'Moving on' from care into adulthood: consultation

1. Ministerial foreword

The Scottish Government wants Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow up. To make that happen, we are taking a progressive and continually improving approach to support our children and young people in having the best possible chance to thrive.

In February 2020, Scotland's Independent Care Review published a series of reports called The Promise. The Promise spoke about a vision and told Scotland what it must do to make sure that all children and young people are loved, safe and respected so that they can reach their full potential.

We are absolutely committed to Keeping the Promise to all of our children and young people by 2030. This includes making sure that all children and young people with care experience are given the support they need to help them move on from care into adulthood and more independent living.

Many young people with care experience may not have the same informal support networks that other young people have during transition points in their lives. Our promise is to ensure the right level of support is readily available and easily accessible for young people moving on from care and into adulthood. We want to support young people through any challenges they face during this transition period, and to continue to be a presence for young people in our role as corporate parents.

I am fully committed to working with and for young people in shaping and putting in place the solutions to help improve the experience of moving on from care into adulthood. Throughout my time as Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise, I have had the privilege of spending time with young people with care experience and hearing about the issues they find most important. I am grateful to them for sharing their experiences with me. I have heard their views on what more needs to be done and their suggestions on how we can make that happen. I will continue to value and listen to the views of our young people with care experience to improve the support available.

I am delighted to launch this consultation which seeks views through a care leaver lens on areas such as planning and preparation, Continuing Care, Aftercare, health and wellbeing support, education, and housing.

If you have care experience, are a kinship or foster carer, birth family of a young person with care experience, work with young people in care, support people with care experience, or have a particular interest in this subject, I encourage you to respond to this consultation and I thank you in advance for taking the time to share your views. Your valuable insights will support Scotland to Keep the Promise, which has the potential to positively impact the experience of young people moving on from care in a way which continues to support them to thrive.

Natalie Don, MSP

Minister for Children, Young People and the Promise