Have Your Say on the Children’s (Care, Care Experience & Services Planning) Bill

The Scottish Government is consulting on the Children’s (Care, Care Experience & Services  Planning) Bill . It’s important that as many voices as possible are heard — especially from those working directly with children and families. One big issue is the Scottish Government intends to create a national foster carer register—but under local council and government control. That won’t bring the changes we need. We believe it must be run by a fully independent professional body—for real recognition, training, support & a stronger voice.

We’re asking members to fill in the consultation survey by August 15, and show your support for our union’s position by indicating that you agree with it. You can simply write that you support the IWGB’s stance on this issue and copy and paste the statement below into the relevant section of the survey.

We’re also hosting an online drop in session to support carers & their families to complete the feedback form.

🗓 Wednesday 13 August

🕛 Drop in anytime 12–5pm (last entry at 4.30pm)

Zoom link: https://shorturl.at/yZc6n

📝 Please take 2 minutes to complete the official survey—especially question 6 on page 8!

📅 Deadline: 15 August

Your input will help strengthen our collective voice as we try to ensure that the views of those on the front line are reflected in the final legislation.

STATEMENT TO COPY AND PASTE

We welcome the Scottish Government’s intention to introduce a foster carer register. However, what foster carers strongly desire and need is a register that is truly independent from local authorities and which reflects professional recognition akin to other regulated professions.

Our key concerns with the current government approach are:

• The proposed register appears to be largely nominal or administrative, lacking the robust professional standards, accountability, and independent governance that characterise professional registers in health, education, or social care.

• Without independence from local authorities, the register risks reinforcing the existing fragmented system, where carers’ status and support depend heavily on the policies and practices of individual local authorities, restricting portability and career progression.

• Professional recognition means more than a name on a list. It requires a standardised, accredited training framework, clear codes of practice, continuous professional development, and a mechanism for independent assessment and registration decisions.

• This kind of professionalisation elevates fostering from being seen as informal childcare or “babysitting” towards being valued as a skilled, responsible, and accountable profession critical to children’s wellbeing.

• The pitfalls highlighted in recent consultations include risks of increased bureaucracy without added value, duplication of existing systems, and lack of clarity on safeguarding improvements. These concerns must be addressed by ensuring any register enhances, rather than complicates, carers’ roles and protections.

What foster carers want is a proper professional register that:

• Is underpinned by an independent body separate from local authorities.

• Includes nationally standardised recruitment, training and development.

• Provides guaranteed professional status with clear rights and responsibilities.

• Improves portability and mobility across fostering services without repeated assessments.

• Enhances public protection with robust but fair registration and deregistration procedures.

• Reflects carers as professional partners in children’s care rather than just contract providers or babysitters.

We urge the Scottish Government to reflect on these principles to ensure the register contributes to the goal in The Promise of fostering a respected, well-supported, and professional foster care workforce aligned with children’s best interests.