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Learning Review: McCulloch Case (Highland)

This review was commissioned by the Highland Adult Protection Committee (APC) in August 2021. It relates to the care and protection arrangements for three brothers, Hugh, David and Roderick McCulloch.

Themes and learning points in this review include:

* the existence of a Power of Attorney in an ASP investigation

* financial harm

* participation of family members in an ASP investigation

* use of Large Scale Investigation to investigate a perpetrator in the community.

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Knowledge Hub: Learning Reviews

This is a community of practice for members, sub-group members, and associate members of CPC Scotland and APC Conveners Scotland; and the Social Work Scotland ASP sub-group. It aims to provide a space for members to connect with each other, to exchange knowledge and share best practice around learning review processes, research, policy, and learning.

Please note that this is a restricted group. There is an application process and your application must be approved before accessing content.

Outline of Scotland

Learning reviews for children and adults in Scotland: Summary report (Care Inspectorate)

This report is a joint national overview of learning review activity. Data in this report is drawn from learning review notifications from 19 adult protection committees (APCs) and 15 child protection committees (CPCs).

During the reporting periods, fifteen learning review reports were submitted to the Care Inspectorate for children and young people and thirteen for adults.

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Dying homeless: Learning for anti-oppressive practice

This video presentation outlines the work of the Dying Homeless project, which aims to document and remember with love every person who dies while homeless in the UK. This presentation particularly focuses on harm and risk to people while homeless, spotlights promising practice, discusses the specific context in Scotland, and explores a 'whole-systems' approach as a potential way forward.

Slides for the session are also attached.

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ASPire 2025: Positive case studies and strength-based practice (webinar)

This is an ASPire webinar from August 2025. Its theme is sharing positive case studies and strength-based practice in Adult Support and Protection. It has sessions from Dundee HSCP (on strength-based practitioner reflection); South Ayrshire HSCP (on GIFRE - Getting It Right For Everyone); Stirling & Clacks HCSP (on hearing the family voice in Learning Reviews) and Iriss  (on focusing on the good within ASP Joint Inspection Reports).

Slides for all sessions are also attached.

Learning and Development Practitioners: Their Experience of Sharing ‘Understanding Age in Adult Support and Protection Legislation and Child Protection Guidance’

Following on from the Understanding Age report, an online session brought together Learning and Development (L&D) colleagues to understand how they disseminate the resource in their local areas. This report captures their thoughts and experiences, offering insights into the practices - and challenges - of embedding new knowledge within local areas.

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Professional curiosity: Bitesize video

This short video explains key concepts relating to professional curiosity. It accompanies the resource pack on the same subject.

Please note that this resource is from an English local authority (Waltham Forest). The context is different but its messages are transferable to Scottish Adult Support and Protection.

Still from video defining professional curiosity

Professional curiosity: Resource pack

This resource pack aims to raise awareness about embedding professional curiosity in practice. It can be used in team meetings, as part of group/individual supervision, or for individual professional development.

It includes several practical tips and practice scenarios. There is an accompanying video explaining key concepts.

First page of resource pack

Adult safeguarding: Roles and competencies for health care staff (Royal College of Nursing)

This document has been designed for health care staff and the teams they work with. It supports staff to identify the competencies they need in order to provide personalised, and culturally sensitive, adult safeguarding.

It is designed to be used in all organisations that provide or commission health care for adults regardless of sector, setting or size. It is also designed to be used by all services who are commissioned to work directly with children but need also to be competent working with adults.

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