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‘I am a foster carer’ - why do foster carers find it hard to say?

Year: | Topic: Foster care | Author: Sara Smith

Why do I hesitate when people ask what I do to say I am a foster carer? What makes me wait and judge the person before saying I am a foster c…

The power of love and support in extraordinary times

Year: 2021 | Topic: Foster care | Author: Sara Lurie

As we celebrate Foster Care Fortnight 2021, I want to say a huge thank you to the fostering community across Scotland. In spite of the huge c…

Agents of change

Year: 2018 | Topic: Foster care | Author: Jo Derrick

Jo Derrick at Foster Care Associates explans how additional support for foster carers at the early stages of placement helps to improve outco…

Fostering love through relationships

Year: | Topic: Foster care | Author: Seany

In this blog post for Foster Carer Fortnight 2024, Seany, a lived experienced Consultant wanted to share some thoughts, from her experience o…

Case study/examples of practice Resource Icon

Kids like Kate need a home

Year: 2015 | Topic: Permanence | Author: East Renfrewshire Council

East Renfrewshire Council listen and learn from local residents to revamp their foster carer campaign.

Doctor Who and the care experienced new companion

Year: 2017 | Topic: Education, Foster care, Throughcare and aftercare | Author: Leanne Mattu

Leanne Mattu, Research Associate at CELCIS, explores what Bill Potts’ character does and does not tell us about being in foster care

If I wasn't emotionally involved, they wouldn't have thrived

Year: 2018 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Foster care, Health and Wellbeing, Kinship care, Looked after at home, Residential care | Author: Gordon Main

Gordon Main continues the conversation on commitment, discussing the emotional investment of foster carers.

We are open, responsive and actively listen

Year: 2018 | Topic: Foster care | Author: Michael Stewart

Michael Stewart, from Fosterplus, gives an insight into a model used to improve foster care practice.

Relationships in Foster Care Professional Role survey

Year: 2018 | Topic: Foster care | Author: Lucia Hargašová, CELCIS

Are you a foster carer? Take this short questionnaire and share your experiences of fostering.

Commitment, like love, is not enough

Year: 2018 | Topic: Foster care, Kinship care, Residential care | Author: Gordon Main

Gordon Main talks about how commitment in the care system is not enough.

"I just want to be normal": looked after young people's experiences of feeling different

Year: 2018 | Topic: Health and Wellbeing, REACH, Voices of young people | Author: Professor Julie Selwyn, Dr Claire Baker

Professor Julie Selwyn, from the University of Bristol, and Dr Claire Baker from Corum Voice talk about the Bright Spots programme looking at…

Knowing about continuing care allows for early conversations

Year: | Topic: Foster care, Throughcare and aftercare | Author: Hazel Rogers

Hazel Rogers is new to fostering and here she discusses her journey to find out more about continuing care to give her the confidence to supp…

Latest stats on children in care prompts some interesting questions

Year: 2016 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Education, Local authority, Looked after at home | Author: Ben Farrugia

Ben Farrugia raises some interesting questions. Some of these stats don't ring true. Why?

Moving forward on alternative care: Assessment of the Foster Care Pilot Project in Albania

Year: 2014 | Topic: International | Author: Irene Stevens, Graham Connelly & Ian Milligan

Our evaluation of a foster care project in Albania.

Consultation response: The Learning Standard of Foster Care

Year: 2016 | Topic: Foster care | Author: Ben Farrugia

Feedback on the proposed Learning Standard for Foster Care, framing the core knowledge and skills required by today’s foster carers.

Challenging the narrative: How a new media toolkit is helping tell the stories of care

Year: | Topic: Voices of young people | Author: Sophia Alexandra Hall

Sophia Alexandra Hall is deputy digital editor at the Big Issue and the author of the Media Toolkit for Journalists and Care Experienced Peop…

Changing Landscape of Kinship Care in Scotland

Year: 2021 | Topic: Kinship care | Author: Arthur Coutts

Traditionally, kinship care has been viewed as a cheaper option secondary to fostering and adoption in terms of allowances, support and a lac…

A Passion for Permanence

Year: 2016 | Topic: Kinship care, Permanence, Voices of young people | Author: Aileen Nicol

Why permanence matters for looked after children, and why we must share our passion to improve.

