Plana Chloinne na Gàidhealtachd Integrated Children’s Plan ForFor Highland’sHighland’s ChildrenChildren 22 SUMMARY 2005-2008

www.forhighlandschildren.org “All of Highland’s children have the best possible start in life; enjoy being young; and are supported to develop as confident, capable and resilient, to fully maximise their potential.”

“Tha toiseach tòiseachaidh cho math ’s a th’ ann aig clann na Gàidhealtachd; tha iad a’ mealtainn làithean an òige agus tha taic aca ach am fàs iad suas gu bhith misneachail, comasach agus tapaidh agus gun coilean iad na tha nan comas.” Contents Clàr-innse PAGE DUILLEAG 2 FOREWORD FACAL SAN TOISEACH 3 INTRODUCTION RO-RÀDH 4 REVIEW OF For Highland’s Children 2001-2004 LÈIRMHEAS AIR Plana Chloinne na Gàidhealtachd 2001-2004 6 CROSS-CUTTING THEMES TAR-CHUSPAIREAN 7 A’ GHÀIDHLIG SAN FHARSAINGEACHD GAELIC LANGUAGE OVERVIEW 8 STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK: RO-INNLEACHD: 11 The Planning & Operational Structure Structar Planaidh is Obrachaidh 13 Partnership with the Voluntary Sector Com-pàirteachas ris an Roinn Shaor-thoileach 13 Partnership with the Children’s Hearings System Com-pàirteachas ri Siostam Èisteachd na Cloinne 14 Better Integration & Better Services Amalachadh is seirbheisean nas fheàrr 14 Strategic Priorities Prìomhachasan Ro-innleachdail

16 KEY OUTCOME TARGETS PRÌOMH THARGAIDEAN-COILEANAIDH 21 FUNDING: MAOINEACHADH: 23 Resourcing of FHC 2 A’ cur stòrais ri PCG2 26 Development Priorities for FHC 2 Prìomhachasan Leasachaidh airson PCG2

31 CHILDREN ARE SAFE CLANN A BHITH SÀBHAILTE

37 CHILDREN ARE NURTURED CLANN AIR AN DEAGH ÀRACH

45 CHILDREN ARE HEALTHY CLANN A BHITH FALLAIN

51 CHILDREN ARE ACHIEVING CLANN A BHITH A’ COILEANADH

57 CHILDREN ARE ACTIVE CLANN A BHITH ÈASGAIDH

63 CHILDREN ARE RESPECTED & RESPONSIBLE CLANN A BHITH A’ FAIGHINN URRAM IS A GABHAIL CÙRAM

69 INCLUDED CHILDREN: A’ BUALADH AIR CLOINN: 71 At Risk of significant harm A dh’fhaodadh a bhith ann an cunnart 72 Looked After Children Air an coimhead às an dèidh 73 In need of Permanency A’ cur feum air seasmhachd 74 Leaving Care A’ fàgail cùram 75 Young Offenders Eucoirich Òga 75 Experiencing Social, Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties Le Àmhghairean Sòisealta, Tòcail & Modh 76 With Mental Health Needs Le Feumalachdan Slàinte Inntinn 77 Misusing Substances A’ mì-ghnàthachadh Stuthan 79 Young Carers Luchd-cùraim Òg 80 Experiencing Bereavement Ri Bròn 80 In Poverty Ann am Bochdainn 81 Experiencing Homelessness Gun dachaigh 82 Minority Ethnic Communities Coimhearsnachdan Mhion-shlòigh 83 Gypsy / Travellers Dubh-shiubhlaichean / Luchd-siubhail 83 With Additional Health Needs Le Feumalachdan Slàinte A Bharrachd 85 Affected by Disability: Le Ciorram a’ toirt Buaidh orra: 86 Physical Disability Ciorram Bodhaig 86 Learning Disability Ciorram Ionnsachaidh 87 Profound & Multiple Learning Disabilities Mòran Chiorraman Ionnsachaidh 87 Sensory Needs Feumalachdan Mothachaidh 88 Communication & / or Developmental Disorders Àmhghairean Còmhraidh & / no Leasachaidh

90 WEB LINKS CEANGLAICHEAN LÌN

91 HIGHLAND TRENDS PÀTRAIN AIR A GHÀIDHEALTACHD 115 REVIEW OF Local Outcome Agreement (2001-2004) LÈIRMHEAS AIR Aonta Toraidh Ionadail (2001-2004) 133 GLOSSARY CLÀR-MÌNEACHAIDH

REFERENCED APPENDICES: A number of key appendices complement this Integrated Children’s Plan. Each contains additional material that relates to service improvement and/or fiscal accountability. These reports, including EC&S Service Plan; SW Service Plan; NPiE Annual Progress Report; Changing Children’s Services Fund Report; National Priorities Action Fund Report; Health Improvement Fund Report; NHS Performance Assessment Framework Report. All can be sourced from the website www.forhighlandschildren.org

For Highland’s Children is continuously reviewed and revised as new resources and information become available. Please go to www.forhighlandschildren.org to find the latest documentation.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Special thanks to Maise Mackenzie, Finlay MacNeill and the pupils of Strathgarve Primary School for their wonderful drawings which appear throughout this document. Foreword Facal san Toiseach We are committed to giving every child and young person in Highland the best possible start in life. Helping our children to realise their potential is the key to giving them a sense of self-fulfilment and equipping them well for their future.

All of the services that support children, families and young people, play a vital part in unlocking the potential of the next generation. This new, Integrated Children’s Plan, ‘For Highland’s Children 2’ provides the family-friendly routemap that we shall follow over the next 3 years.

We are determined that the resources of all our services will be managed efficiently to meet the challenges ahead. Wherever possible, new resources will be identified to address gaps in service provision; and existing resources will be redesigned to serve a changing landscape of population and priorities more effectively.

The foundation of future Highland prosperity depends on investment in our communities, in our families, and in our children and young people. We shall ensure that Highland is widely recognised as the best place in Scotland to be young; the best place in Scotland for families – to live, to grow, to play, to be educated, to be fulfilled – and given a helping hand as and when required - to realise their full potential.

We are committed to service improvement. ’For Highland’s Childrens 2’ is structured to ensure that our children and young people are: Safe; Nurtured; Healthy; Achieving; Active; Respected & Responsible; and Included.

This new 3-year plan builds on success. It builds on a model of increasingly collaborative services - services that are focused on the child and her or his changing needs from birth to adulthood.

This is an evolutionary process. Front-line service delivery will become better- integrated; with services for our more vulnerable children and families better-targeted. “The right service to each child at the right time.”

The Joint Committee on Children and Young People will use this plan to monitor and review progress, ensuring that “all of Highland’s children have the best possible start in life; enjoy being young; and are supported to develop as confident, capable and resilient, to fully maximise their potential.”

Alison Magee, Convener Garry Coutts, Chairman 2 The Highland Council NHS Highland Board Introduction Ro-ràdh For Highland’s Children is the integrated Children’s Services Plan for all children & families in Highland. The plan is a living document: updated, monitored and reviewed regularly - and linked with all related local planning arrangements.

This second Plan, For Highland’s Children 2 (FHC2), encompasses the vision and the strategy of Highland’s Joint Committee on Children and Young People. FHC2 focuses on planning and development over the period 2005-2008, and takes forward the intent of the first Children’s Plan, to achieve better services, better-integrated provision, and better outcomes for children and families.

FHC2 is a comprehensive plan, encompassing universal service provision for children & families – across the Education, Culture & Sport Service of the The Highland Council (THC) and all Child Health services of NHS Highland - as well as the more targeted services such as Social Work. Effectively, it is the Community Plan for Highland’s Children, Young People and Families.

The Scottish Executive’s “For Scotland’s Children” Action Plan continues to act as a local template for better-integrated service planning and provision, particularly for children and families with support needs. It takes account of all the associated key national and local plans and strategies and establishes a coherent vision for children and families in this authority. It sets out the local processes for agencies and organisations to come together to assess local needs; identify priorities and objectives; agree implementation strategies and resources to deliver these; and ensure arrangements for monitoring progress.

This summary plan presents the big picture. It illustrates how all agencies will endeavour to ensure that all of Highland’s children have the best possible start in life; enjoy being young; and are supported to develop as confident, capable and resilient, to fully maximise their potential.

It includes:

a review of the achievements of For Highland’s Children 1; an updated strategic framework for integrated services; seven cross cutting themes for children’s services; a summary of the key actions to support children in need; and 50 ‘Key Outcomes that will focus activities and help monitor the impact of FHC2s collaborative effort.

The full version of FHC2 provides greater information about each of these elements. It also details the operational plans that support the range of proposed actions, strategies and outcome targets. Greater detail about more specific service needs and delivery are linked appropriately to the principal Service, Agency or Area Children’s 3 Services Forum Plans. Review of For Highland’s Children 1: 2001-2004 Lèirmheas air Plana Chloinne na Gàidhealtachd 1: 2001-2004 The comprehensive review of FHC1, the first Children’s Services Plan for Highland, can be found at: www.forhighlandschildren.org (and is also available in print format).

The review document provides a comprehensive commentary on the work taking place across Highland to improve and integrate services for children and families. It evidences an impressive range of activity by practitioners and managers in all of our services and agencies, and gives a helpful insight into the progress that is being made towards achieving better outcomes.

In particular, the review:

updates on new developments, organisational structures and practices;

provides an update on implementation of Changing Children’s Services Fund (CCSF) initiatives and the roll-out of the New Community School Approach;

outlines what has been achieved to implement the For Highland’s Children action plans, and what remains to be done.

Towards the end of this Summary Plan, is an up-to-date review of progress towards each target of the original Local Outcome Agreement with the Scottish Executive (and Stirling and Perth & Kinross Councils). Each outcome was carefully selected because of its cross-cutting nature – with progress only likely to be achieved by the collaborative effort of all partner services.

It should be noted that major progress has been made through the establishment of a Common Performance Management Group – that will provide ongoing support to all those involved in planning, monitoring and evaluating services for Highland’s children, families and young people.

The commissioned evaluation from UHI Millennium Institute and the appointment of a cross-agency Researcher for Children’s Services have been instrumental in supporting policy makers and planners towards a more informed, evidence-based assessment of local needs.

Further, collaboration with colleagues in the Community Planning & Resources Project has stimulated debate and sharpened analysis at Area Children’s Services Forums and at the Joint Committee. 4 For Highland’s Children 2

Plana Chloinne na Gàidhealtachd 2 Cross-Cutting Themes Tar-chuspairean

THE VISION All of Highland’s children have the best possible start in life; enjoy being young; and are supported to develop as confident, capable and resilient, to fully maximise their potential.

Theme 1: SAFE Children and young people should be protected from abuse, neglect and harm by others at home, at school and in the community.

Theme 2: NURTURED Children and young people live within a supportive family setting, with additional assistance if required, or, where this is not possible, within another caring setting, ensuring a positive and rewarding childhood experience.

Theme 3: HEALTHY Children and young people should enjoy the highest attainable standards of physical and mental health, with access to suitable healthcare and support for safe and healthy lifestyle choices.

Theme 4: ACHIEVING Children and young people should have access to positive learning environments and opportunities to develop their skills, confidence and self esteem to the fullest potential.

Theme 5: ACTIVE Children and young people are active and encouraged to choose rewarding play and leisure opportunities, including sport.

Theme 6: RESPECTED & RESPONSIBLE Children and young people are involved in decisions that affect them, have their voices heard and are encouraged to play an active and responsible role in their communities.

Theme 7: INCLUDED Children, young people and their carers have access to high quality services, when required, and are assisted to overcome the social, educational, physical, 6 geographic, environmental and economic barriers that create inequality. A’ Ghàidhlig san Fharsaingeachd Gaelic Language Overview

“Àireamh na cloinne ann am Foghlam Gàidhlig a chur am meud agus àireamh na cloinne is nan inbheach a tha ag ionnsachadh.”

Airson Clann na Gàidhealtachd 2005-2008: Prìomh Thoradh 30

Tha Co-chomataidh na Cloinne ‘s na h-Òigridh – còmhla ri na buidhnean Wellbeing Alliance agus Pàrlamaid na h-Alba dealasach airson adhartachadh na Gàidhlig – a thaobh solar fo aois sgoile, ann an sgoiltean agus sa choimhearsnachd.

Tha àitean cudromach aig Comataidh Cho-thogte nan Seirbheisean is na Gàidhlig aig Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd agus aig na Buidhnean Gàidhlig nam measg fhèin, agus le bhith ag obrachadh còmhla, ann an adhartachadh na Gàidhlig;

a’ leasachadh raon is amas dreachd Bhile na Gàidhlig, a’ gabhail a-steach mholaidhean airson Plana Nàiseanta airson Foghlam Gàidhlig

planaichean eadar-cheangailte a dhealbh airson leasachadh na Gàidhlig ann an sgìrean na Comhairle, nam measg Plana Cànain is Cultair dhan Chomhairle, Ro-innleachd Foghlaim agus Fo Aois Sgoile airson leasachadh na Gàidhlig ann an Oideachadh Coimhearsnachd agus san raon Fo Aois Sgoile agus Cùram Chloinne

a’ lìbhrigeadh Foghlam Gàidhlig agus Foghlam tro Mheadhan na Gàidhlig fo aois sgoile, sa bhunsgoil agus san àrdsgoil a rèir iarrtas bho phàrantan

a’ toirt chothroman do dh’ inbhich, pàrantan nam measg, Gàidhlig ionnsachadh

a’ toirt chothroman do dh’ òigridh agus do dh’ inbhich Gàidhlig a chleachdadh gu sòisealta, ann an cur-seachadan agus nan obair

a’ togail ìomhaigh na Gàidhlig le soighnichean dà-chànanach agus a’ cur Gàidhlig ann an sgrìobhainnean foillsichte;

a’ toirt taic do leasachadh cultar na Gàidhlig air a’ Ghàidhealtachd, tro Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd ann an Àrdsgoil a’ Phluic, Ionad nan Gnìomhachasan Cultarail is Cruthachail ann an Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Caidreachas Màiri Mhòr, agus tro thaic dha na fèisean agus na mòdan agus iomadh fèis chultarail eile (nam measg An Fhèis Cheilteach, Ceòl is Òrain Ghàidhlig, Pìobaireachd, Litreachas, Dràma, Sgeulachdan, Fiolm & Telebhisean);

Tha 2007 ga sònrachadh mar ‘bliadhna ionnsachaidh na Gàidhlig – bidh Bliadhna Cultar na Gàidhealtachd a toirt ‘Gealladh Cultarail dha gach neach òg ann an sgoiltean na Gàidhealtachd – agus bidh cothroman ann Gàidhlig ionnsachadh agus seinn innte agus pàirt a ghabhail ann an cùisean co-cheangailte ri cultar dualchasach na Gàidhlig agus cultar an latha an-diugh.

Agus mu dheireadh – seud ann an crùn na Gàidhlig – tha planadh Sgoil Ghàidhlig 7 Inbhir Nis gu math fada air adhart agus tha dùil gum fosgail i san Lùnastal 2006. Strategic Framework Ro-innleachd Introduction We want Highland to be the best place in Scotland to be young.1

This is the overriding aspiration for today’s children, young people and families. It is also the key goal for tomorrow’s families and future generations. The view from 1997 that “the vital role of young people in our communities continues to be the single most important determinant of the future success of this region” 2 still stands true today.

The changes forecast for Highland’s population, with fewer young people and a smaller working population, imply significant changes in the life of communities, in the pattern of demand for public services and in the health and wellbeing of the entire area. There is also a risk that overall population loss, taken together with a falling proportion of young people, will hit hardest those communities already suffering relative disadvantage.

It is therefore necessary for all Highland Wellbeing Alliance (HWBA) agencies to focus on issues relating to Highland’s children and families. This involves seeking to address the needs of all of Highland’s children, as well as the particular needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. It also means encouraging new families to come to Highland. The second Community Plan for Highland sets out how the Wellbeing Alliance partners will work together to ensure:

“More people choose to live, work and learn in Highland – and to be able to do so; Individuals and communities feel they are dealt with equitably; Highland has the infrastructure to keep it at the forefront of modern rural regions.”

All of these aims are important to counter the demographic trend and to support children and families – as well as future generations in Highland.

The underpinning philosophies of For Highland’s Children 1 are continued into this new Plan. In particular, this involves three inter-relating concepts:

Sustainable services strengthen communities to CHILD support families, to value children: while the child is at the centre of our interest, we need to provide sustainable community FAMILY based services that support families to best look after their own children. COMMUNITY

8 1 ‘Community Plan 2004-2007’ Highland Wellbeing Alliance 2 ‘Looking Ahead in Highland’ Policy Paper (1997) The Highland Council Clarity about service responsibilities along the child’s journey: the health service has key lead-responsibilities for the unborn and very young child, which are handed over to the education service between 3 years and 5 years of age, and through which referral routes need to be explicit to higher need specialist services.

CHILDREN’S HEARINGS SYSTEM

CHILDREN’S SOCIAL WORK

OOKED AFTER CHILDREN SPECIALIST CHILD HEALTH

SURESTART YOUTH ACTION

Informed referral from universal lead services, CHILDREN IN NEED - L using integrated assessment and liaison arrangements, to higher tariff services.

EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION

HEALTH HEALTH HEALTH HEALTH HEALTH HEALTH

ALL CHILDREN

AGE 9876543210 1110 12 1413 15 1716 18 yrs

Co-ordinating Secure/Psychiatric in-patient care needs assessment and intervention, and targeting Children at risk of significant harm services: such that

OOKED AFTER CHILDREN children & young people get the COMPULSORY MEASURES: Children’s Hearings System support that is determined by their needs, when they need it, and whereby CHILDREN IN NEED - L TARGETED ASSESSMENT: Multi-agency there are organised S T A G E D I N T E R V E N T I O N

processes that promote early UNIVERSAL ASSESSMENT: Health or Education 9 intervention.

ALL CHILDREN Taking account of these philosophies, the vision and themes of FHC2 were initially identified in December 2003 at the first Joint Committee seminar held to consider the new Plan. Considerable discussion (with several hundred managers and practitioners; parents and young people; planners and policy makers) has taken place since, both within Highland - through workshops in all Areas, with NHS Highland and with the voluntary sector - and as a consequence of the evolving guidance from the Executive.

A Lead Officer Group gave early consideration to the range of separate planning and reporting requirements that should be integrated into the Childrens Plan – including, agency and service plans, as well as reporting on discrete initiatives and earmarked or ring fenced funding streams.

The Executive indicated at an early stage that Ministers were keen to rationalise as far as possible all associated planning and reporting requirements. Good progress has been made on agreeing how this might apply to the normal reporting mechanisms for Education, Culture & Sport Services; Social Work Services; for the Highland Wellbeing Alliance’s Regeneration Outcome Agreement with Communities Scotland; as well as NHS Highland services.

The organisational model for FHC2 operates at 3 levels, involving:

1. A high level aspirational vision for children and young people in Highland. 2. An integrated planning and operational structure around cross-cutting themes and key objectives. 3. Key Outcome targets that will demonstrate achievement of these objectives.

The vision is that:

“All of Highland’s children have the best possible start in life; enjoy being young; and are supported to develop as confident, capable and resilient, to fully maximise their potential”

Seven, cross-cutting themes have been developed, to ensure that all of Highlands children and young people are:

safe; nurtured; healthy; achieving; active; respected & responsible; and included.

The seventh theme relates very specifically to the provision of targeted support to those children and families defined as being ‘in need’ or more vulnerable. These children and families will be supported to overcome the barriers that create inequality.

The ultimate objective is to secure better outcomes for Highland’s children and families. Fifty Key Outcome targets have been identified (incorporating most of the targets from FHC1 as well as a number of other new targets) to indicate how progress towards this will be demonstrated and monitored. 10 The Planning and Operational Structure The strategic framework to achieve this vision involves a joined up, multi-agency structure at all levels across the authority, and a clear and explicit commitment to achieve better integration and better services.

The structure for integrated services has developed incrementally since the late 1990s. This has involved strong political leadership, encouraging genuine commitment across agencies and services. Accordingly, the integrated model is now effective at the key organisational levels, and in an ever increasing number of areas of service delivery.

JOINT COMMITTEE Child Protection Committee Joint Chairs: THC Children’s Spokesperson NHS Board Non-executive

Chief Officers’ Group Lead Officers’ Group

Area Governance Area Children’s Committees Services Forums

Liaison Groups

Community Planning Arrangements

The Joint Committee on Children & Young People includes all community planning partners in its agreed membership, and has a remit to:

Enable children and young people to achieve their full potential, by improving services for children, young people and families and promoting their participation in decision making, paying particular attention to children in need and young people who are socially excluded.

This involves:

developing, implementing and reviewing the Children’s Services Plan; developing, implementing and reviewing the Highland Wellbeing Alliance Youth Strategy.

Accordingly, the Joint Committee has an overview of services for all children, and a 11 particular focus on ‘vulnerable children’. A definition of ‘vulnerable children’ has been adopted.

It includes those children: Who are at risk of significant harm; or, Who are in need because their health or development may be impaired if additional services are not provided; or, Who live in families that meet any two of the following criteria: i) Are dependent on income support; ii) Are headed by a lone parent; iii) Live in families of more than 2 children; or, Who live in rural communities – or within a community defined by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) as being ‘multiply deprived’, and meet either (i) or (ii) above. The Directors of the lead Services work together as a Chief Officers’ Group to develop and co-ordinate strategy and ensure the implementation of policy and best practice models. The joint Head of Service, reporting to both main partner organisations, co- ordinates developments.

The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA), the Children’s Panel and the voluntary sector are major partners, both in terms of strategic direction and service delivery. The Authority Reporter and the Children’s Panel are both formally represented on the Joint Committee. Voluntary sector interests are represented through umbrella structures for children in need, early years and youth justice services.

The Area Children’s Services Forums are the ‘engine’ at the heart of the integrated structure. They bring together the key managers in each area, supported by an Integration Manager, to implement integrated strategy - taking forward policy and practice at the local level, ensuring a ‘joined-up’ approach to all children.

GOVERNANCE: Area Committee; Community Health Partnership

Working Groups AREA CHILDREN’S Drug & Focused On SERVICES FORUM Alcohol Achieving Key Forum Outcomes (ACSF)

Case Working Sub-group

Community Liaison Youth Area Planning Groups Officers’ Childcare Arrangements Group Partnerships

Regeneration Young Areas Offender 12 Forum Liaison Groups and equivalent arrangements have been formed across Services around community school boundaries to ensure effective operational planning for children in need.

Further community liaison arrangements are increasingly being developed, to ensure that policy and service developments take full account of community needs and aspirations.

Partnership with the Voluntary Sector The voluntary sector in Highland will play a lead role in the implementation of FHC2 . The sector’s capacity for innovation, rapidly evolving services to meet identified need, allows good ideas to be piloted and evaluated. Sharing best practice and an ethos of working together ensures duplication of service is avoided and that gaps in provision are filled to best serve the vision of all children having the best possible start in life.

Partnership between the voluntary and public sectors exists in family support services; in special needs and disability; in addiction services and focused services for young people; as well as in sport, culture and leisure. Within Childcare and Early Years provision, such teamwork is particularly well advanced, with shared training fostering mutual respect for the valuable contribution each sector can make. The 3 years encompassed by FHC2 will foster new partnerships – that will maximise resource use, share best practice and improve the accessibility of out of school provision and other services across all parts of Highland.

Formal partnerships, often through service level agreements with the statutory sector, as well as less formal arrangements – for example offering administrative support, or through the provision of accommodation, or access to transport - can ensure the sustainability of much needed local service provision.

Partnership with the Children’s Hearings System – The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) and the Children’s Panel The Children’s Hearings System is the judicial system for children in Scotland. It is a unique system which upholds the welfare and rights of children, while ensuring that targeted assistance is provided to those in need of special measures to ensure their care, protection and appropriate behaviour. In Highland, it will play a lead role in ensuring that the objectives of FHC2 are met.

Highland’s Children’s Reporters are the independent officials who act as gatekeepers to the system. They receive referrals from a number of sources as a result of a variety of concerns. The Reporter investigates each referral to decide if compulsory measures are required – a supervision requirement. Reports are often requested from partner agencies as part of that investigation. If the Reporter decides that compulsory measures are necessary, and that there is evidence to establish a formal Ground for Referral, the child will be referred to a Children’s Hearing. Each Hearing comprises 13 three Panel Members, who are all trained volunteers from the local community. The Children’s Hearing has a wide range of powers available to it, over and above imposing a supervision requirement if appropriate. They are designed to ensure that the best interests of the child are met and that concerns about behaviour are addressed. Reporters can also deal with referrals in other ways, for example by making use of restorative justice services or referring children to the Local Authority for Advice, Assistance and Guidance.

The links between the Children’s Hearing System and partner agencies within Highland are already strong. FHC2 sets out a series of measures which will enhance those links and help to ensure that Highland’s children are safe, nurtured and included, and respected and responsible within the community.

Better Integration and Better Services Highland is committed to achieving the better integration and better services set out in the ‘For Scotland’s Children’ Action Plan. We will:

Consider children’s services as a single service system: by addressing the gaps or duplication in service provision that families can experience; and promoting sustainable services to strengthen communities, to support families to value children.

Ensure inclusive access to universal services: through inclusive policy and practice, early intervention and multi-agency pathway planning.

Co-ordinate needs assessment and intervention, and target services: through integrated assessment and information sharing across agencies, and a collaborative and targeted approach to service delivery, ensuring that children get the support that they need, when they need it.

Establish a joint children’s service plan: through planning for all of Highland’s children to have the best possible start in life; to enjoy being young; and be supported to develop as confident, capable and resilient, to fully maximise their potential.

Strategic priorities in the forthcoming 3 years will be: Further integration in front line service delivery. In particular, the management of integration will be promoted in the following services:

Early Years; Out of school care and support; Integrated Community School Approach; Health Improvement; Children affected by disability; Youth Action Service; Child Protection.

14 Targeting vulnerable groups and individuals, tackling deprivation and providing opportunities for improved achievement and equality of opportunity. An integrated assessment framework and information sharing across agencies, associated with seamless and collaborative referral processes.

Continuing to improve the quality of services to looked after children (LAC).

Better transition planning at all stages, including into young adulthood.

Co-location of services and ‘one-stop shops’.

Coherence across agency procedures, protocols and business processes.

Joined up workforce planning.

Further pooling of budgets.

Ensuring that Highland becomes more child, family and youth friendly by working with all Wellbeing Alliance partners to address the new Community Plans key challenges of:

Developing a Strong, Sustainable and Competitive Economy; Encouraging Lifelong Learning and Developing Community Capacity; Improving Health and Wellbeing; Investing in Housing and its Infrastructure; Improving Transport; Enhancing Cultures, Heritage, the Gaelic Language and the Natural Environment; and Developing Safe, Strong and Attractive Communities.

