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20% of siblings taken into care are split up, report finds

A report has found that nearly 20% of siblings who have been taken into care have been split up due to difficulty finding them suitable places to live.

More high quality fostering and adoption places are needed according to the Care Inspectorate report.

It was found that nearly 60% of local authorities struggled with placing sibling groups in the same places.

Siblings have been split up due to a lack of fostering placements in councils across Scotland

There is currently an independent care review underway to help make recommendations for how best to improve the quality of life that children and young people in care have, as well as improve their outcomes.

Overall, the report says that the quality of fostering and adoption services in Scotland is high, finding that over 95% of fostering services were rated by inspectors as good or better, with 97% of adoption services receiving the same rating.

It also found that there are more foster families needed to support the children who are living in care. It found that 78% of councils were reporting instances of the number of children who needed placing was higher than the number of places which they had available.

The report suggested that the experiences of sibling groups had to be taken into greater consideration, with 211 sibling groups experiencing breakups when being placed.

The chief executive of the inspectorate, Karen Reid, said that they work in partnership with both local authorities as well as independent organisations who provide fostering and adoption services.

She said: ‘From our inspections, we know that the vast majority of these services perform very well. By highlighting good practice and identifying areas which can improve, we help ensure that all children can get the best possible start in life. We also know that more high-quality fostering and adoption places are needed for vulnerable children, and that too many children are separated from their siblings when a place is found for them.’

She stressed the importance of children in care receiving the support they need to form as quickly as possible relationships which are both permanent and loving, adding that being able to stay with their siblings was an integral part of this process.

She added that siblings can be there to offer each other comfort and support during times of crisis.

The independent review began in May 2017, and it looked at legislation, culture, practices and the ethos of Scotland’s care system. The Government has said that it will introduce recommendations to help improve the situation of children and young people in care.

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