Who are young people with experience of care
All children and young people need support to help them develop and reach their full potential.
If you’re a young person with experience of care this guide tells you about support you might be able to get.
Who is a 'young person'?
In Scotland, support for young people who have left care is usually for those between 16 and 26.
Some types of support are also available to children with experience of care under 16 or adults older than 26.
What is 'care experience'?
If you’re applying for support from an organisation, you should check how they define ‘care experience’.
There is no legal definition of ‘care experience’.
‘Care experience’ usually means you were ‘looked after’ in one or more of these ways:
- looked after at home
- kinship care
- foster care
- residential care
- residential special school
- supported accommodation
- secure care
- adoption
- as an Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child
To be ‘looked after’ in care means that your local council has a legal responsibility for your wellbeing and to help you to thrive.
Find out more about the language around care experience at the Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection (CELCIS).
Get help from your local council
The Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum (STAF) lists local council ‘care leaver offers’. These pages:
- give information about support you might be able to get from your local council
- have contact details for people who can help you get support
If you're unsure which council area you're in, you can search by postcode on GOV.UK.
If you need more help
If you need advice or support you can phone or email Who Cares? Scotland.