Fears as centre supporting troubled Scots children to close

William Lindsay's death prompted a review of mental health provision in Polmont YOI.

The Intervention for Vulnerable Youth (Ivy) project, based at Strathclyde University’s Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice (CYCJ), has worked with more than 200 young people who are believed to pose a serious risk to others since it was set up in 2013.

Most of those children have a complex mix of learning and mental health problems as well as having suffered multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as domestic violence, substance abuse and neglect. The Ivy project, which brings social workers and forensic clinical psychologists together in one place, was originally funded because it was feared many of these young people were falling through the cracks.

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Delivering the Ivy service from the CYCJ was always supposed to be short-term, but efforts to find a sustainable home have so far failed.

Although negotiations between the Scottish Government and third sector and statutory organisations will continue, the service is expected to cease on October 31.

A source close to Ivy said yesterday she was concerned about the impact of the closure. “The children Ivy supports are going to be told the service is closing. It’s hard to imagine any reason that’s good enough to give them for that,” she said.

“How can anyone explain it in a way that doesn’t feel like they are being abandoned and let down by adults yet again?

“The people who will be affected most are the people least able to ask for help.

As for the social impact, the Ivy is not the only agency that can protect the public but risk assessment and risk management is its core business. If you remove that there must be implications for safety and public protection.”

The closure comes at a time when ACEs and support for troubled young people are high on the agenda.

Last year, the Scottish Government announced a review of mental health provision in Polmont after 16-year-old William Lindsay killed himself 48 hours after being remanded to the young offenders’ institution.

Interim Ivy director Fiona Dyer said: “The Ivy provides a highly specialist service to some of Scotland’s most high- risk and challenging young people and, as such, requires sufficient levels of staffing and resources.

“Unfortunately, due to these requirements, it is agreed by all that CYCJ is not a viable long-term base for this service.

“Although there are no definite plans in place as to where the Ivy will be relocated, we are hopeful agreement will be reached.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Government added: “We have supported this project since its introduction and will continue to support partners delivering Ivy to seek alternative sustainable arrangements.”