Community of Practice focuses on place and space

Community of Practice focuses on place and space

‘Place and Space’ and Siblings within Kinship were the two key themes at the most recent meeting of the Community of Practice for Siblings.

Nearly 40 people from local authorities and organisations across Scotland, gathered at Victoria Quay in Edinburgh on Tuesday 5 December for the Community’s fourth in-person event.

The Community of Practice is a supportive, welcoming network that promotes the sharing of knowledge, learning from best practices, and the development of innovative approaches to support positive change for brothers and sisters. It is for change-makers across Scotland with an interest in building improvement, keeping the promise to brothers and sisters.

Those attending were welcomed to the event by Kate Richardson, Chair of the Stand Up For Siblings partnership, who set the scene for the day. Kim McPherson from Help2Tell then read a beautiful poem about the connections between brothers and sisters that do not lessen through separation. It is hoped this poem will be developed into a small hardback book for children.

Then the main part of the morning session focused on places and spaces that nurture positive family connections.

Facilitated by Selina Smyth and Jane Durham from Family Journeys, participants were split into four groups and encouraged to transform the rather corporate Government meeting room into a beautiful space for brothers and sisters to make connections. The Community planning group had taken along a variety of materials from toys to blankets and craft materials to use as resources to create warm, welcoming spaces. All those attending had also brought along an object or item that made them feel safe or special. 

Tom Boyd from The Promise Scotland and a member of the Community planning group said: “It was a really interesting concept to explore, what could be done within a rather dry, corporate space. In reality, there are still too few beautiful places across Scotland where brothers and sisters are able to make connections, so it was amazing to see the creativity and commitment from everyone working to transform the room into something that could feel special. There were calm spaces and others full of fun and energy. Choice and flexibility were big themes. We ended up with four wonderful designs.” 

Mark Hardy from AFKA (Association for Fostering, Kinship and Adoption Scotland) then gave an update on the soon to be published process-evaluation of STAR, Siblings Reunited. Mark outlined some of the key aspects that underpin why STAR is such a special space for children, young people, families and carers. STAR itself is in a stunning spot in the Fife countryside, but the evaluation points to the ways in which many different spaces and places can be made to feel special.

The focus of the afternoon’s session was supporting sibling relationships in kinship settings. Guest speakers for the afternoon were Anne Currie, kinship care consultant for KCASS and AFKA Scotland and Emma McKenna from Fife Council kinship support team. They spoke about the ways of fostering and building relationships between brothers and sisters in kinship settings and how much these relationships mattered to children and young people. There was a focus on important developments nationally in the approaches to supporting kinship care, and the broad and imaginative work of the Fife Kinship Care Team. The Community of Practice worked in groups exploring a case study, with much discussion about the ways in which important relationships for children and young people can be supported.

To end the day Laura Beveridge from The Promise Scotland led a reflective exercise with participants pairing up to explore their personal/collective stories of change to better nurture and support sibling and sibling-like relationships.

A massive thank you to everyone who attended the day. We look forward to seeing you at future events! Thanks also go to colleagues at the Scottish Government for providing the venue for the day.

If you want to know more about the Community of Practice for Siblings, you can read the latest newsletter or you are very welcome to join the Community of Practice’s next event which is online on 1 February. You can book your place here.

The Community of Practice is also building a map of important existing or planned activity across Scotland to support sibling and sibling-like relationships. If you are involved in a specific project or service, existing or planned, please help us build that map by providing some simple information here.

Future in person events are being planned, so watch this space for more information!

Care-experienced children affected by sibling imprisonment – new research

Care-experienced children affected by sibling imprisonment – new research

An estimated 70% of care-experienced children and young people in Scotland experience separation from their siblings. This can create enormous barriers to maintaining some of the most important relationships in these children’s lives … and this is made even more significant when one sibling is sent to prison.

New pioneering research, published on Wednesday 6th December, found that a disproportionate number of care-experienced children and young people had a sibling held in prison or secure care. For every young person in prison or secure care, an average of more than six siblings were impacted – and this is likely to be an underestimate as sibling relationships often go unrecognised and unreported.

The report, ‘Staying Connected: Care-experienced children and young people with a sibling in prison or secure care’, is a joint project by Families Outside and the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA), funded by The Promise Partnership, which explores the topic of care-experienced siblings separated by imprisonment or secure care. Care-experienced young people affected by a sibling’s imprisonment experience many of the same barriers to rebuilding and maintaining relationships with a person in prison as many other families face – however, these barriers are often compounded by care experience. Some of these barriers included:

  • The physical distance of the prison or secure accommodation from family, and the costs involved with travelling to visits.
  • The costs of other forms of contact, such as phone calls.
  • The unnatural environment of the prison or secure accommodation, which did not allow for ‘natural’ family time.
  • Parents acting as gatekeepers in some cases, such as where one sibling was seen to be a bad influence.
  • The emotional impact of separation meant that some siblings chose not to remain in touch because they found it too painful.

