The timeline below covers the key milestones of the last 10 Years. While the focus is on Future Pathways, we do include additional information on other significant dates. It is important to recognise that the work of Future Pathways sits within a timeline of key changes in justice and reparation.
2016
Our service is launched on a pilot basis
In June 2016, Scotland’s In Care Survivors Support Fund is launched on a pilot basis. It is set up make sure people can get support to live full, healthy and independent lives. To do this, the fund focuses on what is most important to people. The fund supports people to make the changes they want to see in their life. And helps people to set goals for what they want to do or achieve. The fund is delivered by the In Care Survivors Alliance, at the time made up of Glasgow Psychological Trauma Service (NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde), Health in Mind, Mental Health Foundation, Penumbra Mental Health and the Scottish Government.
Future Pathways formally launches
In Care Survivors Support Fund (later renamed Future Pathways) formally launches on 29 September 2016. The service has three Support Coordinators and within the first three months almost 100 people register with the service. People seek support to access their records, reconnect with communities, specialist support work, counselling, physical activity, advocacy and group work.
Working with Wellbeing Scotland
Wellbeing Scotland (originally known as Open Secret) works closely with us from the start, bringing significant experience in supporting people affected by childhood abuse.
2017
Listening to lived experience
In May 2017, Future Pathways sets up an Advisory Group through an open call. The group is made up of people who are registered with, or accessing support at Future Pathways. Members offer advice to Future Pathways about how to shape the service and aims to encourage other services to improve support for people with lived experience.
Developing our network
By the end of the first year (29 September 2017), Future Pathways has working relationships with 23 support providers (later called ‘Delivery Partners’), including Action in Mind, Aspire, Birthlink, Break the Silence, Carr Gomm, Mind Mosaic, Moira Anderson Foundation and Wellbeing Scotland.
2018
Scoping the service
In 2018, Future Pathways completes a scoping study. This helps us feel confident that we have an effective model of support. The report also highlights that Future Pathways works in a challenging context where demand for the service is high. People also experience high levels of need but there are few trauma-informed services and supports available. As we have a pioneering approach to support, we are continually learning, developing and refining what we do.
Quality and Improvement
In August 2018, we have a Quality Framework. Through this, we embed the principles of trauma informed practice into our approach to quality and improvement at Future Pathways. We monitor how well we are doing and what we can improve. We measure, identify, plan, inform and improve through a continuous cycle of learning.
Growing the service
By the end of its second year, September 2018, Future Pathways has 53 support providers and has supported over 350 people, 190 of which have been supported through partner Wellbeing Scotland.
Sparking creativity
To mark the second year of Future Pathways, the service creates an exhibition around the theme ‘What Makes Me Happy’. There is an open call and anyone who has experienced neglect or abuse as a child in care in Scotland can submit their artwork. The exhibition opens in October 2018 at the Museum of Edinburgh.
Strengthening support
In December 2018, with many more people accessing Future Pathways, the service is given additional funding. This allows us to prioritise people over the age of 70 or people who are living with a terminal illness. It also allows us to better respond to people living outwith the central belt of Scotland.
2019
Broadening engagement
In April 2019, Future Pathways broadens the engagement and feedback approach. Instead of an advisory group (which had been set up when the service supported only 200 people), we create more flexible and inclusive ways to make sure people can engage with the service. With more than 1100 people registered with the service at the time, it was important that more people can help shape the service by sharing their views.
Supporting people in payment scheme applications
In April 2019, the Advanced Payment Scheme is opened by the Scottish Government. The scheme offers government-funded payments to people who are elderly (aged 68 or over) or have a terminal illness. The was an important first step prior to the subsequent launch of Scotland’s Redress Scheme. Future Pathways offered support to people applying for the Advanced Payment Scheme, helping them with their applications.
Listening to our support providers
In September 2019, Future Pathways completes its review of Support Providers. Findings show that they view Future Pathways as trauma-informed and trustworthy, and view the partnership as beneficial and open. We also see that they feel working with us has improved access to their own service and that they’d like more opportunities to highlight the work they do with other providers and professionals who work with Future Pathways.
2020
Looking at our impact
Future Pathways publishes our first impact report. It includes people’s accounts of how support has made a real difference. The report highlights that we want to keep listening and learning so that we can bring lasting improvement to people’s lives.
Support during the Covid-19 pandemic
During the Covid-19 pandemic, many of the people we support also experienced unexpected and life-altering challenges during this time. It was important for us to respond to challenges quickly. Between March and July 2020, Support Coordinators made almost 1000 wellbeing calls to people registered with us to offer immediate support. Almost two thirds of those contacted accepted this offer of support and many people who had concluded their support returned to the service during the Covid-19 pandemic.
2021
Partnership changes in the In Care Survivor Alliance
In April 2021, Mental Health Foundation withdraws from the In Care Survivors Alliance to focus on research, policy and campaigning. Health in Mind takes on the responsibilities of communications and engagement, in addition to existing Support Coordination.
Listening and learning
In October 2021, Future Pathways’ consultation report is published. The report is created by CAPS, an Independent Advocacy Organisation. It shows that people found the service welcoming and consistent and had positive experiences in getting support with therapy, accessing records and daily life. What people valued most was the support from, and relationships with, individual Support Coordinators. However, we also heard that waiting times could be difficult, that information could be more accessible, and that people wanted more ways to connect with others. People also highlighted that independent voices for people with lived experience should be more present.
Scotland’s Redress Scheme
In December 2021, Scotland’s Redress Scheme is launched. This offers financial and non-financial redress to people who experienced abuse or neglect as children in the Scottish care system.
