Supporting Children to stay with their families
Vision statement one: Where children are safe in their families and feel loved, they must stay— and families must be given support together to nurture that love and overcome the difficulties which get in the way.
What children and young people say
This section presents the evidence through an experience lens, focusing on how children and young people described staying with their families and what support feels like when life at home is complicated. This was done using the included materials, available since 2020. Click on the take me to navigation pane and jump to different sections here, including sources.
The materials reviewed show that safety, belonging and connection grow when help is practical, timely and shaped around everyday family life. Children and young people described feeling more secure when home felt calm, when adults around them received steady, non-judgmental support and when relationships with brothers and sisters and wider family were protected rather than limited by systems or availability of workers.
Children and young people also noticed and felt the impact of pressures linked to poverty, health and wellbeing, housing insecurity, travel difficulties and changes in support. These pressures can make life feel uncertain or overwhelming. It can be difficult for children and young people to understand what is happening when plans are unclear, information is inconsistent or help arrives only at the point of crisis. Worry builds when they sense that adults around them are stressed or struggling, and when family time is cancelled or altered with little explanation. Children and young people felt safer and better supported when adults listened to what matters to them, explained decisions in ways that made sense and worked together, so support did not fall away at key moments. Overall, the evidence showed that strengthening family life requires coordinated, relational and practical support that helps children and young people remain safely connected to the people who are most important to them.
To see what changes Scotland is making and still has to make for the promise to be kept, click on the decision making, universal family support, intensive family support and poverty route maps in Plan 24-30. See more about the work of change across Scotland here.
In materials reviewed, children and young people described feeling fearful, anxious and uncertain about whether they were able to stay with their family or what changes at home might mean. These feelings were often heightened when decisions were not explained, when children and young people overheard conversations they did not understand or when adults appeared stressed or unsure themselves. Children and young people described trying to make sense of what was happening while worrying about possible separation from parents, brothers and sisters or others who matter to them. This fear lessened when adults were clear about plans, provided reassurance and helped children and young people understand what is being discussed and why.
Children and young people described feeling lost when support was harder to navigate or changed without explanation. They described confusion when different adults offered different information or when plans shifted unexpectedly. Children and young people sensed uncertainty around them and at times carried worries about situations they could not control. They also described feeling lost when support was shaped around processes rather than what would make a difference in their daily lives.
Children and young people described feeling overwhelmed by pressures linked to poverty, food insecurity, travel difficulties, particularly in more rural areas, and frequent changes in support. They noticed when adults were stressed or when families were misunderstood, which can leave them feeling responsible or unsure how to cope. Cancelled or changed plans, particularly around family or sibling time, created confusion and emotional strain when explanations were not provided. Experiences also showed how stigma and unequal access to universal supports can add to this sense of overwhelm.
Feeling safe was described as being closely connected to predictability, steady routines and the sense that adults at home are receiving help that makes daily life more manageable. In the materials reviewed, children and young people described feeling safer when support reduced pressure linked to finances, housing, transport or wellbeing, and when adults took time to explain decisions and involve them. They often sensed instability early and benefited from clear plans that reduce worry about sudden changes or separation. The evidence also highlights the importance of recognising what family life looks and feels like for children and young people, including the relationships, routines and ways of living that are familiar to them. Children and young people described feeling safer and more settled when their family is understood on its own terms and when ordinary, everyday sources of help remain available to them. This included being able to keep using the same places, people and forms of support that other children and young people rely on, rather than having these replaced or disrupted during times of difficulty.
Connection was described through familiar routines and relationships that mattered deeply to children and young people. Small details, such as sharing rooms or having sleepovers, helped children and young people feel close to brothers, sisters and family. Family time can be limited by workforce availability, travel barriers or arrangements that operate only during office hours. Practical help with transport, finances and scheduling supported children and young people to maintain relationships in ways that feel more natural and consistent.
In the materials reviewed, support felt strongest when it was relational, practical and sustained. Being listened to meant not only being asked for views, but seeing those views shape what happens. Children and young people described feeling supported when help reduced everyday pressures on their family such as travel costs, access to food, housing concerns or challenges at school. They also felt supported when adults worked together so their parents received consistent, non-judgmental help. The evidence highlighted the importance of support that enabled family connection and recognised children and young people’s identities and cultural needs.
What this tells Scotland
This section draws together what the evidence reviewed here shows about how experiences of care and support are felt, and how they shape safety, belonging and trust. It is intended to be informative, helping to show why these experiences matter and why they should inform what happens next. The focus is on naming impact and consequence as described in the evidence, drawing attention to patterns that remain unresolved and where continued attention is needed.
