Midlothian Council marks major progress in Keeping The Promise
Councillors today praised the progress Midlothian is making in its commitment to Keep The Promise—a Scotland-wide pledge to ensure that care-experienced children and young people grow up loved, safe, and respected.
Significant headway
At today’s full Council meeting, members heard that 2025 marks the halfway point in the national effort to fulfil The Promise by 2030. In Midlothian, significant headway has been made across services supporting children, families, and schools.
Our successes
Key achievements include:
- Promise Delivery: A dedicated Promise Lead is active in national and local networks. Sixty staff across Children’s Services and Education have completed the Midlothian Promise Award.
- Children’s Rights in Schools: Education Support Officers are embedding Rights Respecting Schools across Midlothian. Six schools hold UNICEF Rights Respecting School Gold awards, nine Silver, and 15 Bronze.
- Trauma-Informed Practice: 283 council staff were trained in trauma-informed approaches in 2024/25.
- Hawthorn Family Learning Centre: The only one of its kind in Midlothian, Hawthorn supports over 65 children weekly and delivered 119 group sessions in 2024. It helped 509 families during Challenge Poverty Week and now hosts a popular monthly supper club.
- Family Wellbeing Service: Launched in 2023, this early intervention service has supported 568 children through 468 referrals. It has shown positive impact in reducing school absences, improving parenting, and boosting mental wellbeing.
- Income Maximisation: Since 2021, over £1.2 million has been generated for 365 families through income maximisation support.
- Support for Asylum-Seeking Children: Since October 2019, Midlothian has supported 31 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, including 10 who arrived without notice.
- The Midlothian House Project: This project helps young people leaving care live independently—31 now have their own homes, with no tenancy breakdowns, and many are working or studying.
- Voice: Listening to young people’s voices is key to the promise. Key to this is advocacy and family group decision-making.
- Staff and training: Midlothian is investing in staff training and support despite national shortages, but demand, funding, and system change remain key challenges.
Improving lives
Cabinet Member for Education Councillor Ellen Scott said: “We’re proud of the incredible work being done across Midlothian to keep The Promise. Our dedicated staff and partners are creating lasting change and improving the lives of children and young people every day.”
In picture, left to right, Fraser McKinnley, Promise Scotland; Cllr Ellen Scott; Natalie Don-Innes, Minister for Children, young people and the Promise; Midlothian Council Leader, Cllr Kelly Parry; Claire Brookes, Promise Lead Midlothian Council; Grace Vickers, Midlothian Council Chief Executive; and Fiona Duncan, Independent Care Review.