15 Key Outcome Targets Prìomh Thargaidean-coileanaidh

The overarching objective of ‘For Highland’s Children’ is to achieve better outcomes for Highland’s children and families. This will be evidenced through a set of 50 locally-agreed key outcome targets. Within the full version of FHC2 is a comprehensive Quality Improvement (Performance Management) Framework that details the specific improvements and monitoring arrangements for each of the following outcomes. SAFE 1 Assessment and Planning All referrals of vulnerable young people will be assessed within a common framework. Utilising the common assessment process, children and young people who need it will have an intervention plan, involving an integrated package of appropriate health, care and education support, and an identified lead professional. 2 Child Protection Implement an action plan to address the recommendations of the pilot Child Protection Inspection. 3 Accident Prevention Reduce child injuries and fatalities relative to total population for all accidents and specifically for road traffic accidents and home accidents. Increase the proportion of schools participating in accredited ‘risk reduction’ programmes – such as ‘risk watch’ and ‘cycling proficiency’. Increase the number of schools with 20mph restrictions; and increase the proportion of schools with agreed travel plans. 4 Bullying Reduce the proportion of pupils who report having experienced serious bullying. Demonstrate an increase in the level of confidence of Young People to report bullying. Increase the proportion of recorded incidents reported to be resolved satisfactorily by school management and by pupils. NURTURED 5 Out of School Care Increase the number of high quality, affordable, accessible and sustainable out of school care places, ensuring provision for children with additional support needs. 6 Respite Increase the level of respite service provided to young people with disabilities. 7 SureStart Substantially increase the number of vulnerable families of 0-3 year olds accessing services supported by ‘SureStart’ funding stream. 8 Parenting Programmes Increase number of parents participating in funded parenting programmes. 9 Parental Employment Increase the number of parents from disadvantaged areas and groups 16 entering or moving towards employment by removing childcare barriers. 10 Early Years Staffing Increase the proportion of Early Years staff meeting qualification requirements. 11 Permanence Planning Reduce the length of time young people are awaiting permanent and adoptive placements. 12 Young Carers Ensure each Secondary School has at least one staff member who has received training on Young Carer issues and is the named contact person for young carers in school. 13 Parental Involvement Increase the proportion of parents reporting that: “the school has explained what part they can play in their child’s education”; and “they are content with the part they are asked to play in their child’s education”. 14 Housing and Homelessness Reduce the numbers of children and young people becoming actually homeless. Reduce the number of days children within families live in temporary accommodation. Increase the number of young people who sustain a tenancy for more than 6 months. 15 Demographics Increase net inward migration of children, young people and families. HEALTHY 16 Oral Health Increase the proportion of 5-year-olds free of dental caries. Decrease the mean Decayed Missing and/or Filled (DMFT) for 12 year olds. Increase the proportion of under 18s under the care of an NHS dentist. 17 Substance Misuse Reduce the proportion of 13 and 15 year olds self-reporting using alcohol in the last week. Reduce the proportion of 13 and 15 year olds self-reporting smoking regularly each week. Reduce the proportion of 13 and 15 year olds self-reporting using drugs in the last month. 18 Teenage Pregnancy Sustain a downward trend in the number and rate per 1000 of teenage pregnancies. 19 Health Promoting Schools Ensure all schools achieve and / or maintain Health Promoting Status. 20 Hungry for Success Ensure all schools meet school nutrition standards. Increase the provision of fresh drinking water within schools. 21 Birthweight Reduce the gap in birth weight amongst babies born to women in the highest and lowest deprivation groups. 22 Smoking in pregnancy Reduce the proportion of women smoking in early pregnancy. 23 Child Health surveillance Increase the uptake of child health screening & surveillance in low income households, to be triggered by the Child Health Surveillance School & Pre- school System(s). Ensure routine recording of Height, Weight and BMI at P1, P4 and P7, to be triggered by the Child Health Surveillance School System. 17 24 Breastfeeding Increase the proportion of mums breastfeeding at 6-8 weeks after birth. 25 Immunisation Achieve and maintain 95% uptake of the pre-school immunisation programme, excluding MMR. Achieve and maintain 95% uptake of MMR immunisation at 24 months. 26 Self Harm Reduce suicide and reported self-harm in under 18 year olds. ACHIEVING 27 Academic Attainment Increase the proportion of pupils in P3, 4, 6 & 7 stages achieving or exceeding the appropriate 5-14 level relevant to their stage in reading writing and maths. Increase the proportion of pupils in S2 achieving or exceeding Level E in reading, writing and maths. Increase the proportion of pupils in the original S4 cohort who have attained at Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) level by the end of S6: 5+ awards at level 3 or better; 5+ awards at level 4 or better; 5+ awards at level 5 or better; 1+ award at level 6 or better; 3+ awards at level 6 or better; 5+ awards at level 6 or better. 28 School Attendance Decrease (total – authorised & unauthorised) non-attendance at school. 29 Achievement Increase the number of young people achieving through; a) being selected for national sports squads and national cultural organisations; and b) participating at national sporting and cultural competitions such as the Mod. 30 Gaelic Learning Increase proportion of children in Gaelic Medium Education and number of children and adult Gaelic learners. ACTIVE 31 Cultural Participation Initiate a cultural pledge for school age children as a result of 2007, the year of Highland Culture. Increase the numbers taking part in cultural activity by 3%, maintaining the balance of participation across the population. 32 Sports Participation Increase the proportion of 13-17 year olds taking part in sport, in addition to the school curriculum, more than once a week. Increase the numbers taking part in sports activity by 3%, maintaining the balance of participation across the population. 33 Play Audit and increase by 20% the number of communities with play areas shared with nursery/schools. Audit and increase by 30% the number of Highland Primary Schools with Playground Supervisors and / or Play Monitors trained in promoting positive play in the playground. Introduce Toptots & Topstart to 50% of Nurseries in Highland. 18 34 Fitness Ensure an improvement in fitness of young people. Increase the proportion of primary school children walking and/or cycling to school. 35 High Life Achieve a 5% increase in uptake of the ‘High Life’ Scheme, including budget card and family-inclusive packages. Ensure ‘High Life ~ Young Scot’ cards are available to 100% of school pupils aged 12+. Achieve year on year increase in number of ‘visits’ to ‘High Life ~ Young Scot’ website. RESPECTED & RESPONSIBLE 36 School Exclusion Reduce the number of school exclusions. 37 Youth Crime Achieve a reduction in offences by young people. Achieve a reduction in number of persistent young offenders. Achieve a reduction in communities reporting fear of youth crime. 38 Determined to Succeed Increase the proportion of school leavers in education, training or employment and by: a) All; b) Low income families; c) Young Carers; d) Looked After Children; and e) Care Leavers (at age 16 and also at age 19). 39 Youth Participation Ensure all schools have Pupil Councils and all Areas have Youth Forums; and increase the number operating with devolved budgets. Increase the number of young people on Pupil Councils and Youth Forums who are from minority ethnic community backgrounds / have disabilities. 40 Leadership Increase the proportion of young people engaged in recognised leadership frameworks such as Duke of Edinburgh’s Award; Sports Leaders; Xcel; Columba 1400 Care Leavers Programme. 41 Volunteering & Citizenship Increase the proportion of young people engaged in volunteering activities in their school or community. INCLUDED 42 Key Worker Ensure all children/families with a disability have an identified keyworker if they wish one. 43 Care Leavers Increase the proportion of all looked after young people leaving care who have a pathway plan.

19 44 Lowest Attaining Increase the proportion of pupils attaining Level C in reading, writing and maths by the end of P7. Increase the proportion of pupils attaining Level D in reading, writing and maths by the end of S2. Increase the average tariff of the lowest attaining 20% of S4 pupils, working with schools to meet the Scottish Executive target of a 5% improvement. Increase the proportion of pupils in the original S4 cohort who have attained SCQF level 3 or better in English and Mathematics by the end of S6. 45 Education of Children from Minority Ethnic Communities Increase the proportion of Minority Ethnic Community Children in P3, 4, 6, 7 & S2 stages achieving or exceeding the appropriate 5-14 level relevant to their stage in reading, writing and maths. Increase the proportion of Minority Ethnic Community Children at SCQF level 3 in English and Maths by the end of S4. Increase the average tariff of Minority Ethnic Community Children in S4, working towards the Scottish Executive target. 46 Education of Looked After Children Increase the proportion of Looked After Children in P3, 4, 6, 7 & S2 stages achieving or exceeding the appropriate 5-14 level relevant to their stage in reading, writing and maths. Increase the proportion of Looked After Children at SCQF level 3 in English and Maths by the end of S4. Increase the average tariff of Looked After Children in S4, working with schools to meet the Scottish Executive target of a 5% improvement. 47 Health of Looked After Children Increase the proportion of Looked After Children with an appropriately reviewed health plan. 48 Planning for Looked After Children Reduce the length of time that children are looked after. Reduce the number and the proportion of children who are looked after & accommodated. Reduce the average number of placement moves. Ensure services to all looked after children are governed by a care plan which identifies responsibility for delivery, and which can be approved by the Children’s Panel where appropriate. Maintain at 25 or reduce further, the number of Looked After Children in ‘out of area’ placements. 49 Poverty Reduce the proportion of children living in workless households, to be triggered by the Child Health Surveillance System(s). Increase in benefits uptake – clothing grant, school meals and Education Maintenance Allowances. 50 Quality Assurance Increase the number of multi-agency self-evaluation exercises on an area or pan-Highland basis.

20 Funding Maoineachadh

The lead agencies (NHS Highland, and Highland Council’s Social Work and Education, Culture & Sport Services) spend in excess of £190million each year on children’s services. This equates to more than £4,000 for every under 18 year old, every year.

Highland Council projected revenue expenditure on Children’s Services for 2005/06 is given in the table below, all figures are £thousands. Note that some of these headings (e.g. Cleaning) will relate primarily, but not entirely to Children’s Services. Others will include an element of costs directed to Children and / or Young People (e.g. Community Learning).

HIGHLAND COUNCIL - 2005/06 EXPENDITURE ON CHILDREN’S SERVICES FROM EDUCATION, CULTURE & SPORT AND SOCIAL WORK SERVICE BUDGETS (£000)

EDUCATION, CULTURE & SPORT SERVICE Primary Education – Devolved to Schools £50,256 Secondary Education – Devolved to Schools £60,872 Special Education – Devolved to Schools £2,511 Primary Education – Not Devolved £2,882 Secondary Education – Not Devolved £3,088 Special Education – Not Devolved £15,291 Schools General £6,213 Community Learning £3,490 Arts Development £501 Leisure Facilities £2,318 Integrated Library Service £4,092 Museums £992 Sports Development £479 Gaelic Culture £2000 Administration £6,396 Hostels £716 School Transport £9,683 Catering & Cleaning £2,059 Village Halls £333 Archives £165 Grants £2,468 EC&S Budget 2005/06: c £182,168

SOCIAL WORK SERVICE Children & Families SWS Teams £6,061 Children & Families Management & Planning & Consultation £1,110 Childcare & Families (Support) £1,825 Looked After Children £6,261 SWS Children & Families Budget 2005/06: c £15,846

JOINT COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE Early Education £7,132 Childcare & Family Resources £1,693 SureStart £1,947 21 Workforce Expansion £248 New (Integrated) Community School Approach £2,115 Autism Review £438 Keyworkers £162 Children Affected by Disability £57 Co-ordinator - Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD) £45 Aftercare £210 Foster Care £157 Additional CCSF Developments £98 Out of Authority Placements £3,337 Play £62 Highland Children’s Forum £40 The Bridge £468 Child Protection £309 Sexual Health £23 Mental Health Services £22 Assessment & Information Sharing £80 Additional Support for Learning £530 Additional Support Needs (Senior Manager Post) £35 Health Improvement Fund £344 Youth Action Service (Excluding ISS/ISMS) £1,653 ISS / ISMS £475 Voluntary Organisation Grants £313 JCCYP Budget 2005/06: c £22,036

Delegated from EC&S to JCCYP c £15,098 Delegated from NHS to JCCYP c £939 Delegated from SWS to JCCYP c £5,998

As part of the Community Budgeting / Planning & Resourcing initiative, NHS budgets for 2003/04 were extracted and profiled in the table below for explicitly identified children’s services (all figures are £thousands). The figures exclude expenditure on children within GP practice budgets, and acute services (such as Ear, Nose & Throat); in these services, expenditure on children is not identified separately from expenditure on the population as a whole.

Child Health £1,519 Child Health Occupational Therapy £215 Child Health Physiotherapy £237 Child Psychology £104 Cystic Fibrosis £39 Health Visiting £2,189 Paediatric Medicine £2,056 School Nursing £696 Vaccinations £314 TOTAL BUDGET c £7,370

The majority of the improvement objectives shown in the following action plans are not dependent on the identification of significant new resources.

Where proposed service developments will require resourcing, this is indicated, along with any obvious potential funding sources. Where the same development arises in a number of action plans, the necessary funding is only referred to once, in the most appropriate action plan.

The Scottish Executive’s Spending Review and the subsequent budget review processes of the Highland Council, NHS Highland and other local, partner services and agencies will prioritise and determine service developments. 22 Resourcing Landscape of FHC2 SAFE

Earmarked funding is available for community safety and domestic abuse initiatives; and some Changing Children’s Services Funding supports specific child protection initiatives, relating to senior practitioners, training and assessment processes. There are significant additional computer hardware and software costs – funding to be identified. Significant resources will have to continue to be directed towards ensuring that key professional groups, particularly in social work and health, have adequate specialist support to ensure competence at all levels of practice. NURTURED

Earmarked funding is available for services for very vulnerable young children through the SureStart and Health Improvement programmes. Other funding supports childcare services. Both funds increase significantly in 2005/06, enabling growth that had been planned as part of FHC1. HEALTHY

Support for healthy living comes from all Service budgets. There are particular funding streams within the Health Improvement Fund, National Priorities Action Fund, Changing Children’s Services Fund, SureStart and Integrated Community Schools Approach. ACHIEVING

The National Priorities Action Fund supplements mainstream budgets to support the achievement of many service developments. Joins have been made with other funding streams, particularly Youth Crime and the Changing Children’s Services Fund. Significant funding is being directed towards the 21st Century School Improvement Programme via a Public Private Partnership arrangement. Specific funding is available for the Determined to Succeed initiative, and endeavours are being made to use this to create other opportunities in partnership with the business and enterprise sectors. Gaelic Learning is supported through Gaelic Specific Grant funding. There are particular challenges funding transport provision and special educational needs from the notional amounts in Grant Aided Expenditure, which are inadequate to fully meet needs across a large rural area. ACTIVE

Support for active lifestyles comes from across service budgets. There are some earmarked funds within NHS Highland and the Education, Culture & Sport Service.

23 RESPECTED & RESPONSIBLE

Funding for these various activities comes from a range of mainstream and additional budgets across services, including funds only accessible to independent sector agencies. In many of these areas, the priority is to sustain and consolidate existing services. Many funding streams cannot be guaranteed in the long-term, leading to repeat planning processes and unhelpful unpredictability for service providers. INCLUDED At Risk

Resourcing issues are detailed earlier against ‘safe’ theme. Looked After Children Funding for looked after children services is derived from mainstream budgets in each of the lead agencies. In Education and Health there are some dedicated initiatives. Within Social Work, significantly more than half of the children’s services budget relates to looked after children. In Need of Permanency Resourcing issues are detailed earlier in the ‘looked after children’ section. Leaving Care Support for young people leaving care comes from a range of agencies, including the Housing and Social Work Services, as well as Barnardo’s and other voluntary sector partners. Young Offenders Resourcing issues are detailed earlier against the ‘respected & responsible’ theme. Experiencing SEBD There is mainstream funding for children with SEBD, but also targeted funding from within the National Priorities Action Fund, Better Behaviour Better Learning, Changing Children’s Services Fund and Integrated Community Schools Approach. In many cases, joins have been made across separate service budgets to align resources. Mental Health Needs There is dedicated funding within NHS Highland for mental health services. A range of other agencies provide services that enhance and support good mental health. Misusing Substances Funding for services to address substance misuse budgets comes from the various mainstream budgets, along with some dedicated funding to the Highland Drug & Alcohol Action Team, including the Changing Children’s Services Fund. As with Youth Justice services, the priority is to sustain and consolidate existing services. Many funding streams cannot be guaranteed in the long-term, leading to repeat planning processes and unhelpful unpredictability for service providers. Young Carers Support for young carers is provided within mainstream services. There is some dedicated support within the Youth Action Service, and earmarked funding within the Changing Children’s Services Fund for a pan-Highland 24 Co-ordinator. Experiencing Bereavement Children who experience bereavement are supported by mainstream services, with specialist assistance in some cases. A dedicated service is provided by ‘CROCUS’, based at Raigmore Hospital. Children in Poverty All services work with children in poverty, who feature disproportionately in targeted provision. The Community Regeneration Fund will be available from 2005-06. Experiencing Homelessness All services work with children, families and young people who may be actually or ‘at risk’ of homelessness. Minority Ethnic Communities All services work with children from minority ethnic communities, and there are few specialist services. Gypsy/Travellers All services work with Gypsy/Traveller children, but entitlement to services is not always taken up. Additional Health Needs Provision for children with additional health needs is largely within NHS Highland. Affected by Disability Provision for children affected by disability is funded across all agencies, and by specific earmarked budgets. There will be some additional finance available in the next 3 years, because of the responsibilities arising from Additional Support for Learning (ASL) legislation and from the ‘EQUAL’ initiative.

25 Development Priorities for FHC2 Service Development Resourcing Context SAFE Information Sharing & Asessment Could be supported by ring-fenced Executive funding. Further funding is required for all services for computer hardware and software. Children of parents affected by substance misuse May require further resourcing. Recovery services Funding is required to consolidate existing services, and to provide any new ones. Enhanced SW services for vulnerable children and families Service improvement fund bid to develop Children & Families SW Teams in Inverness. Specialist support to key professional groups Funds to continue to be identified within mainstream and other budgets. Network approach to ensure best practice standards are met for child sexual/forensic examination/ procedures Funding would need to be identified. Additional support to Child Protection Committee Funded in year 1 – to be identified for subsequent years. NURTURED Looked after children services strategy May identify resource issues. Further services for looked after children in Highland Will require redirection of current expenditure outwith the authority, involving some start-up funds. Scoping activity regarding the development of a residential unit for Young People in Lochaber Outwith authority placement funding as above. Purpose-built replacement for East Ross residential facility for Young People Highland Council Capital budget. Modernisation of foster care Significant additional funding has been allocated, but incremental increases will be required to further develop the programme. Recommendations of Early Years Review Involves a rationalisation of funding arrangements to promote sustainability. Family Group Conferencing Funding will need to be identified. HEALTHY Implementation of Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) standards in pregnancy & new born screening, and QIS ultrasound advice to 24 weeks of pregnancy Funding will need to be identified. Time limited appointment (2 years) to develop and support the use of ICT to support the implementation of ‘Health For All Children’ (Edition 4) and information sharing 26 Funding will need to be identified. Information management and technology infrastructure requirements re Hall 4 Funding will need to be identified. Early years orthoptic vision screening Funding will need to be identified. Paediatric Dietetic Service Funding will need to be identified. ACHIEVING Support for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder Will require to be identified from mainstream budgets and Changing Children’s Services Fund. ACTIVE 2007 Year of Highland Culture Additional funding will need to be identified for 2007. Play provision in all communities Additional funding may need to be identified to sustain and / or further develop maintained play provision and facilities. RESPECTED & RESPONSIBLE Youth Work & Youth Participation Strategy Different levels of funding are committed across the Wellbeing Alliance. Further strategic alignment is necessary to fully maximise this. There is a significant issue in timescale, regarding the reduction in Scottish Executive funding from the SIP Programme to the new Community Regeneration Fund, and the need to mainstream essential youth work services. There is also a need to ensure local funds to address young people’s priorities. Youth Justice Funding for the Youth Action Service comes from a range of different streams, and the priority is to consolidate and sustain existing services. INCLUDED At Risk Resourcing and Service Development issues detailed earlier against ‘safe’ theme Looked After Children Looked after children services strategy May identify resource issues. Targeted services to address educational drift Will involve the further alignment of budgets. Integrated information system Funding implications are very much linked to a new Social Work information system and the proposals relating to information sharing and integrated assessment. Modernise the foster care service Significant additional budgets have been directed towards fosterng services, from both Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) and Changing Children’s Services 27 Funds. Further monies will be required to complete this programme. Invest in local services for Highland’s children Significant funds are spent on out of authority placements, which will need to be invested into in-house services to effect significant change. In Need of Permanency Resourcing and Service Development issues detailed earlier in the ‘looked after children’ section Leaving Care Establish an appropriate range of supported accommodation options Requires some dedicated funding to provide the necessary infrastructure support. Young Offenders Resourcing and Service Development issues detailed earlier against the ‘respected & responsible’ theme Experiencing SEBD Review of off-site provision Significant funds are spent on out of authority placements, which will need to be invested into in-house services to effect significant change.

It will be necessay to align budgets further to meet local needs across Highland.

New accommodation will be required for the Black Isle Education Centre, and as well as any changes to the current model, this is likely to have cost implications. Mental Health Needs Possible resource implications of the ‘CAMHS template’ (Child and Adolecent Mental Health Services) Funding would need to be identified. Attention Deficit and Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) Care Pathway Additional resources would be required to support the ADHD care pathway. Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service An intensive outreach team based at the Department of Child and Family Psychiatry (DCFP) would require additional resources. In addition, there will need to be a response to the resource demands of a Managed Clinical Network (MCN) for under-12s, and enhanced adolescent in-patient provision. Specialist mental health learning disability services Dedicated funding required. Misusing Substances Enhanced services for health promotion, family support and drug treatment Highland Drug and Alcohol Action Team (HDAAT) Corporate Action Plan. Young Carers Children of parents affected by substance misuse May require further resourcing. Experiencing Bereavement Enhancement of existing CROCUS service Funding will need to be identified. Children in Poverty Focussed approach to addressing poverty through regeneration programmes 28 Regeneration Outcome Agreement. Experiencing Homelessness Enhanced housing support services Homelessness Strategy (including sub-group for Young People). Specific Executive resourcing for homelessness initiatives. Priorities identified within ‘Supporting People’ Core Co-ordination Group. Developments dependent on ‘Supporting People’ grant assistance. Minority Ethnic Communities Focussed approach to addressing discrimination through equalities programmes Equalities statements, policies and procedures arising from all Community Planning Partners. Partner services and staff groups pro-actively tackle discrimination and promote equality and good race relations Increased Race Awareness training for all staff groups. Gypsy/Travellers Outreach Liaison Officer(s) and associated initiatives/developments Gypsy/Traveller Action Plan. Additional Health Needs Clinical Lead – Children’s Services Network Funding may need to be identified. Review Consultant Paediatrician establishment Funding may need to be identified to retain ‘training status’. High dependency capacity in Special Care Baby Unit Funding will need to be identified. MacMillan Children’s Nurse Funding will need to be identified. Children’s Diabetes Nurse Funding will need to be identified. Affected by Disability Implementation of information sharing & integrated assessment Modernising Government. Implementation of ASL legislation, including co-ordinated support plans and information, advice and mediation services Additional Scottish Executive (SE) funding is available. Review of specialist paediatric Allied Health Professionals Service Review may result in resourcing issues. Compliance with Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) as a minimum standard Dedicated funding is available. Specialised children’s advocacy and family advocacy services Some funding has been earmarked, but this is unlikely to make children’s advocacy accessible across Highland. Targeted resources in Out Of School (Child) Care (OOSC) Additional GAE funding is available. Equitable and appropriate respite services accessible across Highland Additional carer’s strategy and mainstream funding is avalable, but this is unlikely to enable a choice of services across Highland. Address co-ordination issues and the shortfall in provision of equipment and communications aids Funding will need to be identified. Ensure equitable access to appropriate housing stock to meet assessed needs Funding will need to be identified to construct or adapt. 29 Assessment processes for sensory needs Funding for time limited Health Visitor/School Nurse liaison post, and also to consolidate vision services. Inter-agency moving & handling co-ordinator Funding will need to be identified. Outreach support staff to enhance opportunity for accessing leisure and recreational facilities Funding will need to be identified. Educational psychology services for 16-24 year olds Additional GAE is envisaged. Implementation of recommendations of Best Value Review of Special Educational Needs Albeit there are significant issues of equity, there are more significant issues of under funding. Child health community learning disability service Dedicated funding required for separate child health service. Strengthen Central Autism Team Funding will need to be identified. Specialist mental health learning disability services Dedicated funding required. Formalise post of Disability Services Co-ordinator Funding will need to be identified. Enhance employment expectations of Young People in their final year(s) at school ‘EQUAL Community Initiative’. Development of the “Pines” Commitment of NHS contribution to Council and PPP contributions. Support parent/carer groups and small voluntary agencies to access potential funding sources May require dedicated service.

30 CHILDREN ARE SAFE CLANN A BHITH SÀBHAILTE

29 SAFE Our Improvement Objectives

Highland’s children and young people are Safe: protected from abuse, neglect and harm by others at home, at school and in the community.

Children get the help they need when they need it; and professionals take timely and effective action to protect children.

Professionals ensure children are listened to and respected.

Agencies and professionals share information about children where this is necessary to protect them.

Agencies and professionals work together to assess needs and risks and develop effective plans.

Professionals are competent, confident and supported.

Agencies work in partnership with members of the community to protect children.

Agencies, individually and collectively, demonstrate leadership and accountability for their work and its effectiveness.

Implementation of the Domestic Abuse Strategy.

Implementation of the Community Safety Strategy.

32 SAFE Local Planning Elements

Highland’s children and young people are Safe: protected from abuse, neglect and harm by others at home, at school and in the community.

Highland Child Protection Committee

CONSTITUENT MEMBERS: The Highland Council Procurator Fiscal Children’s Hearings System NHS Highland Northern Constabulary Armed Forces Voluntary Sector

POLICY GUIDELINES: Child Protection Register Agency Roles & Responsibilities Procedures for Referral Quality Assurance Inspection

Highland Wellbeing Alliance Community Safety Steering Group

Tackling crime and the fear of crime

Tackling Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Addressing Domestic Abuse

Increasing Home Safety

Promoting Equalities and Valuing Diversity

Improving Road Safety

Supporting Water and Mountain Safety

Engaging with Young People 33 Highland’s Children & Young People are Safe: protected from abuse, neglect and harm by others at home, at school and in the community.

The safety of children and young people will be enhanced by all agencies working together with parents and the community to support families in order to prevent accidents, abuse and neglect. Particular attention will be given to maximising the opportunities as a consequence of involvement in the pilot Child Protection Inspection.

Domestic violence, alcohol and substance misuse and the mental health of parents are high risk factors, and to be effective in keeping children and young people safe, services will address these. We aim to recognise abuse or neglect and provide support services at an early stage. Some children and young people will require specialist therapeutic support.

A major proportion of all accidents affecting children, in the home as well as on the roads or in the wider community, are preventable. Services will work together to reduce injuries and fatalities. Helping to keep children and young people in Highland safe will have positive impact on the broader indicators of community wellbeing. Such endeavour will play a significant part within the Community Plan’s wider objectives aimed at maintaining the population of Highland and reducing inequalities.

Child Protection Procedures and the Children’s Hearing System will work effectively together to ensure that compulsory measures are imposed when and where they are needed. Improved services to the Children’s Hearing system will help ensure that Children’s Reporters and Panels can make appropriate, timely decisions about the need for compulsory measures of care.

NOTE TO USING ‘FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN’ The # and £ symbols in the action plans indicate the timescale for the implementation of delivery strategies. The £ sign is used where funding has to be identified or confirmed.

FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Safe Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 1. Children get the help they need when 1, 2 Respond and continue to give effect # # they need it and professionals take to the National Reform Programme. timely and effective action to protect Ensure ongoing implementation of # # # children. the Child Protection Standards & Children’s Charter, including the 2. Professionals ensure children are 1, 2 Action Plan following the pilot listened to and respected. inspection. Ensure consistent application of # # # 3. Agencies and professionals share 1, 2 multi-agency child protection information about children where this guidance. is necessary to protect them. Develop a Quality Assurance (QA) model # # including self-assessment materials and 4. Agencies and professionals work 1, 2 audit tools to facilitate compliance. together to assess needs and risks Review and implement local training # and develop effective plans. strategy, to ensure it is comprehensive and meets the needs 5. Professionals are competent, 1, 2 of all staff groups and at all 34 confident and supported. organisational levels. continued... FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Safe Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 6. Agencies work in partnership with 1, 2 Review Child Protection Committee £ members of the community to protect in line with guidance from the Scottish children. Executive. Seek feedback from service users. # # # 7. Agencies, individually and collectively, 1, 2, 48, 50 Develop and implement integrated £ £ £ demonstrate leadership and assessment and risk assessment accountability for their work and its processes. effectiveness. Explore further the needs of children £ £ £ of parents affected by substance misuse. Achieve appropriate and effective £ £ £ information sharing across professionals and agencies. Ensure that services to all looked # # after children are governed by plans which identify responsibilities for delivery, and which can be approved or amended by the Children’s Panel where appropriate. Agree and implement a protocol to # # ensure that there are clear and effective links between child protection procedures and SCRA. Enhance and better target SW £ services for vulnerable children and families, particularly involving an enhanced structure in Inverness. Review provision of recovery # # services, and identify need for further services. Develop and implement effective # # # community awareness raising strategy – including website enhancement. Further develop local Liaison Groups # # # and arrangements. Ensure good practice, research, # # # report recommendations are disseminated to all agency staff and implemented as required. Consider the development of a £ £ £ network approach across the North & East Scotland to ensure best practice standards are met for child sexual/ forensic examination/ procedures.

