SCCYP

Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People (SCCYP) promotes and safeguards the rights of children and young people living in Scotland.

Kathleen Marshall, Scotland's first Commissioner, has the job of making sure that the rights of all children are respected.

The duties of the Commissioner extend to age 21 for young people who have experience of being looked after by a local authority.

Care Action Group

In October 2006, eight young people aged from 14 to 21 were appointed to the Care Action Group. The members have diverse experiences of being looked after (residential care, foster care, secure care or respite care) and are familiar with issues in and around the looked after system.

Since forming, the group has examined the issues for looked after young people in more detail. From this work they have prioritised three issues they would like to address through their involvement in the Care Action Group. These are:

• Stigma – how to challenge the negative perception often experienced by young people who are or have been looked after.
• Consistency – how to build a consistent level of care within the looked after system and overcome the ‘revolving door’ effect where young people build trust with a worker who has to move on and the process needs to start all over again.
• Our Future – how to provide looked after young people with opportunities to have a positive transition into independent living.

Age for Leaving Care

SCCYP has been concerned about the lack of support for care leavers. SCCYP has undertaken research into this area and published the report Sweet 16?: The Age of Leaving Care in Scotland on 26 March 2008.

The research also found that there has been a lack of information for care leavers, so SCCYP has worked with Who Cares? Scotland to produce a leaflet, Leaving Care, Know your rights (PDF), for young people leaving the looked after system.