Publication - Advice and guidance
Secure care: pathway and standards
The pathway and standards set out what all children in or on the edges of secure care in Scotland should expect across the continuum of intensive supports and services. They provide a framework for ensuring the rights of children and young people are respected and improve experiences and outcomes.
Glossary
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Advocacy | Independent advocacy ensures that people know and better understand their rights, their situation and systems. |
| Advocate | Independent advocates help people to speak up for themselves and speak for those who need it. |
| Intensive/Appropriate supports in the community | Supports tailored to the child's strengths, needs, vulnerabilities and risks that aim to keep the child and/or others safe in the community. |
| Child | Although legal definitions vary, for these Standards a child is aged 0 to 18 years as per UNCRC and the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. |
| Children's Hearing | A legal meeting to consider and make decisions about children and young people. One decision that can be made is an authorisation as part of an order for a child to be placed in secure accommodation, which can only be implemented if the Chief Social Work Officer and Head of Unit agree to this. |
| Court proceeding | Can include matters relating to the Children's Hearings System or where is child is believed to have committed an offence. |
| Isolated | Separating a child from the group when their behaviour presents a serious risk of harm to themselves or others (Scottish Government, 2015). |
| Legal advice and representation | Information and support from a lawyer or trained legal professional. |
| Restrained | Where a child's behaviour is considered to be a significant risk to themselves or others, as a last resort, the child may be restrained, which is where staff physically hold a child to restrict his or her movement to prevent harm (Scottish Government, 2015). |
| Restrict/Restricting my liberty | Limiting or removing a child's ability to live in the community and their freedom to leave secure accommodation. |
| Search/Searched | Children and/or their rooms may be searched if secure care staff have reasonable cause to suspect that something harmful is being hidden. This can include personal searches where a child is asked to remove items of clothing (Scottish Government, 2015). |
| Secure care | Locked residential facilities that provide accommodation, care services and education or children. |
| In secure care | Children who are placed in secure care, usually through the Children's Hearings System or court proceedings |
| On the edges of secure care | Children who are at risk of entering secure care or have recently left secure care. |
| Wellbeing | The extent to which a child is safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, and responsible and included as defined in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. |
Contact
Email: Youth.Justice@gov.scot
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