SpeakOut Summer 2022

SUMMER 2022

WHO CARES? SCOTLAND MAGAZINE

The First Minister

Steps Up!

Nicola Sturgeon takes part in the Glasgow Kiltwalk to show her support for the Care Experienced community.

Find out more on p20

THE DIRECTOR DIARIES - P6-7

MEET OUR 2022 HARVARD SUMMER SCHOOL STUDENTS - P10

FINDING FAMILY AFTER CARE - P12-13

A REVIEW OF MY NAME IS LEON P24-25

WELCOME

Welcome to the latest is s Inside this issue

Check out what’s inside...

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15

16-17

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Welcome Pages

LIFESTYLE 2-3

Welcome Pages

4-5

Celebrating You

6-7

The Director Diaries

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Meet our Helpline Volunteers

NEWS & EVENTS 10

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s r e d a e r r Ou 75

Every quarter SpeakOut is sent out to every Who Cares?

Scotland Family Member.

3,656 members 2

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Our youngest member is 1 and our oldest member is 75.

Introducing Carys, Lauren, Téa and Stephanie 11 My First Visit to Parliament 12-13 Finding Family After Care 14 Newsflash 15 North Lanarkshire Champs Create Together Tree for Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival 16-17 Exploring the History of Care – Untold Stories 22 18-19 Care Experienced Parents Call for Change 20 The First Minister Steps Up at the Glasgow Kiltwalk 21 Luke Pitches for Privacy 22 A Conference on Care Experience and Covid-19 23 Have you Heard of the Foundling Museum?

ENTERTAINMENT 24-25 My Name is Leon Review 26-27 Quiz Pages 28

Contact Us

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sue of SpeakOut Meet the Editorial Team

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The views expressed by the members in this magazine are their own and not necessarily those of Who Cares? Scotland.

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Celebrating You!

LIFESTYLE

C

elebrating you is a space for you guys to tell us what you’ve been getting up to and to share anything you might be really proud of. We love getting stuff from you, so please send in your poems, stories, pictures, jokes or tell us about something you’ve done, your favourite hobby or a new pet, and we’ll include it in the next issue of SpeakOut. membership@whocaresscotland.org 40 Wellington Street, Glasgow, G2 6HJ

A verse from…

The Young People’s Rap

By Rhyme Buster Bob

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Ayyo, now watch me boom, boom pow, all over the beat, Now watch me 1,2 step, as I’m controlling these feet, I’m dip, dip diving, into the swimming pool, These sharks are my friends, so it’s all cool, Bibbity, bobbity boo, what’s your name son?

Would you like to share your story with everyone?

No? Cool, it’s okay, these things take time, We’ve got to build up, before crossing that line, It’s tougher nowadays, but I think we’re okay, We’ve still stuck together like glue, I dare say, Doing our bestest, to survive this global pandemic, So let’s hope there’s no need for any paramedic, Digital wellbeing, to every human being, We’re making sure that we do everything, Our teams are topping the board with knowledge, And dang, these kids sure worked hard at the college, Come on y’all...

Prince Connor

LIFESTYLE

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y name is Connor, I am 12 turning 13 this year and I’m a member of Who Cares? Scotland.

I have been going to drama group since I was 6. The things I like best about it are going on stage and acting. My cousin Sophie also goes to the group, and we keep each other company.

During lockdown I wrote, filmed and co-starred in a short film I made about Anne Frank with my cousin Sophie. My mum, dad, and people from Who Cares? Scotland were all very proud of me for this. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to do any in-person plays during lockdown, but we did keep in touch online and we made a few short videos through this as well.

When life became more normal, we started to meet in person and rehearse Cinderella. I was chosen to be The Prince. At first, I thought I wanted to be the mouse but then I became quite happy that I was The Prince. We were rehearsing for quite a long time, and I had lot of lines to remember but I managed to do it. We would rehearse in our drama space. The production itself was in Falkirk Town Hall Theatre. I invited Morag, Ross and Sorcha from Who Cares?

Scotland to come and see me on stage so I had them, my Mum, Dad and my brother all there to see me.

My favourite part of being in Cinderella was having people there to watch me and perform. I hope that I get to do more plays. I will let you know if I am in another play in the future!

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SECTION LIFESTYLE

The Director F Diaries

or this issue, Jasmin from our National Representative Body sat down with Denny, Who Cares? Scotland’s Director of Advocacy, to find out more about him, his work and the future he sees for Who Cares?

Scotland and its members.

Can you tell us a bit more about yourself?

I’m Denny, believe it or not I’m 50 years old and I’m married with 2, now quite big, kids, Connor and Molly. I really enjoy football and American football, so much that I stay up late most weeks to watch the NFL. The teams I support are the New York Giants and Rangers. I don’t have a passport at the moment so I wasn’t able to go to Seville to see the Europa League final but I’m quite happy about that since we lost.

I have 10 cats which is a lot of fun and I generally just enjoy having a good time. I like walking in the country, listening to podcasts and spending time with my family.

What do the teams you oversee do across the country?

I manage 7 regional Advocacy and Participation Managers across the country and now a Volunteer Manager. We will also soon have an Assistant Director to help improve our advocacy as much as possible. As the name suggests, my teams focus on advocacy and participation. Our advocacy offer is continuing to grow, we have a large contract from the government and The Promise has highlighted its importance.

Participation has picked up again after the pandemic. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to have a summer camp this year but our summer programme was popular last year and we’re hoping to have some regional activities take place this year. We’re also looking forward to getting back together with members at the Members’ Assembly and Love Rally in October.

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How did you get involved with Who Cares?

Scotland?

