Information, News and Events
Chief Officer blog: United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child
Graeme Simpson
Chief Officer - CSW & Family Support
17 July 2024
On 16 July 2024 Scotland became the first part of the UK to incorporate the United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scots Law. This means that children's rights are now legally protected and public authorities, including Aberdeen City Council, have a duty to respect, protect and fulfil them.
The UNCRC is an international treaty that sets out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of every child, regardless of their race, religion, abilities, gender or background. It recognises that children have the right to be heard, to be safe, to be healthy, to be educated, to play and to have a say in decisions that affect them.
What does the UNCRC mean for child protection in Aberdeen?
Aberdeen City Council is committed to ensuring that every child in our city is safe, nurtured, respected and included. The UNCRC supports and strengthens our child protection messages by providing a clear and comprehensive set of rights that all children are entitled to. By incorporating the UNCRC into law, we are making a strong statement that children's rights matter and that we will do everything we can to uphold them.
Some of the ways that the UNCRC will enhance our child protection work are:
- It will let children know and demand their rights and have a say in matters that affect them.
- It will give us a shared way of talking and working with children, families and partners on child protection issues.
- It will help us to find and tackle the problems and difficulties that stop some children from having their rights.
- It will allow us to check and report on how we are doing in relation to child protection and children's rights.
UNCRC Implementation update
Building on the below post I have attached comms from the Scottish Government in relation to UNCRC Implementation. The update is very accessible and contains links to a number of useful resources (including the one above). I would encourage you all to make the time to read this update and discuss this topic within your team meetings. The more we speak UNCRC incorporation the better prepared we all will be to understand its implications.
The full extent of the implications of this significant legislative change will only become clear when the Courts are asked to determine the parameters of the Act. While children's rights have been central to good social work practice for many years, we need to continue to challenge ourselves as to whether there is more we can do to give effect to the rights of children and young people. Among other things do we:
- make information available to all children and young people in a manner they can easily access,
- enable children and young people to make complaints about the services they receive;
- ensure we give sufficient opportunity to enable children to fully participate the planning for their care and support and more broadly on the design of accessibility of services they access.
I have seen many examples of really good social work practice which demonstrate intervention that is compassionate and rights focused. We are therefore starting from a strong base to continue to ensure children's rights are core to all we do.
Graeme Simpson
Chief Social Work Officer
Resources to support your work on Child's Rights and the UNCRC
10 July 2024
With just under a week until the UNCRC (Implementation) (Scotland) Act 2024 commences on 16 July 2024, please find a summary, prepared by the Improvement Service Scotland, of some of the resources available to support work related to children’s rights. We have shared several of these previously, but this pulls information together into one document with associated links. It also includes sign up information about the Children’s Human Rights Knowledge Hub Group where you can receive a weekly activity update.
Resources to Support your work on Children’s Rights and the UNCRC | Aberdeen City Council
Children's Rights in Our Communities
The video below follows four young people on a ‘children’s rights journey’ through their community, interacting with representatives from various public authorities to learn about the practical ways that public authorities can respect children’s rights.
Launch of Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland - Our Plan 2024-2028
19 April 2024 saw the launch of the children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland 4-year plan, built around children and young people’s views. You will see that the main issues the children and young people spoken with want focus on are:
- education
- poverty
- mental health
- discrimination
- climate change
They also said that they want to be involved in making decisions that affect their lives.
You can find out more about our plan through the report, video, PowerPoint presentation, and Easy Read version.
Children's Human Rights - Information for Children and Young People
13 February 2024
This leaflet has been produced by Children's First. Have a look here - Children's Human Rights - Information for Children and Young People.
Care Day and Bright Spots Launch Event
Friday 16th February 2024 marks International Care Day. It is the world's biggest celebration of anyone who has been or is currently in care. The day is an opportunity to celebrate those with care experience and challenge the stigma that can be faced by the community.
This year in Aberdeen we aim to have a celebratory event, in 116 Westburn Road, for those with experience of care, their carers and workers to come along to have fun with e.g. craft making, taster yoga, performing Rap Music, meet and draw with an illustrator and have a bite to eat and drink.
If you are able to come along, please let Megan Geddes MeGeddes@aberdeencity.gov.uk know in advance, so that we have an idea of the numbers of young people, family members or carers who may attend and can ensure everyone is catered for.
