Barnardo's Scotland

A saltire flag in the shape of a heart, which is being created by a child painting

Yesterday on the sixth anniversary of the promise being made, the First Minister announced funding for projects to support the education and wellbeing of care experienced children and young people. Find out more here www.gov.scot/news/creatin...

Illustration of a person watering a large flower with a child sitting inside the blossom, suggesting care and growth alongside text about the Scottish Parliament voting to support the Restraint and Seclusion in Schools (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1.

We are pleased to see this Bill pass at Stage 1, moving Scotland closer to becoming a nation that does not restrain its children.

We are committed to working with MSPs & the Scottish Government to put in place a statutory framework for restraint across all settings in line with the promise.

Person using laptop with icons of a heart and envelope in speech bubbles, promoting the Community of Practice for Siblings Newsletter.

Are you working to keep the promise for brothers, sisters, siblings, and sibling-like relationships? Then our newsletter is for you!

Read the most recent edition here: ow.ly/uCVh50Y5Y1x

Sign up to receive future editions here: ow.ly/nEMT50Y5Y1w

Do you think that our political leaders are doing enough to meet good on their promises to Scotland's children? Tell us what you think in the comments.

MSPs of all parties have made a promise to the children of Scotland, by setting down targets to massively reduce the injustice of child poverty. By 2030 there should be no more than 10% of Scotland's children in relative poverty. But in 2025 the poverty rate among children was still a shocking 24%.

Graphic of 9 dots in a square formation representing community on a light teal background representing, Care, one of the five foundations of the promise. Text reads "Ensuring Scotland's children grow up loved, safe and respected: Scottish Government actions required to keep the promise."

Actions for the next Scottish Government under, Care, one of the five foundations of the promise. Actions include "Prioritise and implement the recommendations from the Staying Together and Connected Working Group at pace to ensure children who cannot live with their families belong to safe and loving homes, staying with their brothers and sisters wherever safe, and building lasting relationships; Ensure care experienced children are not excluded from school and educational establishments and are provided with the support that they need to uphold their corporate parenting responsibilities; Provide, and ensure access to, the physical and mental health support children, young people, families and care experienced adults need, including thoughtful, trauma informed therapies."

Actions for the next Scottish Government under, Care, one of the five foundations of the promise. Actions include "Remove the cliff edges in statute, where necessary and put a statutory ‘right to return’ in place to support care experienced young people to move into adulthood with security, support and opportunity; Ensure that no care experienced young person or adult experiences homelessness, including by sharing good practice across local authorities and expanding availability of projects that work such as the National House Project; Ensure all care experienced young people and adults can access advocacy, health, housing, education, and employment and financial support so they can thrive throughout their lives."

Actions for the next Scottish Government under, Care, one of the five foundations of the promise. Actions include "Put in place a statutory framework around restraint that applies to all settings of care. Ensure all restraint and use of seclusion is recorded and reported on so that Scotland can understand its use and monitor progress towards its cessation; Increase the age of criminal responsibility, and ensure children’s rights are upheld when they are in conflict with the law; Address children experiencing lots of moves via the work to reform foster care in Scotland and by better supporting kinship and foster carers; Ensure children and young people are supported to maintain strong and sustainable relationships with important people in their lives, including, where safe, their brothers and sisters."

Scotland must provide children, young people, and care experienced adults with the support they need to thrive.

We have outlined specific actions for the next Scottish Government in each of the five foundations to ensure the promise is kept: ow.ly/cgvX50XCYAh

@contactfamilies.bsky.social @barnardosscot.bsky.social

Policy & Public Affairs Officer Scotland with Barnardo's Scotland – Goodmoves Are you passionate about making a real difference in children's lives through impactful policy and public affairs engagement in Scotland and across the UK? Do you want to influence key dec...

Become Policy & Public Affairs Officer Scotland at @barnardosscot.bsky.social

💰£32,811 – £44,304
🕒Full time
📌Hybrid: Edinburgh

To find out more: tinyurl.com/mwdcbpzb

Children are being failed online, and the harm is happening every day.

“Every day, children as young as six are being exposed to violent, abusive and dangerous content online, with the majority encountering pornographic content before they turn 18," said Lynn Perry, our Chief Executive. (1/3)

With a mixture of young people living within the transition flats and outreach support also undertaken, the service is working very well indeed.

This was also a fantastic opportunity to discuss the ambition that Professor Sengupta and @southlanarkshire.gov.uk have with the service for the future. 💚

Since the service began in August 2024, we have already supported 13 care-experienced young people to build upon their life skills which are required to sustain their own tenancies once they move into their forever homes.

Professor Soumen Sengupta, pictured right, the Chief Officer for Health and Social Care in South Lanarkshire, visited one of the transitional flats that is used in the South Lanarkshire Futures service; a service run by children's charity Barnardo's. Three our key members of the project are pictured beside Professor Sengupta; all four are smiling. They are standing in a kitchen.

It was our pleasure to welcome Professor Soumen Sengupta, Chief Officer for Health and Social Care in South Lanarkshire, to view one of the transitional flats that is used in the South Lanarkshire Futures service.

Barnardo's and AstraZeneca team up for healthy living programme Children and young people living in poverty in the UK will gain better access to healthy food, help create a healthy living toolkit and become advocates for health policy thanks to a new partnership a...

We’re partnering with AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme UK to tackle health inequalities and empower young people 👏

In 3 years, we’ll support 50,000 families with food vouchers, toolkits & advocacy resources - helping them thrive.

Learn more: www.barnardos.org.uk/news/barnard...

