Care Review invites members to join the Journey
The Independent Care Review has invited 174 people to contribute towards its goal of improving care for infants, children and young people, and adults in Scotland.
The Care Review’s Journey stage began in June and features ten work groups that are focusing on areas directly related to what is known as the ‘care system’.
Potential group members will be asked to join a group that relates to their personal and professional experiences of care so they can directly influence the Care Review’s progress in a meaningful and authentic way.
Journey work groups are being headed by pairs of co-chairs who bring a unique blend of care experience and professional knowledge.
Taking a balanced and inclusive approach to invitations, making sure people with experience of care remain a priority, the Care Review has carefully decided how to approach potential participants.
There is more information about this process on in the FAQs below.
Commenting on the call for Journey group members, Independent Care Review Chair Fiona Duncan said:
“A review of Scotland’s ‘care system’ has never been done quite like this, or on this scale before and it’s essential that the Independent Care Review gets it right.
Significant improvements are needed and the only way this can be effectively achieved is by understanding the full extent of what it means to experience care.
The diverse mix of individuals invited to join the ten Journey work groups come from a range of backgrounds, and will massively benefit the Care Review through lived experience, skills and knowledge.
The Independent Care Review has benefited from the wisdom and support of many people and organisations, and only with us all continuing to work together, will the Care Review achieve the lasting change that is so needed.”
There will be a range of ways for people to take part throughout the Journey stage and you can stay informed by signing up for updates on the Get Involved page or by following the Care Review through the Care Review social channels on the right of the page.
What is the Journey stage?
The Independent Care Review is made up of four stages, and Journey is the third stage.
The Journey stage will begin to deliver improvements for infants, children and young people who experience care in Scotland, whilst exploring in more detail the complex parts of the ‘care system’.
There are ten Journey work groups taking this forward.
Four groups continuing the work of Discovery:
- STOP:GO – making change happen – stimulating good practice and innovation
- RIGHTS – knowing, respecting and upholding these
- STIGMA – understanding this and figuring out to how combat it
- LOVE – learning about what that means to infants, children and young people in care and how to make sure their daily lives are filled with it!
..and six that will explore in depth the following areas:
- Best place in the world
- Components of care
- Edges of care
- Health and wellbeing
- Justice and care
- Workforce
The Independent Care Review has appointed a diverse range of co-chairs to lead the ten work groups.
Each group is working hard to identify and tackle the challenges faced by infants, children, young people, and adults with experience of Scotland’s care system, and working together to make sure there are no gaps or overlap.
The work groups are also looking for good practice that can be encouraged across Scotland.
The co-chairs were appointed for their mix of experience of the care system and professional knowledge. They will also make sure that the voice of care experience continues to drive forward change for infants, children and young people, and adults in Scotland.
Scotland’s ‘care system’ is made up of lots of different parts and involves people from all walks of life. One person’s experience of care can be totally different from another person’s.
It is essential that as many care experienced voices as possible are heard through all stages of the Care Review, and that those voices are empowered to influence change in the duration of the Care Review and afterwards, once all final recommendations are made.
The Care Review gave great consideration as to how Journey work group members were invited to take part. This was to ensure that, as during Discovery, a fair process was followed to ensure diverse and inclusive representation, and that the groups were made up of a balance of people to steer the important work, with fifty percent lived and fifty percent professional experience.
Below is a snapshot of the range of methods used to identify and approach members:
- Lots and lots of people took part in the Discovery stage and many of them spoke to the Independent Care Review about areas they had very specific experience of or expertise in, and expressed an interest in getting more involved in shaping the Journey.
- Where this was relevant to a specific Journey work group, a direct approach was made to the person to ask if they would join.
- Where this was relevant to lots of areas of the Journey, the person will have an email asking them to be involved in the whole Journey stage.
