Membership Spotlight highlights the work of our member organisations and outlines how other individuals and organisations can support them. Together is shining a light on Staf (Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum). Staf is a longstanding member of Together, joining our membership in 2016.
Tell us about the work of your organisation in Scotland.
Staf is Scotland’s national membership organisation for those involved in the lives of young people leaving care. Our vision is that young people moving on from care have the same opportunities to thrive as their peers, with the relationships, support and sense of belonging they need.
We work alongside care-experienced young people, practitioners, local authorities and other organisations across Scotland. Through participation projects, learning opportunities, resources and policy work, we bring people together to share experience, strengthen practice and influence change.
Relationships are central to our approach. Moving on from care is a significant transition, and we want young people to feel listened to, cared for and supported throughout it. Our work connects what young people tell us matters with the knowledge and experience of the workforce supporting them.
What projects are you currently working on?
We are excited to have recently secured six years of funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to expand Youth Justice Voices nationally. This will enable us to strengthen opportunities for care-and justice-experienced young people across Scotland to make their voices heard and influence change. We are also looking to build links across the UK, creating opportunities to share learning and connect with others doing similar work.
We are working hard to create more opportunities for care-experienced young people to shape Staf’s work. Our Youth Development Worker, Hannah, is currently planning participation roadshows alongside young people already involved in our projects. These will help us reach more young people, hear what matters to them and broaden their opportunities to get involved.
We are also contributing to Scotland’s Moving On and Lifelong Support Route Map as part of the work to keep The Promise. This focuses on the changes needed to ensure care-experienced people can access consistent, connected support as they move on from care and throughout their lives.
Alongside these projects, we continue to support the workforce through learning resources, events, groups and forums.
How do you support children and families to learn about their rights?
Our work focuses particularly on care-experienced young people and the people supporting them. We want young people to understand their rights; know what support is available and feel confident asking questions or raising concerns.
Resources such as our Winging It animation and The Real Toolkit offer accessible starting points for exploring moving on from care, available support and what matters during this transition. The Real Toolkit places relationships, empathy and love at the heart of that support.
Our WeLearn platform provides further opportunities for learning, helping those supporting young people develop their knowledge and reflect on their practice. We also offer training and consultancy to organisations.
Together, these resources support conversations between young people and the adults in their lives. We want rights to be meaningful in everyday experiences: being listened to, understanding your choices and having a say in decisions about your life.
How can children and young people make their views heard to influence your work?
Young people’s experiences and views are central to our work. Through projects such as Youth Justice Voices, care-and justice-experienced young people can explore issues together, share their perspectives and contribute to discussions about policy and practice.
We recognise that meaningful participation takes time, trust and relationships. It also means offering different ways to get involved, so young people can contribute in ways that feel comfortable and relevant to them.
Our planned participation roadshows will build on this approach, with young people already involved in our work helping to shape them. We want to hear from more care experienced young people and ensure their priorities inform what we do next.
Our Participation Network also creates space for people supporting participation to connect, share approaches and learn from one another, helping strengthen opportunities for young people to influence decisions.
Does your organisation influence policy development on issues affecting children and young people?
Yes. We bring together the perspectives of care-experienced young people and the workforce to inform policy and improve support for people moving on from care.
One example is our work on the Moving On Change Programme and Lifelong Support Route Map. Staf was commissioned by The Promise Scotland to further develop the map, engaging practitioners, senior managers and corporate parents across Scotland.
This engagement highlighted challenges around transitions into adult services, inconsistent access to support and the need for corporate parenting responsibilities to be understood across organisations. Bringing these experiences into national planning helps identify what needs to change.
Youth Justice Voices also creates opportunities for young people’s experiences to inform discussions about the care and justice systems, ensuring those directly affected can contribute their perspectives.
What do you enjoy most about being a member of Together?
We particularly value being part of Together’s Implementation Strategy Group. They provide a space to connect with other organisations, share practice and highlight children’s rights issues.
Bringing different experiences and perspectives together strengthens our collective voice and offers valuable opportunities to learn from one another. For Staf, this helps inform our work and contribute to wider efforts to put children’s rights into practice across Scotland.
How can other organisations or individuals get involved or support your work?
If you are not already a Staf member, we would love you to consider joining. Membership offers access to our groups and forums, where people can connect with colleagues, discuss shared challenges and exchange ideas for improving support for young people moving on from care.
Our Participation Network is another opportunity to share learning and strengthen participation practice. Organisations and individuals can also engage with our resources, take part in learning opportunities and explore ways to collaborate with us.
Visit www.staf.scot to learn more about membership, our projects and how to get involved.
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