Introducing Staf's new CEO, updates on our participation projects, upcoming events, and more! |
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| Dear Friend,
I’m delighted to welcome you to my first Staf Newsletter as CEO.
Staf is an organisation with renewed energy and an influential voice. That it has reached this position is in no small part due to the leadership of my predecessor, Norma Corlette, over the past six years.
I hope you will all join me in thanking Norma and wishing her the best of luck for the future!
In this newsletter we showcase the fantastic work of our three projects. In the last month alone:
We’re also very excited to announce 'Celebrating Connection' – a special Practitioners’ Gathering on 22nd October to mark Care Experienced Week. The event is free for Staf members and care-experienced young people and promises to be a fun day! Book your place here.
I’m also pleased to confirm that our We Care conference is now sold out but don’t worry, if you’ve missed out you can add your name to our waiting list and we’ll be in touch if places open up. Finally, I look forward to meeting our members in the coming months. You can read my first blog below and I’m always happy to hear from you so please feel free to contact me on jo@staf.scot. Until next time, Jo Jo Derrick CEO, Staf |
| | | | Getting to Know You
Our new CEO, Jo Derrick, introduces herself to our members in this blog, setting out her high ambitions for Staf and for the young people our members support. Read the blog here. |
| | Project Return... We have lift off! On 24 September with a little bit of rocket science and a lot of energy we launched Project Return’s steering group at our offices in Glasgow. Find out more about how you can get involved in this project which has been created to explore how safe nurturing environments and healthy relationships can resolve trauma. Read more here. |
| | Imagining a Better World
What would the world look like if young people in and leaving care had the relationships they require to thrive? That was the question we posed at our three Mapping Relationships workshops – in Aberdeen, Glasgow and online – which were buzzing with discussion and positive ideas for change. Find out how they went here. |
| | What the young people of Youth Just Us have told us... Youth Just Us, the steering group behind the Staf/CYCJ Youth Justice Voices project, have already made a substantial impact, with interest from policy makers and politicians. Ruth Kerracher shares the key messages emerging as a result of the dedicated efforts of these dynamic young people. Read Ruth's blog here. |
| | | Last chance to take our Relationships Survey
We've launched the Mapping Relationships project to consult all of those who work with care leavers in Scotland to gather opinions and practice examples around relationship-based practice.
The survey is closing soon - make sure you don't miss out on this opportunity to have your input on improving relationship-based practice within the care environment! Take the survey here.
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| | What's missing from the debate on mental health Pamela Graham, our Head of Learning and Development, has contributed a blog to Children in Scotland's '25 Calls' campaign. In the article, Pamela argues that the collection of robust data on the mental health of young people with care experience could lead to action to radically improve their transition to adulthood. Read the blog in full here. |
| | Young people with care experience at the heart of new project
Staf and Children in Scotland are delighted to announce our partnership with young people with care experience to design and deliver the evaluation of a ground-breaking new initiative in Scotland.
The £3 million Home and Belonging initiative was created by the Life Changes Trust as part of its approach to transforming the lives of young people with care experience when they move into their own homes. Find out more about this initiative here. |
| | The Scottish Government has announced a review into the implementation of additional support for learning in schools, led by Angela Morgan. Views will be gathered between now and December 2019, with recommendations published in spring 2020. Find out how you can feed your views in here. |
| | Scottish Government confirm removal of Care Experienced Bursary upper age limit The Scottish Government has confirmed that the upper age limit for the Care Experienced Bursary will be removed from autumn 2020. Read more here. This follows confirmation from the Deputy First Minister that the bursary should be additional to any other financial support care leavers are entitled to. Read more on this here. |
| | | Celebrating Connection: Practitioners' Gathering
Tuesday 22nd October 2019 | 10am - 2pm | Albert Halls, Stirling
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| | It’s been a big year with a lot to celebrate so we’re holding a special Practitioners' Gathering on Care Experienced Week.
Through fun and interactive activities, care-experienced young people will be able to connect with those who support them, as well as the wider Corporate Parenting family. Importantly, the day has been designed around the wishes of the young people involved in Youth Just Us.
