Audit Scotland’s October 2025 report, Improving Care Experience: Delivering The Promise, offers a sobering reflection on Scotland’s progress towards fulfilling its national commitment to care experienced children and young people by 2030.
The Promise, made in response to the Independent Care Review in 2020, set out a vision for transformational change. Five years on, the report finds that while dedication remains strong, delivery has been slow, fragmented, and hindered by unclear roles, inconsistent data, and short-term funding.
Children’s Health Scotland welcomes this report and its recommendations. As a charity that has supported 706 care experienced children and young people and delivered workshops to 298 carers over the past year, we know that real change is possible when services are child-led, trauma-informed, and rights-based. Our SMS Programmes, Bear’s Big Adventure Days, and Health Rights Defenders initiative are all designed to ensure that children and young people feel heard, respected, and supported in their health and wellbeing.
We are proud to work alongside families, carers, and professionals to uphold the five foundations of The Promise: Voice, Family, Care, People, and Scaffolding. But we also recognise the challenges highlighted in the report—particularly the lack of strategic workforce planning, the complexity of governance structures, and the need for better data to measure impact.
Helen Forrest, CEO of Children’s Health Scotland, said:
This report is a timely reminder that good intentions are not enough. Children and young people need to feel the difference The Promise is making in their lives. That means clearer leadership, longer-term investment, and a shared understanding of what success looks like. At Children’s Health Scotland, we remain committed to delivering real help, right now—and we urge all partners to act with urgency and purpose to keep The Promise.
As we approach the halfway point to 2030, Children’s Health Scotland calls on the Scottish Government, COSLA, and all delivery bodies to prioritise the actions outlined in Audit Scotland’s recommendations. We particularly support the call for:
- Clearer national and local accountability structures
- Strategic resource planning and workforce support
- Meaningful engagement with care experienced children and young people
- Improved data collection and sharing to track progress
We believe that every child has the right to grow up feeling loved, safe, and respected. The Promise is not just a policy—it’s a pledge to Scotland’s children. Let’s make sure we keep it.
To read more about the Audit Scotland report CLICK HERE.
