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Children in Scotland’s response to the Restraint and Seclusion Bill

8 Jul 2025

Children in Scotland has responded to the Scottish Parliament’s consultation on the Restraint and Seclusion in Schools (Scotland) Bill, which was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 17 March 2025.

The Bill was introduced by Daniel Johnson, and is intended to limit the use of unnecessary restraint and seclusion of children and young people in schools, and would require the Scottish Government to issue guidance on the use of restraint and seclusion to education providers.

Children in Scotland welcomes the Bill, having been involved in responding to previous calls for views relating to this topic, as a necessary step towards safeguarding children and young people from the negative impact the use of restrain and seclusion can have, particularly when over- or inappropriately used.

In particular, we support the Bill’s introduction of measures that would strengthen and improve the existing legislative and police framework, such as the introduction of a 24-hour timescale for informing parents and carers of incidents of restrain and seclusion.

And while we welcome the Bill’s requirement for all incidents of restraint and seclusion to be recorded and reported to the Scottish Parliament, we would like to see mention of gathering data on whether the affected child or young person has any additional support needs; as incidents of restraint and seclusion often involve children with additional support needs, we feel that these are important data that should be taken into consideration.

We would also encourage the Bill to make training on seclusion and restraint mandatory for all teachers and support staff, with training focusing on de-escalation and minimising the use of restraint and seclusion. We recognise that all behaviour is communication, and that staff should be supported to respond in a trauma informed way to support and safeguard all children.

We look forward to working further with the Scottish Parliament and the wider children’s sector on this Bill and hope to see it become an Act that will help Scotland’s children to flourish.

Read our full response to the consultation here.

 

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The Yard expands coverage to Glasgow

1 Jul 2025

The Yard has expanded its service, currently covering Edinburgh, Kirkcaldy, and Dundee, to include Glasgow, having opened its doors for families on Saturday 28 June.

The Glasgow service will operate out of a newly upgraded centre which includes a 5,000-square-metre outdoor play space, with plans for further enhancements to the garden and adventure play areas already in motion.

Sessions will take place in Glasgow throughout the summer holidays, with sessions on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and families can access all services provided by The Yard for £8 per month, with a membership assistance programme available.

The Yard provides an award-winning service to children and young people with disabilities and additional needs and has supported more than 3,000 children and their families since its inception in 1986. The service consists of creative play environments and wraparound family support, allowing children and young people to flourish, and parents and carers to build community.

Sessions are run by The Yard’s trained and experienced playworkers and are designed to support each child’s individual needs and strengths, and are open to all children and young people aged 0-18 with disabilities and additional support needs with no formal diagnosis necessary.

Celine Sinclair, CEO of The Yard said, “Our doors are open to any child or young person who would benefit from an inclusive, safe place to play, express themselves and grow in confidence. We’re equally here for their families, offering connection, friendship and a shared understanding.

“Our work with schools also means pupils who need time away from the classroom can benefit from an environment that supports social skills, builds self-esteem, and sparks joy. We know from teachers how transformative that experience can be. Ultimately, it’s about giving children the chance to laugh, explore, and just be themselves, with no judgement. They deserve the same fun, freedom, and happiness as any other child.”

For more information on The Yard’s new Glasgow service, visit their website.

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Education Reform Bill Passed by Scottish Parliament

26 Jun 2025

The Education (Scotland) Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament last night. After receiving Royal Assent, the Bill will become an Act, and its legislation will be implemented.

The Bill was first introduced on 4 June 2024 and was passed late last night by 69 votes to 47.

The Bill will dissolve the Scottish Qualifications Authority, the national body previously tasked with overseeing qualifications in Scotland, which will be replaced by Qualifications Scotland. Qualifications Scotland will then be responsible for developing, regulating, and awarding any non-university level qualifications.

The Bill will also create the office of Chief Inspector of Education, a role with enhanced independence and whose responsibilities will include ensuring schools and education authorities are making necessary improvements, and publishing annual reports on the performance of the Scottish education system.

