Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill

# Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill The Scottish Government introduced this legislation to improve outcomes and support for children in care and those with care experience. The bill responds to longstanding concerns about fragmentation in the support system, whereby young people leaving care often face abrupt transitions to adult services with insufficient continuity of help. It also addresses the need for better coordination between education, health, and social care services for vulnerable children, and seeks to ensure that the voices and experiences of children and young people in care are meaningfully incorporated into service planning and delivery. The bill establishes several key mechanisms to achieve these aims. It places duties on local authorities and health boards to jointly plan and deliver services for children in care, with explicit requirements to involve children and young people in that planning process. The legislation extends support for young people beyond the traditional care threshold, improving transitions to adulthood. It also creates a framework for gathering and using data on children's experiences in care, helping to identify gaps and drive improvement. Additionally, the bill introduces measures to strengthen the role of corporate parents (the collective responsibility of public bodies) in supporting children in care, and establishes clearer accountability arrangements for service delivery and outcomes. The bill's progress through Parliament and current status would depend on the legislative calendar at the time of reference.

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