We have an Aberdeen Young Person's Rights Service Leaflet which was designed with our young people. This page provides an accessible version of this leaflet.
About the service
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is key to our service. The service is independent of other professionals who have responsibilities for your care and support. We have a safeguarding role and promoting the safety of children and young people is one of our key duties.
Those working with and caring for you should know about the Aberdeen Young People’s Rights Service and will be able to help you use it. Most of you will have an adult you can trust and talk to. Even though this may be the case, some things can be difficult or awkward to share and sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone independent.
Who the Service is for:
- Children and Young People who are or have been involved in child protection processes.
- Children and Young People looked after at Home.
- Children and Young People looked after with extended family or friends – Kinship.
- Children and Young People looked after in Foster Care in and outside Aberdeen.
- Children and Young People looked after in Residential Care or school in and outside Aberdeen.
- Children and Young People looked after in Secure Care.
- Young Adults being supported on a Continuing or Aftercare basis.
“Looked After” children and young people are defined as those in the care of their local authority. This could include being looked after on an emergency, respite, short-term, long-term or permanent basis (including looked after in foster care with a view to adoption).
Continuing Care offers eligible your people the entitlement to remain in their care setting up to their twenty first birthday when you cease to be looked after by a local authority, though certain criteria need to be met.
Aftercare entitles you to receive a range of support until your twenty sixth birthday. Eligibility for Aftercare applies to all care leavers, regardless of their placement type while they were looked after.
When a child’s name in put on the Child Protection Register it helps alert workers/agencies that there is concern about that child and a multi-agency child protection plan will be put in place to help protect the child.
More information is on the Child Protection Partnership website.
Further information can be found on the Scottish Government website Policy Looked After Children and the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland Rights to Care Booklet.
What the Service can do for you
Here are some of the things the Service can do with and for you:
- Help make sure you get listened to.
- Give you information and advice about your rights.
- Let you know about other supports and services.
- Support you to represent your views at different meetings e.g. case conference, looked after children’s review, Children’s Hearing or Care and Risk Management Meeting.
- Raise any concerns you may have, and if need be, support you to make a complaint.
- Ask about your experiences and views on services and support to help improve them.
We can help you in a way you are most comfortable with or which suits your living circumstances, this could be face to face, a phone or video call, text or email. you can choose to meet us on your own or in private or have someone with you.
You could also use a communication tool called Mind of My Own which allows you to be heard whenever you want. You can find out more information about this app through this link and through your social worker.
Your Rights
Key rights come under three main areas:
Protection Rights – to be safe
Provision Rights – to be well looked after
Participation Rights – to have your say and be listened to
Your ‘voice’ and participation are really important: from supporting your involvement in decisions about your life to contributing to how services should look and be delivered.
Aberdeen Care Experienced
We work closely with ACE (Aberdeen Care Experienced). ACE supports Aberdeen children, young people and young adults to engage, participate and discuss ideas and issues important to them.
These are then taken to the Aberdeen City Champions Board to ensure that ‘lived experience’ is heard and responded to in ways which help bring about positive change.
Like @ACEAberdeen on Facebook to find out more.
The Youth Team
We also work closely with the Youth Team who provide support to those leaving care or who have been in care between the ages of 16 and 26.
Want to know if you are eligible? Call 0800 917 85 45.
Like @YouthTeamAberdeen on Facebook to find out more.
The Independent Care Review and The Promise
On 5 February 2020, the Independent Care Review published seven reports, with The Promise setting out the vision for family and for care for Scotland. Listening to all those with care experience was at the heart of the Review.
Aberdeen Young Person’s Rights Service are committed to #KeepThePromise in how we support and promote the rights of our children, young people and young adults.
Contact Us:
General Email: YoungPersonsRights@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Donna Simpson
- Email: DSimpson@aberdeencity.gov.uk
- Mobile: 07876780877
If we are not able to answer straight away, please leave a message with your name and contact number and we will call you back.