‘Supporting Scotland’s Children’: new free resource from SSSC

21 Oct 2025

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) has released a new online resource outlining the skills, knowledge, and values essential for anyone working with babies, children, young people, and families.

Supporting Scotland’s Children – Core Knowledge and Values is a free online document of five sections, including core knowledge, core values, key policy and legislation, and practical advice, intending to provide a general level of understanding of what is necessary to support Scotland’s children and young people.

The SSSC intends it for use by anyone whose role could have an impact on children, young people, and their families, including those working with care-experienced adults or young people transitioning to adult services, and recommends its use as a guide to ensure appropriate training is conducted and high-quality support is provided.

The resource replaces the SSSC’s previous Common Core of skills, knowledge & understanding, and values, published in 2012, and includes updated information on areas that have seen significant development in the last decade, such as The Promise, Getting it Right for Every Child, and UNCRC integration.

The resource is also intended to be fully accessible, and includes screen reader compatibility, user friendly navigation, and links to further reading.

SSSC Chief Executive Maree Allison said:

This resource will be an invaluable tool for registered workers and employers as it will make sure that everyone has the same essential knowledge and shared values across all sectors.

We are committed to the wellbeing and development of children and young people across Scotland. This resource is a critical part of our drive to keep the Promise made to Scotland’s Children, young people and families, and as part of our work to promote and embed children’s rights.

In a video released alongside the resource, Minister for Children, Young People and the Promise Natalie Donn-Innes said:

The new resource hosted by our partners at the Scottish Social Services Council provides you, the children’s workforce and volunteers, with an overview of core knowledge and values.

The views of children and young people have been central to developing the new guidance, taking account of what children and young people have told us is important to them and the specific characteristics they wish for the workforce to demonstrate.

Again, can I take this opportunity to thank you for the work you do in supporting making Scotland the best place for children and young people to grow up in, and for the support you provide their families.

You can find Supporting Scotland’s Children – Core Knowledge and Values here.

For more information visit the Scottish Social Services Council website.

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The picture is different, but our goals are much the same: John Swinney in Zambia and Malawi

20 Oct 2025

Our Participation and Communications Officer, Innes Burns, praises First Minister John Swinney’s twin commitments in tackling child poverty and gender equality after his trip to Zambia and Malawi.

John Swinney has described gender inequality as one of the greatest human rights challenges in the world during a visit to Zambia and Malawi, where Scotland has strong and long-standing partnerships.

The First Minister spoke about the importance of supporting women and girls, and about Scotland’s role in helping to build fairer, more equal communities beyond its own borders.

In his reflections of the visit, as seen on social media posts this week, he said he wanted to live in a Scotland free from child poverty and that this was the main focus of his government. He also reminded people that Scotland has a moral responsibility to the Global South at a time when many countries are cutting international aid.

Both of these priorities sit at the heart of the Scottish Government’s approach to fairness. There is the work being done at home to lift families out of poverty, and there is the work being done abroad to support people in places where opportunities are far fewer.

At home, the picture looks different, but the goal is much the same. The Scottish Government has made tackling child poverty one of its defining missions. Too many families across Scotland are still struggling to make ends meet. Behind the statistics are children who go to school hungry, parents who work long hours but still cannot afford the basics, and communities where opportunities are unevenly shared. For the government, reducing that inequality means improving access to childcare, creating fairer work, and providing more direct financial support to families who need it most.

These two strands of work are part of the same story about what Scotland values. The idea of a fair and compassionate nation depends on both looking after people at home and standing alongside those in need elsewhere. When the First Minister speaks about ending child poverty, it is a call to make Scotland itself a place where every child can grow up safe and supported. When he talks about supporting women and children in countries like Zambia and Malawi, it is an expression of solidarity and shared humanity.

In his recent comments, John Swinney reminded people that leadership is about more than what happens within a nation’s borders. It is also about the values a country chooses to live by. Whether the focus is on reducing child poverty in Scotland or helping women and children in the Global South, both reflect the same belief that everyone deserves the chance to live with dignity and hope.

In Zambia, he visited the Blantyre–Blantyre research laboratory in Lusaka, a facility supported by Scottish Government funding aimed at improving health outcomes in both Zambia and Malawi. Then in Malawi, he announced a new package of funding (about £4 million over three years) to tackle non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and sickle cell disease in partnership with the Malawian government and international donors.

He also visited a community climate-justice programme in the Zomba region of Malawi (Chimbalanga village) which is supported by Scottish Government’s Climate Just Communities initiative, designed to assist sustainable livelihoods and vocational training.

You can read his reflections here (Facebook)

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Improving Care Experience: Audit Scotland report on delivering The Promise

14 Oct 2025

Audit Scotland has released a report detailing the current status of delivery of The Promise.

The report, jointly written by the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission, acknowledged that organisations and individuals remain dedicated to keeping The Promise but was critical of the progress made in improving Scotland’s care system.

The report called for greater clarity around roles and responsibilities for different organisations, including those set up by the Scottish Government to help deliver The Promise. It also called for clarity around how success would be measured, while acknowledging an initial framework has been set up for this.

The report recommends that over the next six months, the Scottish Government and The Promise Scotland should focus on identifying where resources need to be allocated, on clarifying set roles and responsibilities at a national level, and providing clearer reporting on spending and decision making.

The Scottish Government, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, Solace, The Promise Scotland and the Independent Strategic Advisor for the Promise released a joint statement in response to the report, saying they are taking its findings ‘seriously’, and reasserting their commitment to keeping The Promise.

Auditor General Stephen Boyle, said:

“The Promise is about improving Scotland’s care system, and the lives of everyone that passes through it.

“But the pace of change now needs to increase. The Scottish Government and their partners need to set out their priorities and how these will be achieved. Roles and responsibilities need to be clarified ... and public bodies need guidance on what they should be focusing on.”

Minister for Children, Young People and the Promise, Natalie Don-Innes MSP, said:

“The Scottish Government is resolute in our commitment to Keep the Promise. We are seeing good progress, with fewer children in Scotland growing up in care since 2020, no young people under-18 being admitted to young offenders institutes, and more people with care experience going on to positive destinations nine months after leaving school.

“If passed by Parliament, the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) Scotland Bill will further accelerate progress towards ensuring all children and young people receive the compassionate and considerate care they need throughout their care journey, so that they grow up loved, safe, and respected.

“There is more to do to Keep the Promise, and we acknowledge there have been challenges to progress in the early days after the Promise was made in 2020, including the pandemic. Independent analysis published this year by the Promise Oversight Board outlined that The Promise can be kept by 2030 and we are determined to work with councils and partners including The Promise Scotland to achieve that.”

A joint statement from The Scottish Government, COSLA, Solace, The Promise Scotland and The Independent Strategic Advisor for the promise, included the following:

“We are taking today’s report from the Auditor General and the Accounts Commission seriously. Together, we remain fully committed to the shared goal of ensuring that all of Scotland’s children grow up loved, safe and respected.

“The report has a number of recommendations on how to help achieve this, many of which align with work underway. This includes continuing to develop Scotland’s delivery plan, ‘Plan 24-30’, and telling the Promise Story of Progress.”

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Grieving with a chronic illness

14 Oct 2025

Ally Lloyd, Young Voices Participation Officer & Art Therapy Project Coordinator at Teapot Trust, discusses the complex interplay of stresses for young people dealing with both bereavement and a chronic illness

“Grief is difficult for everybody, but there’s an added complexity when you’re chronically ill because, as we know, for a lot of us, stress is not the best thing for our bodies, and grief is surprisingly stressful. It’s upsetting and it’s difficult, so it can have a real impact on your physical health.”

– Ella

Sharing these thoughts with Teapot Trust’s Young Voices, Ella shows us that grief and bereavement are incredibly difficult for any children and young people to experience, and for the one in eight children and young people who live with a chronic illness experiencing both can be complex, messy, and misunderstood.

There are similarities in both experiences – they have a big effect on your body and how you feel, they can both make you feel like your world has been turned upside down, and adults often don’t know what to say to you.

A group of volunteers from Winston’s Wish Youth Team and Teapot Trust’s Young Voices who had experience of chronic illness and bereavement came together to make a difference.

The group met for the first time in February 2025, and over the next few months explored the complexities of chronic illness and bereavement and what we, as two charities, could do collaboratively. Sessions were facilitated by an art therapist and bereavement councillor, and the direction of the project was led by the group.

The group kept returning to how isolating it was to experience chronic illness and bereavement, and how transformative being in community with each other was. They wanted everyone in their shoes to have that positive experience, and so a priority for their work together was creating a resource that could help other children and young people to feel seen and understood.

Another shared experience was adults in supporting roles (for example teachers, healthcare staff, youth workers) not understanding either their chronic illness or grief and not understanding how the two interacted and affected them. This led to them often having to take the role of ‘educator’ in situations where they needed support. Creating a resource to prevent this became a second priority.

The group landed on creating two sets of resources: a podcast and PDF for young people, and for those supporting them – for example healthcare staff, teachers, and youth workers. The conversations in the podcasts are warm, open, and generous. Across the podcasts and resources the group cover:

Community grief
Grief impacting your body and illness
Complicated timelines
Medical spaces
Supporting us (for the adults in our lives)
Understanding our experiences
Listen to us
Acknowledgement goes a long way
Your words matter
It is okay if you are not the right person to help.

The work of this incredible group, and the resources they created are just the beginning. Please listen, read, share, and think about what you can do to support bereaved children and young people with chronic illness.

“If you are a young person reading this, it might feel like you are the only person who is experiencing this. We promise you are not alone, and we hope that reading and listening to our experiences is helpful and makes you feel seen and heard”

– Ella

Click here to access Teapot Trust’s Chronic Illness and Bereavement resources.

Teapot Trust will be working with Enquire on a webinar to support professionals to understand how long-term health conditions can impact on children and young people’s education. Sign up or find out more here!

About the author

Ally Lloyd is Young Voices Participation Officer & Art Therapy Project Coordinator at Teapot Trust

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UK Government to focus on childcare, education, welfare and health

6 Oct 2025

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer used his keynote speech at the 2025 Labour Conference to outline the UK Government's priorities, with a focus on childcare, education, welfare and health. The address set out both UK-wide ambitions and policies that will have a direct or indirect impact in Scotland.

Starmer highlighted Labour’s plan to expand free childcare in England, offering 30 hours for all children aged nine months to four years. He described this as a way to reduce early inequality. While childcare is devolved in Scotland, additional funding through the Barnett formula could increase the resources available to the Scottish Government if Westminster directs more money into childcare in England.

On education, Starmer announced the replacement of Tony Blair’s 50% university target with a broader ambition. Labour’s new goal is that two-thirds of young people will, by the age of 25, be in higher education, further education or an apprenticeship. To support this, £800 million will be invested in England’s education budget in 2026-27, generating a proportional uplift in Scotland’s block grant.

On welfare, Starmer drew attention to free school meals expansion and signalled a review to the two-child benefit cap. You can read Children in Scotland’s response to the cap here.

On health, Starmer announced plans for a new ‘NHS Online’ system in England, designed to expand access to services digitally. With the NHS devolved in Scotland, this would not directly alter services here, although funding consequentials may follow.

For Scotland, the most immediate effects of the speech relate to welfare policy, where Westminster has direct control. Childcare, education and health remain devolved, though Scottish budgets could be influenced by new commitments in England.

You can watch the full speech here

CiS responds to two-child cap Bill

Chief Executive Dr Judith Turbyne sets out Children in Scotland’s reponse

https://childreninscotland.org.uk/children-in-scot

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Interview with Alan Fleming, Partners in Advocacy

6 Oct 2025

Innes Burns meets Alan Fleming of Partners in Advocacy to talk about children’s rights, career highlights and what advocacy means to him.

Innes Burns:
So hello, Alan. How are we? Tell us a bit about Partners in Advocacy and about your role as well.

Alan Fleming:
Hello.

Partners in Advocacy, as the name says, is an advocacy service where we advocate on behalf of both adults and young people. I work for the young people's service, which is the My Rights, My Say service within Partners.

We work mainly with 12 to 15-year-olds who are having issues at school, mainly if they have an additional support need. So they might have an issue at school because of that need, and then they would contact us at Partners in Advocacy to advocate on their behalf.

IB:
So take us through what advocacy actually is. What’s a typical day like for you, Alan? What kind of situation does a child find themselves in when they contact you, and how do you act on that?

AF:
There are loads of reasons why a young person might contact us - not going to school at all, going intermittently, suddenly leaving school during the day because they’re overwhelmed, or even sitting in school feeling overwhelmed and hiding – in a corner, in an empty classroom, or in the toilets, which is quite common.

They’re just trying to hide because school is overwhelming. They don’t understand what’s happening, they don’t understand the work, and they’re not getting fully supported.

So they contact us. Usually, a parent contacts us, or sometimes a school or another professional like a social worker. But more than half the referrals come from parents who say, “My young person is having a problem. Can you support them?”

We’ll then contact the parent first, ask what the issue is - we usually have a bit of information from the referral form – then go and meet the young person. That could be online, like we are today, or face-to-face, or in whatever way the young person prefers – WhatsApp, messaging, email – whatever works for them.

IB:
Sure. And once you’ve identified the problem, what do you then do? Do you go to the school? Is it often a phone call? How do you actually advocate for the young person?

AF:
We take the young person’s views first – because they’re my boss. They instruct me on what they want me to do.

I can’t go to the school and say, “I don’t think you’re doing this right, this is what you should do.” That’s not advocacy. My job is to listen to the young person, take their views, and then contact the education authority first to inform them the young person is seeking advocacy support.

After that, we contact the school and arrange a meeting – that could be with a teacher or a larger group, depending on the issue. Ideally, it’s a smaller meeting with one or two teachers, the young person, myself, and the parent.

We talk about the issues, which have been written down, and then it’s up to the school to come up with a solution - not the young person, not me. I’m just advocating.

If the school offers a solution, we review it, go back and see if the young person is willing to try it, then see how it works. If it doesn’t work, we can try something else. If it does work, that’s usually the end of the advocacy partnership.

IB:
Do you need to remind schools it's a legal obligation to meet those needs? Do you ever get pushback?

AF:
Yeah.

Usually, in the letter we send, the legal obligations are clearly laid out. Everything’s written down – this is the law, this is what needs to happen.

In terms of schools, I’ve worked with some fantastic teachers over the years. But, as everyone knows, there are some teachers – and some schools – that maybe haven’t moved with the times.

The easiest way to explain it is: some of them are still reading the 1970s teacher training manual. I try to remind them - this is the 21st century, and we need to look at other ways of supporting young people.

A recent example: a young person loved their workshop class - using their hands, doing practical work. But they hated maths and would leave maths class and go sit in another classroom.

Eventually, the school found out and banned him from the workshop class because he hadn’t followed protocol. That’s a 1970s approach – punishing a child by taking away something they love, instead of addressing the real issue.

He was showing with his feet that he had a problem with maths and needed support. So it’s up to us to go in and ask the school, “Do you think what you did was right?” and then take it from there.

IB:
What’s your favourite part of the job? Is there a moment that stands out, where you’ve ended your day and thought, “Wow, I’ve made a huge difference”?

AF:
My favourite part is meeting new people - especially young people. It’s a partnership – that’s why it’s called Partners in Advocacy.
Technically, they’re my boss, but we work together. And I meet people from all walks of life – from really affluent backgrounds to working class. You never know who you’re going to meet, and that’s a great part of the job.