Foster Care Review

Year: 2013 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Legislation | Author: LACSIG

Includes the survey analysis, the final report and the Scottish Government's response to the findings.

CHAMPS is changing lives

Year: 2018 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Throughcare and aftercare, Voices of young people | Author: Maryellen Fegan

Maryellen Fegan chairs the Highland Champions (CHAMPS) Board. In this blog she describes what she believes it has achieved.

Mind the implementation gap: how child care can be improved globally

Year: 2017 | Topic: Foster care, Health and Wellbeing, International, Voices of young people | Author: Chrissie Gale

Dr Chrissie Gale, international lead for CELCIS, reflects on research which could help shape the drive for better alternative care for childr…

Concurrency: Planning for all outcomes

Year: 2016 | Topic: Adoption, Child protection, Foster care, Permanence | Author: Carol Wassell

What’s known as concurrency planning is beginning to be adopted in Scotland, and it's a potent means of achieving permanent, stable homes an…

Strengthening family based care, strengthening social work in Kosovo

Year: 2016 | Topic: Foster care, International | Author: Ian Milligan

For anyone interested in the operation and challenges of a care system in South-east Europe. This is a review of the care system in Kosovo.

I couldn't bring myself to write the acronym 'LAC'

Year: 2018 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Residential care, Voices of young people | Author: Graham Connelly

Continuing the theme of Graham's first blog post on language and labelling, giving examples of when this is unhelpful.

Adoption: dispelling the myths and realising the reality

Year: 2016 | Topic: Adoption, Permanence | Author: Fiona Aitken

The rewards of adopting can far outweigh any barriers

Just out having a good time?

Year: 2018 | Topic: Foster care, Local authority, Residential care | Author: Leanne McIver, Vicki Welch

Evaluation of the pilot National Partnership Agreement for Looked After Children who go missing from Residential and Foster Care in Scotland

State of the Nation's Foster Care 2021

Year: 2021 | Topic: Foster care | Author: The Fostering Network

This report from The Fostering Network, is based on a survey, which took place in the summer of 2021, and covered key practice and workforce …

One voice

Year: 2019 | Topic: International | Author: Chrissie Gale

Dr Chrissie Gale, CELCIS international lead, argues that we need agencies to unite with one voice if we want to uphold children’s rights inte…

Child migrants around the world are being denied their human rights

Year: 2019 | Topic: Child sexual exploitation (CSE), Child trafficking, International | Author: Chrissie Gale, Jennifer Davidson, Nigel Cantwell

Vast numbers of children and families are on the move around the world. There are now 30m children displaced by conflict, the highest since W…

‘Children have a right to education – regardless of immigration status’

Year: 2019 | Topic: Child protection, Child sexual exploitation (CSE), Child trafficking, Education, International | Author: Jennifer Davidson, Chrissie Gale

This article was first published by TES on the support teachers can offer unaccompanied and separated children.

CELCIS response to the Scottish Government’s Consultation on The Youth Justice Standards

Year: 2020 | Topic: Secure care | Author: Kate Mackinnon

Our response highlights the need for children aged 16-17 to access child friendly justice responses, and for the rights of children as ascert…

What I wished I’d known about kinship care

Year: | Topic: Kinship care | Author: Margaret Jones**

A kinship carer who has looked after her granddaughter for the past decade shares some of the challenges and the rewards this brings.

National Confidential Forum for Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse

Year: 2012 | Topic: Historical abuse, Residential care | Author: Moyra Hawthorn, Andy Kendrick

Information on the number of children who had been in care in Scotland between 1930 and 2005.

