The promise marks its sixth anniversary
February marks the sixth anniversary of the promise.
The promise “that all Scotland’s children and young people will grow up loved, safe and respected so they can realise their full potential” was made on 5 February 2020, following a review into Scotland’s care system.
In this edition of Care News, we share blogs from services with examples of the promise in practice.
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How supported lodgings transforms lives through relationship based support
West Dunbartonshire CHCP, Throughcare/Aftercare Supported Lodgings Team is an adult placement service which is managed by West Dunbartonshire health and social care partnership. The service provides supported lodgings to young people over the age of 16 years, in the care of West Dunbartonshire Council.
During a recent inspection we identified several major strengths in supporting positive outcomes for young people. The promise states; Children, families and the workforce must be supported by a system that is there when it is needed. The scaffolding of help, support and accountability must be ready and responsive when it is required. We identified that the person centred and relationship based practice, delivered by a highly skilled team meant that young people and caregiver families thrived.
Supported lodgings is more than just a roof over someone’s head – it’s a pathway to belonging and independence. Rooted in the belief that relationships are the foundation for growth, this long established service provides young people and vulnerable adults with a safe, nurturing home environment where they can rebuild trust, develop essential life skills and take the next steps to interdependence.
West Dunbartonshire Councils supported accommodation provision is a long-established service which sits within our throughcare and aftercare team. The service prides itself, on having provided quality supported living options to its young care leavers, for almost 40 years.
The support we provide is consistent and available to both young people and the carers. We regularly review lodgings placements using pathway planning and the carers also have a direct support through our carer’s coordinator. This scaffolding is tailored to each persons individual needs and abilities. Like scaffolding on a building, it provides structure and safety whilst the young person builds their own foundations of confidence, resilience and independence. As they grow stronger the scaffolding gently fades but we are always prepared to shore up difficulties should they appear. We recognise that life is not without its difficulties and we all need to learn to navigate these as well as deal with the good things, the environment in supported lodgings allows this growth. We provide ongoing training inputs for Carers throughout the year and we have a social evening near the end of the year where carers, young people and Throughcare workers come together; this has proven to be a valuable, relaxed space for all involved to build wider connections.
The supported carers play an extraordinary role in this journey, they are recruited from our local communities and provide day to day support with life skills such as budgeting, cooking, education and employment, but more importantly they offer a consistent relationship.
The impact of supported lodgings can be profound, young people move on with improved emotional wellbeing, stronger coping strategies and the skills needed to live independently, many go on to pursue employment and their own tenancies, the relationship already established in lodgings will in many cases continue beyond the placement.
The young people whilst in lodgings will have been introduced to their throughcare worker and the relationship established with them will be the support that stays with them as they move on from lodgings and navigate what is a difficult journey for anyone. Our ongoing scaffolding is there to support the move on from lodgings and beyond. We see consistently positive outcomes for our young people moving on from Supported lodgings.
The carers and members of the team have commented that they benefit from good communication and regular supervision with the team’s manager. The carers felt the manager is very much involved and accessible to them. The experience of the carers and team is supported by an equal partnership approach, where all are involved and well informed, this strengthens working relationships further.
Although seen to be performing well, the team does not rest on its laurels and is already planning supportive inputs for its carers next year and continuing to build on those all-important relationships with young people.
Blog: Empowering people with additional needs to actively participate in community life
Empower Care Scotland offers essential community support and respite for children and adults with disabilities throughout North Lanarkshire. We have a team of highly trained, knowledgeable, and caring support workers recruited to deliver specific projects. We are bridging the crucial gap between children and adult services, offering families the consistency and trust they deserve at every stage. We’re thrilled to share that our newest adventure involves running weekly ASN classes and opening a fully equipped sensory room—creating even more supportive, nurturing, and engaging spaces for our children and young people.
Our core mission: empowering people with additional needs to actively participate in community life underpins our commitment to providing positive outcomes for children and young people. Our ASN club space has enabled us to deliver key outcomes by providing an environment where individual needs can be met. We run daily activities and can closely monitor progress using cookery classes, socialisation and games groups. Delivering the best possible outcomes for children and young people begins long before a match is made. It starts with an organisational culture rooted in stability, respect, and knowledgeable practice. Our service’s approach to matching and our deliberate focus on creating a positive working environment form the foundation that allows children and young people to thrive.
Matching is one of the most important decisions we make, and we approach it with the belief that the right match is not simply about rota availability. We take time to fully explore a person’s lived experiences, strengths, routines, risks, and aspirations to create the best possible chance for compatibility. This includes understanding their identity, cultural background, educational needs, and emotional wellbeing. We’ve built positive, trusting relationships with our families for many years, and this has naturally shaped the way we work. These connections sit at the heart of our person‑centred approach, helping us understand and respond to each person’s needs.
Using a multidisciplinary approach, we involve social workers, parents, health workers, staff, and where appropriate, input from the child or young person. This enables us to create robust care plans and risk assessments, so staff are fully prepared to manage specific support needs successfully.
Our carers’ strengths, skills, training history, and personalities are recorded in detail. We also capture the things that matter to them: their family routines, availability, support networks, confidence areas and preferred age groups.
Behind every successful match is a stable, motivated, and well-supported team. We prioritise a workplace where staff feel valued and able to deliver their best practice. Team members are encouraged to share concerns, ideas, and reflections without fear of judgement. Having our club space and sensory room right next to our office has really helped remove barriers between management and staff. Working so closely together has brought everyone closer, improved understanding, and created a more supportive atmosphere. We model the same relational principles we expect staff and carers to use with children: empathy, curiosity, and connection. This leads to stronger relationships, fewer staffing disruptions, improved emotional wellbeing, and better engagement in education and community life.