I used to work in a residential care setting and often worked alongside Who Cares? Scotland workers.

I was always really interested in the work that they did, as I used to help run a young people’s parliament which focused on rights.

“When the job offer for Who Cares? Scotland came up, which was about 16 years ago now, I had to go for it.

I started off in a research position working in secure units looking to achieve better outcomes for secure services. I interviewed young people a lot and looked into persistent offending among Care Experienced people.

Then I moved into a role in local authority advocacy, I was an advocate in South Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire and Kibble before taking on the role of Corporate Parenting/Training Manager which involved delivering training to Corporate Parents on how to support Care Experienced people.

I then looked at National Participation, when we started our summer camp and other events, before working on our Communities that Care Project in Renfrewshire. For the last 18 months or so I have been the Director of Advocacy. I’ve been all over,

I’m a bit of a Who Cares? Scotland lifer.

LIFESTYLE SECTION

How do you manage such a large team?

It can be quite difficult because we’re all spread out so far. We used to use Perth as a place to meet since it’s relatively central, but the pandemic actually helped us learn how to connect digitally and we meet more than ever now.

Covid actually brought us all a lot of empathy in that we got to feel, to a lesser extent, what isolation actually feels like, allowing us to relate better to the Care Experienced people we support. This helped emphasise why the lifelong nature of our membership offer is so important, as these experiences don’t leave you when you hit a certain age.

Can you tell us a bit about the Communities that Care project?

We received funding from an STV appeal for a project educating the community about care. We first started in schools, delivering PSE sessions, holding school drop-ins, and carrying out teacher training on trauma and how best to deal with it. We also started running some community groups – some were for fun and others involved more serious topics, like your rights.

Young people were allowed to come along and bring their friends.

We’ve also held mini conferences and training events in the community to influence decision-makers to change care, and we have seen real positive local change. We believe that if people understand care there should be a huge reduction in stigma This work has now extended to Edinburgh and there are more local authorities interested. The ultimate goal is for whole country to understand care.

What are your hopes for volunteers in the organisation?

Volunteering is a huge part of our organisation and we just invested in a manager which is really important. This will help us increase our number of volunteers so we can reach members we don’t yet reach. Care Experienced people often don’t feel a sense of belonging in their communities, a good volunteering programme could help fix this.

What is the Who Cares? Scotland Strategic Plan?

Our new strategic plan is very important as it will inform our work going forward for several years. We have just finished a consultation with our members, external stakeholders and our staff, and we’re in the process of analysing responses to use them to help form the plan.

Member involvement is we are vital to us, as ating essentially cre plan for the [strategic] oice is them so their v ortant. extremely imp g a good We’re followin e have process and w uilding a great team b out it. Keep an eye hen for the plan w we launch it in October.

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LIFESTYLE SECTION

Meet our Helpline Volunteers The Advocacy Helpline was set up to support Care Experienced people throughout Scotland, primarily over the age of 26. We can support, signpost and offer choice when you feel there is nowhere else to turn. We also work closely with our local advocates, so if you’re eligible

Alastair

My college lecturer suggested we get real life experience talking to, and more importantly, listening to people.

I like to ride bicycles up waterfalls.

Liz

to work with them, we will refer you on. In the Winter 21 issue, we introduced you to Lifelong Advocates, Carolelynne and Claire, who work on the helpline, these issue we’d like to you to meet the volunteers who answer your calls.

A friend made me aware of Who Cares?

Scotland’s Advocacy Helpline and I thought it fit the bill. Initially, this was a way to get experience of talking to people who I may be able to help, now it’s

I wanted to volunteer as I thought it might be something that my previous work skills could transfer to, as well as the obvious that I could hopefully make a difference to Care Experienced people.

Volunteering at WC?S means the world to me. I love all the contact with the youngsters in the Wee Diamonds group, they are so honest and direct.

During lockdown, I loved being part of the online ‘Who Crafts Scotland’ craft group. The kids who took part were spread far and wide, so holding it online

Holly

I have a genuine desire to help people and I believe with my previous voluntary roles I would be able to bring valuable skills and knowledge I love to the team. I really admire what dogs.

Who Cares? Scotland offers to Care Experienced people and was eager to contribute to this wonderful cause.

Volunteering at Who Cares?

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about being involved, not just sitting back, and letting others work away at the solutions.

I have worked over the telephone all of my working life and it is the most natural way of communicating for me.

With a few years of life experience and 4 grown up daughters, I have experienced a few of the issues that come into the helpline and hopefully I can make things less stressful for callers.

was essential. My role was ‘cheerleader’ and I adored the kids I ALWAYS who joined in, their know enthusiasm was a ‘who did joy. it’ in Agatha The training for Christie and the helpline has most murder been great and mysteries. reassuring! Who Cares? Scotland is in my heart and that is where it will stay.

Scotland has broadened my horizons in many different ways – I have become more aware of the specific issues Care Experienced individuals face and I have also met wonderful people.

I am a MSc Clinical Health Psychology student and believe that the skills and knowledge I have learned will enable me to provide support, advice and guidance to callers.

LIFESTYLE SECTION

Claire I was looking for a volunteer role where I could help others who may not have anyone else to support them or know I love to bake where to go to get cupcakes, caramel help. As soon as I shortbread and macaroons. found Who Cares?

Scotland, I knew this was the organisation for me.

Volunteering at Who Cares? Scotland means I get to help and empower others who might not know where to start or where to find the information they need.

I was a volunteer in Citizens Advice Bureau for 10 years where I helped with enquiries about benefits, housing, debt and any other issues clients had.

These skills are already being utilised by callers calling the helpline.

