Subject: Things are hotting up here at Staf

The latest news, updates and opportunities for care leavers and the workforce who support them.

Dear Friend


I hope this month’s newsletter finds you refreshed after some summer fun, or with a reset break on the horizon. Here at Staf we’ve been taking the downtime to plan for the next few months ahead as well as welcoming some new members to the team.  
 
As mentioned in the last edition, our annual National Conference is taking place on Wednesday 23rd November at the University of Stirling. Full booking details will be announced soon, including information about on our ever-popular early bird and group rates, but in the meantime we are opening up applications for our Sponsorship and Exhibition opportunities. You can find out more about what’s on offer here or you can email marion@staf.scot to register your interest. 


Our care experienced led projects have also been using this month to plan and have some exciting opportunities coming up. Project Return are coming back together to host a Care Experienced Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub on Thu 29 Sep. More information about how to take part will be announced shortly. The Care Leavers Forum have been discussing the next Cross Party Group meeting and will also be involved in our Guaranteed Income pilot discussions which we are very excited to announce will be heard by the First Minister when she visits the steering group next month. The Real Toolkit Advisory Group are looking for organisations which provide services for young people to get in touch so we can showcase their work on the relevant pages. Email katrina@staf.scot if you want share your work. And finally, Youth Just Us have been busy welcoming Sarah Quinn as our new Youth Justice Support Worker who is tasked with creating Youth Justice Voices groups outwith the central belt.


This month we are also thrilled to welcome Dawn Robb as our new Learning, Evidence and Impact Lead who will be creating an online learning channel for the wealth of care experienced learnings gathered by the Life Changes Trust, alongside supporting our own learning and evaluation work.


A project we have been working on for a few years now is Shannon’s Box, a box of love for young people entering care, designed by Shannon Brown, who wanted to make the experience of going into care better than her own. The box contains items which are to provide comfort, safety and love as well as fostering positive relationships and can be adapted to suit different ages of children. We’d love to see this being rolled out to children/young people across Scotland. If you’d like to find out more then email info@staf.scot or check out the webpage.  
 
With the current cost of living crisis we need to do all we can to ensure young people are equipped to make the most of the finances they do have. Which is why we are delighted to see MyBnk opening a Money House in Glasgow. You can read all about their service for 16 – 25 year olds in our Policy and Practice section of the newsletter.
 

Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome Right There who have recently joined us as a member. You can find out more about the great work they do in our Member of the Month section below.

Thank you also to all our members, we would not be here without you, and you all play a vital role in supporting young people leaving care. If you are interested in joining us you can find out all there is to know about the benefits at www.staf.scot/membership.  


Best wishes, 


Jo Derrick  

Staf CEO

Staf Projects

Youth Just Us - Care and Justice Experienced Steering Group

  • Youth Just Us are currently on the look out for new members. We will be planning a number of info sessions at Staf so young people and workers can find out more about the project, as well as get the chance to try out some fun creative activities. Get in touch with ruth@staf.scot for more info

  • Youth Justice Voices are working collaboratively with CLAN Childlaw and former CYCJ Director Claire Lightowler on an interesting project. Youth Just Us member and Youth Justice Voices consultant Ashley is working alongside Claire and Ruth leading engagement activities with young people to help us understand children and young people’s legal needs and to help us understand what they would want and need from a child friendly legal service. Out first workshop with Youth Justice Voices Inside Out in Polmont has already taken place. You can read more about this exciting project here.

  • We joined colleagues from CELCIS, National Leadership Network and Jersey Cares, who were visiting Scotland. We are looking forward to continuing conversations about how we might work collaboratively to share and learn from each other’s participation projects


Inside Out - Care experienced steering group at HMPYOI Polmont

  • Inside Out are continuing their work on rights, are finalising a summer edition of their newsletter for their peers in Polmont and have a few exciting visits and events in the pipeline.


You can keep up to date with the work of Youth Just Us and Inside Out via our Twitter account @YJVScotland 

Care Leavers Forum
The Care Leavers' Forum are continuing to meet to discuss our key areas of policy interest; finance, education and terminology which are the key pillars on the workplan for the Cross Party Group on Care Leavers. The group are also involved in Staf's campaign to pilot a Guaranteed Income for Care Leavers and are looking forward to meeting with the First Minister next month to share their views on this campaign.


Get in touch with katrina@staf.scot if you'd like to get involved and influence change for care leavers!

The Real Toolkit


The Real Toolkit, a leaving care resource by Staf, is available here.

Check out this month's featured guides on How to create relational education. 

We are currently looking for organisations who provide services and support for care leavers and the workforce to get in touch so we can share their work on the Toolkit. If you would like to be featured, please email katrina@staf.scot.

You can follow us on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with our progress.

National Leadership Network (NLN)

Gary Brown, NLN Development Co-ordinator, shares the latest update


  • Interim Oversight Board (IOB): the 4 young people on the IOB continue to steer and play an integral role in the direction of the NLN roadshows and a paid opportunity (Steering Group) in particular (more info below).

