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Governance

Where is Scotland in 2024?

There are several important governance structures in Scotland that have the potential to enable Scotland to #KeepThePromise. This is, in part, a testament to the sustained commitment that exists.

Scotland's governance structures and work to meaningfully involve the care community show both progress and areas for improvement. There are examples of values-based recruitment for governance positions, and cases of reverse mentoring strategies to bring care experienced voices into governance structures. There are also several multiagency Promise Boards and Promise Networks focused on ensuring the promise is implemented across all key agencies and is not limited to children's services. In some areas, Promise Boards are well established and representative of health, education, social work, voluntary sector, the police, housing, and advocacy, and in some instances, board meetings are co-chaired by care experienced young people.

Analysis from submissions to the call for evidence on Plan 24-30 show differences in local area governance and delivery of services aimed at safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of children, young people, and families across Scotland. As such, partnerships to #KeepThePromise across Local Authorities, Integration Joint Boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships, NHS Boards, Education, Police Scotland, Voluntary Sector organisations, Child Protection Committees, Alcohol and Drug Partnerships vary by local area, as do strategies such as Youth Justice Strategies, Attainment Strategies, and Child Poverty Strategies.

Across Scotland, governance and decision-making responsibility for the promise is largely held by Children’s Service Planning Partnerships (CSPPs), with statutory responsibility held by Community Planning Partnerships - except in two Local Authorities where governance is held by Health and Social Care Partnerships. Co-ordination and delivery of the promise is therefore largely concentrated in children’s services contexts, with Corporate Parenting Boards often holding key roles and responsibilities. There are variations by local area regarding the establishment of strategic Promise Boards and Promise Networks, levels of cross-sector partnership, and the strategic influence of Champs’ Boards. There are also variations regarding the establishment of promise-themed workstreams that report into Children’s Strategic Partnerships, Corporate Parenting Boards, and Promise Boards.

But there is also a risk that the governance landscape continues to be too complex and confusing, with too many gaps and overlaps. It is imperative that there is clarity about where accountability lies and where decisions are taken to #KeepThePromise.

Governance

Where does Scotland need to be by 2030?

By 2030, governance arrangements around the 'care system' will be fully established with children, young people and their families, and care experienced adults at the centre and proven to be measuring what matters to them and not the 'system'.

There will be a clear focus on people’s needs across the governance landscape, bureaucracy and clutter will have reduced, frontline workers will have the flexibility and support to do the right thing, and there will be clear accountability to leaders for improving lives.

This means Scotland will:

  • Introduce governance and accountability for improving lives first and foremost. Systems of accountability and incentives will ensure the needs of families and communities are prioritised over the needs of organisations and 'systems'.
  • Have more bespoke services focused on people’s needs. Those who work directly with care experienced people and their families will have time to understand their lives. Building and sustaining longer term relationships will be prioritised and staff will be empowered to do all they can to improve lives, regardless of need. Services must be refocused around the person.
  • Accountability for outcomes will be sharpened and public services will be streamlined. Data will be focused on outcomes, rather than inputs and outputs. The reporting burden on public bodies will be minimised. Public bodies will be held to account for their contribution to partnerships. Scrutiny bodies will have a greater focus on outcomes and prioritise those areas which are more complex and require a high degree of partnership working. A more strategic approach to risk management will support this approach.
Where does Scotland need to be by 2030?

The route map to get there

Focus must be on the fact that money is not always focused on the right things and budgets are decreasing, leading to overstretched services and increasing numbers of families in poverty. There are clear tensions in what Scotland says it wants for its children and families, and what it is doing with the resources it has. For progress to be made, work must prioritise resolving this to ensure the money that is spent is clearly aligned to need and impact across the 'care system' and all adjacent systems.

The personal objectives of all those in children and families focused public service leadership roles will have a clear commitment to improving lives and active participation in partnership working built into their personal objectives. Organisational strategies will be clear about how they contribute to improving lives. The workforce is central to a better way of supporting people, so leaders must set out a more sustainable way of working to do this.

Building on the Keeping The Promise Implementation Plan, the Scottish Government has committed to set out how it will monitor, report on and take action to address any issues with keeping the promise by 2030. This must take account of and link to action plans to implement/introduce UNCRC Incorporation Act, the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024, the Promise Bill, the Housing Bill and the National Care Service Bill alongside the milestones within Plan 24-30.

