Since the launch of the toolkit website in May we have been busy working with our Early Adopters, Voices of Experience reference group and the wider sector to develop a deeper understanding of how changing the way we talk about care experience can motivate people from all levels within our communities to take action to improve the lives of Each and Every Child in Scotland.

I personally have found some of this work challenging, reflecting on my own communications, but what we have to remember is that it is based on robust, in-depth research on how to change the hearts and minds of the public, and the role we all play. We need the wider support, we need to activate the passion of the nation to get behind The Promise, to support the changes we need now, to create a Scotland where Each and Every Child can thrive. In Rosie’s reflective blog she highlights her own challenges on the framing journey, but reminds us that good practitioners are able to reflect on their practice and be open to thinking, speaking and acting in different ways and reminding us “We are all the general public, professionals, non-professionals, care experienced and non-care experienced people alike. We have an opportunity to work collectively to change the hearts and minds of a nation, create a caring, equitable Scotland where we can all flourish and participate.

Early Adopters
Our Early Adopters work aims to support and embed the toolkit and its recommendations to produce tangible examples of how the framing techniques can be used in different settings. Today, we wanted to provide you with some information on how we are working with our early adopters to begin to use the framing techniques to affect positive change for people with care experience.

We are working with Who Cares? Scotland to embed framing techniques across all areas of their work, from their communications to how they educate and support Corporate Parenting across the country, collaborating with the staff team to develop specific training for different areas of work within the organisation. This is very much a collaborative learning experience for both Each and Every Child and Who Cares? Scotland to understand how framing can have maximum impact for people with care experience, supported by the expertise of FrameWorks Institute.

Our work with The Promise Scotland is focused on how we can use framing techniques to change the narrative around discourse with policy makers, focusing mainly, though not exclusively, on the agency that people with lived experience have and how the framing techniques can support them to share their experiences.

We are also working intensively with Kibble on their current fostering campaign, exploring how framing can activate a sense of community and the stories that are told can build public support for people with care experience, both within foster care and beyond. As with all our Early Adopter work, we will be sharing the learning in the near future on our website and on our social media channels.

Voices of Experience
Our Voices of Experience reference group has officially started work co-designing how we can develop support for people with care experience to use the framing techniques to tell their own stories. We are exploring how we ensure that this is designed in a way that enhances and supports the agency that people with lived experience of care already have, what they choose to share and the how we can begin to develop a deeper understanding of care and care experience in wider Scottish society through sharing our stories. This work is being led by a group of people with lived experience of care and will help inform all parts of Each and Every Child’s work. Our new blog from Carole at Life Changes Trust further explores the importance of “funding work where people have the time and space to build relationships…..letting go of rigid agendas and investing in people rather than outcomes”.

Finally, I would like to thank you for signing up for this newsletter and for engaging with this new, exciting approach. If you would like to explore how you can use the framing techniques in your own setting, please do get in touch with us. We are really looking forward to sharing more information with you over the next few months about different ways in which framing can positively impact on the lives of people who are care experienced, now and in the future.

Claire O’Hara
Programme Director, Each and Every Child.

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