Understanding The Promise: Justice and Identity
The justice system plays a huge role in shaping lives. The Promise is Scotland’s commitment to care experienced children and young people, ensuring dignity, love, care, and opportunity for all. It highlights the need to challenge inequality and build scaffolding - the right support, at the right time, in the right way.
The Justice System & Identity
Taking an identity-focused approach is key to understanding the justice system. Care experienced individuals often face inequality within multiple systems, education, healthcare, and social services, which can amplify the barriers they encounter in justice.
What is Scaffolding?
Scaffolding means giving the right support, not taking over. It’s about trust, relationships, and tailoring help so care experienced individuals can succeed on their own terms.
In the justice system, this means recognising systemic biases and power imbalances and working to remove barriers rather than reinforce them.
Why The Promise Matters
The justice system doesn’t stand alone - it’s connected to other areas of life. For care experienced individuals, these systems often reinforce unfair treatment and fewer opportunities to be heard.
The Promise reminds us that these injustices aren’t inevitable - they can be challenged and changed. By focusing on people first, we can create a justice system that works for everyone.