Director of Care Experienced Membership vacancy goes live
Statement from Duncan Dunlop, CEO, Who Cares? Scotland
“Who Cares? Scotland will have been standing alongside and up for care experienced children and young people for 40 years when 2018 comes. Our history has taught us that change comes when care experienced people are listened to.
Whether that is in private processes like a looked after children’s review or a children’s panel; or in more public processes like the development of a law or policy.
What has always been clear is that care experienced people have always used their voice. Often though, they need to have the volume of their individual or collective voice raised in the pursuit of positive change.
I see our role as a simple yet important one. We work in partnership with corporate parents and funders, however we do not deliver any statutory care or protection services. This is so we can help care experienced people’s voices be heard fully and freely. Every voice matters to us because every voice reflects a childhood and a life. Importantly we do this because we know every care experienced child, young person and adult deserves to feel active and in control of the world around them and that they belong.
Belonging is something we can all identify with. Who Cares? Scotland creates spaces and networks where care experienced people of all ages, stages, characteristics and locations feel like they belong to a community. Community is important to all of us. Whether it is place or interest based; felt through family or friendship; exists at local, national or international levels – we all benefit from communities. Communities which share experiences shape our society. In fact, they change our society, often for the better. They stand up for each other, even where they don’t know each other personally. Communities protect and they celebrate each other.
For the past 5 years Who Cares? Scotland has empowered care experienced children, young people and adults to connect with their care experienced community through our Membership. Joining costs nothing to a care experienced person. However, we know that belonging to this membership can mean everything to them.
Throughout 2017 we asked members, funders, supporters and commissioners what our next strategic plan should attempt to achieve on behalf of our care experienced membership. The views captured gave us the confidence to set our 2018 – 2022 strategic vision as a Lifetime of equality, respect and love for care experienced people. It’s ambitious; however I know we can achieve it. Especially where we work in partnership with the care experienced community to do so.”
“That is why I am committed to leading an organisation that continues to demonstrate how equality, respect and love can be practiced every day among our staff community.
Whilst we deliver professional and skilled services, such as advocacy in almost every local authority in Scotland; run successful national training and education programmes for corporate parents; undertake research; effectively lobby for policy and practice changes and attempt to positively influence the attitudes of individuals through our campaigns and public affairs work – we are a group of motivated and passionate people who share a similar value base and dedication to deliver for care experienced people. People make Who Cares? Scotland.
That is why I am delighted to invite a new member to join the Senior Management Team. This person will oversee our Belonging strategic objective – and help our growing and diverse membership deliver on its big ideas and even bigger ambitions. As we begin to take forward our new strategic plan for 2018 – 2022, this person will be a vital part of Who Cares? Scotland. They will lead from the front – and importantly, this role will be protected for a professional who has care experience within the care and protection system.
At Who Cares? Scotland we are intent on ensuring we demonstrate how equality, respect and love can be present and felt at all levels and layers.
In the new year, I want to ask everyone within the third sector, the public sector and the private sector to join us on our mission. In partnership we can do more; and we will do better for and with care experienced people all across Scotland where we unite. We all have different roles and contributions to make in securing the childhoods and adulthoods which the collective care experienced community of children and adults can thrive within; and crucially feel love from.”
