The document provides an overview of the orientation and discovery stages of the Independent Care Review in Scotland. It summarizes that the orientation stage established the infrastructure and governance structures for the review. The discovery stage is currently underway and aims to determine a vision for Scotland's future care system and provide a focus for engagement. Over 275 children and young people have been engaged so far, as well as professionals working in the care system. A variety of engagement methods are being used including meetings, facilitated discussions, and online participation. The review aims to ensure all voices are heard, including those who are often marginalized.

1. Fiona Duncan
Chair, Independent Care Review
National Child Protection Leadership Group
21 September2017
Independent Care Review

2. The Ask
• Explain how the voice of the service user is
being heard?
• Share experience of lead practice
• Reflect the service user experience
Hear from the
Independent Care Review

3. Start at the
beginning

4. 1. Orientation
2. Discovery
3. Journey
4. Destination
4 stages

5. Orientation
Aim: to establish Independent Care Review infrastructure
and Discovery Group membership.
Activity (has included):
 establishing governance arrangements including budget,
reporting, accountability and risks;
 recruitment of the Secretariat;
 work planning and timeline development;
 stakeholder mapping and initial engagement (incl. learning
from Chairs of earlier Reviews);
 development 1,000 Voices campaign;
 and the launch event on 30th May.

6. Orientation
Governance: Independent Care Review
1. Accountability and reporting
2. Budget, timeline and risks
Stakeholders: and ChAngels
and…
1. Principle – C&YP –
minimum of 1,000 Voices*
2. Organisations and
institutions
3. Past chairs
4. Etc.
Infrastructure: for Discovery
1. Chair*, Secretariat* and Scottish
Government
2. Discovery Group*
Engagement: early…
1. Road trips *
2. Conferences
3. Website and email
4. Short-term messaging
and communications plan (digital)
Planning: duration and stages
1. Groups (beyond round the table) *
2. Chair, Secretariat and Scottish
Government
* Where voice is being heard

7. Discovery
Aim: to determine the vision for the future care system and to
provide a focus for the Journey stage.
Activity: (is including):
 Discovery Group meetings
 creation of a transparent and strategic methodology for
engagement across Scotland with young people, families and
professionals;
 communications strategies;
 a statistical baseline for looked after children,
 light touch evidence review, policy mapping, global best practice
 scoping of the Journey stage and reporting on initial findings

8. Two BIG Questions:
1. What should Scotland’s care system look like?
To create a vision for care and protection for children and young
people in Scotland – this will be used throughout as a touchstone,
the litmus test that all recommendations will be assessed against.
2. What does the care system mean to you?
This will help determine the scope for the ‘journey’ creating a
definition of root and branch and ensure that all work is informed
by the people that are involved in the care system.
Discovery

9. Discovery

10. engagement
research
mapping
Discovery

11. Discovery
Listening at the centre

12. Discovery
Discovery Group:
 Recruitment – nomination and representation
 Clear about role and responsibilities
 ‘Induction’ and getting to know each other
 Safe space – not an echo chamber
 Meeting schedules: process  content 
recommendation
 Active participants – enabled and supported
 Minutes on web
 Role in the journey and beyond…

13. Discovery
Beyond…
 Starting to reach and engage key stakeholders (pro and reactive
elements)
 Creation and implementation of a transparent and strategic
methodology for engagement across Scotland with young
people, families and professionals;
 Range of communications strategies;
 Clarifying a statistical baseline for looked after children,
 Evidence review, policy mapping, global best practice etc.
 Scoping the Journey stage and reporting on initial findings

14. Engagement during Discovery
Stakeholders so far…
 Children, young people and families with care experience
 Carers for children and young people with care experience
 Adoption workers and adoptive families
 Paid professionals supporting children, young people and
families
 Protection professionals, social workers, support workers
 Care workers in family, foster, residential, secure and kinship
settings
 Health and medical workers
 Lawyers, psychologists, teachers
 State and government officials
 Police, prison service, criminal justice bodies

