CYCJ and Staf (Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum) are pleased to present our ‘Responding to Offending in Residential Childcare-Next steps’ project-Progress report. Building upon our previous research into offending and residential childcare “Between a Rock and a Hard Place”: Responses to Offending in Residential Childcare, for the last year CYCJ and Staf have been working on the ‘Responding to Offending in Residential Childcare-Next steps’ project. Thus far this work has focused on developing an understanding of, and influencing, local practice in four children’s houses from across three geographical areas. This report highlights the recognisable achievements made and learning gained both for practice with children involved in offending in residential childcare and in respect of the chosen methodology, as well as examining the project design and how the project was undertaken in practice.

The report has a number of implications and conclusions that are relevant for the broad range of practitioners involved in residential childcare practice and/or working with young people involved in offending behaviour, as well as utilising or intending to develop a project of improvement methodology. We hope you will reflect on what this information means for your respective role and that of your organisation in working with children involved in offending and we would be grateful if you could disseminate this report within your organisation and with your networks.

This report is just the start. Over the next year, this project will continue to seek to support practice at a local level, which may include the provision of advice and guidance, providing inputs on these findings and supporting the facilitation of multi-disciplinary events, as well as exploring how the implementation of these findings can be supported at a national level. In commencing this national phase of the project, we are today hosting a roundtable discussion on Offending and Looked After Children involving representatives from Staf, Social Work Scotland, the Howard League for Penal Reform, Community Justice Scotland, Police Scotland and the Care inspectorate, amongst others. We will continue to update as this work progresses.

For further information, to offer additional feedback, if we can support you organisation in this area of practice or if you would like to remain updated as this project progresses, please contact [email protected].

Read the Progress Report

- Read "Between a Rock and a Hard Place"