1. Welcome Ashley Cameron Ambassador Who Cares? Scotland

2. Today Who Cares? Scotland: Who we are and what we do. Looked After Children and Young People: My experience and others Corporate Parenting: How can it change our lives?

3. Who We Are

4. Looked After Children and Young People 16, 041 people in care. No more than 0.5% of Scotland’s population. (Scottish Government, 2014)

5. Background

6. Care When I was born my mother was addicted to heroin and I suffered from withdrawals. lived in kinship care with my Gran until I was 2 and a half. Lived in abusive foster care environment Told from a very young age that I would never achieve in life Homeless for 5 years On my 5 th and final chance at Education At the age of 25 I have moved 48 times …..

7. Primary School I wasn’t being fed properly at home so I would steal food at school I was constantly being bullied and was told that no one would ever love me My behaviour was deemed “challenging” and I was placed on never ending Behaviour charts Shined in subjects like Drama, Music and English studies

8. High School Bullied at both High Schools I attended due to being “different” Regularly taken out of schools to attend Hearings and Reviews Sat 4 out of 9 Standard Grade exams Battled severe anxiety and depression

9. After Care Moved in to Supported Accommodation at 17, moved in with my mother 3 months later Had various part-time jobs including, working in a chip shop and being a Karaoke Host. Homeless at 18, B&Bs, homeless accommodation Signed off from After Care support on 21 st Birthday Moved into Women's refuge at 21 after relationship breakdown

10. Finding our Voice Letter to the Education & Culture committee asking them to listen to our views about being taken into care.

11. The result of that letter Rent Arrears. Notice of proceedings. Couldn’t even afford a Zone card into college.

12. What followed? I was offered an UNCONDITIONAL offer for an HND course in Legal Services. My employer at the time asked me to pick between full time work and pursuing my education. I left work and started my course at City of Glasgow College.

13. Who Cares? Scotland Working with SAAS to ensure that the application process for student funding is as accessible as possible Education Campaign Care: My Story, Roadshow: A reflective look at 2 care leavers journey through education and influencing change

14. Plans Start the 2 nd Year of my History & Politics Degree course at Stirling University Continuing work with Who Cares? Scotland and promoting Education. For some Care experienced Young People – Education is the ONLY aspect of their lives that is within their control. In 2015 I was elected to the NUS (Scotland) Student Executive Committee

15. They can be looked after at home or away from home Looked After Children and Young People

16. Are there different types of state care?

17. Becoming Looked After in Scotland 90% Care & Protection 10% Offence

18. Educational Outcomes

19. Post-Education and Employment Looked after Children Non-Looked after Children 79% left aged 16 and under 82% initially in a positive destination 74% in a positive destination after 9months 30% left aged 16 and under 91% initially in a positive destination 90% in a positive destination after 9 months

20. Learning and teachingResearch and innovation SFC allocates about £1.6bn in public funds to Scotland’s 19 universities and 25 colleges each year for: Student support funds (for college students) Skills development Widening access to further and higher education Other costs such as staff, buildings and equipment

21. Educational Outcomes

22. Prison

23. Housing 30% of care leavers experience homelessness

24. Is the answer Corporate Parenting? A public bodies’ performance of actions necessary to promote and support the physical, emotional, spiritual, social and cognitive development of a looked after child or care leaver, from infancy through to adulthood. (From Draft Guidance on Part 9 of Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014)

25. 24 Corporate Parents A health board A board constituted under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 Healthcare Improvement Scotland Scottish Qualifications Authority Skills Development Scotland Social Care & Social Work Improvement Scotland The Scottish Social Services Council Sport Scotland The Chief Constable of the Police Service of Scotland Scottish Police Authority Scottish Fire & Rescue Service The Scottish Legal Aid Board A local authority Scottish Ministers National Convener of Children's Hearings Scotland Children's Hearings Scotland Principal Reporter The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland The Scottish Housing Regulator Bòrd na Gàidhlig Creative Scotland A “post-16” education body

26. Get in Touch! Ashley Cameron acameron@whocaresscotland.org 0141 226 4441