Scottish Government announces support for Palestinian children

9 Sep 2025

In a statement released on Wednesday 3 September, First Minister John Swinney announced a range of measures intended to support the Palestinian people, including restating a commitment to providing medical treatment in Scotland for injured Gazan children.

In his statement, the First Minister addressed the ‘man-made humanitarian catastrophe’ in Gaza, and described his own horror while acknowledging the genocide being committed against the Palestinian people.

John Swinney called on the UK Government and the international community to immediately recognise a Palestinian state, to issue sanctions against Israel, and to ensure that aid, including food and medicine, enters Gaza as soon as possible. This aid would include £400,000 from Scotland to Kids Operating room to establish the Gaza Hopes Field Readiness Hub, a rapidly deployable hospital to provide surgical, maternity, and paediatric services.

Swinney specifically mentioned the Palestinian children and young people who are bound for Scotland, saying: “We have a long history of helping those in desperate need and we will not be found wanting now.” He acknowledged the Palestinian students who have been given spaces in Scottish universities, and the 20 injured children and young people and their families who are expected to arrive from Gaza for treatment in mid-September.

John Swinney said:

“We are witnessing a humanitarian disaster of historic proportions. The world cannot wait for a final court ruling before acting. The signs are clear. The alarm has been raised.

The bombs and rockets must stop.

Humanitarian aid must flow.

Acknowledging that we are witnessing the signs of genocide brings with it a responsibility to act. The people of Scotland expect no less of us.

Scotland will always raise her voice in favour of peace and humanity.”

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National Development Team for Inclusion launch “Time to Talk Next Steps”, offering free personalised transition support

2 Sep 2025

Alice McColl, Programme Lead for National Development Team for Inclusion's (NDTi) programme Time to Talk Next Steps, a new service for young people with additional support needs between the ages of 14 and 25 who are unsure about their next steps in life.

At NDTi we believe that every young person deserves the chance to have meaningful conversations about their ideas, interests, and hopes as early as possible. We know that too many young people with additional support needs don’t get this opportunity. Thanks to Scottish Government funding we are providing Time to Talk Next Steps until March 2026. It’s a programme built on strong evidence so we know that it works!

Back in 2022, young people in Scotland made it clear: they weren't being asked simple but crucial questions like “what is your dream/goal?” or “what is it you love to do?” They highlighted a real need for person-centred planning to encourage and inspire them.

That’s where Time to Talk Next Steps Scotland steps in! We're here to directly address that need, ensuring young people with additional support needs get the dedicated, personalised support they deserve. We're commissioned by the Scottish Government, building on successful pilot work with Children in Scotland and Contact Scotland.

We believe that young people need to enjoy good conversations about their ideas, interests and hopes as early as possible. Our approach is therefore simple and practical, keeping paperwork to minimum. Usually, a dedicated Supporter is assigned to each young person and/or family providing up to 10 sessions on zoom, Teams or on the phone – whatever works for them.

Our primary focus is to build young people’s confidence. We want them to enjoy communicating what’s important to them and to feel able to share their strengths.

Our supporters use creative ways to support young people eg. games, videos, music, art, person centred planning tools and more. Young people can set personal goals, explore future plans, ask their supporter to help them practice saying what they want or need, research options or accompany them to meetings to make sure their voices are heard when discussing their transition.

Requests for support can be made by a young person or by someone on their behalf by filling out this simple form.(If information in Easy Read or another format is needed please email us on tttns@ndti.org.uk)

Free group sessions on transition available for schools and youth groups

Planning Live sessions are fun and interactive virtual sessions for groups. They are about an hour long and can be run for any school, youth group or community group interested in supporting young people with ASN on transition. To express interest in having a session at your setting or to have a chat and find out more please fill in a short form here.

Can you help?

We want to reach young people who don’t have any support at present or have made no plans for the their next steps. They might be out of school or have left a while ago and feel stuck.

We celebrate every contribution young people make. Check out this fantastic short video made by some of the young people to help advertise the programme! Please share it far and wide!

