It is two years since Stand Up For Siblings (SUFS) was launched in March 2018, a unique and diverse partnership with one common goal: to improve contact and support for siblings in the care system in Scotland.
We have achieved a lot in that time. We have welcomed Scottish Government plans to strengthen the law in relation to keeping brothers and sisters together when they are placed in local authority care, and ensuring relationships are supported if they are separated. This was one of our top asks, and we have been working with the Government on the Children (Scotland) Bill as it progresses through Parliament.
We recently launched our reworked ‘Seven Steps to Sibling Relationships’, a road map to everyone working to stop sibling estrangement when children become involved with the care system. The seven key intentions to supporting sibling relationships include:
- Be led by care experienced children and young people.
- Strengthen the law relating to siblings.
- Plan public spending with sibling relationships in mind.
- Protect and promote sibling relationships through management systems.
- Build expertise amongst those working directly with siblings.
- Recruit and retain carers who understand and value relational permanence.
- Promote transparent and sensitive recording practices.
Read more about the SUFS partnership, our achievements and plans for the future here and read the full Seven Steps to Sibling Relationships with detailed actions for achieving each of these goals here.
Other recent blog posts on the SUFS website include a blog (by Clan’s Janet Cormack) summarising recent written English judgments relating to separated siblings. See all of SUFS news and blogs on the SUFS website here.
