Published on:
21
October 2024
First Minister John Swinney was welcomed to Clackmannanshire to mark Care Experienced Week, celebrating this year’s theme of ‘Belonging and Connection’, reflecting the ethos of creating a strong care community locally.
Mr Swinney met a group of care experienced children, young people and carers at Sauchie Resource Centre, hearing from them directly about their experiences. Staff from the Council, Barnardo's and Who Cares? Scotland were also present as part of the care community event. Mr Swinney heard about the range of work within Clackmannanshire to Keep the Promise to our Care Experienced children and young people.
He then visited Lornshill Academy to celebrate local schools who have achieved the Keeping the Promise Award and met children and young people who were enjoying funded holiday sports activities, as part of the Scottish Government’s Early Adopter Childcare Funding, through Clackmannanshire’s Family Wellbeing Partnership.
Council Leader Ellen Forson, the Council’s Champion for the Promise said: “I was delighted to welcome the First Minister to Clackmannanshire again, where he was able to talk directly to local people, and to show him the innovative ways we are working in partnership with our communities to help improve the lives of our Care Experienced young people.
“Clackmannanshire is building a strong and connected care community, with the Promise firmly embedded within our Family Wellbeing Partnership to ensure that we have a whole system approach in place to support families and meet young people’s needs. We’re working alongside our families to build and develop that support, and we will keep driving that innovative approach forward in the Council, working together with local and national partners.”
First Minister John Swinney said: “The Scottish Government is committed to Keeping the Promise – our commitment to bring about the necessary changes to ensure all care-experienced children grow up safe, loved and respected – by 2030.
“Visiting the Sauchie Resource Centre and Lornshill Academy gave me a really valuable opportunity to talk with children and young people who have been in care, along with the carers who do such incredible work to support them. It also allowed me to express my appreciation for the innovative work Clackmannanshire Council is doing, which is informed by having The Promise at the heart of the local Family Wellbeing Partnership.
“I would like to acknowledge Clackmannanshire Council, Education Scotland and their partners for piloting an award scheme which has allowed more than 2,000 young people and 600 staff to receive training so they better understand The Promise. This is a remarkable achievement and I congratulate all those who have received awards.”
The delivery of the Communities that Care training programme to all schools and Early Learning Centres alongside work towards the Keeping the Promise award is ensuring a whole school approach to reducing stigma and promoting empathy and understanding towards the needs of care experienced children and young people. Clackmannanshire is the first local authority to take an all-establishments approach to delivering Communities that Care and the Keeping the Promise Award.