Developing a universal definition of ‘care experience’

A definition provides a collective understanding of the meaning of a word or phrase.  A universal definition would mean that there is a single description that everyone understands to be the meaning of a word or phrase. 

The Promise tells us that the term ‘care experience’ has meaning for many people and that it can be helpful as an understanding of personal identity and in  understanding shared experiences.

As well as providing a sense of identity, there are existing supports and entitlements available to people with care experience, particularly young people with care experience. This is relevant in areas such as education, including further and higher education. However there is not currently one cross-sector definition which is commonly understood and used in practice; or that acknowledges the individual experience of care that different people can have. 

This means that eligibility for existing supports is not currently connected by a universal definition. This means that while eligibility for some existing supports may be linked to legal provisions, such as having been ‘looked after’, the wording used to define who is eligible to access support can vary between different organisations.

For example, the definition of ‘care experience’ published by Universities Scotland and the definition used by the Care Inspectorate are worded differently, but could, in practice, cover the same individuals so they can access certain rights and entitlements. However, the lack of a concise and shared definition might cause confusion about who is included with both service providers and those with experience of care.

For some examples of existing supports for people with care experience and some more information, please refer to the consultation paper - insert link