Care Experienced Colleagues Group

Overview

Colleagues with lived experience of care from across Police Scotland have come together to form the Care Experienced Colleagues Group. The group is supported by our Partnerships, Prevention and Community Wellbeing Division Children and Young People team and Who Cares? Scotland, who work with care experienced young people and care leavers across Scotland.

Care includes when a child or young person has spent time living in foster care, kinship care, those who were looked after at home on a Compulsory Supervision Order (CSO), lived in residential care, secure care, or spent time with prospective adopters.

Approach

The group have been empowered to speak on behalf of those with care experience, sharing their own experiences growing up and providing the unique perspective of having care experience and being colleagues within Police Scotland.

The views and experiences of the group have not only helped us to better understand our care community but have provided valuable and insightful direction and guidance on our role as Corporate Parents as part of our Corporate Parenting Plan 2021 – 2024, influencing policy and practice.  This ensures we positively contribute towards a care system that prioritises a child’s need for a happy childhood and results in positive experiences and outcomes.

Impact and learning

The Who Cares? Scotland Case Study and animation showcase the commitment of the group in ensuring Police Scotland leads the way as a Corporate Parent and has been shared widely as a model of best practice for other Corporate Parents.

Next steps

Together with the Care Experienced Colleagues Group we will continue to ensure we take a children’s rights based approach in all that we do both now and in the future, to ensure we keep The Promise.

Find out more

For more information about the group or if you are interested in joining, please contact the CYP team who can provide the information or, if you prefer, put you in contact with someone from the group.