skip to main content
Accessibility
help

Creating a definition of ‘care experience’

30 Jan 2025

This week, Children in Scotland responded to a Scottish Government consultation, which seeks views on defining a universal definition of ‘care experience’, a term that The Promise deems to have meaning for many people, being linked to personal identity and understanding shared experiences. 

Why do we need a universal definition? 

We know that experiences of care in Scotland are hugely diverse and are unique to the individual child, young person or adult. However, an inconsistent approach to defining care experience both complicates how children and young people identify with the term, and presents an additional barrier to accessing rights and entitlements. A clear definition would create clarity across different sectors’ approaches to defining care experience, and strengthen the data we have on care experienced children, young people and adults, allowing us to more accurately identify the barriers they face and put in place appropriate actions. It would allow them to better access their rights, improving wellbeing, whilst combatting societal stigma around the term.  

How has Children in Scotland responded? 

The aim of all actions taken by the Scottish Government to deliver the Promise is rightly to ensure that all care experienced children and young people grow up loved, safe and respected. A significant aspect of this is to improve support and access to care experienced people’s unique rights and entitlements. While there is clear value in introducing a universal legal definition of care experience to help normalise the language of care and thus improving support, we know that amending legal definitions will only go so far.  

Our response urges the Scottish Government to continue working closely with expert stakeholders and organisations representing those with lived experience of care – and act on what they have already told us in other recent consultations on redesigning the children’s hearing system and ‘moving on’ from care into adulthood. 

As we move at pace towards 2030, the deadline for Keeping the Promise, it is important that we step away from further rounds of consultation and focus on implementation and delivery based on these views. 

Read our full consultation response here

Our consultation response

Read our response to the consultation on ‘Defining a universal definition of ‘care experience’’

Read now

Latest news

Visit our news pages to read the latest from Scotland's children's sector.

Click here for more

Access All Arts Fund brings new opportunities to children and young people in 2025

28 January 2025

A project improving Scottish children and young people’s access to the arts has today announced that 88 awardees will receive a total of £65,095.40 in funding to progress their creative interests.

The Access All Arts Fund, managed by Children in Scotland and supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, supports young people who are experiencing barriers to accessing creative opportunities.

Funding decisions are made by a panel of children and young people, who considered a wide range of barriers to the arts, including mental health, language and cultural barriers, financial barriers, lack of access to materials or equipment, disabilities, and geographical barriers.

Now in its third year, the fund was open for applications from 19 September to 4 November 2024 and received 148 applications from children and young people aged 11 to 25. Awardees will be funded to pursue a range of arts activities, including photography, painting, music and dance.

In 2023, a survey of participants indicated that 92% of recipients experienced a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing. 82% said that receiving funding had helped them to overcome barriers to the arts.

Sophie Elliott, Policy, Projects and Participation Officer at Children in Scotland, said:

“For a third year, the Access All Arts Fund has given children and young people across Scotland increased access to creative opportunities. The panel of children and young people and staff team were delighted to learn about the creative interests of young applicants.

We look forward to hearing about how the children and young people receiving awards will progress their creative projects and activities.”

Sarah Lockhart, Youth Engagement Officer at Creative Scotland says:

“We proudly support Children in Scotland’s Access All Arts programme, a beacon for young creative minds across the nation, for the third consecutive year. In 2025, a generous funding of over £65,000 will empower 88 children and young people to explore their passions and hone their talents. Spearheaded by a dynamic youth panel, the programme ensures that young people have a voice in how the funding is allocated, making it easier for them to dive into the arts in their unique ways.”

Find out more about the Access All Arts Fund.

Access All Arts

Find out more about the Access All Arts Fund.

Find Out More

Latest news

Visit our news pages to read the latest from Scotland's children's sector.

Click here for more

Dispelling the myths of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

20 Jan 2025

Estimated to impact 3-5% of the entire population and 20% of children and young people in the care experienced community, the importance of increasing awareness and education on the symptoms and impact of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is plain to see.

