The Promise: Support for care experienced children and young people

Scotland's promise to care experienced children and young people is that they will grow up loved, safe, and respected. To keep it, Scotland must bring about the change demanded by the Independent Care Review by 2030.

The Care Review began its work in 2017 and over the next three years they listened to people whose lives involved the care system, whether that be through work or living situation. Over 5500 people were listened to, half of which were children, young people and
adults who had care experience.

In order to keep Stirling on track we published a ten year strategy for Keeping the Promise up to 2030. It incorporates work across a range of areas with input from staff across a range of agencies in Stirling. This strategy highlights some of the challenges we face in achieving the Promise and ten long term outcomes we will achieve by 2030.

This Strategy complements our three year plans which tie into the national Promise Plan, the first of which was published for 2021-24.

Our Promise Plan 2024-27 shows we achieved over 70% of the actions in our Plan 2021-24 and progress is already underway to achieve the ambitious programme set out in Plan 2024-27.

The evaluation of Plan 2021-24 showcases the huge range of work that has been undertaken to keep the Promise in Stirling so far. Below are some additional examples of key areas where we are working to #KeepthePromise for all of Stirling’s young people.

Language

Between February and July 2022, Morven Beattie, Lead Officer of the Promise in Stirling, in conjunction with Stirling Champions Board, led primary research into the impact of communication and language on their experiences of Social Work as care experienced young people.

The case study draws on the Independent Care Review and key aims of the Promise as well as some literature exploring the importance of using considered language in social work before making a number of recommendations which are in the process of being implemented.

It was featured as an area of crucial work by COSLA in January 2024.

Care Experience as a protected characteristic

In December 2023, Stirling Council recognised those with care experience as a vulnerable group and resolved to consider them when making any decisions in relation to its policies, or formulating plans in addition to those groups with protected characteristics highlighted in the Equality Act 2010.

We are in the process of launching a new Integrated Assessment Process bringing together all of our statutory responsibilities including Equalities, Socio-Economic impact, Consumer Rights, Human Rights (including the rights of all young people under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) as well as the environment.

Care Experience now features as a central part of this assessment process highlighting the specific consideration for children and young people with experience of care made by all services provided by Stirling Council. It is hoped that this process will further embed the rights of care experienced young people in line with the ambitions of the Promise.