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Terms of Reference

1. To investigate the nature and extent of abuse of children whilst in care in Scotland, during the relevant time frame.

2. To consider the extent to which institutions and bodies with legal responsibility for the care of children failed in their duty to protect children in care in Scotland (or children whose care was arranged in Scotland) from abuse, and in particular to identify any systemic failures in fulfilling that duty.

3. To create a national public record and commentary on abuse of children in care in Scotland during the relevant time frame.

4. To examine how abuse affected and still affects these victims in the long term, and how in turn it affects their families.

5. The Inquiry is to cover that period which is within living memory of any person who suffered such abuse,
up until such date as the Chair may determine, and in any event not beyond 17 December 2014.

6. To consider the extent to which failures by state or non-state institutions (including the courts) to protect children in care in Scotland from abuse have been addressed by changes to practice, policy or legislation, up until such date as the Chair may determine.

7. To consider whether further changes in practice, policy or legislation are necessary in order to protect children in care in Scotland from such abuse in future.

8. Within 4 years (or such other period as Ministers may provide) of the date of its establishment, to report to the Scottish Ministers on the above matters, and to make recommendations.


Definitions:

1. ‘Child’ means a person under the age of 18.

 2. For the purpose of this Inquiry, “Children in Care” includes children in
 institutional residential care such as children’s homes (including residential
care provided by faith based groups); secure care units including List D
schools; Borstals; Young Offenders’ Institutions; places provided for Boarded
Out children in the Highlands and Islands; state, private and independent
Boarding Schools, including state funded school hostels; healthcare
establishments providing long term care; and any similar establishments
intended to provide children with long term residential care. The term also
includes children in foster care.

The term does not include: children living with their natural families; children
living with members of their natural families, children living with adoptive
families, children using sports and leisure clubs or attending faith based
organisations on a day to day basis; hospitals and similar treatment centres
attended on a short term basis; nursery and day-care; short term respite care
for vulnerable children; schools, whether public or private, which did not have
boarding facilities; police cells and similar holding centres which were intended
to provide care temporarily or for the short term; or 16 and 17 year
old children in the armed forces and accommodated by the relevant service.

3. “Abuse” for the purpose of this Inquiry is to be taken to mean primarily
physical abuse and sexual abuse, with associated psychological and
emotional abuse.
The Inquiry will be entitled to consider other forms of abuse at its discretion,
including medical experimentation, spiritual abuse, unacceptable practices
 (such as deprivation of contact with siblings) and neglect, but these matters
do not require to be examined individually or in isolation