Ahead of a training session on Thursday 6 February, which will offer practical strategies for professionals working with children and young people, Barbara Ogston, FASD Services Manager as FASD Hub Scotland, shares more about the lifelong neurodevelopmental condition and how a lack of awareness has increased the challenges facing those affected.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that may affect people exposed to alcohol before they were born. It is a lifelong, often hidden, condition that can affect people in many ways across the lifespan. FASD affects around 3-5% of the population - that’s 1 in 20 people - which makes it as prevalent as ADHD, however, FASD is often unrecognised or undiagnosed. Within the care experienced community, FASD is thought to affect at least 20% of children and young people which makes it a significant issue for many adoptive, foster and kinship families.

FASD has a huge range of symptoms which can affect any aspect of day-to-day life. Common challenges include difficulty with planning, problem solving, sensory issues, sleep difficulties, emotional regulation, learning and cognition, impulse control and many more.

The importance of diagnosis

Diagnosis is important to help people with FASD access the support they need and to help them understand why and how their brain works differently. With early identification of FASD and the right supports in place, people with FASD can go on to achieve throughout life but we are still a long way from easy access to diagnosis for many people.

The challenges of FASD for children and young people

Many of the challenges children and adolescents experience come from a lack of awareness and recognition of FASD and of appropriate support. Too often the symptoms of FASD are seen as ‘bad behaviour’ instead of the results of a brain based condition. Without the right support, people with FASD are more likely to experience challenges as they grow older, including involvement with the criminal justice system, mental health difficulties, challenges in finding and keeping work, substance misuse and being vulnerable within the community.

Myths and misconceptions

There are lots of myths and misconceptions around FASD and in our training sessions we break some of these down and share the most up-to-date research. For example, it’s a myth that people with FASD are only born to women with an alcohol addiction. FASD is prevalent across all of society and there is no known safe level of alcohol exposure in pregnancy, which is why official guidance recommends alcohol-free pregnancies.  However, we do know that FASD is never a mother's fault – no one sets out to cause harm to their child. It’s the alcohol that leads to developmental differences, not a woman’s actions. There can be a lot of stigma around the condition, but by raising awareness and dispelling the myths we hope many more people with FASD and their families will be recognised and supported in a trauma informed non-judgemental way.

There is also a myth that you can tell someone has FASD by looking at them. This dates back to older diagnostic terminology when the term ‘Foetal Alcohol Syndrome’ was used, but now it is accepted that 90% of people with FASD do not have the sentinel facial features associated with the condition and the term ‘FASD’ is now used to reflect this.

Supporting children and young people with FASD

Over the past couple of years, we have noticed a huge increase in the number of  professionals coming to us seeking training as they have come across FASD in their workplace. FASD Hub Scotland has training suitable for parents, carers and professionals, and are always happy to discuss your training requirements. Our training is delivered by people with professional and lived experience of FASD and we would invite everyone working with children, young people and their families to attend.

FASD Hub Scotland provides a support service to all families affected by prenatal alcohol exposure, with or without an FASD diagnosis. Services include an adviceline, family support services, peers support, training and resources. FASD Hub Scotland is managed by Adoption UK and funded by the Scottish Government. You can find out more at www.fasdhub.scot

About the Author

Barbara Ogston is FASD Services Manager, FASD Hub Scotland – managed by Adoption UK in Scotland

Click here for more

FASD Unlocked

Join our online webinar sharing practical strategies for supporting children and young people with FASD

Find out more

FASD: Experiences of young people

The team at Reach recently spoke to young people with FASD to learn about their experiences

Find out more

Annual Conference 2025

Making Space for Voices: Join our Annual Conference in Glasgow on 28 and 29 May 2025

Find out more

Learn with us online and in-person

Browse our range of training and events

Click to find out more

Barnardo’s issue a plea for new adopters in Scotland

Sector News

13 Jan 2025

Barnardo’s has recently issued a plea for more people to consider adoption after figures revealed that the number of adopters on the national register had dropped by almost 20% in the space of a year.

Ahead of last month’s Adoption Week, Barnardo’s Scotland pointed to Scottish Adoption Register figures (click here for more) that show the number of registered adopters has fallen from 209 at the end of March 2023 to 169 on the corresponding date this year. That is a decrease of 19%.