  • Roadshows: The NLN has arranged 3 events as part of a process to engage with people with care experience, discuss leadership and find out about what leadership opportunities people are looking for in their geographic areas. Aberdeen date confirmed as Tuesday 2 August, East Renfrewshire date confirmed as Thursday 11 August and Rossie Thursday 18th of August. All events are being planned in partnership with local staff and people with care experience.

  • National Leadership Network Steering Group: The NLN is currently interviewing people for this opportunity in a process led by the Interim Oversight Board. The Steering Group will be the main decision-making body for the NLN and be a paid opportunity for those involved.

  • Communication: A young person has been leading on NLN comms with support from staff from the NLN, Staf and CYCJ staff. This has involved developing promo, developing a potential website, and developing a communication plan. The NLN is now on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok as well as having a well-established Twitter account.

  • Engagement: NLN staff have been talking to people in the care experience community and finding out what the NLN could/should be doing. Ideas put forward by young people with care experience currently being worked on are a national virtual quiz and an opportunity to blog on the concept of leadership. Engagement continues with organisations in the care experience community. A couple of interesting examples of this in July were firstly NLN staff met colleagues from Jersey Cares who were visiting Scotland to talk about each other’s projects and learn from each other. We also had an interesting meeting with staff from the Hunter Foundation, updating them on the progress of the NLN and learning more about the important work they do.

  • Events: The NLN have been asked to present at CELCIS' Participation Network event on the 3rd of August - Participation Practice Exchange: Keep The Promise by bringing participation to life. An NLN staff member and a young person will share learning from the NLN’s journey to date and consider aspirations and next steps.

  • Life Changes Trust legacy: The National Leadership is one of four Life Changes Trust legacy projects. Leads from all these projects will meet next month to look at working collaboratively over the next few years.


This is a snapshot of some of the work the NLN is doing just now. For more information, please contact gary@thenln.org 

Staf Events

Care Leavers Into Employment
Focus Group

Tue 13 Sep

Local Authority Manager's Forum

Wed 14 Sep

Participation Practitioners' Forum
Thu 29 Sep

Implications of Continuing Care Focus Group
Tue 25 Oct

Supported Lodgings, Supported Carers Focus Group
Tue 25 Oct

Staf National Conference 2022

Wed 23 Nov
University of Stirling

Policy and Practice Updates 

My Bnk: The Money House Glasgow


The Money House programme aims to prevent youth homelessness by preparing young people aged 16 - 25 for their tenancies and providing them with financial education.

The first Scottish Money House is opening in Glasgow, on Hope Street and will offer:


  • 3 - 5 day course that can be delivered face-to-face, virtually or mobile (MyBnk bring it to you)

  • SCQF Level 4 in Personal Money Management credit rated by SQA

  • small groups of 4 - 10 young people who have been individually referred to us, or who are grouped together e.g. from Local Authority teams, Housing Associations or charity partners

  • Covers essential money management plus housing elements such as tenancy agreements, inventory checks and reading meters

Shannon's Box

We are currently looking for new local authorities or third sector care providers to roll out Shannon's Box.


Shannon's Box was designed by Shannon Brown, a care experienced young person who wanted to help young people entering care by providing a box of love, containing items such as night lights, books and a teddy bear.


The contents of the box can be bespoke to your area/setting and they have proven to be an important and welcome part of what can often be a scary and difficult time in a child's life.

To find out more click on the link below or email info@staf.scot

National Trauma Training Resources
We wanted to share the National Trauma Training Programme's online resources as we know having a trauma informed and aware approach is essential to supporting young people transitioning from care to independence.

You can find a range of information from the basics of being trauma informed to the more advanced level understandings on their website.

Scottish Government Consultation: Bail and Remand
The Scottish Government are currently seeking views on a new law on how bail and remand are used in Scotland which will impact on those held in prisons and YOIs.

The Government wishes to change the law in relation to areas such as using alternative measures to remand and improving the transition from incarceration into the community.

Submissions are to be made by 8 Sep.

Member of the Month: Right There

Previously known as Ypeople, Right There is a Scottish charity which works to prevent people becoming homeless and separated from their loved ones. They provide tailored support for people of all ages and aim to form trusting relationships to make people feel trusted, safe and confident, all with a trauma informed grounding.

Right There provide Supported Housing for young people leaving care along with ensuring they have the necessary life skills to maintain their home and emotional support from the Right There team. In addition they offer 24 hour emergency accommodation for those at most risk of sleeping rough or to those leaving prison.

What We Love This Month

💜 Extraordinary Portraits, the BBC production which last week featured Scottish artist Ross Muir painting Jamie, an inspirational young man with care experience.


💜Our Justice, a new podcast series by Community Justice Scotland in collaboration with the Empathy Museum.


💜North Ayrshire Champion Board's Summer Programme
 available to care experienced young people and their friends and family.