About The Promise
Foundations of The Promise
The foundations of the promise are built on what care experienced people say needs to change in Scotland.
The five things the promise is built on
The Independent Care Review identified five key things that underpin the promise. Together, they give Scotland a clear starting point when thinking about what matters.
They show what’s important for any child to grow up loved, safe and respected.
The foundations of The Promise are based on the human rights which we all share.
All children should be able to grow up in a loving family environment.
It’s fundamental to the human rights of all Scotland’s children and young people. That’s something made clear in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
To help make sure this happens for care experienced children, the Convention says there should be extra protections for them. But Scotland should take steps to make sure all children can grow up in this way.
Every child deserves to grow up loved, safe and respected— and children should be able to stay with their families when they can.
But sometimes, families need support to make sure this can happen. And when a child can’t stay with their family, they should still get the care that they need.
Find out more about children’s rights on the CYPCS website
Gette Cobban
Senior Development Officer (The Promise)
About the five foundations
Voice
Children must be listened to.
That means they should be and meaningfully and appropriately involved when decisions are made about their care. And it means everyone involved in their care should listen properly to them, and respond to what they want and need.
Family
Where children are safe in their families and feel loved, they must stay.
Families must get support together to nurture that love, and to overcome the difficulties which get in its way.
Care
Sometimes, it’s not possible for children to live with their family. But they must still be able to live with their brothers and sisters, as long as it’s safe.
And they must belong to a loving home, staying there for as long as they need to.
People
The children Scotland cares for must be supported to develop relationships: with people in the workforce, and those in the wider community. And these people must also be supported: to listen, and to be compassionate in their care and decision-making.
Scaffolding
Children, families and the workforce must be supported by a system that is there when it is needed: the scaffolding of help, support and accountability.
News and updates from The Promise
Keeping The Promise: Sport Aberdeen’s SPACE Project
Sport Aberdeen’s SPACE project supports care experienced children and young people to improve their physical and mental wellbeing, and enhance key life skills through the power of sport and physical activity. Established in 2020, the project strives to follow The...
October update from The Promise in Aberdeen: Who Cares Scotland, Kinship Care and Sport Aberdeen
Gette Cobban, Senior Development Officer (The Promise) at ACVO TSI details the latest happenings from The Promise Scotland and how your organisation in Aberdeen can get involved. Who Cares Scotland If you are not already aware of Who Cares Scotland, please take a...
One Parent Families Scotland publishes ‘Poverty-proofing for families in or on the edges of care’ report
The report is commissioned by The Promise Scotland and based on research by OPFS with Child Poverty Action Group. It explores what happens to family finances when a child enters the care system in Scotland and this how affects family reunification - read thoughts...