Care experienced youngsters have been having their say on a review of the system

A delegation youngsters supported by Barnardo’s have shared their thoughts on a review of the care system.

A number of care experienced young people visited the chair of the care review, Fiona Duncan, on Thursday (12 October) to deliver responses collected during a care review postcard campaign carried out by Barnardo’s Scotland.

The young people, from North Lanarkshire and Stirling, representing children and care experienced young people supported by the children’s charity, met with Duncan to discuss their responses.

She said: “I would like to offer a huge thanks to all of the children and young people who took the time to write their responses on the postcards, who give me their thoughts and views and shared their hopes and aspirations for the care review.

“I would also like to reassure every single one of them and all of the other children and young people who are taking part in the review that we are really listening to them and that we are determined to use their aspiration to shape Scotland’s future care system.”

Jacqui Dunbar, national children’s rights and advocacy officer for Barnardo’s Scotland, said: “We realise the independent care review is a once in a lifetime opportunity for children and young people to shape the care system based on their experiences.

“The children’s rights and advocacy team were keen to encourage children and young people across Barnardo’s Scotland to participate in the initial discovery phase of the national care review.

“We wanted to play on the theme end of summer holidays so we created a national care review postcard campaign.”