Update on SCRA’s Voice of Experience Reference Group

To celebrate Care Experienced Week 2024, we find out about the work of SCRA’s Voice of Experience Reference Group (VOERG).

The VOERG is a group of care experienced staff in SCRA, who have a range of experiences of the Children’s Hearings System and care, including having been in care, or being carers, as well as being adoptive parents, and also care through other means, such as voluntary or kinship care. The VOERG was created in 2022 as part of SCRA’s response to developing new and inclusive approaches to Keeping The Promise, and recognising that staff with personal experience of being in care, giving care or having experience of the Children’s Hearings System in a variety of ways will have a unique insight which will help us to improve our services for children, young people and families.

The group meets several times per year, either online or in person to connect, explore and discuss areas for service improvement in SCRA, as well as undertake consultations with staff, partner agencies and stakeholders. We offer staff the opportunity to meet during the working day or for evening sessions, and we also offer one to one meetings where preferred. In addition to meetings, the group has a Teams Channel to share ideas, updates and topical items, which has been valuable in terms of sharing views as well as keeping group members up to date.

In the past year the group has hosted two away days in different parts of Scotland, where staff have received training on trauma-informed care from a trauma consultant who is Hearings-experienced, as well as engaging with Our Hearings, Our Voice on their Language Leaders work, and undertaking a consultation with the NHS on developing trauma skilled care training for carers. The group has also responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the Hearings System redesign both in person and at online meetings. A third report to SCRA’s Executive Management Team with recommendations for improvements will shortly be submitted by the group for consideration.

The group goes from strength to strength and we recently welcomed four new members. The group remains committed to supporting new initiatives and improvements to services in SCRA, as well as developing and maintain positive working relationships with partner agencies in order to improve children, young people and adults’ experience of care. However, the most important element of the group is having a shared private space where members can speak openly about their views, experiences and hopes for change in a supportive and respectful environment.

SCRA’s Participation Lead Jennifer Orren said: “It is a real privilege to chair this group and learn from and support each other, as well as drive improvements for children, young people and families coming to Children’s Hearings.

“It’s also an exciting opportunity to work with so many interesting colleagues and partner agencies and have a real opportunity to influence change.”