Over the last 3 years Aberdeen City Council has continued to work hard to uphold children’s rights. This is evidenced by the promotion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in Partnership and Service Improvement Plans. Work has extended beyond services delivering ‘traditional’ children’s services as knowledge of the UNCRC has grown across the organisation. Aberdeen City Council welcomes the Scottish Government’s intention to embed the UNCRC into Scots law with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill.
Over the last three years Aberdeen City Council has worked hard to increase children and young people’s involvement in planning for improvement in order to support our youngest citizens to realise improvement. Children and young people have influenced our approach to all 6 of the stretch outcomes which direct the work of the Community Planning Partnership.
Many services have well-established links with children and young people, these include Education Services, Children’s Social Work, Environmental, Library and Cultural Services. A wider range of services now value and promote engagement with children, young people and care leavers and this change in practice is helping to ensure that our youngest residents have a genuine opportunity to shape the place and services of Aberdeen.
Children and young people have been involved in the development of this report which summarises our journey over the last three years and gives a sense of our direction of travel.