The Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Act 2026 is now law, but the real test will be delivery. It changes the law around children’s care, care experience, children’s services planning, aftercare, advocacy, kinship care, foster care, residential care, continuing care and the Children’s Hearings System. It is explicitly part of Scotland’s attempt to keep The Promise after the Independent Care Review.
Councils, health boards, children’s services, corporate parents, care providers, hearings partners and third sector organisations now need to understand what must change in practice.
This conference will examine what public bodies and partners should prepare for as guidance, commencement and secondary legislation develop. It will consider care experience, corporate parenting, aftercare, advocacy, kinship care, foster care, residential care, Children’s Hearings reform, services planning and accountability.
Implementation will reach well beyond children’s social work. The conference will help delegates think through what the Act means for all relevant services and policy areas. These include education, health, housing, employability, corporate parenting, scrutiny, provider regulation and the wider network of services that shape the lives of care-experienced children, young people and adults.
Bringing together government, councils, social work, children’s rights bodies, care-experienced voices, providers, hearings organisations, education, health, housing, scrutiny bodies and legal specialists, the conference will help delegates understand what is coming next and what they should do now to keep The Promise in practice.
This online conference will focus on three themes:
Topics the conference will explore
Who should attend
This conference will be relevant to:
Care and Justice Participation Lead
Youth Justice Voices - Staf
Executive Director of Community Services
Kibble
Children & Families Policy & Practice Lead
Social Work Scotland
Chief Executive
Who Cares? Scotland
Chief Officer
Aberlour
Katrina Gallacher
Care and Justice Participation Lead
Youth Justice Voices - Staf
Katrina joined the Staf team in April 2021 as Project Development Worker (Care Experienced Community), working with our advisory group to develop The REAL Toolkit.
Since then, Katrina has worked on a range of projects at Staf, and was appointed Care and Justice Lead for Youth Justice Voices in April 2024. Katrina leads on facilitation and delivery of our youth- and experience-led steering groups in Glasgow and HMP YOI Polmont.
Katrina has a degree in community development, and over 10 years’ experience in youth work and community development. Katrina has also volunteered for several years with different organisations and community groups to widen her experience and learning.
Katrina is care experienced and passionate about improving outcomes for people with experience of the care and justice systems in Scotland, being led by lived experience, driving forward the change we need to have meaningful, positive impacts for people who are currently experiencing these systems.
Caroline McDonald
Children & Families Policy & Practice Lead
Social Work Scotland
Caroline McDonald is a qualified social worker and social work leader, with 29 years experience in the social care sector, including specialist expertise in child protection, safeguarding, and domestic abuse.
Caroline previously worked with Glasgow City HSPC, where she developed extensive experience across children and families social work and wider social care services. She plays an active leadership role in the profession nationally as Co Chair of the Scottish Association of Social Work (SASW) National Standing Committee and as an Appointed Director with the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), contributing to policy, professional standards, and advocacy for the workforce.
She is a passionate advocate for social justice, equality, and human rights, and is committed to strengthening community orientated approaches in social work practice. Alongside her leadership roles, she is a practice educator and trainer, supporting the development of the next generation of social workers. Caroline’s work focuses on improving outcomes for children, families, and communities, ensuring that social work remains rooted in relationship based, rights focused, and community connected practice.
Kay McKerrell
Chief Executive
Who Cares? Scotland
Kay is the Chief Executive for Who Cares? Scotland which delivers advocacy services throughout Scotland.
She also sits as Chair of the National Providers Network, a forum for advocacy providers who have been commissioned by ScotGov to deliver Children’s Hearing Services advocacy throughout Scotland. As well as being on the Board of Voluntary Action Orkney, she is also a Trustee of the Kristin Linklater Voice Foundation and has been elected as the Scotland Representative for UNISON National Black Members' Committee. She holds a judicial appointment as a Mental Health Tribunal Service (MHTS) Legal Convener.
Lynne O'Brien
Chief Officer
Aberlour
Lynne has dedicated her working life to creating positive change, primarily in the children’s sector. Her career was influenced by her experience of growing up in a community that faced significant challenges and inequalities.
Lynne has held many positions in Children’s Services, as a youth worker in her early career working to Senior leadership positions, including Assistant Director for Barnardo’s Scotland. As a senior leader in the 3rd sector she has held many positions across community planning partnerships as well as influencing change in thematic areas, such as domestic abuse and early help and support.
Lynne has supported and facilitated organisational and systems change - as Head of Innovation at the Care Review, Lynne supported the change programmes which contributed to findings and conclusions in The Promise.
At Columba 1400 and The Lens Lynne supported senior leaders across agencies with values and people led innovation.
Lynne’s qualifications include - MBA, Leadership and Management in Social Services, Practice teaching and Youth and Community work.
Lynne continues to be driven to tackle inequality and to make the greatest difference to children, young people and families.
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