Children and young people experience fear and anxiety when they do not know whether they will be able to stay with their family. Ongoing uncertainty, unclear plans, inconsistent information and overheard conversations can heighten worry about separation from the people who matter most, undermining feelings of safety and trust.
When support is difficult to navigate, arrives late or changes without explanation, children and young people can feel confused and disconnected. Being passed between adults or services, repeating their story, or facing barriers linked to distance, transport or availability of help can deepen this sense of disorientation.
Pressures linked to poverty, housing, health, travel and changes in support can accumulate in children and young people’s lives. Noticing adult stress, cancelled plans or shifting routines can leave them feeling overwhelmed or responsible for situations they cannot control, particularly when explanations are missing.
Children and young people feel safer when families receive support early and daily life feels calmer and more predictable. Safety is closely linked to adults getting help that reduces pressure at home, clear explanations about what is happening and reassurance that sudden changes or separation are less likely.
Maintaining close relationships with siblings, parents and wider family is central to children and young people’s sense of belonging and identity. When family time is shaped by workforce availability, distance or rigid arrangements, connection can feel fragile. Practical support with travel, planning and routines helps relationships feel more consistent.
Feeling supported means being listened to and seeing those views influence decisions. Children and young people describe greater trust when adults explain what is happening clearly, work together and stay involved long enough to understand their family and what matters to them.
Children and young people feel more settled when their family life is understood on its own terms and when ordinary, everyday sources of help remain part of their lives. Keeping access to familiar places, people and support reduces disruption and feelings of being treated differently during times of difficulty.
Across the evidence, continuity and communication emerge as key to reducing fear and distress. When adults stay steady, explain changes in advance and help families understand what is happening, children and young people are better able to cope with uncertainty and remain connected to the people who matter to them.
Sources Referenced
The purpose of the below citations and summaries is to ensure that sources used are clear and accessible. Web links to the sources are provided, where possible.
Document summaries are provided for any document where analysis produced more than ten ‘coded segments’. ‘Coded segments’ refer to portions of a document that analysts identified and labelled as relevant to the key themes for each Vision Statement.
All documents that have informed the development of the Vision Statement, even if they had fewer than 10 coded segments, are cited in the ‘Additional Sources’ box below.
This report, published by the Care Inspectorate in 2024, reviews disabled children and young people's experiences with social work services in Scotland. It aims to understand their views and experiences, assess how well their rights are upheld, and inform policymakers to improve outcomes for them. The review was conducted between May 2023 and May 2024, gathering information from children, young people, parents, carers, and social work staff across 32 local authority areas, with a focus on four specific regions.
The review found that, while respectful relationships are crucial, many disabled children's views are not heard due to high demand and resource pressures, leading to limited staff time and frequent changes in personnel. When support is timely and appropriate, it helps children grow, but increasing complexity of needs often outweighs available support. Children frequently lack meaningful choices about their support, and parents and carers, who provide significant care, need better protection for their wellbeing. The quality of social work assessments and plans varies, often missing parts of a child’s needs, and transitions into adulthood remain uncertain. Social work’s role is frequently misunderstood, while poor data and no shared definition of disability make planning and budgeting harder.
The report concludes that, despite previous findings highlighting inequities, necessary improvements have not been made, leading to many children not receiving timely help. It calls for a shared approach from the Scottish Government, local authorities, and other organisations to define the social work role, strengthen early intervention, maximise opportunities for play and friendships, and ensure adequate resourcing. A national conversation about resource reality and its impact on disabled children's lives is needed to achieve Scotland's ambition of being the best place for children to grow up.
Disabled Children and Young People’s Experiences of Social Work Services: A Thematic Review. Care Inspectorate, 2024. https://www.careinspectorate.scot/strategic-scrutiny/library/strategic-reports/thematic-review-of-services-for-disabled-children-young-people.
This Care Inspectorate report looks at how children and young people are cared for in secure care and what needs to improve to ensure their rights are respected, including whether new rules made by the Scottish Government are helping young people and staff.
Approximately 200 people participated in the study, including young people, family members, professionals and Local Authority representatives. The journeys of 30 young people were also tracked over a one-year period.
The Care Inspectorate found that progress has been made in meeting the aims of the secure care Pathway and Standards, but significant gaps remain across the full journey into, through and out of secure care. The new rules have had the strongest impact for those in secure care, where most young people experienced improved safety, felt listened to, had their rights upheld, and benefited from specialist support and education. Some positive preventative effects were noted—where intensive, relationship-based community support and clear risk-planning processes helped prevent admission.