As well as the above Celebration, we intend to launch our Bright Spots Research Programme.
You can also find out more about what this means here -
Bright Spots - Your Life, Your Care | Aberdeen City Council for children and young people in care aged 4 to 18.
Bright Spots - Your Life Beyond Care | Aberdeen City Council for care leavers age 16 to 26.
Bright Spots
5 February 2024
Aberdeen City Council are working with the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection (CELCIS) and Coram Voice on ‘Bright Spots’, a programme which aims to provide an opportunity for children and young people to share their experiences of care and how they feel about their lives. Find out more about what this means for you here -
Bright Spots - Your Life, Your Care | Aberdeen City Council for children and young people in care aged 4 to 18.
Bright Spots - Your Life Beyond Care | Aberdeen City Council for care leavers age 16 to 26
Bright Spots Project | Aberdeen City Council for carers
UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill – Now United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024.
26 January 2024
As previously announced, the Bill received Royal Assent on 16 January and is now the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024
Please note that the numbering of some of its sections doesn’t match those in the Bill. It is only once the Act is published that numbering is updated to reflect additions and deletions during a Bill's Parliamentary passage.
The Scottish Government has arranged for early commencement of the provisions that allow them to consult on and publish statutory guidance for public authorities and to produce court rules for dealing with incompatibility cases. These provisions will commence on 31 January 2024.
All other provisions, including the compatibility duty, will commence on 16 July 2024.
The Rights Service has previously shared some related resources and links and the latest resource to highlight is Non-statutory guidance on taking a children's human rights approach, published this month. It provides sections related to introductions to the UNCRC and to the Incorporation, methods to embed rights approaches in practice with supporting case studies, good practice examples and further resources and links to other relevant policy areas.
Finally, the children’s rights knowledge hub is an online community of people working to ensure that children's rights are realised in Scotland, with a particular focus on how public bodies are implementing the UNCRC. If you are interested in this, you need to sign up to access it.
UNCRC Bill receives Royal Assent
24 January 2024
On 17 January 2024, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill received Royal Assent and become an Act.
It contains specific measures to remove barriers which children may face in realising their rights and accessing justice and its implementation intends to further a culture of everyday rights accountability.
There will be a six month commencement period for the Act with most provisions coming into effect in July 2024.
There are a number of elements to the Act which will apply to all public functions within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament. The following links tell you more about these and the Act in General. News - Children's Human Rights in Scotland #UNCRC - Knowledge Hub (khub.net) and Landmark moment as Scotland incorporates children's rights in law - UNICEF UK
Amended UNCRC Bill Passed
3 January 2023
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) Bill.
On 7 December 2023, MSPs voted unanimously to pass the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill to provide greater protection of children’s rights. It was previously passed in March 2021, but after a challenge from the UK Government, the Supreme Court ruled that it went beyond Holyrood’s powers, and the legislation became the first to be ‘reconsidered’ by the Scottish Parliament.
The newly passed bill has been amended so that it now applies only to devolved matters. Unless challenged again by Westminster, the law is expected to receive Royal Assent in four weeks.
Read more about this here - News - Advancing Children's Rights in Law.
Let’s Be Heard – Sharing Scotland’s Covid Experience
7 December 2023
As you will be aware, the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry is investigating the devolved strategic response to the coronavirus pandemic in Scotland. The inquiry aims to establish the facts, identify lessons to be learned and make recommendations to Scottish Ministers.
This post is just to highlight that this engagement phase of the inquiry ends on 20 December 2023. If you or any of the children and families you support have not already seen or know about this, Let's Be Heard is the main way in which people can engage with the Inquiry, providing an opportunity for everyone to make sure their voice is heard. It’s a platform where people can share their experiences. It contains a range of tools and resources to support this, including materials for children.
UNCRC Updates
02 November 2023
Reconsideration of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill
Updating on the last post, the reconsideration debate is to be fixed before the end of the year. It is expected that the timeframe from Royal Assent for commencement will be 6 months, though there may be some areas which could commence early, though no earlier than 2 months from Royal Assent. You can continue to read more about this at Reconsideration of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill 13 September 2023.
