October 2015 saw the start of the Scottish inquiry chaired by Susan O’Brien QC and in January 2016 FACT was pleased to be asked by the inquiry then known as the Scottish Historical Child Sex Abuse Inquiry, to meet with them to discuss what we wished to see from the 4-year inquiry. We attended a […]

Our attention has been drawn to an excellent article by Mark Smith, Senior Lecturer  in Social Work, University of Edinburgh, concerning Victim Narratives in Residential Child Care.  You can download an on-line copy of this article here

The following article by Stephen Naysmith appeared on the  Herald Scotland website on the 8th March Anger at Abuse Panel The chair of a panel set up to acknowledge and record accounts of abuse in residential child care has defended the approach over fears it will exclude some victims. Tom Shaw, former Chief Inspector of Education […]

The ISA have issued a Media Release informing employers that time is running out for them to prepare for new Vetting & Barring Scheme Employers running out of time to prepare for new Vetting & Barring Scheme For the first time if you knowingly or unknowingly employ someone without the proper ISA/CRB checks you will be […]

The Scottish Government have announced that the Independent Inquiry Into Alleged Abuse at Kerelaw Residential School Secure Unit (ISBN 978 0 7559 5952 5) undertaken by Eddie Frizzell has been published. Contents Foreword 1 Executive Summary 2 Background 3 Introduction 4 Kerelaw Residential School and Secure Unit 5 Looked after children legislation and regulation 6 Policy […]

The joint independent inquiry on Kerelaw Residential School and Secure Unit has returned its findings. Commissioned by both Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government, the inquiry team led by Eddie Frizzell has published a comprehensive report on events at Kerelaw in the run up to its closure between 2004 and 2006. The inquiry had […]

The Glasgow branch of Unison passed the following resolution at its recent meeting. Glasgow City Council by its action has severely tarnished the professional reputation of all staff who have worked at Kerelaw. This has also led in many cases to their personal lives being shattered. Unison accepts that everyone who works in Social Services […]

 The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) has today urged the Kerelaw Enquiry, established to examine the circumstances in which abuse occurred at the former Kerelaw residential school, to treat all teachers fairly during the enquiry process. The EIS is concerned that some wholly innocent teachers are suffering damage to their reputations and to their careers […]

The public (but not the press) is being cleared from the Edinburgh High Court in the Kerelaw case every time an accuser making allegations of a sexual nature takes the witness stand. As a result the following Press release has been issued.  FACT (Falsely Accused Carers and Teachers in the UK) says this is an […]

I’ve used the past couple of columns to offer a few ideas on the nature of expertise and of professionalism. This month I want to ask a few questions around what knowledge is but to do so in the very specific context of historical abuse in residential child care. Received knowledge would have us believe […]