The Promise
Here at FCA Scotland we are dedicated to #KeepThePromise in line with Scotland’s commitment to ensuring children and young people grow up loved, safe and respected.
A Promise to improve the lives of children & young people in care
Back in 2016, Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon promised care experienced people that Scotland would do better. She said: “Scotland would come together and love its most vulnerable children and give them the childhood they deserve”. This led to the Care Review, which over 3 years listened to the voices of over 5,500 children, young people and adults who had lived in care.
This Care Review in turn led to The Promise, a longstanding commitment to providing loving, caring and supportive foster homes to children and young people through their childhood and into their adult lives.
#KeepingThePromise
Download the full report to find out more about Scotland’s Promise.
Listening to children & young people
Here at FCA Scotland, we are committed to Keeping the Promise and to promoting the system change required to improve outcomes for looked after children.
We do this through a strong focus on Participation. We ensure we listen to our young people and create more opportunities for them. Whether that’s through fun events and activities such as days out to the zoo, football fun days, arts and craft days, or through providing more educational support – it’s the young people that are at the heart of everything we do.
The Promise Scotland’s Plan 24-30
Foster Care Associates Scotland were delighted to see the launch of The Promise Scotland’s Plan 24-30 a single six year plan which firstly identifies the barriers to the progress of The Promise and provides a more specific live plan for ensuring that The Promise will be kept by 2030. 25 themes have been identified as part of Plan 24-30, all relating to the original five foundations of The Promise with a route map set out for all 25 of these – the live nature of Plan 24-30 will provide more flexibility than Plan 21-24 as this will be able to be updated as time progresses.
Foster Care Associates Scotland continue to be proud of the progress we have been able to make in respect of Plan 21-24 and The Promise so far, and are committed to doing all we can over the next six years to ensure that The Promise is kept.
The foundations of The Promise…
Giving children and young people in care a voice
When children speak, adults must really listen to them. Adults must make sure that children are included in decisions about their lives
Keeping children with their family
If children are living with their family and are safe and feel loved, they should stay there. Their family should be given all the help they need to stay together. If they need extra help when things get difficult, they should get it.
Keeping brothers and sisters together in care
If children cannot stay with the adults in their family, they will stay with their brothers and sisters. The home they live in together will be a place where they feel safe and loved. It should be their home for as long as they want and need it to be.
Helping children maintain relationships
Adults must make sure children are able to stay close to the people they want to and keep in contact with them. Adults must also help children make new relationships as they grow up. Sometimes adults need some help too. The adults who are close to children must get the help they need to make sure they can do their best for children.
Ensuring support for children and families
Help and support must be there for children and families whenever they need it. It must also be there for the adults who are close to children and families. It is important everyone knows where to go for help and that it is ready when it is asked for.
Keeping The Promise…
Young Person’s Forum
To make sure we listen to children properly, we’ve created a young people’s forum where they get together with FCA Scotland’s leadership team to talk about what we’re doing and what we can do better.
Children’s Participation
We have a culture where we actively encourage children and young people to get involved and have their say.
Team Parenting
Our unique model of support that forms a close-knit team of professionals around you and your foster child. You’re part of a team who are all devoted to helping children have the brightest future.
“One of the findings from the Independent Care Review and key points of The Promise is how important active listening and engagement is, and therefore I will be working closely with our Children and Young People Support Service to ensure that our children and young people have the chance to have their voices heard, and will be going along to planned young people’s events and groups, as well as looking at setting up some specific participation groups/events relating to The Promise.” – Roxanne Little, Service Lead for The Promise
Our aims and objectives
Child-centred
To provide a child-centred and inclusive partnership based approach which embraces children and young people, their families, foster carers, local authority and other agency colleagues
Stable placements
To do everything possible to achieve a stable placement, free from disruption, where a child and young person’s needs are understood and met.
Respect
To respect and promote the racial, cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds of children and young people.
Complex needs
To meet the needs of disabled children and young people including those with physical/learning disabilities, Autism/ADHD, sensory impairment, and those who have complex health needs and are life limited – also those that present with challenging behaviours due to their disabilities.
Diversity
To recruit foster carers from a wide range of backgrounds so that we can offer appropriate placements for children and young people.
Support
To provide 24 hour support for our foster carers and children and young people, 7 days a week.
Training
To provide ongoing training and development of our foster carers.
Qualified staff
To provide a workforce of managers, practitioners and support staff who are appropriately qualified and registered with their professional regulatory body, as well as being supported in continuous professional development.
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