What’s more, in the 2022/23 time period, 135 prospective adoptive families were added to the register, but, in 2023/24, this number stood at 105 – a drop of 22%. According to the most recent SAR Annual Report: “Should the pattern of lower numbers of families continue, Scotland could begin to experience similar concerns currently evident in the remaining nations of the UK, where there are higher numbers of children than families.”

Anne Whyte, Assistant Head of Business for Family Placement Scotland at Barnardo’s, said: “We are currently seeking more applications from prospective adopters that can consider those children that wait the longest to be adopted. For example, there is what we would term ‘older children’ – i.e. those aged four years old and above. We’d also love to hear from those who would consider adopting brothers and sisters who live together or are being reunited, and/or those with complex needs.

“These children wait the longest for their ‘Forever Families’, and we are keen to close that gap. Where it isn’t possible for brothers and sisters to live together, it’s important that adopters can support ongoing family time, where appropriate, enabling these important relationships to remain in place throughout their lives.”

One couple who have adopted through Barnardo’s had this to say: “Adopted siblings are the whole world to one another and we must keep that bond strong.” Another couple added: “Our child might not be genetically ours, but every day we see our influence in his developing personality. He’s got his dad’s sense of humour and he’s adventurous with food like mum – and it’s like he has always been home.”

For those worried about embarking on the adoption journey, Anne Whyte has the following advice: “Don’t be afraid to reach out to agencies and ask as many questions as you need to. Do your research to develop your understanding of the needs of the children waiting for their forever family. Make links with other adopters because hearing about the process from someone who has been through it – with all the hopes, fears, highs, and lows – is so incredibly valuable.

“Ask yourself if you are ready to learn, reflect on your own life experiences and develop new perspectives and ways of thinking. We don’t expect people to come to this process with all the answers – we want them to come with the openness to learn and develop.”

A social worker who supports adopting families had this to say: “As a social worker with many years’ experience of supporting individuals and couples through the adoption process, I can think of no greater work-related pleasure than witnessing first-hand the joy in the hearts and faces of children and their new parents brought together through adoption.”

Click here to visit Barnardo's Scotland website

Latest news

Visit our news pages to read the latest from Scotland's children's sector.

Click here for more

Learn with us online and in-person

Browse our range of training and events

Click to find out more

Annual Conference 2025

Making Space for Voices: Join our Annual Conference in Glasgow on 28 and 29 May 2025

Find out more

Enquire

Find out more about Enquire, the national advice and information service for additional support for learning

Visit the website

Reach

The website for young people offers advice and support on accessing their rights

Visit the website

A new framework tracks progress towards keeping the promise

Sector News

7 Jan 2025

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

Latest news

Visit our news pages to read the latest from Scotland's children's sector.

Click here for more

Annual Conference 2025

Making Space for Voices: Join our Annual Conference in Glasgow on 28 and 29 May 2025

Find out more

Learn with us online and in-person

Browse our range of training and events

Click to find out more

Our services

We offer a range of services that provide support, advice and representation for children and families

Click here for more

Scared but ready – our approach to generative AI

7 Jan 2025

Like many organisations in the charity sector, Children in Scotland has been cautiously exploring generative AI and developing an approach to help staff working across the organisation to assess the costs and benefits of using AI tools.

Here, our Chief Executive, Dr Judith Turbyne, discusses how the organisation - while remaining vigilant to potential risks - is ‘cautiously embracing’ the opportunities of AI. 

AI is causing a bit of perturbation in the charity sector. Many of the feelings I see expressed are those of trepidation and fear. There is a lot of worry about what it might mean for jobs, for society, for fairness and equality. However, in a few pockets there is a level of interest in the power it has and how it might help us in our work.   

As an organisation we started by listening to one of our members of staff who was actively curious about the subject. Robert, who works with our Enquire service, came to an all-staff meeting. He shared some learning he had received and his reflections on the same. It was a positive start to a bit of a journey for us. We did some collective reflection with all the staff, with the leadership team and with the board. We also leaned heavily on the work of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations who have been doing a lot of leadership in this area.  

As a result, I have drafted an initial policy for us. It was actually quite difficult to do. Everything is moving so fast, and we don’t have a great deal of organisational experience on the subject. And so, the decision was made to do a very high-level policy that we would develop over time as we started to implement our approach and to learn from that experience.  

