How to talk about care experience in Scotland

To tackle stigma, we need to help people think differently about how the care system can and should work for children – and explain how and why people stigmatise in the first place.

In February 2020, the Independent Care Review called for foundational reform of care experience in Scotland. For a transformation of the system that creates it. And for an end to the stigma faced by care experienced people. Shifting public attitudes is a vital component of addressing stigma and creating systemic change at all levels of society.

To build public support for reform, and to encourage positive action, we need to tell a new story. One that shifts the dominant narrative on care experience from ‘the forever damaged other’ to ‘what all children need to thrive’.

You’ll also find the research supplement below, which describes in detail the research methods and findings that underpin the recommendations in this briefing.