Ask Buddy

Asking questions helps us understand the world around us. On this page, I’ll do my best to answer your questions! If you are still not sure, you can ask a grown up you trust or someone who works for Who Cares? Scotland to read over this page with you.

What does Care Experienced mean?

Care Experienced is what you and all the other members of Who Cares? Scotland are. It means you have been in care at some point in your life. Being in care can mean different things for different children: • • Kinship Care is living with a family member who is not your mum or dad. Looked After At Home means you still live with your parents but you have • a social worker. Residential Care is living in a residential home or school with other young people. • Foster Care is living with foster carers. • Secure Care is living in a secure unit. • Adoption is living with adoptive parents. Being Care Experienced can sometimes make you feel different, but Who Cares? Scotland is here to make sure you are ok.

What is Who Cares? Scotland?

Who Cares? Scotland is a charity, that helps Care Experienced people like you. They can be any age and live anywhere in Scotland. Who Cares? Scotland can help in lots of ways. They have advocates whose job it is to make sure your voice is heard. They run groups and days out so that you can make new friends and have fun. They make sure important people listen to you so that you are treated fairly.

What is an advocate?

A Who Cares? Scotland advocate, also called an APW, will listen to you and then make sure you are listened to by the people who make decisions in your life. Even though an advocate is a grown up, you are the boss. You can see all of our advocates on the back of this magazine.

What does being a member mean?

You have got this magazine because you are a member of Who Cares? Scotland. Being a member means you are part of the Who Cares? Scotland care family. We will send you things in the post like birthday cards and Christmas parcels. There will be chances for you to make friends with other members. When you’re a little older you might want take part in some of our group work to make Scotland a better place for all Care Experienced people. But most importantly being a member is about having fun and feeling listened to.