Angela I am a qualified dance instructor.

I’m not sure what else I’m prepared to admit to yet, but it may involve a spell or two …

I’ve seen the difference that Who Cares? Scotland makes in Care Experienced people’s lives, and I was keen to help where I could so that all Care Experienced people, regardless of background and history, have the support and care they need.

It means a lot to listen to a Care Experienced person, and feel that I can do a little to lighten their load or steer them as needed.

I volunteered and then worked within the Children’s Hearings System and therefore know a bit about how the hearings system works. I am a keen listener and want to do all I can to support Care Experienced people.

Andrea The Who Cares? Scotland Advocacy Helpline appealed to me because it was a new venture which I thought would be exciting to be part of.

Having met and trained with the team involved at Who Cares? Scotland, I feel privileged to be part of such a warm, passionate, committed team.

For many years I was a busy Mum of 4 children. I worked in HR for a few years and am now studying with Open University. I am a good listener, committed and enjoy working as part of a team.

I can Ski backwards.

Rosina I once did a gig in a distillery.

I was keen to volunteer at Who Cares? Scotland on the helpline as through my involvement with the Children’s Panel I am aware of some of the issues which can affect Care Experienced people and how they can have a long-term impact. I love the idea that the helpline can be useful at any stage of a person’s journey and that it is a safe place for people to feel welcomed and supported.

Volunteering at Who Cares? Scotland means a lot to me - it is wonderful to feel part of an organisation that makes such a difference, not only to individuals but also in bringing about change in wider society.

My background is in music but since leaving my orchestral job I have broadened my horizons through volunteering with young people and found it refreshing to meet new people and learn new skills.

The Helpline is open 12 noon to 4pm Monday to Friday and we can be contacted on 0330 107 7540 or emailing help@whocaresscotland.org 9

SECTION NEWS & EVENTS

Howdy from

Harvard Meet this year’s Harvard Summer School Students who have just jetted off to Boston to start their studies. Look out for these 4 taking over the Who Cares? Scotland Tik Tok channel over the next 7 weeks whilst they’re at Harvard. Top content guaranteed! For now, let’s cover the basics…

Name: Carys Age: 16 Studying: Intro to Psychology and Beginning Fiction Top facts about Carys: 1.

Born in South Africa 2. Adopted with foster siblings 3. Animal lover 4. Has appeared on the reality ITV show Spy School 5. Would love to be a published author one day

Name: Lauren Age: 17 Studying: The Life & Death of Stars and Planetary Bodies Top facts about Lauren: 1.

Likes doing archery 2. Has 6 dogs 3. Has attended space school 4. Interested in stars and planets 5. Hopes to become a scientist

Name: Téa Age: 18 Studying: Superheroes & Power and Voice & Speech 1.

Loves Dungeons & Dragons 2. Their grandma dated a member of the Black Panthers 3. Enjoys making digital art 4. Loves reading 5. Dreams of becoming a lawyer or even Prime Minister one day!

Name: Stephanie Age: 17 Studying: The Life & Death of Stars and Spanish 1.

Very interested in planetary science 2. Lauren is her twin sister 3. Enjoys fencing 4. Excited to meet other people from different countries at Harvard and learn about their cultures 5. Would like to become a professor

You can find out more about the Harvard Summer School Programme on our website.

Maybe next year you’ll be one of the students about to start their Harvard adventure.

If you have any questions, please email harvard@ whocaresscotland.org

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NEWS & EVENTS

My First Visit to Scottish Parliament On the 19th April, Jordan Croan, Who Cares? Scotland’s South East Advocacy and Participation Manager, was invited to speak at the Equalities, Human Rights and Justice Committee. This meeting was part of the Committee’s work on “Civil Justice – Hearing Children’s Views” and took place inside Gemma Ferrie, Scottish Parliament.

Policy & Participation The committee were Assistant looking at how a new law would work in practice in Scotland called the Children Scotland Act 2020. Which has given new rights to children to be heard in courts in a way they choose.

As a member of the Policy & Participation team, I got to go along to be part of the audience. This was my first time visiting and I was excited about going, I thought the parliament would be an intimidating building, but surprisingly it wasn’t, the reception and hallways felt like the inside of a theatre. When it was time for the Committee to start, we went upstairs and sat in the rows of seats facing the round table of Members of Scottish Parliament (MSPs).

Jordan explained children can find courts formal and unfriendly, and how advocates can ensure children’s views are heard in decisions made about their lives. He told the Committee that it should always be the young person’s choice if they want to be online or in the room,

he also explained lots of creative ways that advocacy work supports children to express their views e.g Minecraft.

It was interesting to hear Jordan give examples of times when courts wouldn’t accept an advocate’s delivery of their young person’s views, even in cases where it was best for the young person to have their views said by an advocate. Jordan also spoke about Who Cares? Scotland’s work to make sure all young people have a right to independent advocacy, because right now not everyone who needs it can get it.

During the session, ideas of what recommendations could be made by the Committee to Scottish Government to improve advocacy and children’s panels were discussed. We are waiting to hear from Parliament about what official recommendations are going to the Scottish Government.

I was glad to see MSPs listening and talking about the care system and what’s going on in Care Experienced people’s lives, about children’s panels and advocacy, it felt like they cared and were committed.

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Finding F After Car Ca SECTION PRIDE MONTH FEATURE

Kasmira Kincaid

Like most Care Experienced people I left home early.