Let’s get talking and make those next steps brilliant! Contact :Alice McColl, alice.mccoll@ndti.org.uk

Alice McColl is Development Lead Children and Young People for NDTi

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Alice McColl is Development Lead Children and Young People for NDTi

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Time to Talk Next steps

This Children in Scotland and NDTi project trialled online support for young people aged 16-25

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A culture of kindness to prevent bullying

28 Aug 2025

Safe Strong and Free’s Kerry Lowe discusses their bullying awareness campaign, and how their awareness resources can help foster a culture of kindness to combat bullying.

At Safe Strong and Free, we believe that kindness has the power to change children’s lives. A culture of kindness helps to create environments where young people feel safe, valued, and able to thrive. Kindness is about more than good manners; it is about empathy, respect, and the understanding that every person deserves to belong. When kindness is part of the culture, harmful behaviours become less acceptable, and bystanders are more likely to speak up. Kindness does not just prevent bullying; it strengthens relationships and helps people feel safe and valued. Without this foundation, bullying behaviour can emerge, creating environments where children feel unsafe, excluded, and unable to thrive.

Bullying continues to be one of the most common concerns raised by children and young people in Scotland. The Scottish Government’s most recent update to Respect for All: The National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People (November 2024) defines bullying in the following way:

“Bullying is face-to-face and/or online behaviour which impacts on a person’s sense of physical and emotional safety, their capacity to feel in control of their life, and their ability to respond effectively to the situation they are in. The behaviour does not need to be repeated, or even intended to cause harm, for it to have an impact. Bullying behaviour can be physical, emotional, or verbal, and can leave people feeling hurt, threatened, frightened, or excluded.”

This definition highlights that bullying is not simply about repetition or intent; a single incident can cause lasting harm. It also makes clear that bullying is both behaviour and impact, and that the effects on a child’s sense of safety, control, and wellbeing are what matter most.

Our new guides for children and young people, and for parents and carers, are designed to provide clear, accessible advice for situations that are often confusing and emotionally charged. For children, the guide explains what bullying is in straightforward and relatable language. It reassures them that bullying is never their fault and offers practical ideas for coping with difficult situations. Children are encouraged to think about strategies to build and maintain friendships, to recognise when they need to reach out for help, and to understand that there are always safe adults they can talk to. Importantly, the guide also includes advice for children who find themselves displaying bullying behaviours, helping them to understand the impact of their actions and to make positive changes.

The parents’ guide provides reassurance and practical strategies for families who are concerned about bullying. It helps parents to recognise possible signs that their child is struggling, to respond calmly and constructively when their child shares worries, and to work effectively with schools. It also addresses the difficult situation where a parent learns that their child may be displaying bullying behaviours. Instead of responding with shame or punishment, the guide encourages parents to approach this with empathy and persistence, helping their child to change and repair relationships.

Both guides stress the importance of avoiding labels. Calling a child “a bully” reduces them to one behaviour and risks defining their whole identity around it. Labels make it harder for children to change. Sometimes, children even begin to believe the label themselves, leading to more negative behaviour rather than less. Behaviour must always be challenged, but no child should ever be defined by it. By focusing on behaviour rather than labels, we give children the chance to change and make positive choices.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child reminds us that every child has rights, even when their behaviour causes harm. A child who is bullied has the right to be protected from violence, to be listened to, and to feel safe and included. But the child who displays bullying behaviour also keeps their rights: the right to be treated with dignity, to continue their education, and to get help if they are struggling. Remembering this helps us respond in ways that are fair, supportive, and restorative, rather than stigmatising.

This does not take away from the actual harm bullying causes. The safety and wellbeing of the child who is targeted must always come first. But supporting one child should never mean giving up on another. Both children deserve care. Both need adults who will listen and step in. And both need practical steps that protect their wellbeing and help them move forward.

Kindness also must be more than a message rolled out once a year during Anti-Bullying Week. Assemblies and awareness events can spark useful conversations, but on their own they are not enough. For kindness to truly make a difference, it must be embedded into everyday school life. That means teachers role-modelling respect in their interactions, children being encouraged to support and include one another, and values of empathy and fairness being visible in every classroom and playground. When kindness is lived day to day, children learn that respect and empathy are not just slogans but expectations that shape how we treat each other.

This is where restorative practices play a vital role. Rather than focusing only on punishment, restorative approaches help children understand the impact of their behaviour, repair harm, and learn new ways of communicating. They give the child who has been hurt the chance to have their voice heard and their feelings acknowledged, while also giving the child who caused harm an opportunity to take responsibility and make amends. Restorative practices turn conflict into an opportunity to learn important life skills such as empathy, accountability, and problem-solving.

