Creating a Healthier Scotland for Everyone

June - October 2024

Children in Scotland worked with the NCD Alliance Scotland to help children and young people share their views about how to create a healthier Scotland.

In July 2024, we ran a one-day workshop to build upon what children and young people have already told us about health-harming products – things like alcohol, tobacco, vapes and unhealthy food and drink - and to understand how we can support everyone in Scotland to have better health in 10 years’ time.

The workshop was delivered in partnership with the NCD Alliance Scotland and supported them to develop their long-term strategy for reducing the harm caused by health-harming products.

The Creating a Healthier Scotland for Everyone workshop report was published in October 2024. Click here to read the report.

Click here to access NCD Alliance Scotland's website.

Creating a Healthier Scotland for Everyone

Read the findings from the engagement workshop with children and young people on health-harming products

Read the report

NCD Alliance Scotland

Click here for more information about NCD Alliance Scotland.

Find out more

Project Information Sheet

Click here to learn more about Creating a Healthier Scotland For Everyone.

Find out more

International School Meal Day (2013-2024)

International School Meals Day (ISMD) first came about as a result of an ongoing knowledge exchange connection on school meals between USA and Scotland, which began in 2009. It was recognised that both countries had a ‘National’ week for school meals but there was no ‘Global day’ that celebrated the power and value of school meals.

So, a project was launched with aim of ‘connecting children around the world to help foster healthy eating habits in school and at home, and to share policies, practices and research’, and the first ISMD took place in 2013.

Thanks to Scottish Government funding and a core of international partners, Children in Scotland were able to deliver ISMD each March between 2013 and 2024.

More information will be added about the project in due course.

10th Anniversary Publication

Our 10th Anniversary publication was released in 2022.

View Now

My Food Cookbook

In 2018 the My Food cookbook was released following a global competition.

View Now

#ISMD2024

The final year under Children in Scotland saw engagement from across the world.

View Now

A Youth Voice Network for Scotland

October 2023-2026

On behalf of the Electoral Commission, Children in Scotland is running the Youth Voice Network for Scotland. This group is working to increase the knowledge and understanding of democracy and politics amongst young people, while supporting consistency in political education.

The project is running from October 2023 until 2026, with the group meeting around four times per year. The group review programmes created by the Electoral Commission and presenting new ideas for projects they develop. The group will create resources for the UK Parliament general election and the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.

Members of the group have created fantastic resources encouraging people to register to vote in the upcoming general election ahead of the registration deadline on 11:59pm on 18th June:

ED YVN animation voter reg deadline

For more information on the project, please contact Parisa Shirazi on pshirazi@childreninscotland.org.uk

The Electoral Commission

The independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK

Click here for more

Projects

As part of achieving our vision that all children in Scotland have an equal chance to flourish, we undertake a wide range of work

Click here for more

Policy & Influencing

All our policy and influencing work is evidence-based and builds on our own research and data

Click here for more

Participation & Engagement

This work is a key aspect of achieving our vision that all children in Scotland have an equal chance to flourish

Click here for more

Live Music and Mental Health - Innovation Labs

May 2023 - October 2023

Children in Scotland, Scottish Ensemble and the University of Stirling delivered an exciting project aiming to create opportunities for more children and young people to access the mental health and wellbeing benefits of live music.

Between May and October 2023, the project partners worked with over 80 children and young people, musicians, youth workers and mental health professionals to deliver free Innovation Labs around the country. Participants came together to enjoy interactive live music performances from pioneering orchestra Scottish Ensemble, and explore the impact of live music on young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

The Innovation Labs also included a range of fun and engaging co-design activities supporting children and adults to work together to create new ideas about how to make live music more accessible to children and young people.

Our final report identifies the barriers that exist for children and young people and suggests some innovative ways to tackle these issues. It also provides some valuable learning about the co-design process.

You can read about our activity and findings in the project report:

Please click here to read the project report

Children in Scotland also worked alongside Braw Talent and one of the project participants to create a short animation about the project:

Please click here to watch the animation

The project builds upon research conducted in 2021, exploring the impact of live music experiences on children and young people’s mental health.

You can click here to find out more about the project.

The project was funded by the Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative through Creative Scotland and The Rayne Foundation.

To find out more information, please email David Mackay, dmackay@childreninscotland.org.uk

Live Music and Mental Health 2021 Report

This briefing provides a short overview of the four workshops and an analysis of the discussions.

Access 2021 Report

Project partner: Scottish Ensemble

A pioneering string orchestra regularly performing across Scotland, the UK and the world

More information

Project partner: University of Stirling

Learn more about the university, which offers world-class research and innovative teaching

More information

Projects

Explore the work we undertake to support our vision that all children in Scotland have an equal chance to flourish

Click here for more

Pupil Support Staff Learning Programme

March 2023-Present

Funding from The Promise Partnership's Keep The Promise Fund is providing us with the opportunity to deliver an exciting new project over the next two years.

We plan to develop and deliver a support and learning programme for pupil support staff using a co-production model – sounds easy, but we know it will take a lot of hard work!

The project will build on the experience, expertise and passion of Children in Scotland and Enquire staff, children and young people with lived experience, and pupil support staff across the country.

It will bring together several strands of work we’ve been involved in over recent years – meaningful participation, engagement and co-production, our contribution to the Independent Care Review, and providing pupil support staff with learning and development opportunities.

The programme itself will be created using a truly collaborative and co-design approach with Children in Scotland staff and two working groups, that will remain involved throughout the project. One group will include children and young people with care experience and the other will include pupil support staff. The groups will work separately and together designing the programme, potentially delivering it, and updating and adapting it in light of feedback or changes.

White logos of Children in Scotland and The Promise on a pink background above pink text on a white background. Text says Promise Partnership Project

The project will have three distinct phases:

Creation of project identity and systems (March-June 2023)
Exploration: Discover, Define and Develop (July 2023 -October 2024)
Delivery: including evaluation and review (November 2024 - June 2025).

The Children in Scotland team will be made up of:

Sophie Elliott, Policy, Projects and Participation Officer
David Mackay, Head of Policy, Projects and Participation
Simon Massey, Head of Engagement & Learning
Abbey Stone, Assistant Policy, Projects and Participation Officer
Lizz Toomey, Senior Learning & Events Officer

You can email ThePromise@childreninscotland.org.uk if you have any queries about the project.

The Promise Scotland

Find out more about the work undertaken by The Promise

Click here for more

Independent Care Review

Acess resoures, information and more

Click here for more

Corra: The Promise Partnership

Funding and support to organisations and collaborations to #KeepThePromise

Click here for more

Our Vision and Values

Find out more about the values that set out our organisational beliefs and qualities

Click here for more

Our Strategic Plan 2023-2028

Read our plan which sets out what we aspire to do in the next five years

Click here to access

Enquire

The Scottish advice service for additional support for learning

Click here for more

Our Manifesto for 2021-26

Our Manifesto outlines key suggested changes in policy and legislation - it contains 10 themes and 33 calls

Click here to access

Alcohol marketing consultation – youth engagement project

January 2023 - April 2023

In November 2022, the Scottish Government published a series of proposals aimed at restricting alcohol advertising and promotion in Scotland, in recognition of the World Health Organisation’s findings that this is one of the top cost-effective ways to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm.

Children in Scotland was commissioned by the Scottish Government to support children and young people to engage in the public consultation. We worked with a small focus group over five online sessions and developed a bespoke engagement pack for schools and community groups. In total, 113 children and young people were supported to learn about the consultation and to share their views and experiences about alcohol advertising and promotion in Scotland.

In general, the children and young people we engaged with wanted to see tighter restrictions for alcohol advertising and promotion. This included reducing alcohol sponsorship and advertising linked to sports teams and events, restricting the visibility of alcohol in local shops and supermarkets, and reducing alcohol advertising on television and online. They also felt restrictions on the content of alcohol advertisements would help to prevent “slick” and “glamourous” advertisements appealing to children and young people. However, the children and young people we spoke also had concerns about the financial impact tighter restrictions could have for business.

Click here to read the project report from our engagement work

This report will be included in the analysis of the responses to the Scottish Government’s public consultation, which is scheduled to be published in autumn 2023.