8. Implement the Domestic Abuse 2, 14 Support education initiatives, which # Strategy. provide information and advice to young people. 9. Implement the Community Safety 3, 4, 45 Raise awareness of the impact of # # Strategy. domestic abuse on young people. Target initiatives to address domestic # # abuse. Reduce vehicle speeds around # # schools. Encourage greater use of seatbelts # and restraints. Encourage good practice re anti- # # # bullying initiatives.

35 RESOURCING

Earmarked funding is available for community safety and domestic abuse initiatives; and some Changing Children’s Services Funding supports specific child protection initiatives, relating to senior practitioners, training and assessment processes. There are significant additional computer hardware and software costs – funding to be identified. Significant resources will have to continue to be directed towards ensuring that key professional groups, particularly in social work and health, have adequate specialist support to ensure competence at all levels of practice.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Information Sharing & Asessment Can be supported by ring-fenced Executive funding. Further funding is required for all services for computer hardware and software. Children of parents affected by substance misuse May require further resourcing. Recovery services Funding is required to consolidate existing services, and to provide any new ones. Enhanced SW services for vulnerable children and families Service improvement fund bid to develop Children & Families SW Teams in Inverness. Specialist support to key professional groups Funds to continue to be identified within mainstream and other budgets. Network approach to ensure best practice standards are met for child sexual/forensic examination/procedures Funding would need to be identified. Additional support to Child Protection Committee Funded in year 1 – to be identified for subsequent years.

36 CHILDREN ARE NURTURED CLANN AIR AN DEAGH ÀRACH NURTURED Our Improvement Objectives

Highland’s children and young people are Nurtured: live within a supportive family setting, with additional assistance if required, or, where this is not possible, within another care setting, ensuring a positive and rewarding childhood experience.

Improving effectiveness of Assessment, Care Planning and Review; involving more integrated service delivery, including more seamless transitions.

Enhanced support for parents.

Enhanced childcare and early years service provision.

Fewer children & families living in poverty and/or insecure housing.

Continued focus on services to looked after children.

Shift the balance of care.

Enhanced throughcare arrangements and service provision.

Continued focus on services to children affected by disability.

Early Identification, Referral and Intervention.

38 NURTURED Local Planning Elements

Highland’s children and young people are Nurtured: live within a supportive family setting, with additional assistance if required, or, where this is not possible, within another care setting, ensuring a positive and rewarding childhood experience.

Substance Misuse

Socially Inclusive

Better integrated planning and service provision

Looked After Children

Fostering and Adoption Services

(Young People) Vulnerable to Homelessness

Throughcare and Aftercare

Children affected by Disability

Children with (other) additional support needs

Young Carers

Childcare & Early Years Provision

Support for Parents

Safe Families

Early Intervention

39 Highland’s Children & Young People are Nurtured: live within a supportive family setting, with additional assistance if required, or, where this is not possible, within another care setting, ensuring a positive and rewarding childhood experience.

Ensuring that Highland is child and family friendly will attract new families as well as keep local families here. This will play a significant part within the Community Plan’s wider objectives aimed at maintaining the population of Highland, countering the demographic trend by nurturing our environment, culture and quality of life.

Our vision is to have developed co-ordinated, comprehensive Highland-wide family support services. The Joint Committee has endorsed a philosophy for supporting families that aims to:

promote family support values in child and family services;

promote safe, well-resourced environments and communities in which families, children and young people are supported in achieving their potential;

provide assistance when necessary to overcome disruption that threatens children’s development; and

build on the concept of ‘valuing children, supporting families, strengthening communities’.

We aim to improve the quality of life for all children, young people and their families in Highland especially for those most vulnerable. Accordingly, services across Highland will work together to ensure that children and young people live in supportive families (provided with additional support when appropriate) or other caring settings.

Children, young people and their parents will need different types of support at different stages of their lives. We aim to provide effective support, both to those who experience significant difficulties and to the wider community. This includes giving children the best possible start in life, and promoting social inclusion.

We aim to ensure that those children, who cannot live with their families, are in supportive and nurturing environments.

We also aim to ensure that the Children’s Hearings System is supported so that the need for compulsory measures can be considered on the basis of the best possible information.

40 FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Nurtured Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 1. Early Identification, Referral and 1, 7 Implementation of Hall 4 Guidance: # Intervention. pregnancy, new born screening and the early months. 2. Improving effectiveness of 1, 7, 11, Consideration within Community # Assessment, Care Planning and 12, 42, 48, Health Partnership’s (CHPs) of the Review; involving more integrated 50 skill mix and public health nursing service delivery, including more function to better address the needs seamless transitions. of more vulnerable families. Develop and implement integrated £ £ £ assessment processes. Achieve appropriate and effective £ £ £ information sharing across professionals and agencies. Further develop local Liaison Groups # # and arrangements, including for Early Years. Meet Time Interval Standards for the # # # provision of reports to the Children’s Reporter. Ensure that health professionals, # # # schools, and other agencies provide the Reporter with appropriate reports as and when requested. Ensure that in all cases where # # compulsory measures are recommended or imposed the services to the child are governed by a care plan which identifies responsibility for delivery. Agree and implement procedures for # # # ensuring that all children referred to the local authority by the Children’s Reporter for Advice, Assistance and Guidance benefit from a care plan, and that the Reporter is informed as to whether the plan has proved effective.

3. Enhanced support for parents. 8, 13, 14, Continued implementation of the # # # 15, 49 Family Support Framework (2002). Parent Programme Co-ordinator and # # # focussed approach to parenting support and training. Quality, evidence-based parenting # # # programmes. Implementation of area SureStart # # # plans, to include a range of parent support services, such as practical befriending, supported toddler provision intensive family support. Promotion of parental wellbeing and # # support for parents with mental health problems. Pilot and evaluate Family Group £ Conferencing. Transport issues considered # # # strategically.

4. Enhanced childcare and early years 5, 6, 7, 9, Enhanced Childcare Information # # service provision. 10, 30 Service. Review and implement # # recommendations relating to the Integrated Early Years Strategy. Development of out of school care # # provision in line with ‘Schools Out’, 41 to include wraparound, and where appropriate within schools. continued... FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Nurtured Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 Further develop services to children # # # affected by disability. Promote quality provision through # # Quality Assurance and support visits. Develop a range of services to cover # # gaps e.g. sitter service and community childminding. Develop a clear pathway to # # accredited qualifications for staff working in Childcare and Early Education. Enhanced Gaelic childcare provision. # # #

5. Fewer children & families living in 14, 49 Benefit maximisation. # # poverty and/or insecure housing. Supported routes to training and # # employment. Strategy to address and improve # # temporary housing. Support for young tenants. # # #

6. Continued focus on services to 11, 43, 46, Develop an explicit multi-agency # looked after children. 47, 48 strategy for Looked After Children. Establish and maintain an integrated # # # 7. Shift the Balance of Care. information system between the relevant agencies, including a single point arrangement to collate and transfer information, and a clear protocol for information sharing. Improve educational outcomes # # # through heightened individual planning processes, and services to address drift, ensuring full time provision, and involvement of staff and carers. Improve health outcomes, ensuring # # # effective assessments and identifying opportunities to develop the role and engagement of primary care services, and facilitating positive actions by staff and carers. Achieve quality in foster and # # residential care, including: an appropriately qualified and registered workforce; and quality assurance processes. Focus on care planning and # # interventions to: reduce the length of time that children are looked after; the number and the proportion of children who are looked after and accommodated; and the number of placement moves. Reduce the length of time children and # # young people are awaiting permanent and adoptive placements; and further develop concurrent planning. Modernise the foster care service, by: £ £ Improving recruitment, retention, matching, training and preparation; Implementing, monitoring and reviewing placement agreements; Fully introducing reward elements; Ensure adoptive parents have access to supportive services. Target Carers and refocus the # # 42 Specialist Carer Scheme. continued... FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Nurtured Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 Implement national standards for # # services provided to children on supervision. Review the operation of the LAC # review system, including further training. Invest in local services for Highlands £ £ children, reducing the numbers in out of authority placements. Develop further means whereby # looked after children can influence strategic and individual service planning. Improve services to Children’s # Hearings, by: meeting Time Interval Standards; ensuring reports are ‘fit for purpose’; and that services are governed by a care plan.

8. Enhanced throughcare arrangements 14, 38, 43, Establish a clear strategic policy/ # and service provision. 49 organisational framework. Develop policies, procedures and # # guidelines. Implementation of pathway materials, # and improvement in assessment of needs of young people in Throughcare and Aftercare. Establish programmes to help young # # # people better prepare for adult life and groupwork projects to maintain and develop relationships. Develop health provision. # Improve employment, education and # # # training opportunities. Establish accommodation with # support options. Maximise income entitlement. # # # Ensure that contact is maintained with # # # young people.

9. Continued focus on services to 1, 6, 7, 42, Develop and consolidate pathway # # children affected by disability. 50 planning, linked to information sharing and integrated assessment. Develop good information about # numbers and needs of children affected by disability. Improve co-ordination of service # # planning at an area level, including equitable access to services across Highland. Improve co-ordination of disability # # # issues in service delivery including: the involvement of children and families; more seamless service provision across age and stage; local, inclusive approaches; and compliance with DDA and ASL legislation. Ensure that every child and family has # access to a keyworker. Have high quality training available to # # family carers and professionals on topics relevant to children affected by disability. Involve children affected by disability # # # and their families in policy, planning 43 and other decision making processes. continued... FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Nurtured Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 Support schools to be inclusive, with # # # a choice of provision to meet the range of needs. Enhance (early years and out of # # school) care and leisure provision, including both specialist and generic community provision. Ensure regular health and dental # # # checks available for all children affected by disability. Further develop and review a range # # # of respite provision for families, including at Staffin and the ‘Positive Partnerships’ scheme. Facilitate a “One Stop Shop” # approach to information and advice service, empowering children and families through increased knowledge of range of services and entitlements. Better support and representation of # children and carers through an enhanced Advocacy Service. Inform and support carers about # alternative routes to access services via Direct Payments. Improve transitional planning for the # transfer of responsibility from Children’s to Adult Services. Ensure access as required to # specialist health services at a regional and national level.

RESOURCING

Earmarked funding is available for services for very vulnerable young children through the SureStart and Health Improvement programmes. Other funding supports childcare services. Both funds increase significantly in 2005/06, enabling growth that had been planned as part of FHC1.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Looked after children services strategy May identify resource issues. Further services for looked after children in Highland Will require redirection of current expenditure outwith the authority, involving some start-up funds. Scoping activity regarding the development of a residential unit for Young People in Lochaber Outwith authority placement funding as above. Purpose-built replacement for East Ross residential facility for Young People Highland Council Capital budget. Modernisation of foster care Significant additional funding has been allocated, but incremental increases will be required to further develop the programme. Recommendations of Early Years Review Involves a rationalisation of funding arrangements to promote sustainability. Family Group Conferencing 44 Funding will need to be identified. CHILDREN ARE HEALTHY CLANN A BHITH FALLAIN

15 HEALTHY Our Improvement Objectives

Highland’s children and young people are Healthy: enjoy the highest attainable standards of physical and mental health, with access to suitable healthcare and support for safe and healthy lifestyle choices.

Particular focus on post natal depression among women and suicide among young men who are fathers.

Ensure Highland children have access to good nutrition throughout infancy, childhood and adolescence to offset obesity and related health problems and poor dental health.

Implementation of ‘Hall 4’ and associated developments, ensuring standardised, quality assured screening and surveillance programmes from pregnancy through to adolescence.

Promote health promotion strategy through schools and other public centres: support children and families to recognise and act on healthy choices regarding diet, exercise, substance misuse and sexual health.

Support key transitions into primary school, into secondary school, & then through adolescence and into work / leaving the parental home.

Development of a co-ordinated approach to pre-conception health and health during preganacy, including multi-agency policies and practice that promote the well being of women pre-conceptually, throughout the pregnancy and into parenthood.

46 HEALTHY Local Planning Elements

Highland’s children and young people are Healthy: enjoy the highest attainable standards of physical and mental health, with access to suitable healthcare and support for safe and healthy lifestyle choices.

Child Health Services

Primary Care

Health Service Health Service Issues

Secondary Care

Health Service Health Service Issues

Tertiary Care

National Health Service Issues

Regional

Health Improvement

Pre-conception Teen Transitions

Pregnancy Adult Transitions

Early Years Health Service Issues

Screening & Surveillance “Hall 4” Guidance

Pregnancy Teen Transitions

Early Years Vulnerability

Detecting Disorder

47 Highland’s Children & Young People are Healthy: enjoy the highest attainable standards of physical and mental health, with access to suitable healthcare and support for safe and healthy lifestyle choices.

The foundations for health, happiness and wellbeing in infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood are established in the earliest moments of life: before conception, during pregnancy and in the earliest weeks and months. Transitions through to the next stage of life, infancy to toddler to Pre School etc are important times and a range of evidence suggests the importance of paying particular attention to these times of change.

The nutrition a baby growing in the womb receives, the early relationships he or she develops with principal carers, along with genetic endowments and related life circumstances will have a lasting impact on inequalities into childhood, adolescence and even adulthood. At no other time are there greater opportunities for effective intervention to offset the wider inequalities that persist across society.

There is a clear difference between the health of children living in the poorest families to those in the most well off families, for example:

Babies born into lower income families tend to be of a lower birth weight.

Children living in lower income groups have higher rates of death in the first year of life than those in the highest income groups.

Emotional and behavioural problems are 4 times more common in families with the lowest incomes.

Dental disease and iron deficiency are more common in children in lower income families.

The implementation of Health for All Children (Edition4), generally known as Hall 4, will be a key driver for re-orientating and integrating a range of services over the next three years. As well as refocusing screening and surveillance programmes around health promotion activity, there will be a shift in the focus of services in recognition of the need to better target need and disadvantage. This is to ensure that families with the greatest needs receive the greatest level of support.

Health promotion can be achieved through social inclusion, and all agencies have a role in this. Agencies across Highland can help children and families realise their potential for health, wellbeing and happiness. This will involve working towards ensuring that all of Highland’s children are able to have regular health and dental checks.

The development of a combined child health service within NHS Highland will ensure more coherent and effective service planning and delivery across the network. It is recognised that specialist child health services should be provided and delivered where possible in the communities where children and families live. Children who require secondary or tertiary care should experience a more seamless transition between community and hospital or other specialist provision, within or outwith 48 Highland. FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Healthy Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 1. Development of a co-ordinated 8, 19, 20, Seconded midwifery post. # approach to pre-conception health 21, 22 Baby Friendly Initiative – best practice # # # and health during pregnancy, / support for breastfeeding in including multi-agency policies and maternity units. practice that promote the wellbeing Parenting programme staff/agency # # # of women pre-conceptionally, training/development. throughout the pregnancy and into Audit of health promotion advice. # # parenthood. Tobacco and nutrition initiatives. # # # Protocols for drug and alcohol misuse. # Family Resource Alliance, as a Forum # # # for Early Years workers across agencies. Linkage across children and women’s # # health network.

2. Particular focus on post natal 26 Seconded Community Psychiatric # # depression among women and Nurse (CPN). suicide among young men. Pro-active involvement of voluntary # # # sector. Commission research. # Local training. # #

3. Ensure Highland children have access 16, 20, 24 Continue to improve school # # # to good nutrition throughout infancy, nutritional standards through the childhood and adolescence to offset Implementation of ‘Hungry for obesity and related health problems Success’ through schools. and poor dental health. Develop paediatric dietetic service. £ £ Improve nutritional arrangements in # # other public centres, including leisure facilities. Specific community food initiatives. # # Breast-feeding strategy; breast- # feeding support at a community level. Development of policies & protocols # # # on infant feeding (breast & substitute) and weaning. A range of oral health interventions in # # # different settings.

4. Implementation of Hall 4 and 22, 23, 25, Development of care pathways and # # associated developments, ensuring 47, 50 associated protocols. standardised, quality assured Implementation of Hall 4 and a £ £ £ screening and surveillance standardised programme of screening programmes from pregnancy through and surveillance across Highland. to adolescence. Consider information management £ £ £ and technology infrastructure requirements in line with generic information sharing / integrated assessment processes. Ensure compliance with QIS £ £ £ standards for pregnancy and new born screening. Develop QIS advice for scanning in # # # pregnancy up to 24 weeks. General Medical Council (GMC) contract. # # # Immunisation programme. # # #

5. Promote health promotion strategy 17, 18, 19 Effective inter-agency activity # # # through schools and other public involving Health Promotion centres: support children and families Department and Council services to to recognise and act on healthy deliver health and wellbeing policies choices regarding diet, exercise, and plans such as tackling obesity and substance misuse and sexual health. low levels of activity in young people. Ensure Schools achieve and maintain # # # Health Promoting status. 49 Ensure implementation of Nursing for # Health. continued... FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Healthy Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 Continue to develop ‘Your Choice to # # # Healthy Living’ initiative. Continue roll-out of ‘Scotland’s # # # Health and Work ‘(SHAW) scheme to improve staff health and welfare. Sexual Health Strategy. # # # Drug, alcohol & tobacco # # # interventions / education initiatives through HDAAT.

6. Support key transitions into primary 17, 18, 19, Integrated Community School # # # school, into secondary school, & 26, 47 Approach. then through adolescence and into Liaison Groups and arrangements # # # work / leaving the parental home. around transition points. Information Sharing & Integrated £ £ £ Assessment.

RESOURCING

Support for healthy living comes from all Service budgets. There are particular funding streams within the Health Improvement Fund, National Priorities Action Fund, Changing Children’s Services Fund, SureStart and Integrated Community Schools Approach.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Implementation of QIS standards in pregnancy & new born screening, and QIS ultrasound advice to 24 weeks of pregnancy Funding will need to be identified. Time limited appointment (2 years) to develop and support the use of Integrated Care Pathways to suport the implementation of Hall 4 and information sharing Funding will need to be identified. Information management and technology infrastructure requirements re above Funding will need to be identified. Early years orthoptic vision screening Funding will need to be identified. Paediatric Dietetic Service Funding will need to be identified.

50 CHILDREN ARE ACHIEVING CLANN A BHITH A COILEANADH ACHIEVING Our Improvement Objectives

Highland’s children and young people are Achieving: have access to positive learning environments and opportunities to develop their skills, confidence and self esteem to the fullest potential.

Promote achievement for children from vulnerable groups, including the lowest performing 20% and children who are Looked After or who have special needs.

Achieve integrated pupil support within and outwith school in partnership with parents and families.

Improved access to learning opportunities to meet diverse and emerging needs.

Recognise and celebrate achievement in all of its forms.

Further develop Gaelic Language Strategy for all sectors and ages.

Promote the achievement of all pupils.

52 ACHIEVING Local Planning Elements

Highland’s children and young people are Achieving: have access to positive learning environments and opportunities to develop their skills, confidence and self esteem to the fullest potential.

Support & Learning

Attainment

Improving standards for all

“Closing the gap”

Curricular Flexibility

“Determined to Succeed”

“Virtual learning community”

“Better Behaviour, Better Learning”

Ethos

In-school pupil support

Out of school pupil support

Access

Community

Parents

Integrated Provision

Involvement

53 Highland’s Children & Young People are Achieving: have access to positive learning environments and opportunities to develop their skills, confidence and self esteem to the fullest potential.

Supporting children and young people in Highland to develop their fullest potential will have positive impact on the broader indicators of community wellbeing. Such provision will play a significant part within the Community Planning Partnership’s wider intent of more people choosing to live and learn in Highland and ensuring that individuals and communities are dealt with equitably – responding to different needs and reducing inequalities.

Education, in its broadest sense, ‘holds the key’ to personal fulfilment, social inclusion and cohesion – as well as economic advantage – for learners within local communities and Highland as a whole. Schools lie ‘at the heart’ of our local communities – with significant scope to become centres for full community involvement and lifelong learning.

Services will be delivered to ensure impact on children and young people’s health, their social, emotional and intellectual development, and their general levels of motivation, self esteem and wellbeing. This, in turn, will impact on positive behaviour, school attendance, personal and academic achievement, which in turn can secure better life and opportunities.

The five National Priorities in Education set out a challenging framework for the delivery of effective education provision in nursery, primary and secondary schools. The establishment of an Education, Culture & Sport Service by the Council in 2001 has released the potential for collaborative and effective planning at school, community and area level. This enhances the opportunities for learning, both within the formal school curriculum, in extra curricular activities after school and in the community.

Realising potential can also be greatly enhanced through effective joint service working, building in effective links between practitioners and agencies – through Integrated Community School and associated Approaches.

FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Achieving Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 1. Promote the achievement of all 27, 44, 50 Improve standards of numeracy and # # # pupils. literacy for all. Continue to improve school # # # performance in 5-14 and SQA Attainment. Review curriculum guidance to # # schools in response to the 3-18 national curriculum review. Improve ethos in primary and # # # secondary schools.

2. Promote achievement for children 27, 38, 44, Continue to improve provision by all # # # from vulnerable groups, including the 50 agencies to meet the requirements of lowest- performing 20% and children the Additional Support for Learning who are Looked After or have Act. additional support needs. Closer scrutiny of performance data # # # and individual learner tracking in all 54 primary and secondary schools. continued... FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Achieving Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 Develop more effective assessment # # procedures including provision for pupils with high levels of special needs. Enrich learning and teaching through # # # ‘Determined to Succeed’’ and related vocational & enterprise education initiatives. Use Youth Work to raise # # # achievement. School Behaviour Management # # Strategies. Integrated Pupil Support Service, # including multi-agency initiatives.

3. Achieve integrated pupil support, 28, 43, 44, Appropriate service strategies and # within and outwith school in 46 processes to meet the educational, partnership with parents and families. care and health needs identified in Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for pupils with additional support needs. Ensure access to full time provision # # and / or support for all school age learners, whatever their circumstance. Enhance Liaison Groups and ensure # # they are used as a ‘vehicle’ for appropriate, early referral to Reporter in cases of developing non- attendance. Development of a range of learning # # programmes to meet diverse needs including appropriate work experience placements, more effective joint service provision and support, child-centred monitoring and review.

4. Improved access to learning 28, 43, 45, Enhance provision for learners whose # # opportunities to meet diverse and 46 first language is not English or emerging needs. Gaelic. Develop the Virtual Learning # # # Community to improve student and community collaboration in e-learning. Develop libraries and study centres as # # # means of delivering, research, planning and presentational skills. Develop community-based # # # approaches to life-wide and life-long learning linked to school curricular planning. Promote reading as a mental activity # # # which fosters wellbeing and deliver Bookstart Initiatives. Information, marketing and # # communication strategies at area and community school level. Develop Community Learning and # Development Plans in each Area. Facilitate and support growth in # # # community capacity through the Arts, Sports and Heritage. Review and develop support and # # involvement for parents. Development of out of school care # # # provision in line with ‘Schools Out’, including wraparound, and as 55 appropriate in schools. continued... FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Achieving Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 5. Recognise and celebrate achievement 29 Promote opportunities for all children # # # in all of its forms. & young people to achieve. Systematically assess, record and # # # recognise achievement. Introduce ‘personal learning # # planning’ to all learning centres.

6. Further develop Gaelic Language 30 Further develop Gaelic learning in all # # # Strategy for all sectors and ages. sectors for all ages Meet the requirements of the new # # # Gaelic Language Bill. Further develop the Am Baile Project. # #

RESOURCING

The National Priorities Action Fund supplements mainstream budgets to support the achievement of many service developments. Joins have been made with other funding streams, particularly Youth Crime and the Changing Children’s Services Fund. st Significant funding is being directed towards the 21 Century School Improvement Programme via a Public Private Partnership arrangement. Specific funding is available for the Determined to Succeed initiative, and endeavours are being made to use this to create other opportunities in partnership with the business and enterprise sectors. Gaelic Learning is supported through Gaelic Specific Grant funding. There are particular challenges funding transport provision and special educational needs from the notional amounts in Grant Aided Expenditure, which are inadequate to fully meet needs across a large rural area.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Support for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder Will require to be identified from mainstream budgets and Changing Children’s Services Fund.

56 CHILDREN ARE ACTIVE CLANN A BHITH ÈASGAIDH ACTIVE Our Improvement Objectives

Highland’s children and young people are Active: and encouraged to choose rewarding play and leisure opportunities, including sport.

Develop and implement a strategy for information management, including targeted marketing of service provision.

Implement the 21st Century School Improvement Programme.

Support and contribute to the development and promotion of the year of Highland Culture 2007.

Target resources to our most vulnerable communities while maintaining universal access to services.

Promote play (provision) in school & community settings.

Support and promote wellbeing through participation in the arts, sports and heritage.

58 ACTIVE Local Planning Elements

Highland’s children and young people are Active: and encouraged to choose rewarding play and leisure opportunities, including sport.

PLAY Maximising Participation

SPORT Expanding Access

ARTS Inclusive Approaches

CULTURE Promoting Excellence

HERITAGE Youth Work

Improving Resources and Infrastructure

Information Infrastructure and Marketing

59 Highland’s Children & Young People are Active: and encouraged to choose rewarding play and leisure opportunities, including sport.

Services across Highland will work together to ensure that children, young people and their families have maximum opportunities to choose rewarding play and leisure.

Children achieve their potential when they can learn and develop while having fun. We can assist by ensuring that children can explore their world in an environment that allows them to take appropriate risks while being fundamentally safe. By providing better information, improving infrastructure, expanding access and participation through tackling remaining barriers to social exclusion we can open opportunity for all Highland’s children. This will all contribute towards measurable improvement in:

health and wellbeing;

emotional intelligence, resilience and self esteem; as well as

academic and non-academic achievement.

We will encourage good habits and life choices; develop potential; facilitate progression; and develop life-long involvement through enabling, empowering and motivating individuals and families to choose to participate in play, learning, sport and cultural activities.

The context for play, culture and sport is a complex one. Change in the sector is being driven by the Scottish Executive where there is a realisation of the value of participation in play, culture and sport in achieving a wide range of objectives across health, community cohesion and economic development.

FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Active Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 1. Support and promote wellbeing 31, 32, 34 Better joining up of curriculum, out of # # through participation in the arts, school hours and community sports and heritage. activities; better measurement through sampling; use of ‘LEAP’ planning model to ensure user participation and better targeting. Ensure schools achieve and maintain # # # health promoting status. Continue to develop ‘Your Choice to # # # Healthy Living’ initiative. Develop the current fitness pilot to all # # 10/11 year old children. Implement the Highland Junior Golf # # # Strategy. Adopt a common swimming standard; # # # join up school and community swimming lesson provision, and target poor swimmers. Further develop the Out Of Eden # # # Project. Provide opportunities for all to # # # progress from introduction through to excellence in arts, sports and 60 heritage. continued... FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Active Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 2. Develop and implement a strategy for 31, 32, 35, Raising awareness, increasing # # information management, including 50 participation particularly among targeted marketing of service target groups. provision. Allow users voices to be heard. # # Coherent 360° communication. # # Improve High Life membership # # # services. Review and maintain web site # # # development.

3. Implement the 21st Century School 33, 35 Review approach to Facilities # # Improvement Programme. Management. Improve the use of school and # # # community facilities. Facilitate community access to school # # # facilities, increasing proportion of schools having a local management committee. Encourage community managed # # facilities to make available the High Life Leisure Scheme.

4. Support and contribute to the 31 Develop a Cultural Strategy in # £ £ development and promotion of the advance of 2007 – the celebration of year of Highland Culture 2007. Highland culture. Ensure the delivery of key 2007 £ £ cultural facilities and projects. Delivery of a Cultural Pledge of the £ £ right of access of young people to cultural, play and sporting activities.

5. Target resources to our most 35, 49 Use High Life scheme as a key tool # # vulnerable communities while for social inclusion. maintaining universal access to Develop the accessibility of High Life. # # services. Develop the marketing of High Life to # # socially excluded groups and those identified as in need by partners.