Previously, I worked in social work and drug support – mostly in working class areas – which was still great, but here I meet a much broader range of people.

I’m not someone who needs praise or trophies, but I do appreciate when young people or parents recognise the difference we’ve made.

Recently, a young person who’d been out of school for over a year managed to return. It was mainly the mum I’d been working with, but the dad phoned me specifically to say thanks – that we’d made a huge difference and he didn’t think it would have been possible without us.
That meant a lot, especially since I’d never even met him.

IB:
That’s amazing. I can see a lot of emotion in you when you speak about that. Just briefly, what does Partners in Advocacy and My Rights, My Say mean to you personally?

AF:
To me, it means making things right. I hate power imbalances – people using their power to make others’ lives miserable.
We speak to young people hiding in toilets, not going to school, because they’re miserable – and sometimes schools just haven’t looked at the issue the right way.

Advocacy gives us a chance to go in, help teachers hear the child's voice, and raise it properly. That’s probably the most important thing for me.

Even if we don’t always get a perfect result, at least the young person had a chance to be heard.

One thing parents often say to me is that when an advocate is in a school meeting, the tone is different. The action points are different. The results are different – compared to when they were doing it alone.

Alan Fleming is an Advocacy Worker at Partners in Advocacy. Visit their website to find out more about their work.

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My Right's, My Say’s Children’s Views has now overseen 400 referrals since it began in 2018

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Children’s Views reaches colossal milestone

6 Oct 2025

The Children’s Views Service has been an integral part of Children in Scotland since 2018. It is a part of the My Rights, My Say network helps children with additional support needs in Scotland to understand and exercise their rights under the Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004. In partnership with My Rights My Say Partners, the Children’s Views Service has been championing Children’s rights to be listened to in matters that affect them both at a national level by engaging with policy makers and locally through the development of positive relationships with local authorities, schools, parents/carers and most importantly children themselves.

What is My Rights, My Say?

The Children’s Views Service specifically supports children to share their views in formal education disputes such as tribunals, appeals or mediation processes. The service can also support schools to seek out children’s views prior to planning, review or transition meetings. The majority of children are referred to the service by the ASN tribunal or education practitioners, though parents are able to make referrals themselves.

A Children’s Views worker helps the child share their views in their own way. This could be through talking, drawing, writing or other communication tools. The Children’s Views Workers are highly skilled and have a deep understanding of the barriers that might make it difficult for children with additional support needs to convey their views. They are flexible and empathetic and will never tell the child what to do or not to do – the child is in control at every stage of the way. Once the child’s views have been gathered the children’s views worker writes a report that can be shared with the referrer to ensure the child’s views are considered when decisions are being made about a child’s education.

Since the service started in 2018, it has now overseen 400 referrals, representing a colossal milestone.

Marie Harrison, Manager of Children’s Views, had this to say:

“The Children's Views Service has supported children and professionals through the My Rights My Say Project since 2018 - it has been an absolute privilege to support our incredible young people to share their views in adult-led, formal education disputes and support professionals to develop good participation frameworks to ensure children with additional support needs are listened to.

To cross the 400 mark is a huge milestone for us - from being a tiny service expected to work only with a limited number of children every year, we have gone from strength to strength and used creative and innovative approaches to ensure we have been able to respond to an ever-increasing demand.

We want to thank Scottish Government for their continued faith in us and all their support; our MRMS partners (Partners in Advocacy, Enquire and Cairn Legal) for being incredible collaborators; and all the professionals, parents/carers and children we have had the pleasure of working with over the past seven years.

Here's to the next 400!”

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CashBack for Communities

30 September 2025

A new report from CashBack for Communities has been published, detailing the effects the programme has had on the lives of children and young people in Scotland.

The programme takes criminal assets gathered via the Proceeds of Crime Act and invests them into projects supporting children and young people in Scotland, including projects delivering support for young people at risk of offending or being involved in anti-social behaviour, for families and communities affected by crime, and to help children and young people improve their mental and physical health and wellbeing.

