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Welcome Shilla Zwizwai Ambassador Who Cares? Scotland
| Date post: | 24-Dec-2015 |
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Welcome
Shilla Zwizwai
AmbassadorWho Cares? Scotland
Today
• Who Cares? Scotland: Who we are and what we do.
• Looked After Children and Young People: My experience and others
• Corporate Parenting: How can it change our lives?
Who We Are
Looked After Children and Young People
16, 041 people in care.
No more than 0.5% of Scotland’s population.
(Scottish Government, 2014)
Background
Before Care
• I was born and raised in Zimbabwe.• I moved to Scotland at the age of 13.• Lived with my aunt & uncle. • Passed 8 Credit Standard Grades.• Took on 5 Higher subjects.• My expected results were As & Bs.
The Move
• My behaviour suddenly changed in school.• My guidance teacher noticed the change and
reached out to me. • I was eventually introduced to social services
and taken into residential care.• On the day of the move, I had to pack my
clothes in bin bags.• Spent the day in my social worker’s office
waiting for her to find me a new home.
High School
• Undertook 5 Highers – Physics, Chemistry, Maths, English & Geography.
• Passed English but failed all other Highers.• The travel distance between school and home
had increased immensely.• I was told that the residential children’s home
was a “temporary” accommodation.• I was too old to be there and I would get moved
once a new accommodation became available.
After Care
• Moved into my own accommodation at 19.• Worked full time in call centres for 2 years.• Went back to college after realising that the only way I
could create a better future for myself was through education.
• Received an offer for an NC course in Criminology & Social Sciences.
• Through care team paid my rent during my NC course. • Struggled with applying for Discretionary funds as I couldn’t
provide some of the requested documents.• Completed the course and a Grade A result.
Turning 21
• Letter from social.• The end of through care support.
The result of that letter
• Rent Arrears.• Notice of proceedings.• Couldn’t even afford a
Zone card into college.
What followed?
• I was offered an UNCONDITIONAL offer for an HND course in Legal Services.
• My employer at the time asked me to pick between full time work and pursuing my education.
• I left work and started my course at City of Glasgow College.
Who Cares? Scotland
Speaking to Jim Murphy & Ian Gray about the support Care Experienced Young people require from their Corporate Parents (Education).
Education Campaign
Future Plans
• Completing HND course and moving onto an LLB Law course at University.
• Continuing work with WhoCares?Scotland and promoting Education.
• For most Care experienced Young People – Education is the ONLY aspect of their lives that is within their control.
• They can be looked after at home or away from home
Looked After Children and Young People
Foster 33%At Home 30%Kinship 26%Residential 9%Other 2%
Are there different types of state care?
Becoming Looked After in Scotland
90%Care &Protection
10% Offence
Educational Outcomes
Post-Education and Employment
Looked after Children Non-Looked after Children
• 79% left aged 16 and under
• 82% initially in a positive destination
• 74% in a positive destination after 9months
30% left aged 16 and under
91% initially in a positive destination
90% in a positive destination after 9 months
Learning and teaching Research and innovation
SFC allocates about £1.6bn in public funds to Scotland’s 19 universities and 25 colleges each year for:
Student support funds (for college students)
Skills developmentWidening access to further and higher education
Other costs such as staff, buildings and equipment
Educational Outcomes
Prison
Housing
30% of care leavers experience homelessness
Is the answer Corporate Parenting?A public bodies’ performance of actions necessary to promote and support the physical, emotional, spiritual, social and cognitive development of a looked after child or care leaver, from infancy through to adulthood. (From Draft Guidance on Part 9 of Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014)
24 Corporate Parents
A health board
A board constituted under the National Health Service
(Scotland) Act 1978
Healthcare Improvement
Scotland
Scottish Qualifications
Authority
Skills Development
Scotland
Social Care & Social Work Improvement
Scotland
The Scottish Social Services Council
Sport Scotland The Chief Constable of the Police Service of
Scotland
Scottish Police Authority Scottish Fire &
Rescue Service The Scottish Legal Aid Board
A local authority
Scottish Ministers
National Convener of Children's Hearings Scotland
Children's Hearings Scotland
Principal Reporter
The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration
Scotland’s Commissioner for
Children and Young People
The Mental Welfare Commission for
Scotland
The Scottish Housing Regulator Bòrd na Gàidhlig Creative Scotland A “post-16” education body