6. Promote play (provision) in school & 33 Determine a basic play provision for # £ £ community settings. a community (including grass & tarmac play surfaces, formal and informal play areas, skateboard parks etc) ensuring consultation with young people, linked to pre-school & school provision and the forthcoming play strategy. Increase training in promoting # # positive play. Introduce ‘Topstart’ to Early Years # # providers in Highland.

61 RESOURCING

Support for active lifestyles comes from across service budgets. There are some earmarked funds within NHS Highland and the Education, Culture & Sport Service.

Service Development Resourcing Context

2007 Year of Highland Culture Additional funding will need to be identified for 2007. Play provision in all communities Additional funding may need to be identified to sustain and / or further develop maintained play provision and facilities.

62 CHILDREN ARE RESPECTED & RESPONSIBLE CLANN A BHITH A’ FAIGHINN URRAM IS A’ GABHAIL CÙRAM RESPECTED & RESPONSIBLE Our Improvement Objectives

Highland’s children and young people are Respected & Responsible: are involved in decisions that affect them, have their voices heard and are encouraged to play an active and responsible role in their communities.

As part of the Youth Participation Strategy, continue to support and develop a linked network of participation mechanisms for young people at local, area and Highland levels - that offer genuine opportunities for young people to engage and initiate change.

Recognise the achievements of young people in all settings. Offer them learning opportunities that suit their needs. Promote methods of assessing their requirements, planning their learning requirements and measuring their achievement.

Maximise opportunities for youth work provision and informal learning opportunities for young people within all our communities.

Build the capacity of young people in our area. To encourage them to play an active role in those communities through supporting, valuing and recognising their contribution, allowing them to make the transition to adulthood.

Reduce the numbers of persistent young offenders, and the number of offences committed by young people.

Implement the strategy to support young carers.

64 RESPECTED & RESPONSIBLE Local Planning Elements

Highland’s children and young people are Respected & Responsible: are involved in decisions that affect them, have their voices heard and are encouraged to play an active and responsible role in their communities.

Youth Participation

Highland Youth Voice

Area Youth Forums Curricular Flexibility Pupil Councils Ethos & Citizenship Youth Work

Young Carers

Youth Justice

Children’s Champions

Youth Network

Area Youth Officer Groups

65 Highland’s Children & Young People are Respected & Responsible: involved in decisions that affect them, have their voices heard and are encouraged to play an active and responsible role in their communities.

Young people are often stereotyped and perceived as a problem for the community, rather than the asset that they undoubtedly are. As carers and volunteers, and through initiatives such as Youth Voice, Local Youth Forums and Dialogue Youth, young people in Highland are making positive contributions to community life.

Young people are vital to the regeneration of our communities. We must retain as many of them in the area as possible, while at the same time attracting other young people into Highland.

In order to do this, we have to work with our communities to offer an environment that is attractive to young people, and in which they are supported to play an active role in shaping its future. To do this we will continue to create and support opportunities for them to achieve their educational potential, and be involved in decisions that affect their lives and communities.

We will do this by:

G Targeting young people in the transitional years from youth to adulthood;

G Recognising all their achievements in a variety of settings;

G Offering services that are accessible and seamless;

G Developing opportunities for young people to build on their community capacity;

G Supporting a positive relationship between young people and their communities; and

G Developing appropriate partnerships to deliver services.

It is recognised that many resources and specifically developed services will be targeted at those young people and communities in most need. FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Respected & Responsible Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 1. As part of the Youth Participation 39, 41 G Training for and support to agencies # Strategy, continue to support and and communities to involve young develop a linked network of people from a range of backgrounds. participation mechanisms for young G Continue to develop Highland Youth # people at local, area and Highland Voice, High Life~Young Scot, Area levels - that offer genuine Youth Forums and other locally based opportunities for young people to participative structures. engage and initiate change. G Through various funding streams ££ provide local youth development funds that are flexible, responsive and 66 involve young people in their direction. continued... FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Respected & Responsible Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 2. Recognise the achievements of young 40, 41, 44 G Support and develop programmes # # people in all settings. Offer them that complement or offer an learning opportunities that suit their alternative to the curriculum e.g. Step needs. Promote methods of assessing It Up, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. their requirements, planning their G Develop personal learning planning # # learning requirements and measuring for young people that includes social their achievement. learning beginning with a pilot using “Step It Up”.

3. Maximise opportunities for youth 39, 43 G Consolidate funding streams for £ £ £ work provision and informal learning youth work provision. opportunities for young people within G Targeted approaches as appropriate # # # all our communities. to community need. G Facilitated access to premises, # # # staffing, grant assistance and professional development of community/volunteer leaders.

4. Build the capacity of young people in 39, 40, 41 G Develop opportunities to become # # # our area. To encourage them to play involved in the community and service an active role in those communities planning process. through supporting, valuing and G Actively promote volunteering as # # recognising their contribution, valuable to our communities as a allowing them to make the transition whole. to adulthood. G Focus on children in need. # # # G Target training and awareness at # # adults to welcome young people as decision-makers and give guidance and support to community groups to include them in decision making.

5. Reduce the numbers of persistent 28, 36, 37, G Concentrate intensive packages on # # # young offenders, and the number of 38 persistent young offenders and their offences committed by young people. families, on a local level through Youth Offender Forums. G Ensure that all appropriate agencies # are represented at Youth Offender Forums. G Implementation of an Intensive # Support Service (ISS) and associated Monitoring Services (ISMS). G Assess all young offenders using an # # # integrated framework, and ensure that all cases are referred to the most appropriate Youth Action Service (YAS) agency. G Deliver programmatic work to all # # # young offenders, and their families when the assessment suggests intervention is necessary. G Implement the National Youth Justice # # Standards, including the Time Interval Standards for the provision of police reports to the Reporter. G Agree and implement protocols for # # # the use of restorative justice disposals by the Children’s Reporter, and increase the use of restorative justice interventions in all appropriate cases. G Give effect to the requirements of # Antisocial Behaviour legislation. G Improve the provision of information # # # to victims by SCRA. G Ensure that local communities are # # # 67 aware of strategies in place and local reductions in youth offending. continued... FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 2 ACTION PLAN: Respected & Responsible Key Improvement Outcome Delivery 05 06 07 Objectives Targets Strategies 06 07 08 6. Implement the strategy to support 12, 41 G Enable young carers to identify # # young carers. themselves as such and to be able to access support with their issues regardless of where they live in Highland. G Ensure that young carers and service # # providers are aware of a young carer’s right to assessment. G Support young carers to enjoy leisure # # # activities and to take ‘time out’ from their caring role. G Gain a better understanding of the # # # needs of (and develop support strategies for) children affected by parental substance misuse. G Implement other recommendations in # # # the Young Carers’ Support Strategy.

RESOURCING

G Funding for these various activities comes from a range of mainstream and additional budgets across Services, including funds only accessible to independent sector agencies. In many of these areas, the priority is to sustain and consolidate existing services. Many funding streams cannot be guaranteed in the long-term, leading to repeat planning processes, and unhelpful unpredictability for service providers.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Youth Work & Youth Participation Strategy Different levels of funding are committed across the Wellbeing Alliance. Further strategic alignment is necessary to fully maximise this. There is a significant issue in timescale, regarding the reduction in Scottish Executive funding from the Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) Programme to the new Community Regeneration Fund, and the need to mainstream essential youth work services. There is also a need to ensure local funds to address young peoples priorities. Youth Justice Funding for the Youth Action Service comes from a range of different streams, and the priority is to consolidate and sustain existing services.

68 INCLUDED CHILDREN A’ BUALADH AIR CLOINN INCLUDED Our Improvement Objectives

Highland’s children and young people are Included: have access to high quality services, when required, and are assisted to overcome the social, education, physical, environmental, geographic and economic barriers that create inequality.

Children at Risk of Significant Harm Looked After Children Children in Need of Permanency Young People Leaving Care Young Offenders Children & Young People Experiencing Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties Children & Young People with Mental Needs Children & Young People Misusing Substances Young Carers Children Experiencing Bereavement Children in Poverty Children Experiencing Homelessness Minority Ethnic Communities Gypsy/Travellers Children with Additional Health Needs

Children Affected by Disability Physical Disability Learning Disability Profound & Multiple Learning Disability Sensory Needs Communication and/or Developmental Disorders

70 Highland’s Children & Young People are Included: have access to high quality services, when required, and are assisted to overcome the social, education, physical, environmental, geographic and economic barriers that create inequality.

CHILDREN AT RISK OF SIGNIFICANT HARM Targets: 1, 2, 48, 50 Everyone who works with children and families requires to be alert to signs that a family is under stress or in need of help with bringing up their children. Early support can assist the child or family to tackle problems, improve coping and prevent the risk of significant harm. All agencies will make sure that children who may be at risk of significant harm receive the highest priority and a speedy response. Particular attention will be given to maximising the opportunities as a consequence of involvement in the pilot Child Protection Inspection.

We aim to:

1. Respond and continue to give effect to the National Reform Programme. 2. Ensure ongoing implementation of the Child Protection Standards & Childrens Charter, including the Action Plan following the pilot inspection. 3. Ensure consistent application of multi-agency child protection guidance. 4. Develop a QA model including self-assessment materials and audit tools to facilitate compliance. 5. Review and implement local training strategy. 6. Review Child Protection Committee in line with guidance from the Scottish Executive. 7. Seek feedback from service users. 8. Develop and implement integrated assessment and risk assessment processes. 9. Explore further the needs of children of parents affected by substance misuse. 10. Achieve appropriate and effective information sharing across professionals and agencies. 11. Review existing provision of recovery services, and identify need for further services. 12. Develop and implement effective community awareness raising strategy – including website enhancement. 13. Further develop local Liaison Groups and arrangements. 14. Improve services to the Children’s Hearing system to help ensure that Children’s Reporters and Panels can make appropriate, timely decisions about the need for compulsory measures of care. 15. Agree and implement a protocol to ensure that there are clear and effective links between child protection procedures and SCRA. 16. Ensure good practice, research and report recommendations are disseminated to all agency staff and implemented as required.

RESOURCING

G Resourcing and Service Development issues detailed earlier against ‘safe’ theme.

71 LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN Targets: 11, 27, 38, 43, 46, 47, 48, 50 The Highland Council and NHS Highland are committed to being effective “corporate parents” to ensure that outcomes for looked after children are improved. A multi- agency strategy group oversees the continuing development of planned, co-ordinated and effective services for looked after children with a view to further improvement and reducing the proportion of children cared for away from home or placed ‘out of area’.

We aim to:

1. Develop an explicit multi-agency strategy for Looked After Children to drive service developments, which will continue to take account of needs, and how targets are being achieved. 2. Establish and maintain an integrated information system between the relevant agencies, including a single point arrangement to collate and transfer information, and a clear protocol for information sharing. 3. Improve educational outcomes through heightened individual planning processes, and services to address drift, ensuring full time provision, and involvement of staff and carers. 4. Improve health outcomes, ensuring effective assessments and identifying opportunities to develop the role and engagement of primary care services, and facilitating positive actions by staff and carers. 5. Achieve quality in foster and residential care, including: an appropriately qualified and registered workforce; and quality assurance processes. 6. Focus on care planning and interventions to: reduce the length of time that children are looked after; the number and the proportion of children who are looked after and accommodated; and the number of placement moves. 7. Implement the national standards for services provided to children on supervision. 8. Review the operation of the LAC review system, including further training. 9. Modernise the foster care service (more detail in ‘permanency’ section below). 10. Invest in local services for Highland’s children, reducing the numbers in out of authority placements. 11. Develop further means whereby looked after children can influence strategic and individual service planning. 12. Improve services to the Children’s Hearing system - in particular by: Meeting the Time Interval Standards for report provision to Reporters; Ensuring that reports for Hearings from all agencies are received in good time; Ensuring that reports are ‘fit for purpose’ and that services to Looked After Children are governed by a care plan which identifies who is responsible for delivery.

RESOURCING

G Funding for looked after children services is derived from mainstream budgets in each of the lead agencies. In Education and Health there are some dedicated initiatives. Within Social Work, significantly more than half of the children’s services budget relates to looked after children.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Looked after children services strategy 72 May identify resource issues. Targeted services to address educational drift Will involve the further alignment of budgets. Integrated information system Funding implications are very much linked to a new Social Work information system and proposals relating to information sharing and integrated assessment. Modernise the foster care service Significant additional budgets have been directed towards fostering services, from both GAE and Changing Children’s Services Funds. Further monies will be required to complete this programme. Invest in local services for Highland’s children Significant funds are spent on out of authority placements, which will need to be invested into in-house services to effect significant change.

CHILDREN IN NEED OF PERMANENCY Targets: 11, 38, 48, 50 Highland has a valued group of foster carers and adoptive parents, who are well supported by local Children’s Resource Workers and play a vital role in helping to support Highland children within Highland. In 2004, there were 80 approved foster carers in Highland for around 150 children. This does not include respite carers for children with disabilities, or those who have been approved with a view to adoption.

We aim to:

1. Reduce the length of time children and young people are awaiting permanent and adoptive placements. 2. Further develop concurrent planning to prevent ‘drift’ in fostering/adoption processes. 3. Target Carers to consider fostering older children, children with disabilities and sibling groups. 4. Improve recruitment and retention of carers. 5. Ensure better matching of placements, especially for adolescents and in emergency situations. 6. Ensure carers are better trained and prepared for their role in a modern fostering service, including access to Scottish Progression Award scheme. 7. Ensure placement agreements with carers about the expectations of Highland Council are implemented, monitored and reviewed. 8. Refocus the Specialist Carers scheme and evaluate to determine whether further changes are needed to improve the scheme. 9. Fully introduce reward/bonus/anniversary elements to fee system. 10. Ensure adoptive parents have access to supportive services, when required. 11. Implement pathway materials and improvement in assessment of young people’s needs in throughcare and leaving care.

RESOURCING

G Resourcing and Service Development issues detailed earlier in the ‘looked after children’ section.

73 YOUNG PEOPLE LEAVING CARE Targets: 14, 38, 43, 50 Young people leaving care are recognised as one of the most vulnerable and socially excluded groups in society.

Highland Council and its partner agencies are committed to improving the outcomes for this group of young people. The Council has funded Barnardo’s Scotland for the provision of a specialist throughcare and aftercare service for young people leaving care: the Barnardo’s Springboard service has both the strategic responsibility for the development of throughcare and aftercare services and for the provision of services to individual young people.

We aim to:

1. Establish a clear strategic policy/organisational framework that will ensure the development of high quality services. 2. Develop policies, procedures and guidelines on a range of key service and practice issues. 3. Implementation of pathway materials, and improvement in assessment of needs of young people in Throughcare and Aftercare. 4. Establish programmes to help young people better prepare for adult life. (e.g. Columba 1400 Careleavers Leadership Programme). 5. Develop groupwork projects to support young people to maintain and develop relationships. 6. Develop and utilise local Health Resource Packs for Carers and for young people leaving care. 7. Improve employment, education and training opportunities. 8. Ensure access to a range of accommodation with support options and sustain tenancies. 9. Maximise income entitlement by ensuring that young people and staff have access to clear information about the range of financial supports available to young people and ways of accessing this funding. 10. Ensure that contact is maintained with young people and that they have someone to turn to. RESOURCING

G Support for young people leaving care comes from a range of agencies, including the Housing and Social Work Services, as well as Barnardo’s and other voluntary sector partners.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Establish an appropriate range of supported accommodation options Requires some dedicated funding to provide the necessary infrastructure support.

74 YOUNG OFFENDERS Targets: 28, 36, 37, 40, 41, 50 Youth Justice services in Highland are delivered by a number of agencies under the umbrella of the Youth Action Service. The agencies involved include the Social Work Youth Action Teams, Northern Constabulary, Children’s Reporter, NCH, Blast, Apex, SACRO and Positive Parenting Scotland. The Youth Action Service aims to provide services to young people offending or misusing drugs and alcohol.

We aim to:

1. Reduce the numbers of persistent offenders by 10%, by targeting intensive packages on persistent young offenders, delivering intervention to those not yet persistent but assessed as at high risk of re-offending and co-ordinating work with persistent and high risk young offenders on a local level through Youth Offender Forums. 2. Ensure that all appropriate agencies are represented at Youth Offender Forums. 3. Implementation of an Intensive Support Service (ISS) and associated Monitoring Services (ISMS). 4. Assess all young offenders using an integrated framework (ASSET) and ensure that all cases of Youth Offenders are referred to the most appropriate YAS agency, including all cases of children in need where offending is also an issue. 5. When the assessment suggests that intervention is necessary, deliver focused programmes of work to all young offenders, including diversionary activity through the NOF-funded (New Opportunities Fund) ‘Active Steps’ initiative. 6. Fully implement the National Youth Justice Standards – including the standards for the provision of police reports to the Reporter. 7. Agree and implement protocols for the use of restorative justice disposals by the Reporter and increase use of these interventions in all appropriate cases to victims and young offenders. 8. Improve the provision of information to victims by SCRA. 9. Give effect to requirements of Antisocial Behaviour legislation. 10. Ensure that local communities are aware of strategies in place and local reductions in youth offending.

RESOURCING

G Resourcing and Service Development issues detailed earlier against the ‘respected & responsible’ theme.

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE EXPERIENCING SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL & BEHAVIOURAL DIFFICULTIES Targets: 28, 36, 40, 41, 50 Children and young people experiencing social, emotional and behavioural difficulties have additional support needs and there is a shared commitment from Education Culture & Sport, Health and Social Work Services towards meeting these needs.

We aim to:

1. Ensure that practice within schools and centres is based on the principles of social inclusion. 75 2. Implement remaining recommendations of Action Plan for Better Behaviour, Better Learning. 3. Further reduce the numbers of pupils experiencing SEBD who will require placing outwith the Highland area, and facilitate the return of others, through a targeted approach. 4. Continue to integrate school-based and off-site SEBD provision, and review and further develop both to best meet needs. 5. Ensure continuous access to services for pupils in and moving through SEBD system. 6. Ensure co-ordinated inter-service pathways to resources. 7. Take advantage of new strategies to promote learning, including programmes of diversionary activity through the NOF-funded ‘Active Steps’ initiative. RESOURCING

G There is mainstream funding for children with SEBD, but also targeted funding from within the National Priorities Action Fund, Better Behaviour Better Learning, Changing Childrens Service’s Fund and Integrated Community Schools Approach. In many cases, joins have been made across separate service budgets to align resources.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Review of off-site provision Significant funds are spent on out of authority placements, which will need to be invested into in-house services to effect significant change. It will be necessary to align budgets further to meet local needs across Highland. New accommodation will be required for the Black Isle Education Centre, and as well as any changes to the current model, this is likely to have cost implications.

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS Targets: 4, 26, 28, 50 Good mental health and wellbeing underpins and sustains society, communities, families and individuals. At any one time, approximately 10% (around 5,000 in Highland) young people will have mental health difficulties, significant enough to give them difficulties with their thoughts, feeling, behaviour, learning and relationships on a day to day basis.

We aim to:

1. Review existing services in the light of the pending ‘CAMHS template’ and further develop a comprehensive range of services that are connected to young people’s lives across a continuum of promotion, prevention and care. 2. Consolidate an understood ethos for CAMHS across Highland, including with regard to referral processes. 3. Develop services and interventions that are age appropriate, that respect individuals and have involved young people in their design and delivery. 4. Introduce a range of knowledge and skill-based health promotion initiatives/ 76 interventions across settings (schools, community) and target groups (Early Years, LAC). 5. Ensure a comprehensive range of measures which support a preventive approach and early intervention to mental health problems (e.g. parenting classes and consolidating the Primary Mental Health Worker (PMHW) role). 6. Implement the recommendations of the Child Health Strategy Group’s (CHSG) ‘In-patient CAMHS focus group’, and ensure a range of provision for Highland children, including access to in patient care and intensive outreach. 7. Seek access regionally for children and young people requiring specialist in- patient treatment; with provision or regional access available for mental health input to specialist education and care services. 8. Ensure a wider knowledge, including through multi-agency training, of mental health problems and how they affect children and adolescents spread across other professionals and the community. 9. Consolidate ‘Mental Health Promotion’ as a strand within Health Promoting Schools, including counselling services where possible. 10. Address mental health provision for children with learning disability and / or communication and developmental disorders. 11. Develop appropriate psychiatric and psychological services links with the Children’s Hearing System. 12. Review the overall staffing / capacity of the mainly outpatient, specialised CAMHS. 13. Develop joint working across psychiatric and psychological services.

RESOURCING

G There is dedicated funding within NHS Highland for mental health services. A range of other agencies provide services that enhance and support good mental health.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Possible resource implications of the ‘CAMHS template’ Funding would need to be identified. ADHD Care Pathway Additional resources would be required to support the ADHD care pathway. Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service An intensive outreach team based at DCFP would require additional resources. In addition, there will need to be a response to the resource demands of a MCN for under-12s, and enhanced adolescent in-patient provision. Specialist mental health learning disability services Dedicated funding required.

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE MISUSING SUBSTANCES Targets: 17, 26, 40, 41, 50 The Highland Drug & Alcohol Action Team are committed to reducing the numbers of young people affected by substance misuse through: the provision of multi-disciplinary teams across Highland to work with communities, young people and their families; the provision of high quality substance misuse education to all pupils; and through encouraging the provision of alternative activities designed to meet the needs of young people at a time and place which would be most likely to promote active 77 participation. We aim to:

1. Continue the implementation and review of the Corporate Action Plan for drugs and alcohol. 2. Give effect to national guidance contained within “Getting Our Priorities Right” and ensure that SureStart and other support services are appropriately targeted towards drug-using parents. 3. Further develop the role of local Drug & Alcohol Forums and encourage links to Area Children’s Services Forums. 4. Reduce waiting times for access to services. 5. Train senior students in Leadership Skills to enable them to provide Peer Support to younger pupils engaging in risk-taking behaviours. 6. Refine the ‘STYNX Peer Education project’ to target areas of greatest need as identified by Secondary Schools. 7. Encourage all schools to participate in the SE national consultation on smoking in public and consequently review local smoking policy and curricular provision. 8. Build on the work of a development post between Osprey House and DCFP, to enhance joint working where there is dual diagnosis. 9. Develop specific curricular programmes to a) target young women at risk as a result of their alcohol use and b) target those engaging in binge drinking. 10. Distribute Alcohol Parents Guides & Drugs Parents Guides, to every secondary pupil family home in Highland. 11. Review curricular provision with specific reference to ‘Whats the Score?’ and implement new arrangements for Northern Constabulary involvement in schools delivering substance misuse education. 12. Improve assessment practice in school drug and alcohol programmes to provide better feedback to young people and school staff as part of a major revision of Personal and Social Education. 13. Work in close partnership with Scottish Drugs Forum and appropriately involve local users to plan, develop and deliver more effective and efficient services for families. 14. With Scottish Training on Drugs and Alcohol (STRADA) and others, develop and implement a comprehensive Substance Misuse Training Strategy – enhancing the skills of workers and supporting the strategic development of services within health, education, social work and the voluntary sector.

RESOURCING

G Funding for services to address substance misuse budgets comes from the various mainstream budgets, along with some dedicated funding to the Highland Drug & Alcohol Action Team, including the Changing Children’s Services Fund. As with Youth Justice services, the priority is to sustain and consolidate existing services. Many funding streams cannot be guaranteed in the long-term, leading to repeat planning processes and unhelpful unpredictability for service providers.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Enhanced services for health promotion, family support and drug treatment HDAAT Corporate Action Plan.

78 YOUNG CARERS Targets: 12, 28, 38, 50 The Health and Community Care Act (Scotland) 2002 gives young carers the right to an assessment of their needs as a carer. However, this can only be offered where children and young people are identified in the caring role – either by those who work with them or by the young carers themselves.

Where the caring role does not involve looking after someone who is physically ill or visibly disabled, it may be difficult for the young person to recognise themselves as a carer. This may be the case when the person they are looking after has mental health problems or is misusing substances; or when they are not the main carer – but help someone else who is. There may also be other reasons why young people with caring responsibilities do not ask for help. These could include perceived stigma or fear of what might happen if services do become involved.

Young carers say we need to acknowledge and better understand that they may have their own reasons why they assume caring responsibilities in their lives. Professionals who work with them need to be better equipped to support them so that any negative impact arising from these responsibilities is minimised. This might include additional support at school, for example. Young carers need to feel confident that being assessed or supported will not have negative implications for them. They also need to know that they have the choice not to be a carer and that appropriate services are available to help the person being cared for.

We aim to:

1. Enable young carers to identify themselves as such and to be able to access support with their issues regardless of where they live in Highland. 2. Ensure that young carers and service providers are aware of a young carer’s right to assessment and to develop tools and skills to facilitate this. 3. Support young carers to enjoy leisure activities and to take ‘time out’ from their caring role. 4. Gain a better understanding of the needs of children affected by parental substance misuse and further develop strategies to support these needs. 5. Implement other recommendations in the young carers’ support strategy – ‘For Highlands Young Carers’. RESOURCING

G Support for young carers is provided within mainstream services. There is some dedicated support within the Youth Action Service, and earmarked funding within the Changing Children’s Services Fund for a pan-Highland Co-ordinator.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Children affected by parental substance misuse May require further resourcing.

79 CHILDREN EXPERIENCING BEREAVEMENT Targets: 28, 50 For many children and young people, bereavement will have a profound and lasting impact on their lives, influenced by their own circumstances and the nature of the bereavement. However, many young children, with the support of family and friends and in the context of their daily lives will deal with bereavement in such a way that the lasting impact need not be of a negative nature. As agencies we should not seek to pathologise bereavement, but be able to recognise where a particular child or group of children/young people are at particular risk due to the set of circumstances surrounding the bereavement.

We aim to:

1. Ensure a comprehensive understanding of what bereavement might mean to children and young people across agencies and settings and ensure a range of measures to support bereaved children and young people are available where necessary. 2. Support children and young people where there has been a traumatic tragedy/ incident at an individual or group or community level. 3. Work across agencies to identify children and young people who have been bereaved and direct them as appropriate to supportive services.

RESOURCING

G Children who experience bereavement are supported by mainstream services, with specialist assistance in some cases. A dedicated service is provided by CROCUS.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Enhancement of existing CROCUS service Funding will need to be identified.

CHILDREN IN POVERTY Targets: 7, 9, 23, 35, 40, 41, 49, 50 Living in poverty has a significant impact upon children and families. Poverty and deprivation are often associated with urban situations, and there is less recognition of rural experiences. The long-term influence of poor social circumstances in childhood can impact on the whole life of individuals. For example, children who are disadvantaged are more likely to leave education early, leading to potential unemployment or having unskilled / low paid jobs and live in deprived areas as adults. They are also more likely to participate in risk taking behaviours such as smoking and drinking high quantities of alcohol. The long term influence of poverty and poor social circumstances in childhood on the risk of disease in adulthood is well recognised.

FHC2 supports the strategic context and intent of the local Regeneration Outcome Agreement. Both provide a balanced approach to geographic and thematic targeting of resources, that best recognise the nature of deprivation within Highland. 80 We aim to:

1. Better identify deprivation, rural as well as more urban (following feedback from the Scottish Executive regarding complementing SIMD analysis). 2. Work towards fewer children living in workless and low income households through the provision of accessible support services. 3. Develop staff sensitivity to the needs of children and families living on low incomes and enable ‘signposting’ to appropriate financial/benefits advice. 4. Realistically promote and provide practical support to achieve a healthier lifestyle in all our communities. 5. Ensure earlier intervention to better support families living on low incomes. 6. Facilitate partnership activity to agree approaches to target community regeneration.

RESOURCING

G All services work with children in poverty, who feature disproportionately in targeted provision. The Community Regeneration Fund will be available from 2005-06.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Focussed approach to addressing poverty through regeneration programmes Regeneration Outcome Agreement.

CHILDREN EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS Targets: 14, 28, 40, 41, 49, 50 Homelessness is the most extreme form of housing disadvantage. This means not having anywhere to stay. Being ‘homeless’ also includes households who are living in insecure or intolerable housing simply because they have nowhere else to go and those who are threatened with homelessness. Homelessness can have a particularly damaging effect on children and young people, affecting their health, employment and life opportunities. Partner services are committed to reducing homelessness by preventing it happening and resolving incidences quickly and effectively.

