Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) Bill
The passing of the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) Bill marks a significant step forward in supporting people with care experience, not only in childhood, but into their adulthood too. By extending access to aftercare, strengthening rights to advocacy and placing clearer responsibilities on services, the Bill recognises that care experience doesn’t end at 16 or 18, and neither should our support.
At Staf, we welcome this progress because it reflects what young people consistently tell us: they want to be heard, have support they can rely on, and be treated with dignity and respect. The Bill brings us closer to keeping the promise by 2030, but we know legislation alone isn’t enough.
What matters now is how these rights are implemented and experienced in everyday life. This is where the Route Maps play a crucial role, guiding services to translate law into meaningful action that genuinely supports young people.
As we implement the Moving On Route Map, we'll be supporting our members to turn new the legislation into tangible, positive experiences for care experienced young people. We're also actively engaging with politicians and policymakers - work that will continue apace with our newly elected MSPs from next month - to ensure these commitments are prioritised and fully realised on the ground.
To join us in making this change real, connect with our team to access resources, guidance and support that helps bring the Bill to life for those who need it most.
Care Leaver Payment
The introduction of Scotland’s new Care Leaver Payment is a meaningful and much-needed development. For many young people, leaving care isn’t just a milestone. It can be a sudden and overwhelming transition into adulthood, often without the safety nets others can rely on. This payment has the potential to ease some of that weight.
At Staf, we know that while this is a positive step, our members and the wider sector are navigating a degree of uncertainty. Questions remain about how the payment will work in practice, how flexible it will be and how it can best support young people in the ways they need.
What is clear, is that for the payment to truly make a difference, it must be accessible, flexible and paired with the right support, so young people can use it in ways that genuinely work for their lives.
We continue to stand alongside our members, helping you steer through these uncertainties, translating guidance into practical action and ensuring young people experience the support they are entitled to. Together, we will help make the payment a real positive addition to young people’s lives.
