The term ‘looked after,’ was
introduced by the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 and
signifies the role of public agencies in assisting
and supporting families, rather than taking over
from them.
The term “looked after & accommodated” refers to
young people who do not live at home and are cared
for by others, their supervision requirement names a
foster carer or residential establishment.
Here are some key facts about looked after children and
young people*.
Over 12,000 children and young people
aged under18 are looked after by Scottish local
authorities.
55% are boys and nearly 35% are in
the age group 12 to 15.
More than half (57%) receive social
work supervision while continuing to live at home with
their parents or with other relatives.
29% are looked after by foster carers
or with prospective adopters.
13% are in residential care settings,
managed by local authorities, voluntary or private
organisations. Residential establishments include
children’s homes -typically providing accommodation for
about six to eight children –residential schools and
secure units.
The proportion of looked after
children and young people in the population varies
considerably between local authorities and tends to be
higher in areas of greater deprivation.
Some estimates suggest that between
20% and 50% of young homeless people have been in the
care of a local authority.
Up to 75% of looked after young
people leave school with no qualifications and less than
1% go to university.
