Independent Review Report Conclusion

Where children are safe in their families and feel loved they must stay — and families must be given support together to nurture that love and overcome the difficulties which get in the way.

Scotland must listen to and absorb the overwhelming evidence of the lasting pain that removal has caused children, families and communities. This must result in a fundamental shift of thinking about when a child should be removed from their family.

That statement is not made lightly. Nurturing and supporting families to stay together will take far more than what Scotland currently provides.

• Scotland must provide families with support that lasts as long as required, with the collective acceptance that for some families this will be a long-term commitment.
• The support that Scotland gives families must involve children and families with a focus on meeting their needs, as opposed to the system’s needs.
• It must become much more common for families to be supported to stay together.
• The approach will look significantly different from the current position and will vary according to need, but Scotland must fulfil its commitment to early intervention and prevention.