Graphic of a child painting a heart shaped Scottish flag. Text states the Scottish Parliament votes to support the principles of the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) Bill at Stage 1.

We welcome the decision of the Scottish Parliament to collectively vote to support the principles of this Bill.

This is an important first step in legislation needed to keep the promise & we are committed to working with MSPs & the Scottish Government to continue to strengthen the Bill at Stage 2.

Scotland Director announces retirement from charity Martin Crewe, Barnardo’s director in Scotland announces today that he will be retiring this summer. Martin has worked for the charity for 28 years and has held the director post for the past 19 years.

Scotland Director Martin Crewe has announced his retirement from the charity.

Read the full story here: www.barnardos.org.uk/news/scotland-director-announces-retirement-charity

Vacancies with Barnardo's Scotland – December 2025 – Goodmoves At Barnardo's we believe in children. Our purpose is to transform the lives of the UK's most vulnerable children and our vision is to realise Thomas Barnardo's dream of a world where no...

@barnardosscot.bsky.social are recruiting for 2 roles with their #employability services in Highland!

➡️Employability Project Worker, £28,124 – £37,117
➡️ Employer Liaison Officer, £28,124 – £37,117

"Too many children are growing up exposed to harmful views about men and women that impact their attitudes towards relationships, sex and consent,” said Lynn Perry, our CEO. (1/2)

Text reads: 'Mind the (implementation) gap: overcoming obstacles and sharing solutions to strengthen social care. Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 9:15-10:30am, Tinto room, EICC, Edinburgh, #SCVOGathering.'

📆 Mark your calendars for February 11, 2026!

We'll be at @scvo.scot's #SCVOGathering hosting a panel discussion on how to break the cycle of implementation failure in social care.

Find out more and book your spot here (now open for for SCVO members!)🔗 bit.ly/48TrDmS

Aerospace staff support vital charity for Christmas Generous staff at a Prestwick aerospace company have supported a vital charity this festive period.

A massive festive thanks to Prestwick Aircraft Maintenance for supporting our work by supplying us with gifts that we can give to families that we support. 🎁💚🎄

Read all about their wonderful efforts here ⬇️

www.ayradvertiser.com/news/2569848...

Text is the Community of Practice for Siblings: Looking forward to 2026 accompanied by an illustration of a person presenting next to a board with the Community logo suggesting collaboration and care. Below are the logos of The Promise Scotland, AFKA, Corra Foundation, Siblings Reunited (STAR), SCRA, and Stand up for Siblings.

The Community of Practice is looking forward to another busy year in 2026 and we hope to see you there. Tickets to our first event next year are available here: ow.ly/2A8v50XIoWB

Interested in finding out more? Learn about the Community of Practice here: ow.ly/PAl750XIoWA

As a member of End Child Poverty we are calling for action on child poverty across the next parliament, including:

• Increase the Scottish Child Payment
• Improve access to fair & flexible work
• Invest in affordable housing
• Invest in whole-family support

#EndChildPoverty

Urgent volunteer drive launched for care charity in Ayrshire - TFN Intandem said right now the number of volunteer mentors doesn't match the level of need.

Our partner Intandem — which provides mentoring support to children in Scotland’s care service — is desperately seeking volunteer mentors in Ayrshire.

Could you be the right person to help? Read all about the service below ⬇️

tfn.scot/news/urgent-...

We did it! The two-child limit ends in April - a change we fought for, lifting 350,000 children immediately out of poverty. But the job isn’t done. The benefit cap still holds families back. With nearly 1 in 3 children in poverty, the government must go further.

Person reading a book sitting in a speech bubble over the words The Promise Scotland Newsletter.

Missed the latest edition of our newsletter? Check it out here 👇 ow.ly/nT3w50Xz994

Want to get updates on our work and work happening across Scotland to keep the promise directly to your inbox? Sign up to The Promise Scotland newsletter today 📨 ow.ly/BTWe50Xz92M

Against a yellow background, text reads: "We are hiring! Parliamentary Officer. We are recruiting for a Parliamentary Officer to help to position CCPS with political stakeholders as a credible, solutions-focused strategic partner in the reform of social care, and support delivery of our wider influencing work. Deadline: Monday, December 8. Apply now."

Join our team!

Do you have a passion for politics, in-depth knowledge of how Holyrood works and a thorough understanding of Scotland’s national political landscape?

We’re recruiting now for a Parliamentary Officer.

Find out more and apply today 🔗 ccpscotland.org/recruitment

“This is a step in the right direction but there is still much more to do to eradicate child poverty and meet Scotland’s 2030 poverty targets.”

“We urge the Scottish Government to now invest the funds that it has set aside for its planned mitigation of the two-child limit into increasing the Scottish Child Payment.

🚨 Budget Day message from Martin Crewe, Director of Barnardo's Scotland:

“It is welcome news for children and families across Scotland that the UK Government has decided to end the two-child limit.

Again we would like to thank our friends who helped with the development of Navigate, including: @adoptionukscotland.bsky.social
@childhealthscot.bsky.social
@thepromise.scot
@carerstrustscot.bsky.social
@fosteringnet-scot.bsky.social
@barnardosscot.bsky.social
@celcis.org
@stafscot.bsky.social

Green graphic that reads: This could be a landmark moment - one that could transform the life chances for a generation of children.

Reports suggest the government will remove the two-child benefit limit - a landmark step that could lift 350,000 children out of poverty. (1/2)

@ccpscotland.bsky.social is recruiting a Parliamentary Officer to help to position them with political stakeholders as a credible, solutions-focused strategic partner in the reform of social care tinyurl.com/ymhhhw3j £36,454 Edinburgh #charityjob