Investigating the abuse of children in care in Scotland

This announcement provides further information about Phase 8 of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry’s (SCAI) investigations.

The focus of this substantial case study is residential accommodation provided or used by the state between 1930 and 2014 to accommodate (a) young offenders under the age of 18 (and children and young persons under 18 awaiting trial) and (b) children and young persons under 18 in need of care and protection. This accommodation was managed by a range of providers including local authorities, religious bodies, voluntary bodies, and the Scottish Prison Service. 

SCAI began public hearings in relation to Phase 8 of its investigations in September 2023. So far, it has heard evidence regarding a range of institutions. Transcripts can be found on the Inquiry’s website: Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry | Evidence Hub 

These public hearings are ongoing. Chapter 9 hearings, focusing on Balnacraig, Perth, Balrossie, Oakbank School, Aberdeen, and Thornly Park, Paisley began on 24 September 2024, with closing submissions regarding this chapter scheduled to take place on Wednesday 23 October 2024.

Hearings in relation to Phase 8 are expected to continue until early in 2025. This announcement provides further information about the next chapters within the case study.

Three chapters remain in Phase 8:

• Chapter 10, examining Brimmond Assessment Centre, Newfield Assessment Centre, and Beechwood, will begin on Tuesday 29 October
• Chapter 11, examining St Euphrasia’s / Dalbeth / Good Shepherd Centre, Kibble, and St Mary’s Kenmure (post-De La Salle), will begin on Tuesday 3 December
• Chapter 12, examining Rossie / Rossie Farm, Wellington, Penicuik, St Katharine’s / Howdenhall / Gilmerton / Liberton Assessment Centre, and Edinburgh Secure Services (ESS), will begin on Tuesday 7 January 2025
   

Transcripts will be made available on the SCAI website in due course. 

If you have relevant information to share, get in touch with the Inquiry’s witness support team as soon as possible.

The Inquiry’s witness support team can be contacted by phone on 0800 0929 300, or by email at talktous@childabuseinquiry.scot. Individuals can also write to the Inquiry by post at SCAI, PO Box 24202, Edinburgh EH3 1JN.

British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact the Inquiry direct through its online sign language interpreter at www.ContactScotland-bsl.org. People who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can contact the Inquiry using the Relay UK service. The SCAI website also includes a range of accessibility features such as the ‘Recite Me’ toolbar and a series of short BSL videos.

This announcement provides further information about a future Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) case study.

Lady Smith, Chair of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), has asked for help with its investigations focusing on the provision of residential care for children and young people (under the age of 18) in any hospitals in Scotland which provided long-term care at any time up to the end of 2014. 

These investigations form part of SCAI’s Phase 9 work, which focuses on residential care in establishments for children and young people with long-term healthcare needs, additional support needs, and disabilities, or any combination of those. Public hearings for the Phase 9 case study are expected to begin in spring 2025.

In a filmed address, Lady Smith said: ‘I understand that coming forward to give evidence to the Inquiry can be really difficult and daunting.

‘I know that it is not at all easy to decide to make the decision to do so. It is for that reason that we have a specialist witness support team who assist all witnesses according to their particular needs, discussing with them what particular support they may require.

‘We have already taken some evidence, but we would like more people to come forward. Please do get in touch with us if you feel at all able to help.’

Lady Smith’s request particularly relates to the following establishments:

NHS Dumfries and Galloway

• Ladyfield East Unit, Crichton Royal Hospital, Dumfries
• Hannahfield Hall Unit, Crichton Royal Hospital, Dumfries
• Ladyfield West Unit, Crichton Royal Hospital, Dumfries
• Eskdale House Unit, Crichton Royal Hospital, Dumfries

NHS Forth Valley

• Royal Scottish National Hospital, Larbert

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

• Lennox Castle Hospital, Lennoxtown, Glasgow

Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul

• St Joseph’s Hospital, Rosewell

Lady Smith added: ‘Our investigations cover all forms of abuse including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. I will also be looking into any inappropriate practices that may have taken place at these establishments.

‘If you were a child or young person in residential care at one of these establishments, or a member of their family, or a member of staff, I am looking for your help.

‘Likewise, if you were a child or young person in long-term residential care at any other hospital in Scotland, I am looking for your help.

‘If you are able to provide me with any information about the experiences of children and young people at these institutions, or any other long- stay hospitals, it will be of considerable assistance to me in the work we are doing here to find out what happened to children in residential care there and, if they suffered abuse, how that happened and how to protect against it happening again now and in the future.’

You can email SCAI’s Witness Support Team or contact them by phone on 0800 0929 300.

Individuals can also contact the Inquiry by post at SCAI, PO Box 24202, Edinburgh EH3 1JN. 

Contact Scotland and Relay UK services are available, and information about the Inquiry and what is involved in giving evidence can be found in a series of BSL translated and subtitled videos on SCAI’s website.

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (the Inquiry) is currently investigating the nature and extent of the abuse of children in care in Scotland. The Inquiry is chaired by The Right Honourable Lady Smith KC PC, a retired senior judge. 

The Inquiry is looking at:

• the effects of abuse on children in care, and their families
• whether those responsible for children in care failed in their duties
• whether any such failures have been addressed 
• whether further changes to practice, policy, or legislation are required.

Many individuals have already given evidence, and many more are likely to do so as the Inquiry continues its work. 

Providing a statement to the Inquiry

Where a person applies to give evidence to the Inquiry about their time in care, the Inquiry will normally meet with them at a ‘private session’. During this session, the person can be asked about their experiences. What they tell the Inquiry is then written down in a statement. 

The Inquiry usually meets again with the person to review their statement. Any changes the person wants to make are incorporated into it. Once they have agreed that what is in their statement is correct, they will be asked to sign it to confirm that it is true and accurate. The statement of any witness is evidence to the Inquiry. 

All witnesses who provide statements to the Inquiry are supported throughout each stage of the process by one of the Inquiry’s witness support officers. As with all members of the Inquiry team, the Inquiry’s witness support officers are trained in trauma-informed working. Further information is available.

Using Inquiry statements when making an application to Scotland’s Redress Scheme

Survivors applying to Scotland’s Redress Scheme sometimes ask if they can include a copy of their Inquiry statement, or if Redress Scotland’s panel members can read their statement on the Inquiry website. 

Witness statements are normally published on the Inquiry’s website. The identity of the author, and others, may be protected from disclosure under the Chair’s General Restriction Order. If so, any information in the statement that could identify them will usually have been redacted by this information being blacked out. Even if the author of the statement has not chosen to remain anonymous, redactions will still have been made to protect the identities of others. 

The author of an Inquiry statement can receive an unredacted copy of their statement, but this must not be disclosed to or by anyone. This is so that all the identities protected by the General Restriction Order remain protected.

Survivors and Redress Scotland must comply with the General Restriction Order. Failure to do so may result in referral to the court. This is why an unredacted Inquiry statement must not be submitted with a redress application.

However, survivors can use their Inquiry statement as a source of information when writing their statement of abuse. This means they do not have to start again from the beginning when they are completing their application to the Redress Scheme. Survivors may want to use the same wording from their Inquiry statement when writing their statement of abuse for their application to the Redress Scheme. 

Further information

Please contact the following :

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry – for more information on the Inquiry, including the General Restriction Order, and the use of Inquiry statements in applications. 

Redress Scotland – for more information on how Redress Scotland makes decisions, Scotland’s Redress Scheme, and the use of Inquiry statements in applications.