Eligible for aftercare

Aftercare refers to the advice, guidance and assistance provided to care leavers under section 29 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) 1995 Act. Please see background notes for eligibility criteria.

On 31 July 2023, 8,517 young people were eligible for aftercare services – a 5% increase from 8,132 eligible in 2022 (Table 1.10). Almost half of those eligible, 4,151 (49%), were receiving aftercare services – an increase from 4,108 receiving services in 2022.

Table 1.10 Aftercare services eligibility and uptake at year end

Number and percentage of young people eligible for and receiving aftercare services by age, 31 July 2023

Since 2013, the number of young people eligible for aftercare services has substantially increased from 3,887 to 8,517 in 2023 (Chart 4). This increase is expected as more young people who have left care have met age range criteria for aftercare services over time. As shown in Chart 4, the biggest year-on-year increase in eligibility was observed between 2015 (3,599) and 2016 (4,602). This 28% increase was likely driven by the extension of aftercare services to all care leavers up to and including people aged 25 in 2015 (where it previously only covered up to their 21st birthday). The number of young people receiving an aftercare service has also increased from 2,687 in 2013 to 4,151 in 2023, although not to the same extent as the increases observed in the eligibility figures. The annual proportion of young people receiving an aftercare service from all those eligible fell by 20 percentage points from 69% in 2013 to 49% in 2023.

Chart 4 Aftercare services eligibility and uptake over time

Number of young people eligible and receiving aftercare services on 31 July, 2009-2023