We aim to:

1. Make sure young people vulnerable to homelessness and those leaving care have access to a range of accommodation and support services. 2. Make sure homeless families with children are accommodated in suitable temporary accommodation with access to support and services. 3. Help young people to achieve and sustain independence through co-ordinated responses, effective joint working and improved services. 4. Develop a good understanding of the best way to meet young people’s housing needs.

81 RESOURCING

G All services work with children, families and young people who may be actually or ‘at risk of’ homelessness.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Enhanced housing support services Homelessness Strategy (including sub-group for Young People). Specific Executive resourcing for homelessness initiatives. Priorities identified within ‘Supporting People Core Co-ordination Group’. Developments dependent on ‘Supporting People’ grant assistance.

MINORITY ETHNIC COMMUNITIES Targets: 4, 39, 45, 50 In the Highland context, the minority ethnic population consists of households, or an individual within a household, more often than established communities. However, race equality work, including ensuring that the duties of legislation are met, is as important in areas with small numbers and dispersed populations as in more densely populated urban areas.

Over 470 children and young people across the Highlands speak at least one of around 55 languages other than English (or Gaelic) in their homes. While this is a small percentage of the 33,000 pupils in education, the figure provides a useful indication of the diversity of the cultures in Highland.

Where discrimination does occur in rural areas, the impact on individuals can be intensified by a lack of support networks. The Wellbeing Alliance partners are committed to ensuring that Highland is safe, inclusive and welcoming to people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

We aim to:

1. Continue to work across all partner services to tackle disadvantage and ensure equality of opportunity for children, young people and families. 2. Better co-ordinate advice and information to individuals and staff regarding meeting the needs of asylum seekers, refugees and migrant workers.

RESOURCING

G All services work with children from minority ethnic communities, and there are few specialist services.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Focussed approach to addressing discrimination through equalities programmes Equalities statements, policies and procedures arising from all Community 82 Planning Partners. Partner services and staff groups pro-actively tackle discrimination and promote equality and good race relations. Increased Race Awareness training for all staff groups.

GYPSY/TRAVELLERS Targets: 4, 28, 45, 50 Gypsy/Traveller families have been identified as an ‘in need’ group because of the discrimination they can experience and the difficulties they encounter in accessing both universal and targeted services. There are significant numbers of Gypsy/Traveller families in Highland, living in housing, on sites, and in roadside encampments. Gypsy/Travellers form a major element of the rich heritage of the Highland community and have contributed to the culture of Highland, to its social history and to traditional employment patterns.

We aim to:

1. Continue to improve access for Gypsy/Travellers in Highland to appropriately delivered services. 2. Continue to reduce experience of racial harassment and discrimination by Gypsy/ Travellers in Highland. 3. Ensure that Gypsy/Traveller children and families in Highland enjoy enhanced social, educational and health outcomes. 4. Improve the social capacity of the Highland Gypsy/Traveller community.

RESOURCING

G All services work with Gypsy/Traveller children, but entitlement to services is not always taken up.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Outreach Liaison Officer(s) and associated initiatives/developments Gypsy/Traveller Action Plan.

CHILDREN WITH ADDITIONAL HEALTH NEEDS Targets: 6, 28, 50 Children and young people should receive high quality, evidence-based hospital and secondary care, developed through clinical governance and delivered as appropriate, across a range of settings. This approach will be informed by developments in relation to the National Framework for Scotland, and the children’s strand of this work, and also the work of the tertiary services review of the Child Health Support Group.

We aim to:

1. Ensure the development of a combined child health service orientated around the needs of children, young people and families. 83 2. Ensure the comprehensive provision of hospital-based, secondary care services for children and young people requiring any of the following: inpatient hospital care; specialist nursing input; palliative care or ambulatory care; that meets the standards of care laid out by QIS. 3. Ensure the comprehensive provision of community-based, secondary care through child health services as close to the communities across Highland; that meet the standards of care laid out by QIS. 4. Ensure effective services, where required, to non-Highland residents. 5. Ensure seamless transition for children and families between primary, secondary and tertiary care settings, and into adult services. 6. Ensure the development of integrated child health services working in partnership with key partners in the statutory and independent sectors. 7. Make effective links between the child health network and other managed clinical networks. 8. Ensure access to and proactive involvement in regional and national Managed Clinical Networks (including for neurology; gastro-enterology and cystic fibrosis). 9. Review and develop specialist paediatric Allied Health Professionals’ Service. 10. Ensure that ambulatory care developments within NHS Highland include specialist paediatric provision. 11. Implement the findings of the review of emergency care for critically ill and injured children and young people. 12. Ensure appropriate access to services outwith normal hours.

RESOURCING

G Provision for children with additional health needs is largely within NHS Highland.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Clinical Lead – Children’s Services Network Funding may need to be identified. Review Consultant Paediatrician establishment Funding may need to be identified to retain ‘training status’. High dependency capacity in Special Care Baby Unit Funding will need to be identified. MacMillan Children’s Nurse Funding will need to be identified. Children’s Diabetes Nurse Funding will need to be identified. Regional/National Specialist Managed Clinical Network Pending CHSG tertiary services’ review is likely to make proposals that will require funded. Review of Allied Health Professionals’ capacity Funding may need to be identified. Review of Emergency Care Funding may need to be identified.

84 CHILDREN AFFECTED BY DISABILITY Targets: 1, 5, 6, 31, 32, 39, 42, 50 The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 gave explicit duties to local authorities and partner agencies to provide services to children affected by disability. This has resulted in an increasing focus on the needs of children and young people affected by disability and through the course of this integrated children’s services plan, we intend to continue to significantly improve the outcomes for this group of young people and their families.

The major elements in the long term strategy are: early intervention; improved multi- agency diagnosis, assessment and pathway planning processes; life long family support services; keyworker services; additional focussed support at times of crisis or significant change; and mechanisms to ensure that all children are supported to communicate about their needs and aspirations and that we listen better.

We aim to:

1. Develop and consolidate pathway planning, appropriate for various diagnoses and sensory impairments, linked to information sharing and integrated assessment. 2. Develop good information about numbers and needs of children affected by disability to improve future planning. 3. Improve co-ordination of service planning at an ACSF level, including equitable access to services across Highland. 4. Establish a specialist team for Children and Families in the Inner Moray Firth area affected by Disability. 5. Improve co-ordination of disability issues in service delivery including: the involvement of children and families; more seamless service provision across age and stage; local, inclusive approaches; and compliance with DDA and ASL legislation. 6. Ensure that every child and family has access to a keyworker. 7. Have high quality training available to providers of services (including family carers and service providers) on topics relevant to families and children affected by disability. 8. Involve children affected by disability and their families in policy, planning and other decision making processes. 9. Improve and ensure equitable access to appropriate housing stock that can be constructed or adapted within reasonable timescales to meet assessed needs of children and young people, their family and carers. 10. Support schools to be inclusive, with a choice of provision to meet the range of needs. 11. Enhance out of school care and leisure provision, including both specialist and generic community provision, providing outreach support staff where necessary. 12. Support children to become better able to cope with their own health care. 13. Further develop and review a range of respite provision for families, including at Staffin and the ‘Positive Partnerships’ scheme. 14. Extend projects which are providing support to siblings of children and young people affected by disability. 15. Facilitate a “One Stop Shop” approach to information and advice service, empowering children and families through increased knowledge of range of services and entitlements. 16. Better support and representation of children and carers through an enhanced Advocacy Service. 85 17. Inform and support carers about alternative routes to access services via Direct Payments. 18. Improve transitional planning for the transfer of responsibility from Children’s to Adult Services. 19. Enhance employment expectations of Young People in their final year(s) at school. 20. Ensure access as required to specialist health services at a local, regional and national level. 21. Support parent/carer groups and small voluntary agencies to access potential funding sources.

IN ADDITION With regard to: PHYSICAL DISABILITY Children with physical disability require integrated services which are highly individualised to reflect the unique additional physical care needs of each young person.

We aim to:

1. Develop moving/handling training programme for family carers of children with significant difficulties with mobility. 2. Approve moving/handling training for all identified teachers/additional support assistants; leisure/recreation, social work support staff; health personnel; family respite carers, etc.; so that children receive a safe and consistent approach across all settings. 3. Action a multi-agency collaborative approach to acquisition and sharing of therapeutically and technologically approved equipment: e.g. wheelchairs, seating systems, standing frames, communication aids. 4. Provide outreach support staff to enhance opportunity for accessing leisure and recreational facilities in the community, where necessary via vehicles adapted for wheelchair users.

IN ADDITION With regard to: LEARNING DISABILITY Highland Council and NHS Highland have produced a ‘Partnership in Practice’ (PIP) agreement and implementation plan. This outlines the types of need people with learning disabilities require help and support with, based on consultations which took place with service users over a 2 year period. It proposes ways of meeting these needs based on the principles in ‘The Same as You’ report. The implementation plan identifies lead officers for this work. The detail of the PIP is available from the Social Work Service of the Highland Council.

We aim to:

1. Consolidate the integration of Support for Learning services, with equitable resources across the authority. 2. Implement Co-ordinated Support Plans (CSPs) and related responsibilities within the ASL legislation, in line with related developments in information sharing and integrated assessment. 3. Consolidate dedicated health services for children with learning disability. 4. Extend Educational Psychology services as per recommendations in the Beattie 86 report. IN ADDITION With regard to: PROFOUND AND MULTIPLE LEARNING DISABILITIES Children with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD) are a relatively small, yet extremely significant group of our Highland population. They have a very severe degree of learning disability which may be associated with complex needs.

We aim to:

1. Ensure relevant services will be accessible to children with PMLD, in particular considering their need for fully accessible toilet and changing facilities. 2. Develop a specialised service offering emergency respite for families in crisis including respite for siblings of a child with PMLD while that child is in hospital. 3. Encourage children with PMLD and their families and relevant professionals to be active members of the National PMLD Network.

IN ADDITION With regard to: SENSORY NEEDS People with sensory needs are often viewed as belonging to distinct, separate groups and as a result have traditionally been marginalised and removed from mainstream services. The broad legislative base of this country affects everyone including those with sensory needs and the challenge is to develop practical and appropriate services that are accessible to all members of our society.

We aim to:

1. Consolidate the role of the Strategic Advisory Group with a broad remit to improve, promote and sustain services for people with sensory needs in the Highlands. 2. Improve assessment processes to ensure that sensory needs are identified, across school and community settings. 3. Development a Sign Language Tuition service, for hearing children, and particularly to develop the language skills of Deaf children, their families and significant others within their social and educational contexts. 4. Develop a robust sign language support/communication service. 5. Develop a responsive skills training programme, which prioritises independence, mobility and social skills for children and young people. 6. Implement consistent communication skills at home and school for children with complex needs and those who are deafblind. 7. Promote, where Braille is used in the classroom, the awareness of this form of reading/writing among sighted children. 8. Automatically consider sensory needs in the development and rollout of activity programmes for children, including “sensory specific” events and programmes. 9. Improve communication skills for providers of services for young people with sensory needs. 10. Make Deaf Awareness training available to providers of services to children with sensory needs.

87 IN ADDITION With regard to: COMMUNICATION AND/OR DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS Over the last two years, following a multi-agency review, there has been significant investment in the integration of NHS Highland and Highland Council services to meet the needs of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. Creation of the multi-agency Autism Budget has strengthened this process. This integrated approach reflects national recommendations for best practice. It also involves parents and other family members as closely as possible in every aspect, be it assessment, therapy, intervention, learning or creating policy.

We aim to:

1. Ensure that integrated ASD services are a reality in Highland, co-ordinated from an inter-agency service base - the Pines, on the Inverness Drummond campus. 2. Ensure the pathway for the integration of services for children is integral to service delivery. 3. Develop the Central ASD Team by enhancing with a broader professional multi- agency make up. 4. Have multi-agency Locality/Area Teams implementing integrated approaches and contributing to the development of capacity in local services. 5. Develop the linked service structure and provision setting as the standard for service provision for children with ASD and their families. 6. Develop services to lessen the isolation of children and young people with ASD and ensure that they are supported to share childhood experiences. 7. Extend the range of appropriate, inclusive and discrete educational provision. RESOURCING

G Provision for children affected by disability is funded across all agencies, and by specific earmarked budgets. There will be some additional finance available in the next 3 years, because of the responsibilities arising from ASL legislation and from the ‘EQUAL’ initiative.

Service Development Resourcing Context

Implementation of information sharing & integrated assessment Modernising Government. Implementation of ASL legislation, including co-ordinated support plans and information, advice and mediation services Additional SE funding is available. Review of specialist paediatric Allied Health Professionals Service Review may result in resourcing issues. Compliance with DDA as a minimum standard Dedicated funding is available. Specialised children’s advocacy and family advocacy services Some funding has been earmarked, but this is unlikely to make children’s advocacy accessible across Highland. Targeted resources in OOSC Additional GAE funding is available. 88 Equitable and appropriate respite services accessible across Highland Additional carer’s strategy and mainstream funding is available, but this is unlikely to enable a choice of services across Highland. Address co-ordination issues and the shortfall in provision of equipment and communications aids Funding will need to be identified. Ensure equitable access to appropriate housing stock to meet assessed needs Funding will need to be identified to construct or adapt. Assessment processes for sensory needs Funding for time limited Health Visitor/School Nurse liaison post, and also to consolidate vision services. Inter-agency moving & handling co-ordinator Funding will need to be identified. Outreach support staff to enhance opportunity for accessing leisure and recreational facilities Funding will need to be identified. Educational psychology services for 16-24 year olds Additional GAE is envisaged. Implementation of recommendations of Best Value Review of Special Educational Needs Albeit there are significant issues of equity, there are more significant issues of under funding. Child health community learning disability service Dedicated funding required for separate child health service. Strengthen Central Autism Team Funding will need to be identified. Specialist mental health learning disability services Dedicated funding required. Formalise post of Disability Services Co-ordinator Funding will need to be identified. Establish a specialist SW team for Children and Families in the Moray Firth area affected by Disability Existing service redesign/reprioritisation. Enhance employment expectations of Young People in their final year(s) at school ‘EQUAL’ Community Initiative. Development of the Pines Commitment of NHS contribution to Council and Public Private Partnership (PPP) contributions. Support parent/carer groups and small voluntary agencies to access potential funding sources May require dedicated service.

89 Web Links Ceanglaichean Lìn Children’s Service Plans are evolving documents – used for longer term, strategic purposes as well as for operational and service planning. On an annual basis they will be reviewed and updated and will inform the development objectives for staff and for the delivery of local services.

Accordingly, FHC2 exists in a range of versions fit for purpose. Most usefully, a website has been developed that acts as a key portal to the Joint Committee on Children and Young People; to the Area Children’s Services Forums across Highland; to the HWBA partner services and agencies; and to the various key planning and reviewing documents that underpin their work. This website www.forhighlandschildren.org should be on all our ‘favourites’ lists on our web-browsers. Feedback will always be valued on how to improve this facility over the months and years ahead. This new website is linked in parallel with another new website www.protectinghighlandschildren.org the portal to the Highland Child Protection Committee and its inter-agency guidelines.

There are a wide range of other websites that are invaluable for planning services for children, young people and families: LOCAL The Highland Council (THC) www.highland.gov.uk THC Social Work Service www.highland.gov.uk/swintra/social_work_services/homepage.htm THC Education, Culture & Sport Service www.highland.gov.uk/educ/default.htm THC ‘Support for Learners’ www.highlandschools-virtualib.org.uk/sfl.htm NHS Highland www.show.scot.nhs.uk/nhshighland Youth Voice www.highlandyouthvoice.org Northern Constabulary www.northern.police.uk Highlands & Islands Enterprise www.hie.org.uk

NATIONAL Scottish Executive www.scotland.gov.uk Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration www.scra.gov.uk Childline www.childline.org.uk Parentline www.children1st.org.uk/parentline Who Cares Scotland? www.whocaresscotland.org Barnardo’s www.barnardos.org.uk Children 1st www.children1st.org.uk 90 Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations www.scvo.org.uk HIGHLAND TRENDS PÀTRAIN AIR A’ GHÀIDHEALTACHD Population Sluagh The total land area of Highland, incorporating all islands, is 26,484 square kilometres, which represents almost a third of the landmass of Scotland. In 20011 208,914 people lived in Highland in the 8 Council Areas as shown below:

Badenoch and Strathspey 11,763 Nairn 11,071 Caithness 25,195 Ross and Cromarty 49,655 Inverness 66,576 Skye and Lochalsh 12,136 Lochaber 18,740 Sutherland 13,778

The city of Inverness is by far the most populous area, with other centres of population including Easter Ross, Fort William, Nairn, Wick and Thurso as shown below:

Inverness 51,832 Dingwall 5,026 Thurso 7,737 Fort William 9,908 Tain 3,511 Wick 7,333 Nairn 8,418 Alness 5,186 Dornoch 1,206 Aviemore 2,397 Portree 1,917 Grantown 2,166

There are 40,986 under 16 year olds, and 46,450 are under 18 years of age. Other key population and demographic statistics (rounded for age-bands) are given in the table below. Percentage % Number Total population 100 208,914 Males 49.03 102,300 Females 50.96 106,620 Aged under 1 1.04 2,170 Aged 1 1.01 2,110 Aged 2 1.12 2,340 Aged 3 1.16 2,420 Aged 4 1.11 2,320 Total Pre-school Age 5.44 11,360 Aged 5 1.19 2,490 Aged 6 1.20 2,510 Aged 7 1.24 2,590 Aged 8 1.28 2,670 Aged 9 1.34 2,800 Aged 10 1.31 2,740 Aged 11 1.31 2,740 Total Primary School Age 8.87 18,540 Aged 12 1.30 2,720 Aged 13 1.33 2,780 Aged 14 1.34 2,800 Aged 15 1.33 2,780 Aged 16 1.36 2,840 Aged 17 1.26 2,630 92 Total Secondary School Age 7.92 16,550 1 Unless otherwise stated, all population and demographic figures based on 1991 and 2001 census, manipulated within GIS, and GROS population projections for Scotland modelled to area level by the Highland Council Planning & Development Team. Population 100 208,914 Born in Scotland 82.2 171,730 Born elsewhere in UK 14.7 30,710 Born outside UK 3.1 6,480 Religion - Church of Scotland 48.1 100,490 Religion - Roman Catholic 6.8 14,210 Religion - Other Christian 12.0 25,070 Religion - Other 1.0 2,090 Religion - None 27.2 56,820 Religion - No answer given 4.9 10,240 Ethnic background - White 99.2 207,240 Ethnic background - Non white 0.8 1,670 Gaelic - Speak, read, write or understand 9.1 19,010 Number of households 100 89,533 Households with: Children with lone parent 5.7 5,100 Children with married/cohabiting parents 22.4 20,060 No car 25.1 22,470 One or more cars 74.9 67,060 Owner occupier 65.7 58,820 Not owner occupier 34.3 30,710 No central heating 7.2 6,450

Average size of households 2.29 persons

The 2001 Census showed that the population of Highland grew by 2.4% in the previous ten years. There were local variations ranging from a growth of 7% in Inverness and Badenoch & Strathspey, to a decline of 4.5% in Caithness. During this period, the native population was relatively stable, and the growth was largely a result of net inward migration of around 700 persons per year.

Recent interpretation of these statistics suggests significant changes in the underlying structure of the Highland population, which could cause a shift in the opposite direction. For example, the number of deaths recorded in Highland now exceeds the number of births, and General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) predict that the rate of inward migration will fall to around 100 persons per year.

Accordingly, the population of Highland could now be set to significantly decrease. On the assumptions above, by 2017 it might have fallen by anything between 2 and 6%.

Because the population profile is an ageing one, with considerably fewer families, projections through to 2017 indicate a 23% fall in the number of children across Highland, with greater reductions in some areas (as shown on the following table). Within the same period, the “working age” population is projected to reduce by almost 8%, with the most economically productive age-band of 25 to 44 year olds projected to fall some 29%.

93 2001 2017 % % Change Age Age 16 All Age Age 16 All Change All Under 16 & Over Persons Under 16 & Over Persons Under 16 Persons

Badenoch & Strathspey 2181 9582 11763 1566 10038 11604 -28.2% -1.4% Caithness 4951 20244 25195 3079 18364 21443 -37.8% -14.9% Inverness 12994 53582 66576 11444 57084 68528 -11.9% 2.9% Lochaber 3694 15046 18740 3027 14211 17238 -18.1% -8.0% Nairn 2212 8859 11071 1597 9131 10728 -27.8% -3.1% Ross & Cromarty 10083 39572 49655 7726 39784 47510 -23.4% -4.3% Skye & Lochalsh 2420 9716 12136 1705 9796 11501 -29.5% -5.2% Sutherland 2451 11327 13778 1349 10057 11406 -45.0% -17.2% Highland Total 40986 167928 208914 31493 168465 199958 -23.2% -4.3%

However, it is important to note that these projections are not forecasts. They are simply indications of what would happen if past trends continue unchanged. Additionally, the movements of people in and out of an area can affect the population level as significantly as the mathematics of birth and death.

It is easier for policy-makers to influence patterns of migration than to alter the other two key components of demography – fertility and mortality. The number of people whose decisions would need to be influenced in this way is challenging - but should not be daunting. In the early 1990s the annual contribution to the Highland population from net migration was around 700. A return to these levels of inward migration would more than match predicted demographic decline over the coming ten years.

However, total numbers projected are only part of the challenge ahead. Many rural communities in Highland are particularly “fragile”2 - and subsequently in danger of decline and loss of local services and facilities. The projected reduction in the numbers of children and young people will compound the relative disadvantage likely to be suffered by these areas.

By nurturing even more positive environments for children, we can encourage families to remain in, or return, to our rural areas and bring their energy and economic drive to regenerate them. A range of recent population forecasts has been developed3, with the ‘high projection’ (below) based upon more positive assumptions about inward migration:

2001 2017 2017 2017 (low) (likely) (high) Total Population 208,914 190,000 199,958 216,000 % of under 16s 19.62% 14% 15.75% 17% Number of under 16s 40,986 26,600 31,493 36,720

Even these more optimistic projections indicate a significant fall in the number of children. Such impact is already apparent within a number of communities. Projecting these changes at community level and developing family friendly provision will be a key future driver for all Highland services.

The data that follows illustrates the 2001 Census data broken down by individual school catchments. This is also an inexact science due to the influences of parental 94 choice, gaelic medium and denominational provision - as well as some of the 2 Fragile area maps can be seen in the Highland Structure Plan and Communities Scotland HMCS 3 Highland Wellbeing Alliance Intelligence & Monitoring Group Population and Household Projections, May 2004 vagaries of analysis by postcode. The data has been complemented by illustrating actual school roll returns and updated population projections for the pre-school years.

Census data is published for census output areas, each with an average population of around 110, and these have been aggregated up into primary school areas using the Highland Council Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The technique used makes some assumptions about statistical differences being evenly spread within zones and areas - but is believed to be robust. The datasets and boundaries used differ slightly from those used in previous analysis of census data, giving a slightly different regional total from the figures published on the Highland Council Intranet, and some totals may not appear to be equal to the sum of the parts because of rounding.

When this information was compiled in March 2005 the youngest children had already entered nursery and primary schools, and nursery schools were preparing to accept children born since the census. Forecasting of nursery school roles is of crucial importance and the Highland Council Planning & Development team is working with the Education Service to provide annual figures. Migration to and from Highland, and within Highland, can change these figures as children move through the school system. Accurate forecasting of the migration effect is difficult and intelligence systems are being put in place to gather information from a variety of sources to allow qualitative assessments to be made.

NOTE The charts on pages 96 to 105 show the Number of Children Living in each Primary School Area based on the 2001 Census.

(1) “MB” after the primary school name indicates that the school has been mothballed and the children attend the nearest convenient primary. Schools in italics are Roman Catholic primaries taking children from a wide area and with no natural boundaries: those within Inverness may move on to attend various secondaries, those within Fort William move to Lochaber High.

(2) The Highland Council Area given is the Area the Associated Schools Group (ASG) lies within (as ASG is increasingly becoming the management unit for integrated children’s services), some primaries are physically located in another Area e.g. Applecross is physically within Ross & Cromarty but is associated with Plockton High, which is in Skye & Lochalsh.

(3) This is the age on 29th April 2001.

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179

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2794

34

00

9

1

9

49

74

3

53 3

4

55

9

54

19

76

1

85

35

52

2

3

2

2

3

1

1

4

1

2

40

2

38

1

373

186

187

2759

2

1

8

5

5

7

6

6

4

4

2

6

83 0 7

0

7

0

9

15

72

0

2

3

1

1

2 1

3

4

1

2

1

2

42

1

309

159

149

2701

4

0

6

6

7

3

0

5

1

7

7

6

7

7

6

5

4

7

7

95

9

3

1

2

1

1

1

1

1

3

4

1

3

3

1

2

36

1

315

166

149

2731

GE (3)

A

8

2

8

8

6

6

9

3

5

3

2

1

4

1

6

2

7

6

6

9

9

4

0

2

1

1

1

2

4

4

1

1

1

3

5

1

2

41

1

351

173

178

2731

6

0

7

1 7

9

9

5

0

4

1

7

8

5

3

4

8

1

6

8

0

4

9

3

1

2

2

3

5

1

3

5

2

2

44

344

175

170

2787

3

2

8

6

1

4

8

8

5

7

7

5

1

8

8

2

2

1

2

2

3

4

1

3

5

2

1

39

347

178

170

2667

5

0

1

2

0

8

5

3

1

6

8

6

6

1

7

3

1

1

2

1

4

5

1

1

3

4

1

2

42

332

178

154

2578

7

4

2

2

1

8

1

8

9

3

7

5

1

2

1

1

2

1

2 2

3

1

3

4

1

2

39

303

147

157

2502

4

2

0

0

1

6

1

4

3

9

2

8

2

1

2

1

3

2

5

2

3

4

2

1

30

335

173

162

2477

4

5

7

3

9

2

6

48989

5

8

9

4

5

2

1

1

1

3

2

1

3

3

1

2

28

279

126

152

2317

9

9

7

9

2

6

1

6

0

3

2

0

0

1

1

2

3

2

1

1

2

4

2

2

24

261

124

136

2403

3548747

1111111

2

9

8546

2156698

2232433

2

1

3

1

4055033

9

3334454

95888

6

0

8

2566557

1

8

0

23456

2

1

1

2

3

1

1

1

2

4

1

2

30

260

124

136

2336

2

0

2

4

6

1 2

8

7

4

5

7

2

6 8

4

5

2

3

7

5

2

1

2

1

2

3

1

1

2

3

1

2

34

236

116

119

2098

2

1

7

5

4

1

3

0

7

5

8

1

2 4

1

4

9

2

3

6

5

7

0

1

1

1

2

3

2

1

2

5

1

3

22

282

124

158

2159

Sutherland

Sutherland

Sutherland

Sutherland

Caithness

Caithness

Caithness

Caithness

Caithness

Caithness

Caithness

Caithness

Caithness

Caithness

Caithness Caithness

Caithness

Caithness

AREA (2)

Caithness

Caithness

Caithness

Caithness

otal

otal

otal

High

High

High

High

High

High

ick High

ick High ick High

ick High

ick High

ick High

ick High

ick

ick

ick High

ick High

arr High

arr

F

F

Dornoch Academy T

Dornoch Academy Wick High T

Dornoch Academy

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Thurso High T

Thurso High

W

W

Thurso High

W

Thurso W

Thurso High

Thurso High

Thurso

ASG

Thurso

L

A

rimary

rimary

T

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

otal

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary (Su)

atten P

eiss P

eay P

arr P

ulteneytown P

ennyland P 97 ybster P

F

Altnaharra P

Dornoch P

Bonar Bridge P

CAITHNESS TO Thrumster P W

South P

P

North P

L

K

Hillhead P

Dunbeath P

Canisbay P

Bower P

R

P

Mount Pleasant P

Millar Academy P

Halkirk P

Crossroads P

CAITHNESS & SUTHERLAND Highland T (1)

Castletown P L

5

6

7 7

0

5

1

8

6

6

A

4

4

5

0 7

2

4

8

2

7

T

132

187

1

3

401

1

285

287

0-19

2496

1235

50101

TO

4

2

0

0

2

4 1

0

1

0

2

9

6

5

10

73

35

1

1865

4

0

3

0

2

4 2

77 1

51

1

5

7

8

0

18

91

49

1

1

1984

7

3

4

2

1

4

7 2

4

3

2

11

7

2

1

20

67 16

1

1

129

2617

9

2

5

1

3

5

1

7

1

02

7

7

6

0

1

1

2

20

77

17

1

2

149

2833

2

3

5

3

0

5

5

9 3

2

8

3

9

5

1

1

1 21

72

11

1

2

146

276

0

5

5

4

1

2

1

26

77

19

1

1

142

2794

8

2

81

56

12

8

43

27

13

39

72

75

3

8

2

1

24

75

22

1

1

152

2759

7

4

4

1

7

4

2

2

8

6

6

0

6

2

6

2

1

2

77

16

1

1

151

2701

8

2

2

6

0

9

9

2

2

1

4

3

8

1

6

2

2

69

16

1

1

137

2731

GE (3)

A

9

7

3

5

2

9

8

3

2

1

2

8

6

0

3

1

2

63

18

1

2

145

2731

6

6

3

3

1

5

2

4

0

7

4

3

6

5

9

1

1

2

68

13

1

140

2787

8

2

9

5

0

8

9

2

2

68

13

1

138

2667

6

6

1

7

3

8

7

1

1

1

1

65

15

1

140

2578

9

1

6

4

5

2

2

60

17

1

130

2502

0

3

4

6

9

1

1

1

1

58

21

1

129

2477

4

2

0

3

8

1

2

1

2

64

1

111

2317

8

6

3

7

7

4

1

1

1

64

1

1

120

2403

7

3422521

4517363

0112011

0

3311113

2854556

1301132

55392

2

6

2425356

1556475

3

9

23456

6

1

1

1

49

1

9

2336

6

2

3

2

1

3

0

4

1

4

8

3

5

3

8

1

1

1

41

1

9

10

2098

1

2

8 4

0

1

4

2

1

4

7

3

4

7

5

0

1

36

7

10

2159

Sutherland

Sutherland

Sutherland

Sutherland

Sutherland

Sutherland

Sutherland

Sutherland

Sutherland

Sutherland

Sutherland

AREA (2)

Sutherland

Sutherland

otal

otal

High

High

High

otal

High

High

High

High

High

High

arr High

arr High

Kinlochbervie High T

Kinlochbervie

Kinlochbervie High

Kinlochbervie

Kinlochbervie

Golspie High T

Golspie

Golspie

Golspie

Golspie

Golspie

Golspie

Golspie High

F

Farr High T

F

ASG

L

A

T

rimary

rimary

otal

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

osehall P

ogart P

airg P 98 ongue P

SUTHERLAND TO

Scourie P

Kinlochbervie P

Durness P

Achfary P

R

R

L

Kinbrace P

Helmsdale P

Golspie P

Brora P

T

CAITHNESS & SUTHERLAND Highland T (1)

Melvich P L

1

4

9

0

7

9

1

A

1

6

4

8

8

0

8

T

741

319

8

920

856

233

674

669

805

425

273

849

371

668

309

1

535

0-19

1164

2650

3908

2660

50101

TO

continued...

