Thursday 28 July 2016



Unbelievable really, but we’re over half way through the summer holidays already in Scotland! We don’t know about you guys, but we’re starting to run out of ideas to keep the little ones constantly entertained. Why can’t we have as much energy as them? So unfair.

Anyway we’ve pulled together some fantastically useful online resources to keep the good times rolling until it’s time to go back to school.

Free! 

One of our favourite words. If the purse strings are starting to feel a little tight, worry not and let this list inspire some adventures without financial strain. 

- VisitScotland -
It’s easy to forget to look to VisitScotland for inspiration because surely it’s mostly a resource for tourists? Wrong! VisitScotland has a massive list of free attractions and days out in all regions of our beautiful country.
www.visitscotland.com/see-do/attractions/free/  

- Edinburgh – Free Festival - 
If you live in or near the city of Edinburgh then you know that August only means one thing – The Edinburgh Festivals! This is fantastic news for parents and families because the Free Festival brings an enormous variety of free children’s shows right to the heart of Scotland’s capital.
www.freefestival.co.uk/ 


Finding a Day Out

There are some great websites with days out for families organised by local area. Using these is a quick and easy way to see what’s around you.
- Kids Day’s Out -
This easy-to-use site makes it simple to find out what free and paid for activities are in your local area.
www.kidsdaysout.co.uk/kids-days-out-scotland.html 

- Day Out with the Kids -
This site is organised by region and then by activity category. This makes it easy to find specific types of activities. www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk



One off Events

Annoyed that you missed that cake festival or play day? Never let it happen again with these handy feeds that are kept up-to-date with events taking place all over Scotland.

- What’s On Scotland -

- The List -


Vouchers and Offers

There are some attractions where you can make a little saving.
Days Out is a great website which has hundreds of vouchers for attractions all over the country. Definitely worth checking if your destination of choice has a voucher available before you go out, it all adds up!
www.daysout.co.uk/Scotland


Taking the train? Scotrail do Kids Go Free. Travel off-peak any day of the week and up to two children aged 5-15 can travel free with each adult. That’s already a great help but as a bonus, presenting a valid Kids Go Free ticket will earn one child free entry to some of Scotland’s top attractions.
www.scotrail.co.uk/offers/kids-go-free 






Finally, if the weathers a bit rotten, funds and energy are low and you literally cannot face watching Inside Out for the 654th time then Pinterest is a great place to go looking for inspiration. There are thousands of crafty, creative and fun ideas for different games and activities you can do without even leaving the house. Click here to get those creative juices flowing!

If there’s anything you think we missed, any sites or platforms you use to plan your children’s summer calendar or even any exciting events that you’re going to then please share them with us! You can do it in the comments or over on Facebook or Twitter.


Friday 22 July 2016



Across Scotland, thousands of people such as grandparents, aunts, uncles and family friends care for children because their birth parents are unable to do so for a whole range of possible reasons. If you are looking after a child or young person in this way – full time or most of the time – then you are a kinship carer.

Because kinship care is not what is traditionally understood to be care work, there are an unknown number of kinship carers who do not realise they are entitled to practical and financial support.
Did you know? Kinship carers who are known to the system look after half of all ‘looked after’ children in Scotland.

Terminology: Children in all types of care are sometimes referred to as “looked after” children or young people.

There are a variety of possible reasons for a child to be in kinship care. Some of these are: parental imprisonment, parental drug and alcohol problems, parental mental health issues, bereavement, parental illness or absence, neglect and abuse. Unless there is a clear reason that kinship care wouldn’t be in the child’s best interest, this will be the first option considered for the child. This rule was set out by the Scottish Government in 2007.

The main reason Scottish Government prefers a child to be cared for by family or close friends is the because children already have a relationship with their kin - called secure attachment – which is essential for children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.



Kinship carers can face a variety of different issues that have a financial or personal impact.



A disproportionate number of kinship families live in poverty due to the financial pressures of care and because sometimes carers have to reduce or stop work.
Often children in kinship care have faced early trauma or neglect; have attachment issues and and can be vulnerable. This can  sometimes lead to challenging and disruptive behavior. This can particularly have an effect at school.
Looked after children statistically don’t do as well in school. Their attendance is lower, they are more likely to be excluded and they do not achieve the same level of qualifications.


When it comes to behaviour and education; raising awareness and encouraging involvement and support is key to improving the experience of looked after children in schools. An understanding of the unique support needs of this group is key to closing the attainment and skills gap for them. Teachers need to be equipped with the skills and practices to improve the abilities of individual children to engage in classroom learning.

The Centre for Excellence for Looked after Children in Scotland (CELCIS) are undertaking research to establish why there is a consistent link between parent and carer involvement and a child’s attainment at school. We know that it works, but once we understand why we can start using it to increase attainment in vulnerable children.

Many kinship carers don’t put themselves  forward in the same way as a parent might, and often don’t get involved with the child’s school except when there are issues. Kinship carers have the same rights to be involved as any birth or adoptive parent, so SPTC’s work with schools and parent groups often looks at how a wider range of parents can carers can be supported and encouraged to get involved.


All families can face challenging times and should be able to access support. On 1 April 2016 new regulations came into force directing local authorities to make safeguarding, supporting and financial assistance available to kinship carers who meet the criteria.

If you think you may be eligible for support there are great online resources that can tell you everything you need to know about kinship care and looked after children. For detailed information about all the help, support and advice that is available to kinship carers check out the following sites:

Children 1st Kinship Care Services – Includes local service information and an online webchat feature.

Citizens Advice Bureau -  Wealth of information online, or you can call or drop into your local CAB for a chat.

Scottish Government – All the information you need about your legal rights and referrals to other services.