The Promise Scotland

Infographic with a bright pink background and text highlighting Welcome to Your Vote Week which can help you explore the issues that are important to you and learn how to have your say, and discover the impact your vote has on your everyday life.

It will be the continued responsibility of the next Scottish Parliament to keep the promise.

During Welcome to Your Vote Week, find out how you can have your voice heard or support the children & young people you work with to participate in the May 2026 Scottish Election 👉 ow.ly/xAng50Ysn3H

Illustration of four children holding hands under text about new resources from the Children's Parliament that help to take a children's human rights approach to service design.

The Children's Parliament have created three new resources to help involve children in service design, supporting services to work in a way that will keep the promise.

Read more and access the resources here: ow.ly/Orww50YrJU2

Illustration of two professionals collaborating, with a quote from Rachael Borthwick, Development Officer for Project Change, that reads "When you trust the person you're working with, you can name uncertainty, disagreement, and discomfort without it turning into defensiveness."

In this story, Rachael Borthwick from ProjectChange explores how we think about collaboration, the importance of being able to enjoy the process, and how the way we work can be reflected in what we create.

Read more here: ow.ly/Q9tO50YpJqF

Since the promise was made, people and organisations across Scotland have been working to bring about the transformative change the Independent Care Review demands. Their learning stories can help you as part of your journey.👇

Illustration of a person hugging a child with text promoting simpler laws for a clearer 'care system' by The Promise Scotland.

Graphic of a person reading to a child explaining that Scotland's laws, policy, and practice around its 'care system' are extremely cluttered and complicated, and this has a real impact on people's lives. Simplifying the landscape of legislation has become known as decluttering the landscape.

Graphic of a person reading to a child asking why is decluttering so important. The answer is that for the law to function effectively, people need to understand how to follow it, making sure that the workforce understands their duties and how to implement them and that all care experienced children and adults understand their rights and entitlements and the processes which exist around them and their lives.

Illustration of a person watering a flower blooming holding a child reading a book, symbolising support. Text explains that new legislation will still be needed along with consolidating existing laws in order for the promise to be kept in full.

Creating a clearer 'care system' with simpler laws, policy, and practice is essential to keeping the promise and ensuring care experienced children and adults understand and access their rights and entitlements.

Read more about our work around decluttering the landscape here: ow.ly/b7PF50Yo2z2

New Sounds Academy The Sound Lab are delighted to announce the return of the New Sounds Academy programme for 2026, in partnership with the National Leadership Network and Cove Park .  First launched back in 2021, New.....

You can also learn more about their 2026 New Sounds Academy, run in partnership with the National Leadership Network & Cove Park, providing an opportunity for care experienced musicians to develop their creative potential. Applications are open until 11 March: www.thesoundlab.org.uk/new-sounds-a...

Graphic of an adult person watering a plant growing a flower holding a child reading a book with a quote from Rollo Strickland, Programme and Development Manager at Sound Lab, reading "What we aim to achieve is upholding the right for care experienced children and young people to develop their creative potential and explore creative opportunities and enjoy those opportunities and all the associated benefits that come with that."

This story highlights Musicares, a partnership between The Sound Lab and the Scottish Music Centre, to provide care experienced children and young people with access to music tuition and equipment and a place where they can grow through creative expression.

Read more here: ow.ly/TFp250YoZnh

Since the promise was made, people and organisations across Scotland have been working to bring about the transformative change the Independent Care Review demands. Their learning stories can help you as part of your journey.💡👇

Two members of the Oversight Board for the promise stand inside with Richard Leonard MSP holding an Oversight Board sign against a stone wall background.

Two members of the Oversight Board for the promise stand with Nicola Sturgeon MSP and Roz McCall MSP holding signs against a stone wall background.

Members of the Oversight Board for the promise stand with Miles Briggs MSP holding an Oversight Board Report THREE against a stone wall background.

Members of the Oversight Board for the promise stand with Paul McLennan MSP holding an Oversight Board sign against a stone wall background.

The Oversight Board for the promise held a drop in session at Scottish Parliament yesterday, meeting MSPs from across parties to raise awareness of the importance of keeping the promise & share two new briefings, highlighting where progress is needed around housing & education: ow.ly/kY0450YmTqIEd

Illustration of a person presenting a poster with a heart surrounded by people icons, promoting the Community of Practice for Siblings online event which has been rescheduled to 26 March.

The Community of Practice for Siblings February event has been rescheduled to 26 March, 1 - 3:30pm.

This session will still feature the work of the Scottish Lifelong Links & Connections Network & South Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership's Family Compass Framework.

Sign up: ow.ly/bult50YmtFy

Briefings on housing and education to be shared at the Scottish Parliament The Oversight Board are sharing briefings on housing and education with Members of the Scottish Parliament today, the 26th February.

Their briefings set out the current evidence on what is happening, where delivery is uneven, and where greater clarity, pace and accountability are required across government, local authorities and public bodies.

Find out more here ➡️ ow.ly/ucFW50Ymv1A

Announcement from the Oversight Board for the promise of briefings on housing and education topics to be shared at the Scottish Parliament inside a graphic of a speech bubble and a person holding a megaphone.

The Oversight Board are at the Scottish Parliament today to support informed discussion, scrutiny, and action on two issues that shape the daily lives of care experienced children and young people: housing and education.

