CELCIS’s response to the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee's Call for Views on the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill
Topic: Children's hearings system, Corporate parenting, Foster care, Kinship care, Legislation, Local authority, Permanence, Residential care, Throughcare and aftercare, Voices of young people
Author: CELCIS
The Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament by the Scottish Government on 17 June 2025. It is part of the Government’s commitment to achieve the aspirations of The Promise of the Independent Care Review and improve support and outcomes for children and adults with experience of care, their families and carers.
The Bill, as introduced, seeks to change the services and support provided to people with experience of care. These changes include:
- giving people who left the care system before their 16th birthday the right to apply for aftercare
- requiring Scottish Ministers to ensure care experienced people have access to advocacy services
- requiring Scottish Ministers to publish guidance which promotes understanding of “care” and “care experience”
- giving Scottish Ministers powers to limit the profits that can be made from children’s residential care
- requiring fostering services to register as charities
- giving Scottish Ministers the power to create a register of foster carers
- making changes to the children’s hearings system.
The Bill also sets out that Integration Joint Boards would be responsible for children’s services planning, alongside local authorities and health boards.
This is CELCIS’s response to Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee's Call for Views on the Bill.