Major updates to Promise Story of Progress

We have been working with COSLA, the Scottish Government and other partners to make updates to all three questions in the Promise Story of Progress.

Three kinds of data

There are three kinds of data that make up the Promise Story of Progress— each of which offers a different but equally important perspective, and which links to a different question:  

• At a national level, the data shows what is changing over time— answering the question: How is Scotland doing in its progress towards keeping the promise?
• At an organisational level, learning shows how those changes are happening— answering the question: How are organisations doing in their work to keep the promise?
• The experience lens shows whether those changes are being felt— answering the question: Does the care community feel the impact of the promise being kept?

Ten Vision Statements

The information is set out under 10 vision statements. These are taken directly from The Promise Report, and set out the vision for where Scotland must be in 2030. They relate to areas of life where young people identified change needed to happen, during the Independent Care Review.

On their own, each question gives insight into one part of the story. Together, viewed through the vision statements, they help people to understand what is happening, how it is happening, and – most importantly – how it’s being felt by the care community.

Consistency, clarity and good communication can make positive differences

While the data and learning vary across each vision statements, there is a clear message coming through from those with care experience that consistency, clarity and good communication can make positive differences.

When viewing the Promise Story of Progress, and bringing all these parts together, it’s important to remember that, following the conclusions of the Independent Care Review, Scotland made a national commitment to keep the promise in 2020— and we are all part of that national picture. There is a role for everyone to play ensuring the data and information in The Promise Story of Progress is being used to understand change, create change, and inform how this work continues.

The Promise Story of Progress will help practitioners, leaders and organisations by:

• Bringing together national data, organisational information and the impact felt by people with care experience to help users give context to their own data and learn how to make improvements, all while understanding how Scotland is doing.
• Enabling them to check whether their current practice is making a difference, understand what is working well, and see where change is still needed.

The Promise Story of Progress supports learning rather than performance management, and keeps the focus on what matters to children, families and care experienced adults.

Plan 24-30's What Matters questions can be used with the Promise Story of Progress, allowing it to be used for a tool for learning. The questions can help people explore what might be happening in their own setting, encouraging curiosity and reflection about what support might be needed and what might need to change.

See the Promise Story of Progress on the Plan 24-30 website.