What is fundamental to us is the understanding that it is our skilled and committed workforce that sit at the heart of our organisation. The use of AI needs to enhance their experience, and lighten their load, not undermine them and the important way they contribute to the creativity and development of the organisation as a whole. 

So, we will cautiously embrace it but ensure that we are bearing in mind all the potential risks that come with it.  

Perhaps one of the most important of these is the way that it could potentially further embed bias that is knitted into data sets. It is also crucial that we take into account the almost ‘hidden’ climate impacts that are inherent in AI use. And as the creators of content, we need to be constantly questioning the issues of copyright and ownership of original images and text. 

Whenever an individual in Children in Scotland is thinking about using an AI tool, then we are asking them to consider the potential costs against the benefits for their work. Where they consider, for instance, that the potential risk of bias is too high because of the subject area, then we would suggest not using the tool. When there is a clear benefit for the work, then to go ahead.  

Ultimately, we are asking staff at every stage to be vigilant. If someone uses an AI tool in even a minimal way to help create content, then there needs to be a really good checking of the outputs, making sure that the author is confident that the tool has not materially affected the output in a negative way. The individual needs to always remain in the control of their work. 

We will set up a real time learning channel in Teams to allow us to capture the thoughts and experiences of those using any tools. Six months into the implementation of the policy, we will have a review session in order to think through how it is going, and to see if there are more specific areas of guidance we can develop for our staff. 

We also want to be very transparent about our use of AI, so where there has been a significant input from an AI tool into a public facing piece of work, we will reference that. 

After our first six months review, I will report back on where we are up to.  

Deep breath, here we go.  

About the Author

Judith Turbyne is the Chief Executive of Children in Scotland.

Meet our team

Latest news

Visit our news pages to read the latest from Scotland's children's sector.

Click here for more

Annual Conference 2025

Making Space for Voices: Join our Annual Conference in Glasgow on 28 and 29 May 2025

Find out more

Our services

We offer a range of services that provide support, advice and representation for children and families

Click here for more

10 achievements, highlights and special moments of 2024

23 Dec 2024

Over the past 12 months, Children in Scotland staff have worked tirelessly to deliver essential support for the children's sector, bringing together members for networking opportunities, providing quality training on a range of topics, and working directly with children and young people to ensure their voices and views are heard.

As we prepare to wind down for a well-deserved festive break, here, we explore just a few of our 2024 highlights.

We launched an accessible new learning portal

Developed in partnership with The Open University (OU) in Scotland, we launched a new eLearning portal (click here for more) to help support practitioners across the children’s sector to learn new skills and expand their professional knowledge.

Offering a wide range of free courses, the portal has been curated to help meet practitioners’ learning needs, covering key areas such as education in the early years, additional support needs and mental health and wellbeing. Courses range from two to 24 hours, and thanks to the flexibility of distance learning, can be started, paused and restarted again at any time.

Click here to start exploring the new learning portal

A new report looked at the connection between live music and mental health 

The Live Music and Mental Health project, delivered by Children in Scotland, Scottish Ensemble and the University of Stirling between May and October 2023, explored the barriers children and young people face when engaging with live music – and in March this year, we published the findings from the project to inspire musicians, music providers and venues to develop new approaches.

David Mackay, Children in Scotland’s Head of Policy, Projects and Participation, said: “The Live Music and Mental Health project report and findings will be of interest to anyone working on co-design projects with children and young people, and are particularly relevant for the arts and culture and mental health professionals.”

Click here to read the full report

Our Annual Conference 2024 was a huge success

In May, Children in Scotland’s Annual Conference 2024 saw more than 450 delegates, speakers and exhibitors come together at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, for two days of insightful workshops, keynote speeches and networking sessions. From discussions around children’s rights and AI to a visit from Natalie Don MSP – who stopped to chat with Changing our World, our vibrant children and young people’s advisory group – the conference was one of our most successful to date!

