Case study

Furthering the rights and entitlements of care-experienced people in Scotland

Who Cares? Scotland launched their 40 years of us’ campaign, to direct policy asks to Government on the Independent Care Review. 
Youth Fund Youth
Organisations: Who Cares? Scotland 
Project: Five Nations, One Voice 
Grant amount and duration: £150,000 over 36 months 
Year awarded: 2023 
Location: UK-wide, UK 

Who Cares? Scotland works with children, young people and adults with experience of the care system to help them to speak out and access the rights to which they are entitled.

The Backbone Fund provides core funding to organisations that strengthen collaboration, champion voice and agency, and play key infrastructure roles in the sectors we support. Part of Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s commitment to civil society and its leaders, the Backbone Fund enables organisations to plan strategically for the long term, helping to build resilience in the voluntary sector.

Through the Fund we made a five-year grant to Who Cares? Scotland. They focus on influencing the people, cultures and systems that will improve the quality of life for care-experienced people.

In 2018 with support from the Backbone Fund, Who Cares Scotland launched their 40 years of us” campaign. This involved analysing everything they know as an organisation and all the evidence and information that they hold and have gathered over four decades. Who Cares? Scotland used this intelligence to inform a series of policy asks of decision makers including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and those involved in delivering the Independent Care Review at that time. The subsequent Programme for Government committed to a number of these policy changes, including:

  • The removal of the age 26 cap on Care Experienced student bursaries, and
    inclusion of postgraduate studies.
  • The creation of a new statutory provision designed to place brothers and
    sisters into care together, when in their best interests.

Other changes include extensions of housing and child support for care experienced people. These legislative changes set a precedent that the impact of care is lifelong and support should be lifelong, and relatives should be cared for together as much as possible.

Find funding

  • Youth Fund

    Amount: Up to £150,000
    Duration: 3 years
    Deadline: Rolling application cycle

    We want to fund organisations who work with young people (14–25) to drive change so that future generations of young people can thrive.