More than half of the actions designed to improve the lives of care-experienced children, young people and care leavers in East Ayrshire have now been completed.
East Ayrshire’s Corporate Parenting Action Plan for 2024 to 2027 contains 60 actions across five priority areas.
A new progress update shows that 31 actions have been completed, ten are making good progress and 14 are making reasonable progress. Five have yet to begin.
The plan focuses on supporting young people as they move into adulthood, strengthening relationships, tackling poverty, improving health and wellbeing and celebrating young people’s achievements.
The views of care-experienced children and young people have played an important role in developing the plan. Feedback from East Ayrshire’s Care Experienced Cabinet and wider engagement continues to influence priorities and shape local services.
Significant progress has been reported under the “Moving On” priority, which supports young people leaving care and making the transition into adult life.
The Moving On, Continuing Care and Aftercare Service, known as MOCCA, has been fully operational since early 2025. It provides dedicated support to care-experienced young people as they prepare for greater independence.
East Ayrshire’s partnership with Blue Triangle Housing Association has also expanded.
Supported accommodation at Whatriggs Road, together with additional housing secured during 2025, means up to 11 young people can receive support at any one time.
The service is designed to help them develop the skills, confidence and stability required for independent living.
A further 23 properties were allocated to care-experienced young people through the Strategic Needs Group during 2025–26. Every one of those tenancies has been successfully maintained to date.
Progress is also being made under the “Relationships” priority, which recognises the importance of maintaining family connections wherever possible and ensuring young people have trusted, lasting relationships.
Social work practitioners and partner organisations have received training in the Signs of Safety and Healing model, supporting a restorative and relationship-based approach to working with children and their families.
Investment in the Care Experienced Lead Teacher model is also helping children and young people find trusted adults who can support them throughout their education.
Work is continuing to prevent care-experienced young people from being financially disadvantaged.
A newly established Welfare Rights Service is now closely connected with the Corporate Parenting Strategic Group. Referral routes have been created to help care leavers obtain financial advice and support when required.
Partners are also working to improve digital inclusion, including efforts to provide Wi-Fi access within children’s houses.
The aim is to ensure young people can remain connected and participate fully in education, employment and social opportunities.
Under the “Health and Wellbeing” priority, support is being developed to help children, young people and care leavers recover from trauma and access specialist assistance when needed.
Health Safety Checks for children and young people placed in emergency accommodation have now been fully introduced across East, North and South Ayrshire, including within out-of-hours social work services.
A Trauma Informed and Responsive Service Action Plan has also been developed, setting out commitments to workforce development and trauma training across partner organisations.
Additional investment through Whole Family Wellbeing Funding is helping to expand specialist services for neurodivergent children and young people.
Therapeutic Life Story Work and Play Therapy are among the interventions being used to provide further support.
The final priority, “Celebrating Youth”, aims to recognise care-experienced young people for their strengths, talents and achievements.
Young people continue to influence services through the Care Experienced Cabinet, where they regularly meet elected members and senior officials to share their experiences and contribute to decision-making.
Partnership working involving education services, SL33, social work and Ayrshire College has also created education, training and employment opportunities for young people living in East Ayrshire’s children’s houses.
Councillor Clare Maitland, East Ayrshire Council’s Cabinet Spokesperson for Health and Social Care, said: “Our care experienced children and young people deserve the very best opportunities in life.
“It is encouraging to see the significant progress being made across all five priorities, particularly in supporting young people as they move into adulthood, improving access to housing and strengthening health and wellbeing support.
“We remain committed to listening to young people and working together with our partners to ensure they have every opportunity to thrive.”