Forums
Our member forums gather feedback, inform our policy positions, and drive our mutual ambition to improve the lives of children across Scotland.
They have been developed to meet the different needs of the children’s workforce while also providing the opportunity to bring members together with the ambition of influencing policy and practice. Find out more about our Member Forum and Strategic and Policy Forum, along with our work for the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Children and Young People.
Member Forum
The Member Forum brings together the diverse knowledge, skills, and experience of our members to find solutions for the most pressing issues affecting children and young people in Scotland today. Combined with participation from children and young people, along with outputs from our Children’s Sector Strategic and Policy Forum, it is a powerful source of evidence in our collective work to improve children’s lives. Meetings take place across the year, with some taking place online and others in person.
These quarterly member meetings allow all members to contribute in their views and ideas remotely.
Previous meetings have covered a variety of subjects, including:
- The National Planning Framework
- Brexit and the children’s sector
- UNCRC and children’s rights
- Information Sharing (Scotland) Bill
- Research seminar on Child Welfare Inequalities
- Mental Health Strategy
Children’s Sector Strategic and Policy Forum
The Children’s Sector Strategic and Policy Forum brings together sector leaders to discuss issues of importance for the children’s sector, taking a proactive and evidence-based approach to improving children’s lives at a national level.
The Children’s Sector Strategic and Policy Forum membership is made up of Children in Scotland members who hold senior positions within the children’s sector. Children in Scotland co-ordinate the forum and hold the secretariat. Meetings are chaired by Children in Scotland’s Chief Executive Officer.
We have created an information document that provides a list of the current Children’s Sector Strategic and Policy Forum Members 2024 – 2026.
Click here to download the document.
The key topics and discussions from each Children’s Sector Strategic and Policy Forum meeting will be shared in a summary document which will be accessible via this page.
A former forum member stated that:
The Forum offers opportunities to engage with Ministers and other speakers; to debate key issues with colleagues; to shape joint responses; and, at times, to influence Scottish Government thinking on future policy, legislation, or funding.
Priority Areas
Since 2021, the forum has been working on four priority areas which inform their focus, with lead member(s) assigned to each area.
- Reducing Child Poverty
- Promoting Health and Wellbeing
- Outcomes Budgeting
- Family Support
Cross-Party Group on Children and Young People
The role of this cross-party group is to ensure issues affecting children and young people are recognised and discussed throughout the working of the Scottish Parliament, in order to ensure that the needs and rights of children and young people are met throughout Scotland. Children in Scotland acts as secretary for this group.