Living in the room for improvement

Year: 2018 | Topic: Children's hearings system, Foster care, Legislation, Voices of young people, Siblings, Brothers and sisters | Author: Claire Burns

Claire Burns introduces the evidence into practice theme of the new issue of our REACH publication.

Looked after children statistics 2014-15

Year: 2016 | Topic: | Author: Ben Farrugia

Our analysis and briefing on the Scottish Government's statistics on looked after children and care leavers

Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care Vol 18 No 3

Year: 2019 | Topic: Child protection, Residential care, Voices of young people | Author: Graham Connelly

This issue includes a mix of peer-reviewed articles, commentaries and the Kilbrandon Lecture.

Going to school, and staying the course

Year: 2015 | Topic: Education | Author: Graham Connelly

Attend, encourage and enjoy to learn - a blog by Graham Connelly

The attainment gap - a look behind the stats

Year: 2016 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Education, Foster care, Local authority, Looked after at home | Author: Linda O'Neill

Linda O'Neill tells the story behind the recent education statistics.

National framework established to monitor Scotland’s progress on children’s social care

Year: 2024 | Topic: Adoption, Child protection, Children's hearings system, Corporate parenting, Foster care, Kinship care, Legislation, Looked after at home, Permanence, Residential care, Secure care, Throughcare and aftercare, Brothers and sisters | Author: The Promise Scotland

Aimed at building an understanding of how Scotland is doing in its progress towards keeping The Promise of the Independent Care Review, the F…

Whose experiences are we relying on to explain what the reality of adoption feels like for adoptees?

Year: 2024 | Topic: Adoption, Voices of young people | Author: Dr Polly Cowan

In this blog post, Dr Polly Cowan, a Practice Manager at Scottish Adoption and Fostering, explains how the organisation’s Young Ambassadors d…

Developing a new resource to help support adoptive families caring for brothers and sisters

Year: 2024 | Topic: Adoption, Brothers and sisters | Author: Dr Christine Jones

In this blog post, Dr Christine Jones, an adoptive parent and researcher who worked to ensure the rights of care experienced brothers and sis…

Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care Vol 23 No 2

Year: 2024 | Topic: Residential care | Author:

Welcome to the autumn 2024 issue of the Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care (SJRCC). We introduce this issue by saying a big ‘thank yo…

Taking action to improve the collection of statistics about disabled children in Scotland

Year: 2024 | Topic: Disability | Author: Dr Alex McTier

In this blog post, Dr Alex McTier, Evidence and Evaluation Specialist at CELCIS, explains what’s behind a new project to help better understa…

From isolation to belonging - from surviving to thriving, through connection and community

Year: | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare, Voices of young people | Author: Melody

In this blog post for Care Experience Week 2024, Melody*, a consultant with lived experience at CELCIS offers her thoughts on this year’s the…

New research highlights the need for increased support for Scotland’s kinship families

Year: 2024 | Topic: Kinship care | Author: CELCIS and SCADR

A new report – Growing Up in Kinship Care – published by CELCIS, the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection based at the U…

CELCIS’s response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on ‘Moving On’ from Care into Adulthood

Year: 2024 | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare | Author: CELCIS

CELCIS has responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation exercise seeking examples of good practice and solutions to issues challenging…

Non-compulsory care for children and young people in Scotland: Learning from experiences of Section 25

Year: 2024 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Legislation, Local authority | Author: CELCIS

This final report brings together the findings of how Section 25 arrangements in Scotland are experienced from the perspectives of parents, p…

Evaluation of the Lifelong Links trial in Scotland

Year: 2024 | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare | Author: Dr Robert Porter and Dr Nadine Fowler

An evaluation of the trial commissioned by Family Rights Group (FRG), has been published by CELCIS, the Centre for Excellence for Children’s …

CELCIS's response to the Scottish Government’s Post-School Education and Skills Reform: Consultation on Legislation

