Date: 17th April 2019
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Health and health services, Right to life, survival and development

Key societal shifts are expected in demography, the labour market, economic inclusion, education, technology and social patterns in the next decade. These are likely to affect children and young people’s health and wellbeing in a variety of ways.

Date: 2nd April 2019
Category: Disabled children, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Civil Rights and Freedoms

Child Rights Connect has been following three resolutions at the Human Rights Council that were tabled on 14th March 2019 on empowering children with disabilities, recognising children as environmental human rights defenders and celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the UNCRC.

Date: 2nd April 2019
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Civil Rights and Freedoms

In response to the adoption of the Resolution on environmental human rights defenders, Child Rights Connect has shared a press release circulated by the Committee on the Rights of the Child, jointly with the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and the Special Rapporteur. They highlight the importance of the resolution for children who are currently standing up for their right to a healthy and sustainable environment.

Date: 28th March 2019
Category: Child poverty, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Health and health services

The Scottish Government is at risk of missing its own child poverty targets by more than 100,000 children, according to projections from the Resolution Foundation.

Date: 28th March 2019
Category: Family Environment and Alternative Care, Civil Rights and Freedoms, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

The Opening Doors for Europe’s Children – a pan-European campaign that advocates for strengthening families and ending institutional care – released 16 country fact sheets about the progress with the transition from institutional to family and community-based care (also known as deinstitutionalisation) in 2018.

Date: 26th March 2019
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, General measures of implementation

Date: 25 March to 17 June 2019. The Scottish Government is holding a formal consultation on the continued effectiveness of statutory guidance provided to Community Planning Partnerships in support of Part 3 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.

Date: 21st March 2019
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities, Civil Rights and Freedoms

In December 2019, Scottish Ministers laid before Parliament a report on actions relevant to children’s rights taken over the past three years and an Action Plan for the next three years, in line with Part 1 duties included in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. As part of the work towards achieving the commitments laid out in the Action Plan, the Children’s Rights and Participation Team is hosting six, free unconference events, ‘Rights Cafés’, around Scotland.

Date: 20th March 2019
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Civil Rights and Freedoms

A new report by YouthLink Scotland and Youth Scotland shows youth workers have witnessed a negative impact on community relations since the EU Referendum in June 2016. The Hear.EU report explores the impact of Brexit on the youth work sector in Scotland.

Date: 20th March 2019
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Mental health

The Scottish Parliament’s Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee has released its report on children and young people's mental health. Recommendations echo what children and young people themselves have said.

Date: 20th March 2019
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Disabled children

Closing Date: 28th May 2019. From April 2020 the Scottish Government will take full responsibility for all remaining devolved entitlements to disability assistance, with replacement disability payments to start their introduction from summer 2020.

Date: 20th March 2019
Category: Disabled children, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

The Keys to Life framework update has been launched by the Scottish Government and COSLA. The 2015 Keys to Life in its original form focused on improving quality of life for people with learning disabilities, specifically around health outcomes. The latest update of the Keys to Life identifies what will be done to support people throughout their whole life journey. The framework was created in partnership with the Scottish Commission on Learning Disabilities (SCLD) and the Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory.

Date: 14th March 2019
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

Last week, the Scottish Government held the third annual Cabinet meeting with children and young people at Bute House, Edinburgh.

Date: 13th March 2019
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Health and health services, Equal protection from violence

A new report reveals how national and local government is failing to protect children in England whilst policymakers focus on Brexit, leaving children traumatised, powerless and vulnerable to abuse in many areas of their lives. The State of Children’s Rights in 2018 report includes new data gathered using Freedom of Information requests which highlights issues such as: housing and accommodation, increasing violence against children, and the increased use of spit hoods by police. 

Date: 28th February 2019
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms, General principles, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

Closing date: Friday, 29th March 2019. The Scottish Government is asking for views on their Good Food Nation public consultation. In 2014, Becoming a Good Food Nation, set a new vision for Scotland: that by 2025 Scotland will be “a Good Food Nation, where people from every walk of life take pride and pleasure in, and benefit from, the food they produce, buy, cook, serve, and eat each day.” This consultation is all about what laws we should have to achieve this.

Date: 28th February 2019
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities, Civil Rights and Freedoms

Together has responded to a call for evidence on Scotland’s progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs were launched in 2015 and set out 17 Goals with the aim of encouraging all countries to implement the necessary environmental, economic and social change to achieve peace and prosperity for all.

Date: 21st February 2019
Category: Health and health services, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

The Models of Child Health Appraised (MOCHA) project has spent three years identifying and critically assessing the differing models of child primary health care that are used across Europe. 

Date: 21st February 2019
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Civil Rights and Freedoms, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

CRIN is a creative think tank that produces new and dynamic perspectives on human rights issues, with a focus on children’s rights. CRIN is saying goodbye to business as usual and introducing the CRIN code. The code sets out their values, principles and vision for a rights-respecting world and how they intend to get there.

Date: 12th February 2019
Category: General measures of implementation, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

Last year Getting it Right for Every Child Practice Development Panel was established and tasked by ministers to develop a Code of Practice around information sharing, for children, families and people who support them. Together’s Director Juliet Harris is one of the panel members who will be responsible for producing a draft Code of Practice for information sharing, by consensus.

Date: 12th February 2019
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Civil Rights and Freedoms, Access to appropriate information, Family reunification, Care Experienced children, Protection from abuse or neglect, Family Environment and Alternative Care, Awareness-raising, Best interests of the child, Refugee , migrant and asylum-seeking children

Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB) have created a factsheet for social workers and any professional protecting children on the impact Brexit may have on children and families who are crossing, or separated by, international boarders living in the UK.

Date: 16th November 2018
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities, Family Environment and Alternative Care

Sally Holland, Children’s Commissioner for Wales, has published a policy position statement in which she reflects on the potentials and pitfalls of Adverse Childhood Experiences, commonly referred to as ‘ACES’, being the driver of policy for children, concluding that a human-rights based approach is needed in order to ensure that every child gets an equal chance to fulfil their potential. Holland outlines five principles of a children’s human-rights based approach - embedding children’s rights, non-discrimination and equality, empowerment, participation and accountability – arguing that the positive awareness of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Wales can fit into a wider commitment to ensuring children’s human rights are at the heart of policy and practice: