Manifesto 2026

With the incorporation of UNCRC in 2024, Scottish children’s rights are protected by world-leading legislation. However, there continues to be some marginalised groups of children who experience a range of inequalities and whose rights are least like to be realised. All of these groups face barriers towards enjoyment of their rights, and in many cases, increasing discrimination. A child’s rights are less likely to be realised if they sit in several of these groups at the same time.

We call on the Scottish Government to:

• Show continued leadership on upholding UNCRC incorporation by investing in rights-based policy and in the development of the workforce with the training and resources needed to understand and fulfil their responsibilities under this Act.
• Advocate for UNCRC incorporation by the UK Government, and devolved administrations.
• Raise the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility to 16.
• Work towards extending the access to independent advocacy and views gathering processes to all children who are covered by the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. The extension should include all children regardless of how they communicate to align with UNCRC’s Article 12 and General Comment 12.

Education is a rights multiplier: it is a foundation on which babies, children, and young people can build to access other rights. Education goes far beyond what happens in the classroom and begins before birth. Midwives, health visitors, childcare providers, teaching assistants, teachers, and youth workers are all part of the system in which Scotland’s babies, children, and young people develop and learn.

We call on the Scottish Government to:

• Invest in delivery of early learning and childcare to have a positive impact on areas of known challenges, to support better outcomes for all children, young people and families.
• Fully value and resource the workforce to ensure parity of esteem across all roles who contribute to educational outcomes. This requires all elements of the workforce to be fully integrated within the education system, with clarity over remits and roles, and theprovision of appropriate training, support and supervision.
• Continue to increase investment in specialist provision for children with additional support needs. For example, support for learning teachers, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists.
• Continue to deliver the Scottish Government’s programme of education reform, with a renewed focus on the recommendations of the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessments, The National Discussion on Education and Ken Muir’s Review.
• Deliver a renewed Additional Support for Learning Action Plan which aims to realise the Inclusion Ambassadors Vision Statement. This plan should have an increased focus on access to specialist support, resolving issues around placement decisions and greater connection to ongoing work around attendance; and behaviour and relationships.

Scotland’s children continue to face significant and persistent health inequalities in both their mental and physical health.

These inequalities are driven by wider inequalities in society and are often closely linked to socioeconomic status and other structural inequalities. The World Health Organisation identifies that young people are especially at risk from the commercial determinants of health such as marketing and promotion.

As more people live significant parts of their lives online, the digital environment offers great opportunities but also presents real risks. Without the right support and awareness to navigate these spaces safely and fairly, digital participation can deepen existing health and social inequalities – particularly when wellbeing and rights are not actively safeguarded.

We also know that there continues to be significant pressure on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), with a recognition of the need for a move to early intervention and prevention approaches.

We call on the Scottish Government to:

• Strengthen efforts to protect childhood health by addressing the commercial determinants that shape harmful consumption patterns, including marketing practices, pricing strategies, and the availability of health information.
• Ensure that children and young people are meaningfully involved in shaping Scotland’s digital future by embedding their voices, rights, and lived experiences in all stages of digital policy and service design. Digital systems and technologies must be developed through participatory approaches that reflect their needs and uphold UNCRC commitments, ensuring inclusion, safety, and empowerment.
• Invest in a national hobby framework so that every child and young person can take part in a hobby of their choice.
• Deliver the commitment to invest in whole family support across Scotland, ensuring the third sector is a meaningful partner in design, development and delivery.
• Continue to develop the package of support for children and young people to support their mental health and wellbeing including:
  • Funding for a range of early intervention and prevention services
  • Increased access to specialist support for children with neurodevelopmental conditions.
  • Implementing the learning from the evaluation of Distress Brief Intervention for under 18s.
  • Continued investment in CAMHS to reduce waiting times.

Scotland has world-leading legislation on a range of children’s rights issues: GIRFEC, The Promise, and UNCRC incorporation are the pillars of this legislative and policy context. However, there is a significant implementation gap.

There is significant focus on public service reform in Scotland, with the aim of tackling this gap. There is wide recognition of the need for systemic change to improve outcomes for children and families.

The third sector is an essential partner in the delivery of these commitments. More meaningful integration of the third sector into public service delivery will help ensure children and families have access to the right support. Furthermore, fair funding will enable the third sector to plan ahead and to make the most efficient use of limited resources to deliver on Scotland’s promises and obligations to its children.

We call on the Scottish Government to:

• Increase the urgency of the Scottish Government’s commitment to funding the third sector more fairly. This should follow SCVO’s fair funding principles:
  • Multi-year funding.
  • Flexible and where possible unrestricted and/or core funding.
  • Sustainable funding that includes inflation-based uplifts and that allows for paying staff the Real Living Wage.
  • Accessible, streamlined, proportionate, and consistent approaches to applications and reporting, including timely processing.
  • Transparency around grant funding.
• Keep the focus and commitment towards delivery of The Promise. This will require an appropriately resourced approach and bravery in implementing the changes that are required.
• Meaningfully deliver public service reform in Scotland by focusing on:
  • Ethical commissioning within local and national government which encourages collaboration.
  • Legislating to support more streamlined approaches to local authority governance.
  • Collaborative leadership at local and national level.
  • Fully embedding third sector partners into local authority planning.
• Ensure that workforce development and support are fully embedded within Scotland’s refreshed digital strategy. This includes equipping the children’s sector workforce with the confidence, skills, and resources to embrace digital innovation in service delivery, professional learning, and support systems. Investment in digital capability must be sustained and aligned with Scotland’s wider vision for inclusive access, lifelong learning, and public service transformation.