By working together, families, schools, and communities, we can create places where kindness and respect are part of everyday life, where restorative approaches help conflicts become opportunities to learn, and where every child in Scotland has the chance to feel safe, strong, and free.

About the Author

Kerry Lowe is Chief Executive Officer at Safe, Strong and Free

Safe, Strong and Free

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Play Scotland launches ‘Getting it Right for Play’ on UK Playday 2025

5 Aug 2025

Play Scotland's Jenny Lester tells us about Play Scotland's upcoming Aberdeen event and the launch of the Getting it Right for Play toolkit.

To mark Playday 2025, Play Scotland is hosting a play event in Duthie Park, Aberdeen on Wednesday 6th August from 12-4pm.

At this event Play Scotland is having a playful launch of the revised Getting it Right for Play toolkit, a key resource designed to help local authorities assess local play spaces and produce a Play Sufficiency Report.

The event is free to local families and will have plenty to offer including: Aberdeen Park Rangers will be running nature based activities, including butterfly games; Aberdeen City Library service will be running Bookbug; Splat Messy Play will be bringing arts and crafts to life; Peep will be bringing fun songs, stories, play activities; Aberdeen City Council, Creative Learning – Geronimo, using Makedo tools and loads of cardboard, families will team up with artists to create giant games and imaginative worlds; and ScrapAntics need your help to construct a playground out of old junk pieces. There will be free fruit snacks available from CFINE.

Playday, the national day for play in the UK, takes place this year on Wednesday 6 August under the theme ‘Spaces for Play’, highlighting the importance of inclusive, accessible, and welcoming environments where all children can play freely.

Paul Liddell, Chair of Play Scotland, welcomed the toolkit: "I am pleased that Getting it Right for Play has been shaped by extensive engagement with families, communities, and organisations, with a strong focus on the voices and experiences of children and young people with additional support needs. This guidance acknowledges the specific needs and barriers specific groups of children face and provides local authorities and local community groups with practical assessment tools to help them evaluate and improve play opportunities and spaces."

Getting it Right for Play reflects Scotland’s strengthened commitment to children’s right to play, aligned with the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, National Planning Framework 4, and the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024. It also supports delivery of Scotland’s Play Vision Statement and Action Plan 2025:2030, which recognises place as a primary driver which can create ‘free, accessible, inclusive and safe public play spaces, developed in consultation with children and families.’

Marguerite Hunter Blair, Chief Executive of Play Scotland, said:

“Getting it Right for Play supports the implementation of our world-leading framework for children’s right to play in Scotland, so that every child can play, have fun and enjoy their childhood. Local authorities are key to upholding every child’s right to play, and they can do this by using the toolkit to engage with children and communities in the assessment and development of play spaces.”

Eva Silveirinha de Oliveira, Green Spaces Project Development Officer at City of Edinburgh Council, praised the toolkit:

“The Getting it Right for Play Toolkit is a fantastic and useful resource: very inclusive and well thought-out.”

Jennifer Lothian, Strategy, Policy & Development Manager, East Lothian Council, called the resource “excellent”, saying, “I am sure it will be a very valuable guidance document for many years to come.”

By launching on Playday, Play Scotland celebrates the power of play and reaffirms its commitment to ensuring every child in Scotland has access to spaces that are free, inclusive, and designed with their needs at heart.

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No Wrong Path: Children in Scotland staff share advice on SQA results day

5 Aug 2025

Today, Tuesday 5 August, young people up and down the country will be feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves as they receive their exam results.

Whether planning to head off to university or enter the world of work, finding out what grades they have achieved can be an overwhelming moment for many young people, and so to put minds at ease and celebrate every win, Children in Scotland staff have opened up about their own career journeys. Here, discover their advice and learn why there’s No Wrong Path.

Billy Anderson, Head of Services

Greyscale headshot of a man smiling at the camera. His hair is short and he is wearing a shirt

After leaving school at 15 with five O Levels, Billy started a two-year YTS (Youth Training Scheme) to become an Agricultural Engineer, following that career for another six years before working as a welder making agricultural feeding equipment. After later working in car body shop, he decided to enrol on a social care course at college while taking on two mentoring roles for teenagers via the Youth Justice and Integrated Substance Service.