- Members of the Discovery group who wanted to continue to be actively involved in the Care Review have been asked to get involved in a Journey work group. This will make sure the learning from Discovery continues to be the foundation for the Journey, and members of the group can support continuity of approach and values of the Care Review.
- The Care Review made direct approaches to care experienced people with knowledge and insights that are critical to the Journey work groups.
- Organisations that work with care experienced people were asked to nominate individuals with knowledge and insights critical to the Journey work groups.
- Organisations and umbrella bodies that represent important members of the care population (such as LGBTQ and refugee / asylum seekers) were asked to identify people to represent that interest.
- Organisations that are champions (such as Children’s Parliament, Scottish Human Rights Commission) were asked to identify people to represent that interest.
- Organisations and umbrella bodies with specialisms (such as attachment or ACEs) or specific areas of responsibility (such as adoption or fostering) were asked to identify people to represent that interest.
- Lots of organisations delivering aspects of the ‘care system’ took part in the Discovery stage, many expressed an interest in getting more involved in shaping the Journey.
- Where this was relevant to a specific Journey work group, the Care Review asked that organisations to identify people to represent it.
- Where this was relevant to lots of areas of the Journey, the organisation has been emailed asking them to be involved in the whole Journey stage.
- The Care Review asked professional bodies (such as Social Work Scotland) to identify someone to represent that interest.
- Scottish Government reviews / commission / enquiries / taskforces that are carrying out work that is relevant to the Independent Care Review have been asked to nominate someone to join specific work groups.
At the first Journey Group, the Chair and the Co-Chairs proposed people and organisations, and all of these were cross-referenced with each other and the Discovery stage.
Lists of people and organisations to be approached, whether direct or via the nominations and representation process, were collated and reviewed at the second Journey Group. This led to a final set of people and organisations with broad and balanced experience.
They will steer and advise the work of the journey groups, mainly through attending monthly meetings which will last approximately three hours.
They may also wish to take part in events and discussions and Care Review activities.
No, work group members will not be paid for their time. This is the same arrangement which was in place for the members of the Discovery group in the Care Review’s Discovery stage.
However all their expenses will be paid for any travel, subsistence for accommodation costs, etc.
The Care Review’s Secretariat team will provide a range of support to all Journey work groups and their members.
As well as making sure all the meeting paperwork is sent out in time, and expenses paid, the team will support work group members to take part in conversations to continue to hear the voices of care experienced people.
If they would welcome it, all members will have access to counselling from Health in Mind throughout their involvement with the Care Review, and will be encouraged to take a ‘time out’ if a break from the programme of work would be beneficial.
Just because you are not on a work group does not mean that the Care Review does not want you to be involved. There are lots of people who have experience and knowledge that is relevant to so many of the work groups that the Care Review hopes they will be involved across all of the work.
The work groups will want to hear from everyone who has something to say about their area of interest.
The Care Review will continue to provide lots of ways to get involved and always welcomes your thoughts and feedback. Some of the opportunities during the Journey (between now and autumn 2019) will be events and workshops.
No, it really is not too late to share your views and your experiences and these will always be vital to shape the Care Review. Please do get in touch – it is so important that that you are heard.
The Care Review will continue to be inclusive in its approach, until the conclusion of the Destination stage which is scheduled for spring/summer 2020.
The Care Review is very keen to ensure that everyone who wishes to be involved in the Care Review can be and there are many ways to do this:
- The Go-to group which is the group of young people and adults who help the Care Review to ensure that any recommendations or decisions are the best ones.
- Through being a member of the Creatives in Residence group which is made up of people with care experience who have a talent for writing, photography, drawing, etc.
- Sign up to get involved and be kept informed via the Care Review web pages.
- Become part of the participation hub which is set up to ensure the Care Review continues to hear the voices of care experienced people.
- Through attending events and workshops which will take place during the Journey stage.
- Completing an online or written pledge, which means that you have publicly stated your hopes for the Care Review.
- Through campaigning and umbrella organisations that you choose to connect with.
