At Future Pathways, we know how important it is to listen to survivors. The Alliance Leadership Team wants to make sure that survivors are involved in how the service is designed and delivered. An important part of making our service better is giving survivors a chance to tell us what they think. The group Voices for a Better Future was set up to do that.

Voices for a Better Future is a survivors voice group. It brings together people who experienced abuse or neglect while they were children in the Scottish care system. Members of the group want to make a difference. They want to help improve services and support for other survivors.

Voices for a Better Future provides a safe space where members can offer guidance and advice to the Alliance Leadership Team. The group can also influence and take the lead on aspects of the design and delivery of Future Pathways. Members of the group will represent survivors as part of the Alliance Leadership Team. They will make sure that the views of survivors are heard and considered in all decisions on the design and delivery of Future Pathways.

The group has 14 survivors, 2 representatives from the Scottish Government and one person from Future Pathways (who gives administrative support). Membership of the group will be reviewed each year. This will give other survivors the chance to join the group.

Voices for a Better Future are already making a difference. They are taking part in several projects and key areas of work:

• The group is working with the Alliance to develop a peer support service for survivors. A charity called Iriss are helping with this. Iriss helps organisations to make positive changes.
• The group is working with the Procurator Fiscal’s office to contribute to the development of a process which will provide support to survivors engaged in the National In-care Abuse Inquiry. It will also support survivors who are going through court proceedings to prosecute their perpetrator.
• The group are going to work on a project that makes it easier for survivors to access their records.

Lesley McDowell currently chairs the group. Lesley is Head of Survivors Support at Scottish Government. The aim is that a person from within the group will chair the meetings in future. Scottish Government would continue to support the group. Voices for a Better Future will share an update every 3 months. This will give you the latest news on the group’s activity.