As part of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, which came into effect on the 1st of April 2015, Creative Scotland is named as a Corporate Parent. The Statutory Guidance on Corporate Parenting (PDF) defines it as:
"An organisation’s performance of actions necessary to uphold the rights and safeguard the wellbeing of a looked after child or care leaver, and through which physical, emotional, spiritual, social and educational development is promoted.” (Scottish Government, 2015)
Under the act, corporate parents have duties to deliver for care experienced people. Overall, they have a responsibility to promote the wellbeing of care experienced people. To do so they must understand the lives of Scotland’s looked after young people and care leavers and respond to their needs as any parent should.
Under Section 58 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, Corporate Parents have nine duties. As a Corporate Parent, Creative Scotland will:
- be alert to matters which might adversely affect their wellbeing
- assess their needs for the services and support you provide
- promote their interests
- seek to provide opportunities which will promote their wellbeing
- take action to help them access such opportunities and make use of the services and support provided
- strive to improve upon the ways in which the functions of your organisation relate to children and young people
Corporate Parenting is not something which only managers, or those providing direct services regularly to looked after children and care leavers, have responsibility for understanding. Staff at all levels within the organisation need to understand how Corporate Parenting applies to them.
The purpose of this Action Plan is to set out the actions Creative Scotland will undertake up to April 2018 in order to fulfil our statutory duties as a Corporate Parent. The aims of the plan are:
- to ensure Creative Scotland fulfils its duties in a way which is consistent with its functions as a funding, development, influencing and advocacy body for the arts, screen and creative industries
- to make all Creative Scotland staff aware that the organisation is a Corporate Parent with resultant duties to fulfil to present a set of proposed actions which Creative Scotland will undertake and report on to Scottish Government
- to enable looked after children and young people and care leavers to access opportunities in the arts, screen and creative industries.
Downloads
If you’d like more information about our role as a Corporate Parent, please contact Sarah McAdam: [email protected].