national endeavour to address the harms of the past. This report provides information on the culture, governance, systems and procedures we have in place, which provide protections to all young people placed in our care.

The range of excellent and high quality services we provide help address our young peoples’ needs, risks and vulnerabilities, are in their best interests and give them the skills and hope for a better future. We deliver all services in line with legislative, policy and regulatory requirements.

Following a recent visit by a group of Children’s Hearing panel members we received the following email:

“Thank you so much for the excellent presentation to the Children’s Hearings group tonight. It was really informative and I’m sure what I learned tonight will remain with me as I continue my work within the hearings system. Z and K (young people) were a credit to you and it was so good to hear them tell us about how things work for them at Rossie. The staff’s dedication and commitment shone through. I certainly came away knowing that the young people in Rossie are at the centre of everything you do.”

As a Charity, Rossie is committed to providing the highest quality of services to the most vulnerable children across Scotland and the UK. We remain both committed and determined to achieve our Vision of being a:

Centre of Excellence that Changes Lives