4

1

5

6

5

3

1

0

0

4

8 4

1

7

0

2

2

3

4

7

2

9

9

2

4

3

26

2

66

2

2

3

1

4

1

1

13

15

110

1865

9

3

6

9

34

1

2

2

2

5

8

8

3

4

5

7

41

2

4

3

8

2

4

3 26

46

1

2

3

1

3

1

3

11

1

105

164

109

1984

2

8

2

4

3

8

7

4

6 0

93

2

2

0

3

9

0

9

7

8

7

3

2

3

27

4

38

3

4

2

5

1

3

1

28

1

104

184

143

2617

2

2

6

93

1

8

1

5

1

6

7

2

1

3

8

6

8

0

2

6

6

4

2

4

4 31

56

5

1

2

4

2

1

4

1

5

1

40

1

137

198

154

2833

2

0

2

1

5

1

3

1

5

1

1

4

1

1

2

2

8

0

7

0

3

5

4

2

4

42

46

5

4

1

2

4

2

1

5

2

4

2

31

1

133

189

161

276

2

7

4

1

5

4

8

1

9

7

8

6

4

5

7

4

3

1

46

48

6

4

1

3

4

2

1

4

1

4

1

35

1

128

228

151

2794

7

22

0

83

44

88

0

86

1

4

6

3

4

5

0

7

0

9

7

54

3

3

2

42

37

5

4

1

2

4

1

1

4

2

2

1

40

1

117

187

134

2759

4

9

2

1

2

5

4

6 7

13

7

5

3

9

8

1

9

2

2

2

2

3

48

1

42

4

4

5

3

4

1

2

4

2

3

1

22

1

131

210

148

2701

0

1

8

1

7

3

3

6

7

7

3

7

4

8

6

9

4

4

0

4

3

5

1

4

1

6

4

5

4

5

1

3

4

2

1

4

2

4

1

31

1

155

234

148

2731

GE (3)

A

7

4

5

7

8

4

4

3

5

1

2

6

0

4

9

2

0

4

3

5

1

5

0

3

1

4

3

5

5

4

1

4

4

2

1

5

2

2

2

1

28

1

136

223

149

2731

9

4

7

8

2

8

3

3

5

5

8

8

3

1

6

6

9

5

7

4

9

4

9

3

1

5

4

5

4

3

3

5

2

1

4

2

3

1

29

148

212

154

2787

6

7

5

8

3

5

2

2

4

5

9

3

0

0

2

2

8

3

1

5

3

6

3

4

1

3

4

1

1

5

2

4

1

33

128

215

149

2667

1

1

6

1

3

7

4

5

2

3

9

4

4

8

8

8

7

4

2

5

3

3

3

3

1

4

4

1

1

4

2

2

1

29

124

186

145

2578

3

2

5

9

4

6

1

0

6

1

7

1

5

8

4

6

3

1

5

3

5

2

4

1

3

4

2

1

4

1

3

1

24

120

209

131

2502

5

1

1

1

5

7

9

3

2

7

9

5

1

5586

2

6

5

4

2

5

3

4

3

4

1

4

3

1

1

3

2

2

1

35

119

205

117

2477

4

4

5

8

7

3

0

3

0

1

0

4

7

6

0

0

7

4

1

7

3

3

3

4

1

4

4

2

1

2

1

2

1

1

21

146

192

104

2317

7

3

1

7

8

2

8

2

3

3

3

6

9

3

7

6

6

3

1

7

2

4

4

3

1

4

4

1

1

4

1

2

1

24

140

197

131

2403

6

7733361

9

9

5

2413315

1425537

1

5336444

7

1

7

7 0

1

6

5

5

9

6

4

5403255

23456

3

1

7

2

4

4

5

1

4

3

1

3

1

2

1

27

151

196

112

2336

6

3

5

2

2

7

2

4

5

0

5

6

8

2

0

0

3

6

2

3

0

5

1

3

1

8

1

4

4

3

3

4

2

4

1

2

1

25

139

164

119

2098

2

3

5

6

8

6

3

2

4

2

3

8

6 3

3

2

0

2

0

5

8

3

0

4

8

2

3

4

4

3

3

1

3

1

2

1

14

93

156

163

2159

otal

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

AREA (2)

Inverness

Inverness

otal

otal

otal

Academy

oyal Academy

oyal Academy

Academy

Inverness High

Inverness R

Inverness R

Inverness High T

Inverness High

Inverness High

Glenurquhart High T

Glenurquhart High

Glenurquhart High

Culloden Academy T

Culloden Academy

Culloden Academy

Glenurquhart High

Glenurquhart High

Culloden Academy

Culloden

Culloden Academy

Charleston Academy T

Culloden Academy

Charleston

Charleston Academy

Charleston Academy

Charleston Academy

Charleston Academy

Charleston Academy

Charleston Academy

ASG

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary (MB)

rimary

rimary

otal

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

orbes P

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

omnacross P 99 eanassie P

Cauldeen P

Aldourie P

Merkinch P

Dalneigh P

Central P

Glenurquhart P

Dulcreichard P

Cannich Bridge P

Balnain P

Smithton P

Duncan F

Croy P

Cradlehall P

Balloch P

Ardersier P

T

T

Muirtown P

Kirkhill P

Kinmylies P

Dochgarroch P

INVERNESS Highland T (1)

Beauly P L

1

0 0

3

2

2

9

6

2

3

A

0

6

0

7

5

4

8

2

T

729

291

750

976

1

459

728

782

1

1

2

0-19

2920

3004

50101

TO

15900

2

4

5

4

0

2

5

9

3

8

1

1

7

9

4

1

3

5

1

1

2

92

1

653

14

1865

9

3

1

5

4

1

5

6 14

2

63

4

2

4

8

2

1

3

5

1

2

3

1

643

118

133

1984

7

3

3

3

2

4

4

7

3

5

6

6

0

8

7

2

1

3

6

2

3

2

1

750

134

151

2617

7

5

3

8

8

6

9

9 5

4

8

4

2

3

9637

6

3

1

5

6

2

4

4

1

188

179

904

2833

2

6

5

2

5

4

2

7

3 7

5

5

1

5

4

2

5

2

2

4

5

2

4

3

1

1

836

154

157

276

4

4

2

8

2

0 6

7

9

4

9

3

1

4

5

2

4

3

1

861

161

150

2794

1

47

0

6

0

45

2

1

43

2

8

6

22

74

3

3

1

5

5

3

3

3

1

20

1

803

154

152

2759

9

4

9

1

7

4

5

9

2

1

1

6

0

2

2

3

1

4

5

2

4

4

10

1

839

155

163

2701

0

9

3

7

3

3

2

5 7

2

2

8

4

5

9

1

3

1

3

5

3

4

2

1

876

144

156

2731

GE (3)

A

1

4

2

7

8

7

8

3

6

5

9

4

2

6

0

0

3

1

3

4

2

4

3

1

2

1

859

139

164

2731

8

7

8

5

0

4

1

7

5

1

7

2

3

6

2

9

3

1

3

5

2

4

5

1

1

2

898

152

182

2787

7

2

7

5

6

3

7

2

5

8

3

1

2

4

2

4

4

1

1

837

136

161

2667

4

2

3

9

7

8

1

4

6

7

4

1

3

4

2

3

5

1

1

815

141

174

2578

6

6

8

9

0

5

0

9

3

1

3

3

3

3

4

780

139

149

2502

3

5

1

8

1

2

7

3

1

4

3

1

4

4

10

779

133

160

2477

8

1

3

7

2

8

7

8

2

1

3

3

2

3

2

728 116

141

2317

9

0

0

2

4

7

1

2

3

2

3

4

1

3

4

1

138

784

143

2403

0

4535527

1

6

6

4252627

2

6 75896

2701323

7355533

4

1214021

6314255

9

23456

4

2

3

4

2

2

4

150

794

149

2336

8

5

6

8

3

2

6

6

1

0

5

2

3

5

7

1

5

1

2

4

1

2

4

152

735

129

2098

2

4

5

2

4

1

6

8

3

5

7

1

3

3

9

0

5

1

3

3

1

3

4

139

726

151

2159

otal

otal

nverness

Inverness Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

I

AREA (2)

Inverness

Inverness

Inverness

otal

oyal Academy T

oyal Academy

oyal Academy

oyal Academy

oyal Academy

oyal Academy

oyal Academy

Academy

Academy

Academy

Millburn Academy T

Millburn

Millburn Academy

Millburn Academy

Millburn

Millburn

Millburn Academy

Kilchuimen Academy T

Kilchuimen Academy

Inverness R

Kilchuimen Academy

Inverness R

Inverness R

Inverness R

Inverness R

Inverness R

Inverness R

ASG

L

A

T

rimary

rimary

rimary

otal

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary (opens 2006)

rimary (Inv)

rimary

rimary (Inv)

aigmore P

oyers P

arr P 100 ochardil P

Bishop Eden* St Josephs RC* INVERNESS TO

Strathdearn P

R

Inshes P

Drakies P

Daviot P

Crown P

Kilchuimen P

Invergarry P

Stratherrick P

L

Holm P

Hilton P

F

INVERNESS Highland T (1)

F L

3

4

0 6 0 3

3

5

6

5

4

2

9

4

3

4

3

6

3

A

2

7 0

1

8

1 0

5

4

7

4

8

7

4

4

5

T

1

1 1

1

667

3

484

2 311

787

1

1

474

449

0-19

3025

50101

TO

continued...

0

0

6

1

2

0

2

1

2

1

2

0

7

9

7

11

20 1

17

33

1

19

1

10

1865

0

0

33

86 94

4

8

0

1

05

1

1

1

11

2

4

2

8

15

15

18

47

1

1

22

11

1

124

1984

1

0

2

5

1

8

3

0

5

3

1

1

6

5

1

5

0

3

7

1

17

45 14

2

3

31

20

1

151

2617

0

0

9

6

5

0

8

22

1

1

0

4

6

0

0

4

1

8

6

1

1

20

43

22

2

1

2

20

15

1

166

2833

2

0

0

8

4 8

5

5

2

3

0

0

3

6

2

3

3

0

3

5

12

47

14

2

1

1

3

1

25

30

1

145

276

9

5

0

9

1

9

0

8

2

4

1

24

19

5

5

22

25

1

196

2794

00

00

7

0 0

7

48

2

32

33

22

38

62

2

12

9

75

5

3

1 1

27

17

1

5

2

3

26

28

1

177

2759

1

0

5

8

6

7

9

0

2

4

3

1

8

3

047

3

3

5

1

2

1

1

15

21

4

2

3

22

21

1

166

2701

1

0

7 4

7 6

5

6

9

2

3

6

3

1

5

5

3

7

4

1

4

1

2

1

4

2

1

3

1

1

23

41

1

166

2731

GE (3)

A

3

1

6 6

8

9

0

7

5

7

0

9

7

3

2

3

3

6 9

5

2

0

1

1

1

4

1

3

26

21

1

154

2731

1

0

6

2

2

8

0

7

6

5

6

6

0

5

3

4

4

6

2

9

3

9

1

1

1

1

1

4

2

3

32

26

155

2787

5

4

3

4

4

0

8

8

2

1

1

4

2

1

3

35

26

163

2667

7

2

3

1

6

7

2

1

3

2

2

19

31

136

2578

2

0

3

5

0

2

2

4

1

4

24

19

152

2502

3

5

6

6

1

6487

3

1

3

1

3

27

25

148

2477

3

6

6 6997

6

2787

8

0

3

1

3

1

3

1

12

21

155

2317

798397

0

3

9

6

8

0

2

9

3

1

2

1

3

1

1

26

24

145

2403

1131211

0010100

1757748

6532445

6646557

9

0

2

0

4214538

6

0237224

9

2

4824468

3337055

4101322

0

1045471

6

1323322

23456

1

3

3

1

3

1

1

26

19

147

2336

0

1

2

4

3

1

9

7

7

7

2

2

8

7

7

4

3

0

0

3

0

1

3

2

1

3

1

18

20

136

2098

0

1

4

7

0

6

3

0

8

2

0

2

4

1

6

5

3

3

1

5

2

0

1

1

3

1

2

1

3

16

19

137

2159

r

e

b

a

h

chaber

chaber

chaber

chaber

chaber

chaber

c

chaber

chaber

ochaber

o

ochaber

ochaber

ochaber

ochaber

o

o

ochaber o

ochaber

ochaber

ochaber

ochaber

o

o

ochaber

ochaber

ochaber

ochaber

o

o

o

otal

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

AREA (2)

L

L

L

otal

otal

High

High

High

High

High

High

High

High

ochaber

ochaber

ochaber High ochaber High ochaber High ochaber

ochaber High

ochaber High

ochaber

ochaber High

Mallaig High

Mallaig High

Mallaig

L

L

L L Lochaber High T

L L

L

L

L

L

Kinlochleven High T

Kinlochleven High

Kinlochleven High

Kinlochleven High

Kinlochleven High

Ardnamurchan High T

Ardnamurchan High

Ardnamurchan

Ardnamurchan High

Ardnamurchan

Ardnamurchan

Ardnamurchan High

ASG

rimary

rimary *

rimary

rimary*

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

otal

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

illiam P

illiam RC P

rimary

oybridge P

ort W

ort W

ochyside RC P 101 ochaline P

Eigg P

Canna P

Arisaig P

F L

Upper Achintore P

St Brides P

Spean Bridge P

R

Inverlochy P

F

Caol P

Banavie P

Kinlochleven P

Glencoe P

Duror P

Ballachulish P

Strontian P

L

Kilchoan P

Ardgour P

Acharacle P

LOCHABER Highland T (1)

Achaphubuil P L L

0

1

0

7

5

4

5

5

6

A A

7

3

1

1

5

8

2

T T

357

1

425

1

242

518

1

467

707

340

0-19 0-19

1358

2020

4288

50101 50101

TO TO

continued...

1

0

7

0

0

1

0

0

2

2

0

1

9 9

1

7

1

1

2

17

31

81

1

1 1

145

1865 1865

36

7

2

0

1

0

8

0

0

56

1

4

2

1

8 8

1

1

6

1

1

2

16

24

82

1

1 1

168

1984 1984

9

1

0

0

7

2

4

0

5

8

1

236

4

1

2

7 7

1

1

8

1

2

2

21

33

88

1

1 1

215

2617 2617

9

9

0

0

9

1

1

3

0

0

6

2

5

1

9

6 6

2

8

2

1

3

28

41

20

1

1 1

118

2

2833 2833

2 2

7

8

7

1

1

0

8

1

0

0

2

3

7

0

3

5 5

1

7

1

3

1

3

32

44

1

1 1

213

132

276 276

7

5

8

8

3

3

5

6

4 4

1

8

3

3

26

49

1

1 1

260

123

2794 2794

48

1

2

8

2

11

4

0

00

00

5

32

36

10

7

3 3

1

2

6

2

1

2

25

25

87

1

1 1

248

2759 2759

6

7

1

0

0

4

3

4

0

4

8

1

0

6

4

2 2

1

7

3

2

2

23

28

1

1 1

102

224

2701 2701

5

3

7

6

0

1

0

1

0

0

7

3

3

5

3

1 1

1

2

5

2

1

2

29

45

2

1 1

253

109

2731 2731

GE (3) GE (3)

A A

5

5

7

4

2

0

3

3

1

1

4

2

6

2

9

0 0

2

6

2

1

2

25

37

1

1 1

221

105

2731 2731

8

0

7

2

4

2

3

7

0

0

4

4

1

2

1

9 9

1

2

7

2

1

2

25

34

1

3

244

103

2787 2787

0

8

3

3

6

9

1

9

8 8

2

4

2

2

1

3

93

1

243

2667 2667

1

5

1

5

7

0

8

6

7 7

2

6

2

1

2

2

3

1

103 202

2578 2578

4

7

4

7

9

4

4

3

1

6

1

2

2

4

2

218

109

2502 2502

4

6

7

6

1

4

8

8

1

6

1

1

2

2

2

91

1

217

2477 2477

7

9

3

4

0

0

1

1

7

1

1

3

2

3

2

100

209

2317 2317

988686

0

0

2

2

2

8

6

7

2

6

2

1

2

2

3

1

103

212

2403 2403

8

8 7656778

8

8 0

1011011

4

0010100

0010100

7464756

2444342

2552548

2211221

7

8

3

23456 23456

1

7

1 1

2

1

3

89

1

205

2336 2336

6

3

2

5

0

1

0

8

1

0

2

1 0

4

8

8

7

1 1

1

5

2

1

2

2

3

109

181

2098 2098

9

4

4

1

3

0

1

8

3

0

4

2 0

1

1

1

0 0

1

5

1

1

2

2

3

93

20

193

2159 2159

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

ochaber

ochaber

ochaber

ochaber ochaber

R

R

R

R

R

R

L

L

L

L L

R

R

R

AREA (2) AREA (2)

R

R

otal

otal

Academy

High

High

Academy

Dingwall Academy

Dingwall

Dingwall Academy

Dingwall Academy

Dingwall Academy

Dingwall Academy

Alness Academy T

Alness Academy

Alness Academy Alness Academy Mallaig High

Mallaig High

Mallaig

Mallaig

Mallaig High

Mallaig High T

Alness

Alness Academy

ASG ASG

L

A

T

rimary (MB)

rimary

rimary

rimary

otal

otal

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

P

rimary

rimary

ovat P

um P

erintosh P 102 ady L

Maryburgh P

Marybank P

F

Dingwall P

Conon P

Achnasheen P

LOCHABER TO

Obsdale P

Kiltearn P

Coulhill P

R

Muck P

Mallaig P

Bridgend P

LOCHABER Highland T ROSS & CROMARTY Highland T (1) (1)

L

Inverie P Ardross L

7

3

5

3

2

1

3

2

0

7

2

2

9

4

8

A

3

0

9

8

4

2

3

6

3

4

7

7

4

2

9

T

665

327

195

1

223

1

1

229

643

472

8

298

550

0-19

2005

3744

50101

TO

continued...

4

3

3

0

0

1

1

0

5

8

7

1

2

5

2

5

9

5

0

1

1

2

9

7

2

1

2

1

13

65

14

1

15

1865

1

4

4

2

0

1

1

2

6

2

5

2

3

5

1

7

6

2

33

0

1

4

8

3

1

2

2

12

77

15

1

159

1984

7

4

1

3

1

4

8

9

1

6

7

6

0

7

1

5

9

3

7

6

94

7

3

1

1

15

3

2

23

35

1

115

227

2617

2

7

2

2

1

5

2

3

6

1

9

6

7

5

0

5

4

5

64

5

2

7

6

3

2

1

1

3

1 14

5

32

1

111

211

2833

2

0

2

1

2

0

2

0

6

9

5

1 5

3

5

3

1

7

5

8

6

1

4

5

3

1

1

1

1

1

2

2

26

2

4

33

1

141

206

276

7

9

8

4

1

1

2

0

5

4

5

4

2

1

1

1

1

1

4

21

3

40

1

103

239

2794

6

74

6

11

15

24

13

35

9

7

33

32

5

2

0

0

2

3

54

33

02

74

3

3

1

1

2

1

1

3

19

2

37

1

124

192

2759

4

3

1

3

2

0

6

2

8

4

4

2

0

5

0

0

5

0

4

4

6

95

2

3

2

1

1

1

1

15

3

3

23

1

110

214

2701

6

3

4

1

1

6

3

3

5

9

9

5

1

0

1

1

4

33

3

2

2

1

3

1

10

1

1

21

4

2

5

32

1

116

195

2731

GE (3)

A

3

6

2

0

1

3

1

2

2

5

8

5 2

2

2

6

3

5

3

0

4

0

4

2

1 14

1

1

19

3

3

3

32

99

1

199

2731

1

5

0

1

2

4

4

1

4

5

7

1 5

3

1

2

4

2

4

1

2

5

9

3

2

1

1

1

1

14

3

3

5

35

111

217

2787

3

8

8

0

2

3

8

8

9

8

4

1

1

1

16

1

3

2

3

25

105

174

2667

9

2

9

1

0

1

9

0

5

7

3

1

1

1

2

13

2

2

3

28

182

100

2578

5

5

7

2

2

6

7

4

6

9

4

2

1

1

1

1

3

2

3

31

181

104

2502

3

1

9

4

0

3

0

4

8

3

1

1

1

1

3

2

4

33

174

101

2477

0

4

9

8

2

1

0

4

8

3

1

1

1

3

1

3

15

87

169

2317

4

6

2

2

0

0

7

8

6

3

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

4

21

97

173

2403

5

8261228

2

0112101

1021224

3213762

1112122

2004222

7516674

8

4228456

5353337

8996

2 2534534

4

2

6

8

9

2122331

4120110

4694876

23456

3

1

1

1

1

3

1

2

28

80

195

2336

3

2

1

1

2

1 2

0

6

3

5

8

1

9

5

1

1

3

3

8

1

1

3

1

2

1

1

1

2

2

2

19

73

146

2098

5

4

2

0

1

0 6

0

8

3

5

7

1

9

3

5

0

2

6

7

2

0

3

0

3

1

1

1

2

1

3

21

85

135

2159

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty oss & Cromarty oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

oss & Cromarty

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R R R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

AREA (2)

R

R

R

R

otal

otal

otal

Academy

Academy

Academy

Academy

Academy

Academy

ortrose Academy

ortrose

ortrose Academy

ortrose Academy

ortrose Academy

ortrose Academy

ortrose

ortrose Academy

Invergordon Academy

Invergordon

Invergordon Academy

Gairloch High T

Gairloch High

Gairloch High

Gairloch High

Gairloch High

Gairloch High

Gairloch High

Fortrose Academy T Gairloch High

F

F

F

F

F

F

F

Dingwall Academy T

Dingwall Academy

Dingwall Academy

F

Dingwall

Dingwall

Dingwall

ASG

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

P

otal

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

rimary

P

rimary

rimary

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P

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T

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P

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Inverasdale

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T

North K

Newhall P

Munlochy P

Cullicudden P

Culbokie P

Cromarty P

Avoch P

T

Strathpeffer P

Strathgarve P

Strathconon P

ROSS & CROMARTY Highland T (1)

Mulbuie P L

0

9

4

2

4

3

2

5 3 9

5

3

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4

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2

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6

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6

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4

1

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409

1

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407

764

0-19

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1489

50101

TO

12593

0

0

3

2

1

1

2

6

1

0

1

9

3

5

9

1

17

19

82

1

53

471

1865

0

0

4

1

0

1

41

34

33

8

3

2

4

11

8

62

8

1

18

20

83

1

67

503

1984

1

1

9

4

6

6

7

1

5

2

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8

71

257

71

8

32

7

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53

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709

117

2617

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52

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712

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276

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2731

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ROSS & CROMARTY Highland T (1)

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P

P

P

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P

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Plockton High

Plockton High T

Plockton

Plockton High

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Plockton

Plockton

Plockton

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L

A

T

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rimary (S&L)

P

rimary

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P

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YE & LOCHALSH TO

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ochcarron P 105 och Duich P

SK

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Struan P

Staffin P

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R

P

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K

Knockbreck P

Kilmuir P

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Edinbane

Dunvegan

Carbost P

Broadford

Borrodale

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L

L

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Auchtertyre P

SKYE & LOCHALSH Highland T (1)

Applecross P ECONOMIC ACTIVITY At the time of the 2001 census 68.1% of our working age population were economically active, with the highest rates in Inverness and Badenoch & Strathspey (70%) and the lowest in Sutherland (63%), compared to 65% for Scotland as a whole.

The Highland Council’s housing strategy4 reviews our economy and concludes that we have a mixture of buoyant and delicate economies with low average incomes. We have a high dependence on tourism, fishing and agriculture and many households have erratic employment patterns with many jobs being seasonal, part time and low waged. Many hourly rates are close to the minimum wage with the result that almost a third of our workers earn less than £250 per week. The net result is that average household incomes5 in each Highland area are below the average for Scotland: even Inverness, often viewed as economically buoyant, has on average a household income 3% below the Scotland average, with Sutherland 15% below the average, as shown below:

Highland Average £24,260 Scotland Average £25,870 Badenoch and Strathspey £24,550 Nairn £23,770 Caithness £24,420 Ross and Cromarty £24,620 Inverness £25,070 Skye and Lochalsh £22,730 Lochaber £22,960 Sutherland £21,970

In August 2001, 5.63% of our working population were dependent on income support and 3.24% were dependent on Job Seekers Allowance, the 18th and 17th highest rates respectively out of 32 authorities. Taken together, 6855 children lived in families dependent on benefits, some 16% of the total. POVERTY AND DEPREVATION The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation6 sets out to identify the most deprived areas of Scotland in terms of data zones, of which there are 6505 in Scotland and 292 in Highland. It measures six “domains” – income, employment, health, education, geographic access to services and housing – and ranks each data zone on the basis of the multiple index, in which the individual scores are weighted and combined so that 57% of the overall score is derived from the income and employment domains.