After completing his college course, he signed up to study for a degree in Health and Social Studies, later working for the NHS and the Aberlour Child Care Trust. Having retrained and changed careers, he says there’s lots of different ways to pursue your passions.

“After I finished my degree, I worked for NHS in community health development for a year or so, and then focused on children and young people with a role at the Aberlour Child Care Trust,” he explained. “Eights years later, I went to Australia and volunteered with a few children's charities. When I came back to UK, I started working at Donaldson's Grant Aided Special School, and after four years, took on an associate role with Children in Scotland.

“I eventually left Donaldsons to work part-time for Children in Scotland as a Senior Officer coordinating My Rights, My Say, and at the same time took on the role of Development manager at Circle. I was also a mentor for Autistic adults during COVID for Scottish Autism's Affinity initiative, and two years ago I applied for my current role of Head of Services at Children in Scotland.

“For young people getting their results, it’s important to remember that no matter what the grades, you have time on your side to experience things and work out what really interests you. I never had a clue and started university as a mature student – I don't think I could have gone from school straight to uni as I wouldn't have been ready. To some degree I still don't know what I want to do, but I know where my passion and skills lie, and that is in supporting and helping people to be all that they can. But I really did love painting cars, too!”

Julie Thomson, Communications & Marketing Manager

A greyscale image of a smiling person with long dark hair

Julie studied Ancient History and Archaeology and French at university, and started working in communications after graduation. She later became a fundraiser and spent several years working at a big hospital in Dublin, however, after the recission hit, decided to move to Edinburgh to study marketing.

She said: “After my degree, I went on about 100 interviews and didn’t get anywhere, so I ended up pulling pints for much longer than I had hoped. That felt like a really low point in my life, and I didn’t attend my 10-year school reunion because I felt rubbish and didn’t want to tell anyone what I was doing.

“However, I happened to meet someone with a digital startup, and although I didn’t know anything about this area, she gave me a shot. I kept shaking the cocktails while also getting to know all things digital marketing.

“I finally got back into charities, and I have been doing comms and marketing ever since. I love the idea that there’s #NoWrongPath and I wish I could have heard it a bit more in my 20s!”

Angus Doyle, Designer

Angus completed a degree in Scottish history at the University of Edinburgh and was set on a life in academia. Things change however and, after developing his passion for graphic design into a career, he’s been Children in Scotland’s designated pixel-pusher for six years.

“I was good at school. From an early age, most subjects came easy to me, and I’ve been fortunate in that so many things fascinate me. I knew from the age of about four that I was going to go to university. It was drummed into me by my Mum that that’s ‘just what you did’ after school.

“I had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed my studies, had some great social experiences, and made some of my closest friends, who remain a big part of my life in my mid-30s. I moved up from Manchester to Scotland and I’m still here! I got a good degree and was all set to do a masters in Canada with thoughts that I’d probably go onto a PhD and a life in academia. But, in the year after my undergraduate degree I began to reflect that I wasn’t sure that all of that was I really wanted.

“I had ended up in history after discovering that one of my GCSE choices – graphic design – was oversubscribed. Initially disappointed, I soon found that I’d landed with the best and most influential teacher of my life (shout out to Mrs Leckie!) – and soon enough, a GCSE became an AS-Level, an AS-Level became an A-Level, leading on to my four years at Edinburgh.

“But I’m not a historian and, in a roundabout way, I’ve come full circle as I now happily make a living as a graphic designer. In the background, design had remained a serious hobby of mine – something I did for the sheer creative pleasure of it, fitting passion projects around my studies. This evolved into creating logos and posters for friends’ events during my uni years. As my portfolio developed, I started to pick up commissions and, as that snowballed, it eventually developed into a full-time career.

“For a long time, I worried about whether I was doing the right thing. Was I wasting my degree and all my studies to develop a career I’d had no formal training in? The answer, of course, is NO! I don’t regret the time spent exercising that academic muscle. It was endlessly fascinating, and I remain passionate about history and the humanities. Following that interest was an end in and of itself, even if I ‘didn’t do anything with it’. Equally, I didn’t need a degree and could just as easily have ended up where I am without it.

