It’s been 10 years since the In Care Survivors Alliance was set up to address the legacy of historic abuse in the Scottish care system.
Flora Henderson, who oversees the running of the Alliance, describes how Health in Mind’s collaborative work through this partnership has shaped the past decade’s groundbreaking work.
I’ve been privileged to work with colleagues at Health in Mind for almost a decade. Health in Mind is one of the founding partners of the In Care Survivors Alliance. They join Glasgow Psychological Trauma Service, Penumbra Mental Health and the Scottish Government to deliver unique and pioneering services for people who experienced abuse and neglect in the Scottish care system.
It’s through this Alliance that we’ve been able to establish Future Pathways and the Redress Support Service. Future Pathways supports people through an outcomes-focused approach, working with people to make the changes they want to see in their life across mental health, wellbeing, education and more. Redress Support Service offers personalised support to people throughout their redress journey. The service can support people who are applying to the Scottish Government’s Redress Scheme, or who are thinking about applying.
The difference collaboration makes
At the Alliance, we know first-hand the value in collaboration. No single organisation can or should work in silo, especially in complex areas; it’s by working together and sharing resources that we can create strong, individualised and impactful support. It’s within this environment of joint-working that Health in Mind is a critical partner, bringing an approach which is both values-driven and evidence-based. This balance helps us create trauma-informed support which brings a real and lasting difference to the people we support.
Trauma-informed and led by the voices of the people involved
We must acknowledge the specific needs and deep inequalities experienced by many people accessing the Alliance’s services. In this context, it’s crucial that we can offer support that is flexible, accessible and sustainable. With Health in Mind as a partner, we’re able to bridge gaps in provision, create connections in communities, and offer tailored support that’s rooted in evidence and shaped by lived experience.
As such, Health in Mind’s partnership in the Alliance plays a significant role in the wider landscape for justice and remedies for people who experienced abuse in the Scottish care system. Their knowledge and expertise in trauma-informed practice helps us to create outcomes-focused support that contributes to the restoration of rights for a particularly marginalised group.
Here, it’s important to acknowledge that many people may have felt unheard or unseen by services. Yet listening to the voices of people with lived experience, and creating spaces for authentic co-production, is intrinsic to delivering support that truly works for people. At the Alliance, being able to lean on partners like Health in Mind – who have extensive knowledge of peer-led work – helps us to integrate individual insights, colleagues’ practice, and wider learning into an overall approach.
The difference we’ve made together
Over the past 10 years of our joint working, I’ve seen impact across the whole spectrum, from individual and community, from service to system. Indeed, changes in one area often create a ripple effect on another. Accessing the right support can empower people to make positive steps in other areas of their life; sharing knowledge between partners can deepen learning across organisations; and taking a shared approach to sustainable support can encourage wider system change.
The Alliance vision is for people to lead full, healthy and independent lives. To do this, we need reliable, collaborative partners who can enable access to resources, care and support. In a complex landscape of finite resources, such cross-partnership work is vital: each partner brings significant strengths; lasting impact is created together.
In Care Survivor’s Alliance
Find out more about the work and impact of the Alliance, and explore what else is happening as we celebrate our first decade.
Future Pathways
Future Pathways is a free service that supports people who were abused or neglected as a child while in the Scottish care system.
Redress Support Service
The Redress Support Service opened in 2021 to provide emotional and practical support to people seeking redress from the Scottish Government.