Our approach to matching, and commitment to a positive working environment, goes hand in hand. By ensuring our team feels supported, we create conditions for thoughtful compatibility, stable support and meaningful outcomes for children and young people.
Blog by Forth House, Rossie Young People’s Trust
Forth House, a care home for children and young people was recently inspected, providing the service with an opportunity to demonstrate and highlight some of the work being undertaken to keep the promise. In particular, the enabling approach taken by the service supported young people to take sensible risks, encouraging independence and providing opportunities for personal development to help young people realise their full potential.
Forth House provides a home for four young people. Set within Rossie Young People’s Trust’s main campus just outside Montrose, the house serves as both a step down service from our secure care centre and also as a traditional residential care setting.
In November 2025 we welcomed an inspection team from the Care Inspectorate and they spent three days with us, speaking to young people, their families, staff, managers, as well as considering how we approach the care task.
Having worked with the Inspectorate around our approach to positive risk taking and care planning we were pleased to receive positive feedback on these areas. Examples of our approach which were commended included supporting a young person to gain work experience within the wider organisation with two others volunteering with local organisations. Feedback from young people around their feelings of self-worth while engaging in these activities has been really positive and they can be genuinely proud of not only gaining and maintaining these experiences, but also what they are contributing to the local community.
We have worked alongside the Inspectorate to help shape Forth House with a strong focus on improvement. Whilst the grading is welcome, what is most satisfying is the recognition for the staff and young people for all the work that they have put into making the service what it is today.
Recognising that we have a duty to not only maintain the safety of young people living with us, but also prepare them for the next step of their journey to eventual independence, we have worked alongside a local authority to support a young person to spend periods of time in the house by themselves. For 17 year olds across Scotland this event would be unremarkable but for young people experiencing alternative care arrangements, the opportunity to feel what it is to be alone in a house is often only something they experience once they have a tenancy of their own.
Our vision is to foster a homely, supportive atmosphere where relationships, trust, and personal growth are at the heart of everything we do. Through consistent encouragement, meaningful activities and a focus on individual strengths, we have created a space within Forth House where young people can thrive, feel valued and reach their full potential.
During inspection one young person commented: "I love it here - all is good and plenty of staff I would go to if I had any concerns."
Forth House
New route maps published to help deliver the promise
Some big promise news is the publication of the 25 updated route maps. The route maps are national level plans, which build on the progress and positive changes already made.
The route maps set the strategic direction to achieve the promise vision statements set out in the promise progress framework by 2030. They are pointers to help organisations to further develop individual delivery plans, work collaboratively, and collectively maximise each agency's unique contribution to keeping the promise.
Aileen Nicol, strategic inspector (children and young people) and promise lead at the Care Inspectorate shared an article on creating route maps.
Aileen said: "We have a pipeline of evidence and examples of good practice coming out from inspections and thematic reviews. These mark a point in time to help to show how Scotland is doing and will feature as milestones on the scrutiny route map.
"The route maps are essential for showing where we are trying to get to and the work underway to get us there. They are in real time. They will help with sharing good practice as well. If we know something another organisation is doing, or pioneering work around trauma-informed practice, we can connect with them around it and share it with others."
Charlotte Wilson: Our work as a scrutiny body on restrictive practice
The promise was clear that Scotland must strive to become a nation that does not restrain its children. Restrictive practices relate to different types of restraint. These can include physical, mechanical, chemical, cultural, environmental or psychological restraint, surveillance or blanket rules. Restrictive practice is defined as making someone do something they do not want to do or stopping them from doing something they do want to do, by restricting or restraining them, or depriving them of their liberty.
Charlotte Wilson, chief inspector for children and young people at the Care Inspectorate has shared an article on our work around restrictive practice.
Charlotte said: "The Care Inspectorate is committed to upholding and promoting human rights and the rights of the child. These rights may only be restricted as a last resort, including in the use of restraint."
Other news
Annual returns now closed
This year’s annual returns have now closed. We would like to thank everyone who submitted their annual return to us by the deadline, Tuesday 17 February 2026. The information you have provided will help us plan, inform and carry out our inspections and improvement work.
CCTV guidance questionnaire
As part of our ongoing work to support safe, ethical and person-centred use of digital technologies in care, we are exploring how cameras, CCTV, audio recording devices and sensor-based monitoring equipment are currently being used across services.
To help us shape clear, practical and accessible national guidance, we are asking providers to take part in a short questionnaire about their experiences.
Complete the survey here.
SSSC Open Badges for care home activity
Scottish Care has launched two brand-new SSSC Open Badges designed to empower care home managers and activity leads across Scotland. These badges celebrate professional growth, creativity, and the vital role of meaningful activity in care settings. Find out more here.
Recent publications
Webinars and events
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Quality improvement framework sessions for childminders: various dates and times.
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Do you work in a care at home service in Ayrshire and Arran? If so, you may be interested in a free training/learning session for social care staff focused on actively listening. This builds on the work of a network focused on supporting people to live well with a neurological condition at home. To reserve a place on one of the events below, contact Dr Jenny Preston on 01294 323040 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
- Monday 2 March, 10:00-12:30 at Fullarton Connextions, Irvine
- Monday 2 March, 14:00-16:30 at Fullarton Connextions, Irvine
- Tuesday 3 March 10:00-12:30 at Saltcoats Town Hall, Saltcoats
- Tuesday 3 March 14:00-16:30 at Saltcoats Town Hall, Saltcoats
Stay up to date with all our webinars and events on The Hub. You can watch recordings of our webinars on YouTube.
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