Developing a universal definition of 'care experience': consultation

Consultation Section 2: Wider Language Relating to Care

While this consultation is mainly focused on considering an approach to defining ‘care experience’, The Promise tells us that language is important in normalising care experience and can address stigmatising assumptions, attitudes and behaviours that can impact on all areas of a child or young person’s life, now and into the future. This includes overly formal language such as technical language, legal language or acronyms, which does not resonate with many people with care experience. The Promise tells us that for children, unintentional use of professionalised language can compound a sense of them being different, and they told the Care Review it can feel belittling and have an impact on their sense of self.

We know that since publication of The Promise, many areas have developed language of care guidance and changed practice to move away from some terminology. This includes:

• Each and Every Child - A key priority of the Each and Every Child initiative is to work alongside people with lived experience to explore the reframing techniques when they speak about care experience and the care system. A key part of this work is to raise awareness of framing and its potential to who have experience of care across Scotland.
• Language in the Children’s Hearings System - Our Hearings Our Voice are working on a project to improve language in the Children’s Hearings System. They’ve created a group called ‘Language Leaders’, which includes young people and professionals who work in the Hearings System. They want to ensure that all children who attend Hearings are supported to understand and be included, by changing the use of written and spoken language.
• Language of Care: Clackmannanshire Council Language Policy – A Language Policy for Clackmannanshire was developed through a Participation Network to address reframing the language of care. It includes key themes such as ‘easy to understand’ and ‘non-judgmental’.
• Write Right About Me: Aberdeen’s multi-agency records improvement work | Aberdeen City Council - Write Right About Me (WRAM) is a multi-agency improvement team aimed at developing ways of writing about children, young people and adults so that their voices are more strongly heard, and they can exercise their rights in their records.

There may be an opportunity to develop a national approach to set the direction for language, which is nurturing and encouraging to children and young people with care experience.

Q8. Do you have any comments on the existing language of care?

Q9. Do you have any suggestions on potential ways to change and improve the language of care?

Q10. Are you aware of good practice to change and improve the language of care?