Although in my case it was my choice. You see, I thought I knew everything. I thought I was the smartest, wisest, most grown-person who’d ever existed, and in my mind it was quite frankly embarrassing that, at the grand old age of seventeen, I was still living “at home”. More than that, I wanted to go to Oxbridge. And I didn’t think any of the nearby Sixth Forms were up to the job of getting me there. So I applied to a Grammar School in the next city over and got an offer. Then in August I left my foster carer in Bristol for a flat of my own in Gloucester.

I’d never been more alone. Not only was I leaving care, I was also leaving all my friends, and even a large chunk of my biological family, who all still lived in Bristol. But the move also represented an opportunity of sorts.

A fresh start away from all the people who’d always assumed I was straight, no matter how proficient I proved myself to be in assembling flat-packed furniture. Not long after arriving in Gloucester I cut off my hair, bought some Cherry-red Doc Martens, and joined the local LGBT Youth Group, which we called GayGlos.

The idea of a found family is an old one in queer culture. Harkening back to the days when LGBT teens were routinely kicked out by their parents after coming out. Today we may live

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in somewhat more tolerant times, but with 24% of young homeless people identifying as LGBT, found families are still as necessary as ever. Whether they’re offering a network of spare rooms and sofas to sleep on in an emergency, or simply a space to feel comfortable in your own skin.

In many ways GayGlos was like any other youth group. We met on alternate Saturdays, in old village halls and disused churches, made elaborate (and often disgusting) toasties, and fell in and out of friendship from one month to another. Whenever a new member was due to join, we’d all wait with baited breath hoping they were

who is this?

Family are

PRIDE MONTH FEATURE SECTION

cute, and single, and not too young or old for us. (Despite the group leaders insisting we were not to use GayGlos as a speed-dating pool.) Over time though, some of these friendships began transforming into something else.

I got along well with my peers at school, but it was the friends I made at GayGlos who soon became part of the scaffolding of my life; the people I relied on for unconditional support. As our A-levels approached we began spending whole days and even weeks in each other’s houses; studying, stressing, then going to the pub. Sleeping on sofas and mattresses. And when summer came round we’d spend the long empty evenings watching films and debating politics – or going on road trips.

It’s now been ten years since I first moved to Gloucester, and the friends I made through GayGlos are still my closest friends today. Although we all live in separate corners of the country we still make time to see each other, getting together for New Year’s Eve and celebrating each other’s accomplishments.

The bond we have is the closest I’ve ever known to a family. Which brings me to last week.

Last Thursday I found myself up a creek without a paddle. I was working in South London when an unexpected bill drained my bank account. I wasn’t due to be paid until

the next day and was now stranded several hours from home, without the money for the train. What could I do?

Most people my age, I imagine, would’ve called their mum or dad. I called my friend Justine and asked if she’d lend me £30. (Six to get home; the rest so I could still go for drinks with my work colleagues.) She sent it through at once, returning the favour from when I leant her money a few years earlier.

According to the YMCA, youth services have suffered a 70% pay cut since 2010. And youth groups like GayGlos have become increasingly sparse throughout the country.

Yet for LGBT Care Experienced young people these groups can provide not only a place to hang out on the weekend, and contact with likeminded peers, but the relationships that’ll sustain us throughout the rest of their lives.

I’m not sure I would’ve made it to Cambridge without the friends I made at GayGlos.

And I know for a fact I wouldn’t have made it through the turbulent years that followed; when I temporarily dropped out of university and had to stay with one friend then another.

So this Pride month let’s celebrate these spaces. Let’s celebrate found families and all they have to offer. And let’s fight for the right of future generations to find their own families in old village halls and disused churches, over cheese and chocolate toasties.

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NEWS & EVENTS

NEWSFLASH Who Cares? Scotland’s Members’ Newsletter

Every month we send out a digital newsletter called Newsflash to our members. However, we know that not all of our members will have an email account or access to the internet. That’s why we are including a roundup of important headlines from the last couple of months and

Our First In-Person Advocacy Conference in 2 years

On 28th April, Who Cares? Scotland advocates from all across the country came together to take part in our Advocacy Conference.

Those who came along shared knowledge from their own experiences of providing advocacy and discussed best practices to ensure the advocacy services we provide going forward are the best they can possibly be.

AGM Minutes Published In February we held our 2022 AGM, where you, our members, had the chance to vote on some important changes to the organisation.

The minutes of the meeting are available now on The Board page on our website.

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sharing them again, here in SpeakOut, so you don’t miss out!

If you haven’t been receiving NewsFlash but have a working email address, just email membership@ whocaresscotland.org and we’ll update your details.

The Young Person’s Guarantee

We have been hearing the opinions of young Care Experienced people on the Young Person’s Guarantee – the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensuring education and work opportunities for young people – to help ensure that the voice and rights of the Care Experienced community are included.

Who Cares? Scotland: What Next?

For over 40 years, since we started in 1978, Who Cares?

Scotland has supported Care Experienced people, fighting for a lifetime of equality respect and love. Much of the work we have done has been about rights and amplifying the voices of people we support, and we think it is vital you have a say in the way we operate.

That’s why at the start of May we launched our new campaign: Who Cares? Scotland: What Next? which gave you and others we have supported in the past the opportunity to have a say in how our organisation should work going forward.

Our survey was open throughout the month, thank you to everyone who took the time to complete it.

Contributions will be used to influence our new strategic plan which we will be launching in October.

NEWS & EVENTS

North Lanarkshire Champs Create

Together Tree

for Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival

In May this year, young people who attend North Lanarkshire’s participation groups contributed to the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival. We were able to access a small local funding budget from NHS Lanarkshire which allowed the young people to contribute to the festival which had the theme of ‘Gather’. This was fitting considering the young people had finally been able to gather together in their participation groups after difficult times of isolation during Covid.

