Supporting the Workforce in Health and Education to Improve Moves in Children’s Care

Abstract

First paragraph: Between 2016 and 2020, driven by those with experience in care, the Scottish Government commissioned an Independent Care Review (ICR) to understand what is needed to ensure Scotland is the best place to grow up in ‘care’. At the conclusion of the ICR, six reports were published. Amongst the six reports, The Promise (2019) details a new vision for a national ‘care system’, informed by what the ICR heard from over 5500 care-experienced children, young people, families, and workers across Scotland. The ICR heard from children and young people who had experienced moves in their care about the importance of understanding the processes, receiving consistent support, and being enabled to maintain relationships with all those important to them throughout these significant moments. Parents also stressed the importance of professionals properly planning transitions and sensitively handling moves and endings. As a result, the Promise (2019: 68) stipulated that “any transition in a care-experienced child’s life must be limited, relational, planned and informed”. To achieve this vision, the workforce who support children, young people and their families during moves in their care must be supported to take active responsibility for care-experienced young people during these transitions through a joined-up approach to meeting their needs.