Blog: ‘We want to give young people the best start’

The First Minister has been clear that the Scottish Government’s top priority is to eradicate child poverty, but we cannot do this alone.

It will take partnership working between government, local authorities, the third and private sectors to achieve this important goal. Aberlour Children Charity’s efforts to help children and families play a crucial role in this partnership.

We want to give all children and young people the best start in life. Hearing their voices, and those of families we work with, is the only way to ensure support is person centred and driven by their needs. 

Support needs to be transformed from crisis intervention to delivering preventive whole family support. Aberlour has been at the forefront of this work including their pioneering Mother and Child Recovery Houses, a service which was the first of its kind in Scotland.

If we want to deliver for children and young people, then we must deliver on The Promise. With five years to go I am confident that The Promise can and will be kept – but it is through the work of organisations like Aberlour that the impact of Keeping the Promise will be felt by the children and families that need the change most.

Aberlour has demonstrated the real change that partnership working can deliver through work with the Scottish Refugee Council to deliver Guardianship Scotland. It plays a crucial role in supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking and trafficked children and young people across Scotland.

Delivering for children and young people has never been more important, something Aberlour has been doing for 150 years. Behind the huge achievement of reaching 150 years are countless children and families who have benefitted from Aberlour’s support.

Of arguably even greater importance is the enormous beneficial impact that Aberlour has today, and will continue to have, on children, young people and parents across Scotland.

Natalie Don-Innes MSP
Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise

This article was written as part of the 'We are family' special edition supplement with the Sunday Post.