THE Who Cares? Charity is urging the Scottish Parliament to act and advocate for the rights of care-experienced individuals.
Despite the passage of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act over ten years ago, which aimed to strengthen rights and support, care-experienced people still face significant barriers to having their voices heard.
Calling for change: Who Cares? Scotland is set to launch its Action on Advocacy campaign, urging MSPs to take the pledge and commit to ensuring that Scotland upholds its promise to care-experienced people.
The charity is urging that every care-experienced individual in need of independent advocacy has access to it.
The recent Promise Oversight Board report reaffirmed that independent advocacy should be a right, yet many still struggle to access it.
In 2024 alone, Who Cares? Scotland supported the realisation of over 8,000 rights through independent advocacy.
This highlights the harsh reality that many care-experienced people in Scotland have their rights ignored without advocacy.
Louise Hunter, chief executive of Who Cares? Scotland said:“We’re a decade on since the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act, but too many care-experienced people are still waiting for their rights to be upheld. We cannot allow this to continue.
“Our members tell us about the lifelong impact that care has had on them. Independent advocacy is a vital service that ensures their rights are upheld.
“Whether it’s helping a young person reunite with their brother or sister, signposting care experienced adults to critical housing support, or accompanying a young person to their Children’s Panel.
“Independent advocacy is a vital and valuable service for all care experienced people who need it.
“We cannot allow another five years to pass without meaningful action, and our Action on Advocacy campaign is our commitment to change this.”
With the upcoming Promise Bill in the Scottish Parliament, the Action on Advocacy campaign calls for independent, relationship-based advocacy to be a statutory right for every care-experienced person who needs it.
At the Scottish Labour Conference this weekend, MSPs will be asked to take the pledge and commit to ensuring that Scotland upholds its promise to all care-experienced people.
