Residential Child Care in Scotland

The reason for a child or young person being cared for in residential child care and for how long they will live there will be different for each young person and depends on their individual needs.

Residential child care houses provide children and young people with a safe place to live, either together or without other children. They are designed to provide care, accommodation, support, and sometimes, education, in safe and nurturing environments, where the individual needs of each child can be met. These can be the right place for some children, who for whatever reason are unable to remain living at home with their families. Children and young people are cared for and supported by a workforce of professionals, who provide round-the-clock care.

Every child who goes to live in a residential house in Scotland will have their needs assessed and will have a personalised care plan developed which outlines their individual needs and goals and the support planned for them. This care plan is regularly reviewed and updated. Children, many of whom will have experienced trauma, will receive ongoing emotional support to help them to navigate their circumstances and to build positive relationships.

Where it is appropriate and safe to do so, maintaining relationships and meeting with family members will be supported as this is part of providing a stable and supportive environment for all children to thrive.

In Scotland, where possible children live in residential child care as close to their families as possible. This helps to maintain their family connections and supports children's emotional wellbeing. However, the availability of suitable homes for children to live and their specific needs can sometimes mean that they live further away from their family home.

The Scottish Government publishes annual statistics for all children who are ‘looked after’ in Scotland. The most recent statistics cover the period from 2022 –2023. On 31 July 2023, 12,206 children were ‘looked after’, with 1320 (11%) children living in residential child care settings, which included local authority homes, voluntary homes, residential schools, secure accommodation, crisis care and private/independent residential arrangements for children with complex needs.

Read more about the statistics 

The residential child care workforce community in Scotland is comprised of a workforce which is inspired, inspiring, and determined to develop and improve for the benefit of children and young people.

However, the residential child care workforce in Scotland faces several significant challenges:

Staff Retention and Recruitment: There is a high turnover rate among staff, with many leaving the sector altogether. This creates a constant need for recruitment, which is both time-consuming and costly. This can also impact on the children through disrupted relationships which can affect their social and emotional development.

Workload and Stress: Like in all care-related roles, the demanding nature of the work, including long hours and emotional strain, contributes to burnout and stress among some residential child care workers.

Training and Development: Ensuring that staff have the necessary qualifications and ongoing training is crucial but it can be challenging to maintain consistently.

Funding and Resources: Limited funding and resources can impact the quality of care and support provided for children in their care and the ability to support staff adequately.

Public Perception and Support: The social care sector often struggles with negative public perception, which can affect morale and the ability to attract new people to join the workforce.

Addressing these challenges is essential for improving the stability and effectiveness of residential child care in Scotland.

The Care Inspectorate inspects all children’s care homes using the Health and Social Care Standards, which came into effect in April 2018. These Standards set out guidelines and expectations for everyone using health, social care or social work services in Scotland. Regardless of age or ability, everyone is entitled to the same high quality care and support.