Responding to the ongoing debate, following the ruling from the UK Supreme Court that the Scottish Government must make some changes to the Named Person legislation, Duncan Dunlop said:
The voice of young people in care has been desperately missing from this debate. Too often, young people come into care when their family is at breaking point. The Named Person legislation seeks to address this as part of a wider strategy – to support families earlier and give them the help and information that they need, when they need it.
Once the politics of this issue have calmed, we will still be left with the reality that many children and young people in Scotland face abuse and neglect. It is a fact that 15404 young people are in care in Scotland right now. Many will have come into care at a time of trauma, when it is too late to stop their family breaking down.
Who Cares? Scotland has always been supportive of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014; the principles of which keep children and young people at the centre of the decisions made about them. We are on a journey to improve the lives of our most vulnerable children. The Named Person legislation is one step in the right direction. We aim to work alongside the Scottish Government to address the ruling of the Supreme Court and continue to improve the lives of our most vulnerable children.
