A government watchdog says progress has been made but “there is still more work to do” in improving Moray’s services for children.
In 2017, the Care Inspectorate released a damning report saying that young people in the Moray Community Planning Partnership (CPP) were suffering “emotional harm” and that services were taking too long to intervene and prevent them from harm.
The report also criticised a lack of joined-up working between the agencies responsible for the care of vulnerable children.
Two years on, the Care Inspectorate re-visited Moray to check that progress is being made and last night said that several areas have since been “significantly strengthened”.
This was in part due to the implementation of a five-year improvement plan designed to bring about a “sea-change” in how organisations including Moray Council, police and the NHS operate.
Susan Webb, the director of public health for NHS Grampian, has been leading the scheme.
She said: “It has been an intense period of activity, but it’s clear to inspectors that we are well on the way to achieving our aspirations for all the vulnerable children and young people in Moray.
“There’s much still to be done, but these last two years have provided a solid foundation upon which together we can create a child-centred culture in the area.”
Peter Macleod, chief executive of the Care Inspectorate said: “This is an encouraging report, and we are pleased to note partners had been working hard to make the changes necessary to improve the lives of children and young people.”