In the week of the fourth anniversary of the Promise, First
Minister met with students who have
been supported by Edinburgh-based initiative Hub for Success,
which supports people with experience of care to re-enter or stay
in education.
Hub for Success has been supported by Scottish Government funding
to Keep the Promise, including over £300,000 across two rounds of
the Promise Partnership Fund.
The First Minister met Alistair Stewart, 30, who grew up with
experience of care. Alistair had to repeatedly return to
education, including returning to college multiple times before
finally getting into university.
Thanks to his work with Hub for Success, Alistair has just been
offered a place on a Master's course, and alongside his studies
he now works as a student ambassador with the Hub for Success to
help deliver support to more young people like him.
Alistair Stewart, a Student Ambassador at Hub for Success, said:
“As a care-experienced student, the Hub for Success helped make
my transition from college to university easier. Student
communities need stable support, and we all have a role to play
in developing a solid and robust support system. The Hub for
Success and my university provides the scaffolding of care and
support that I need, when I need it, which has been very
beneficial for me.”
The First Minister said:
“It is my firm belief that all children should grow up loved,
safe and respected, and be supported to reach their full
potential – and so the importance of Keeping the Promise cannot
be overstated.
“I’ve heard first-hand today the benefit that our efforts to Keep
the Promise have had to support care-experienced young people to
continue or re-enter education. I’m proud of the progress we’ve
made in this area, including our commitment to invest £500
million in Whole Family Wellbeing, introducing more support for
kinship and foster carers, our commitment to deliver a £2,000
Care Leaver Payment and our work to expand the Bairns’ Hoose
Pathfinders.
“We want Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow up
for all children – but I know that we have to go further and
ensure we connect the activities taking place across Scotland to
Keep the Promise by 2030. By working with Scotland’s care
experienced community, and listening to the lived experiences of
people like Alistair, we will deliver the change we need.”
Background
HUB for SUCCESS
| Care experience support for College and University in
Scotland
Contact for Hub for Success interview requests, including
Alistair, is Lorraine Moore // L.Moore@napier.ac.uk.
Scottish Government funding for Hub for Success comprises:
- £50,000 to support establishment of a Strategic Lead Manager
role in March 2021
- £83,000 from the Good Childhood Fund in February 2022 to
review work being done to implement service redesign across the
organisation and other partners
- £214,000 from round one of the Promise Partnership Fund to
develop training programmes and upskill learners to ensure they
are leading on and influencing change across workforce and
partner organisations
- £117,500 from round two of the Promise Partnership Fund to
expand collaboration between colleges, universities and local
authorities outwith the current regional model for Hub for
Success
A key action from The Promise, the implementation of Bairns’
Hoose will ensure a range of trauma-informed support is available
to child victims and witnesses, aiming to improve their
experience of the justice system and reduce stress when
recounting their experiences.
The Bairns' Hoose model brings together child protection, health
recovery support and justice services under one roof in a “four
rooms” approach. Pathfinder partnerships comprising police, local
authority, health board and third sector bodies have been
established to test national Bairns’ Hoose Standards.
More information on Bairns’ Hoose can be found in the Bairns’ Hoose Project Plan
Progress Report and Pathfinder Delivery Plan (2023 – 25) and
at the Bairns’ Hoose Scotland
website.
