A warm welcome for the Independent Care Review's call for radical change of the Scottish Care System

The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Director today welcomed the findings of the Independent Care Review (ICR) and endorsed the vision proposed by the review which plots a 10-year transformational change approach to the Scottish care system.

Neil Ritch, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Director said, “What the Independent Care Review proposes today lays out significant recommendations to the care system in Scotland and importantly offers solid and practical foundations to ensure that change to that system can start right now.

“The Independent Care review has undertaken its work over the last three years with rigour and purpose. This review connects hard data with stories and offers a thought through plan for change. It has the potential to radically improve the lives of often vulnerable young people.”

In 2013 The National Lottery Community Fund set up The Life Changes Trust with an endowment of £50 million to improve the lives of two key groups in Scotland: people affected by dementia and care experienced young people. The creation of Champions Boards, by the Life Changes Trust, to give care experienced young people a voice was one of many influencing factors that led to the creation of the Independent Care Review.

“When we set up the Life Changes Trust in 2013 we wanted our National Lottery funds to support a step change in the lives of children and young people with experience of the care system. We are proud to have played a small part in this story so far and will look to see where we, along with other funders in Scotland, can play a role in keeping the promise in the future.”