Redress Support Service
Alongside Scotland’s Redress Scheme is the launch of Redress Support Service in 2021. Redress Support Service opens to provide emotional and practical support to people accessing the scheme. Delivered by the In Care Survivors Alliance, the Redress Support Service offers personalised support to people throughout their redress journey. This includes supporting people to prepare for applying, during the application and after they have applied.
2022
Voices for a Better Future
In May 2022, a lived experience group is set up. It’s called Voices for a Better Future. Every member is registered with Future Pathways and they each bring their own personal insights and lived experience of Scottish care settings. Together, the group works on projects to improve services, challenge stigma and raise awareness.
Delivery Partner review
In September 2022, we complete a review of our Delivery Partners. We focus specifically on counselling and record search Delivery Partners, finding out what helps and what hinders meaningful support. We see the positive impacts of counselling, such as supporting people to develop self-awareness, a sense of identity, coping strategies and self-care. We also find that counselling should be outcomes-focused and boundaried. We see that record search support creates a more connected sense of identity, as well as broader mindset shifts that can have a positive impact on the choices people make. However, we also find that the record search process itself can be challenging when records containing upsetting content, or are incomplete or redacted.
Making Pathways Together
In November 2022, we complete our Making Pathways Together project. This was a feedback project in partnership with Journey Associates. The project highlighted room for improvement across three broad themes: communications, structure, engagement and events. People wanted more opportunities to share their experiences, find out more about Future Pathways, have clear information, and take part in peer activities.
2023
Developing Peer Support
In 2023, Future Pathways looks at developing Peer Support by working with Voices for a Better Future, alongside IRISS and Scottish Recovery Network. Through this co-design project, we explored the opportunities people were seeking and how we could develop these in future.
Improving information, sharing experiences
In April 2023, we refresh Future Pathways’ website, creating a more clear, consistent and informative site. It also now includes a dedicated Features space for content created by and with people registered with the service.
Stepping Stones
In August 2023, Future Pathways publishes Stepping Stones. Covering 2016 onwards, the report tells the story of the service at scale, weaving together feedback, reflections and accounts of people’s experiences. The data tells us that it’s not just what we do, but how we do it, that makes the difference.
Impactful partnership working
In October 2023, we publish a report from the Action Learning Programme. Created by The Lasting Difference, the report highlights the learning and feedback from engagement sessions held with a group of services we work alongside. We found that our collaborative approach brings trust, choice and flexibility to our outcomes-focused support. It also creates a network of support, knowledge and learning with Delivery Partners which, in turn, helps navigate complexity and offer holistic support.
2024
A new approach to commissioning support
In 2024, we launch a new approach to commissioning support from Delivery Partners. We focus on embodying the principles of trauma informed practice to create a framework of support, knowledge and learning with Delivery Partners. This then helps us navigate complexity and offer holistic support to people accessing Future Pathways.
Identity, Equality and Access
In June 2024, Future Pathways publishes Identity, Equality and Access. Focusing on the demographics and life experiences of people who were abused or neglected in the Scottish care system, the report offers a valuable contribution to an under-represented area of research.
Accessing Records in Scotland
In July 2024, we support the publication of Accessing Records in Scotland. This report was made possible by participants with care experience who generously gave their time, knowledge and insights, along with partners Aberdeen City Council, the Champions Board of West Dunbartonshire Council, The City of Edinburgh Council, Social Work Scotland and Who Cares? Scotland. The report looks at what it is like for people with care experience to access their records and makes key recommendations for how the process can be improved so people can access records in a safe and supported way.
Support While You Wait
In November 2024, Future Pathways launches Support While You Wait. This is a dedicated strand of support specifically for people on our waitlist. Through this, people can access emotional support, counselling and group work from Wellbeing Scotland, and record search support from Birthlink. We also offer Brief Waitlist Sessions for time-limited support with urgent areas like housing and access to education.
Future Pathways’ review
In November 2024, independent organisation BDO undertake a review of Future Pathways. Scottish Government Ministers asked for this review to better understand how Future Pathways is working , and to see how the service could improve. BDO’s final report was made available in September 2025.
2025
Being There
In January 2025, Future Pathways publishes Being There. Looking at the prevalence of unmet basic needs among people we support, the report also considers how circumstances can affect engagement and how we can help people navigate barriers to support.
Access to Records
In March 2025, lived experience group Voices for a Better Future publishes Access to Records, which includes information and personal reflections to help anyone who is trying to access their records from when they were in care as a child.
Walking this path with you
In April 2025, we share a new animation, created with Voices for a Better Future. They helped us to show the perspective of someone on a journey of support, taking us on the path from before to during and after support. They helped us authentically convey what Future Pathways does, who we are for and the support we offer.
Peer Support is launched
In June 2025, Future Pathways launches Peer Support. We host sessions online and in person across Scotland, and we have workshops around specific themes, like healthy eating, first aid and stress management. Our programme offers a way to create connection, meet new people and build supportive relationships.
Better Records Together
In December 2025, Future Pathways and members of Voices for a Better Future support Better Records Together, a campaign from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Better Records Together calls for urgent improvements in how services can better support people to access their records, exercise their rights and understand their history.
2026
VOICES film series
In May 2026,VOICES series launches. VOICES brings together individual films from 6 members of Voices for a Better Future: Bradley, Gordon, Joyce, Pauline, Rikki and Yvonne. Each person has their own unique story to tell; together they show resilience, change, determination, hope, healing and inspiration.
Voices group marks four years together
In May 2026, Voices for a Better Future group celebrate four years together. In this time, they have created hope, support and connection. Members help to shape services and advocate for change, all while supporting each other in their own personal journeys.
10 Years of Future Pathways
In September 2026, Future Pathways will have been running for 10 Years. As we mark 10 years of the service, we want to make sure we keep improving. You can help us by sharing your views and giving us feedback. Your voice makes a difference.
