Established in 1978, Who Cares? Scotland is a national voluntary organisation, working with Care Experienced* children, young people and adults.

Supporting Care Experienced people to have their voice heard, Who Cares? Scotland has a bold and ambitious vision for a lifetime of equality, respect and love for Care Experienced people. This vision is supported by four key objectives:

• Rights:We will support Care Experienced children and young people from across Scotland to claim their rights.
• Belonging:We will create opportunities with Care Experienced people to connect with one another, understand their identity and build a strong sense of self and belonging to the care family.
• Influencing:We will support Care Experienced people to be active in positively influencing their personal, social and political world in Scotland and beyond.
• Pioneering:We will lead an ethical organisation with care experience at its heart.

To realise this vision, Who Cares? Scotland will focus on the core building blocks shown below. These are not just words, but are the pillars that hold Who Cares? Scotland both individually and collectively accountable to the whole Care Experienced population.

• Belonging: we may agree and debate, however, we also cherish and support one another, learn from our mistakes, share in our success and create a sense of belonging.
• Authenticity: we form true and non-judgmental relationships, and we treat one another the way we want to be treated.
• Stability: we may change, grow and restructure, but we are always there for Care Experienced people.
• Determination: day-in and day-out we conduct ourselves in a way that achieves our vision and makes us better human beings.

With a strong belief in the power of individual and collective voice, Who Cares? Scotland has  ensured meaningful and lasting change for all Care Experienced people. Working closely with their members they have secured a change in the age at which young people can remain in care, the introduction of the Care Experienced bursary and the announcement of a Root and Branch review of care.

In response to Care Experienced people telling Who Cares? Scotland that they want to be part of change and take control of their own narrative, The collective was launched in December 2018. This group is comprised entirely of Care Experienced people who are responsible for:

• Shaping the vision of a Lifetime of Equality, Respect & Love
• Speaking out on behalf of the organisation’s members as a National Representative Body for Care Experienced in Scotland.
• Influencing decision makers at a global and national level

Who Cares? Scotland approach has always been deeply rooted in amplifying the voice of Care Experienced individuals and groups, to create change at an individual, local or national level. The organisation has six participation principles and their approach:

1. Is based on meaningful and equal relationships with those taking part
2. Recognises that all members have different starting points and seeks positive opportunities for them to engage
3. Creates the learning space for people with care experience to better understand their experience, their rights and their potential
4. Is informed by the belief that people with care experience have an amazing capacity to grow as individuals and to shape the world around them
5. Values the voice of Care Experienced individuals and groups and works with them to identify ways to amplify it
6. Values difference and seeks to include people with care experience as widely as possible

For more information on Who Cares? Scotland please visit: www.whocaresscotland.org

* Care Experienced refers to anyone who has been or is currently in care or from a looked after background at any stage of their life, no matter how short.  This could include kinship care; looked after at home; residential care; foster care; secure care; or adopted people who were previously looked after.