Consequently, mental health and wellbeing has become an important topic for all young people, and this is something we regularly talk about within our groups.

I just love coming alo ng for the compa ny and the good f ood

Young pers on from M ad Middles talking abo ut why the y come alo to the grou ng p.

Young people who attend the ‘Mad Middles’ participation group wanted to design and create a visual representation of them as individuals as well as the group who come together within Who Cares? Scotland.

The young people worked together over a number of weeks, talking about a range of different topics including, what it’s like to be a young person today, reflecting on the Covid years, where they live and who they are, understanding their care identity, the benefit of coming together as a group and being part of Who Cares?

Scotland. We also had lots of fun along the way, playing games that made us all belly laugh and eating tasty food! This all then led to the

The heart of the tree is us Quote from young person from Mad Middles when designing the ‘Together Tree’ leaves by recommending hearts instead.

creation of the ‘Together Tree’ which the young people designed and created together.

In order to include other young people in different participation groups in North Lanarkshire, the young people invited others to add themselves as a heart to the tree and they would like this to be continued to include any new young people who come along.

The ‘Together Tree’ is now proudly displayed in the Who Cares? Scotland Bellshill office for all to see and appreciate.

G he is t w kno THER e d E W OG y roun T in wa ts g n ro e it, i w the we lik us! es iddl t e M u k li b ad rky n from M i u q o ers

gp

n You

So the t ree will con tinue to grow – just like us!

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NEWS & EVENTS

Exploring the History of Care – Untold Stories

A

s part of Care Experienced History Month this April, we hosted Untold Stories: a free lecture series where we invited the public to learn more about the history of Care Experienced people and communities. Taking place both in person and virtually, we were joined by expert lecturers who shed light on previously untold stories from history. Find out more about what we learned!

1. “Her Affecting Story”: Benomê, a Liberated African child

Our first guest speaker Dr. Christine Whyte shared the story of Benomê, an African child whose slave ship was intercepted by British antislave trade patrols on the coast of Portugal during the 19th century. Benomê’s story represented thousands of children who entered a new type of care, as they were termed ‘wards’ of the British state between 1808 and 1900.

Dr Whyte examined Benomê’s life as she travelled across the British Empire, as well as the experiences of those around her.

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2. ‘Kindertransported’

We were joined by Holocaust survivor Henry Wuga MBE, who came to Scotland as part of an organised rescue effort which took him from Nazi Germany to the UK. One of nearly 10,000 predominantly Jewish children who travelled via the Kindertransport scheme, Henry was later arrested for attempting to contact his parents – a major crime during wartime.

Henry and his story highlight the importance of showing compassion towards refugees, a message particularly relevant in current times.

3. ‘Care, Race and Illegitimacy in Eighteenth Century Britain’

In the late 18th century, thousands of children were born to Indian women and white British men sent to expand the British Empire.

Many of these children came to Britain to be raised by white foster families. In this lecture, Dr. Kate Gibson followed the story of the Cust family: a set of siblings born in the 1770s, providing a lens with which to view foster care and trans-racial placements during an early historical period.

NEWS & EVENTS

4. ‘A Home from Home? Children and Social Care in Britain, 1870 – 1920’

7. ‘Scottish Care History: An Untold Story’

Dr. Claudia Soares explored the experiences of young people in care in the 19th and 20th centuries. Using care records and personal letters, Claudia investigated how children gave meaning to their care experience, the impact it had on their everyday lives, and how people thought children should be raised in the past. Claudia examined handwritten letters during the period which shed further light on the types of jobs Care Experienced people could expect to start as they transitioned into independent living, as well as the close relationship with their guardians.

5. ‘A History from Below: The Rights Movement of Young People in Care in England’ Those of you familiar with us might have joined in with some of our campaigning work! In this lecture Professor Mike Stein brought us back to the very beginning of the Care Experienced rights movement in the 1970s. Starting with influential local groups, such as the Leeds Ad-Lib group, Black and In Care, and A National Voice – Care Experienced people came together to publish magazines and campaign for better conditions in care.

Intended to mark a new era of childcare, the Kilbrandon report saw Scotland make a number of changes to the care system. Changes in one area involved thousands of children and young people yet is rarely mentioned, with their experiences disappearing into the void of care file storage.

Despite little research until now, David Anderson used contemporary sources and lived experience to shine a light on this under-explored period of Scotland’s history

6. ‘Black, Asian and ethnic minority young people and the UK care system’ Dr. Robin Sen looked at the experience of ethnic and minority children in care following World War 2, with an exploration of the published memoirs of Lemn Sissay and Jackie Kay. Robin broke down the issue of black children being adopted by white foster carers, and how the topic of race and care has been perceived by politicians and people of colour.

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hank you to everyone who joined our lectures and ensured that Care Experienced history is remembered. An extra special thank you also goes to our fantastic lecturers who drove discussion forward and shared their knowledge and experiences. All of our lectures are also free to stream on our website, simply scan the QR code!

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SECTION NEWS & EVENTS

Care Experienced parents call for change Who Cares? Scotland release new report on the experiences of parents.

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e believe every parent should have the right to high-quality support when they need it. We recognise the power of positive, supportive professionals and know this is already experienced by so many Care Experienced parents. However, we need to ensure this happens for everyone!

Through our new report ‘Believe in Us’: Care Experienced parent findings from our Annual Participation Programme, we consulted nearly 50 Care Experienced parents to find out how well they were supported by services during their parenting journey. We had known through years of our independent advocacy and groupwork that Care Experienced parents faced significant challenges, and this new report awarded us the opportunity to fully explore these issues – and importantly receive ideas for positive changes moving forward.