If you have any questions about the project, please contact David Mackay: dmackay@childreninscotland.org.uk

Join the project

Find out more about what's involved and how to apply

Click here for more

Engagement Activity Pack

Help us gather views from young people aged 8 to 18 on how alcohol marketing is controlled in Scotland

Click here to download

Evaluation of Community Mental Health Services

April 2022 - October 2022

Scottish Youth Parliament and Children in Scotland supported a group of MSYPs to work as a peer investigation team to evaluate the mental health and wellbeing community support and services for 5–24-year-olds, their parents and carers.

The investigation team developed and delivered an evaluation framework and report in order to make recommendations to the Scottish Government’s Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Joint Delivery Board (click here to visit).

The investigation team worked with a range of local authorities across Scotland to evaluate services funded by the Scottish Government as part of its commitment to improve support for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing in Scotland.

Children in Scotland staff especially enjoyed supporting the MSYPs to engage with younger children through a range of creative and accessible methodologies.

If you would like more details, please contact David Mackay, dmackay@childreninscotland.org.uk

Partner: Scottish Youth Parliament

A youth-led, democratic organisation which aims to represent the young people of Scotland.

Click to find out more

Looking for Support?

Help and support is available right now for anyone who needs it. No one has to struggle with difficult feelings alone. Click the link below for an NHS list of support services.

Click to find out more

Time to Talk Next Steps Scotland

Time to Talk Next Steps Scotland was a 12-month pilot programme trialling online support for young people aged 16-25 with additional needs in Scotland: hearing their voice, building confidence and supporting transitions.

Aim of the pilot

To determine the best models of support, and offer timely information to young people in Scotland with additional support needs, and to their parents and carers, as they transition into adulthood.

Are you between age 16 and 25? Unsure what your next steps could be?

If you answered 'yes' to the questions above (or know a young person who would), then the Time to Talk Next Steps Scotland pilot programme might be of interest to you!

Time to Talk Next Steps Scotland offers free online support for young people in Scotland in this age group with additional support needs. It is for young people who are experiencing anxiety, isolation and who have limited or no plans for the future. They may be in school or in college or have finished formal education and be unsure how to move forward.

How does it work?

After filling out a Request for Support form, young people will be allocated support from the programme and be introduced to a trained Associate.

They will meet the young person for an introduction and find out what will be most useful to help them move forward. This might be linking them with people, useful activities or contacts in the local area or providing them with individual sessions to build confidence and explore next steps to suit.

Summary

> Support will be tailored to each individual

> Young people will be linked to an associate for individual, remote sessions

> Trained staff will focus on: strengths, reducing anxiety, building confidence and countering social isolation

> This project will help young people to think about building independence by providing encouragement and motivation for their future

> We will enable young people and their families to link with local and national activities, and we will provide useful contacts and networks.

How to make a request for support

If you, or a young person you know, would like to receive support as part of Time to Talk Next Steps Scotland, please let us know some more information, by completing a Request for Support form.

Where possible, we encourage young people to fill out their own form to support a sense of ownership and engagement. But, if the young person would prefer somebody to complete the form for them, or if you are thinking of applying on behalf of a young person that is fine too.

Requests for support from this pilot project have now concluded

How we handle your data

> Click here to view our privacy policy

What happens next?

Direct support, for 45 young people, will run over six months (July 2022 to December 2022) and we will start allocating places from August 2022.

Everyone who makes a Request for Support will be notified within six weeks or less about whether they have been assigned a Time to Talk Next Steps Associate.

Click here to learn more about the pilot: banderson@childreninscotland.org.uk

Project partners:

Time to Talk Next Steps Scotland

The project, a partnership with NDTi and Contact, was announced in February

Click here for more

NDTi

Find out more about the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi)

Click here for more

Contact

Find out more about the aims and work of Contact

Click here to learn more

National Lottery Community Fund

Find out more about the Fund and the work it supports across the country

Click here for more

Our services

We offer a range of services that provide advice and representation for children and families

Click here for more

Projects

Explore the wide range of work we undertake to support children and families

Click here for more

Youth Advisory Group - Suicide Prevention

In 2022 a new young people’s advisory group was launched as part of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy and Action Plan. The group was set up to make sure young people’s views are heard directly by decision-makers, to influence government policy.