The decision to reform the education system came in part from recommendations from a report by Professor Ken Muir which called for a ‘renewed vision’ of education in Scotland.

Ahead of the Bill being passed, Children in Scotland released a statement saying:

“As the Scottish Parliament debates Stage 3 of the Education (Scotland) Bill, we remain committed to ensuring the voices of children and young people are not just heard, but meaningfully embedded, in the future of Scottish education.

“At Stage 1 we highlighted a range of concerns with the proposals in particular around a lack of ambition and a lack of clarity on the mechanisms for the participation of children and young people to engage with and participate in the new qualifications body and inspectorate.

“If the Bill becomes law, we will work closely with Scottish Government and the new education bodes to ensure there are meaningful opportunities for children and young people.

“We have heard consistently from Changing our World, the Inclusion Ambassadors and many other project groups about the need for change in how their education is delivered.

“With this in mind, we are still concerned that the Education (Scotland) Bill is not ambitious enough in how it looks to drive change in education in Scotland. If the Bill comes into law, we will continue to advocate for and with children and young people for an education system which supports their rights and needs.”

Read more of our evidence:

Changing our World's Education and Learning paper

Children in Scotland's response to the Education, Children and Young People Committee’s Call for Views on Education Reform

Inclusion Ambassadors

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Children in Scotland responds to Children Bill’s introduction

26 Jun 2025

The Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament last week, the first step in the process towards becoming an Act.

The Bill, formerly known as the Promise Bill, is part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to keeping The Promise by 2030 and will, if passed into law, introduce changes to the services and support provided to care experienced children, young people, and adults.

The changes will be introduced across eight legislative areas at different stages of a child’s interaction with the care system, including a right to advocacy for children, young people, and adults with care experience; steps to address issues around profits from residential care; and a redesign of the Children’s Hearings system.

While introducing this Bill is a positive step towards keeping The Promise, we have some concerns regarding certain aspects of the Bill, including its timescale; with Parliament going into recess on Friday 27 June, it was thought that the Bill would face severe delays if the Call for Views is not launched prior to this. It is incredibly important to ensure the voices of care experienced children, young people, and adults are heard throughout the entire process, and with only five years until the 2030 deadline to keep The Promise, expediency in this area is vital.

Furthermore, there is a lack of clarity around some aspects of the Bill; reforms to the Children’s Hearing system take up a significant portion of the Bill, with little explanation for why this has been prioritised over other aspects. Additionally, we are looking for further guidance and clarity on how the Bill will align with the UNCRC incorporation legislation to strengthen the rights of children and young people with care experience.

Overall, we are happy to see progress towards keeping The Promise, particularly from a legislative perspective, and we are committed to further work with the Scottish Government to ensure this Bill keeps the voices of care experienced children, young people, and adults at its heart, and we look forward to following the Bill’s progress closely in the future.

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Taking part in the Access All Arts Fund

26 Jun 2025

Robin shares his reflections on participating in youth-led arts funding as an Access All Arts Fun panel member.

 In August of 2024, I joined the Access All Arts Fund (AAAF) Panel, along with nine other young people. I heard about the Fund through a youth group I was attending, and decided to get in contact, as I've always had a huge interest in art and design. Since then, I attended several meetings over the course of roughly six months.  The meetings involved a variety of activities relating to the evaluation of applications, as well as building relationships with the other panel members. These activities included ice breakers to get to know each other, discussions on what creativity means and how it can be defined, how to make thoughtful decisions when reviewing the applications, and what barriers a young person might face trying to access creative resources. There were even art activities members could take part in!  The opportunity to get creative opened up conversations about what was important or necessary to make art, what we were interested in, and it also helped break down some of the more concept-heavy discussions.  This helped the sessions stay engaging and productive.  

