[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”About Us Section” _builder_version=”4.6.6″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.standupforsiblings.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/iStock_000009334251Large.jpg” background_position=”center_left” custom_margin=”NaNpx|5%||5%” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”|0px||0px” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”0%|0px|2px|0px” animation_style=”zoom” animation_direction=”top” animation_intensity_zoom=”5%” box_shadow_style=”preset7″ box_shadow_horizontal=”0px” box_shadow_vertical=”-80px” box_shadow_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” admin_label=”About Us Area” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”200px|100px|50px|0px” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”100px|0px|50px|0px”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Title” _builder_version=”4.6.6″ text_font=”Montserrat||||||||” text_text_color=”#747d88″ text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.9em” header_text_align=”left” header_2_font=”Montserrat|700||on|||||” header_2_font_size=”42px” header_2_line_height=”1.3em” background_color=”#ffffff” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”700px” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”|||” custom_padding=”10%|10%|10%|10%” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”bottom” animation_intensity_slide=”4%” animation_starting_opacity=”100%” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ box_shadow_vertical=”15px” box_shadow_blur=”45px” box_shadow_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.15)” locked=”off”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″ background_color=”#f7f7f7″ custom_padding=”2px|0px|34px|0px” transparent_background=”off”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”45px|0px|6px|0px||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Title” _builder_version=”4.6.6″ text_font=”Montserrat||||||||” text_text_color=”#003366″ text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.9em” header_text_align=”left” header_2_font=”Montserrat|700||on|||||” header_2_font_size=”42px” header_2_line_height=”1.3em” background_color=”#ffffff” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”|||” custom_padding=”5.1%|10%|2%|10%|false|false” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”bottom” animation_intensity_slide=”4%” animation_starting_opacity=”100%” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”14px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ box_shadow_vertical=”15px” box_shadow_blur=”45px” box_shadow_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.15)”]<\/p>\n
When SUFS launched as a partnership in 2018, we resolved to work together to improve and change legislation, policy and practice. We hoped that by pooling our expertise and experience and speaking out together, we could collectively have a bigger impact than each of us individually could and thereby contribute to lasting change for care experienced brothers and sisters in Scotland.<\/p>\n
One of the reasons so many brothers and sisters have lost touch in care is that, whereas in Scots law local authorities have had a legal duty to promote contact between children in their care and their parents, the law has not \u2013 until now \u2013 contained similar legal duties in relation to brothers and sisters who are separated when one or more of them are looked after by the local authority. This has meant sibling relationships have regularly been overlooked and their value to children not respected. Separating brothers and sisters when they enter care is commonplace and they have not been adequately supported to stay close and spend time together.<\/p>\n
We knew that if sibling rights were better protected in legislation, public authorities would be forced by law to change their practices as well as, importantly, the resources they allocated to supporting children\u2019s sibling relationships.<\/p>\n
SUFS was delighted when in August 2020 the Scottish Parliament passed the Children (Scotland) Act 2020<\/a><\/strong>, which makes significant amendments to the law to help care experienced brothers and sisters stay in each other\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n Over the last 3 years we have worked hard to influence the changes to the law by:<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_toggle title=”Raising awareness ” open_toggle_text_color=”#003366″ open_toggle_background_color=”#ffffff” closed_toggle_text_color=”#003366″ closed_toggle_background_color=”#ffffff” icon_color=”#003366″ _builder_version=”4.6.6″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_color=”#000000″ title_font=”Open Sans|on|||” title_font_size=”24″ body_font=”Open Sans||||” body_text_color=”#666666″ body_font_size=”18″ body_line_height=”1.6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||-1px|||” custom_padding=”30px|30px|10px|30px|false|false” title_font_size_tablet=”18″ title_font_size_phone=”” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_css_toggle_icon=”font-size:20px;||” border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#f7f7f7″]<\/p>\n Raising awareness of the experience of children and young people, and care experienced adults, to demonstrate why the current situation simply has to change. We did this through the SUFS website and events, training for frontline professionals working with children nationwide, media coverage (press, radio and tv), social media and speaking to politicians, civil servants and the Independent Care Review. SUFS received early and firm support from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Minister for Children and Young People Maree Todd and Commissioner for Children and Young People Bruce Adamson, and we worked closely with the Independent Care Review whose final recommendations in February 2020 highlighted the importance of sibling relationships as a key theme.