Children under two years old are some of the most vulnerable in our society. The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) carried out this research to show the extent of children under two years at risk in Scotland, as evidenced by referral to the Children’s Reporter.

It explores trends in numbers of children being referred and the reasons for this, and looks at the most at risk – those where emergency measures are needed to protect the child and where children have died. The backgrounds of children aged under two years old, the risks they face and the actions taken to protect them were also studied to assess the extent to which the early and effective outcomes of safe, healthy and nurtured* are being met.

This research shows that for the 50 cases examined, agencies were identifying children at risk at a very early stage and often before birth, and putting in place services to support the child and their family. Most of the children are healthy and loved by the mothers with strong support networks in place from extended family.

However, ongoing issues about both parents’ addictions and violence especially from males in the house mean that there continue to be concerns about the safety of these children. This suggests, that in some cases early intervention and supports provided may not be enough to protect young children from dangers posed by the adults in their lives.

A full copy of the research report is available in PDF version below.

*Scottish Government GIRFEC Wellbeing Indicators.