The Promise set out to change the care system

Scottish charity, Who Cares? Scotland, has warned about a lack of progress and issued a report on The Promise, which celebrates its fourth anniversary.

Highlighting concerns about the lack of progress, data gaps and dilution in aims, the charity hopes to provide a benchmark on the work being done to keep The Promise to the care experienced community in 2020.

Louise Hunter, chief executive, said: “This is a critical time for the care experienced community.

“It has been seven years since Nicola Sturgeon announced a ‘root and branch review’ of the care system in Scotland. And we’re now four years down the line since the publication of The Promise, it’s clear there is still lots to do.

“We want to make sure that Scotland is aware of the progress, highlight concerns from the care experienced community and motivate everyone to work together to uphold the commitments set out in The Promise.

"Together, we can make sure care experienced people have a lifetime of equality, respect and love.”

A flagship policy from Nicola Sturgeon’s tenure in office, The Promise set out to deliver transformational change of the care system in Scotland. It was the end result of a three-year review of the care system and received cross-party support.

Following the publication of The Promise in 2020, The Promise Scotland - the organisation set up to help Scotland keep its promise to care experienced people - issued Plan 21 -24. This set out five priority areas to be worked on.

However, The Promise Oversight Board, the organisation tasked with holding Scotland to account, admitted in June 2023 that things are not on track and that the first plan would not be successful.

The report has unveiled positive progress on areas such as keeping brothers and sisters together, addressing stigma in the care system and the work underway to reshape the youth justice system. However, it has highlighted that much more work needs to be done within all the priority areas. With key concerns on the lack of progress in education, restraint and the monetisation of care.

In 2016, Who Cares? Scotland called for the independent care review alongside care Experienced people. That is those who are currently, or have been, in care for any length of time. This includes foster care, kinship care, secure care, adoption and looked after at home.