“I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve been able to pursue two genuine passions, and that one of them led to a career in the end. It was quite a long road and the main thing I’ve learned is that things change. You change! Life is full of second (and third and fourth) chances, and what feels like the most important thing at 16, 17 or 18, might not a few years down the line. Things aren’t set in stone so be patient and never rush becoming you.”

Judith Turbyne, Chief Executive

Black and white headshot of a woman with short dark hair. She is smiling at the camera. She is wearing dangly earrings, a white lace top, and is standing in front of the water, with a town visible on the other side.

From working front of house at the Assembly Rooms during the Fringe to becoming a life model while completing her PhD, Judith has done a lot of what she calls “fun jobs” – and not so fun ones, too. Starting her time at university focused on chemistry, she later transitioned to study psychology, which led to a voluntary role with an organisation in Guatemala.

She explained: “After my role in Guatemala, I went back to studying economics, politics and sociology in International Development, and I also did a PhD on empowerment in development. Over that time, I worked in Central America and the Caribbean with a couple of organisations, as well as in London and Dublin, but family eventually drew me home and I worked with the Scottish Charity Regulator before I was given the great privilege of taking up my role at Children in Scotland.

“It’s so important to do something that will ultimately bring you some joy. Looking back on my career, it looks like I had some planned-out career path, but I have tended to follow my interest and passion. There is absolutely no pressure to find out what you want to do when you are just coming out of school. You may be lucky and the first thing you do will be the thing you want to do forever. But for many people, it is a journey – and it can be a convoluted one. Work might not always be fun, but trying to find the fun, the passion, and something that keeps you enthusiastic, is worth so much more than the money.

“The truth is, I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. And that is also okay.”

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What pupil support staff said

29 Jul 2025

Following the delivery of Children in Scotland’s #KeepThePromise Pupil Support Staff Learning Programme, Sophie Elliott reflects on what we heard from pupil support staff and why Scotland must support the workforce to Keep The Promise.

In 2020, The Promise said “Schools in Scotland must be ambitious for care experienced children and ensure they have all they need to thrive”. The Promise Plan 24-30 makes clear that all those working with care experienced children and young people should be supported to play their role in creating education settings which provide a sense of belonging and respect children’s rights. However, we understand that support and learning opportunities for pupil support staff can sometimes be limited.

In 2023, Children in Scotland received funding from The Promise Partnership’s Keep The Promise Fund and aimed to address the limitation in learning and development opportunities for pupil support staff by co-producing and delivering a support and learning programme for pupil support staff in Scotland.

To do this, we carried out a period of engagement work with school-based groups of care experienced children and young people and a new Pupil Support Staff Advisory Group. This informed the development of the #KeepThePromise Pupil Support Staff Learning Programme, which consisted of a blend of in-person events, online practice sharing sessions and a series of eLearning modules. You can find out more about the programme and access the eLearning modules on our website.

In our engagement with the Pupil Support Staff Advisory Group and delivery of in-person events, the team at Children in Scotland heard the views and perspectives of pupil support staff relating to their access to learning and development opportunities. To share this learning more widely, we have produced a paper sharing What Pupil Support Staff Said.

When reflecting on all we heard in our conversations with pupil support staff, we were surprised by how often we heard staff share they did not feel they had been well supported in their role. Many of the pupil support staff we engaged with said that a lack of support through training opportunities, supervision and access to key information and relevant policy, has continued throughout their time in the profession.

“In my seventeen years in the role, I have not once been given an opportunity for my development” – attendee at in-person event

Despite hearing that pupil support staff have felt this way, we also heard in our engagement with care experienced children and young people that pupil support staff often have the strongest impact on their school experience. We were told by several young people that just one positive relationship with a member of pupil support staff has helped them improve their attendance and made them feel more positive about school. The value of pupil support staff to care experienced children and young people must not be underestimated.

While the pupil support staff we engaged with felt there was a significant gap in support, learning and development opportunities available to them, we observed that their motivation has been persistent. The pupil support staff workforce has continued to drive support for Scotland’s children and young people; however, we must recognise the importance of their role. To Keep The Promise, it is time for Scotland to invest in making improvements to the support, learning and development opportunities available for the workforce supporting children and young people in schools.

Read more about What Pupil Support Staff Said, and our recommendations for the future of learning and development for the workforce, in the paper here.

