Date: 12th October 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

Public Health Scotland developed the COVID-19 Early Years Resilience and Impact Survey to find out about the experience and impact of COVID-19 on children aged two to seven years old in Scotland. Over 11,000 parents and carers from all over Scotland responded.

Date: 12th October 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

Ten metrics have been used to provide a holistic picture of the UK’s food system, encompassing the food environment, drivers of food choice and the impact of the current food system on our health and the environment.

Date: 12th October 2020
Category: Child poverty, Family Environment and Alternative Care

COVID-19 is a global health crisis with significant economic and social costs. This paper seeks to further the understanding of what this crisis means for children and their families in Southern and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Date: 12th October 2020
Category: UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Non-discrimination

It is estimated that six million Roma live in the EU, many of whom face prejudice and social exclusion. A new EU Roma strategic framework sets out targets for 2030 to promote equality, socio-economic inclusion and meaningful participation of Roma people.

Date: 12th October 2020
Category: Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC

Child Rights Connect is calling upon governments to pay their UN membership contributions in full. Currently only 122 out of 193 member states have made payment in full. Delays to payments inhibit human rights mechanisms from carrying out their fundamental functions, which is even more vital in the midst of the global human rights crisis exacerbated by COVID-19.

Date: 12th October 2020
Category: Refugee , migrant and asylum-seeking children

The number of unaccompanied children seeking refugee protection in Scotland more than doubled between 2018 and 2019, figures from the Scottish Guardianship Service show. Last year the service helped 165 children, up from 81 who arrived in 2018.

Date: 12th October 2020
Category: Incorporation

The Equalities and Human Rights Committee has launched a child friendly version of the consultation on the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill. The children’s version is accompanied by resources and information, including a facilitator pack to help adults planning engagement activities with children around the Bill.

Date: 12th October 2020
Category: Incorporation

Clare Simpson from Parenting Across Scotland writes about UNCRC incorporation and the work of the Care Review offering the scaffolding for change for Scottish families. Dr Kasey McCall-Smith, who serves on the Expert Advisory Group on UNCRC incorporation highlights some of the key features of the UNCRC Incorporation Bill that will push for a better future for children in Scotland.

Date: 9th October 2020
Category: Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC

A total of 523 NGOs signed a joint letter to show support to the Treaty Bodies, express concerns at current delays and highlight the importance of Treaty Bodies performing their monitoring functions given the human rights impact of COVID-19.

Date: 9th October 2020
Category: Other human rights treaties and mechanisms

Scotland’s first National Action Plan for Human Rights (SNAP) set out an ambitious roadmap towards a Scotland where everyone can live with human dignity. Scotland’s second National Action Plan for Human Rights (SNAP 2) seeks to further realise this aim.

Date: 9th October 2020
Category: Equal protection from violence

The Scotland-wide campaign urges everyone to be alert to signs of children who may have experienced trauma, neglect, or abuse during lockdown. It encourages people to act if they are concerned that something is wrong.

Date: 9th October 2020
Category: UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Non-discrimination

Twelve young Anti-Racist and Pro-Black Ambassadors from Intercultural Youth Scotland led a consultation involving 63 young Black and People of Colour Scots aged 15 and over. The consultation’s aim was to shed light on young Black and People of Colour’s experiences, wellbeing, education, and perceived life opportunities arising from COVID-19.

Date: 9th October 2020
Category: Child poverty

This report looks at poverty in Scotland before and during the coronavirus outbreak. It highlights the importance of work, social security and housing costs in solving poverty in Scotland, as well as the extent to which COVID-19 has swept more people in poverty.

Date: 9th October 2020
Category: Family Environment and Alternative Care

Scotland’s first national standards for secure care set out what support children and young people should expect when in, or on the edges of, secure care.

Date: 8th October 2020
Category: Incorporation

The draft response draws on the views and experience of our members, children and young people to highlight positive aspects of the Bill and where it could be further strengthened. In publishing our draft response early, we hope it will support our members in preparing their own responses.

Date: 25th September 2020
Category: General measures of implementation

The report from the 2019 Rights of the Child UK (ROCK) Conference is now available online. 

Date: 22nd September 2020
Category: Policies & procedures

Thank you to all who attended Together’s AGM on 17th September and to those who stood for election. Together is delighted to welcome four new trustees to the Board.

Date: 22nd September 2020
Category: General measures of implementation, Incorporation

Academics, practitioners and children’s organisations have produced a series of blogs which answer questions related to incorporation and the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill. Questions addressed include: Does incorporation matter? What will incorporation mean for children and young people? What will incorporation do for youth workers?

Date: 22nd September 2020
Category: Child poverty

Scottish Government’s annual homelessness statistics show 31’333 households were assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness in 2019-20. This is a 4% increase on 2018-19, with 15’711 children affected.

Date: 22nd September 2020
Category: Child poverty

The latest figures from independent food banks across Scotland show they distributed more than twice as many parcels during June-July 2020 than in June-July 2019.