Keeping you connected - the latest on Staf's projects and our programme of events. |
|
|
Dear Friend,
Connection has been the theme of the month, with our online National Conference taking place - packed with learning on trauma and the importance of relationships. Find out more about the day here - and save the date in your diaries for the next conference on 17 March 2021. We also launched the next stage of our Building Relationships project - with the REAL Toolkit launching soon. Book your place at the Information Session on 26 November to find out more about how the toolkit can support you to promote positive relationships. The young people of Youth Just Us are also keeping their care and justice experienced peers connected with the third edition of their newsletter - be sure to pass it on to the young people you support! Looking ahead, our next Relationships Webinar will focus on leaving care practice in rural Scotland - bringing together all those that support care leavers in rural, remote and island communities across Scotland - book your place here. I am also mindful that as the pandemic continues, with many of us going back into lockdown and Christmas just round the corner, care leavers can be amongst those most in need of our support. That’s why we’re continuing to work with young people to develop proposals for a care leaver Basic Income pilot and why we’re continuing to speak to the Scottish Government about ensuring the Young Person’s Guarantee works for care leavers. Finally, I know that across Scotland Staf member organisations are preparing for what will be a difficult Christmas, particularly for the care-experienced young people they support. I want to thank you for the work you do but I also want to reiterate my pledge to work with you to keep the Promise so that in future we don’t worry about care leavers being financially insecure or feeling isolated at Christmas.
Until next time,
Jo Staf CEO |
|
|
Staf Projects
Youth Justice Voices This month, Youth Just Us were invited to give evidence at a UNCRC session with the EHRC Committee and the Scottish Parliament, discussing what needs to change to make rights a reality for care and justice experienced young people. They were joined by young people from Staf’s Project Return, and Ruth Maguire MSP who deemed it to be “an excellent evening".
Staf-wise, YJV were pleased to play a part in the first-ever online Staf National Conference, with Youth Just Us member Chris Marshall interviewing critically acclaimed writer Kit De Waal. They also held an informal session for delegates at the event to raise awareness of what they do and answer questions.
YJV also launched the third edition of their newsletter, featuring insightful blogs written by members of the group on topics like Universal Basic Income and breaking stereotypes around care and justice-experienced young people. You can download it here - We want to hear from the young people you support too, so you’ll see on the back page how they can get the chance to be in our next edition.
Finally, the participation practitioners’ forum next meets on December 3 (11am-12.30pm). The forum is a free bi-monthly event for participation workers supporting young people with care and justice experience to connect with, and learn from, each other: sharing successes, reflecting on challenges, and championing examples of best practice in an informal setting. The forum has a particular focus on engaging workers that support care-experienced young people in the justice system, and on utilising digital tools to creatively support young people. Grab your festive jumper, a mince pie and join us!
Youth Just Us provides opportunities to meet other care and justice experienced young people, take part in a range of fun and creative activities, and influence change across Scotland. The group is open to all young people aged 16-25 with care and justice experience. If you are interested in getting involved, contact ruth@staf.scot.
Project Return
Project Return have hosted a series of creative workshops this month to discover the care community’s needs, and to design a through care and aftercare trauma resource. These workshops were co-productive and aimed at anyone aged 16+ with care and/or justice experience, and anyone who has or currently works to support this group. There were five workshops held on four different themes: relationships, culture, safe places, and wellbeing resources. Participants were sent kits to make their own designs on tote bags to express what they felt was important here, and these designs will be collated into one big piece of art. Project Return are using the results of these workshops to determine what needs to go at the centre of their trauma resource, and would like to thank everyone who took part.
Following the Pet Survey designed by the Catalysts, the steering group of project return, last month the findings were announced, which you can view here. The Catalysts spoke at a Staf webinar on the 28th of October where they creatively shared the findings and created a collective action plan for moving this work forward and creating the changes people in our survey told us needs to happen so more young people can have pets in care. The next steps will be to create a guide for young people, workers and organisations so they can have honest conversations and be equipped to create action plans to support having pets in care. The journey towards this next stage began on the 24th of November in a co-productive session. We're excited to see where it goes next, and to see the finished guide!
You also don't want to miss Project Return's Our Choir (virtual edition) video, a ray of hope in these challenging times. You can view it here.
Project Return is a Staf project, led by members of The Catalysts steering group, focused on changing how the care system understand and supports trauma. If you want to find out more, please contact jenny@staf.scot.
Building Relationships
At Staf's National Conference (17/11), the Building Relationships advisory group launched the next and final phase of their project. Throughout the pandemic the Building Relationships Advisory Group has been working hard and they are now excited to share an important milestone with you: the reveal of the name of the resource they are creating and the next steps for the project.
The REAL Toolkit is a resource to promote meaningful relationships and relationship-based practice across Scotland. Our vision is that every young person in care and leaving care has positive, meaningful relationships.
Over the past couple of months Staf (in partnership with NAFP) has been conducting a piece of research into Continuing Care. We are particularly looking into the successes, opportunities and shortcomings of continuing care legislation and provision in foster care. We are inviting foster carers/continuing care carers and young people in continuing care (or those who have left continuing care) to share their views with us - contact papoula@staf.scot to get involved, or book your place here if you're a young person, or here if you're a foster/continuing care carer.
|
|
|
Staf Policy and Practice
Staf National Conference 2020 Resources Following the hugely successful, and first virtual, Staf National Conference we are delighted to share some resources with you. You can download the speakers presentations and access external links to a wide range of material. If you attended the conference you also have until Tuesday 1st December to log into the conference site and experience the amazing content all over again!
FAQs for Care Experienced Student Bursaries Check out the great, at a glance FAQ sheet on the Care Experienced Student Bursaries for both Higher and Further education collated by The Hub for Success.
