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Stories are at the heart of the promise. Many people and organisations across Scotland have made a commitment to care experienced children and young people.

The stories told by over 5,500 children, young people, families and members of the workforce were the foundation on which the Independent Care Review was built and remain at the core of the promise.

It is essential that as change continues, those who are responsible for the “care system” are able to tell their stories, share practice, highlight learning and support collaboration. It is easy to lose sight of the fact “the system” is people: children, young people, foster carers, parents and families who are experiencing the system, members of the workforce who spend time with and have a responsibility to care experienced children and families and advocates and decisions makers that are needed to drive the change to the highest levels in order to fulfil the promise.

“The system” isn’t always working but the people are. They are working to make things better, working on behalf of every child and young person who deserves to grow up, loved, safe and respected and working to create change.

Telling Stories of Change

In pursuit of supporting transformation of “the system” and supporting those within it, The Promise Scotland seeks to tell collective stories of change to support learning and momentum and to provide ideas, purpose, and, most importantly, hope.

The Promise Scotland seeks to amplify stories of change that:

  • shine a spotlight on great practice and change journeys, showing impact for children, young people, their families and support networks where possible,
  • support those delivering change and highlight where connections and collaboration can affect greater change,
  • uncover how change is happening and where,
  • celebrate hope and positive impact while understanding where further change is needed,
  • recognise where things have gone wrong and where there are barriers to change, so that we can learn how to do better.

The Promise Scotland recognises the stories of those who come into contact with the “care system” can be incredibly difficult and are too often a reminder of how much work there is left to do. By telling these stories of change, the goal is not to erase those experiences nor to pretend everything is going right, but to provide a platform to surface learning and encourage the collaboration needed to do better.

The Promise Scotland hopes you will join in telling these stories of change and allow this project to support and amplify your voices. Scotland must keep the promise and it can only do that by listening, learning and remembering the foundation on which this promise was built.

Click here to tell your story of change.


About the author

Alison Sutherland - Head of Support

Alison Sutherland

Head of Support

Alison leads The Promise Scotland’s Support Team which is focused on engaging with a wide range of organisations to #KeepThePromise. This includes:

  • Building new ways of working
  • Identifying and sharing/communicating effective practice
  • Facilitating networking events
  • Nurturing Communities of Interest, and
  • Driving reformed local and national activity

Alison’s background is in Children’s Services with experience as Head of Children, Families and Justice Services in a local authority, and previously in Education as a former Head Teacher of two secondary schools. She also serves as a non-executive Board Member at Ayrshire College.

Alison also manages PDP activities for:

  • Aberdeen City, and
  • Aberdeenshire.