Today is #CareDay2026 - the world's biggest celebration of children, young people & adults with experience of care.
We're proud to say we're #ConnectedByCare, celebrating all Scotland's diverse connections to care through lived experience, family, friends, work & community.
💜

Graphic of a person standing on top of a building with a megaphone and a speech bubble with a message from The Oversight Board for Care Day 2026 reading "On this day of celebration, we remember the promise made to the care community. We send out love and good wishes to all care experienced children, young people, adults, and their friends, family and supporters. We never cease to be humbled by the many special people involved in a community we are proud to both stand alongside and be a part of."

A message from The Oversight Board for #CareDay26👇

Image features a groups of young people, most of whom are holding placards to suggest they are demonstrating about something. Above them, are the words: "Care Day 2026. Friday 20th February. We're all Connected by Care." The image is colourful and most of the young people are smiling and happy.

Today is #CareDay2026 – the world's biggest celebration of children, young people and adults with experience of care.

We're proud to say we're #ConnectedByCare, celebrating all of Scotland's diverse connections to care through lived experience, family, friends, work and community. 💚

Four young people holding hands under the text Care Day 2026 highlighting the theme Connected by Care on a light teal background.

Today is Care Day, a day of celebration & connection for the care experienced community. The promise was made possible by all those who demanded change & continue to strive for a better future. We celebrate with you today & will continue to do our part to make that future a reality. #ConnectedByCare

The changes proposed are significant & many won't be straightforward to implement. Keeping the promise requires collaboration. We will continue to work with Scottish Government & MSPs to build on cross-party engagement & consider what improvements must be made in order to embed sustainable change.

Ensuring the law can help to keep the promise The Promise Scotland is working to make sure the upcoming Promise Bill is fit for purpose, so that it can do as much as it can to keep the promise.

We are also pleased to hear the Minister's indication that amendments will be brought forward in Stage 3 relating to restraint in care settings and Family Group Decision Making which are key areas of improvement needed to keep the promise.

Read more in our briefings: thepromise.scot/policy/legis...

We are pleased to see amendments pass in many important areas including the right to return to care, earlier access to advocacy for children, support for kinship carers, defining of independent advocacy, and a requirement to consider the availability of child-centred legal advice and representation.

Graphic of hands surrounding an adult embracing a child suggesting support and care. Text states MSPs support important amendments to the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) Bill at Stage 2.

Today, was the final Stage 2 debate of the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill. The robust cross-party engagement in each debate is a clear indicator of sustained commitment to keeping the promise and an understanding that the push for change must continue.

Read more about supporting mental health and the importance of positive education environments in Plan 24-30 here: thepromise.scot/news/childre...

Head to @place2becharity.bsky.social to find out more and get involved this week.

Illustration of two children holding hands in front of a school building with text highlighting Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 with the theme This is My Place.

This week is #ChildrensMentalHealthWeek and it is all about supporting the systems around children and young people to help them feel they belong.

Belonging and trusted relationships are vital to keeping the promise that Scotland’s children and young people will grow up loved, safe, and respected.

Design School Lite - An Introduction to Design Thinking, Methods and Tools Insight into the co-design process and Design Thinking to allow the participants to start to scope a Promise project they wish to undertake

Looking to take a different approach to keeping the promise in your service or project? Design School Lite could be right for you and your team.

Sign up for our next series here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1975586192...

Image of hands holding an adult and child embracing signifying care and support. Text above reads Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill Stage 2 Debate

Today is the second Stage 2 debate on the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill. This bill has the potential to make important legal changes to help keep the promise.

Read our briefing on remaining amendments: ow.ly/1e7C50YcGpg

Tune in ▶️ www.scottishparliament.tv

A computer screen with The Gathering 2026 logo on a dark pink background on a table with microphones and a stack of papers in the foreground with the Plan 24-30 logo and a QR code to the Plan 24-30 website.

Thank you to everyone who joined us today. You can explore the route maps and the Promise Story of Progress at www.plan2430.scot.

If you’d like to get in touch, please reach out to plan2430@thepromise.scot.

Throughout the session our speakers will discuss the updated route maps and how they can be translated into local level delivery plans, and how we understand Scotland's progress to keeping the promise by 2030.

Image of a large screen with SCVO The Gathering logo on a dark pink background. A banner stands in front of the screen with The Promise Scotland logo and a row of seats with microphones in the background.

Our event at The Gathering 2026 is starting soon! We are joined by Fiona Duncan, Independent Strategic Advisor, Ewan Aitkin, CEO of @cyrenians.bsky.social, and Charlotte Wilson, Chief Inspector – Children and Young People (Temporary), @careinspectorate.bsky.social for our expert panel discussions.

Great to see @aroeschmarsh.bsky.social's Transforming Friendship Focused Support project in the Community of Practice for Siblings newsletter! Catch up here: edin.ac/4aht13A

#AcademicSky @stafscot.bsky.social @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social @stir.ac.uk @edfuturesinstitute.bsky.social

The Route Maps : Plan 24-30

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Over the coming months, we will be sharing opportunities to engage, learn together, and explore how the Route Map can support better transitions for young people, now and in the future.

You can view all the Route Maps at www.plan2430.scot/the-route-maps

@thepromise.scot

A saltire flag in the shape of a heart, which is being created by a child painting

Yesterday on the sixth anniversary of the promise being made, the First Minister announced funding for projects to support the education and wellbeing of care experienced children and young people. Find out more here www.gov.scot/news/creatin...