Year: 2024 | Topic: Education | Author: Linda Peat, Michael Bettencourt

CELCIS's response to the Scottish Government’s Post-School Education and Skills Reform: Consultation on Legislation

CELCIS’s response to the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s call for views on National Care Service (Scotland) Bill (Stage 2)

Year: 2024 | Topic: Legislation | Author: Kate MacKinnon and Katherine Anderson

CELCIS has responded to a Scottish Parliament’s call for views on draft amendments for the National Care Service (NCS) (Scotland) Bill (Stage…

The Reflection and Action Learning Forum Project Update

Year: 2024 | Topic: Residential care | Author: Laura Steckley, Sarah Deeley and Gemma Watson

The Reflection and Learning Forum (RALF) is a model for supporting the development of reflection at depth. The aim of RALF is to provide a pr…

Accessing Records in Scotland Report

Year: 2024 | Topic: Legislation, Throughcare and aftercare, Voices of young people | Author: Social Work Scotland

A new report published on 8 July 2024, provides more information on what people with care experience in Scotland have experienced regarding t…

We must uphold Scotland’s children’s rights

Year: | Topic: Legislation | Author: Sarah Jayne Morris

Sarah Jayne Morris, a Consultant with lived experience at CELCIS, offers her thoughts on the UNCRC being enshrined in law in Scotland and why…

Education Forum May 2024

Year: 2024 | Topic: Education | Author: CELCIS

At this Education Forum, attendees heard from Emma Mcginlay and Tony Mitchell, from the National Engagement and Partnership Team of Social S…

When data tells us the what but not the why

Year: 2023 | Topic: Adoption, Corporate parenting, Foster care, Kinship care, Looked after at home, Neglect, Permanence, Residential care | Author: Micky Anderson

CELCIS’s Data Lead, Micky Anderson, takes a look at the latest social work statistics in Scotland for clues about what is happening in the su…

Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care Vol 23 No 1

Year: 2024 | Topic: Residential care | Author:

Welcome to the spring 2024 issue of the Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care (SJRCC). It is a very full issue, with the usual mix of lo…

New analysis shows disparity in statistics collected about disabled children in Scotland

Year: 2024 | Topic: Disability | Author: Dr Alex McTier

This analysis assesses the quality of the disabled children’s statistical data this is reported across Scotland’s children’s services, bringi…

“It’s about…believing our own words”: Bringing together the voices of care experienced people

Year: 2023 | Topic: Adoption, Corporate parenting, Foster care, Health and Wellbeing, Kinship care, Local authority, Looked after at home, Residential care, Stigma, Throughcare and aftercare, Voices of young people, Brothers and sisters | Author: Rebekah Pierre

Rebekah Pierre is a care experienced writer, author, social worker, and editor of a new anthology, ‘Free Loaves on Fridays: The Care System A…

Learning more about Scotland’s Virtual Schools

Year: | Topic: Education | Author: Michael Bettencourt and Dr Leanne McIver

For over five years, the role of Virtual School Head Teachers (VSHTs) in Scotland has been evolving and in 2024 is established as a key part …

Survey results on the formal exclusion of care experienced children and young people in Scotland

Year: 2024 | Topic: Education | Author: Virtual School Head Teachers' Network

The Virtual School Head Teachers' Network, which CELCIS has facilitated since 2019, has published the findings of a survey of local authoriti…

Education Forum February 2024

Year: 2024 | Topic: Education | Author: CELCIS

At this meeting of the Education Forum we learned about a partnership project called the Keeping The Promise Award Programme, which was origi…

Updated practitioner guidance on kinship care assistance in Scotland

Year: 2024 | Topic: Kinship care, Legislation | Author: Scottish Government

The Scottish Government along with partners in the Kinship Care Collaborative have produced updated guidance for Part 13 of the Children and …

Navigating social workers’ use of voluntary care arrangements for families in Scotland