Join us in the familiar surroundings of Stirling's Albert Halls for this exciting event which will include therapets, creative workshops, as well as the launch of Social Security Scotland's Corporate Parenting Plan with CEO David Wallace.
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| | | We Care: Workforce wellbeing and trauma-sensitive care
Tuesday 29th October 2019 | 9am - 5pm | Stirling Court Hotel |
| | This event is now sold out but you can add your name to the waiting list below and we'll get in touch if places become available.
This training event will look at how we can support frontline workers through ‘trauma-sensitive caregiving’, where we recognise the impact that our own life history and wellbeing can have on the children and young people we work with.
This learning will be invaluable to anyone with an interest in supporting frontline workers to who want to learn more about the impact of neglect and trauma, as well as improve their professional quality of life. This will, in turn, allow them to bring their ‘whole self’ to work and deliver the relationship-based practice we know is key to healing from trauma for young people.
We are delighted that Tony Bloemendaal, a fellow of the ChildTrauma Academy founded by world-renowned trauma expert Dr Bruce Perry and expert in trauma and neglect, will join us for this exciting trauma training event.
Tony will be joined by Dr Roland Verdouw, a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist who is also based in the Netherlands. Dr Verdouw became a Robin Fancourt Memorial Scholar with The ChildTrauma Academy in 2013.
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| | | Youth Justice Voices
Monday 14th October 2019 | Glasgow | 5pm - 7pm |
| | In partnership with the Centre for Youth & Criminal Justice (CYCJ), our exciting project to amplify the voices of those with care and justice experience is well underway.
The project's steering group 'Youth Just Us' is open to young people aged 16-25 with care and justice experience, and continues to meet regularly.
In addition to taking part in a range of fun activities, the group have decided to focus on 3 key areas: the Children's Hearing System, the Police; and access to services. The group are also looking forward to participating in the Independent Care Review.
The next session will take place on Monday 14th October 2019. The group has chosen to discuss stigma, discrimination and the police. For further info and to get involved, contact Ruth@staf.scot - travel costs will be covered. |
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| | Meeting since 2014, the Implications of Continuing Care focus group offers a safe place to discuss issues and practice arising from Part 11 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. The recent work of this group has discussed commissioning placements, fostering fees and payments and shared good practice from across Scotland.
At our next meeting there will be the usual opportunities to meet colleagues and share practice that supports service delivery. We will be focusing on Commissioning services, Scotland Excel and transitions out of Continuing Care and how they are managed. Book your place here.
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| | | | Our Care Leavers into Employment focus group tackles the issues faced by young people in both accessing and sustaining employment. This group brings together workers from across the public and third sector to discuss and dissect current practice issues.
Our most recent focus group meetings have discussed the DWP's commitments to care leavers and the development of protocols with local authorities, and the development of national policy to support care leavers into employment. Book your place here.
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| | Save the date - we're bringing Dr Bruce Perry to Scotland!
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| | In partnership with other organisations, we are hosting an International Child Trauma Conference - More than My Trauma - in 2020, featuring world-renowned trauma expert Dr Bruce Perry. Our partners for the event are Kibble, Children in Scotland, Clackmannanshire Educational Psychology Service, Aberlour and Seamab.
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| | | | If you only have time to read, listen or watch one thing this week, make sure it's one of the below. |
| Read: The Talking Hope Report, published by the University of Strathclyde and Centre for Youth & Criminal Justice (CYCJ), on behalf of the university’s Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures, considers how the concept of hope might help to promote better futures for vulnerable and high risk young people who are involved in secure care. |
| Listen: An Open Door was written by Louis Abbott and Lewis Anderson and was originally recorded in HMYOI Polmont. Lewis has said that the song is about “the positives and negatives of being here [in prison] and the things I’ll miss and things I won’t miss. The vast majority I won’t miss right enough!” |
| Watch: BBC journalist Kate Silverton interviews trauma expert and author of ‘Born for Love’ and ‘The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog’ Dr Bruce Perry, talking about trauma and the importance of relationships. Watch the video here. |
| | | © 2019 Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum, All Rights Reserved.
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