Informing how Scotland’s laws could work better for children, young people and families and the people who support them
In January 2026, the Scottish Government announced an independent review of the Scottish legislative framework for children’s care.
The review will run from February 2026 to February 2027 and is taking place at an important moment. With the new Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Act having recently been passed and ongoing work to realise The Promise of the Independent Care Review, this review will gather new evidence and insights about what’s needed to declutter and streamline the legislative framework to support the people who care for and protect children every day, with children’s rights and wellbeing at the centre of its approach and recommendations.
What is the legislative framework?
The remit and scope of this review can be found here
The legislative framework for children’s care means the laws, regulations, duties and guidance that shape how children, young people and families are supported, protected and cared for in Scotland.
Examples include decisions and processes about protection, where a child lives, permanence, aftercare and continuing care, how families including brothers and sisters keep connected, and the duties and responsibilities placed on local authorities, corporate parents and other agencies.
Why this Review matters
The Independent Care Review found that Scotland’s system, which relies on legislation developed over decades, is cluttered and confusing for most people, making it difficult to understand and navigate. That conclusion was supported by research findings from CELCIS’s Children’s Services Reform Research study and legal analysis by The Promise Scotland, all of which provided evidence and made the case for this legislative review.
The need for change is clear, but what is not clear are the specific details and evidence needed to prioritise how the legislative framework can be improved, why and how it will have a practical impact for children, young people, and families, and the people who support them.
The experiences and insights people share will help the review understand what currently helps, what gets in the way, and what needs to change so that children, young people and families get the right support at the right time.
These insights will shape a range of evidenced-based and practical recommendations that will inform Ministerial decision making for improving and reforming the legislation.
Professor Kenneth Norrie, a leading expert on Scottish family law and professor emeritus at the University of Strathclyde, is leading the Review in partnership with CELCIS. You can find information about Professor Norrie’s work here.
This work is being supported by CELCIS, the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection, a leading improvement, innovation and research centre for children and young people’s support, care and protection, based at the University of Strathclyde.
Professor Norrie:
“The aim of this review is simple: to provide clear, evidence-based proposals for change that make the legal processes around caring for children clearer and easier for everyone in Scotland to understand and navigate, while ensuring that children’s rights are upheld, children are safe, and care and support is designed to further their best interests.
“As we work quickly on this over the next year, we are very grateful to everyone who takes the time to share their insights and experiences with us.”
Sharing experiences with the review:
Children, Young People and Families
People with lived experience of the care system told the Independent Care Review about their experience of the processes and rules involved and the conclusions of their experiences are clearly summarised in a report published alongside The Promise.
This valuable insight allows this new review to build upon what is already known and not repeat questions that have been already asked.
People with lived experience of the care system and participation practitioners are helping shape how the review will engage with children, young people and families in a meaningful way within the short 12 month period of the review.
Opportunities to engage with this work will be shared on this page over the course of the review.
People who work with and support children, young people and families
We need to fully understand how legislation works as an everyday reality – how the law, guidance and/or processes support practice or create barriers, tensions, delays or unintended consequences for children, young people, and families.
The practitioners and people delivering services who are navigating the law, guidance and processes and are well placed to describe how these affect the support they provide and the support that’s needed.
The review is engaging widely to understand these experiences.
How to get involved
Taking part will be simple and flexible, with opportunities to fit around busy roles and tapping into established networks and groups where possible. This will include:
- A short survey is open and closes on Monday 11 May 2026. You can now take the survey.
- Small group workshops to understand insights and experiences in more depth. You can now register to take part in these.
- Workshops to test early proposals.
National survey
A short, online survey is open to gather experiences and insights to understand:
- When legislation has felt unclear, outdated or contradictory
- How current laws, duties, regulations or guidance affect day-to-day work with children and families
- Ideas on what would make the current legal framework better, easier to use and more rights-focussed
Anyone who supports, cares for, or provides legal or advocacy services to children, young people or families in Scotland, can take part including:
- Social workers
- Foster and kinship carers
- Residential child care and secure care staff
- Local authority solicitors and legal professionals
- Youth justice workers and police
- Health, education and third sector practitioners
- Managers, leaders, supervisors, volunteers
- Colleagues working in policy, data, learning and development, and administrative roles.
Shared insights and experience are essential in helping to shape clearer and more effective laws and regulations.
The Scottish Government will use the findings from this survey, alongside the review’s practical recommendations, to inform decisions about future children’s care legislation.
Details of new opportunities will be shared on this page over the course of the review.
More information about the survey
Workshops
A number of small group workshops to understand insights and experiences will also be available. You can register your interest to take part in these now.
Anyone who supports, cares for, or provides legal or advocacy services to children, young people or families in Scotland, can take part including:
- Social workers
- Foster and kinship carers
- Residential child care and secure care staff
- Local authority solicitors and legal professionals
- Youth justice workers and police
- Health, education and third sector practitioners
- Managers, leaders, supervisors, volunteers
- Colleagues working in policy, data, learning and development, and administrative roles.
Register for the small group workshops
How to get in touch with us
If you have questions about the Review, need support to take part, or want to share something that doesn’t fit through the survey or workshops, you can contact us directly.
You can email us at: childrenslegislativereview@strath.ac.uk
We will get back to you as soon as we can.