The Scottish Executive intends to allocate Community Regeneration Funds on the basis of datazones in the most deprived 15%, which it regards as the benchmark for action. 9 datazones in Highland fall into this category with a total population of 6400 (covering Merkinch, South Kessock, Balintore and parts of Wick, Invergordon and Alness).

There is concern in Highland that the Index seems to be useful in identifying areas of concentrated urban deprivation but does not reflect the nature of household mix in rural areas or our patterns of employment. In particular it measures income through benefit take up (as an August snap-shot, the time of highest seasonal employment) rather than take-home pay, missing the low level of take-home pay across Highland.

There are a number of additional factors which impact on both standards of living and quality of life in Highland. We have some of the worst private sector housing in Scotland4 with 4500 dwellings, around 5%, falling below tolerable standards. Over a fifth of all houses are in substantial disrepair; rising and penetrating damp is three times greater than the Scottish average; 42% of our households experience fuel poverty

106 4 Housing Highland’s Communities 2003-2008, Highland Council, September 2003 5 Communities Scotland (CACI Paycheck data for 2001) 6 The Scottish Index of Deprivation 2004, Summary Technical report, Scottish Executive Edinburgh 2004 and many may not be able to keep their house warm at reasonable cost; and 12% of households experience severe fuel poverty, spending more than 20% of their income on domestic fuel costs.

If we add to this our reliance on cars for transport in rural areas – 75% of Highland households own cars as opposed to 66% in Scotland as a whole – the high cost of fuel and other essential household items, we have a picture of extreme exclusion in many rural areas which is not measured by the Index. SCHOOL EDUCATION At the start of 2004/05 school year there were 17,743 children in 184 primary schools. The size of schools is variable with 28 schools in rural areas having less than 20 pupils (9 in each of Ross & Cromarty and Lochaber) and 8 schools in urban areas having more than 300 pupils (4 in Inverness).

PRIMARY SCHOOL ROLLS P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 Total Gaelic Medium Total 2239 2580 2494 2441 2639 2625 2732 17750 686 Gaelic Medium Roll is included in TOTAL Roll figure

Our 29 secondary schools had 14,967 pupils at the start of the 2004/05 school year. Again school sizes are variable and we have some of the smallest secondary schools in the United Kingdom with 3 schools having less than 100 pupils and 4 having more than 1,000.

SECONDARY SCHOOL ROLLS S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 TOTAL Total 2826 2896 2858 2719 2254 1414 14967

187 pupils with special educational needs are receiving education at special needs schools, on both a part and full time basis. In 2004/05, 81% of children stayed on into S5 and 63% stayed on from S5 to S6 (around 50% of their original S4 year group). EARLY YEARS SERVICESSERVICESEARLY In June 2004, there were 5522 registered childcare places across Highland, being used on a part and full-time basis offering 6389 children a service. The availability of places across sectors is as shown on the following table.

In June 2004, the Council provided pre-school education places for 2349 four year olds, 100% provision, comparable with the Scottish average of 100%. The Council also provides pre-school education places for 331 deferred entry children.

Provision for three year olds has grown considerably in recent years. In the current year there are places for 2031 children, 84% of the population, compared with a Scottish average of 85%. It is envisaged that early education will be available to 98% of three year olds in the coming year.

This provision will be made through 156 school nurseries, 78 voluntary groups and 19 private nurseries.

268 children attend Gaelic Medium early education in 16 local authority and 7 partner centres. 107 Total Number of Number of Number of Children in Registered Services Attendance Places

Nursery classes in Highland Schools with 4 48 100% year olds only 2349 places provision

Nursery classes in Highland Schools with 3 108 and 4 year olds

Highland Council Nursery Schools 1 72 80 (Merkinch Nursery School)

Voluntary sector playgroups 78 1572 1872

Independent day nurseries (these may 19 1724 513 cater for children up to age 8, or older)

Out of school clubs (whether managed by 37 1883 981 local authority, voluntary sector or independent school) before school, after school (including evening)

Holiday Playscheme (specialist provision) 3 137 68

Childminders 429 1073* 2088 *an average of 2.5 children per childminder

Total 566 6389 5522

CHILD HEALTH7 The health of children and young people can be measured in a number of ways by considering information about death, illness and disability as well as the provision of and access to health and other services and the experience of families.

The importance of the health and wellbeing of parents and of the mother in particular before and during pregnancy and in the early months of a child’s life cannot be underestimated. Evidence suggests that the health resource babies are born with, and the care they receive as infants, will strongly influence their health and wellbeing as children, young people and adults.

Smoking Habits of Pregnant Mothers Overall, the rate of smoking by pregnant mothers is around the average for Scotland as a whole, but the pattern by age and deprivation differs. We have many more young mothers in the least deprived categories declaring themselves as smoking, and fewer mothers in the more deprived categories, but this reverses with age and we have more older mothers in the most deprived categories who smoke.

% of Mothers Smoking, by Deprivation Quintile Average 1 2345

Least Deprived Most Deprived Scotland 26.0% 13.6% 20.5% 27.7% 31.7% 35.8% 108 Highland 26.9% 23.7% 23.5% 29.2% 36.9% 30.0%

7 Unless otherwise stated, all figures are from ISD Scotland NHS Birth Weight Babies that weigh less than 2500 grams are considered to have a low birth weight, with those weighing less than 1500 grams considered to be very low. Low birth weight could be due to a number of factors including being born early, congenital abnormality, the diet of the mother and exposure to tobacco smoke. There is a strong relationship between low income and inequality and low birth weight babies. The NHS Highland area has one of the highest percentages of children born with very low birth weight, with only one out of the 15 Scottish NHS areas having a higher rate. Our rate of low birth weight is very similar to the average for Scotland as a whole, see table below:

Year ending 31 March 2003 Scotland Highland Live births of all weights 50,157 1,944 Number of very low birthweights (less than 1500 g) 576 32 % of very low birthweights 1.1% 1.6% Number of low birthweights (less than 2500 g) 3 718 138 % of low birthweights 7.41% 7.10%

Immunisation The Highland Health Board area has a lower rate of immunisation uptake among children. The percentage completing the primary course at age 12 months is the lowest in Scotland for Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio, and Hib and the fourth lowest for MenC. Highland has the second lowest completion of the primary course at the end of 24 months, including MMR, and this completion rate continues through to booster uptake rates at 6 years.

Primary Immunisation Uptake Rates Evaluation Year: 1 April - 31 March 2004 Nos in % completed primary course at 12 months Cohort 1 D T P Pol Hib MenC Highland 2020 91.2 91.2 91.1 91.2 89.2 90.9 Scotland 51479 95.5 95.5 95.3 95.5 95.2 94.5 Nos in % completed primary course at 24 months Cohort 2 D T P Pol Hib MMR MenC Highland 2107 95.7 95.8 95.4 95.8 94.7 79.0 94.9 Scotland 51713 97.5 97.5 97.2 97.5 97.1 87.3 96.2 1 Aged 12 months: born April to March 2003 2 Aged 24 months: born April to March 2002 Pre School Booster Immunisation Uptake Rates Evaluation Year: 1 April - 31 March 2004 Nos in % completed pre-school course at 6 years Cohort 3 D T Pol MMR Highland 2551 88.5 88.6 88.7 82.3 Scotland 58,613 94.7 94.8 94.7 90.4 3 Aged 6 years: born April to March 1998 Key: D= Diphtheria vaccine (3 doses) Hib= Haemophilus Influenzae type b vaccine (3 doses) T= Tetanus vaccine (3 doses) MenC=Meningococcal serogroup C conjugate vaccine (3 doses) 109 P= Pertussis vaccine (3 doses) MMR= Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (1 dose) Pol= Polio vaccine (3 doses) Dental Health Dental decay, principally due to sugar consumption is essentially preventable and yet causes unnecessary distress to children and young people across highland. The principal factors associated with decay in children are sugary drinks at bedtime, unsupervised teeth cleaning, and the general consumption of sweets. There is a clear link between families on low incomes and tooth decay. Further information relating to dental health can be viewed in the ‘Review’ section of this document.

Accidents For the year ending March 2002, the Highland figure for emergency hospital admissions for children under 15 years of age was 97% of the average for Scotland overall. There is some evidence that children in Highland are at higher risk of death from accidents, but the numbers are small and statistically unreliable. Children from low income families are known to experience more accidents than children in higher income families. Number Percent Scotland 11787 100 Highland 480 97

Teenage Pregnancy Teenage pregnancy is a source of concern because of the links between motherhood at a young age and poor social, economic and health outcomes for both the mother and the child. Further information relating to teenage pregnancy can be viewed in the ‘Review’ section of this document.

Pregnancy rates amongst teenagers as a whole (i.e. 13 to 19 year olds) shows variation between former NHS Local Health Care Co-operative (LHCC) areas as given in the following table, with lower rates in rural areas:

LHCC Average Rate 2000/2 % above/below Scotland Caithness & Sutherland 10.5 -19.5 East Highland 13.2 1.6 Inverness & Nairn 16.7 28.2 Lochaber 11.3 -13.0 Wester Ross, Lochalsh & Skye 7.2 -44.3 Badenoch & Strathspey 11.0 -15.5

Substance Misuse SALSUS 20028 found that among pupils in the Highland area, lifestyle choice relating to tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs was not significantly different from reported national prevalence. Specific information relating to substance misuse can be viewed in the ‘Review’ section of this document. CHILDREN AFFECTED BY DISABILITY Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) national prevalence rates indicate that around 2.5% of children and young people have a disability with high care and support needs. In Highland, this would accord with around 1,250 children and young people. These children are in our midst and living in our most vulnerable families, yet they can be almost invisible to other members of society. 110 8 Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) 2002 A ‘snapshot’ profile (at August 2004), indicated some 330 children with severe / profound learning difficulties or very significant physical / mobility difficulties were known to educational psychologists

Severe/Profound Significant Learning Difficulties Physical/Mobility Difficulties Pre-school Primary Secondary Total Pre-school Primary Secondary Total Badenoch & Strathspey 2 11 10 23 2 5 4 11 Caithness 2 11 7 20 3 3 3 9 Inverness 7 61 46 114 5 23 14 42 Lochaber 1 5 10 16 1 10 17 28 Nairn 2 7 4 13 0 1 3 4 Ross & Cromarty 8 7 7 22 3 3 3 9 Skye & Lochalsh 0 1 3 4 1 0 1 2 Sutherland 1 5 7 13 0 0 0 0 Total 23 108 94 225 15 45 45 105

At this time, (August 2004) there were 379 children across Highland recorded as having a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder:

Home Area Area Total Badenoch & Strathspey 19 Caithness 27 Inverness 151 Lochaber 29 Nairn 15 Ross & Cromarty 99 Skye & Lochalsh 13 Sutherland 22 Area unallocated 4 Highland Total 379

SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN The Highland Council provided support to 2017 children during 2003/04, of which 631 children were formally ‘looked after’ (see below). The degree of support ranged from short term – such as making sure appropriate arrangements were in place when a parent went into hospital – to a long term commitment to multi-agency care involving formal ‘looked after’ status. The age profile and distribution of children helped is as follows:

NOTE Key to using the following charts

B&S Badenoch & Strathspey Caith Caithness Inv Inverness Loch Lochaber Nairn Nairn R&C Ross & Cromarty S&L Skye & Lochalsh Suth Sutherland

Age at 31/03/04 B&S Caith Inv Loch Nairn R&C S&L Suth Total Early Years 6 39 151 26 9 73 21 10 335 Primary 17 64 255 49 50 153 38 20 646 Secondary 23 93 271 63 52 201 48 44 795 Not recorded 3 34 100 17 8 51 21 7 241 111 Total 49 230 777 155 119 478 128 81 2017 The Children (Scotland) 1995 Act has three Sections providing for assistance to children and young people:

G Section 22 provides for the welfare of children in need; G Section 23 provides for the support of children affected by disability; and st G Section 29 provides for the aftercare of older children until they reach their 21 birthday.

The average number of children receiving assistance at any time during 2003/04 was as follows:

Type B&S Caith Inv Loch Nairn R&C S&L Suth Average S22 39 65 287 27 45 267 113 56 899 S23 15 29 99 4 21 52 30 17 267 S29 2 2 14 1 1 8 9 1 38

CHILDREN AT RISK OF SIGNIFICANT HARM All agencies working with children in Highland cooperate to ensure that any child at risk of significant harm receives the highest priority and a speedy response to their problems.

The inter-agency guidelines for managing suspected and proven child abuse and neglect were revised and agreed in November 2003. Throughout 2004 significant multidisciplinary training has been carried out across Highland to familiarise staff with the new guidance.

A snapshot (as at 28th October 2004) profile and distribution of children on the Child Protection Register follows:

B&S Caith Inv Loch Nairn R&C S&L Suth Total Female 3 4 13 9 3 9 4 3 48 Male 4 2 22 6 3 6 3 2 48 Gender not recorded - 1 1 2 1 - - - 5 Total Children 7 7 36 17 7 15 7 5 101

Reason for Registration Highland (%) Emotional Abuse 34 (34%) Physical Injury 17 (17%) Physical Neglect 38 (38%) Sexual Abuse 12 (12%) Non-organic Failure to Thrive 0 (0%) LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN A total of 631 children were ‘looked after’ during 2003/04, with an average of 396 being looked after at any time across Highland. A significant issue is the ratio of children looked after at home to the total number looked after. It is the intention of the Children (Scotland) Act that children are supported within their own families, suggesting that more children should be looked after at home than away from home. In Highland 226 children were looked after at home, and 405 away from home, (36% at home compared with 37% in 1999/2000) with the distribution as follows: 112 B&S Caith Inv Loch Nairn R&C S&L Suth Total Number of Looked 18 59 231 60 29 177 26 31 631 After Children

Nos. (and %) 1 24 80 31 9 53 11 17 226 Looked After (6%) (41%) (35%) (52%) (31%) (30%) (42%) (55%) (36%) at home

The age profile and gender of the children is given in the following table:

AGE B&S Caith Inv Loch Nairn R&C S&L Suth Total Early Years 1 11 29 4 7 28 4 1 85 Primary 7 19 70 20 8 53 5 5 187 Secondary 9 24 121 35 14 88 16 23 330 Age n/a 1 5 11 1 0 8 1 2 29 Total 18 59 231 60 29 177 26 31 631 Female 3 20 116 19 16 80 14 11 279 Male 15 39 115 41 13 97 12 20 352

The type of care received by each child is given in the table below, with those recorded as receiving respite drawn from the other non-residential types, followed by a table giving the disability of each child.

TYPE OF CARE B&S Caith Inv Loch Nairn R&C S&L Suth Total Foster Care 9 7 49 5 9 51 9 10 149 Home Supervision 0 21 74 29 7 43 8 12 194 Respite 7 17 42 8 3 36 0 6 119 LA Residential 2 3 14 2 4 12 3 2 42 Out of Authority 0 0 19 8 2 8 3 1 41 Prospective Adopters 0 1 4 2 0 5 1 0 13 Relative Care 0 8 19 6 3 13 0 0 49 Other 0 2 10 0 1 9 2 0 24 Total 18 59 231 60 29 177 26 31 631

DISABILITY TYPE B&S Caith Inv Loch Nairn R&C S&L Suth Total No disability and not 4 15 136 5 15 78 20 14 287 affected by disability Social emotional and 5 0 16 36 5 37 0 5 104 behaviour difficulties Learning disability 3 4 11 11 1 35 0 2 67

Multiple disabilities 2 5 20 0 1 1 0 1 30

No disability but 1 1 20 0 1 2 0 2 27 affected by disability

Autistic spectrum 3 0 14 0 3 2 1 2 25 disorder

Physical or motor 0 1 4 1 3 1 0 1 11 impairment

Other 0 33 10 7 0 21 5 4 80

113 Total 18 59 231 60 29 177 26 31 631 Further analysis of LAC data, as held at 31st December 2004, presents a picture as follows:

Of a total of 406 children and young people, 52.4% (218) were male, 47.6% (188) female. Recorded by Highland Council area: G 35% were Inverness (143) G 30% were Ross & Cromarty (121) G 9% were Lochaber (37) G 8% were Caithness (31) G 6% were Skye & Lochalsh (25) G 5% were Sutherland (19) G 4% were Badenoch & Strathspey (16) G 3% were Nairn (14)

Further classification, according to specific sections of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 – ‘current statutory reason for being looked after:

SECTION DESCRIPTOR % (N) G Section 25 Accommodated 13% (51) G Section 86 Parental Responsibilities Orders 4% (18) G Section 70 Supervision Requirement at Home 40% (164) G Section 70 / 72(1) Supervision Requirement away from Home 29% (118) (excluding residential accommodation) G Section 70 / 72(1) Supervision Requirement 8% (31) (residential excluding secure accommodation) G Section 70(9)b Section, Section 73(9), Supervision Requirement away from Home 0 (0) Section 75 75 Powers Secure ACC. (with a secure condition) Regs 6&7 G N/A Criminal Court Provisions 0 (0) G Section 55 Child Assessment Orders 0 (0) G Section 57 Child Protection Orders 0 (0) G Section 61 Emergency Protection Orders 0 (0) G N/A Warrants 3% (12) G Section 30 / 18 (1978 Act) Adoptions 2% (8) G “Other” N/A 1% (4) TOTAL: 100% (406) Note that this data is routinely updated – with variance from month to month. (Total numbers usually range from c390 to c410.) YOUTH CRIME The Northern Constabulary area has the lowest crime rate in the United Kingdom. Although the number of recorded offences committed by under 16 year olds in Highland has marginally increased, the reporting methods used by Northern Constabulary have changed during this period – in itself resulting in more recording taking place. Further information relating to youth crime can be viewed in the ‘Review’ section of this document.

Recorded Crimes and Offences by R,C &S C&S Inv Loch B,S &N Highland <16s in 2003/2004 Total Group 1 - Non sexual crimes against person 4 5 4 2 0 15 (1%) Group 2 - Crime involving indecency 6 0 6 4 2 18 (1%) Group 3 - Crimes of dishonesty 92 161 270 45 29 597 (25%) Group 4 - Fire raising, vandalism etc 170 205 264 52 118 809 (34%) Group 5 - Other crimes 28 32 37 11 8 116 (5%) Group 6 - Miscellaneous offences 213 175 238 72 56 754 (32%) Group 7 - Road trafffic offences 35 4 35 0 2 76 (3%) Totals 548 582 854 186 215 2385 (%) (23%) (24%) (35%) (8%) (9%) (100%)

KEY: R,C&S Ross, Cromarty & Skye C&S Caithness & Sutherland Inv Inverness Loch Lochaber B,S&N Badenoch, Strathspey & Nairn

114 REVIEW OF LOCAL OUTCOMES FOR HIGHLAND’S CHILDREN 1 LÈIRMHEAS AIR AONTA TORAIDH IONADAIL (2001-2004) Improved Achievement

LOCAL OUTCOME TARGET 1: Background This indicator monitors the performance of the school population both at 5-14 and SCQF level. The target is compiled at three levels. It monitors those attaining the appropriate 5-14 level at primary school and those secondary pupils attaining the Level E 5-14 standard by the end of S2. Thirdly, the indicator monitors the original S4 cohort and the number of Higher awards they attained by the end of S6.

Increase by 3% points the proportion of the pupils in combined P3, 4, 6 & 7 stages achieving or exceeding the appropriate 5-14 level relevant to their stage in Reading, Writing and Maths:

Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 Reading 79.8% 80.3% 80.6% 82.8% Writing 74.3% 73.5% 74.8% 77.3% Maths 78.2% 79.1% 82.2% 81.2%

G Highland attainment in Reading and Maths has shown a small continuing improving trend between 2001/2 and 2003/4. There has been a significant increase in the level of attainment in Maths between 2002/3 and 2003/4, achieving the local target set for 2004/5. G Attainment in Writing can be seen to rise in the year 2003/4 after an initial fall during the 2002/3 period.

Figure 1 5-14 Reading Attainment in Scotland and Highland

82.0 81.4 81.5 81.4 81.0 81.0

Attaining

e 80.5 80.3

g 80.0 79.8

centa 79.5

r

e P 79.0 2001/2 Scotland Highland 2002/3 Area 2003/4

5-14 Writing Attainment in Scotland and Highland

75.0 74.5 74.3 74.0 73.6 73.5 73.5 73.5

Attaining

e 73.0

g 72.5 72.5 72.0

centa r 71.5

e

P 71.0 2001/2 Scotland Highland 2002/3 Area 2003/4

116 5-14 Maths Attainment in Scotland and Highland

83.0 81.8 82.0 81.0 80.1 80.0 80.0 Attaining 79.1

e

g 79.0 78.0 78.2

centa

r

e 77.0

P 76.0 Scotland Highland 2001/2 2002/3 Area 2003/4

G Figure 1 compares Highlands primary attainment in Reading, Writing and Maths with the national averages.

Increase by 3% points the proportion of pupils in S2 achieving or exceeding Level E in Reading, Writing and Maths: Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 Reading 63.3% 63.7% 65.9% 66.3% Writing 52.9% 54.3% 59.0% 55.9% Maths 59.5% 60.4% 65.3% 62.5%

G Highland attainment in Reading, Writing and Maths has increased steadily over the 2001/2 to 2003/4 period. G Improvements in both Writing and Maths attainment have increased considerably, achieving the targets set for 2004/5. G Highland performance has remained consistently higher than the National Average across Reading, Writing and Maths throughout this period.

Figure 2 Proportion of Highland Pupils Attaining Level E by the end of S2

70 65 60

Attaining

e 55

g 50

centa

r 45

e

P 40 Reading Writing Maths 2001/2 Attainment Category 2002/3 Attainment Category 2003/4 2004/5 (Target

G Figure 2 highlights S2 attainment within Highland across Reading, Writing and Maths, against the targets set for 2004/5. G As can be observed, the local targets were achieved for both Writing and Maths during the 2003/4 academic year.

Increase by 1% point the proportion of the original S4 cohort who have attained SCQF Level 6 (Higher) or better by the end of S6: Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 1+ Awards 51% 49% 49% 52% 3+ Awards 36% 35% 34% 37% 117 5+ Awards 22% 22% 22% 23% G The proportion of Highland pupils attaining one or more Higher awards fell by 2% between 2001/2 and 2002/3 but remained static in the 2003/4 period. G The proportion of pupils attaining three or more Highers fell by one percentage point in both 2002/3 and again in 2003/4. G The proportion of pupils attaining five or more awards at SCQF level 6 remained static with 22% of pupils attaining at this level throughout this period. G In both 2001/2 and 2002/3 the proportion of pupils within Highland attaining at this level was consistently higher than the national average. The 2003/4 national comparator is not yet known.

Figure 3 Proportion of Pupils Attaining 1+ Award at Higher Level by the end of S6

52 51 50 49 48

Attaining 46

e 44 44 g 44 43 42

centa

r

e 40

P 38 2001/2 Scotland Highland 2002/3 Area 2003/4

Proportion of Pupils Attaining 3+ Award at Higher Level by the end of S6

38 36 36 35 34

Attaining

e 32 31 31 g 30 30

centa

r 28

e

P 26 2001/2 Scotland Highland 2002/3 Area 2003/4

Proportion of Pupils Attaining 5+ Award at Higher Level by the end of S6

23 22 22 22 21 20 20

Attaining

e 20 g 19 19

centa

r 18

e

P 17 2001/2 Scotland Highland 2002/3 Area 2003/4

G Figure 3 compares the proportion of pupils attaining at Higher level within Highland, with the national average. G Attainment across all three indicators, although falling slightly, has remained consistently higher in Highland than the national averages

SUMMARY 2001/2 – 2004/5

The school results on attainment have been the focus of ongoing discussion between Head Teachers and members of the Quality Development Team (QDT). Attainment has featured as a major theme in 118 the Primary Head Teachers’ Conferences and in the regular meetings with secondary Head Teachers. Schools have been encouraged to develop pupil tracking and monitoring processes that will help young people with their target-setting for improved attainment and achievement. School monitoring of attainment, learning and teaching has been a key feature of initiatives in School Self Evaluation.

The QDT is working on a proportionate model for school engagement – focusing efforts in areas needing improvement.

LOCAL OUTCOME TARGET 2: Background This indicator is designed to monitor the attainment of the lowest performing pupils in both primary and secondary across Highland. The target is compiled at three levels. At 5-14, the percentage of pupils not attaining Level C by the end of P7 and also the percentage of S2 pupils not attaining Level D is monitored. At SCQF level, the lowest attaining 20% of all pupils in Highland are identified by examining the average tariff attained by these individuals.

Reduce by 5% the proportion of pupils not attaining Level C in Reading, Writing and Maths by the end of P7:

Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 Reading 7.0% 6.8% 6.5% 6.7% Writing 11.4% 11.6% 9.8% 10.8% Maths 10.3% 10.3% 8.1% 9.8%

G Between 2001/2 and 2003/4 there has been a steady decrease in the proportion of pupils in Highland not attaining in Reading and Maths by the end of primary seven. G The proportion of pupils not attaining in Writing initially rose during 2002/ 3 but fell in the period 2003/4. G During 2003/4 the percentage of pupils not attaining their appropriate levels dropped to below the target for 2004/05 across all three indicators.

Figure 4 Proportion of Highland Pupils Not Attaining 5-14 Level C, by the end of P7

12

10

Attaining

Not 8

e

g 6

centa

r

e 4

P Reading Writing Maths 2001/2 2002/3 Attainment Category 2003/4 Attainment Category 2004/5 (Target)

G Figure 4 demonstrates the improvement made across the three indicators for the proportion of pupils not attaining level C by the end of primary seven. G As illustrated, all three targets set for 2004/5 were achieved during the 119 period 2003/4. Reduce by 5% the proportion of pupils not attaining Level D in reading, writing and maths by the end of S2:

Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 Reading 16.6% 15.2% 14.0% 15.8% Writing 16.5% 15.5% 14.0% 15.7% Maths 16.0% 17.8% 14.1% 15.2%

G There was a downward trend between 2001/2 and 2003/4 in the proportion of pupils not attaining Level D in Reading and Writing by the end of S2. The Highland targets set for these indicators for 2004/5, were achieved during the 2002/3 period. G The proportion of Highland pupils not attaining in Maths initially increased between 2001/2 and 2002/3 but fell considerably during 2003/4 achieving the target set for 2004/5.

5% points increase in the average tariff score of the 20% lowest attaining S4 pupils:

Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 Average Tariff 67.1 59.4 65.4 72.1

G This indicator monitors the lowest performing 20% of S4 pupils across Highland. G This indicator includes all S4 pupils on the roll as of the September census. For example, the S4 roll in 2003/04 was 2,775; therefore 555 pupils are in the bottom 20%. G Each qualification gained is awarded a number of points on the UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) tariff, the total of which gives the pupils tariff score. UCAS tariff score points are allocated to each award level e.g. Standard Grade 3 gains 22 points. If no qualifications are sat, then the tariff is 0. G Between 2001/2 and 2002/3 there was a fall in the average tariff score of the lowest 20% of S4 pupils within Highland, from 67.1 to 59.4. In 2003/ 04, this trend was reversed and the average score was 65.4. G The number of pupils who obtained no qualifications has fallen from 140 in 2001/02 to 100 in 2003/04.

SUMMARY 2001/2 – 2004/5

There are a number of very valuable initiatives under the Vocational Pathways umbrella and these provide valuable learning experiences for significant numbers of pupils in the target group. Unfortunately, these courses do not come with UCAS tariff points and are, consequently, not recognised.

Further consideration requires to be given at a national level to this problem and also to the appropriateness of the UCAS scale to this client group. 120 LOCAL OUTCOME TARGET 3: Background A Local Authority has a statutory responsibility for the welfare of the young people in its care. This indicator monitors the levels of attainment of young people classed as ‘Looked After’ within Highland whether at home or away from home. This target is presented on two levels, the percentage attaining the appropriate 5-14 level in the combined P3, 4, 6, 7 and S2 and also the percentage of S4 pupils attaining generally at SCQF Level 3 and specifically in English and Maths.

