We Can and Must Do Better Conference report

In the autumn of 2008 the Scottish Government, Care and Justice Division’s Improving Outcomes for Looked After Children team in partnership with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA) hosted four regional events. These events were held in Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen with an invited audience of approximately 560 people taking part over the course of the four events. 

The purpose of these events was to highlight the good work which has been done in Scotland since the publication in January 2007 of the ‘Looked After Children and Young People: We Can and Must Do Better’ Report around improving outcomes for looked after children, young people and care leavers and to engage stakeholders in discussion about what more needs to be done, particularly, what could usefully be done at a national level to support local service providers.

The Minister for Children and Early Years, Adam Ingram MSP gave a keynote speach at each of the events.

The invited audience was made up by a mixture of representatives from Local Authorities; NHS Boards, Further and Higher Education providers, residential child care providers, foster care providers, and key voluntary sector providers.

In addition, young people with a care background were also invited and presented a session at each event. 

As well as the young people’s presentation, each event had 4 other sessions throughout the day discussing health, education, throughcare and aftercare and children and young people looked after at home.  During each of these sessions facilitators took notes of the views expressed by the delegates at each table. 

A copy of the report from these events has been placed on the members' discussion forum of this site.