Tickets are already available for our Annual Conference 2025, which will be held on 28 and 29 May in Glasgow – click here to find out more

Natalie Don MSP with CoW
Natalie Don MSP with CoW

Wellbeing was our top priority

Here at Children in Scotland, we believe the workplace should be a happy and supportive environment, and we have put a range of positive policies in place to ensure our staff thrive in their roles. As well as offering flexi-time and hybrid working, we introduced a new employee-led ‘wellbeing working group’ earlier this year to better understand how we can improve wellness at work. The group holds regular Tea & Talk drop-in session to discuss a range of issues, and in the coming year, will look to further developing our work-life balance policies.

Changing our World was celebrated at the Scottish Children’s Health Awards 

Our young people’s advisory group was recognised for the “extraordinary steps” it takes to advance the healthcare rights of children and young people at the Scottish Children’s Health Awards 2024, taking home the Healthcare Rights Award during a glittering awards ceremony. Children’s Health Scotland, the charity behind the Awards, said the judging panel recognised the importance of CoW being children-led, and praised the group for giving young people the opportunity to share their experiences and views.

Parisa Shirazi, Senior Policy, Projects and Participation Officer at Children in Scotland, who nominated CoW for the Healthcare Rights Award, said: “I see my job as providing support and structure for them to share their views in ways that work for them. I particularly enjoy seeing members grow in confidence in areas they initially would have felt more nervous about, such as public speaking and working with MSPs.”

We helped hundreds of professionals learn new skills

As part of our comprehensive Learning Programme, which includes in-person conferences and residentials, professional diplomas and online webinars, our amazing Learning & Events team hosted 30 external training events in 2024. From helping the sector better understand UNCRC incorporation to exploring executive function skills, our training covered a wide range of important topics.

Looking to learn in 2025? Between January and May, we have three in-person events and six online practice-sharing sessions available – click here to find out more

The Kiltwalk put us through our paces!

Led by our wonderful CEO Dr Judith Turbyne, our staff and supporters laced up their trainers for The Kiltwalk 2024, taking on the renowned Scottish challenge to raise vital funds to further the work we do with children and young people across Scotland. Completing  both the Dundee and Edinburgh walks, our team of walkers raised more than £2,000 – a massive thank you to everyone for their generous donations!

Children in Scotland CEO Judith Turbyne and her friend, Jen, at The Kiltwalk finish line
Children in Scotland CEO Judith Turbyne and her friend, Jen, at The Kiltwalk finish line

Our members came together online

In November, we launched a new LinkedIn group for Children in Scotland members, aiming to provide an online space where our vibrant membership community can converse, ask questions and share work with other individuals working in the sector. With more than 400 charities and third sector organisations in membership, we’re excited to see how the group grows in 2025!

Not joined yet? Click here to get involved

Pupil Support staff came together for our new learning programme

Developed in collaboration with children and young people with lived care experience, our new #KeepThePromise Pupil Support Staff learning programme was launched in November. Providing a platform to improve awareness and understanding of care experience and bring Pupil Support Staff together to network and share best practice, more events are planned for February and May, in addition to three free-to-access eLearning modules.

Click here to find out more

We started developing our next Manifesto with help from members

Our members bring a wealth of experience around supporting Scotland’s children, young people and families – so, when it came to updating our Manifesto, it only made sense to include their thoughts, feelings, aims and ambitions. At the end of this year, we began the process of developing our Manifesto for 2026 – 31 by hosting two online Voices Forum discussion sessions with our members, and we currently have an online survey where partners can contribute ideas.

You can still submit your views to the online until 23 December – click here to take part

Our membership offer

Be part of the largest national children's sector membership organisation in Scotland

Click here for more

Learn with us online and in-person

Browse our range of training and events

Click to find out more

Annual Conference 2025

Making Space for Voices: Join our Annual Conference in Glasgow on 28 and 29 May 2025

Find out more

Creating Hope Togeher

Find out more about the work of the Suicide Prevention Youth Advisory Group

Click here for more

Our services

We offer a range of services that provide support, advice and representation for children and families

Click here for more

Read more like this

Check out our blog for more commentary, membership news and more.

Click here to read

Primary pupils encouraged to submit jokes for the 2025 VoiceBox Competition

19 Dec 2024

A national joke telling competition for primary-aged children has opened for entries, offerings schools across Scotland a light-hearted and inclusive way for pupils to develop communication skills, confidence and self-esteem.

