As a leading national school based mentoring programme supporting care-experienced young people and others facing significant instability, we have been clear in our expectations that Scotland must prioritise its future generations and continue to act on its commitment to the Promise as we aim to eliminate the education, skills, job choices and life chances gap that exists between care-experienced young people and their peers.
We welcome the Scottish’s Government’s continued guarantee to young people and ensuring that learners are at the forefront of their Programme of Government. Eradicating child poverty remains central to the Scottish Government’s key aims which is essential in supporting young people and communities that are most in need as 71% of young people supported by MCR nationally come from 40% of the most deprived areas in Scotland (MCR Pathways Impact Report 2024). We also believe that the focus on career support and community-based youth work to engage young people both in and outside the classroom is key to equipping young people with the transformational knowledge and skills which enables young people to thrive now and in the future. MCR Pathways’ incredible volunteer mentor community already supports young people to find, grow and use their talents towards a positive post-school destination. One of our mentors, Irene, notes that “Having been a mentor for several years now I have seen first hand the positive impact a mentor can have on a young person. Being mentored helps young people improve their self esteem and self belief, which in turn helps give them better life chances”.
In collaboration with Skills Development Scotland, Developing the Young Workforce and other voluntary sector partners, we ensure we connect with partners and employers to support young people to develop their skills that will equip them to lead successful fulfilling careers that ultimately contribute to Scotland’s growing economy. This vital investment into our future workforce is key in aspiring towards our shared vision of an equality of educational and skills outcomes, career opportunities and life chances for all young people across the country.
Despite this, care experience was not mentioned in the promotion of equality and human rights across Scotland which is essential in upholding the UNCRC for all young people to grow up loved, safe and respected. We had hoped, like many others, that The Promise would also be mentioned in this Programme for Government especially as the awaited Promise Bill is due at the end of this Parliamentary Session. Susanne, an MCR Young National Advisory Board member, states: “The Promise was a landmark for care-experienced people in Scotland and signified commitment from the Scottish Government to improve the lives of those who experience the care system. There has been amazing work and positive change going on across Scotland for the past four years in line with the Promise, lots of which has been co-produced with young people in care or with experience of care. It is vital that we don’t lose momentum in order to make Scotland the best place for all children to grow up in by 2030. I hope the Scottish Government will continue to champion the voice of lived experience across the country and support local authorities to create a supportive and nurturing environment for the young people they look after”.
Whilst we are deeply encouraged that the Scottish Government continues to focus on the poverty-related attainment gap, the attainment gap between care-experienced young people and their peers stubbornly persists. Personalised relationship based mentoring has an impactful place in closing that gap.
Scotland’s care-experienced young peoples’ right to high quality education and skills is compromised by this gap. Bill, one of our volunteer mentors, states: “I have mentored two young people. Both times my first impression was of a young person with innate intelligence and considerable potential sadly facing such a mountain of unfortunate challenges that it was hard to see them ever overcoming the cards stacked against them in any meaningful sense. Four years after meeting my first young person, and against everyone’s expectations, they got accepted to university and are currently enjoying and doing well in their courses…The investment of mentor’s time and the modest costs of administering the program are epically outweighed by the lifetimes of benefits to the young people involved. And to the whole of Scottish society”.
We will continue to try to reach every young person in Scotland who needs and would benefit from a trusted, caring mentor, to ensure no commitment to young people is compromised, especially for those who are care-experienced. It is an effort that needs to be system wide, pathologically collaborative, thoughtfully developed, adequately resourced and delivered in an accountable manner.
As a collective, young people need long term investment, long term commitment and an unrelenting priority focus from all sectors. They are our future generations, invest to save! Young people across Scotland must remain at the forefront for December’s budget.
