Moray Integration Joint Board (MIJB) has approved a new strategic direction to help ensure the continued safety and long-term wellbeing of Moray’s most vulnerable young people.
At its meeting on 27 November 2025, the Board considered a detailed report outlining critical challenges contributing to significant and unprecedented sustained pressures on Children’s Services.
Jim Lyon, Interim Chief Social Work Officer and Interim Head of Children’s Services for Health & Social Care Moray, advised that while there is no single factor that predicts child abuse or neglect, children growing up in households affected by poverty, domestic abuse, substance use or poor mental health are at much higher risk.
His report highlighted that the number of children coming into care over the past two financial years has been significantly higher than in previous years, placing considerable strain on internal services and resources.
At a national level, accessing suitable out-of-area care has become increasingly difficult. Places typically cost from £5,500 to £7,500 per child per week. Children’s Services forecast an overspend on out-of-area care for the current financial year of £1.241 million, which could increase to £1.625 million depending on demand.
The Board also noted concerns around the longer-term sustainability of key national funding streams, including the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund, which is currently only guaranteed until the end of the 2026/27 financial year.
Mr Lyon said: “Addressing the current and future pressures on Moray Children’s Services requires a bold, collaborative, and flexible approach. By focusing on prevention, enhancing care pathways, ensuring financial sustainability, and fostering innovation and accountability, the partnership can ensure every child and family has access to the support they need – now and for years to come.”
MIJB agreed the strategic direction set out in the report, which balances immediate action to safeguard children from harm with longer-term planning to improve sustainability and prevention, while keeping children’s rights, safety and family integrity at the centre of all decision-making.
Key actions include:
- Reducing the number of children coming into care by strengthening early help and family support, ensuring families receive help before problems reach crisis point.
- Improving permanence planning, including adoption and kinship care, so children can move more quickly into stable, lifelong family settings.
- Increasing local capacity, including exploring new, community-based care options to reduce reliance on costly out-of-area placements.
- Developing a Children and Families Centre hub-and-spoke model, using Whole Family Wellbeing Funding, to provide joined-up, preventative support across Moray.
- Working with partners across Grampian to explore longer-term shared solutions for specialist care provision.
- Strengthening oversight and planning, using better data to understand trends and plan services more effectively.
The Board acknowledged the scale and complexity of the challenges facing Children’s Services but reaffirmed its collective commitment to keeping children safe and supported. Members agreed that taking early action, strengthening partnership working and investing in prevention will be essential to improving outcomes for children and families across Moray.
