Welcome to STARR
STARR is Scotland’s only curated space for secure care experienced children, young people and adults. It exists to help inform, advise, challenge and change the pathways into, during, and after, secure care.
Formed in March 2018, STARR provides a space for people of all ages with lived experience to come together, spend time with peers and friends, and share ideas of how to improve the secure care journey.
STARR is not an acronym but represents the North Star. People with care experience are the constant, the North Star is an anchor, a guiding light, for ambition and hope that everyone involved with children in or around secure care will aim high and be brave and bold about changes for the future.
In its relatively short existence, STARR has shone brightly – read about our achievements so far.
We’re recruiting – want to be a part of STARR?
Follow STARR on Twitter @STARR_Secure
A STARR is born
STARR was formed in March 2018 when Scotland’s Secure Care Strategic Board recruited members with lived experience of secure care to inform them on participation and inclusion. The board was set up to discuss and action the findings of the Secure Care National Project (August 2015 to December 2017).
Secure care experienced board members asked the Strategic Board to ‘give power’ to establish a participation advisory network to:
Ensure effective individual, group and collective participation of children and young people currently in and on the edges of secure care
And
reach out to young adults and adults with secure care experience to ensure opportunities for their individual, group and collective participation
To
Advise and inform the work streams and the Board including on co-production approaches and ongoing participation
A proposal for a Participation Advisory Group was developed to ensure that engagement with children and young people in secure care and young people and adults with secure care experience would enable their individual and collective participation. As a result, STARR was born.
STARR supports the Scottish Government’s ambition that children and young people who are in and on the edges of secure care should be able to participate in all aspects of day to day and formal decisions which affect them.
LATEST NEWS
Young Scot Award win for STARR
We are delighted to announce that STARR has won a Sunday Mail Young Scot Community Award! Our Chair and group members attended the glittering awards ceremony in Edinburgh on April 27, which was attended by STARR Chair.
The annual Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards recognises the outstanding achievements of 11-26 year olds from across Scotland and the extraordinary work they do to improve their local communities and the lives of others.
Beth-Anne said:
“Being nominated for a Young Scot award, then being finalists – and then winning – is something I never actually thought would happen! We campaign for change from a place so pure in our hearts that the thought we are now being recognised for this is amazing.
“I’m proud to be the chair of STARR and I’m proud of each and every member past and present. Without everyone’s input we wouldn’t be where we are today and we certainly wouldn’t have made the changes we are now seeing.
“STARR brings a sense of belonging, of community and of hope. And my biggest hope is that we continue to grow and flourish into the changemakers I know we are all capable of being.” Read more.
The STARR vision
To ensure we are meaningfully involving children and young people and enabling and supporting them to advise, inform, influence and challenge, STARR recognises:
- The importance of establishing trust and
- The need for ‘safe space’ and emotional and psychological support
- The ‘stigma’ and negative attitudes still associated with secure care and children in and on the edges of secure care
View the STARR Vision in full.
STARR members worked hard to develop their aims and cycle of influence:
Why join STARR?
STARR is a group for all ages and is open to anyone with experience of being in or around secure care in Scotland. It respects the unique experience of being in secure care and aims to emulate that.
We are seeking new members to help shape, drive and deliver our future priorities. Members will be supported and empowered to use their experiences to influence and make change.
If you are interested in getting involved, contact mathew.cairney at cycj@strath.ac.uk to find out more.
Meet the STARR team
Beth-Anne Logan
Beth-Anne is one of the founders and current chair of STARR. She is Non-Executive director for Children’s Hearings Scotland – and am the youngest person ever appointed to a Non-Departmental Public Body. Beth-Anne also a co-chair at the Independent Care Review for the “Best Place in The World” Work Group and is currently a Promise development worker with North Lanarkshire Council.
“Growing up, I have spent extensive periods of time in my life in secure care. At times, I felt lonely, afraid, isolated, and frustrated. At other times I felt safe and supported. However, there are things that I really want to see changed to make sure that secure care can be the safe, nurturing, supportive and loving haven I believe it could be. I want it to be the best experience for you. This means some things need to change, and I’m committed to ensuring that these changes happen for you.”
Read about STARR 👀
STARR – flyer for distribution
Scotland – time for open hearts and minds
Secure Care Strategic Board: report to Scottish Ministers
Secure Care Pathway and Standards: Coproduction process and implementation
plans (Scottish Journal of Residential Childcare)
Hear from STARR 🎧
How STARR began Beth-Anne Logan talks about STARR’s origins.
The meaning of STARR Why the name STARR – and what does it means? Beth-Anne Logan explains.
Why did we get involved? Beth-Anne Logan and Liam Slaven talk about what led them to STARR.
What does STARR aim to do? Liam Slaven shares the five aims of STARR: