New plan sets out support for Care Experienced young people
The ways in which the national skills agency will support young people who are Care Experienced is the focus of a new plan from Skills Development Scotland (SDS).
SDS’s Corporate Parenting Plan 2024-27 has been published to coincide with Care Experienced Week 2024 and contains three new commitments which will guide SDS activity over the coming three years.
SDS is part of a group of 24 public bodies defined as corporate parents under The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act, with a series of statutory duties aimed at supporting care experienced young people.
The commitments at the heart of the plan are:
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We will ensure our products and services meet the needs of the Care Experienced community by listening to Care Experienced individuals and acting on what they tell us.
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We will promote the interests of and improve the wellbeing of Care Experienced people by supporting our colleagues to be caring, active and responsible Corporate Parents.
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We will support transitions and improve the outcomes of Care Experienced people through collaboration with other Corporate Parents and the wider Care Experienced community.
The new plan is also accompanied by a report outlining how SDS performed in fulfilling the ambitions of its 2021-24 plan.
Damien Yeates, Chief Executive of SDS, said: “As Scotland’s national skills body, we recognise we have fundamentally important role to play in supporting young people who face particular disadvantages, and this includes those who are care experienced.
“There remains a great deal to do, but as we look ahead I’m confident the progress outlined puts us in a strong position to continue developing the support we offer Scotland’s Care Experienced young people in the coming years.”
The plan features the story of Care Experienced 17-year-old Tiffany Cummins (pictured above, right), who received support from SDS careers adviser Mark Harrison (pictured abive, left) to pursue her interest in social care and childcare.
She had moved to Edinburgh from her native Newcastle, with Mark’s helping her secure volunteer work at an after-school club. She is now studying at Edinburgh College.
Tiffany said: “Mark helped me get into volunteering, create a CV and find jobs. He also helped me with mock interviews, which really helped.
“I really like college because I got to choose what I wanted to do. I’m working towards an HNC qualification and my plan is to go to university to get a degree.
“Meeting Mark was really important because, before I met him, I didn’t know anyone, have an education plan or go out much. Mark got me into volunteering and college and I have made friends, so he’s made my life better.”