The First Minister paid a visit to her native Dreghorn at the weekend, to address an international conference on improving the care system.

Nicola Sturgeon joined around 250 attendees at the Global Care Family Gathering which was held at Greenwood on Saturday.

The first of its kind, the conference was curated and delivered entirely by care experienced people to set out a global ambition for change, with speakers from across the globe sharing insights.

Speaking during the conference, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomed attendees to Dreghorn, which she described as ‘the centre of the universe’.

She said: “I have many responsibilities but there is none more important than my responsibility as chief corporate parent of Scotland, chief mammy as I prefer to describe it.

“It says Irvine there, but I’m a local girl and this is not Irvine this is Dreghorn.

“This is my old school, this building is where I used to get guidance lessons – as you can tell they didn’t necessarily turn out to be quite effective – but it was where I was given guidance in life. So there is nowhere on the planet, no more appropriate location, for me to talk about love, and how committed I am to seeing love be the foundation and underpinning in what is wrapped around every young person in Scotland.

“From the moment any baby is born, they should be loved. I want Scotland to be a place that happens for every child, no matter the challenges life throws at them.”

“[The Care Review] is not about tinkering around the edges. It’s about wholesale change to the care system. If we need to rip it up and start again, that’s what we’ll do. That’s my commitment to you.

“I’ve given a commitment to talk to 1,000 care experienced young people. The themes that have come out of these conversations have been consistent and young people are sick and tired of a care system that happens to them rather than with them.”

Addressing the separation of siblings in care, which the First Minister said ‘we must tackle’ she added: “My wee sister used to annoy the bloody life out me every single day, but the idea of being separated from her when we grew up I can’t imagine.

“No child unless for their own safety should have to go through that.”