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”Writing a joint SUFS response ” open_toggle_text_color=”#003366″ open_toggle_background_color=”#ffffff” closed_toggle_text_color=”#003366″ closed_toggle_background_color=”#ffffff” icon_color=”#003366″ _builder_version=”4.6.6″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_color=”#000000″ title_font=”Open Sans|on|||” title_font_size=”24″ body_font=”Open Sans||||” body_text_color=”#666666″ body_font_size=”18″ body_line_height=”1.6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||-1px|||” custom_padding=”30px|30px|10px|30px|false|false” title_font_size_tablet=”18″ title_font_size_phone=”” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_css_toggle_icon=”font-size:20px;||” border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#f7f7f7″]<\/p>\n Writing a joint SUFS response<\/strong><\/a> when in 2018 the Scottish Government consulted the public on its plans to update the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 and create a Family Justice Modernisation Strategy, which included plans to make the changes relating to siblings.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”Submitting joint written evidence” open_toggle_text_color=”#003366″ open_toggle_background_color=”#ffffff” closed_toggle_text_color=”#003366″ closed_toggle_background_color=”#ffffff” icon_color=”#003366″ _builder_version=”4.6.6″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_color=”#000000″ title_font=”Open Sans|on|||” title_font_size=”24″ body_font=”Open Sans||||” body_text_color=”#666666″ body_font_size=”18″ body_line_height=”1.6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||-1px|||” custom_padding=”30px|30px|10px|30px|false|false” title_font_size_tablet=”18″ title_font_size_phone=”” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_css_toggle_icon=”font-size:20px;||” border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#f7f7f7″]<\/p>\n Submitting <\/strong>joint written evidence<\/strong><\/a> in 2019 on the Children (Scotland) Bill to the Scottish Parliament Justice Committee, the committee charged with scrutinising the details of the proposed changes to the law. A number of SUFS members gave evidence at committee meetings which discussed the proposals in detail. Who Cares? Scotland member Oisin King, who gave evidence alongside their Chief Executive Duncan Dunlop, had a huge impact on the parliamentary debate when he shared his experience of being separated from his baby sister in care and the emotional toll of the very restricted contact they had which took place in an unnatural, supervised setting. Read more here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”Pushing for amendments” open_toggle_text_color=”#003366″ open_toggle_background_color=”#ffffff” closed_toggle_text_color=”#003366″ closed_toggle_background_color=”#ffffff” icon_color=”#003366″ _builder_version=”4.6.6″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_color=”#000000″ title_font=”Open Sans|on|||” title_font_size=”24″ body_font=”Open Sans||||” body_text_color=”#666666″ body_font_size=”18″ body_line_height=”1.6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||16px|||” custom_padding=”30px|30px|32px|30px|false|false” title_font_size_tablet=”18″ title_font_size_phone=”” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_css_toggle_icon=”font-size:20px;||” border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#f7f7f7″]<\/p>\n Pushing for amendments to the text of the draft law, which we believed would increase its impact in practice. We closely followed the debates in Parliament and sent supplementary evidence<\/a><\/strong> in February, a Briefing at stage 2<\/a><\/strong> in June and a Briefing at stage 3<\/strong><\/a> in August to make the case for stronger provisions, which MSPs agreed with and put into the final Act.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”13px|0px|6px|0px”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Title” _builder_version=”4.6.6″ text_font=”Montserrat||||||||” text_text_color=”#003366″ text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.9em” header_text_align=”left” header_2_font=”Montserrat|700||on|||||” header_2_font_size=”42px” header_2_line_height=”1.3em” background_color=”#ffffff” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”-1px|||||” custom_padding=”5.1%|10%|8%|10%|false|false” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”bottom” animation_intensity_slide=”4%” animation_starting_opacity=”100%” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”14px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ box_shadow_vertical=”15px” box_shadow_blur=”45px” box_shadow_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.15)”]<\/p>\n Huge credit for the changes we are seeing goes to the young people who shared their experience of separation from brothers and sisters publicly, including Osin<\/a><\/strong>, Chloe and Danielle<\/a><\/strong>, Theighan and Sophia<\/a><\/strong>, Dionne<\/strong><\/a>, Helen<\/a><\/strong> and Amy<\/strong><\/a>, and in doing so brought so many people on board who are in a position to make change happen. Instrumental too have been the examples of good practice SUFS partners have shared, showcasing the positive work they and others are doing to support siblings in the care system, and demonstrating that much more can and must be done for all children in care in Scotland. Stand Up for Siblings winning an award for the partnership in The Herald Society Awards<\/a><\/strong> in November 2019 also helped raise the profile of the issue. So too did court cases in the highest courts in Scotland about the State\u2019s obligation to protect children\u2019s right to family life with their siblings.<\/p>\n A major development was and will continue to be the great emphasis placed on supporting sibling relationships in\u00a0<\/span>The Promise<\/a><\/strong>, the recommendations of the Independent Care Review published in February 2020. The Promise provides the blueprint for fundamental change for years to come and SUFS was delighted to have had the opportunity to feed into the Review\u2019s work on brothers and sisters.<\/span><\/p>\n What does the new law say? <\/strong><\/p>\n The new legislation puts detail into Scots law about sibling rights. Although already protected as part of the right everyone has to family life in Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Article 16 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the new detailed legislation will make it much easier to ensure siblings are supported to stay in each other\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n The law takes a broad view of who is a sibling and includes relationships where children have lived together and see themselves as brother and sisters. This was one of the points we pushed hard for in recognition of the range of relationships care experienced children may have with the character of a sibling relationship.