The Care Experienced community need people to believe in them, who are willing and able to recognise and respond to their needs, so they can be the best parents that they can be to their children.

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What did we find out?

Many parents told us that they felt the impact of stigma and discrimination due to their care experience. We know that, because of how care experience is depicted in our society and our media, that this can impact how people – including professionals - react and treat Care Experienced people. This manifested itself in various assumptions made by service providers, such as assuming social work would be involved, or automatic referrals, and that Care Experienced parents would automatically require more support.

80% of participants felt support available during the first 3 years of parenthood was not good quality.

We know that any practice which assumes a parent may be a risk to their child or require social work intervention solely because they are Care Experienced is discriminatory.

Ultimately, universal support services need a judgement-free process to identify Care Experienced parents and provide suitable professional support to ensure positive parenting journeys.

NEWS & EVENTS Care Experienced parents have a lack of confidence in existing professional supports, with only 1 in 3 parents feeling comfortable to ask for help from these services.

Care Experienced parents also need spaces where they can connect with each other and provide peer support. This is especially important for those who may not have access to strong family networks that are often used by parents without care experience.

What could the future look like?

We have shaped 11 recommendations alongside our National Representative Body to provide tangible ways to ensure Care Experienced parents receive a consistently positive experience when accessing supports.

1. The Scottish Government should explicitly name Care Experienced parents in the work of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board and create specific pathways to proactively offer access to these services.

2. The Promise’s Whole Family Support work in ‘Change Programme One’ should recognise the specific needs of Care Experienced parents and support creating funding streams for Care Experienced parent-focused projects.

3. As ‘Corporate Grandparents’, local authorities and COSLA must recognise the needs of Care Experienced parents as a priority when implementing The Promise.

4. The lifelong impact of care experience must be recognised in the provision of any support for Care Experienced parents, by ensuring no age cut-offs.

5. The Scottish Government must recognise Care Experienced parents by including specific actions in their ‘Best start: five-year plan for maternity and neonatal care.’

What’s next?

If Scotland ensures these 11 recommendations are met, and we secure commitment from those who we know have the power to make this happen, we can create a future where Care Experienced parents receive high-quality support as and when they need it.

We will share these findings with Corporate Parents, the Scottish Government, Local Authorities, The Promise and other key decision-makers who have the power to make these changes and will update you as soon as we can in Newsflash and our social media.

6. Training must be co-designed with Care Experienced people about how to best support Care Experienced parents of all ages.

7. All training and practice improvement work to better support Care Experienced parents must explicitly link with training on trauma-informed practice by NHS Education for Scotland.

8. Local authorities and the Scottish Government should sustainably fund specific peer groups and parenting support spaces for Care Experienced parents in each local authority area.

9. Social Security Scotland and the Scottish Government must make sure all Care Experienced parents have the financial and practical support they need.

10. Focused work must take place to prevent children from being separated from Care Experienced parents.

11. Further research must take place to understand the frequency of children being removed from Care Experienced parents in Scotland Thank you again to every person who has shared their parenting journey with us. Whether this year as part of the Annual Programme, or in the past, this has helped us shape a national evidence base of what our members think and feel about this important area! You can also see the full report on our website.

If you have any qu estions about the Annual Pa rticipation Programme or want to get more involved, please email us at policy@whocaressc otland.org, or speak to your W C?S worker.

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NEWS & EVENTS

The First Minister Steps Up at the Glasgow Kiltwalk I

n the last edition of SpeakOut, we let you know about some of the fundraising we are doing this year, including the 2022 Glasgow Kiltwalk which took place on Sunday 24th April.

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We had over 120 people sign up to take part, and one of them was the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon! The day kicked off with a meeting between some members of our National Representative Body (NRB) and The First Minister. Our NRB members spent time chatting with the First Minster and thanked her for her continued commitment to supporting Care Experienced people.

After the meeting, a big group of walkers including fundraisers, staff, members and our very own Buddy the Bear set off in the hot sun for the three mile ‘wee wander’ in Balloch.

At the same time, our Big Strollers and Mighty Striders set off for their 13 and 23 mile journeys from Glasgow. We all met and spent the afternoon at the finish line, where we got some refreshments and loads of amazing photos in the sun – you can check out the whole album on our Facebook page.

Thanks to everyone’s amazing efforts and the generosity of the Hunter Foundation, we have raised a total of £23,684 to help support Care Experienced people.

Luke Pitches for Privacy

NEWS & EVENTS

Luke, 14

H

ello my name is Luke and I’m a member of Who Cares? Scotland. My hobbies include movie knowledge, books and cataloguing and rating films. In 2021, me and my friend Daisy organised a Murder Mystery, where the Wee Clacks Voices group joined in on a night of finding out who the murderer was. It was good to write my own Murder Mystery. I enjoy watching them and I always thought I could do a good job. I was fed up reading terrible reveals so I decided to give it a go myself and see if I could do a better job. So it was fantastic to bring everyone together and see all my hard work come to life.

More recently, I was asked be part of The Lens Pitch, to be awarded money to build a hut out the back garden for more privacy. At my house we don’t have a lot of privacy when it comes to talking about sensitive subjects. A few months ago me and my key worker went to McDonalds to speak about sexual health because this was the only space we could find that was away from others. It turned out that a classmate of mine was in the next booth and they had heard every single word, which was really embarrassing. This is when we decided that a private space, like a hut in our garden would be better for privacy, chats, chilling out and family time.

I was told about the Lens Pitch where we had the chance to win money

for a hut and jumped at the opportunity to get involved.