Developed by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), the 2025 VoiceBox Competition has been designed to raise awareness of the importance of communication skills, as telling a joke involves everything from inference and strong receptive and expressive language to good auditory memory.

What’s more, preparing for the competition encourages pupils to consider language, audience suitability and delivery, alongside practicing intonation, conversational style and non-verbal communication, too.

Open for entries until 1 April 2025, all primary schools in Scotland are invited to nominate one joke, which can either come from an individual pupil who wants to take part, or through a joke-telling competition to find their best entry.

Up to 32 jokes will be selected – one finalist from each local authority area – and the shortlisted schools will be invited to the National Final in the Scottish Parliament on 5 June 2025, where they will tell their jokes in front of MSPs and a judging panel.

All finalists attending the National Final will receive £100 worth of HarperCollins books, and the pupils with the three best jokes will receive up to £100 to spend on toys, as well as up to £500 worth of Collins Big Cat books for their school.

To learn more and download the competition online toolkit, visit www.rcslt.org/scotland/voicebox

Our membership offer

Be part of the largest national children's sector membership organisation in Scotland

Click here for more

Annual Conference 2025

Making Space for Voices: Join our Annual Conference in Glasgow on 28 and 29 May 2025

Find out more

Learn with us online and in-person

Browse our range of training and events

Click to find out more

Read more like this

Check out our blog for more commentary, membership news and more!

Click here to read

First Minister John Swinney faces child poverty calls at Children in Scotland-led sector meeting

A group of people stand behind a large wooden desk.

Last Thursday, 12 December, First Minister John Swinney had a lively discussion about children’s rights and child poverty with the Children’s Sector Strategic and Policy Forum, at a meeting chaired by Children in Scotland.  

Forum members were joined by Natalie Don-Innes MSP and the First Minister to talk about embedding children’s rights, policy coherence and doing things differently to deliver on our national child poverty targets. 

There was a warm welcome for the budget's focus on child poverty, including the proposal to scrap the two-child limit which currently restricts support certain families receive through universal credit or child tax credit.  

However, there is much more to be done, and the conversation looked at some of the challenges, with a reflection on the fact that the current suite of policies and allocated resourcing are unlikely to help us reach our national targets if some things do not change.  

There were three key themes. Firstly, being more visible about the embedding of children’s rights in decision making across all of the statutory sector, with the need for the Scottish Government to set a strong example for local authorities and other public bodies. From the point of view of the Forum this is about language, action, and using the tools at our disposal (for example Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessments) to the best of our abilities. Making sure that children’s rights is at the centre of our planning will ensure that we are investing in the prevention and early intervention work that is so essential for long-term and sustainable change. 

Secondly, the group looked at tackling instances where there is a lack of policy coherence. That is to say, where a policy from one part of the government undermines something happening elsewhere. There was a good discussion around this with a focus on the role that the third sector can play in outlining where there are challenges around this and what might be done about it.  

Finally, there is the challenge around the third sector itself. As the FM noted in the meeting a ‘well-resourced third sector’ is essential to help deliver on the mission to eradicate child poverty. The third sector is an essential partner in working with babies, children, young people and their families, often at the sharp edge, and yet years of difficult economic conditions have undermined it. Current funding models have tended to exacerbate this situation. As a result, it is difficult for the third sector to be the partner it can and should be. 

Children in Scotland Chief Executive Dr Judith Turbyne, who chaired the meeting, afterwards reflected:   

"We are very grateful to Mr Swinney for taking the time to meet with us and hear first hand the experiences of those leading a struggling children’s sector and working directly with the children and families who are most impacted by government decisions.   

"What is great is that we have a common goal – eradicating child poverty. But, of course, there are challenges.  

"What I enjoyed about the meeting was the mutual respect I could feel in the room, and the common desire to work to eradicate child poverty. The current economic situation is making it difficult for all of us. But a crisis can be a good starting point for doing things differently, for having the difficult conversations, for being brave. And that starts now.  

"We are keen to contribute nationally as a Forum to this work, and we will be seeking to ensure that we engage both bravely and constructively. Our babies, children, young people and their families deserve nothing less."

Latest news

Visit our news pages to read the latest from Scotland's children's sector.