The expected consultation on the guidance on Part 3 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 on children’s services planning must include a review of Local Authority reporting requirements including streamlining reporting processes around, for example, children’s rights, corporate parenting and children’s services planning to ensure that overburdensome reporting requirements are reduced and Scotland is reporting on what matters to children and families.

The work on Public Service Reform must be fully linked to work to #KeepThePromise so that it is properly integrated. This work needs to prioritise the systems of accountability and incentives that are required at all levels of public services to #KeepThePromise.

All organisations with a role in work to #KeepThePromise must be clear about their accountability processes. Leaders of public bodies must be held to account for their role in partnership working and prioritising outcomes, both on an individual and organisational basis.

There must be a collaborative effort involving all sectors to set out, and then action, how the cluttered public sector landscape needs to change so this does not continue to hold back efforts to improve people’s lives. This must include:

  • Revision of the policy and financial landscape and recommendations for change with clear timescales and actions. The focus here must include efforts to reduce clutter and bureaucracy that is holding back efforts to #KeepThePromise.
  • Achieving cohesion between the 26 different Government directorates that have a role in the work required to meet the conclusions of the Independent Care Review. Policy cohesion must be the primary objective of Scottish Government directorates, and what this enables such as co-terminus initiatives leading to pooling of resources.

The actions outlined in the Voice foundation are fully embedded at every stage to progress actions on Governance.

The reduction of the bureaucratic and reporting burden rather than increasing it through additional reporting requirements and governance arrangements.

Clarity about accountability, tracking impact on improving outcomes and holding to account for the difference made to people’s lives. 

What is helping?

The First Minister has sustained his commitment to #KeepThePromise, and retained the Ministerial post for Children, Young People and The Promise and Cabinet Sub Committee on The Promise.

The cross-party support secured in 2020 at the conclusion of the Independent Care Review has been retained and remains an important condition for the delivery of the promise by 2030, particularly in the context of a Scottish election in May 2026 , a term extending beyond 2030 by when the promise must be kept.

The Oversight Board continues to play a central role in holding Scotland to account for delivery of the promise. Its next report, due to be published in February 2025, will provide an important, independent reflection on progress at the halfway point to 2030

A considerable number of new initiatives, policies, and legislation have been initiated since the publication of the conclusions of the Independent Care Review. This includes UNCRC Incorporation, Bairns Hoose, Equally Safe, the Care and Justice Bill, the National Care Service, Children’s Hearings Redesign, Education Reform, Whole Family Wellbeing Funding and many other areas. The Promise Bill represents an opportunity to achieve cohesion.

Twenty-four local areas have appointed “Promise Lead” roles that are predominantly situated within children’s services. There is evidence of senior officers demonstrating leadership of the promise, which corresponds with more tangible progress. In addition, some areas have established Promise Ambassadors, Promise Participation Leads, and Promise Assistants. These roles generally focus on embedding the voice of lived experience into local area decision-making and delivery of the promise. In addition, there is evidence of the sharing of good practice and innovation between Local Authorities.

Some local areas have taken a multi-agency Promise Network approach with members represented on all relevant children’s services strategic workstreams. Further, two examples of Regional Collaboratives were found in the data. Regional collaboratives bring together key partners to discuss Plan 21-24 progress and explore thematic issues though a learning partnership approach supported by The Promise Scotland’s Promise Delivery Partners.

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

People who support me make decisions about the support my family and I receive based on what our life is like in full, rather than dividing it into different, separate bits. 

People who support me are all working together to share resources, to jointly make decisions, and to own and fix any problems together. 

People who support me aren’t working in ways that are over-complicated and making it harder for everyone to do a good job. 

People whose job it is to make big decisions that will affect me and my family’s life, care most about what matters to me and my family. 

People who support me are working together to make sure that no matter where my family and I are, we'll always get the same, good level of help and support.  

Find out more about the what matters questions here.

Also connected to this theme

Documenting decisions
Listening
Participation and engagement
Universal family support
Legislation
Money and commissioning
Scrutiny and inspection

Mapping

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

Independent Care Review conclusions  Plan 21-24 priority area
the promise pg.24 Building capacity 

 

 

UNCRC
Article 3
Concluding observations 9b; 9c; 10



Plan 24-30 foundations