However, the greatest weaknesses were found after young people leave secure care. Many experienced a sharp drop in support, struggled to access health and wellbeing services, lost educational progress, and faced homelessness or serious safety risks, leading to re-admissions. Ongoing problems included unequal access to community resources, inconsistent understanding of secure care’s therapeutic purpose, lack of stable relationships, and variation in restrictive practices.
Secure Care Pathway Review. Care Inspectorate, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20250114111909/https://www.careinspectorate.com/images/documents/Secure_care_pathway_review_2023.pdf
This report was published by the Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection (CELCIS), a leading improvement and innovation centre based at the University of Strathclyde.
The Scottish Government asked CELCIS to conduct this research to gather information to help them make decisions about how to best deliver children's services in Scotland. The main goal of the research was to answer: "What is needed to ensure that children, young people and families get the help they need, when they need it?".
This specific report is 'Strand 4' of a larger study and focuses on understanding the opportunities, challenges, and barriers faced by the children's services workforce. It explores their views on local services, how different agencies work together, support for young people moving into adult services, relationships between families and professionals, and the support available to the workforce itself. The report uses surveys, focus groups, and interviews to gather these perspectives.
Dr Alex McTier, Mihaela Manole, Jane Scott, et al. Children’s Services Reform Research: Scotland’s Children’s Services Landscape: The Views and Experiences of the Children’s Services Workforce. CELCIS, 2023. https://www.celcis.org/knowledge-bank/search-bank/childrens-services-reform-research-scotlands-childrens-services-landscape-views-and-experiences-childrens-services-workforce.
This report was written by the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ) and commissioned by the Scottish Government. Its purpose is to create a new vision for secure care in Scotland, aiming to reduce the number of children deprived of their liberty and remove children from Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) by 2024, aligning with the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 and the UNCRC. The report builds on previous recommendations that no child should be in secure care, advocating for community-based support.
The vision, codesigned with children, young people, families, and professionals, proposes three core components:
These components are guided by principles such as child and family inclusion, whole family support, balanced empowerment of rights and liberty, education as a foundation, public protection, trauma-transformative practice, and a trained workforce. The report highlights the need for collective agreement, resource realignment, and public engagement to achieve this vision, which aims to keep children close to their families and communities while ensuring their safety and wellbeing.
Reimagining Secure Care - Final Report: A Vision for the Reimagined/Future World. Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ), 2024. https://www.cycj.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Reimagining-Secure-Care-Final-Report.pdf.
This Phase One report on the North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose Evaluation was published in March 2023. The report aims to understand the current experiences of children and families in North Strathclyde after abuse or mistreatment, and to evaluate the development process of the Bairns Hoose—Scotland's first adaptation of the European Barnahus model.
The evaluation identifies areas where current systems can be challenging for children and families, including delays in accessing therapeutic support, lengthy justice processes, communication difficulties, and aspects of court proceedings that can be experienced as distressing. The report recognises that these experiences are shaped by wider system factors such as unclear professional roles, short-term funding arrangements, and services working across different structures.
Alongside these challenges, the Bairns Hoose project has made progress, supported by a national push for change and Children First’s leadership. Its development has been helped by a national commitment to change, the leadership and advocacy of Children First, and opportunities to learn from established Barnahus models, including in Iceland. The report also reflects on areas requiring continued attention, such as infrastructure timelines, long-term sustainability, and strengthening relationships across agencies. It concludes that openly acknowledging these complexities and fostering shared ownership will be key to enabling the Bairns Hoose to grow, respond to children’s needs, and contribute to learning for wider national implementation.
Mitchell, Mary, Camille Warrington, John Devaney, Peter Yates, and Jennifer Lavoie. North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose Evaluation: Phase One Report. 2023. https://researchonline.gcu.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/92593848/92438102.pdf.
This interim report, authored by Nadia Ayed, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Peter Mackie, and Ian Thomas, and published by I-SPHERE and Heriot Watt University in February 2025, evaluates the first year of the Upstream Scotland pilot. The report aims to understand how the initiative, inspired by the Australian Geelong Project, is being put into practice in Scotland to prevent youth homelessness.
The Upstream Scotland pilot, led by Rock Trust, involves six secondary schools across three local authority areas. It uses a school-based survey to find young people at risk of homelessness and offers them support. The evaluation highlights the successful recruitment of different schools and the strong relationships built with them.
Key findings show that over 1 in 10 young people in pilot schools are at risk of youth homelessness, like elsewhere in the UK. Many of these young people are engaged with school but show lower levels of resilience and wellbeing. A significant challenge has been getting parents' permission for support, which has caused delays. The report suggests considering a "whole family" approach and improving data privacy and consent processes for future implementation.