Year: | Topic: Child protection, Corporate parenting | Author: Dr Robert Porter, Dr Brandi Lee Lough Dennell

In this second in a series of blog posts to highlight findings from research on voluntary care arrangements in Scotland, Dr Robert Porter, Re…

Understanding the experiences of children growing up in kinship care in Scotland

Year: | Topic: Kinship care | Author: Joanna Soraghan

In this blog post to mark Kinship Care Week 2024, Dr Joanna Soraghan, Data Analyst at CELCIS, the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care a…

Virtual schools for care-experienced learners in Scotland: Reflections on an emerging concept in a new context

Year: 2024 | Topic: Education | Author: Leanna McIver and Michael Bettencourt

This paper offers comparison and reflection on the role and function virtual schools in England and Scotland.

What does new research tell us it will take to keep The Promise?

Year: | Topic: Active implementation | Author: Dr Heather Ottaway

Dr Heather Ottaway, CELCIS’s Head of Evidence and Innovation, and Principal Investigator of the Children’s Services Reform Research study con…

Response from CELCIS to the Scottish Government consultation on policy proposals for a Care Leaver Payment

Year: 2024 | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare | Author: Kate MacKinnon, Kirsty Doull and Katherine Anderson

CELCIS has responded to the Scottish Government's consultation on policy proposals far a Care Leaver payment. Our response is underpinned by …

A response from CELCIS to the Scottish Government’s consultation on ‘Scottish Social Services Council – proposed register changes'

Year: 2023 | Topic: Local authority, Residential care | Author: Kate MacKinnon

CELCIS has responded to the Scottish Government's consultation on 'Scottish Social Services Council – proposed register changes'. We welcome …

A response from CELCIS to the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee’s inquiry into Additional Support for Learning (ASL)

Year: 2023 | Topic: Education, Health and Wellbeing, Legislation | Author: Linda O'Neill

CELCIS's response, based on research evidence, practice experience, and feedback from longstanding cross organisational networks, maintains a…

Children's Services Reform Research Concluding report

Year: 2024 | Topic: Legislation | Author: CELCIS

This concluding report, published in December 2023, brings together key themes and learning from across the study’s findings and determines t…

"Nobody spoke those words to me”: Parental experiences of voluntary care arrangements in Scotland

Year: | Topic: Child protection, Corporate parenting | Author: Dr Robert Porter, Dr Brandi Lee Lough Dennell

In this first of a series of blog posts to highlight findings from research on voluntary care arrangements in Scotland, Dr Robert Porter, Res…

Children's Services Reform Research study: Scotland’s Children’s Services Landscape: The Views and Experiences of the Children’s Services Workforce

Year: 2023 | Topic: Legislation | Author: CELCIS

This final part of the Children’s Services Reform Research study explores the experiences of people working to support children, young people…

Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care Vol 22 No 2

Year: 2023 | Topic: Residential care | Author:

Welcome to the autumn 2023 issue of the Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care. This issue is packed with three long-form, and peer-revie…

How lived experience of care is helping drive Scotland’s progress towards keeping The Promise

Year: | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare, Voices of young people | Author: David Anderson

David Anderson is the Co-Chair of the Oversight Board, an independent group set up to report on the progress and pace in Scotland as it journ…

A Face on a Wall: How embracing ‘Artivism’ can help young people find their voice

Year: | Topic: Voices of young people | Author: Michael Archibald

In this blog post for Care Experienced Week, Michael Archibald, a student, artist and activist, discusses being involved in – and being the f…

Exploring leadership opportunities for the care experienced community

Year: | Topic: Throughcare and aftercare, Voices of young people | Author: Barry Black, Gary Brown and Sarah Rogers

For this Care Experienced Week we took some time with Barry Black, member of the National Leadership Network (NLN) steering group, and Gary B…

A response from CELCIS to the Scottish Government’s consultation on A Human Rights Bill for Scotland

Year: 2023 | Topic: Active implementation, Legislation | Author: Katherine Anderson