About the Author

Sophie Elliott is a Policy, Projects and Participation Officer with Children in Scotland

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Report: What pupil support staff said

Read what pupil support staff told Children in Scotland over the course of the learning programme

Read the report

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UK Voting Age Lowered to 16 as of Next General Election

29 Jul 2025

In a recently distributed press release, the UK Government announced that 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in the next general election, which is likely to be held in 2029.

The change in voting law comes from the UK Government’s stated aim of improving engagement in the democratic process and is included as part of a new Elections Bill alongside other changes, such as an extension of the recently introduced voter ID to include bank cards as accepted forms of ID.

This will bring the UK voting age in line with Scotland, where 16- and 17-year-olds have been able to vote in Scottish elections since 2014.

Children in Scotland welcomes this change which has come after extensive campaigning: read a blog from Changing our World member Ellie about her thoughts on the subject.

Additionally, the Scottish Youth Voice Network, facilitated by Children in Scotland, recently released a report detailing how young people in Scotland can participate in democracy which included calls to lower the voting age, with one member saying: “Votes at 16 helps make democracy real for young people. It stops being just an idea that other and older people deal with.”

Another Youth Voice Network member said: "Even if you would consider that a 16 year old is not a fully developed adult, 16- and 17- year-olds will turn 18 plus over a five-year parliamentary term. It makes sense then that they should have their say at the start of a government’s term.”

In response to the proposed change in voter age, Children in Scotland CEO Dr Judith Turbyne said:

“The Youth Voice Network are passionate about 16- and 17-year-olds being able to vote, pointing out that they are already playing a responsible role in society and that they are willing and able to contribute at the ballot box.

“Since 2014, young people of that age have been able to vote in Scottish and local elections, as well as in the independence referendum, and I am delighted at the thought that this will be extended to UK elections. It is not only a chance to hear their voices, but also hopefully to engage them in the democratic process for the longer term.”

Making our voices heard

The Scottish Youth Voice Network explored how young people in Scotland can better participate in democracy

Read the briefing paper

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Neurodiversity Charity Launches First of its Kind Support Facility

29 Jul 2025

Autism & Neurodiversity North Scotland celebrated the launch of their new Highland Playscheme facility in Dingwall last week.

The facility is the first purpose built neurodiverse specific support centre of its kind in the region and is intended to be a supportive and accessible space for an expected 120 neurodivergent people and their families from across the region.

Autism & Neurodiversity North Scotland intend for the facility, funded by a £200,000 grant from Envoy Group, to reduce the need for neurodiverse people and their families to travel long distances across Scotland to access support vital for their health and wellbeing.

The 200 square foot facility opened on Wednesday 23 July with a tour attended by representatives of the Highland Council, Maree Todd MSP, and members of the public, who were given the opportunity to see the newly constructed facility and meet the team of staff and volunteers who are dedicated to creating a welcoming, neuroinclusive environment.

Autism & Neurodiversity's CEO Billy Alexander said:

"This new facility marks a major milestone not only for A-ND, but for neurodivergent communities across the Highlands. It demonstrates what can be achieved through collaboration of all sectors, community spirit, and a shared vision and commitment to inclusion.

At A-ND, we work with the whole family – a principle central to the Promise Scotland – because we know this holistic approach is key to ensuring children and families can stay together, thrive, and feel loved and understood.

We’re particularly encouraged to see The Highland Council recognise the essential need for neurodiverse-specific support. All too often, neurodivergent individuals are grouped under broader learning disability services that don’t fully reflect or meet their distinct and varied needs. This facility is a bold step forward in creating spaces and services that truly centre neurodivergence, and we’re proud to be part of leading that work in the Highlands together with our partners."

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Scotland celebrates UNCRC Act anniversary

15 Jul 2025

This week marks the first anniversary of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024, which cemented the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law.

Scotland become the first nation in the UK to incorporate the UNCRC into law when on 16 July 2024, around four years after it was first introduced to the Scottish Parliament, integrating the UNCRC into Scots law as far as is possible under current devolution laws.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989 and is made up of 54 articles that set out the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights that apply to every child, as well as the responsibilities that adults and governments have to ensure children and young people have access to these rights.

By incorporating the UNCRC into Scots law, public authorities are legally required to abide by its rules, and that children and young people and their representatives can use the UNCRC in Scottish courts to enforce their rights.