 When I joined the panel, I was in my last year of high school and UCAS deadlines were looming. I was struggling to decide what to study: I was conflicted between Art & Design and Modern Languages, knowing I had more passion for art, but was nervous about making the right decision, especially regarding money. I think working on the AAAF panel helped with my decision to pursue art at University. It was so interesting meeting other young creative people, as well as reading all the applications and learning what others were passionate about. The more passionate someone sounded in their application, the more enjoyable it was to read. 

'My future plans': a mixed media landscape, created by Robin during an Access All Arts panel members' meeting

I was already aware of how important resources are for young people, but by working on this project I’ve become much more attune to barriers that I wouldn’t have considered before. As I have just finished high school, where I studied Art & Design up to Advanced Higher level, I can say with complete certainty that funds like this can make a massive difference in young people’s lives. I cannot count the number of times that a cheaper material has had to be used because the school didn’t have access to a large enough budget to purchase a more suitable material. Not only that, but whole specialisms have had to be neglected. This is through no fault of the school and teachers are doing their best to support pupils, but it means that pupils who are interested in pursuing any specialism may have to do this outwith school. It goes without saying that this can quickly become expensive, and excludes any pupils who can’t afford the cost of extra lessons or programmes. However, with financial support from funds like the Access All Arts Fund, more young people can access the resources to fuel their creative interests.  

Overall, being part of the panel was really a fantastic experience.  The team at Children in Scotland were extremely friendly and supportive. Information was communicated in a clear manner, and there was a lot of respect for all members involved in the project. The adults did a fantastic job of managing the project, guiding where support was needed, while treating everyone with complete respect and warmth. I hope that the panel can be repeated in the future, as it has had such a positive impact on both the applicants and the panel members. 

Find out more about The Access All Arts Fund here.  

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New AI teaching resources released

24 Jun 2025

Children’s Parliament, the Scottish AI Alliance, and the Alan Turing Institute have released a free AI teaching pack designed to support primary school teachers to introduce the concept of AI to their pupils, centring around AI’s impact on children’s lives and their rights.

The teaching pack was developed following work done on the “Exploring Children’s Rights and AI” project, and was designed in collaboration with pupils and teachers across Scotland after 79% of teachers surveyed said they had received no guidance on teaching AI.

The pack is split into six lessons, complete with lesson plans and slides, covering topics relevant to pupils' own experiences including an introduction to AI, how AI uses data, and the role of AI in education. The lessons are intended to not only explain the purpose of AI, but also its limitations, including potential bias and incorrect information, and its environment impact, such as AI’s carbon emissions and the alarming levels of water consumption.

The teaching pack also includes a guide for teachers intended to be a foundational introduction to the topic, covering areas such as generative AI vs Large Language Models, the difficulties in defining AI, and AI’s environment impact.

Regarding the importance of the pack, a member of Children’s Parliament said: “AI will be in all our lives, so we need to know what it means and how it works before we grow up.”

To learn more about AI education resources, visit the Scottish AI Alliance website.

 

 

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Scottish Government expands free school meals programme

24 Jun 2025

The Scottish Government announced on Monday it is expanding its Free School Meals programme to cover an additional 6000 high school pupils in a trial project beginning in August.

The expansion, funded by an investment of £3 million, sees free school meals offered to high school pupils for the first time and covers pupils in S1-S3 who are eligible for the Scottish Child Payment. This will bring the total number of pupils receiving free school meals in Scotland to over 360,000.

The intention to expand to free school meals was included in the Programme for Government released in May of this year, alongside plans to further fund breakfast clubs throughout the country, and to effectively scrap the two-child benefit cap.

This is currently a trial phase, however, and will not yet be implemented throughout the country, limited to only eight local authority areas: Aberdeen, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Fife, Glasgow, Moray, North Ayrshire, Shetland and South Lanarkshire.

First Minister John Swinney announced the expansion of the project while visiting Springburn Academy in Glasgow and said of the programme: “The free school meals programme is key in our national mission to eradicate child poverty.

