Scottish Guardianship Service works with children and young people who arrive in Scotland unaccompanied and separated from their families. The service will support unaccompanied asylum seeking and trafficked children and young people.
Guardians will support young people, helping them to navigate through the immigration and welfare processes, feel supported and empowered throughout the asylum process, access the help they need when they need it and help them to make informed decisions about their future.
Service aim and what we offer
The service aims to improve separated childrens’ experience and understanding of the immigration and welfare processes and to ensure they receive services appropriate to their needs and entitlements. Through the promotion of a child centred model of practice we aim to improve interagency working within the immigration and child welfare processes and develop systemic change in the best interest of the child.
All separated children newly arrived in Scotland will be allocated a guardian who will be their consistent point of contact to:
• act as a link between all services and professionals that are involved in their life
• help the young person to understand the roles and responsibilities of these professionals
• assist the young people in understanding the complex immigration and welfare processes and enable them to fully participate in their claims for status and support
• help the young person to present their case in their claim for asylum and develop tools and techniques to support them and their workers
• advocate on their behalf and ensure young peoples voices are heard
We also offer advice and information for existing separated children in Scotland and the professionals in the services that work with them.
Outcomes
The aim of the Scottish Guardianship Service is to establish and operate a guardianship pilot project in Scotland that will serve the specific needs of separated children. The main outcome of our service is:
• To ensure that each child will have a significantly improved experience and understanding of the immigration and welfare processes, evidenced by the child’s informed participation and that they receive services and responses appropriate to their needs and entitlements.
• To develop a child-centred model of practice that promotes interagency working and provides better information upon which to base immigration decisions.
This service also contributes to the following Scottish Government’s National Outcomes.
• Our young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective communicators and responsible citizens.
• Our children live longer, healthier lives
• The life chances for children, young people and families at risk have improved
• Our children have the best start in life and are ready to succeed
• Our public services are high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people’s needs
Referrals
Referrals to the service can be made from any Local Authority or agency in Scotland by fax using the attached referral form. Our fax number is 0141 445 6469. This should be followed up with a phone call to 0141 445 8659.
Partnership
Aberlour and Scottish Refugee Council are the principal partners in the guardianship pilot which is intended to be an innovative new service for children and young people which will serve as a groundbreaking piece of action research with the potential for wider application.
Evaluation of the project
There is no system of guardianship in the UK at present, so this pilot is designed as a significant piece of action research with potential for wider application. Professors Ravi Kohli (University of Bedfordshire) and Heaven Crawley (University of Swansea) have been appointed as independent evaluators of the project. The evaluation is being funded by the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. Internal evaluation will also take place and there will be a participation group connected to the project which all separated young people supported by the project will be invited to.
Funding
