Advisory groups and forums
The policy department of Children in Scotland facilitates a number of advisory groups and forums dealing with a range of issues relating to children and young people.

Early Years Forum
An independent forum for discussing early years policy and practice in Scotland with the aim of promoting good practice, supporting organisations and departments to work together on childcare issues, informing policy development, and keeping members abreast of current issues.
More about the Early Years Forum >

Additional Support Needs Network
The network aims to represent the interests of children, young people and families who require a specialised approach from services to meet their communication, learning, care, physical, emotional and recreational needs.
More about the Additional Support Needs Network >

National Voluntary Children's Forum
The NVCF exists to give voluntary childcare organisations an opportunity to raise issues of concern with Scottish Executive officials.
More about the National Volutary Children's Forum >

Particpation Partnership Group

Children in Scotland works in partnership with Penumbra and Barnardo's  to take work forward in relation to involving children and young people in issues that affect their mental health and well-being. This group is chaired by the Director of HeadsUp Scotland, The National Projecct for Children and Young People's Mental Health. To read the group's discussion paper on participation click here. The National Development Worker for this group worked with young people to organise a conference for young people to talk about everyday things that affect their metnal health. To read the report click here.

Children’s Services Steering Group
This national steering group has been set up primarily to improve the framework and operations of children’s services as they respond to children’s needs.  Its aim is to maintain a strategic oversight of the delivery of national policy, particularly ‘Getting It Right for Every Child’ and Child Protection.
More about the Children’s Services Steering Group >

National Domestic Abuse Delivery Group
This national steering group was set up to find out how best to deal with the issues of children and young people who have experienced or witnessed domestic abuse. The remit is to create a three-year delivery plan, to monitor the Pathfinder projects and to report to Ministers on how the agencies and organisations involved at the local or national levels can work together to achieve better outcomes for these children and young people.
More about the National Domestic Abuse Delivery Group >