Further Detail on the Report Topic

Many people helped create this plan, but the most important information we heard came from children and young people directly. We have carefully thought about what children and young people with experience of care need from Police Scotland to make sure we, as a Corporate Parent, do everything we can so that they grow up loved, safe and respected whilst upholding the rights and safeguarding the wellbeing of these individuals.

We commissioned Scottish Youth Parliament to lead a process of engagement and participation to run alongside our development of this Plan.  Two Youth Engagement Workers who have experience of care were recruited to design, deliver, and evaluate an engagement and participation programme which involved a survey and a series of focus groups. This engagement approach was also co-designed with Care Experienced Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs) who collaborated in the survey creation process and in analysing the results gathered from care experienced young people. They engaged and facilitated workshops with children and young people to hear their thoughts and ideas, and their feedback is included throughout the Plan. 

Ongoing consultation and inclusion of the voices of members of Police Scotland’s Care Experienced Colleagues Group, formed during the consultation phase of the current Plan (2021-24) with officers and staff with experience of care from across Police Scotland and now including staff from the Scottish Police Authority, has also been paramount.

We brought together a Corporate Parenting Advisory Group of organisations working within children and young people and care sectors, including lived experience of care.  The group consisted of partners from the Care Inspectorate, The Promise, Care Experienced Colleagues Group, Each and Every Child, Scottish Youth Parliament, Who Cares? Scotland, YouthLink Scotland, Children in Scotland, Young Scot, Scottish Police Authority, Scottish Violence Reduction Unit and the Strategic Public Health Collaboration Unit.  Their professional and personal wisdom and guidance helped us review our previous Corporate Parenting Plan 2021-24 and develop this Plan. 

We know it is important to listen to children, young people, and communities and act based on what we hear. Genuine engagement will remain a priority for the next three years of this plan and beyond, supporting our Vision 2030 of: Safer Communities, Less Crime, Supported Victims and a Thriving Workforce. 

We are committed to engaging, listening and responding to public, community, colleagues’ and stakeholders’ insights to better inform our services.

Police Scotland has completed a draft Corporate Parenting Plan 2024-2027, with a vision; ‘Through collaboration and relationships, Police Scotland will support people with experience of care, throughout their lives. We will show this through our engagement, language and actions.

The term ‘scaffolding’ has been included as one of the main Corporate Parenting priorities, falling in line with one of the five key foundations of The Promise and in collaboration with language and reframing training delivered through “Each and Every Child”.  Just as scaffolding can be put around a building that requires support, Police Scotland needs to provide children with experience of care with the same support to build strong, safe and stable lives. This priority will ensure our services are tailored to the needs of people with experience of care to enhance their wellbeing and provide stability. 

Once the draft has been approved, the 3-year plan will be accompanied by annual Action Plans to provide focus and to monitor progress.Ahead of submission, the Corporate Parenting Plan 2024-2027 has been reviewed by the Corporate Parenting Advisory Group, Police Scotland’s Care Experienced Colleagues Group, local policing corporate parenting leads and specialist departments.

Every person across our organisation has a responsibility as a Corporate Parent and due to the wide variety of roles and responsibilities that our officers and staff perform, this will mean different things across our organisations.

Key initiatives have been carried out within Police Scotland's 2021-2024 plan and will continue throughout the course of the new Plan. These focus on improving relationships, collaboration and nurturing inclusivity within the organisation. Some key areas we will be focussing on within the new Plan include: 
Language and Training: Efforts will be made to promote kind and respectful language amongst colleagues, with plans to refresh training and create a language poster to be rolled out nationally.

Forensic Collaboration & Partner Engagement: Collaborative work with partners will continue, including a Forensic Collaboration pilot across Children’s Houses, an Emergency Services Engagement event, and enhanced promotion of MCR (Motivation, Commitment and Resilience) Pathways.

Unnecessary Criminalisation for those with experience of care: A national rollout of the ‘Not at Home’ and ‘Respect’ programmes aims to reduce the criminalisation of children in care. Improved processes will be sought to ensure that those with experience of care entering custody are properly supported and connected to relevant services.

Career Support: The Positive Action Recruitment Team and Care Experienced Colleagues Group will continue to encourage and support those with experience of care who are wishing to pursue careers within Police Scotland.

Ongoing Local Initiatives: Local Divisions within Police Scotland play a crucial role in supporting and implementing the national priorities. Their active involvement is essential for ensuring these priorities are effectively carried out at the grassroots level. Local divisions contribute by focusing on specific initiatives, adapting them to their own communities, and working closely with the national Children and Young People team in Policing Together division for ongoing review, support, and alignment with broader objectives. Their engagement is key to the success and delivery of the overall Plan.

The process of continuous engagement and assessment, together with the strong relationships Police Scotland has already formed across our Corporate Parenting partners, will ensure we work collaboratively to do all we can to support our community who have experienced care.  

The governance is being reviewed for children and young people to take account of the wide-ranging work across the organisation, including UNCRC, The Promise, and Youth Justice. 

The formation during the current Plan of a Corporate Parenting Working Group, made up of key internal Corporate Parenting leads from all local and national divisions continues to meet regularly, sharing good practice and driving forward positive change across the organisation. 

A service wide launch event will be held to ensure delivery of this plan and its commitments to local, national and specialist divisions across Police Scotland. The event will highlight the role Police Scotland has as a Corporate Parent, as well as how we will achieve the commitments set out in the 2024-2027 Plan.