The Scottish Government has made a commitment to work with partners to develop a universal and inclusive definition of ‘care experience’ so that more people can understand and identify with it. This is one part of the Scottish Government’s actions and policies to bring about the transformational change required to keep The Promise by 2030.

Children’s Hearings Scotland has responded to the public consultation, saying we support the ambition to develop a definition, and stressing the importance of language choices and the long-lasting impact this can have on a child or young person.

Consistent access to support and entitlements

Our response highlighted that at present, in the absence of a universal definition, the tests for eligibility for different support and entitlements are vastly varied and are often dependent upon an individual identifying themselves as care experienced. By introducing a universal definition, we believe known inconsistencies can be addressed and access to supports and entitlements will become more universally accessible. We also believe it will go some way to understanding what is meant by ‘care experience’ and reducing the stigma and misconceptions that can sometimes be associated with this.

Involvement of those with care experience

Our response reinforces that for any change to achieve better outcomes for children and young people, it’s crucial that those with care experience are directly involved in this process to develop and implement such a definition across the whole care system. 

Further information on the consultation is available on the Scottish Government website.