East Ayrshire young people raise their voices to help improve lives for the care experienced community

Representatives of East Ayrshire’s care experienced community and corporate parent organisations have launched a series of documents that will help progress their work to ensure care experienced children and young people’s voices are heard and that continuing action is taken to improve their lives.

The launch took place at East Ayrshire’s Care Experienced Cabinet meeting held at SL33 in Kilmarnock. The three documents celebrated at the meeting were a charter for the Care Experienced Cabinet, the ‘East Ayrshire Promise’, and East Ayrshire’s corporate parenting action plan.

Members of the cabinet developed the charter to provide a formalised commitment and structure for their meetings. It covers what the cabinet aims to do, the expectations of attendees, how the cabinet meetings will be led, and how it will continue to develop and grow.

The East Ayrshire Promise takes views and contributions from the care experienced community to present a series of asks of the adults who work with them, so that they know what is important to children and young people and what they need to make sure they grow up with love and support and are safe.

The care experienced community also gave their views to help develop East Ayrshire’s corporate parenting action plan. This details the shared activities taking place between 2024 and 2027 of organisations and individuals who have special responsibilities for care experienced children and young people.

The plan focuses on five key priorities: supporting those moving on from East Ayrshire's care; providing long and enduring relationships and maintaining familial relationships where possible; avoiding poverty; supporting recovery from the trauma and impact of care; and championing and celebrating those experiencing care.

Councillor Elaine Cowan, East Ayrshire Council’s Spokesperson for Education and Children and Young People, chairs the Care Experienced Cabinet. She said:

“The work carried out to develop these documents is an outstanding example of collaboration and a shared aspiration to make things better for people here in East Ayrshire. I am especially proud of the charter which really helps give the Care Experienced Cabinet strength and purpose.

“All of our young people deserve an equal chance in life, and we know that for people experiencing care or who have experienced care, that’s not always the case.

Having our young people with us to discuss and explore our ambitions, and being able to listen to their views has helped us to understand what it is they need from us and the wide range of organisations and people who work with them. This all underpins our action plan, so I look forward to seeing this progress, and everything we will learn together on our continuing journey.”