Today Fiona Duncan, Chair of The Promise, the body established to drive the implementation of the Independent Care Review, warmly welcomed the commitment from the charity Who Cares? Scotland to ensure the promise made to Care Experienced people is fully realised.
Who Cares? Scotland secured the First Minister’s commitment to launch an Independent Root and Branch Review in 2016. They have been advocating for wholescale reform to the system which shapes and defines the childhoods and adult lives of children and young people, when the state intervenes in their families’ lives. Who Cares? Scotland occupies a unique and critical role as the only national advocacy and membership organisation for Care Experienced people in the country.
Fiona Duncan, Chair of The Promise Oversight Board said:
“The Care Review listened to what Care Experienced people said must change and produced a radical blueprint for how our country should love, nurture and cherish its children. It also made a promise to our children that words would become actions.
Who Cares? Scotland plays a vital role in supporting and advocating for its members and they are absolutely committed to improving the lives of people with care experience. As the nation’s only membership body for Care Experienced people, they will be an important part of delivering the shamefully overdue change necessary.
As Chair of The Promise I will ensure that the voice of Care Experience is the driving force that delivers the transformation that Scotland’s children and families have too long waited for.’’
Ryan McCuaig, Chair of Who Cares? Scotland, said:
‘’Since our creation in 1978, we have advocated with and for Care Experienced people, in pursuit of a lifetime of equality, respect and love. Whilst progress has been made, we still have a long way to go to achieve this. Longstanding recommendations and commitments, including increasing the access to independent advocacy for Care Experienced children and young people, have not been fully realised and need addressed urgently.
The Promise provides Scotland with an opportunity to deliver on what is needed, starting today. We support The Promise and we will do everything we can to ensure our members are heard, informed and involved in this process.
Whilst we will continue to strongly advocate when necessary, we will also work in partnership with those who want to secure a lifetime of equality, love and respect for Care Experienced people.
We invite every Care Experienced person in Scotland to join us as we do that, by becoming members of Who Cares? Scotland.’’