NEW child-friendly resource on the UN Concluding Observations
Together, in partnership with the Children’s Parliament, Scottish Youth Parliament and the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, has just launched this child friendly resource explaining the UN Concluding Observations made by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child for the UK and Scottish Government.
In June 2023, the UN Committee issued nearly 200 recommendations to the UK and Scottish Government, known as the ‘concluding observations’. This is after #TeamScotlandUN, a group of children and young people from Scotland, supported by those noted partners, travelled to Geneva to give evidence about the state of children’s rights. The resulting recommendations essentially form a ‘to-do-list’ of key things the Scottish Government and others should be doing to uphold children’s rights. The recommendations include a call on Scottish Government to ‘expeditiously’ bring forward the amendments needed to bring the UNCRC Bill into effect.
The resource is built around a Rights Express Train which takes children and young people on a journey through Scotland's ‘to do’ list to get children's #RightsOnTrack.
Skills and Knowledge Framework for UNCRC
This has been launched on this new website, https://uncrc.scot/, where you can find out more about the project
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Reconsideration of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill
6 October 2023
The motion inviting the Scottish Parliament to agree reconsideration of the UNCRC Bill was passed on 14 September 2023 with the amendments being formally lodged on 18 September 2023.
It will now be for Parliament to consider what scrutiny is required of the amendments by the Committee and then Government, and any other lodged amendments, will be debated at a reconsideration debate in Parliament. This is the first time there has been Reconsideration, so the process is new for everyone.
You can read more about reconsideration and the journey of the Bill here.
Reconsideration of the UNCRC Bill
14 September 2023
The Scottish Parliament scheduled a debate on the Reconsideration of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill for Thursday the 14th of September. You can view the debate here Scottish Government Debate: United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill (Reconsideration) | Scottish Parliament TV.
An Animation by Clan Childlaw
6 September 2023
The Right to get legal advice, help and representation is a recurring theme for those children, young people and young adults who access the Rights Service.
'Alright?' - An animation by Clan Childlaw - Clan Childlaw, is a co-produced 'call to action' from young people about what they want from their lawyers. At just over 3 minutes long, it reflects a young person's felt experience of rights, laws and support systems, highlighting a significant gap between what young people want and what they often experience. It spotlights the importance of relationships, time and what lawyers can do to uphold children’s rights.
This link also tells you a bit more about the project sitting behind the animation and a 'behind the scenes' look at the animation in development.
Updated National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021
31 August 2023
Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland Annual Report 2022/2023, Published on site 8 August 2023
14 August 2023
This link https://www.cypcs.org.uk/resources/annual-report-2022-23/ takes you to the CYPC Scotland Annual Report - the full and the children and young people’s versions - which cover the period from April 2022 to March 2023 and is the final report for Bruce Adamson as he steps down as Commissioner to make way for the new Commissioner, Nicola Killean. The report narrates its review of the year, its investigations, governance and responses and the year ahead.
The report acknowledges the persistent impact of Covid 19 and the need for a rights-based approach to recovery. It outlines the centrality of the involvement of children and young people in its work. The incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law remains a top legislative priority with continued urgency to address the required amendments. Primary themes include child poverty, mental health, education, youth justice, corporate parenting, young asylum seekers and climate justice.
Follow on regarding the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill
7 August 2023
Ministerial update on reconsideration of the UNCRC Incorporation Bill – what does this mean for children’s rights?
Together Scotland have published a Blog which provides some useful infographics summarising the impacts and how the revised approach compares to the Bill’s approach in its original form.
Nick Hobbs, Acting Children and Young People’s Commissioner has likewise made comment in their ‘news and stories’ - Amendments to UNCRC Bill must not create further delay emphasising that children cannot wait any longer for their rights to be protected in law, nor for the culture change needed to make their rights real.
Aberdeen Young Person's Rights Service Annual Report 2022
29 June 2023
The Aberdeen Young Person's Rights Service Annual Report 2022 has now been published.
Hot off the Press: ‘Ministerial Statement: Reconsideration of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill’
28 June 2023
On 27 June 2023 Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Sommerville provided an update to the Scottish Parliament on intentions to progress the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill. In this statement she outlined the considerations that the Scottish Government had been working with to ensure that they can work within the amendments of the Supreme Court judgement and make effective progress with the Bill. She confirmed that the new proposals will mean that the compatibility duty will apply only when public authorities are delivering duties under powers in an Act of the Scottish Parliament.
