Date: 6th August 2020
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms

The Human Rights Committee has published General Comment No.37 on Article 21 (right to peaceful assembly) which places obligations on states to protect children’s right to peacefully assemble.

Date: 6th August 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted community engagement with health and social care activities in different ways. Healthcare Improvement Scotland is looking for tips, learning or interesting examples from health and social care of engagement activities happening at a distance.

Date: 27th July 2020
Category:

Closing date: 31st July 2020

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: Child rights impact assessments

The Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland has published an independent Children’s Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) on the response to COVID-19 in Scotland.  Undertaken by the Observatory of Children’s Human Rights Scotland, of which Together is a founder member, the CRIA provides a thorough analysis of how emergency laws and policies around the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the human rights of children and young people in Scotland.  It draws heavily from briefings and resources – as well as the views and experiences of children and young people - provided by Together members and collated on our extensive COVID-19 resource webpages.

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: Family Environment and Alternative Care, Funding

The funding, announced by Deputy First Minister John Swinney, is part of an overhaul of the care system pledged by Scottish Government following the Independent Care Review. The fund will be used to support children and families and help them stay together. 

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: Family Environment and Alternative Care

In June, Scottish Children's Reporters Administration (SCRA) ran a consultation asking children and young people to share their thoughts, ideas, worries and questions about the planned return to face-to-face hearings with social distancing. SCRA has now published a report, setting out children and young people’s key concerns and what SCRA is doing to address these.  

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: Family Environment and Alternative Care, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

The findings, gathered by Carers Trust Scotland, highlight that many young carers have experienced increased pressures due to COVID-19. This has had a negative impact on young carers’ mental health and wellbeing.

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: Family Environment and Alternative Care, Special protection measures

‘Youth Just Us’ is Staf’s steering group for its Youth Justice Project. The group has launched its monthly newsletter and the July edition includes the group’s art, information about how young people are coping during COVID-19 and what young people are doing to keep busy. The group is also looking for new members to join, to take part in a range of activities whilst creatively influencing change in the care and justice systems.

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

Deputy First Minister John Swinney MSP has responded to numerous asks that more is done to ensure social inequality, racism and Black history are covered in the education curriculum.

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

A new report reviews policy progress since the 2019 Children’s Right to Food Inquiry. The Inquiry found that inconsistent and insufficient policies were leaving large numbers of children unable to access the food they need, while other policies which seemed adequate on paper, were badly implemented in practice.

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: Child poverty

The two-child limit is a policy that restricts welfare payments to families based on family size. A new report from Just Fair finds that the policy is contrary to the UK’s human rights obligations as it forces families into poverty and hardship by preventing access to an adequate income.

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category:

Michelle Bachelet spoke at Child Rights Connect’s 2020 General Assembly, where 45 regional, national and local child rights organisations from around the world gathered. Michelle Bachelet’s keynote speech touched upon the impact of COVID-19 on children and the importance of to advance a child rights-based and multi-sectoral response to the pandemic.

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Child poverty

Child Poverty Action Group has partnered with the University of York and University of Birmingham to produce the survey which seeks to understand the challenges parents and carers on low income are facing during the current pandemic. The aim is to document the impact of COVID-19 on these families and help policymakers make better decisions.

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

Commissioned by Action for Children, a YouGov survey of over 2000 parents has highlighted the impact of COVID-19 and life in lockdown.

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: Child poverty

Eurochild implores EU leaders to put children’s best interests at the heart of their budgeting decisions by supporting the proposal that each Member State allocates at least 5% of the European Social Fund Plus to address child poverty, in line with a Council Recommendation on the Child Guarantee.

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: General measures of implementation

CRIN’s webpage features recommendations by international, regional and national human rights bodies and organisations on a wide range of issues. CRIN encourages organisations to share their materials so this list of resources is up to date.

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms, General principles, Respect for the views of the child

Save the Children has developed a map which highlights some of the efforts its offices and partners continue to take to advance child participation during the pandemic.

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: Family Environment and Alternative Care

Children’s Hearings Scotland wants to hear from organisations associated with the care sector or those who work directly with children with experience of care in a series of feedback sessions about its Child Rights and Inclusion Strategy. The Strategy aims to ensure children feel able to speak openly and honestly in hearings, that their views are given real weight in the decision-making process and children feel empowered and have ownership of their rights.

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

A new House of Lords Select Committee on COVID-19 is asking for individuals and organisations to share their views on the long-term implications of the pandemic as part of their Life beyond COVID inquiry.

Date: 22nd July 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Civil Rights and Freedoms, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities, Family Environment and Alternative Care

The report presents an overview of children’s rights-related progress by and information on the Council of Europe’s actions and achievements under each of the five thematic areas of the Strategy on the Rights of the Child, namely; equal opportunities for all children, participation of all children, a life free from violence for all children, the rights of the child in the digital environment.