'Moving on' from care into adulthood: consultation

Support for specific groups of people leaving care

Support for young people leaving secure care

Young people leaving secure care require support to ensure the transition out of such a controlled environment happens with understanding, planning and care. Depriving the liberty of a young person is a significant decision, and where this happens, support should be provided to ensure the young person has what they need to go on to live a fulfilling life in the community at the end of their stay in secure accommodation.

The Promise recommends that any young person who is ‘looked after’ and is in secure care and turns 18, must retain social work support upon leaving secure care.

Young people in secure care with additional support needs require access to support and services which allow them to achieve the best possible health outcomes.

15. What improvements do you think could be made to the support given to those leaving secure care? Please explain your answer in the open text box.

16. How do we ensure all young people in Scotland get equal access to the support services they need during the transition from and after leaving secure care? Please provide examples or suggestions in the open text box.

Support for young people leaving young offenders institutions and prisons

When people leave prison, they often face obstacles, making it hard for them to adjust to this next stage in their lives. The Scottish Government has committed to ensuring that young people under the age of 18 are no longer placed in young offenders institutions and we are prioritising the commencement of the relevant provisions of the Children’s Care and Justice (Scotland) Act 2024 to achieve this. Despite this positive step, it remains critical that those young adults with care experience who are in a young offenders institution or prison, have the right bridges in place, such as stable relationships and person-centred support when they leave.

17. What improvements could be made to the support given to people with care experience at the transition point from leaving young offenders institutions or prison? Please explain your answer in the open text box.

18. How do we ensure all young people get access to the same support services when they are leaving young offenders institutions or prison, regardless of where they are located in Scotland? Please explain your answer in the open text box.

Support for unaccompanied asylum seeking young people leaving care

Unaccompanied asylum seeking children arriving in Scotland are also Scotland’s children for the time they are in our care. We must look after them in the same way we would want others to care for our own children. Many young unaccompanied asylum seekers come into care at a later stage than many Scottish-born children and young people with care experience, which leaves less time to prepare for the transition to adulthood. We also understand that young unaccompanied asylum seeking people in this situation may have reduced social networks due to their circumstances. They may also have additional mental and physical health needs related to adverse events they have experienced prior to their arrival.

19. Can you share details of any services that are already working well to support unaccompanied asylum seeking young people transitioning out of care? Please explain your answer in the open text box.

20. What supports and/or improvements do you think could be implemented to ensure we meet the particular needs of unaccompanied asylum seeking young people transitioning out of care in Scotland? Please explain your answer in the open text box.

Support for disabled young people leaving care

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the experiences of disabled young people making the transition into adulthood and aims to publish Scotland’s first National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy for disabled young people by the end of this year.

Some care-experienced young people making the transition to adulthood will also be disabled. The needs and requirements of disabled young people moving on from care into adult life should be planned and considered carefully to ensure the young person has what they need to have a positive and supported experience. Additional consideration may need to be given to issues such as guardianship, accommodation, social care and health care needs.

21. Can you tell us about any specific services or supports that already work well for disabled young people or people with complex health needs leaving care? Please provide details in the open text box.

22. What improvements do you think could be made to ensure disabled young people leaving care have the support they need when they make the transition into adulthood? Please explain your answer in the open text box.

Support for people leaving care who are parents

All new parents and families, regardless of their circumstances, need support to care for and nurture their children.

We have been told that parents with care experience often face stigma at the early stages of becoming a parent. The Independent Care Review heard reports of structural discrimination within the forms that need to be completed and some people reported facing inappropriate questioning from GPs, Midwives, Health Visitors and other healthcare professionals^[3]. This type of experience can compound some of the challenges people might face as a consequence of being care experienced.

23. What improvements can you suggest in the support provided to young people with care experience as they prepare to give birth or become parents? Please explain your answer in the open text box.

24. How can the workforce be better supported to help care experienced people as they become parents? Please explain your answer in the open text box.

25. How can children’s and adults’ services better work together to provide whole family support for parents who are care experienced? Please explain your answer in the open text box.