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Rules, processes and culture

Where is Scotland in 2024?

Progress is evident in destigmatising language and practices, with most local authorities adopting changes in this area. Efforts to achieve racial equality are also underway and there are important steps towards diversifying boards and fostering inclusivity across the ‘care system’.

While there are positive strides in improving reflective capacity and addressing racial inequality, alignment with updated child protection guidance is necessary.

Challenges are apparent around ongoing and consistent maintaining of relationships with children, young people, families, and care experienced adults, and the workforce who support them. Barriers to these ongoing relationships are the result of service restructuring, inconsistent service provision thresholds and difficulties with recruitment and retention. A more cohesive approach is needed to support ongoing relationships.

Rules, processes and culture

Where does Scotland need to be by 2030?

By 2030, the primary purpose of care will be to develop nurturing, kind, compassionate, trusting and respectful relationships so that children feel safe and loved. Scotland will value relational practice with children and families. This means that there will be:

  • A broad conceptualisation of the workforce, to include anyone who spends time with or has responsibility towards care experienced children, young people and families.
  • A strong ‘national values framework’ for all of Scotland’s workforce. These values will be multidisciplinary, and fundamental for people who work with children in any capacity including all those with ongoing parenting responsibilities for young adults.
  • An understanding that the purpose of the workforce will be to be caring above anything else. Rather than detach, the workforce will be encouraged not to step back but to step in.
  • An approach to care where maintaining, sustaining and protecting loving relationships is possible and much more probable and the workforce is empowered to provide consistent, loving relationships for children. The workforce will be supported and encouraged to maintain relationships with people that matter to them, even if they 'move on'. This will require imaginative planning, supportive systems and adequate resource. Children who have been harmed through relationships will have supportive relationships in order to heal.
  • An understanding of the workforce in terms of the degree of closeness of relationships members of the workforce have with children, rather than their status as paid/unpaid or in terms of professional/voluntary.
  • Support for the workforce bring their whole selves to their work, to have a strong understanding of themselves, and to act in a way that feels natural and not impeded by a professional construct.
  • Help for the workforce to have a different conception of risk taking, where risk taking is seen as a normal part of care.
  • Scotland will stop stigmatising the children it cares for any rules that do so will have ended.
Where does Scotland need to be by 2030?

The route map to get there

Focus must be on the crisis on the workforce in and around Scotland’s ‘care system’; there are simply not enough people in the system to do the work required to care and support, let alone reform. For progress to be made, work must prioritise reducing the impact this is having, with a view to resolving the crisis.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) will publish the refreshed Common Core, providing a national framework of the values, knowledge and skills expected of everyone working with children and young people.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and The Promise Scotland will work together on a myth-busting campaign on workforce regulation and standards of practice, which supports the shift towards relationship-based practice and the development of ongoing and consistent relationships.

The actions outlined in the Voice foundation are fully embedded at every stage to progress actions on Rules, processes and culture.

What is helping?

The SSSC revised codes of practice to ensure consistency with the skills and practice requirements of the promise, focused on relationships, staff wellbeing and trauma-informed practice.

Each and Every Child have developed a Framing Toolkit - a step-by-step guide which will help anyone talking about care experience and the 'care system' with the aim of tackling stigma and discrimination, building public understanding and directing people to solutions that will improve the lives of children, young people, families and care experienced adults across Scotland. 

CELCIS's Children's Services Reform Research found that shared vision, culture and priorities often exists amongst practitioners working in different services, which can help reduce barriers and stigma and improve the experience of the support delivered. Much of this was attributed to shared overarching policy and practice such as the promise and GIRFEC, however, it was recognised that work was needed to ensure everyone working with children, young people and families understands their role within these. 

Who must act?

Education

Education
Health

Health
Housing

Housing
Justice

Justice
Local Government

Local Government
Public Bodies

Public Bodies
Scottish Government

Scottish Government
Scrutiny

Scrutiny
Voluntary sector

Voluntary sector

Here is what matters to children and families

If information about me is shared, it is done sensitively, with respect and care for my feelings, for reasons I understand and have been explained to me.

The people who support me have access to all the things, places and processes they need to be able to do a good job.

I don’t miss out on good, healthy, and fun childhood things when the people who support me think about, and plan for, my safety.

The places I go, and the rules I have to follow, help me to feel safe, confident, and understood.

Find out more about the what matters questions here.

Also connected to this theme

Documenting decisions
Listening
Participation and engagement
Decision making
Relationships
Data and information
Health
Money and commissioning

Mapping

This is how Plan 24-30 relates to other frameworks and plans

Independent Care Review conclusions  Plan 21-24 priority area
the promise pgs. 23; 25; 79;87-89; 93; 96-104 Fundamentals
  A good childhood
  Whole family support
  Planning
  Supporting the workforce

 

 

UNCRC GIRFEC
Articles 2; 3; 8; 19; 20; 24; 25; 42 Safe
Concluding observations 20a-h Healthy
  Nurtured
  Active
  Respected
  Included



Plan 24-30 foundations