For care-experienced children and young people, sibling relationships are often some of the most significant relationships in their lives – often due to shared experiences and trauma, and siblings taking on a parental role. All children have a right to their sibling relationships – and services have a duty to support this. This includes anyone the child or young person may have a sibling-like relationship with (e.g. cousins, step-siblings, residents of the same care placement), regardless of their relation.

The emotional impact of sibling separation through imprisonment can be huge. Almost all interviewees had experienced a significant period of separation due to different care placements, even before one sibling went to prison. For many siblings, it was often as much about rebuilding their relationships as maintaining them.

Michael Grant, an expert consultant with lived experience, said:

“This report reveals a powerful narrative about the essential and defining impact that our (sibling) relationships have on our stories and lives. For some of us, our siblings are the most important and consistent support that we have, and loss of liberty shouldn’t have to mean the loss of that relationship too. We need our institutions to step up and act as a scaffold of support for these relationships, which hold the meaning and context with which we experience ourselves and the world around us.”

Sibling separation through care and custody is often overlooked. While there are estimates of the number of Scottish children impacted by parental imprisonment each year – around 20-27,000 -, there are no estimates of the number of children and young people experiencing the imprisonment of a sibling. There is a need for more thorough, effective data collection to ensure sibling relationships are properly supported.

Fi McFarlane, Head of Public Affairs for The Promise Scotland, commented:

“The Promise Scotland welcomes the launch of this important research from Staying Connected, which highlights that care-experienced children and young people impacted by sibling imprisonment are often overlooked. The Promise Scotland supports the call for more effective data collection and sharing so that sibling relationships are properly supported and protected.”

The impact of this separation can be long-lasting. We know that lack of connections and isolation for young people can increase the risk of offending, and in Scotland that care-experienced individuals are often overrepresented in the wider criminal justice system. A quarter of men in prison reported being care-experienced, as well as almost a third of women (31%). This number is likely to be higher than reported, as many young people were not aware that they qualified as ‘care-experienced’. Stable loving relationships, and sibling relationships in particular, can be key in reducing young people’s risk of offending, and helping them to move forward.

Professor Nancy Loucks, CEO of Families Outside, commented:

“Imprisonment fractures families, and this unprecedented research shows that brothers and sisters already separated through care arrangements feel this even more acutely. The Promise underlined siblings as a crucial support network, but custody through prison or secure care can make access to these relationships exceptionally difficult. The Staying Connected project identified barriers but also solutions to this challenging issue.” 

Extensive support for the importance of sibling relationships for care-experienced children and young people already exists in policy, legislation, and discourse. Now, proper action must follow.

Neil Hunter, Principal Reporter for Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) said:

What is clear from the findings of this research is that there is an ongoing need for all partners in the care and justice sectors to work effectively to ensure that siblings are identified, that they are informed of their right to maintain their relationships and that all possible steps are taken to ensure that siblings get to see and keep in touch with each other if they wish to, and it is safe to do so.”

Mighty Stride for STAR

Mighty Stride for STAR

The chair of Stand Up For Siblings Kate Richardson is walking the Edinburgh Kiltwalk on 17th September 2023 to raise funds for Siblings Reunited (STAR).

This is the second year Kate has taken part in the Kiltwalk to raise funds for the charity. Kate and her friend are doing the 21 mile Mighty Stride.

Siblings Reunited (STAR) reunites brothers and sisters separated in the care system, through adoption or kinship care by providing the opportunity for quality and regular sibling contact.

Donate to Kate’s Just Giving page.

Siblings: Staying Together and Connected: National Implementation Group Executive Summary Report

Siblings: Staying Together and Connected: National Implementation Group Executive Summary Report

Stand Up For Siblings has welcomed publication of a second key report ensuring the focus remains on brothers and sister. 

‘Siblings: Staying Together and Connected: National Implementation Group Executive Summary Report’ follows on from publication of The Promise Oversight Board’s Report Two last week. 

This report provides a summary of the recommendations made to Scottish Government to ensure the ongoing focus on brothers, sisters and those with sibling-like relationships continues to be at the forefront. 

Many members of Stand Up For Siblings have been involved in the implementation group. 

Kate Richardson who leads Stand Up For Siblings said: “Alongside myself, many of SUFS members have been active contributors to the Staying Together and Connected (STaC) National Implementation Group, led by the Scottish Government to support the implementation of the legislative changes introduced in 2020. 

“We welcome today’s report and we look forward to continuing to work with the Scottish Government and all key partners to on the journey to ensure brothers and sisters with care experience stay together and connected.”

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