<\/p>\n When the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 comes into force from 26\u00a0<\/span>July 2021<\/span>:<\/p>\n Implementation of the legislation in practice will be key to transforming lives<\/strong><\/p>\n Now that the new\u00a0laws are in place<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>attention turns to making sure the changes happen soon in practice, and The Promise is realised in full.<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n In these most difficult of times, children need their close relationships and support more than ever and they must never lose out on that as an unintended consequence of stretched resources.<\/p>\n SUFS partners will continue to push for change and support the work to make the changes in the new law a reality as soon as possible.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.6.6″ background_color=”#003366″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|” global_module=”48221″][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,1_4,1_4,1_4″ column_padding_mobile=”on” _builder_version=”4.6.6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” max_width=”1438px” custom_padding=”20px||4px||false|false”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Montserrat|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_font_size=”20″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||8px|” custom_css_main_element=”font-weight: 900;”]<\/p>\n #standupforsiblings<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.29.3″ text_font=”Montserrat||||||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_line_height=”1.5em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”300px” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”||30px|” custom_margin_tablet=”||10px|” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding=”0px|||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n It\u2019s all about sibling separation, contact and what it means for you!<\/b><\/p>\n \u00a9 2021 Stand Up For Siblings<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Montserrat||||||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_font_size=”12″ text_line_height=”1.5em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”300px” module_alignment=”left” custom_padding=”0px|||”][\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Montserrat|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_font_size=”18″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”||8px|”]<\/p>\n Quick Links<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Montserrat||||||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_line_height=”2.2em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”dark” module_alignment=”left” custom_padding=”0px|||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n Meet our members<\/a><\/span> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Montserrat|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_font_size=”18″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”||8px|”]<\/p>\n Stories<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.6″ text_font=”Montserrat||||||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_line_height=”2.2em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”dark” module_alignment=”left” custom_padding=”0px|||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop”]Helen’s Blog<\/a><\/span> \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.6.6″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.6″ text_font=”Montserrat|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_font_size=”18″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”||8px|”]<\/p>\n Helpful Information<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.6″ text_font=”Montserrat||||||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_line_height=”2.2em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”dark” module_alignment=”left” custom_padding=”0px|||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop”]Our journey<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/a> SUFS\u2019 campaign to change the law on siblingsWhen SUFS launched as a partnership in 2018, we resolved to work together to improve and change legislation, policy and practice. We hoped that by pooling our expertise and experience and speaking out together, we could collectively have a bigger impact than each of us individually could and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":47777,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.standupforsiblings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/208187"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.standupforsiblings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.standupforsiblings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.standupforsiblings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.standupforsiblings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208187"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.standupforsiblings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/208187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":208535,"href":"https:\/\/www.standupforsiblings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/208187\/revisions\/208535"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.standupforsiblings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/47777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.standupforsiblings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
Read our research<\/a><\/span>
More information<\/span><\/a>
Privacy notice<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\nDionne\u2019s story<\/a><\/span>
\nAmy reflects
\n<\/a><\/span>Theighan and Sofia\u2019s story
\n<\/a><\/span>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”Montserrat||||||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_line_height=”2.2em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”dark” module_alignment=”left” custom_padding=”0px|||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n
\nLegislation campaign<\/a><\/span>
\nReviews of evidence<\/a><\/span>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"