A SCOTS judge, who chairs the board of governors of a trust which was caught up in a major child sex abuse trial, yesterday claimed the staffing of its residential homes for children had undergone ''a transformation''.

Lord Osborne said in the past it had not been uncommon for staff to be unqualified but now people would not be employed without suitable qualifications.

''The standards of skills possessed by staff can be said to have substantially increased since the time of the abuse,'' he said.

Lord Osborne, chairman of the board of governors of the Dean and Cauvin Trust, was making submissions to the Edinburgh child protection inquiry. It is seeking to establish what lessons need to be learned after the jailing of two care assistants last December for a total of 27 years for abusing children in Lothian residential homes over two decades.

Lord Osborne, whose trust now operates two homes but no longer runs Dean House - which was involved in the trial - said a complaints procedure for residents which did not exist when its former care worker Brian McLennan was in position had now operated for some years.

The judge said the governing body was composed of people who did not have social work experience and it was fair to say depended heavily on its social work manager Caroline Chittelburgh and those in charge of the homes.

Ms Chittelburgh said at the inquiry, chaired by Professor Kathleen Marshall of Glasgow University, that she believed a national child care register for Scotland would be an advantage.

Detective Superintendent John McGowan, of Lothian and Borders police, told the inquiry of a ''sea change'' in the way police officers approached young people who came forward with sex abuse allegations.

He said such accusations were treated in a more understanding manner than in the 80s, when there were some claims that complainers were ''put through the hoops''.

Councillor Susan Dalgety, deputy leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said there was a genuine commitment to ensure the best care for those young people in their responsibility.

''The results of the inquiry will be taken very seriously,'' she said.