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The Scottish Child Protection Review

Development of Methodology for a National Multi-disciplinary Audit of Child Protection Practice

epartment of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling, UK BMD1{at}STIR.AC.UK

In 2001 the Scottish Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs ordered a multi-disciplinary review of child protection across Scotland. The review was carried out by a multi-disciplinary team with representatives from each professional group of education, the police, medicine, nursing and the Scottish Children’s Reporters. A major part of the review was a direct examination of the practice of all the key agencies involved in child protection. This article sets out the development of a methodology that enabled the team to both describe and evaluate practice. As well as drawing on existing inspection and audit techniques a new qualitative audit methodology was developed that was informed by developments in qualitative research. The methodology incorporated an evaluation of each agency’s practice for each child as well as an evaluation of the overall outcome as a result of all agencies’ endeavours. The strengths and drawbacks of the methodology are examined.

Key Words: audit • child protection • inspection • inter-agency • multi-disciplinary

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