Making sure that young people have the right support when they leave care: consultation - easy read

Introduction

Words from Natalie Don MSP

Natalie Don is a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP).

She is the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise.

This first section is a message from her.

In 2020 a group in Scotland made a report called The Promise.

The group is called the Independent Care Review.

They looked at how to help children and young people in Scotland who are care experienced.

Being care experienced can mean a child or young person has been looked after by their local council at some point in their life.

We will keep The Promise to all our care experienced children and young people by 2030.

This includes making sure that have the help they need to move on from care.

We want to help them to be able to look after themselves.

I am really pleased to open this consultation.

A consultation asks you what you think about something.

Anyone can take part in this consultation.

I thank you for taking the time to tell us what you think.

What this consultation is about and who it is for

This consultation is about making sure that young people have the right support when they leave care.

The Scottish Government wants to make things better for young people who are leaving care.

A care leaver is anyone who has left care on, or after, their 16th birthday.

We must make sure they have the right help and information.

This is very important as care leavers become adults.

The information you give us can help make changes.

It will help us make good services which meet the needs of young people leaving care.

We will have more consultations and engagement events about Keeping the Promise in the next 12 months.

We will publish a report about what you tell us and what we did after this consultation.

Policy, guidance and laws

The needs and background of people with care experience are all very different.

The Scottish Government gives a lot of support including:

• Throughcare - the advice and support given to looked after children to get them ready for being an adult when they stop being looked after by a local council

• Continuing Care – some young people can stay in their care arrangement with the same level of support until they are 21

• Aftercare – some care leavers can get advice, guidance and support until they are 26

The law says that:

• local councils must provide throughcare to looked after children
• the young person can get advice and support from a person called a Pathway Coordinator

A Pathway Coordinator puts a pathway plan together and checks it in the future.

A pathway plan shows what work will be done to help the young person.

• the young person can get advocacy from a Young Person’s Supporter

Advocacy is a way to make sure their voice is heard.

• local councils must do an assessment for young people who have left care by the age of 19

The assessment finds out what advice and support the young person needs.

The local council must then make a pathway plan.

The advice and guidance in the plan can be about:

• wellbeing – feeling comfortable, safe and happy

• their home

• education

• jobs

• money and benefits

Children who arrive alone in the United Kingdom asking for asylum can get the same level of support and services as any other looked after children.

An asylum seeker is a person who has come to another country because their home country is unable to keep them safe.

Children who come to the UK without their family must follow immigration laws.

This can make it difficult to plan for their future.

How to take part in this consultation

You can answer the questions in the consultation by post or by email.

By post

You can type or write your answers on this form and send it to us.

If you want to write your answers in the boxes then you can use the enter button or the return button to make the boxes bigger first.

Then print out the answer pages ready to write on.

Put your answers in an envelope and write the address on the front.

The address is:

By email

You can send us your answers by email.

If you are typing, the spaces will get bigger as you type.

When you have finished, save a copy and email it to: keepingthepromiseconsultations@gov.scot

There are 41 questions in the survey.

Each question is in bold black writing.

The questions are in 2 documents.

Please answer both Part 1 and Part 2.

You do not have to answer every question if you do not want to.

Send us your answers before 3 October 2024.