We are CELCIS

CELCIS is a leading improvement and innovation centre in Scotland.

We improve children’s lives by supporting people and organisations to drive long-lasting change in the services they need, and the practices used by people responsible for their care.

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The home for Protecting Children

The home for Protecting Children

Find out more about child protection policy and practice in Scotland.

Visit Protecting Children

News

Scottish Government

Latest child protection statistics for Scotland published

25 March 2025
The Scottish Government has today (26 March 2024) published the latest official annual Children's Social Work Statistics for Sco…
Scottish Government

New information guides to help children, young people and families understand child protection processes

20 February 2025
New guides to help children, young people and parents and carers in Scotland to learn about child protection have been published…
The Fostering Network logo

Inadequate experiences of foster caring have sparked recommendations for improvement across all UK governments

11 February 2025
The Fostering Network has published (11 February) its 2024 State of the Nations’ Foster Care report, revealing that experiences …
Scottish Government

Progress report on ministerial Corporate Parenting in Scotland

27 January 2025
On 23 January, the Scottish Government published its third corporate parenting report outlining how Scottish Ministers delivered…

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Resources

Response by CELCIS to the Scottish Government’s consultation on developing a universal definition of ‘care experience’

Our response is underpinned by research evidence, practice experience, and extensive insight and intelligence from people with lived experience and from professional practice. This has been gathered through our long-stan…

Towards modernising adoption in Scotland: A focused mapping review

This review of current adoption legislation, policy and practice considers what works well, what challenges and issues there are, and what factors should be considered in thinking about the future of adoption. It identif…

New research highlights the need for increased support for Scotland’s kinship families

A new report – Growing Up in Kinship Care – published by CELCIS, the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection based at the University of Strathclyde, for SCADR, the Scottish Centre for Administrative Dat…

Non-compulsory care for children and young people in Scotland: Learning from experiences of Section 25

This final report brings together the findings of how Section 25 arrangements in Scotland are experienced from the perspectives of parents, practitioners - social workers, solicitors, children’s reporters and independent…

Blog

New indicators and new insights. What do the latest child protection statistics tell us?

New indicators and new insights. What do the latest child protection statistics tell us?

In this blog post, Dr Alex McTier, Evidence and Evaluation Specialist at CELCIS, takes a closer look at Scotland’s Child Protection 2023-2024 Statistics to…

March 2025
Family pictures on the wall and a strong sense of self – growing up in kinship care

Family pictures on the wall and a strong sense of self – growing up in kinship care

In this blog post for Kinship Care Week 2025, CH, a CELCIS Consultant with lived experience discusses the importance of maintaining links to family and the…

March 2025
My port in a storm – the relationship that helped to shape who I am today

My port in a storm – the relationship that helped to shape who I am today

In this blog post for Care Day 2025, Beth-Anne McDowall, a CELCIS Consultant with lived experience, discusses the power of long-lasting relationships and the…

February 2025
Working together to strengthen practice in residential child care: Key learning from our change journey

Working together to strengthen practice in residential child care: Key learning from our change journey

In the final post in this series, Marc Blyth, Lead Learning Co-ordinator at Aberlour Children's Charity Sycamore Residential Service, which provides residential…

January 2025
Working together to strengthen practice in residential child care: The power of observation, reflection and feedback

Working together to strengthen practice in residential child care: The power of observation, reflection and feedback

In the second in this series of blogs posts Marc Blyth, Lead Learning Co-Ordinator at children’s charity Aberlour Sycamore, which provides residential child…

January 2025
Working together to strengthen practice in residential child care: Laying the groundwork for change

Working together to strengthen practice in residential child care: Laying the groundwork for change

Marc Blyth, Lead Learning Co-Ordinator at children’s charity Aberlour Sycamore, which provides residential child care across Scotland, discusses how developing…

January 2025