Tag: Care Experienced Week 2023

Keeping The Promise

Supporting partnership projects

42 organisations across Scotland will benefit from £4 million funding to deliver projects that will help children, young people and families in the care system.

Administered by the Corra Foundation, the second round of The Promise Partnership Fund will be split across third sector and public organisations that prioritise work to:

  • build supportive workforces that can provide the unique support for young people and families in the care system to thrive
  • create school structures that provide support, opportunities and a sense of belonging
  • enhance youth justice and rights to reduce and prevent the criminalisation of children and young people with care experience

The announcement marks the beginning of Care Experienced Week, when people come together to advocate for change and encourage the transformation required to Keep The Promise.

Minister for Keeping the Promise Natalie Don said: “The Promise Partnership Fund is crucial in supporting organisations to make the changes needed to enrich the lives of children and young people in or on the edges of care.

“Care Experienced Week starts today and is a key opportunity for Scotland to come together to celebrate and show our love for children and young people who have experienced care.

“I am determined we keep driving forward the transformational change that is required to Keep The Promise and make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up, where all children are loved, safe, respected and realise their full potential.”

In 2022 the Scottish Government appointed Corra to administer £12 million through the Promise Partnership Fund from December 2022 until March 2025.

The 42 successful organisations are:

  • Aberdeenshire Council Virtual Headteacher
  • Adoption UK
  • Angus Carers Association
  • Association for Fostering, Kinship and Adoption Scotland
  • Bright Light Relationship Counselling
  • Children 1st
  • Children and Families Service, Dundee City Council
  • Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice
  • Children in Scotland Ltd
  • Circle
  • City of Edinburgh Council – Childrens Partnership
  • City of Edinburgh Council – Parent Panel
  • Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
  • Community Law Advice Network
  • Cyrenians
  • Families Outside Limited
  • Fife Council
  • Fostering People Scotland
  • Highland Child Protection Committee
  • Home-Start UK
  • includem
  • Kirkcaldy YMCA
  • Moray Council
  • Napier University Development Trust (Hub for Success)
  • North Lanarkshire Council
  • Project Esperanza
  • Renfrewshire Council
  • Salvesen Mindroom Centre
  • Scotland Yard Adventure Centre (known as The Yard)
  • Scottish Attachment in Action
  • South Ayrshire Council
  • South Lanarkshire Council
  • Staf
  • Stirling Community Enterprise
  • Stirling Council
  • The Fostering Network
  • The Princes Trust
  • The Why Not? Trust
  • West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership
  • Winning Scotland
  • YMCA Edinburgh SCIO
  • Young Scot

Celebrating Edinburgh’s care experienced community

A series of activities are taking place across Edinburgh next week to showcase and celebrate the care experienced community in Edinburgh.

Care Experienced Week takes place annually at the end of October with this year’s theme being Lifelong Rights.

The City of Edinburgh Council and partners have come together, in recognition of their role as corporate parents, to host a number of events which highlight the successes and the various avenues of support available for Edinburgh’s care experienced community.

There are challenges experienced too and this week allows us connect with the care experienced community and reflect on what works and what we could do better.

Activities being planned for the week, which runs from Monday 23 until Sunday 29 October, include: creative arts, a children and carers bookbug session, mental health support, a family cookbook event and the launch of a Corporate Parenting e-learning module for council staff. 

One of the main events during the week is a special remembrance service in West Princes Street Gardens on Tuesday (24 October, 5.30pm to 6pm) to mark the passing of members of the care experienced community and the official unveiling of a remembrance bench.

It’s an opportunity for people to pay their respects and spend time together remembering the importance of those that have passed away.

The week’s events build on the success of the Edinburgh Champions Board which provides a platform for the care experienced community to talk directly to their corporate parents, local Councillors and service providers. This means they can ensure that decisions which affect their lives are informed by their own experiences leading to improvements in services and support available to them.

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We’re committed to ensuring that all care experienced people receive the vital support they need to improve their life experiences and their educational outcomes.

“It’s really important that we listen to the children and young people in our care ,and people who are care experienced, treat them with respect and make positive changes when they speak up.

“Care Experienced Week is a great opportunity to showcase and celebrate their successes and inspire the care experienced community to achieve their full potential.”