2015

Individuals working on issue of Sibling Contact and Estrangement start to connect at Clan Childlaw launch event for publication ‘Promoting Sibling Contact for Looked After Children’.

2016

Work intensifies among the future SUFS partners to advance issues. Dr Chris Jones (Strathclyde University) and Dr Gillian Henderson (SCRA) conduct joint research on Supporting Sibling Relationships of Children in Permanent Fostering and Adoptive Families.

2017

Research by Dr Christine Jones (Strathclyde University) and Dr Gillian Henderson (SCRA) on supporting sibling relationships is published in February and SUFS starts to take shape.

Chris Jones brings together interested organisations and individuals and in September 2017, partners meet for first time as SUFS. Work begins on SUFS’ website and launch event. Young people begin to record their stories to raise awareness.

2018

SUFS is launched in March, receiving support of First Minister, the Independent Care Review and the Commissioner for Children and Young People. 

In May Scottish Government launches consultation on changes to the law on siblings in care and SUFS jointly responds to contribute to and support development of plans.

2019

At a conference on Sibling Contact held by SUFS partners Clan Childlaw and STAR in March, Minister for Children and Young People’s announcement that they will bring forward Bill to change the law. SUFS celebrates this milestone, achieved one year since our launch.

SUFS partners campaign jointly to support and improve the Bill.

SUFS contributes to the work of the Independent Care Review on supporting siblings as a key area in the work to overhaul Scotland’s care system.

In November SUFS wins Partnership Award at The Herald Society Awards 2019

2020

In January SUFS launches re-worked ‘Seven steps to Sibling Relationships’ to provide a road map to stopping sibling estrangement when children are in care. BBC Radio 4’s ‘File on 4’ broadcasts programme on Separated Siblings featuring Who Cares? Scotland’s Theighan and her sister Sophia, with contributions also from SUFS partners

Sibling relationships are a key theme of ‘The Promise’, the concluding recommendations of the Independent Care Review published in February.

SUFS work supporting the new law continues and key improvements are made to the draft law in response to SUFS’ campaign. The Children (Scotland) Act 2020 passes in August.

The work continues!

2020

UK Supreme Court issues its judgement in June in Scottish cases on sibling rights in the Children’s Hearing System, ABC and XY

2021

SUFS provides views to Scottish Government on strengthening law on keeping siblings together and new Regulations creating a duty to place siblings together made in February

New Rules of Procedure in Children’s Hearings with new rules for sibling participation approved in February

CELCIS develops Practice Guidance to accompany legislative changes to uphold the rights and meet the needs of brothers and sisters with care experience – SUFS contributes its expertise

New laws and rules come into force on 26th July 2021

2023

Stand Up For Siblings celebrates its 5th anniversary!

We host a webinar looking at the research Born into Care in Scotland and Supporting Roots.

In June we held the first in person Community of Practice for siblings event at STAR (Siblings Reunited) in Fife.

In October, the Community of Practice moved online for our first webinar focusing on how best to collect data about siblings and an input from the Care Inspectorate.

Building a beautiful, safe space for brothers and sisters/exploring sibling separation within kinship was the focus of our in person event in December in Edinburgh.