This short response draws on the evidence developed for our comprehensive response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the United Na…

Children's Services Reform Research study: Mapping Integration and Outcomes Across Scotland: A Statistical Analysis

Year: 2023 | Topic: Legislation | Author: CELCIS

For the third strand of the Children's Services Reform Research study, we have looked at whether there is an association between the approach…

Children's Services Reform Research study: Case Studies of Transformational Reform Programmes

Year: 2023 | Topic: Legislation | Author: CELCIS

For the second strand of the Children's Service Reform Research study, we have developed six cases studies of a range of approaches to transf…

Children Services Reform Research study: Rapid Evidence Review

Year: 2023 | Topic: Legislation | Author: CELCIS

This Rapid Evidence Review is the first strand of work within the Children’s Services Reform Research study. We gathered, analysed and synthe…

A response from CELCIS to the Scottish Government’s ‘Prescribing the minimum annual number of learning hours: consultation’

Year: 2023 | Topic: Corporate parenting, Education, Legislation | Author: Michael Bettencourt

A perspective on the potential impact on care experienced learners and the education workforce of a proposal to prescribe the number of learn…

Language matters

Year: | Topic: Voices of young people | Author: Amy Miskimmin-Logan

Amy Miskimmin-Logan, Participation Development Worker at Our Hearings Our Voice (OHOV) shares the thinking behind the ‘Language Leaders’ proj…

The Promise Scotland reports on Scotland's Children's Hearings System

Year: 2023 | Topic: Children's hearings system | Author: The Promise Scotland

‘Hearings for Children: The Redesign Report’ has been published by The Promise Scotland following the work of The Hearings System Working Gro…

How Our Hearings Our Voice members worked around COVID-19 restrictions to help children and young people

Year: | Topic: Voices of young people, COVID | Author: Jennifer Orren

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, this could have derailed plans children and young people from Our Hearings, Our Voice (OHOV) had been working…

Education Forum April 2023

Year: 2023 | Topic: Education | Author: CELCIS

In the first Education Forum meeting of 2023, Stacey Heather-Brash, Funding Awareness and Engagement Manager from Students Awards Agency Scot…

Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care Vol 22 No 1

Year: 2023 | Topic: Residential care | Author:

The latest issue of the Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care features topical issues, research and practice. Also read the latest Kilbr…

Data poses questions as well as answers, so what questions arise from Scotland's Child Protection 2021-2022 Statistics?

Year: | Topic: Child protection, Local authority, COVID | Author: Dr Alex McTier

Dr Alex McTier, Evidence and Evaluation Specialist at CELCIS, takes a closer look at Scotland’s Child Protection 2021-2022 Statistics to unco…

The Impact of COVID-19 on Children’s Care Journeys in Scotland: An Analysis of the Administrative Data on 'Looked After' Children

Year: 2023 | Topic: Kinship care, Looked after at home, Residential care, COVID | Author: Joanna Soraghan, Gillian Raab, Patricio Troncoso, Morag Treanor & Robert Porter

The future of social work in times of change

Year: | Topic: Corporate parenting, Local authority, Voices of young people | Author: Kathryn Lindsay

Kathryn Lindsay is the Director of Children, Families and Justice Services and Chief Social Work Officer at Angus Council. In this blog post,…

World Social Work Day 2023: How social work teams in East Lothian have promoted staff wellbeing and development

Year: | Topic: Health and Wellbeing, Local authority | Author: Rogan Higginbottom

On this World Social Work Day, Rogan Higginbottom, a senior workforce learning and development officer at East Lothian Council (ELC), shares …

A response from CELCIS to the Education, Children and Young People Committee’s call for views on the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill, Sections 24 and 25.

Year: 2023 | Topic: Children's hearings system, Health and Wellbeing, Legislation | Author: Kate MacKinnon

CELCIS has responded to the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee’s call for views on the Children (Care and J…

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