A group of care-experienced young people visited the chair of the Care Review, Fiona Duncan, on Thursday to deliver responses collected during a Care Review Postcard Campaign carried out by Barnardo’s Scotland. The young people, representing children and care experienced young people supported by the children’s charity, met with Fiona to discuss their responses.
Chair to the independent root and branch Care Review in Scotland, Fiona Duncan (below), said: “I would like to offer a huge thanks to all of the children and young people who took the time to write their responses on the postcards, who give me their thoughts and views and shared their hopes and aspirations for the care review.
“I would also like to reassure every single one of them and all of the other children and young people who are taking part in the review that we are really listening to them and that we are determined to use their aspiration to shape Scotland’s future care system.”
Barnardo’s Scotland’s Children’s Rights & Advocacy Team led the initiative within the charity’s services, ensuring that care leavers voices are heard.
Jacqui Dunbar, National Children’s Rights & Advocacy officer for Barnardo’s Scotland, said: “We realise the Independent Care Review is a once in a lifetime opportunity for children and young people to shape the care system based on their experiences. The Children’s Rights and Advocacy Team were keen to encourage children and young people across Barnardo’s Scotland to participate in the initial Discovery phase of the National Care Review.
“We wanted to play on the theme ‘end of summer holidays’ so we created a national Care Review Postcard Campaign. During the month of September, children and young people had the chance to complete a ‘Dear Fiona and Nicola’ postcard to answer the two Discovery questions. The postcards were collated and this is what the young people have delivered to Fiona today.
“There are some very strong messages about how they would like to see the care system in Scotland and we are delighted that their views will be fed into the first stage of the review. This is only the beginning for us and we look forward to working with children and young people and the Review Team going forward into the next stages.”