The Scottish Government is running a consultation to seek views on the need for a universal definition of ‘care experience’ and what the potential impacts of this could be.

While it is not a legal term, ‘care experience’ is a term that has a special and different meaning for many of the people who identify with it – whether they feel it describes the situation they have grown up in, or that this describes an understanding of their personal identity. However, not everyone who could identify as ‘care experienced’ will choose to do so for a number of reasons, including that for some people it may feel like a stigmatising term.

The Promise also tells us that a universal definition of ‘care experience’ will help to normalise care as more people can understand and relate to it; explaining that a more universal, commonly understood definition as it relates to rights and entitlements will support more people with care experience.

The Scottish Government Keeping the Promise Implementation Plan set out the cross-Government actions and policies that will be taken to bring about the transformational change required to keep the Promise by 2030, including a commitment to work with partners across Scotland to develop a universal and inclusive definition of ‘care experience’ so that more people can understand and identify with it.

To have your voice heard, please complete the ‘Care Experience’ Consultation Survey before the consultation closes on Friday 31 January 2025.

For further information, please read the consultation paper, or visit the Scottish Government website.