Care to Vote? Young People Looked after by Local Authorities and the Referendum on Scottish independence

Connelly, Graham and Kinlochan, Jamie (2014) Care to Vote? Young People Looked after by Local Authorities and the Referendum on Scottish independence. Discussion paper. University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

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Abstract

Scottish local authorities and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) were asked under FOI legislation about action, taken or planned, to support looked after young people to vote in the referendum on Scottish independence. All 32 local authorities and the SPS responded during January and February 2014. Two local authorities said the information was not available. Responses were classified as follows: direct action already taken to support young people (six responses); indirect action already taken to inform staff (eight responses); direct action planned to support young people (19 responses); indirect action planned to inform staff (25 responses). Only nine local authorities had taken some action. Of the action planned, indirect action was the most common. Some authorities appeared to have left out young people looked after ‘at home’ and formerly looked after young people from their plans for support. Although less common, several local authorities described carefully planned approaches to encourage looked after young people to exercise their democratic rights. As well as giving examples of action taken and proposed by corporate parents, the report provides sources of information and support.

ORCID iDs

Connelly, Graham ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9798-5499 and Kinlochan, Jamie;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)