Continuing Care and the Welfare Assessment: Practice Note
Authored by CELCIS, Clan Childlaw and the Care Inspectorate, the Continuing Care and Welfare Assessment Practice note clarifies the legislative duties and requirements when undertaking a Welfare Assessment to support planning for a looked after young person to ‘stay put’ in a care placement under Continuing Care arrangements.
It offers clear guidance on what needs to be considered, by whom and when and is intended to inform good practice and to support carers, practitioners, managers and decision-makers in consistently implementing the Staying Put Scotland policy and Continuing Care legislation.
|
|
|
Staf Events
Staf runs a range of events including focus groups, forums, webinars and conferences for you to connect and learn with colleagues and peers. |
|
Focus Group: 'Continuing Care 5 Years On' for foster/Continuing Care carers
Friday 27th November, 11.00am - 1pm (Microsoft Teams)
Over the past couple of months Staf (in partnership with NAFP) has been conducting a piece of research into Continuing Care. We are particularly looking into the successes, opportunities and shortcomings of continuing care legislation and provision in foster care. We are inviting foster carers/continuing care carers to share their views.
Care Leavers Into Employment Focus Group Wednesday 2nd December, 10.30am - 12.30pm (Microsoft Teams)
Our Care Leavers into Employment focus group tackles the issues faced by young people in both accessing and sustaining employment. This group brings together workers from across the public and third sector to discuss and dissect current practice issues and is free to attend for Staf members. |
|
'Continuing Care 5 years on' Focus Group for Young People Wednesday 2nd December, 4pm - 6pm (Microsoft Teams)
Staf is conducting an exciting research project called ‘An exploration of Continuing Care 5 years on’ in collaboration with NAFP, the National Association of Fostering Providers. Our aim is to understand what’s been going well, what could be improved and draw together current evidence, practice and knowledge. This session is to consult with young people who are or have been in Continuing Care placements.
|
|
Participation Practitioners' Forum
Thursday 3rd December, 11am- 12.30pm (Zoom)
The Participation Practitioners' Forum is a free bi-monthly event for participation workers supporting young people with care and justice experience to connect with, and learn from, each other: sharing successes, reflecting on challenges, and championing examples of best practice in an informal setting.
The forum was set up in response to restrictions on physical meetings and gatherings - as those delivering participation work across the country have had to rapidly and creatively adapt their approach, and we have been connecting with monthly Zoom calls.
The forum has a particular focus on engaging workers that support care-experienced young people in the justice system, and on utilising digital tools to creatively support young people.
Staf Relationships Webinar: Leaving Care Services in Rural Scotland
Wednesday 9th December, 10am - 12pm (Zoom)
Bringing together all of those that support care leavers in rural, remote and island communities, this will be an opportunity to discuss the challenges you face and share best practice. With the opportunity afforded by digital technology we are delighted to bring together an event exclusively for this audience.
|
|
Supported Lodgings, Supported Carers Focus Group
Tuesday 15th December, 10am - 11.30am (Microsoft Teams)
The Supported Lodgings, Supported Carers Focus Group provides a supportive forum to share good practice, local and national developments, and discuss issues around Care Inspectorate inspections. This group is aimed at members and corporate parents who provide supported lodgings or supported carer services for care-experienced young people.
Local Authority Members' Forum
Tuesday 19th January 2021, 10.30am - 12.30pm (Microsoft Teams)
This event has been created exclusively for local authority managers to give you space to discuss the issues that matter to you, given your unique statutory responsibility in delivering service for care leavers.
To be added to the Local Authority Members' Forum group on Teams please indicate this in your booking email (please note the group is only accessible to members of Staf, any non-members joining the meeting will be sent a specific meeting link prior).
|
|
Implications of Continuing Care Focus Group
Tuesday 16th February 2021, 10am - 11.30am (Microsoft Teams)
Meeting since 2014, the Implications of Continuing Care Focus Group offers a safe place to discuss issues and practice arising from Part 11 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. The recent work of this group has discussed commissioning placements, fostering fees and payments and shared good practice from across Scotland.
Staf Webinar: Relationship-based practice in education
Wednesday 27th January 2021, 10.00am - 12.00pm (Zoom)
Following on from our successful Staf Summit in March 2020, Staf is hosting a new series of webinars focussing on how relationships can be placed at the heart of practice and the difference that this can make for the young people in our care
Due to popular demand, this is the second opportunity to hear a recorded contribution from Dr Gillian Ruch, Professor of Social Work at The University of Sussex. This stream of Gillian's recorded keynote address from our March 2020 event will be followed by a discussion on how relationship-based practice can support care-experienced young people in education co-facilitated by Staf's Head of Learning and Development, Pamela Graham, and a care-experienced student.
|
|
|
What #WeLove this month...
💜 Life Changes Trust have announced an Individual Grants programme for young people with care experience, ‘My Choice, My Future’. The deadline for applications is the 14th December but they may close early depending on the response so make sure you spread the word. Read more here.
💜 Children's Hearings Scotland have launched their Children's Rights and Inclusion Strategy which ensures that children and young people feel able to speak openly and honestly during hearings, find out more here.
💜 We're loving Who Cares? Scotland's A Christmas Wish campaign. Recognising that Christmas for care experienced young people will be especially difficult this year they are asking them to make a wish which Who Cares? Scotland will then try to fulfil. Such a lovely idea!
💜 The second round of Phase 1 of the Connecting Scotland initiative is live, supporting care leavers up to the age of 26 to get online. Applications are open until 18th of January. Find out more here.
|
|
|
| Want to find out more about Staf events, projects, membership and training opportunities? |
|
|
We would love to hear from you. Get in contact via email on info@staf.scot or through our social media channels linked below. |
|
|
|
|