Click here for more

Our membership offer

Be part of the largest national children's sector membership organisation in Scotland

Click here for more

Annual Conference 2025

Making Space for Voices: Join our Annual Conference in Glasgow on 28 and 29 May 2025

Find out more

'Peeling back the lid' on hybrid working

17 Dec 2024

Despite hybrid working becoming the new norm for so many over the past four years, how often have we had the opportunity to reflect on the ways it has impacted daily life? As part of a recent Children in Scotland webinar, our Head of Services, Billy Anderson, invited other individuals working in the children’s sector to join him in exploring hybrid working and whether it was really working for them. Here, Billy shares some interesting observations from the session.

I always found that when talking to individual people about their journey through the pandemic to where we are now, everyone had a different story to tell with, what I have termed as, similar positives, frustrations, barriers, worries and wins. I didn’t think that we, as a sector, have had the chance to talk about all of this in a collective way so I set about creating the session by telling my own story.

When I opened up the blank PowerPoint presentation, I felt that my story had to start right at the beginning. For my own reflections it was necessary to remember what working life was like in the sector when I joined almost 25 years ago. This was a time when the office I worked in had one computer to share between eight of us and case notes were mostly handwritten. However, around that time technology was becoming more prominent as organisations were investing in new buildings with new I.T infrastructures where the move to going ‘paperless’ was felt like a real 21st century advancement.

Throughout my reflections on my early years in the sector, it was astounding how much driving and travelling was involved on a weekly basis. Travelling almost 100 miles to get to work, driving 50% of the day once at work, and then travelling home. There was a distinct split between home and work. I was also with people in offices, meeting rooms, homes, schools, police stations, hospitals, sports centres, forests, fields, zoos, stadiums, cars and colleges.

It wasn’t really until I started writing out my story that when it came to 2020 - with the news of COVID-19 burbling away in the background in some far away land - that I realised what a jolt my life had taken. It was a surreal jolt. An acceleration of technology and new working protocols coupled with a deceleration of life itself. The psychologically imposed G-force of this simultaneous acceleration and deceleration created a destabilisation of reality that I don’t feel we have fully come to terms with. Even the process of reflecting back on all of this stuff was quite an emotional experience as it had, to some degree, been locked up and placed on a shelf in my mind with a do not disturb label hurriedly slapped on its lid.

Removing these experiences from the shelf and peeling back the lid on it was kind of my aim. To look back on things from the position that we find ourselves in now and engage others in discussion about how they feel now, what’s working and not working and try to get a grip on whether or not we are still largely in a place of destabilisation.

Finding a balance

So, with my story told to the participants in the session, it was now a space for sharing stories and finding out about those positives, frustrations, barriers, worries and wins. On the positives side of things, flexibility came out on top. This was flexibility in a variety of ways from managing workload, to introducing hybrid working options for staff. “We wanted a set pattern. Our full-time staff have a minimum of two days in the office and our part time staff have a minimum of one”, shared one participant. It was interesting to learn from this participant that those office days were, where possible, focused on being together with each other and staff were encouraged to not set any meetings during that time.

The creation of a good work-life balance was high on the agenda where that separation between the two appeared to be a common frustration/worry for participants. As one person said, “I can shut my laptop at five o’clock and be in the kitchen at five past making the tea and still thinking about work.”  For all of the positives that the rise of technology has brought, it was felt to be a frustration too in terms of how our work has seeped into our homes and home life, an individual reflecting, “I now have access to emails 24/7. I need to be really self-disciplined to switch off notifications when on leave because the temptation to check them is always there.”

There was also what was described as a ‘tension’ between people who worked predominantly from home and those who worked predominantly from an office or base/in the field. There was a felt pressure to “justify that you are actually working”. From what was described as an increase in trust and flexibility over managing workload from home, it appears that some mistrust (or perceived) has slipped in again. “Why do I feel the need to ask others to check my calendar to prove that I’m working? I know that I am working hard but still feel the need to prove it”, noted a participant. This has potentially led to feelings of guilt where home workers are always available and fill their calendars with appointments and back-to-back meetings. In turn, workloads have felt significantly higher and more pressurised since hybrid working began which impacts on the value of contracts where doing more with less is the prevailing narrative.