Here’s the full Ministerial Statement: Reconsideration of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill Statement which includes examples of the impact of this on areas such as education and children's services and more details about the next steps.
The Scottish Government will be writing to Local Authority Chief Executives this week to update them on this change.
‘Decision-making: children and young people's participation’, Scottish Government
26 June 2023
This associated updated Guidance aims to support those who are required to and/or want to engage with children as part of their decision-making. It brings together various resources related to participation such as practice examples and research alongside contact details of practitioners and researcher who can provide further information and guidance.
New Service Video
27 June 2023
Check out our new video which tells you all about our service.
‘The Right Way to Meaningful Participation’ Project, Scottish Youth Parliament, funded by the Scottish Governments Children’s Rights Unit
23 June 2023
This Project aims to support and challenge officials and decision-makers, as duty bearers, to work to ensure that children’s Article 12 Right is respected.
Nine Resources, including jargon busters, top tips, FAQs, online training and more, have been co-produced to support this intention, helping decision-makers practice meaningful participation.
You can find out more about the project and access the resources here: https://www.therightway.scot/resources
The Role of Commissions and Commissioners in Scotland and the UK (Scottish Government, 2023) and Public Consultation Launce of the Human Rights Bill for Scotland: Consultation
21 June 2023
The aim of this research, commissioned by the Scottish Government and undertaken by Research Scotland, is to increase understanding of the role of commissions and commissioners which support human rights. The research is undertaken in a context of broader work to protect, promote and uphold people’s rights in Scotland including :
- The Independent Review of Learning Disability and Autism in the Mental Health Act
- The Mental Health Law Review
- The development of a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill, including discussion and consultation about the potential establishment of a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Commissioner
- The new Human Rights Bill, which is now in the public consultation phase - https://consult.gov.scot/equality-and-human-rights/a-human-rights-bill-for-scotland-consultation/ - closing on 5 October
You will see that there is a full report, an executive summary and an ‘easy to read’.
- Commissions and Commissioners - Full Report
- Commissions and Commissioners - Executive Summary
- Commissions and Commissioners - Easy Read
Information, News and Events
8 June 2023
We began producing information in the form of a fortnightly bulletin at the onset of the pandemic. Emergency measures were inevitably presenting rights challenges and the bulletin was one attempt to ‘sight’ the Workforce on local, national and international sampled rights and participation issues.
These changed to a monthly ‘Voice Snapshot’ format in Jan 2022, the aim being to promote local voice and lived experience.
At the beginning of 2023, the Service paused these due to focusing on preparing for the forthcoming incorporation of the UNCRC into domestic law. This will include, among other things, seeking your views on how the Service can best communicate local ‘voice’ across the workforce, how we collect and consider data about what matters most to children, young people and young adults and how we share rights-related information with you. Further details about this will follow in due course.
Whilst paused, we will still, however, regularly ‘spotlight’ any particular rights related news and information here.
Here’s something to start us off:
Understanding Children's Human Rights: A Guide for Public Services in Scotland’ (Improvement Service, 2023)
This new online resource is aimed at those working in public bodies in Scotland, including local authorities and health boards, who are interested in learning more about children’s rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
It offers an introduction to children’s human rights and to the UNCRC and outlines which is happening in Scotland to protect these rights.
Bringing together a range of articles, videos, quizzes and practical tools, some familiar and some new, it supports a rights-approach in practice. You can ‘dip in and out’ of the resource as time allows or if there is a particular aspect you want to focus on.
Useful Links
National Information – includes additional resources
National guidance for child protection in Scotland 2021
Care Inspectorate - Children and young people
CELCIS - Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection
Children's and Young People's Centre for Justice - CYCJ
The Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland
Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry — Home
Secure Care Pathway and Standards Scotland
Staf (Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum)
Together (Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights)
Transforming Psychological Trauma
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) - Unicef UK
Resources
Creating child-friendly versions of written documents: A guide
Getting Ready for UNCRC Incorporation
How to write a child-friendly document
Human Rights Based Approach | Scottish Human Rights Commission
My Rights, My Say (myrightsmysay.scot)