Guest blog: CYP Bill – Looked After Children proposals

Ahead of the end of the Children and Young People Bill consultation closing on September 25th, we’re rounding up our series of posts on the proposed bill with a blog from Murray McKinnon.

You can read more on the proposed changes for Looked After Children, including increasing the age to which local authorities can provide assistance to them from 21 to 25, where neccessary.

The blog below is Murray’s perspective on the Looked After Children proposals, drawn from his experience:

“I think they should raise support to 25, I have no formal support, I go to Debate Project and get support there but some people will have nothing. You have been moved around so much and it’s hard to get work. (If I had support) they would help me out with finding somewhere to live, I am currently living in homeless accommodation, in a hotel. They would help me filling out forms and help me get listened too.

You have support when you’re younger, but you might not take it, you just want to get out of care, relive your childhood which you couldn’t do in care as there are so many restrictions and your childhood is taken away from you. Then you realise you don’t know everything and you have screwed up. Then you need support when it’s too late.

In care you get made to feel you can’t do things, you get told youruseless.If you’re going to live with people that can’t deal with bad behaviour then you’re just going to be kept moving about. If you could stay in one place for the whole time you are in care, young people would feel like they belong there and would feel much more comfortable. At my age now young people would be more set up and have family support.

I have had over 30 moves including going back home to my parents numerous times, I felt rejected so I wanted other people to feel rejected too. It felt like I was being fobbed off, I found it difficult to attach to people, constantly moving. In an ideal world foster families would be like a new family.”

Murray McKinnon (Debate Project volunteer)

Children and Young People Bill – Consultation.
Scottish Throughcare & Aftercare Forum – Debate project.

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