Together (Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights)

Membership Spotlight – Staf (Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum)

Membership Spotlight highlights the work of our member organisations and outline how other individuals and NGOs can support them. Below we shine the light on Staf (Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum).

Staf, formerly the Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum is Scotland’s national membership organisation for all of those involved in the lives of young people leaving care. We are guided by our values: We Listen. We Care. We Love.

Opportunities for Workforce
We run frequent focus groups for members of the workforce on Continuing Care, Supported Lodgings, employment, training and education and Participation and a specific group for Local Authority Managers to share practice. We also facilitate the Participation Network which is open to anyone who works to amplify the voices of others.  In addition we run large scale events with our National Conference in November and Summit in March and bespoke webinars on issues such as trauma informed practice, framing and The Promise.

We are in the process of developing a website to host learning resources from the Life Changes Trust Care Experienced projects which includes the development of an Open University Course on trauma informed and relationship based practice. Contact dawn@staf.scot for more information.

Influencing Policy
We are the secretariat of the Cross Party Group on Care Leavers which acts to discuss issues raised by care leavers such as finance, housing, education, mental health and stigma. For more information or to join the group email marion@staf.scot

We are working with Aberlour and Care Experienced people to develop a Care Leavers Guaranteed Income pilot, similar to that which is being trialed in Wales. If you want to join the Care Experienced advisory group please email marion@staf.scot 

100 Days of Listening: Staf and The Promise Scotland
Staf is seeking to lead a change programme to accelerate the pace of change required for Scotland to achieve the ‘moving on’ calls for action within The Promise. Part of this is a 100 Days of Listening project to understand what those with experience of care, and the workforce, need and want to happen for the promise to be kept. For more information about how to share your views, or support others to share their voice, please contact Moving On Lead, Thomas@staf.scot

Opportunities for Care Experienced People
We support a number of different projects which look to engage Care Experienced people and influence change.

Project Return: a project supporting Care Experienced young people and workers to explore how safe nurturing environments and healthy relationships can resolve trauma.

Project Return is hosting two mental health and wellbeing hubs during #CareExperiencedWeek which will showcase mental wellbeing support services available to the Care Experienced community. You can find out more and how to book these free events at https://www.staf.scot/Event/care-experienced-mental-health-and-wellbeing-hub Contact cheryle@staf.scot if you would like to book a stand to present your work.  

Youth Justice Voices: a project amplifying the voices of care and justice-experienced young people aged 16 – 25 to achieve change in the central belt and now in the North East of Scotland. We also support boys and young men in HMPYOI Polmont (Inside Out).  If you would like more information on the project, please contact Ruth@staf.scot,  download our FAQ flyer or check out our latest video.

The National Leadership Network: Staf is one of 5 hosts of the NLN, a legacy project from Life Changes Trust which aims help individuals with care experience explore leadership in different shapes and forms. Contact gary@thenln.org for more information.

Website: www.staf.scot

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