Secure care: pathway and standards

Why have the Pathway and Standards been developed?

The development of the Pathway and Standards was one of the key recommendations and calls for action from the Secure Care National Project. In the Secure Care in Scotland: Looking Ahead paper key stakeholders, including crucially children, young people and young adults with experience of secure care, concluded that there were a range of expectations and standards which should apply for every child in or on the edges of secure care. These findings echoed those of the previous review of secure care in Scotland, Securing Our Future Initiative. As a result, in the 2017-18 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government committed to developing secure care standards for Scotland and establishing a transformative model for secure care in Scotland through a new Secure Care Strategic Board. A multi-agency Pathway and Standards group was established under the Board who co-produced the Pathway and Standards Scotland with care experienced young people and those with current and previous experience of secure care and key stakeholders. Those standards were then agreed through a process of engagement and validation.

The Pathway and Standards are rooted in the existing statutory requirements, ethos and principles set out in the relevant legislation, policy and guidance. They are based on the legislatively enshrined human and children's rights and are crucial in the integration of secure care within the Getting it Right for Every Child framework. The Pathway and Standards, provide further context and, through the specific calls for action from children and young people with experience of secure care, give a unique voice to the outcomes set out in the Health and Social Care Standards, adhering to the same key principles of:

• Dignity and respect
• Compassion
• Be included
• Responsive care and support
• Wellbeing

The standards align with the Health and Social Care Standards, and their implementation will support the achievement of the transformational Vision, Purpose, Values and Principles of secure care agreed by the Secure Care Strategic Board:

Our vision is of compassionate, nurturing, relational, rights based responses and supports within families, schools and communities; for all children and young people whenever there are concerns about significant harm to self and/or other people.

We are working together to Get It Right For Every Child, focused on making sure children and young people are offered early, timely, appropriate and high quality supports to help them fulfil their potential.

Scotland is striving to become a country where all children and young people; whatever the vulnerabilities and risks associated with their distress and actions; are cared for as children and where no child or young person is deprived of their liberty.

Many of the Standards also align with areas highlighted for improvement by the Independent Care Review and the implementation of the Pathway and Standard will support Scotland to keep The Promise.