CC Live news: New system ensures consistency in child protection at Edinburgh

A new case review system is helping to ensure consistency and continuity across child protection frontline practice in Edinburgh, delegates at Community Care Live Scotland heard today.

The reviews, which cover all child protection cases in the city, are carried out by professionals from health, the police and social services working together in a multi-agency co-located team named Amethyst.

Brian Stevenson, a team leader working in children protection at Edinburgh Council, said that the team was able to look at the practices followed by child protection practice teams in each case and suggest managers follow “a different tack” where necessary.

He added that the Amethyst team was also able to identify issues arising across child protection cases, such as when services were being hindered by a lack of resources, and feed that back to officials.

“We are trying to get away from resource led decisions and make decisions based on what is best for that family,” he said.