This required me to make a pitch to the funding decision makers on why we needed the funding. My speech asked the funders why we had not been given the respect and dignity of a private space. I ended on letting them know that some of the young people in my house had not had the best start in life but by giving them this space we could give them hope for the future.

This speech received a standing ovation, and we were awarded £12,000 which will cover a lot of the costs and make it much more possible to build. I received really positive feedback from the judges and the audience. It was a wonderful experience, and I came across much more natural than I thought I would. I’m really proud of myself and all the staff who helped me along the way.

My ambitions for the future are to finish the hut – get it painted, insulated and make it a really chilled place to hang out. I am also looking forward to being involved with more Who Cares? Scotland events. Without Who Cares? Scotland and Oor Wee Clacks voices I don’t think I would have had the confidence to stand up in front of over 100 people and give my speech. I would like to thank my advocate Morag, Ross, Caroline, Bobby Jo, Sorcha, all my friends from the group and staff from my house.

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NEWS & EVENTS

A Conference on Care Experience and Covid-19 I and two other National Representative Body members flew south to Luton to attend the Care Leavers’ Transitions to Adulthood in the Context of Covid-19 conference.

I did not know what to expect as I had little knowledge of the care landscape in England but I was eager to go as I thought some of the content would be useful for my upcoming motion at the Scottish Youth Parliament. The research was about the effect that Covid-19 had had on the lives of Care Experienced young people leaving a formal care setting as they progressed into adult life. This work was presented by researchers from the University of Bedfordshire and the Tilda Goldberg Centre. The conference took place in one day with an array of talks, presentations and an insightful Q&A session. The research took place across Councils areas in England and many Care Experienced people (care leavers) took part in the research. The study concluded that there were five pathways that care leavers would take when transitioning into adulthood. I found the pathways interesting but also a very summarised version of the different routes leaving care.

During the Q&A I noticed a lot of similarities between the Care Hubs set up by Durham County Council to the Champion’s Boards set up by Scottish Councils.

The passion of the Care Experienced people that were working with the council and community was impressive.

We then worked in a small groups to discuss the research and share our thoughts within our tables. I really enjoyed talking to professionals across the corporate parenting

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Charles Fernando, NRB Member & MSYP

spectrum on their experiences and they were equally interested in hearing about mine.

At lunch the NRB had the chance to network with other Care Experienced organisations from across UK and Ireland. It was insightful to learn the varying degrees of progress made across the different countries, in terms of the Care Experienced movement. Scotland does appear to be taking the lead with The Promise, but England have just published their own report on their care system, so it will be interesting to see what their next steps are.

I wondered at the power collaborative networking events such as this conference, could have within the care landscape. I was also reminded of how different it is to be Care Experienced across the UK and Ireland and the different issues that each nation faces.

The day after the conference we were given a tour of the Houses of Parliament by the MP Alison Thewlis. I used this time as an opportunity to reflect on the conference as a whole and the obstacles and barriers that Care Experienced people face all over the UK. I hope there will be future opportunities to network and collaborate with the people I met.

NEWS & EVENTS

Have you Heard of The Foundling Museum?

Thomas Bartlett, NRB Member

My name is Thomas and I’m a member of the Who Cares?

Scotland National Representative Body (NRB). This means I’m a representative for our members and I act as an ambassador for the organisation.

Recently, I and some other NRB members attended a conference on the topic of ‘How Covid-19 has impacted on the lives of Care Experienced people that are going through the transition of leaving care’. It was an interesting event and my fellow member, Charles has written about what we learnt on the previous page.

As part of the trip, we also visited the Foundling Museum in London’s Brunswick Square. So let me tell you a bit about this museum and the important part it plays in Care Experienced history.

The ‘Foundling Museum’ is based in a building that was once called the Foundling Hospital. The museum describes a foundling as: “…a historic term applied to children, usually babies, that have been abandoned by parents and discovered and cared for by others.” Interestingly, it is a word that was popularised on the publication of Henry Fielding’s 1749 novel ‘Tom Jones: A Foundling’, which demonstrates the history of Care Experienced people in literature.

The hospital was opened after Thomas Coram fought tirelessly for its establishment over a period of nearly two decades, at which point his dedication paid off and he was eventually granted a Royal Charter from King George II in order to establish what was to be named the Foundling Hospital.

In March 1741, the hospital received its first foundlings which included 18 boys and 12 girls, a total of 30 babies. Over the course of 4 years, Parliament provided funding so that

every foundling presented would be accepted by the institution without exception. As there were so many foundling babies admitted, branch hospitals had to be built to keep up with the high demand. This was to continue for the next two centuries.

During this period, a lot of these foundlings (now young children) were being transferred to a school in Berkhamsted, where they were processed up until 1935.

In 1954 (9 years after the end of the Second World War) the last residential pupil left to go into foster care. During 1948, the ‘Children Act’ placed family care at the centre of everything to make sure children’s emotional needs were prioritised and catered for up to a standard set by governmental authorities nationwide.

In 2004, fifty years after placing its final ‘foundling’ into foster care, this museum opened its doors to the public, so that anyone interested could learn about the history of the building, and how the care sector more widely has evolved over the past couple of centuries.

While we were down in London, we thought it would be an amazing experience for all of us, to learn how care has evolved and to further understand the system that we all grew up in.

At first, we went into a room that was covered in names of celebrities, movie figures and movie animation characters that have been in care during their life. There were a lot of names that popped out to me but the main one for me was ‘Simba’ from The Lion King. Anybody that knows me, knows I have this pure hearted love for that movie and I never saw Simba as a Care Experienced lion and now I love the movie even more.

