Monday November 2nd 2026
Royal Hospital for Children and Young People
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Nicholas Malizia
Councillors may this week decide the fate of a social work team that has supported some of the capital’s most vulnerable children for the past 20 years.
The hospital-based children’s social work team has been the subject of a restructuring debate since 2025. Based at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) the team historically supported sick and disabled children, and pregnant women experiencing homelessness.
But concerns were raised last year about whether the team remains effective amid changes to how Edinburgh social services operate. A recent report said there is “limited evidence” supporting the continuation of a social work service at the hospital.
Just 15% of carers surveyed said they felt the team being based within RHCYP was “beneficial to their child’s care plan and support”, according to data. This was based on responses from carers of 13 children who used the team’s services.
Further, only one referral since January 2026 has necessitated social work intervention from the hospital-based team. This is due to recent changes in how Edinburgh’s social work referrals work – with most being allocated to other teams. Staff are aware the amount of referrals to the hospital-based team are “not conducive” to maintaining it, said a report.
The Education, Children and Families Committee will consider next steps on Tuesday, November 3. The recommended option is to dissolve the team and redistribute its staff among other children’s services.
Funding a fully-staffed hospital-based team is unnecessary with families’ needs reportedly being met without it, the report suggests.
Another option is to continue monitoring the team at a reduced level of staffing. However, the report called this “unnecessarily complex” and “not proportionate or desirable” given how few social workers remain on the team.
The RHCYP team’s future became uncertain after a 2025 review of Edinburgh children’s services identified several under-resourced areas. Many services – like the Child Protection Team and Children’s Practice Team – saw a significant boost in staffing to accommodate growing demand.
But this boost meant some services now overlap with the RHCYP social work team, potentially rendering it redundant. The report described having multiple teams covering the hospital as “lacking efficacy whilst being unclear to families as to where, when and from who they would receive support.”
Restructuring has also seen fewer referrals are sent to the RHCYP team. Both the Children Affected by Disability Team and PrePare – which supports pregnant women struggling with substance use – now take clients formerly covered by the team.
The review has increased the number of social work posts within operational Children’s Services, seeing 31 promoted posts and zero job losses. Comparatively, just a handful of team members remain on the hospital-based team, according to the report.
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