The positives of the accelerated use of technology were also prominent. Described by one participant as “the turnkey that unlocked a new culture”,  this very sharp and quick change has allowed us to reduce costs and do some previously expensive and logistically impossible work in the virtual arena. There was a feeling within the group that we can’t go back now noting that, "young people are comfortable within the virtual world so it is very much a case of what’s next and what’s best”.

The value of a virtual meeting place

There were also reflections on engagement with children and young people virtually where the anxiety inducing spectre of a ‘professional’ coming to see you at your own home could be nullified. The rituals and routines of this where you arrange a home visit, you knock at the door, you go in and talk with a parent or carer over a cup of tea and a biscuit and then you talk to the child. In a virtual space you can get direct access to a child where, for some, this allowed communication on a more relaxed and impersonal level that really worked for them. We seriously need to think who a home visit is benefitting. Is it a staff member’s preference at the expense of the child’s experience?

The same principle applies to the workforce who are made up of a range of personality types largely located within the two distinct camps of introverted and extroverted. Home working has been a blessing for some especially where childcare is involved. However, the working from home element with all of its flexibility and methods of communication to cater for all personality types needs some reflection and scrutiny from a wellbeing perspective when people all come together at events or large-scale meetings. We don’t inhabit those spaces as frequently now and I for one, can find the experience draining. Even though these experiences can be draining there is definite benefits and a need to be with other people.

Connections at the virtual 'watercooler'

‘Watercooler’ chat was mentioned alongside building and developing relationships with others as something that needs to be worked at and created now. From minimum working days in office, to quarterly all staff in-person meetings, there were various iterations of the importance of being together, seeing each other in three dimensions - we observed how we quite often work with people over long periods of time on a screen without having met each other in the physical world. Using Microsoft Teams channels to open up more informal watercooler style spaces was discussed where having a laugh with colleagues was encouraged. In these less formal spaces, it also brings about opportunity to share and discuss wellbeing topics in a natural way. There was a concern, however, that relationship building using this mode of communication “is almost verging on being overly friendly for a workspace”.

Hybrid working - an ongoing journey

During the session we looked at the ‘Fisher Personal Transition Curve’ and posed the question of where we thought we all were in terms of our own journey. There was a general feeling that we were on the ‘Gradual acceptance’ of the upside of the curve…but we’d not quite got it right yet. The curve tool itself is a helpful way of plotting yourself across recent years and understanding the behaviours and choices of others too. We also briefly discussed how we feel that we are best supported by looking at a person-centred thinking tool, ‘The one-page profile’. People found this question quite hard to answer and for me this was symptomatic of how much time we spend on supporting others and not on thinking about our own needs. As one participant said, “We are always thinking of others. This can add to the guilt of working from home and feeling the need to justify it. We are all role models for each other…we need trust in each other.”

How much we share our support needs with our supervisors came up in discussion where it was found to be quite difficult to “go there”. This has potentially led to greater use of external ‘mentors’ in similar roles or positions where some of the complexities of working life can be talked about in a more open and honest way without fear of any supervisory power dynamics coming into play. Building internal and external relationships was discussed as being an altogether different concept and task in the hybrid working world.

So, anyway, I felt that the session kind of did what I was hoping in that we shared stories and experiences in an open and honest way. I hope that people will continue to have these conversations and continue to reflect on how things are working for them. More importantly, people can spend some time reflecting on how they are and who they are in the hybrid world and consider how they are best supported. I want to extend my thanks to the participants on the day for their time and their reflections as we continue our journeys along our individualised transition curves. I’ll put my thoughts back up on their shelf for now, but think I’ll leave the lock off and bin the do not disturb sticker.

About the Author

Billy Anderson is Head of Services at Children in Scotland

Click here to meet our team

Read more like this

Check out our blog for more commentary, membership news and more!

Click here to read

Our services

We offer a range of services that provide support, advice and representation for children and families

Click here for more

Annual Conference 2025

Making Space for Voices: Join our Annual Conference in Glasgow on 28 and 29 May 2025

Find out more

Our membership offer

Be part of the largest national children's sector membership organisation in Scotland

Click here for more