As we walked around England’s capital, absorbing its rich history, we learned so much about the past, about what was happening hundreds

of years ago, literally right where we stood. Although it was good to see its many improvements, it was also really sobering to recognise that we are still hearing similar stories now to those that we, as a society, were witnessing 90-100 years ago.

Overall, it was an extremely educational and personally enriching journey, one which I am glad I went on. And I am hopeful that the challenging issues that we are still experiencing or witnessing today in the care system exist only as history in the future.

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ENTERTAINMENT

A Review of…

TV Show -

My Name is

Leon Damien Mack, Assistant Editor

On Friday 10th June, a TV adaptation of the novel ‘My Name is Leon’ by Kit de Waal hit TV screens. The drama tells the story of Leon, a young mixed-race boy who is placed into the care system when his mother falls unwell, and his attempts to be reunited with her and his baby brother Jake.

The story begins with Leon and Jake living with their single mother, who is having difficulty caring for the two young boys, and often leaves Leon to look after Jake with only his toy soldiers for company. Initially, it seems as though Mum is intentionally ignoring her children which angered me slightly, but it soon becomes clear that something is wrong. And when Leon rushes to a neighbour for money to buy food, the two boys are removed from their home as their mum is too unwell to care for them.

This is a steer away from outdated tropes where either the young person is troublesome, or the carers are neglectful.

In the story of Leon, nobody is to blame for the boys being placed into care, but it hurts, confuses and worries everyone all the same.

Confusion is a reality of care for many. Being removed from the family home is experienced through Leon’s eyes as a complete blur, and such events are shown in a way

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that is quite true to life, as they are very much sprung upon Leon, meaning he’s left trying to find reason in the chaos.

One such instance is when, having been staying with a kind and loving foster carer, named Maureen, for a short time, it is revealed that his baby brother Jake has been assigned an adoptive family without him. In his confusion and in a whirlwind of emotions Leon tears apart his room, unable to understand why life is happening to him the way it is.

With Maureen in hospital having fallen ill and the home being watched over by her less than friendly sister, Leon begins to find some of the answers he is looking for elsewhere. It is here that the strong racial themes of the story begin coming into play. Whilst Leon is a mixed-race child, his baby brother Jake is white. The theme picks up later as Leon befriends a Jamaican man named Tufty who works on an allotment growing plants and vegetables. As a curious young boy, Leon quizzes Tufty on his situation and explains that he has been separated from his younger brother and plans to travel to Bristol to reunite with him.

Having been separated from his parents in Jamaica, Tufty empathises with Leon’s struggle. Based on his own experiences in early 80s Britain as a black man, Tufty answers Leon’s questions, explaining that he and his

ENTERTAINMENT

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the relationship between Tufty and Leon shows the power of positive relationships

brother had been separated from each other because Jake is white, and that racial prejudice has meant that families are less willing to care for Leon.

In befriending Tufty, Leon has found his family of sorts – a group of people who empathise with and understand him.

While I’m unqualified to comment on the racial elements of such an experience, searching for a place to call your own is something a lot of Care Experienced people can relate to. Although the reason for their meeting is quite contrived, the relationship between Tufty and Leon shows the power of positive relationships in the lives of Care Experienced people and the value of belonging. Tufty ends up being a role model for Leon and supports him towards his dream of being reunited with Jake.

Leon takes Tufty’s answers to heart and questions Maureen and social work on whether race has played a part in why him and Jake have been separated. They don’t give him the answer he is looking for and say it’s simply his age that’s an issue. Leon, however, experiences racial prejudice first-hand when he is assaulted by a police officer after following him to take part in a riot.

As we rather abruptly, in my opinion, reach the end of the story, we have travelled through a short period in the life

”

of a young boy, yet seen significant change – a harsh and preventable reality for many Care Experienced people. We are left with Leon, Tufty, Maureen and her sister at the dinner table with no resolution – it feels as though there should be another episode, and although it could be argued that hooking me in to want more is a positive, in my opinion it did not feel finished.

That said, overall, the programme was good. The characters provoked genuine responses of anger and empathy, and I felt the areas of care I’ve experienced were handled accurately, and those I haven’t seemed believable.

If you’d like to review something, whether it’s a TV show, a book, a film or anything, please let us know by emailing membership@whocaresscotland.org or messaging us on social media. We love hearing what you think about things!

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SECTION ENTERTAINMENT

IN IT TO WIN IT… O

nce you have completed the IN IT TO WIN IT page please return it to us by Thursday 6th October 2022 to be in with a chance to win a £25 voucher of your choice. You can do this by giving the page to your WC?S APW, emailing a photo of your entry to membership@whocaresscotland.org or messaging us your entry on FB. You can also post it to 40 Wellington Street, Glasgow G2 6HJ. Good luck!

Solve this maths puzzle by filling in the missing numbers!

Quiz time

1. A common Scottish phrase to describe hot weather T _ _ _ / A _ _.

2. What does solstice mean in Latin?

A. Blue skies

B. Hot days

C. Sun stands still

3. What vitamin do we get from the sun? ......................................................................................

4. What do the letters SPF stand for? ......................................................................................

5. You can hear it coming and it will cool you down. _ C _ / _ R _ _ _ / _ _ N.

Tell us the title of these summer blockbusters!

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YOUR NAME: AGE: PHONE: WC?S WORKER: RETURN YOUR ENTRIES TO: Who Cares? Scotland, 40 Wellington Street, Glasgow, G2 6HJ 26

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LAST ISSUES WINNER: Alan, 12

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ENTERTAINMENT SECTION

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