THE Multi Agency Resource Service (MARS) and the Scottish Child Care and Protection Network (SCCPN) have merged to become WithScotland, the only national resource which connects everyone working to protect Scotland’s children.
The creation of WithScotland follows confirmation of three year partnership funding from Scotland’s local authorities, ACPOS, NHS and the Scottish Government.
Based at the University of Stirling, the aim of WithScotland is to support all practitioners in connecting and exchanging knowledge and information on child care and protection.
Beth Smith, director, WithScotland, said: “The recent announcement of our funding was the culmination of a collaborative approach between a range of people including Child Protection Committee Chairs and the wider child protection community.
“We are delighted to have secured the future of WithScotland for the benefit of all professionals working in child protection. The key to our success is the capacity to add value to the existing knowledge, expertise and resources within Scotland.
“The decision to rename ourselves WithScotland reflects our roots in collaboration and partnership with others and recognises and celebrates the vital role of others in helping to protect children and their wider communities in Scotland.”
Agencies can approach WithScotland for tailored advice on dealing with complex child protection cases, to source research or for support in implementing recommendations from evaluations or inspections.
Chief Constable of Grampian Police, Colin McKerracher, commented: “WithScotland has the potential to become the most impressive and effective shared service providing support for child protection professionals across Scotland, so the announcement of the resource’s secured funding is fantastic. WithScotland helps to raise the level of service offered to all children and families who need support from Scottish child protection services.”
The new WithScotland website hosts the Scottish Government’s recently launched public information landing page www.childprotectionscotland.org. This offers help and support to vulnerable children and families regarding child protection issues. The page includes clear, accessible information on what the public should do if they are concerned for a child’s welfare, with access to every child protection committee in Scotland.
Plans are also underway to help make stronger connections between child, adult and public protection. The first Adult Protection Co-ordinator in Scotland was recently appointed with a remit to co-ordinate work across the adult protection field, including working closely with Adult Protection Committees.
WithScotland’s new website is at www.withscotland.org
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Further information from Karen McIntosh at pr@stir.ac.uk or 01786 467 058
Notes to editors
WithScotland springs from the merger of The Multi-Agency Resource Service (MARS) and the Scottish Child Care and Protection Network (SCCPN). Both were set up in response to the Inspection into the Care and Protection of children in Eilean Siar, which recommended ‘the establishment of a multi-agency resource on which all staff in Scotland working with complex child protection issues can draw for advice, expertise, training and research (SWIA 2005).
Child protection issues are as relevant now as they were in the wake of this report – from remote and rural communities to Scotland’s towns and cities, WithScotland aims to build communities of expertise that will help improve the lives of vulnerable children.
What Can Research Do For You – a survey carried out in 2010 – showed that practitioners wanted events where they could listen to the latest child protection research and take part in workshops with their peers. WithScotland continues to provide seminar events and conferences, sourcing the very best speakers to help engage with practitioners by focusing on issues affecting children and young people today, such as children affected by parental substance misuse, child protection and disabled children as well as poverty neglect. These events are usually free for practitioners to attend.
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Contact: Karen McIntosh
Phone: 01786467058
Email: pr@stir.ac.uk
Website: http://www.stir.ac.uk
