A new framework tracks progress towards keeping the promise

A new framework, which marks the first step in telling the story of progress around the promise, was launched last month.

The Promise Progress Framework, created by The Promise Scotland, The Scottish Government and COSLA, brings together nearly 50 different streams of national data into one place, to start to answer the question of how Scotland is doing as it works towards keeping the promise for care experienced children, young people and their families.

Collecting input from relevant Scottish Government analytical divisions, nine local authorities and members of the Promise Collective, The Promise Story of Progress, which the framework is part of, aims to answer three questions:

• How is Scotland doing in its progress to keep the promise?
• How are organisations doing in their work to keep the promise?
• Does the care community feel the impact of the promise being kept?

The framework represents the first time that this national level data relating to care experienced children and young people has been brought together in one place. It consists of an initial ten vision statements, taken directly from the promise, with an associated set of outcomes attached to each.

The national indicator set in The Promise Progress Framework at launch also provides organisations with a structure to aid their own reporting on how they are feeding into Scotland’s overall aims.

Claire Stuart, Head of Insights at The Promise Scotland, said: “The Promise Progress Framework is a way to better understand and organise national level data that relates to care experienced children and young people. It allows any individual or organisation to use it in a way that works for them, or to highlight where more work and evidence is needed.

“However, national data can’t tell the whole story. The most important next step is knowing if care experienced children and young people are feeling the impact of the promise being kept. For example, the indicator on the number and rate of children in the ‘care system’ in Scotland during the year cannot tell you what life is like for the children who are in care, or those who are on the edges of care.

“The Framework also highlights where there are gaps in the data specifically relating to care experienced children and young people. But by bringing the data together in one place for the first time, there is now a clearer national picture than ever before on what we know, what we don't know and what we need to know.

“It means that all those who care about creating change, and those have the power to act in making change happen, can look in one place and get an idea of where action is needed most urgently.”

The Framework sits on the Plan 24-30 website, which sets out Scotland’s route map to keeping the promise. Click here to for more