CELCIS briefing: Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014

Date: 27th May 2014
Category:
Author: Centre for Excellence for Looked after Children

CELCIS has published the first in a new series of briefings that explain specific parts of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.

Each briefing will be designed to support organisations and practitioners involved in implementing the provisions of the 2014 Act and this first one focuses on changes to aftercare services, and the introduction of Continuing Care. This briefing focuses on Parts 10 and 11 of the Act: Aftercare and Continuing Care.

Taken together the changes to Aftercare andContinuing Care constitute one of the most substantive reforms of the looked after children's sector seen in many years, increasing the population eligible for 'Aftercare' support and introducing a new obligation on local authorities to secure some care leavers in their looked after placement, or suitable alternative accommodation, up to their 22nd birthday.

• Read the first briefing on the CELCIS website here.

CELCIS works to promote the rights of looked after children and young people across policies and services. Their objectives include to support those working with looked after children and young people to ensure that children and young people's voices, views and experiences are heard, listened to and taken into account (reflecting Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNCRC).

Part 10 and Part 11 of the Act could help to further respect and fulfilment of the rights of all children and young people to a standard of living adequate for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development (Article 27 of the UNCRC). Furthermore it could assist the entitlement of a child temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family environment, or in whose own best interests cannot be allowed to remain in that environment, to special protection and assistance provided by the State (Article 20 of the UNCRC).