Membership Spotlight highlights the work of our member organisations and outlines how other individuals and NGOs can support them. Together is shining a light on Who Cares? Scotland. They have been a committed member of Together for twelve years.

Tell us about the work of your organisation in Scotland.

Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national membership organisation for Care Experienced people. That includes those who currently or have previously had experience of care – whether that’s foster care, residential care, kinship care, secure care, adopted or looked after at home.

We are an independent advocacy provider, working across Scotland to ensure that the rights of Care Experienced people are upheld and their voices are heard in all decisions affecting them. In 2025 we supported over 1,500 people with around 5,500 issues, supporting over 10,000 individual human rights in the process. 

In addition to this, we run weekly local groups and events throughout the year to ensure that there is a space for Care Experienced people to connect with each other and feel a sense of belonging, including the Care Family Christmas and our Summer Festival.

What projects are you currently working on?

Last month, on Friday the 20^th February it was the 10^th annual Care Day – which is the largest celebration of the Care Experienced community across the UK and globally. This year’s theme was ‘Connected by Care’ spotlighting on all of Scotland’s connections whether that’s through family, friends, corporate parenting responsibilities, your wider community or personal experience. We held our Connected by Care event in Edinburgh where we brought together many of our members for a day of celebration.

This theme ties into our Connected by Care manifesto campaign, where we are working to influence party manifestos for the upcoming elections. This was informed by our Summer Festival participation, where our members told us what matters to them most. Our five calls include introducing a Scottish Human Rights Bill with Care Experienced people included in the Equality section, ensuring the Promise is kept in full and resourced up to and beyond 2030, a proactive offer of mental health support for every child in care, educating about Care Experience in schools, and ensuring that Care Experienced people’s voices are at the heart of keeping the Promise.

How can children and young people make their views heard to influence your work?

There are many opportunities to get involved with our campaigning work. As a membership organisation ourselves, we work to make sure that we represent our members views and priorities.

Most recently, over 35 of our members went along to the Scottish Parliament to share their views to the Education, Children and Young People Committee on the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill. Our members influenced the views of MSPs ensuring that their voice was heard within the Stage 1 process of the bill and throughout. There have been several mentions of this session in every debate and committee session on the bill.

We also run our Empowered Voices Programme every year, which is an opportunity for Care Experienced people to learn campaigning, public speaking and influencing skills. This is held over three weekends throughout the year, and many of those who have completed the programme have went onto be quoted in the Scottish Parliament, featured on the radio and on TV and have also joined our board and spoken at our Love Rally!

If you are Care Experienced you can sign up to be a member here, and get involved with our work at Who Cares? Scotland.

Does your organisation influence policy development on issues affecting children and young people? If so, please share an example.

Our Action on Advocacy campaign, launched on Care Day 2025, is calling for the right to independent advocacy for all Care Experienced people, no matter their age, type of care experience or where they live. With the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill now passed, we have been successful in this right being included – with cross-party support for our call. Care Experienced children and young people are the most likely to have their rights at risk, and so the right to independent advocacy in legislation prevent future rights abuses from occurring and ensures that Care Experienced people will have a say on the many decisions which happen throughout their life.

What do you enjoy most about being a member of Together?

Being a member of Together is vital for being part of Scotland’s collective advocacy to strengthen children’s rights. We enjoyed being part of the UNCRC incorporation campaign and value the unwavering support from Together and its members for our campaigns, such as the Lifelong Rights Campaign. From partnership working, influencing opportunities for our members and children’s rights-based political monitoring – we are stronger as part of Together.

How can other organisations or individuals get involved or support your work?

There are many ways to get involved with Who Cares? Scotland!

Firstly, is through volunteering with us. Who Cares? Scotland began as a voluntary organisation back in 1978, and our volunteers really are the backbone of our work – particularly in supporting our events and local groups. Our groups are right across the Scotland including in Paisley and a new group being set up in Shetland. Find out more about different volunteering roles available here. You can also become a ‘Friend Who Cares’ and sign up to our newsletter here which keeps you in the loop of everything Who Cares? Scotland.

Also, fundraising for us makes such a difference to be able to run our local groups and events. There is a variety of different fundraising events available including the Kiltwalk, Edinburgh Marathon or the Tough Mudder. There is something for everyone! Find out more here.

Watch Who Cares? Scotland Instagram video of the success of the campaign here.

Ends

Become a Together member!

• Find out more information about signing up as a Together member here and join the community.

Consultancy and Training!

• Together provides training and consultancy to organisations looking to strengthen how they support children’s human rights. 

State of Children’s Rights Report!

• This year’s State of Children’s Rights Report is dedicated to exploring case studies of organisations across Scotland taking forward aspects of a children’s human rights approach in their work, in the hope of sharing learning and ideas.

Donate To Us Today!

• Donate to Together and help us to promote children’s rights in Scotland and improve the lives of all babies, children and young people.