15. Voice
Children & young people

16. The conversations…
Before and during Discovery
 Beginning – endure, evolve and go beyond
 Building trust - establishing agency, creating momentum
 Design, check ‘n’ balance of outputs, assess impact of
outcomes
 The little things… logo, report name
 The bigger things… language, stigma
 We go to where they are (unless they want to come to
us…)
 And create safe, neutral spaces with food – and fun
 And LISTEN

17. The conversations…
Where to find the conversations
 In pre-existing groups - Who Cares ? Scotland Care Council and
Alumni, Life Changes Trust Advisory Group, Cheeky Champs
Boards etc.)
 In statutory settings
 In voluntary sector settings
 Via peer groups
 Through the bringing together of people with shared interest
(CE working in the sector)
 Through creating spaces via 1000 Voices

18. The conversations…
Who is listening?
 Chair meetings with children and young people
 Secretariat members meetings and events
 Who Cares? Scotland at 1000 Voices events
 Discovery Group members outreach

19. The conversations…
Thinking about reach and representation…
 Children/young people who identify as black and minority ethnic
 Children/young people with disabilities and learning difficulties
 Unaccompanied children/young people who reside in Scotland as
refugees or asylum seekers
 Children/young people who identify as LGBTI
 Young children, including babies
 Children/young people in secure accommodation;
 Children/young people in prison
 Children/young people identified as homeless

20. The conversations…
But… it is taking time to
 reach, raise awareness and build trust
And… there is
 anger and a sense that solving this problem is not their
responsibility
As you’d expect
 the Review is following good practice regarding
consent and data protection

21. 276 children and young people have been heard
And they have said…
In the words of children and young people In the word/s of the system
Seeing my brothers and sisters Sibling contact
It’s just because I’m in care I’m treated
differently
Stigmatised
I feel angry Behavioural
Panel members hear me, but they don’t
listen to me.
Difference between being told what’s
happening and understanding what’s
happening
Decision making and involvement
I didn’t always know what was happening
tomorrow or who would be there for me.
Making friends is harder each time I move
Stability and sustaining relationships
with carers, workers, friends etc.
The conversations…

22. The conversations…
Other methods during Discovery Stage
 Facilitated Participation Pack
 Personal Participation Pack – ??
 Phone call
 Email

23. Children and young people’s voice
Root and Branch and Yellow Brick Road methods

24. Other people’s
voices

25. Other people
Thinking about representation…
 Families with care experience
 Carers for children and young people with care experience
 Adoption workers and adoptive families
 Paid professionals supporting children, young people and
families
 Protection professionals, social workers, support workers
 Care workers in family, foster, residential, secure and
kinship settings
 Health and medical workers
 Lawyers, psychologists, teachers
 State and government officials
 Police, prison service, criminal justice bodies

26. Other people
So far we have spoken to:
Circa 123 face-to-face open + facilitated conversation
102 people at roadshows
40 at four more roadshows
Topics arising:
 Relationships (issues and source of strength)
 Mental health
 Placement moves
 Transitions (good and not)
 Resources (good when right intervention at right time)
 Professional identify not being respected
 Decision making not being child centred (independent
reviewing officers work well)
 And much more…

27. Other people
Facilitated sessions and meetings with
 Care Inspectorate
 Adoption and Fostering Agency
 Lawyers
 Adoption UK
 Children First
 Moorsehouse School
 Western Isles
 Shetland
 Orkney
 Children’s Hearing System

28. Other people
People we’d still like to hear from are…
 Kinship carers
 Teachers/educators
 Psychologists
 Health professionals
 COSLA
 SSSC
 Scottish Women’s Aid
 Criminal justice social workers for women, men and
families
 Shelter

29. Communicating our
engagement methods

30. Communicating our engagement methods
Website, html newsletter, social media and via networks

31. @thecarereview
@fionacarereview
Fiona@Carereview.scot
www.carereview.scot
#CareReview #discovery