Keeping children safe in Scotland

Guides for younger children, young people and parents and carers

About this website

This website has been created to provide information about keeping younger children and young people safe in Scotland. It includes separate sections for children, young people and parents or carers.

Thank you to the children and young people who helped us develop this resource.

On this website you will find information about how everyone can work together to keep children safe in Scotland, sometimes called child protection. You can learn what happens if there are concerns about the safety of a child or young person. You can also find out about the adults whose job it is to help keep children safe, and what rights you have in this.

The information is provided to help you if you, or someone you know is concerned or worried about the safety of a child or if you want to understand more about how child protection works in Scotland.

Child protection can be complex and difficult to understand. We hope our website can help you.

Depending on how much information and detail you are looking for, or who you might be supporting, you might find it helpful to use two or three of these guides. Children, young people, and families in Scotland helped to make these guides. 

Some of the information can be hard to understand, or upsetting, so it can help to go over this information with someone who you trust. 

Got a question?

If you have questions, there are people you can talk to. Look at the guides to help you.

Further support

You can also find information on support for how you are feeling, legal advice and help in the guides for children and young people and parents and carers. Links to further support are also available at the bottom of this page and on all pages of this website. 

Practitioners 

These guides are national resources to help children, young people, parents, and carers. These should be made available to anyone requiring support and are intended to complement your practice in line with the National Guidance on Child Protection.