Placing children in care with siblings ‘exception not rule’, says report

Looked after children being placed with siblings has been the “exception not the rule”, the co-author of a new report has said.

A recent study, done by Lancaster University, Stirling University and the Scottish Children Reporter Administration and funded by the Scottish Government, analysed data for all 2,849 infants taken into care between April 2013 and March 2020, conducting a case file review for 70 children.

The researchers found that just 12 (22%)of the children in the more detailed cases who had siblings were initially placed with them, while less than a third were placed with siblings two years after they were taken into care.

In The Promise, the Scottish Government’s response to the independent care review in 2020, the report said: “Where living with their family is not possible, children must stay with their brothers and sisters where safe to do so and belong to a loving home, staying there for as long as needed.”

Dr Helen Whincup, a co-author of the report from Stirling University, said: “Our findings show that placing babies and infants with older brothers and sisters was the exception rather than the rule.

“This is despite the drive to keep brothers and sisters together and research which shows that early decisions about where, and with whom children are placed, can have huge consequences for their relationships with their siblings.”

The study also found 37% of the mothers in the case file review with children who were removed had experience of care themselves, with 24% of fathers in the same situation.

Some 77% of mothers and 74% of fathers were found to have struggled with addiction, along with 70% and 36% respectively who have had mental health issues while 50% and 71% were found to have a past criminal history.

In terms of family circumstances, 83% of the 70 families looked at in detail experienced housing difficulties, 69% reported financial difficulties and 61% reported domestic abuse or coercive control present in parental relationships.

Dr Linda Cusworth of Lancaster University, the lead author of the report, said the findings showed the need for early interventions to prevent children becoming care experienced.

“It is clear from our study that these families have multiple and complex needs,” she said.

“This emphasises the need for a range of early, sensitive and flexible support services to support parents, including those who are care experienced, and those who have had a child previously removed from their care.

“The decision to remove a child at or soon after birth is probably the most difficult decision that professionals can make to intervene in family life.

“It is traumatic for mothers, fathers and wider family networks.”