“We know the positive impact that access to a healthy and nutritious meal can have on a pupil’s learning and achievement in school.”

Read the Scottish Government's announcement here.

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Scottish Book Trust: Summer workshop applications now open

24 Jun 2025

The Scottish Book Trust has opened applications for its Sensory Stories Summer Roadshow taking place 14-17 July.

The Roadshow features four storytellers touring Scotland and delivering free bespoke workshops and storytelling sessions in a variety of settings, including schools, community groups, nurseries, and other groups supporting children with additional support needs.

Sensory storytelling is intended to engage with children with additional support needs through sensory storytelling, including music, props use, and movement, and to empower them to express themselves in a safe and supportive environment.

The workshops will be delivered by four storytellers with extensive experience in sensory storytelling: Dara Macaleece, Carol Scorer, Marion Kenny, and Betty Skelton. Each will deliver a unique workshop based on their experience and expertise, as well as the needs of each successful applicant.

The deadline to apply is Friday 27 June, and all applications will be assessed by a selection panel prior to selection.

For more information, visit the Scottish Book Trust website.

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Kibble's SAFE Project expands to cover 22 council areas

17 Jun 2025

Kibble has announced that their free support service for children and young people affected by crime now covers 22 local authority areas.  

The SAFE Project provides trauma-informed, therapeutic, and advocacy support to young people and their families affected by crime, whether as victims, witnesses, or those impacted by violence and abuse in the home.

The service also provides advice and support to organisations who work with children and young people impacted by crime but may not have expertise in trauma, mental health, and intervention, including educators and social workers, in order to promote system change and collaboration between organisations.

An evaluation report of the service found that over 68% of referrals received direct therapeutic intervention; young people who received advocacy support reported an improved experience of the criminal justice process; and 88% of young people have reported that the service has helped them work towards their goals.

The SAFE Project was funded by the Scottish Government Victim Centred Approach fund and has provided support for over 400 children and young people and their families since its origin in 2021. The service is currently funded through 2025/2026 with plans to continue beyond this.

Dan Johnson, Executive Director and Forensic Psychologist at Kibble said:

“The trauma caused by crime in childhood can affect every part of a young person’s life, from relationships and learning to their long-term mental health. The SAFE Project is designed to wrap around the whole family, offering therapy, advocacy and practical support when it’s needed most.

“By equipping those on the frontline with psychological insight and practical advice, we’re building a more joined-up, trauma-informed system that can respond more effectively and compassionately to the needs of young victims and witnesses.”

To learn more about Kibble’s SAFE Project, visit their website here.

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Whizz Kidz announce new education report

17 Jun 2025

Whizz Kids, a leading charity for young wheelchair users, has announced the launch of Making the Grade, a new education report developed by the charity’s Youth Board.

The report, launched on Thursday 6 June, was designed to help schools become inclusive environments for wheelchair users by outlining the findings of original research undertaken by the Youth Board through evidence-gathering and lived experience. The report also presents recommendations based on these findings which focus on Accessibility, Best Practice, and Change.

Among the top recommendations are:

  • mandatory annual physical accessibility audits in all UK schools
  • improved teacher training on inclusion
  • better support for wheelchair users during work experience placements.

The report was launched at an event held at Portcullis House in Westminster and was attended by education professionals, disability advocates, and MPs from across various parties.

Along with the report, the Youth Board stated:

“We believe inclusive education isn’t just a moral obligation — it’s a social and economic imperative.

“Better access now means more disabled young people progressing into higher education, employment, and active citizenship. We can help make that happen.”

Chief Executive of Whizz Kids Sarah Pugh said:

“Every young person has the right to a fair and equal education.

“We are incredibly proud of our Youth Board for leading this important work and demonstrating that young people’s voices can drive real change.”

For more information, visit the Whizz Kidz website here.

 

 

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