The New Scottish Children’s Care Bill: understanding what’s proposed and what’s needed

This conference is intended for all organisations and individuals working in the field of childcare support and care services across public.

Care experienced children deserve consistency, dignity and lifelong support. However, responsibilities are currently split, services are stretched and progress toward The Promise is uneven. The Scottish Government’s new Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill aims to address this. So what is in the Bill, will it work, who will it impact and when will it happen?

The intentions of the Bill are clear. Establish a universal definition of care experience, create extended entitlements, redesign Children’s Hearings, add Children’s Services Planning duties for Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) and deliver not-for-profit fostering. What do you need to know about the consequences of the Bill for your organisation and your role in delivering children’s care services?

The Bill is currently going through Parliament with broad consensus about its objectives. Its core aims are likely to become law, meaning extended entitlements across education, health, housing and transitions. Proposals for Children’s Hearings redesign, expanded Children’s Services Planning duties and shifting responsibilities toward IJBs will have major funding and organisational implications.

The proposals sit within keeping The Promise to 2030 and connected reform programmes. Key strands include advocacy, respectful language change, ethical commissioning and a not-for-profit approach to fostering. However scrutiny shows uneven progress, gaps in governance and risks from fragmented delivery. What will matter is concrete planning, resourcing, accountability and early measurable improvements for children and families. What will it all mean for you?

This online conference organised by MacKay Hannah will focus on three themes:

• Getting the foundations right – defining, entitling and resourcing
• Redesigning systems around children and families
• The challenges in delivery – workforce, commissioning and improvement

Find out more and register here.

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