The 2024-25 Impact Report outlines the impact the programme has had on over 15,000 young people from across Scotland, with 11,800 reporting an increase in their wellbeing and 10,524 reporting positive changes in behaviour.

The programme has worked alongside 29 partner organisations and £6.2 million in funding over the past year. The current funding phase began in April 2023 and will run until March 2026.

The Minister for Victims and Community Safety Siobhian Brown said of the report: 

“This report highlights the success of the CashBack for Communities programme which helps to divert young people from crime and anti-social behaviour and to make informed choices about their future — choices that positively impact them, their families and communities. 

“It is more than an early intervention programme - partners provide a range of support and activities offering safe spaces, trusted adults and opportunities that benefit young people to feel supported and inspired to thrive."

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Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill

30 September 2025

A new bill was recently passed by the Scottish Parliament with the intention of creating a justice system that is more supportive and protective of vulnerable victims and witnesses such as children and young people.

The Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill was passed on 17 September and is currently waiting royal assent to become law. When this happens, a number of changes to the justice system will take place.

These changes will include establishing a Victims and Witnesses Commissioner for Scotland, an independent office to promote and support the rights and interests of victims and witnesses; the abolition of the ‘not proven’ verdict, which was previously a possible verdict alongside ‘guilty’ and ‘not guilty’; and the establishment of a new Sexual Offences Court.

Particularly, the bill contains legislation that will ensure automatic, lifelong anonymity for victims of sexual offenses, and will embed trauma-informed practice in criminal and civil courts. These changes seek to strengthen the support network for victims and witnesses, making engagement with the justice system a safer and fairer experience.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs Angela Constance said of the bill:

“This historic legislation will put victims and witnesses at the heart of a modern and fair justice system.

“By changing culture, process and practice across the system, it will help to ensure victims are heard, supported, protected and treated with compassion, while the rights of the accused will continue to be safeguarded.

“This legislation, which builds on progress in recent years, has been shaped by the voices of victims, survivors, their families and support organisations, and it is testimony to their tireless efforts to campaign for further improvement. I am grateful to those who bravely shared their experiences to inform the development of this legislation and pave a better, more compassionate path for others.”

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John Swinney says more progress needed on child poverty

29 September 2025

First Minister John Swinney has said Scotland is making progress on reducing child poverty but warned the pace of improvement is not fast enough.

Speaking in Glasgow last week, he noted that child poverty levels are now lower than they were three decades ago and contrasted Scotland’s trajectory with the rest of the UK, where he said rates are rising. He described the effort to eradicate child poverty as a “truly national mission” and pointed to the Scottish Child Payment as central to the government’s approach.

The payment, now worth £27.15 a week per eligible child under 16, was introduced in 2021 and has since been expanded. Official figures show that by the end of December 2024, families of more than 326,000 children were receiving support, with over £1bn paid out in total. Ministers argue this policy is one of the most significant factors in preventing larger rises in poverty during a period of high living costs.

While welcoming the direction of travel, Swinney accepted that the statutory targets set under the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act remain a challenge. The legislation required relative child poverty, measured after housing cost, to fall below 10% by 2030. Current rates remain well above that threshold.

Anti-poverty campaigners have broadly praised the Scottish Child Payment but have raised questions whether it is sufficient on its own.

The First Minister admitted that the number of children living in poverty is "not falling enough" and said, "We still have more to do."

He believes that supporting the whole family is key to solving the problem. While there are many good examples of this happening in Scotland, he said it’s still not common enough across the country.

To help tackle the issue, he announced that the Fairer Futures Partnerships (FFP) programme will be expanded.

These partnerships bring together services like childcare, education, healthcare, social care, and housing support. There are currently eight FFPs, and they will now be introduced in five more areas: Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh, South Ayrshire, West Dunbartonshire, and West Lothian.

Mr Swinney said: "With £4 million in funding this year, we're working closely with local councils, communities, and charities through the Fairer Futures Partnerships to make a real and lasting difference."