Early impacts include increased awareness of homelessness among students and teachers, reduced stigma, and improved wellbeing for some young people. The report highlights the need for clearer communication about the initiative, refining consent processes, and potentially expanding the support to include whole families to address the root causes of youth homelessness more effectively.
Ayed, Nadia, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Peter Mackie, and Ian Thomas. Upstream Scotland Pilot Evaluation. Interim Report. Rock Trust, 2025. https://www.rocktrust.org/download/upstream-scotland-pilot-evaluation-2025/.
This article, published in the Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care by Sydney Guinchard of the Why Not? Trust, explores the experiences of care experienced parents using 'The Village', an online support network in Scotland. The study sought to understand the usefulness of The Village's support, and to highlight the challenges faced by care experienced parents who often lack social support and face stigma.
The research involved 22 care experienced parents who shared their experiences through surveys and interviews. Parents valued the reliable and confidential relationships with team members, finding them a crucial source of emotional support and a safe space to discuss struggles. They also appreciated the wider social network, connecting with other care experienced parents who understood their unique challenges.
Despite the online format being beneficial for its immediacy and comfort, especially for those with anxiety, parents requested more in-person opportunities to connect with others, believing this would strengthen friendships and community bonds. This feedback has led to the implementation of regular local meetups, fostering independent connections among parents.
In terms of parenting, The Village provided valuable advice and reassurance, boosting parents' confidence and knowledge. Practical support such as navigating benefits and accessing financial aid was also a significant benefit, helping parents meet their families' basic needs and reduce stress. The study concludes that The Village offers a valuable model for providing non-stigmatising, comprehensive support to care experienced parents, ultimately aiming to empower them to build their own trusted networks.
Guinchard, Sydney. “Experiences of Parents in ‘The Village,’ an Online Support Network for Care- Experienced Parents: A Thematic Analysis.” Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care 23, no. 2 (2024).
Who Cares? Scotland—a national independent membership organisation for care experienced people, dedicated to supporting, empowering and amplifying the voices of Scotland’s care community—provided targeted analysis of their existing evidence for The Promise Story of Progress, sharing material that mapped to the relevant vision statements and contributed insight into how their internal data, participation activity, and qualitative evidence could inform the experiential strand of the Promise Story of Progress.
Their reports reflected advocacy work carried out between 1st January 2020 and 30th June 2025, during which time Who Cares? Scotland advocacy workers supported around 4,800 individuals. Although the report findings do not represent the experience of every care experienced individual in Scotland, they highlight issues that need continued attention as Scotland works to understand what is changing and what still needs to be addressed.
An anonymised and abridged collation of these reports is available at: Who Cares? Scotland. The Promise Story of Progress: Vision Statement advocacy reports by Who Cares? Scotland (abridged). The Promise Scotland, 2025. https://www.plan2430.scot/media/5hnlt5ye/wcs-vision-statement-advocacy-reports-abridged.pdf
100 Days of Listening. Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum (Staf), 2024. https://www.staf.scot/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=36c14562-d65a-4866-b6bf-685d0462974b.
Aberlour Mother & Child Recovery Houses: Annual Review December 2023 December 2024. Aberlour, 2025. https://www.aberlour.org.uk/publications/mother-child-recovery-houses-annual-review-2023-24.
Aberlour Response to the Scottish Government’s National Discussion on Scottish Education. Aberlour, 2022. https://www.aberlour.org.uk/publications/national-discussion-on-education.
Alternative Routes Impact Report 2024-2025. Aberlour, 2025. https://www.aberlour.org.uk/publications/alternative-routes-cashback-impact-report-2024-2025.
Bettencourt, Michael, Kimberley Keenan, Larissa Gordon, et al. Virtual School Head Teachers in Scotland: Practice Case Studies. CELCIS, 2022. https://www.celcis.org/knowledge-bank/search-bank/virtual-school-head-teachers-scotland-practice-case-studies.
Callaghan, Prof. Jane, Tanya Beetham, and Chris Gray. The Implementation of “Attain”: A Mentoring Scheme for Care Experienced Young People and Young People on the Edge of Care in Renfrewshire. A report produced for Aberlour and Renfrewshire Council. Aberlour; Renfrewshire Council, 2022. https://www.aberlour.org.uk/publications/implementation-attain-renfrewshire.
CELCIS. “I Just Wanted Somebody to Be Kind’ Providing Early Support to Families in East Lothian. 2024. https://stories.celcis.org/families-together-programme/.
Cross Border Thematic Review: July 2024. Care Inspectorate, 2024. https://www.careinspectorate.scot/strategic-scrutiny/library/strategic-reports/cross-border-thematic-review-2024.
