Home   News   Article

Number of Highland cared for youngsters who are needing help and support, but living outwith the area, has fallen to its lowest in more than eight years


By Andrew Dixon

Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.



Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!
Numbers of children in care living outwith the Highlands has fallen.
Numbers of children in care living outwith the Highlands has fallen.

The number of Highland youngsters who are needing help and support but living outwith the area has fallen to its lowest in more than eight years.

Highland Council insisted this is the result of close co-operation between social work, housing, education and health colleagues to ensure that appropriate resources are available within the region which meet the needs of young people.

Since 2018, 53 young people have been able to return to the Highlands after moving outwith the area.

There are currently 18 children being looked after elsewhere.

The council is now looking at how children and young people, where appropriate, can continue to remain living at home. This package of work will involve improved engagement and working with families – including extended families – and provision of ‘wrap around support’ through making the appropriate support available during the day and at night and over weekends.

The council’s health, social care and wellbeing committee chairwoman Linda Munro said: “During the past year, staff across the health and social care directorate have worked tirelessly to ensure that the children, families and adults we work with have received the support they need.

“Our network of kinship, fostering and adoption, as well as residential care in the Highlands will all be critical factors in helping to keep children safe, loved and nurtured.”


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More