I’m proud to be part of, and passionately believe in the Scottish Care Leavers Covenant, which we launched in October 2015 as part of National Care Leavers Week. The Covenant is the result of work from a cross-sector alliance of organisations and it supports corporate parents to fulfil their duties and responsibilities under Parts 9 and 10 of the Children & Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.
Part 10 of the Act focuses on Aftercare support to care leavers as they move to adulthood, and effectively moves the upper age that care leavers can ask for advice and support from 21 to 26.
Now, it’s not an automatic right to get help and support – the young people have to request an assessment to identify any unmet ‘eligible’ needs. As I write this (February 2016) we’re still waiting on the publication of the accompanying guidance, which will give clarity to issues that are concerning some local authorities, such as who carries out the assessment and what an eligible need is.
However, despite these caveats, the Act is positive and acknowledges that the transition to adulthood and independence doesn’t just happen at 16, 18, or even 21, the ages which until now have governed access to services for care leavers. It’s a great start to have this recognised in legislation.
Aspirational legislation
But it is just that – a start. In Scotland, we’re really fortunate to have some very aspirational legislation, and we’ve got a good record in developing positive policy and supporting guidance to help practitioners and organisations make sense of it and know how to apply the legislation in practice. The issue we have is that we don’t implement consistently across the country. And unfortunately this is particularly true for care leavers. Our CELCIS research published in 2014 highlights this.
That’s why the alliance developed the Covenant and its Agenda for Change, detailing what needs to be done and offering a framework of key actions across a number of aftercare policy areas, or pillars. This is designed to bring consistency to practice and to close that ‘implementation gap’.
So what has this got to do with relationships?
To be really effective these policy pillars need to be built on firm foundations – upon the foundation stones of full and meaningful implementation of Staying Put and Continuing Care; and gradual and extended transitions to independence.
However, the bedrock to all of these is relationship-based practice. It’s continued positive relationships, which are, often as not, the key to successfully helping young people achieve and live positive lives. Young people moving on from care are often at their most vulnerable – moving home, leaving school, making new friends, moving into a new area – multiple, accelerated, abrupt transitions. The importance of maintaining positive relationships throughout this journey can be absolutely critical to their success.
The individuals and organisations involved in the development of the Covenant, and those who have signed up to endorse it since its launch have all made a commitment to helping recognise and promote relationship-based practice as the bedrock of good practice. The success, or otherwise, of its ambitions to transform culture and practice for Scotland’s care leavers rests on getting the basics right – firm foundations, with relationship-based practice at its core.
I’m hoping that you’ve already heard of the Scottish Care Leavers Covenant and you’ve signed up either individually or on behalf of your work place or organisation. If you have you’re probably already using the Agenda for Change to inform your corporate parenting plan to improve services and opportunities for care leavers in your area or setting. If you’ve not yet had the chance, why not do it now? Sign up here or email us for further information at: info@scottishcareleaverscovenant.org
Kenny McGhee, Throughcare & Aftercare Lead, CELCIS