The Covenant supports the implementation of Part 10 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. This means supporting the 'aftercare' (advice, guidance and assistance) of care leavers transitioning into adulthood.
The Covenant supports corporate parents to deliver changes in action and practice to bring improvement and consistency to the care of these young people. It offers clear guidance on how to meet the needs of young people who are often disadvantaged as a result of their care experiences.
Care leavers often struggle on the journey out of care and into independence. For many, there is no support or guidance. As a result, the challenges are too great and they continue to experience problems that lead to far poorer outcomes than their peers.
These outcomes are not inevitable and should NOT be accepted as the 'norm'.
This is why we need the Covenant, to change thinking and practice, effecting the cultural shift needed to tackle these issues.
The Scottish Care Leavers Covenant calls on all corporate parents and others with an interest in the lives of our care leavers:
to endorse the principles of the Covenant
to commit to working for real change in the lives of care experienced young people
to improve their support, opportunities and outcomes
The Scottish Care Leavers Covenant is coproduced by a cross-sector alliance of organisations:
The Alliance also had the active participation and support of young people and over 30 other key agencies and stakeholders who have contributed to the creating of this agenda for change.