Permanence
We recognise that loving, nurturing relationships are what matter most to children, and that this is best delivered by giving them the legal certainty that these relationships are permanent.
There are a range of different routes to permanence depending on the needs and circumstances of the child.
Permanence can be achieved through:
- returning or remaining at home where family functioning has improved. This may require ongoing support for a child, parents and the family as a whole.
- a permanence order for a child who is living in kinship care, foster care or residential care.
- a child living under a kinship care order (or ‘section 11 order’) where they are living with kinship carers.
- a child living with an adoptive family.
The Guidance on the Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009 and the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 outlines that stability and permanence is a fundamental principle of high quality care planning.
The guidance outlines that where a child has been looked after away from home for six months and significant progress towards a return home has not been achieved, it should be considered whether a plan for permanence away from birth parents is required.
Permanence and the Promise
We are committed to keeping The Promise by 2030. The Promise is the conclusions to the Independent Care Review which ran from 2017 to 2020.
We published our Promise Implementation Plan in March 2023. This sets out our approach to 'a good childhood' which included our vision that every child should live in a safe and loving home where families are given support to overcome difficulties and stay together. Where this is not possible, the focus of a child’s care must be based and enable them to have happy childhood experiences and live their life to the fullest.
In 2024 to 2025 we are funding the Association of Foster, Kinship and Adoption (Scotland) to produce a series of three Good Practice in Permanence Guides to promote, support, and safeguard the wellbeing of children and young people who need permanence within family settings of kinship care, foster care and adoption. These three guides will focus upon contact (Keeping in Touch), supporting birth families, and supporting families in permanence.
Permanence and Care Excellence (PACE)
From 2012 to 2020, the Scottish Government funded the Permanence and Care Excellence (PACE) programme. PACE was delivered by the Permanence and Care Team (PaCT) at the Centre of Excellence for Looked After Children (CELCIS).
The programme supported local authorities and their partners to identify areas of blockages or difficulties in securing permanence for looked after children.
We produced diagrams that provide more information on PACE's improvement methodology and phases.
Further information on PACE and addition resources can be viewed on the Centre for excellence website.