5% points increase in the percentage of Looked After Children in the combined P3, 4, 6, 7 and S2 stages achieving or exceeding the appropriate 5-14 level relevant to their stage in Reading, Writing and Maths: Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 Reading 28% 29% 30% 33% Writing 24% 22% 20% 29% Maths 24% 24% 29% 29%

G Between 2001/2 and 2003/4 there was an annual 1% point increase in the level of Reading attainment of Looked After Children in the combined P3, 4, 6, 7 and S2 stages. G Attainment in Maths increased considerably in the 2003/4 period achieving the target set for 2004/5. G Writing attainment for Looked After Children has fallen consistently during this period.

Figure 5 Percentage of Looked After Children P3-S2 Attaining in Highland

30

25

20 Percentage 15 Attaining 10

5 2001/2 2002/3 0 Reading Writing Maths 2003/4 Attainment CategoryCategory

G Figure 5 highlights the attainment of Looked After Children in Highland between 2001/2 and 2003/4. G As demonstrated, the young peoples attainment in Reading and Maths can be seen to improve during this period.

5% point increase in SCQF level 3 generally and greater than 5% in English and Maths in S4: Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 SCQF Level 3 51% 40% 52% 56% English 46% 38% 47% 51% 121 Maths 42% 29% 38% 47% G At Highland level, the numbers attaining both generally at Level 3 and in English and Maths, fell between 2001/2 and 2002/3. G Between 2002/3 and 2003/4 this trend was reversed, with a considerable increase in attainment both generally at Level 3 and in English and Maths. G During 2003/4 attainment in English and also generally at Level 3 increased to above that of the baseline year in 2001/2. G Just over half of young people did attain at least one standard grade at Level 3 in 2001/2 and this level of attainment was achieved again in 2003/4. G It is important to note that across the period, one pupil is required to prompt between a 1% and 2% change in levels of attainment.

SUMMARY 2001/2 – 2004/5

All agencies have continued to prioritise services for Looked After Children. Two joint posts have been appointed. One to address the health and the health care needs of this group of young people and a second, a School Link Worker, to liaise with schools to improve the educational outcomes for these individuals.

Overall, closer collaboration and links have been established between agencies in order to plan, review and support the development and wellbeing of Looked After Children in Highland. LOCAL OUTCOME TARGET 4: Background From April 2004 it became a statutory responsibility for Local Authorities to monitor the progress of those young people who were in care at their 16th birthday, through the remainder of their time in care and after, up until their 19th birthday. This indicator is to monitor those young people, the intention being to increase the percentage of young people who were Looked After entering further education, training and employment.

Increase the proportion of those who are looked after at their 16th birthday, that are in employment/training or higher/further education at their 19th birthday:

Performance Baseline Year 2001/2 Progress Years Indicator Proportion of Care Leavers Known in: 2004/5 Employment 14% 45% Employment & Training 14% - Training 43% 9% Further Education 0 9% Higher Education 0 - Unemployed 29% 36% Numbers Unknown 18 3

G The data source of this target has been under development and so full information has not been available until the 2004/5 period. G As demonstrated, during the two periods there has been an increase in the 122 number of young people services are in contact with, so although the proportion of young people unemployed can be seen to increase, this information should be taken within this context.

SUMMARY 2001/2 – 2004/5

A dedicated service, ‘Springboard’, for young people leaving care has been established in partnership with Barnardo’s, providing outreach workers across the area. A central database has been created in order to manage the payments to young people from the Department of Work and Pensions and to monitor the progress of these individuals.

An action plan has been established alongside Careers Scotland in order to improve the opportunities for these young people leaving care. Improved Health

LOCAL OUTCOME TARGET 5: Background Good oral health is essential for the whole population and the routines established as children are carried with us into adult hood. Good oral health is no doubt important but it is also a good indicator of an individual’s general health, mood and wellbeing. The route to good oral health is through good diet, toothbrushing and dental check ups. This indicator monitors dental caries in children at 5 and 12 years old but also monitors the percentage of the child population registered with an NHS dentist.

5% increase in the number of 5-year-olds free of dental caries:

Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 1999/2000 2002/3 2004/5 5 year olds free 41.5% 47.7% 46.5% from dental caries

G The number of five year olds free from dental caries has considerably increased between 1999/2000 and 2002/3. G Although the local target for 2004/5 has been reached by Highland, there is still a significant way to go to achieve the national NHS Target of 60% of children being free from dental caries by 2010.

Figure 6 Percentage of Children Free from Dental Caries

49 48 47 46 45

om Dental 44

ee fr 43

r

F Caries 42 e Car g 41 40

centa r 39

e P 38 123 1999/2000 2002/3 2004/5 (H'land Target) Scotland Year Highland G Figure 6 demonstrates Highland progress in the percentage of 5-year- olds free from dental caries, against the Scottish average and the 2004/5 Highland target. G As is highlighted, although behind the Scottish average in 1999/2000, Highland has made considerable progress to both meet the 2004/5 target and improve upon the Scottish average.

Achieve a mean DMFT of 1.6 for 12 year olds:

Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 1996/7 2004/5 2006 Mean DMFT for 1.75 - 1.6 12 year olds

G Information for this target is due to be collected by the Dental Health Services Research Unit during 2004/5 G Note: DMFT stands for Decayed, Missing and/or Filled Teeth

Increase the percentage of under 18s under the care of an NHS dentist:

Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 Registered with General 62% 63% 62% >62% Dental Service

Registered Community 14% 13% - >14% Dental Service

Total Registered 76% 76% - >76%

G There are two types of NHS dental provision in Scotland, the Community Dental Service and General Dental Service. Combined they provide the total percentage of under 18s registered with an NHS dentist. G Just over three-quarters of young people were registered with an NHS dentist in Highland over the 2001/2 and 2002/3, although there was a slight increase in General Dental Service registrations and a slight fall in those individuals receiving treatment through the Community Dental Service. G The latest information regarding those individuals receiving treatment from the Community Dental Service is not yet available but a slight fall in General Dental Service registrations can be observed for the 2003/4 period. SUMMARY 2001/2 – 2004/5

Under the banner of ‘Your Choice to Healthy Living’ there have been a series of initiatives introduced throughout schools in Highland in order to improve the oral health of children. Toothbrushing programmes have been introduced in both primary and nursery schools to establish regular brushing patterns.

Free fruit is provided for all primary one and two pupils throughout the area and all Highland primary schools now no longer sell sweets or sugary drinks through their ‘tuck shops’ or canteens. Many schools are 124 furthering the promotion of healthy eating through the establishment of breakfast clubs and healthy tuck shops. LOCAL OUTCOME TARGET 6: Background The following indicators provide information on the usage of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes among a sample of young people in Highland. The information for this target is taken from the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS). It is carried out among 13 and 15 year olds across Scotland and a sample drawn to be representative of the Highland population.

Reduce the proportion of 13 and 15 year olds using alcohol in the last week to 35%:

Performance Baseline Year Target Indicator 2001/2 2006 13 year olds 24% 23% 15 year olds 49% 47% Total 37% 35%

Reduce the proportion of 13 and 15 year olds smoking regularly to 12 % a week:

Performance Baseline Year Target Indicator 2001/2 2006 13 year olds 9% - 15 year olds 22% - Total 16% 12%

Reduce the proportion of 13 and 15 year olds using drugs in the last month to 14%:

Performance Baseline Year Target Indicator 2001/2 2006 13 year olds 8% - 15 year olds 24% - Total 16% 14%

G Updated information for this target is due to be collected in 2006.

SUMMARY 2001/2 – 2004/5

Projects have been ongoing in the last three years to both prevent and assist pupils to stop the misuse of cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. ‘Stynx’ smoking cessation project has been introduced to secondary schools and the ‘Smoke Free’ project to primaries aimed at the prevention of smoking. ‘Whats the Score’ drug education pack has been introduced to every secondary in Highland and ‘Scotland Against Drugs’ teacher training has taken place.

‘BLAST Drug Education Project’ has had input to both schools and community based projects and drama activities, related to raising the 125 awareness of the dangers of drugs and alcohol, have been facilitated in schools by the Eden Court Theatre group. LOCAL OUTCOME TARGET 7: Background This target monitors the number of events and the rate of teenage pregnancies within Highland. This includes miscarriages and therapeutic abortions but does not include miscarriages that are not referred to hospital nor any private abortions. The rate per 1000 of the population is expressed as a two year rolling average. Given the small number of events per year, it is felt this is a better representation of the trend in teenage pregnancies in Highland.

Sustain a downward trend in the number and rate per 1000 of teenage pregnancies:

Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 2001/2 2002/3 2004/05 No. of pregnancies in 35 events 25 events <35 events 13-15 years olds

Rate per 1000 of 7.3 / 1000 7.6 / 1000 < 7.3 / 1000 pregnancies in 13-15 year olds (2 year rolling average)

G The total number of teenage pregnancies considerably reduced between 2001/2 and 2002/3. G Due to the rate being expressed as a two year rolling average, the rate increased slightly between 2001/2 and 2002/3. The rate will become more meaningful in the coming years.

SUMMARY 2001/2 – 2004/5

In partnership with the Brook Advisory Service, enhanced clinical services have been provided, also increasing direct work between health and education staff and the partners within Brook. Resources have been deployed to provide various training programmes for education based staff, focusing on safe and responsible sexual health advice, self esteem and positive relationships. Several youth drop-in clinics have been set up across the Highland area some within or attached to local education centres. These have provided young people with a variety of generic health information and advice. In conjunction with young people within Youth Voice, leaflets have been produced providing advice on Sexually Transmitted Infections.

LOCAL OUTCOME TARGET 8: Background The Scottish Executive has highlighted the development of health promoting schools as a priority. A health promoting school understands the important effect that improving the health and well-being of its pupils and staff will have on raising attainment, fulfilling potential and improving quality of life.

All schools to achieve Health Promoting Status by 2005: 126 Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 2001/2 April 04 Oct 04 June 05 2004/5 Primary School 184 9 5% 18 10% 107 59% 184 Secondary School 29 4 14% 6 21% 14 48% 29 Special School 7 1 14% 2 29% 4 57% 7 Nursery Schools 1 1 100% 1 100% 1 100% 1 Total 221 15 7% 27 12% 126 57% 221

G Since August 2003, 126 schools have been accredited with Health Promoting Status. G This accounts for 57% of the total schools in Highland. G A further 68 schools (31%) are registered so far to be accredited with Health Promoting Status before the end of 2005. SUMMARY 2001/2 – 2004/5

A multi-agency Health Promoting Schools Unit has been established to provide information and support to schools on how to work towards attaining Health Promoting status. Through the unit a toolkit has been developed in order to give schools advice about the criteria through which to achieve ‘Health Promoting’ Status.

Training on a range of issues from nutrition to mental health can be arranged through the Unit and specific training days on initiatives such as School Nutrition Action Groups have been rolled-out across the area. A whole school approach has been adopted in order to address not just the health of the pupils but their general wellbeing and that of all staff within the school. Improved Social Improvement LOCAL OUTCOME TARGET 9: Background To monitor the number of temporary exclusions in Highland by school type and gender and to specifically monitor those excluded from school from ethnic minorities and children who are Looked After.

Reduce the number of temporary school exclusions by at least 5%:

Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 Total number of exclusions 759 738 823 721 Rate of exclusions per 1000 22.8 22.3 25.2 - SCHOOLS: Primary No. of exclusions 83 60 62 - Primary Rate of exclusions 4.5 3.3 3.5 - Secondary No. of exclusions 674 677 761 - Secondary Rate of exclusions 45.9 45.8 50.8 - Special No. of exclusions 2 1 0 - Special Rate of exclusions 11.6 5.6 0 - GENDER - No. of incidents involving: Girls 180 179 211 - Boys 579 559 612 - OTHER - % of incidents involving: 127 Looked After Children 3.2% 4.2% 1.5% - 0.3% 0.4% 0.1% - G Temporary exclusions in Highland initially decreased between 2001/2 and 2002/3 and then experienced a rise again over the period 2003/4. This can be observed in both the number of exclusions and the rate per 1000 pupils. G Although the number excluded from primary schools increased slightly during 2003/4, the rise in number and rate of exclusions in Highland over this period can be observed in secondary exclusions for the area. G The number of boys excluded over the period was almost three times the number of girls. G In 2003/4 the number of exclusions increased among both males and females. G The percentage of Looked After Children excluded decreased by 1.7% as a percentage of the total exclusions during 2003/4. The number of incidents is low – only 12 for the whole period. G The percentage of ethnic minority exclusions decreased slightly between 2001/2 and 2003/4.

SUMMARY 2001/2 – 2004/5

The development of Integrated Community Schools has been one of the main features of a joint approach from Education, Health and Social Work to improving behaviour in schools. The national initiatives Better Behaviour, Better Learning and Alternatives to Exclusion have released additional resources to work with schools and young people in reducing unacceptable behaviour that may lead to temporary exclusion.

Although the number of incidents of temporary exclusion appear to have increased in Secondary Schools, the number of days lost through exclusion has declined by 20%: from 292 days per 1000 pupils in 2001-02 to 231 days per 1000 pupils in 2003-04 These figures remain significantly below National Averages.

LOCAL OUTCOME TARGET 10: Background This indicator is designed to provide information on the levels of sporting and cultural activities accessed by young people in Highland. This is to ensure that young people are participating in regular sport and extra-curricular activities for their own health and wellbeing.

All 5-17 year olds participating for at least 6 hours per week in sports, arts and cultural activities:

This target is being evaluated through the UHI Evaluation of Integrated Children’s Services. It will be measured through monitoring levels of participation in external culture and leisure activities and through a ‘Young People and their Leisure Activities’ survey. Results available during 2005.

128 LOCAL OUTCOME TARGET 11: Background Respite care provides temporary relief for carers of children with disabilities. The provision of this care can take several forms. It could take the form of a short break, based on an overnight stay either in foster care or a residential home, or it could be family based support in their own home, determined by the number of hours. Individuals may receive one or the other or a combination of both.

Increase the number of young people with disabilities accessing respite services:

Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2004/5 5% increase in the 1,743 2,865 3,614 2,861 1,830 number of short breaks (nights) (nights) (nights) (nights) (nights) (nights) 5% increase in the amount of family 4,925 6,762 15,169 18,410 5,171 support (hours) (hours) (hours) (hours) (hours) (hours)

G Between 2001/2 and 2003/4 there can be seen a rising trend in the number of short breaks and the amount of family support being provided for children with disabilities in Highland. G In the 2004/5 period although there continued to be an increase in the amount of family support, there can be observed a fall in the number of short breaks provided for families. G The Highland targets for both indicators were met during the course of the first year. SUMMARY 2001/2 – 2004/5

The provision of respite within the Highlands has increased considerably over the course of the last three years. A second residential respite unit has opened and several specialist foster carers recruited which has increased the provision of short breaks available for children. Enhanced services have also been provided through specifically contracting support workers for children and families with disabilities.

Over this period the reporting and monitoring of respite provision within Highland has also improved.

LOCAL OUTCOME TARGET 12: Background This indicator is designed to measure the provision of SureStart funded services within Highland. SureStart specifically targets vulnerable families with 0-3 year olds and provides support either through group work or home based support. Throughout Highland different agencies provide SureStart services from Family First to NCH. Within this provision, some will work with all children within a family when providing home based support and not merely those under four.

Increase the number of vulnerable families of 0-3 year olds accessing early years care and learning services: 129 Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 2002 2003 2004/5 2004/5 5% increase in the 392 567 526 431 number of children (including (excluding supported toddler groups) under four accessing supported toddler 749 754 early years services groups) (including supported toddler groups)

Number of children 510 658 788 accessing early years (including (excluding supported toddler groups) support services supported toddler 840 1016 groups) (including supported toddler groups)

Total number of families Incomplete data 431 423 accessing early years in baseline year (excluding supported toddler groups) services 558 624 (including supported toddler groups)

G Between 2002 and 2003 the numbers accessing SureStart services increased considerably within Highland, reaching the target set for 2004/5. G In the 2004/5 period, there was a slight decrease in the number of children under four accessing SureStart services but an overall increase in the total number of children accessing these services. G The reporting and monitoring of data has changed and improved over this period. It now allows for the breakdown of the number of families accessing services and also figures including and excluding supported toddler groups. G Supported toddler groups are situated in areas of need but do provide a universal service to avoid stigmatism of groups. It is therefore important to examine the provision of service both with and without the inclusion of supported toddler groups.

SUMMARY 2001/2 – 2004/5

Over the last three years SureStart services within Highland have focused on the provision of family support programmes. These have been provided by a variety of agencies and through a mixture of group-based and home visiting services throughout the Highland area.

A small number of supported toddler groups have also been established through this source of funding and run through Highland Pre-School Services. Improved Support

LOCAL OUTCOME TARGET 13: Background To improve the assessment process for children and young people and the sharing of information between agencies.

All referrals of vulnerable young people to be assessed within a common framework: 130 G Target for 2005 LOCAL OUTCOME TARGET 14: Background To monitor and improve upon the length of time young people are waiting permanent adoptive placements. This indicator is measured by the length of time between the decision taken at a Care Review to place the young person for adoption and a permanent placement being made.

Reduce the length of time young people are awaiting permanent adoptive placements:

Performance Baseline Year Progress Years Target Indicator 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2004/5 Reduce by 10% time taken from care review to placement with permanent carers measured by: (i) year of placement 255 days 613 days 340 days 397 days 230 days (ii) year of review 325 days 475 days 259 days 30 days 292 days 1 outstanding 21 outstanding

G Both methods of measuring this indicator highlight an increase in the length of time taken to place a young person with a permanent carer between 2001/2 and 2002/3. G When observing method (i) of monitoring, although a reduction in the length of time taken to place a child can be observed in the 2003/4 period, there was an increase during 2004/5 and the target set for this indicator was not met. G Method (ii) of monitoring still has a number of outstanding cases awaiting placement, the decision to opt for adoption having been made in 2002/3, 2003/4 or 2004/5. The average time between review and placement will therefore increase in these cases as permanent placements are made in the coming months.

Figure 7 Time Taken from Care Review to Placement with Permanent Carers

700 613 600

ear 500 397 400 340 300 255

Financial Y 200

100

0 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2004/5 (Target)

Number of Days

G Figure 7 highlights the progress made towards reducing the time taken to achieve permanent adoptive placements. G This indicator is measured from the year in which a permanent placement was made. G As is highlighted, there was initially an increase in the time taken to place a child in the period 2001/2 to 2002/3, although there has been a considerable decrease since then, the target set for 2004/5 has not been 131 achieved. SUMMARY 2001/2 – 2004/5

Considerable advances have been made over the period to improve the length of time young people wait for permanent adoptive placements. Improved liaison arrangements and procedures established by the Adoption and Fostering Service have resulted in an acceleration of the process towards permanency for young people in Highland.

LOCAL OUTCOME TARGET 15: Background This indicator is designed to monitor youth crime within the Highlands. It is measured through both the number of persistent young offenders and the number of offences by young people. Both sources of information come from the Children’s Reporter. A persistent young offender is defined as ‘an individual who has had five or more episodes of offending in the previous six months’.

To reduce youth crime:

Performance Baseline Period Progress Period Target Indicator 2003-04 2004-05 2004-05 10% reduction in the 57 68 51 number of persistent offenders

10% reduction in the 1452 1841 1307 number of offences by young people

G There was an increase of almost a quarter in the number of offence-based referrals to the Children’s Reporter between 2003/4 and 2004/5. G The number of persistent offenders also rose during this period by 11. G Although neither target set for 2004/5 has been achieved, it is important to note that these figures are based on reporting methods that include all persistent offenders over a period that extends beyond 12 calendar months. G Recent ‘Snapshot’ evidence indicates that the number of persistent offenders across the Highland area is beginning to reduce.

SUMMARY 2001/2 – 2004/5

Over the course of the current Children’s Plan, Highland’s Youth Action Service has been established, and four, local Youth Action Teams across the Highland area. This service is a partnership between statutory and voluntary agencies, including NCH, BLAST Drug Project and SACRO’s restorative justice service.

This service has been established not only to address youth offending behaviour and prevent further offending but also to provide treatment, notably for substance misuse, for which strong links have been established with offending. 132 Glossary Clàr-mineachaidh ACSF Area Children’s Services Forum. Advice, Assistance and A specific disposal available to the Children’s Guidance Reporter when a child is not referred to a Children’s Hearing. It asks that the Local Authority works with the child and family on the basis of their voluntary co-operation. Aftercare Support to young people who have left care. ASD Autistic Spectrum Disorder. ASG Associated School Group (a Secondary School and its associated Primaries). ASL Additional Support for Learning legislation. ASN Additional Support Needs. BBS ‘Building a Better Scotland’. Intent of Scottish Executive’s Spending Review. CAMHS Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services. CCSF Changing Children’s Services Fund. CDD Communication & Developmental Disorders. Chief Officers Group (COG) Directors of the Lead Services (NHS; SW and ECS). Childcare Strategy Government strategy for ‘free part-time pre-school education and affordable and accessible childcare in each neighbourhood’. In Highland, increasingly referred to as Childcare & Early Years. CHSG Child Health Support Group. CHP Community Health Partnership Childcare All paid day care for children, whether in centres or provided by childminders or in other regulated arrangements. This should be accessible across Highland. Children and Young People Variously defined by age depending on target audience – can range from (pre-) Pregnancy to Young Adult. 0 to 24 years. Children Affected by Disability The legal definition includes children who are disabled, or chronically sick, or suffering from a mental disorder. In this Plan, we include some services for children who are chronically sick in the section regarding ‘additional health needs’. Children’s Champions 8 Elected Members (Councillors) with a specific remit to provide an area political lead on services for children, families and young people. Children’s Panel Panel of trained, local volunteers. Three members of the Panel sit on any Children’s Hearing and determine what is in the best interests of the child. Children’s Reporters Independent officials, employed by SCRA, acting 133 as gatekeepers to the Childrens Hearing’s System. Common Performance Key research, statistical and planning personnel Management Group spanning NHS, SW and ECS. Compulsory Measures A Supervision Requirement imposed by a Children’s Hearing, along with any additional conditions. Places obligations upon the Local Authority and the child and family. CPN Community Psychiatric Nurse. CTOG ‘Closing the Opportunity Gap’. The Executive’s Strategy for Social Inclusion. DCFP Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. DDA Disability Discrimination Act. DMFT Decayed, missing and/or filled teeth. Early Education 5 sessions/week of funded early education for every 3 and 4 year old, including both local authority and partner centre provision. FHC1 Integrated Children’s Services Plan: “For Highlands Children 2001-2004”. FHC2 Integrated Children’s Services Plan: “For Highlands Children 2005-2008”. For Scotland’s Children National report on the need for better integration of children’s services. GAE Grant Aided Expenditure from Scottish Executive to Highland Council. ‘Gael Og’ Various Youth Action Services organised by NCH, including: Intensive Supervision, Positive Options, Substance Misuse Referral Scheme, Mentoring Project. GROS General Register Office for Scotland (provide census information). Hall 4 Evidence-based guidance re Child Health screening & surveillance. Highland Wellbeing Alliance Community Planning Partnership of pan-Highland (HWBA) organisations. ‘In Need’ Statutorily defined as “Unlikely to maintain, or likely to have impaired, a reasonable standard of health or development unless services of a local authority are provided; or disabled; or affected by the disability of a member of the family”. ICP Integrated Care Pathway: A range of services based on an individual’s needs irrespective of organisational boundaries. Integrated (Common) A bringing together (from all perspectives) of Assessment Framework (IAF) information and its analysis to guide appropriate action around a child. Intervention Plan An integrated package of appropriate health, care and education support for a child or young person – that is agreed as a consequence of the integrated assessment process. 134 ISS and ISMS Implementation of an Intensive Support Service (ISS) and associated Monitoring Services (ISMS). Joint Committee (JCCYP) Joint Committee on Children & Young People. Key Outcomes The performance measures agreed for the Integrated Children’s Plan (FHC2). Keyworker A number of posts within Social Work Services are formally entitled ‘Key Worker’. However, the term is also used generically to mean the most appropriate individual from the most appropriate agency according to the child and family’s needs, who agrees to play a lead role for a specific purpose. Often this will be to act as the key ‘link’ for the child and / or family; and to ensure that actions agreed at a multi-agency meeting are in fact followed through. Lead Officer Group Key authoring group for this Children’s Plan. LOA Local Outcome Agreement. The performance measures agreed for FHC1. Looked After Child (LAC) A child who is accommodated; or subject to a supervision requirement while living at home; or subject to a child protection order; or subject to a parental responsibilities order. MCN Managed Clinical Network. NCSA New Community School Approach, increasingly referred to as Integrated Community School Approach(es). Out of School (Child)Care Care arrangements organised to cover before and (OOSC) after school, or in school holidays. The Executive have set targets for an OOSC place for all children whose parents want them to go to clubs, including suitable OOSC provision to meet the needs of children in early secondary school. Permanency Long term settled situations for children who have been looked after, usually in family settings. PIP ‘Partnership in Practice’ agreement and implementation plan. PMHW Primary Mental Health Worker. Pupil Council School pupil body to contribute to decision making within the school, and perhaps the wider community. Pupil Support Service A network of additional services across Highland, aimed at reducing school exclusions and supporting vulnerable pupils. QA Quality Assurance QDT Quality Development Team of the Highland Council’s Education, Culture & Sport Service. QIF Quality Improvement Framework for Integrated Children’s Services. QIS NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. Respite Care Provision of short-term care, also called ‘short 135 breaks’, following assessment, which can be provided in a range of ways – not chargeable. ROA Regeneration Outcome Agreement. The Executive’s partnership with the Wellbeing Alliance to target multiple deprivation. SCQF Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework - the main programmes and qualifications that make up Scottish Education. SCRA The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (the independent agency, accountable to Scottish Ministers - and responsible for the Children’s Reporters service). SE Scottish Executive. SIMD Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation – now mapped to smaller populations (datazones) below council ward area. SIP Social Inclusion Partnership. Reduced Scottish Executive funding will be available to Highland from 2005-06 from the Community Regeneration Fund – detailed within the Regeneration Outcome Agreement. SLG School Liaison Group (and arrangements) – along with Early Years arrangements, known collectively as ‘Liaison Groups’. STRADA Scottish Training on Drugs and Alcohol. SureStart Targeted support for the most vulnerable 0 – 3 year olds. This forms part of the Executive’s target for integrated care, health and education packages for around 700 children in Highland. Throughcare Support to young people as part of a plan to leave care. Time Intervals Standards Nationally agreed standards governing the provision of reports to the Children’s Reporter, and the processing of referrals. Transition A range of possible stages: including early years provision; school entry; primary to secondary; hospital to community care; leaving school etc. UCAS Universities & Colleges Admissions Sevice. UHI University of the Highlands & Islands Millenium Institute. Wrap-around Provision Maximising opportunities for services to be provided to children and families in a joined-up way as part of co-ordinated arrangements accessible to all communities. YAS Youth Action Service: a partnership of agencies working to reduce youth crime and substance misuse. YAT Youth Action Team: Area based Social Work Service Teams, addressing youth crime and substance misuse as part of the Youth Action 136 Service. Young Carers Young people who provide care for parents or siblings. Youth Forum Local collection of youth representatives, to contribute to local decision making.

You may find the following websites to be of value – though they are English rather than Scotland-specific or UK-generic:

Descriptor Web Address

Education – a lay site for parents to demystify some of the jargon we all use. http://user.mc.net/~kwentz/eduspeak.html

Health – NHS Directs “Health Encyclopaedia”. Can be browsed by subject or alphabetically. Also has a self-help guide. http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/alphaindex.asp

Social care – a specific Glossary of Social Care terminology – past and present. http://socialcaring.co.uk/cat_content.asp?contentid=135&catid=93

Youth Justice – a glossary specifically designed to find out more about the many acronyms and abbreviations associated with crime reduction. http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/learningzone/lz_glossary/contents.htm

Legal – information about a wide range of legal matters, including a glossary of legal terms that can browsed alphabetically (even in Latin!). http://hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/infoabout.htm

Should you be aware of any UK-generic and/or Scotland-specific equivalents to the above – please let us know.

137 Notes Notaichean

138 www.forhighlandschildren.orgwww.forhighlandschildren.orgwww.forhighlandschildren.org

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Telephone: 01463 702870

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