The group is for young people aged 16-24 who have tried to take their
own life, or who have had suicidal thoughts. It is also for people who have had a bereavement by suicide (please note that two years must have passed if you have sadly lost someone through suicide for you to get involved) and those who suffer from poor mental health.

The group is an advisory group for Suicide Prevention Scotland (click here for more) and is supported by Children in Scotland and the University of Stirling (click here for more). These organisations also work with the National Suicide Prevention
Advisory Group to influence policy.

As we go into our third year of the project, we are now looking for new members.

Why should I get involved?

The group provides the opportunity to meet new people and share ideas. It creates a space to talk about how young people can get better support and experience better wellbeing.

Importantly, it’s a really good chance to be involved in making a change in Scotland and making sure young people’s views are heard.

Some of the meetings will be online, others will be in person. We meet roughly once a month. We will agree the sorts of topics we want to focus on as a group and discuss these.

To find out more about being involved in the Youth Advisory Group and how to get in touch, please click to view our information sheet.

What have we done so far and what is next?

• We have shared our views on topics related to suicide prevention like Time, Space, Compassion (an approach being used to support people in suicidal crisis), the United to Prevent Suicide Social
Movement and on some research being done on the needs of children and young people
• We have spoken at various conferences about what we think needs to change for children and young people
• We created a case study video about the group to share what we do and our work
• Going forward we will spend some time working as a group and talk about topics that are important to you.

Participation Network

As part of our work to deliver the Suicide Prevention Youth Advisory Group, Children in Scotland and University of Stirling facilitate a wider participation network. This is to support us to continue to hear from other young people and the practitioners that work with them. 

The Participation Network ensures that can hear from practitioners about their experiences of working with children and young people with experience of suicidality.

The group meets bi-monthly and offers an opportunity for practitioners to learn about national work, feed into national policy development and share good practice.

Find out more about the project

For more information about this project or to enquire about involvement in our group or network, please contact Parisa Shirazi at pshirazi@childreninscotland.org.uk

Interested in getting involved?

We are currently inviting applications to join the group. Have a look at our information sheet for further details

Click to find out more

Looking for support?

Help and support is available right now for anyone who needs it. No one has to struggle alone

Click for links to support

Suicide Prevention Scotland

Suicide Prevention Scotland is a community of people working together across different parts of Scotland to prevent suicide across our country.

Click to find out more

Partner: COSLA

Click to find out more

Partner: Scottish Government

Click to find out more

Partner: University of Stirling NMAHP

University of Stirling’s Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals (NMAHP)

Click to find out more

Looking for Support?

Breathing Space - Call 0800 83 85 87
A free, confidential, phone and webchat service for anyone in Scotland over the age of 16 experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety.
Weekdays: Mon-Fri 9pm to 2am / Weekends: 24 Hours

NHS24 - Call 111
Scotland’s provider of digital health and care services delivered by phone and through a range of digital channels including online platforms.
Mon-Thurs 6pm to 8am / Fri 6pm to Mon 8am

Samaritans - Call 116 123
If you need someone to talk to, Samaritans will listen.
24/7 365 days a year

Shout (text-based support) - Text 85258
A free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope.
24/7 (texts free from all major UK networks)

Crown Estate Scotland’s Future Forum

2022-2025

Following on from our previous work with Crown Estate Scotland (click here to explore), they asked us to work with them to set up and support their new children and young people’s advisory group.

This group allows children and young people to inform and influence Crown Estate Scotland’s work, helping to ensure that their activity takes account of a range of opinions and perspectives.

Over the past year, the group has created its vision statement, learned about the Crown Estate Scotland's work, visited their site at the Glenlivet Estate, met with their Board and have chosen their focus areas. The group are currently working on renewable energy and are looking forward to influencing the Crown Estate's work in this area.

The project is now in its second year out of three, and we are looking for children and young people aged between 11 and 21 years old to join the Forum.

Please download the project information sheet and application and consent form from this page to find out more and apply.

The deadline for applications is 5pm, Friday 20 October 2023.

If you would like to apply, or have any questions about this project, please email Parisa, pshirazi@childreninscotland.org.uk.

Our thanks to Crown Estate Scotland for the images on this page.