Children in Scotland CEO Dr Judith Turbyne said of the UNCRC anniversary:

“The incorporation of UNCRC last year was such an important moment for Scotland. As a country, we signalled our intent to put children's rights into the very core of our policy making. We should celebrate the anniversary and then roll up our sleeves. There is a lot of work to be done to make sure that the intention become reality for all children across Scotland.”

What is UNCRC incorporation?

Read this helpful summary on UNCRC from our close partners and member organisation, Together

Visit the Together website

Juliet Harris interview

Sam from Changing our World spoke to Juliet Harris, director of Together, about UNCRC, children’s rights and Moomins

Watch the interview

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Working in the messiness - How can we make a step change in whole family support?

15 Jul 2025

Children in Scotland's CEO Judith Turbyne discusses the challenges and complexities facing Whole Family Support in Scotland.

There was a lovely buzz at the First Minister’s event on Whole Family Support at the Playfair Library a couple of weeks ago. That buzz lasted all day, not suffering the often-felt afternoon lull. A superficial observation perhaps, but perhaps a good proxy for levels of engagement, interest and commitment.

The sense of a shared understanding was strong. The question wasn’t ‘Should we be properly investing in whole family support? but, ‘How can we do that, and how can we ensure that we have the leadership we need to make that work?’.

One of the slides that was most commented on during the day was how messy and bamboozling the ‘system’ looks to someone who is engaging with different services. But we can’t wait until we can change the whole system to make inroads. We need to go,go,go, prioritising our energy and effort where we feel we can have the biggest impact.

What we mustn’t do is simplify the complexity of the challenge. This often happens as we try to propose solutions to social challenges. We simplify what needs to be done to make it understandable for us, for others, for our campaigns, for our funders, for those we work with, and so on. As H.L. Mencken once said

“For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.”

So, it’s messy and difficult. And we all have roles to play in making the right kind of change to the systems we live and work in. And we have to be committed to working in that messiness.

People often talk about a system as if it sits beyond us, that we need to change the system from outside. But in reality, we are all part of the system. Clearly, some have more power within that system than others. And in some systems, some individuals and groups of individuals will have negligible to non-existent power. But if we start to see ourselves as sitting outwith a system, we diminish our investment in it, and our commitment to doing the difficult work.

So where do we start? Where do we know we can make a difference?

Probably everyone would give a different answer to that question. But here are three of the crucial ones.

Priority: We need person-centred, community solutions. Fourteen years ago, the Christie Commission underlined how important it was to invest in prevention. And the earlier you create access to the right support, the more likely you are to create more positive outcomes. We need to work quickly towards a situation where, in every local authority area, all families have access to a place where they can seek support in a community based, person centred and non-stigmatising way. There are good examples across the country of where this is happening and we can identify and build on those, ensuring that universal provision can act as a base from which any necessary specialist provision can be sought.

Priority: We need to fund differently, and we need to fund better. And we need to do that urgently. There are recognisable reasons for the systems that have been put in place, but the unintended consequence is that we have created an ineffective system that creates a lot of ‘busy’ work, taking away from the time and energy that could be spend working with and for those babies, children and young people and families we are seeking to support. We need to be braver about how we fund. It needs to be longer term, outcome focused and based on collaboration and trust. And this means not only looking at grant funding, but also at procurement and commissioning. And we need to shift the balance of funding so that we have more to spend in the preventative space.

Priority: We need to invest in collaboration. Collaboration it is complex and can be hard. We have to recruit and support our leaders in a way that ensures that collaboration is fundamental to their work. And this collaboration needs to be across all sectors. The third sector has been a key deliverer of services at community level for centuries and it is essential that there is a real parity of esteem. It needs to be involved from planning onwards as we try to ensure that we are optimising our services on the ground.

We have a great opportunity in Scotland to make this happen. When I am feeling a bit gloomy about what is happening here, I cheer myself up by thinking about all the strong policies we have that embrace our babies, children, young people and families: GIRFEC, the Promise, the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act, the incorporation of UNCRC. So, we don’t need more legislation. The job is to take the passion that was felt in that room and let it ignite. In that way we have a chance of making lasting change and ensuring that we can really fulfil our promise to our children; that their rights will be respected.