Dalkeith Parents and Carers: Whole Family Support Feedback Session - June 2025. Children First, 2025.
Evaluation of the Hub for Success. The Hub for Success, 2024. https://hubforsuccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/HfS-Evaluation-2024-FINAL.pdf.
Family Pictures on the Wall and a Strong Sense of Self Growing up in Kinship Care. CELCIS, 2025. https://www.celcis.org/knowledge-bank/search-bank/blog/family-pictures-wall-and-strong-sense-self-growing-kinship-care.
Fowler, Dr Nadine, and Dr Robert Porter. Evaluation of the Lifelong Links Trial in Scotland. CELCIS, 2024. https://www.celcis.org/knowledge-bank/search-bank/evaluation-lifelong-links-trial-scotland.
Matter of Focus. Impact Report Year 3: Includem’s ADAPT for Cashback Project. Includem, 2024. https://cashbackforcommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/22-23-Impact-Report-FINAL.pdf
Roesch-Marsh, Autumn, Marissa Roxburgh, Thomas Bartlett, and Donna Nicholas. “The Protective Power of Friendship, Advocacy and Activism: A Short Report on the Experiences of Who Cares? Members and Allies.” Child Abuse Review 32, no. 3 (2023). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/car.2823?msockid=33377bbcb380697b3a776e0fb28c68ac.
Russell, Linda, Fiona Turner, Ruchika Gajwani, and Helen Minnis. ‘“Everything Is Fear Based”: Mothers with Experience of Addiction, Child Removal and Support Services’. Child and Youth Services Review 170 (March 2025). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740925000441?via%3Dihub.
Social Marketing Gateway (SMG). Glasgow People Achieving Change (PAC) Mental Health Research: Final Report February 2022. Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (GCHSCP), 2022. https://glasgowcity.hscp.scot/publication/glasgow-pac-mental-health-research-2022.
Social Value Lab. Evaluation of Tayside Family Financial Wellbeing Project: A Report for Aberlour Children’s Charity. Aberlour, 2024. https://www.aberlour.org.uk/publications/aberlour-family-financial-wellbeing-tayside-pilot-evaluation.
Social Value Lab. Evaluation of the Falkirk Intensive Perinatal Support Service. Aberlour, 2024. https://www.aberlour.org.uk/publications/intensive-perinatal-evaluation-2024.
Spolander, Gary, Janine Bolger, and Joanna Santos-Petiot. Family Group Decision- Making Evaluation Report: Children 1st and Scottish Borders Council Pilot Project. Children First, 2024. https://www.childrenfirst.org.uk/media/io2lisn0/fgdm-evaluation-report-280224.pdf.
The Lines Between. Evaluation of Wee BREATHERS. Scottish Attachment in Action, 2025. https://scottishattachmentinaction.org/wee-breathers-2/.
Transitions for Care Experienced Young People: A Thematic Review. Care Inspectorate, 2024. https://www.careinspectorate.scot/strategic-scrutiny/library/strategic-reports/cross-border-thematic-review-2024.
Treanor, Professor Morag. How Public Debt and Arrears Are Experienced by Low-Income Families. Aberlour, 2023. https://www.aberlour.org.uk/publications/how-public-debt-and-arrears-are-experienced-by-low-income-families.
Whincup, Helen, Linda Cusworth, Maggie Grant, et al. Permanently Progressing? Building Secure Futures for Children: Phase 2 Middle Childhood. Key-Findings from Phase 2: final report. University of Stirling, 2024. https://permanentlyprogressing.stir.ac.uk/key-findings-from-phase-2-final-report-and-accessible-summaries/.
Who Cares? Scotland. “Exclusion Labelled as Support”: Care Experienced Children in Scotland’s Education System. Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, 2025. https://www.celcis.org/news/news-pages/care experienced-children-struggling-access-right-education-scotland.
Whole Family Wellbeing Funding (WFWF) Programme Year 2 Process and Impact Evaluation Full Report. Scottish Government, 2025. https://www.gov.scot/publications/whole-family-wellbeing-funding-wfwf-programme-year-2-process-impact-evaluation-full-report/.
Whole Family Wellbeing Funding Programme East Lothian Collaborative Partnership Summary of Learning. Children and Young People’s Improvement Collaborative (CYPIC), 2025. https://cypic.co.uk/focus/family-support/.
Your Voice Matters: A Peer Led Research Project to Explore the Experiences of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children in Scotland. Scottish Refugee Council, 2024. https://scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Your-Voice-Matters-YPV-Report.pdf.