Date: 10th July 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Civil Rights and Freedoms, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

The UN Human Rights Council held its Annual Day on the Rights of the Child on 1st July 2020. For the first time, children human rights defenders spoke in both panels to raise children’s voice and perspectives on the environment.

Date: 10th July 2020
Category: Equal protection from violence

A study conducting interviews with 25 specialist organisations working with young people affected by sexual violence across Europe and North America has identified the benefits of peer support initiatives and challenges faced when implementing these initiatives.

Date: 10th July 2020
Category: Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

Closing date: 31st August 2020

Date: 10th July 2020
Category:

Closing date: 15th September 2020

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Civil Rights and Freedoms, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities, Family Environment and Alternative Care

Fundamental Rights Agency’s Fundamental Rights Report 2020 report finds that growing intolerance and attacks on people’s fundamental rights continue to erode the considerable progress of protecting and promoting the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Respect for the views of the child

Children’s right to participate in decision‑making in all matters that affect their lives is a well‑established legal principle in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.International research indicates states are increasingly implementing this right in the sphere of public decision-making. This research explores the processes and structures across a variety of countries that are conducive to ensure children can effectively participate in decision making.

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, General principles

Children will feel the largest impact of climate change and yet, despite their vulnerability, children are often overlooked in the design and content of climate policies and related processes. This report aimed to assess and contribute to addressing the gap between current practice and a ‘child-sensitive’ approach to climate policymaking.

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Child poverty

Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Save the Children recently polled 3,000 families with children claiming Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit to discover their experience of COVID-19.

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Incorporation

The Moray House School of Education and Sport recently welcomed Professor Kirsten Sandberg to give the School’s Annual Lecture 2020 titled ‘Making Children’s Rights Real: The opportunities of incorporating the Convention on the Rights of the Child’.

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Family Environment and Alternative Care

Staf’s campaign would like to highlight and document good practice adopted during the pandemic when working with children and young people in and leaving care, particularly around relationship-based and trauma-focused practice. Examples gathered will be taken to Scottish Government, to build back a better Scotland at the end of this crisis.

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms

The Scottish Child Law Centre offers free expert legal advice on children’s rights and child law across Scotland. Its new website will make it easier for advice line users to find out about the services offered and how to contact Scottish Child Law Centre.  

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

Barnardo’s Scotland has detailed how it has continued to promote, monitor, report and protect the rights of children and young people amid COVID-19. This work was prompted by concerns that children and young people’s participation rights have not been upheld.

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Education, including vocational education, Recreation, play and cultural activities

Scotland’s AI Strategy wants to include children and young people’s visions of the use of artificial intelligence in Scotland and to create better awareness of what artificial intelligence is. To do this, it has created fun activity learning and quizzes, which upon completion YoungScot are offering 50 reward points.

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

Engender has set out nine evidence-based ideas, challenges, and calls to enable inclusive growth and recovery from COVID-19. They describe features of an economy that works for women as well as men and aims to create better jobs, better decision-making, and a more adequate standard of living for all.

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Family Environment and Alternative Care

The Children (Scotland) Bill aims to make changes to how disputes involving children are resolved when families break down. It aims to ensure the voice of the child is heard in court proceedings, measures are aimed at protecting the best interests of children and regulate child contact centres and child welfare reporters. This Bill has now passed stage two, during which proposed amendments were voted on.

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Family Environment and Alternative Care

The UK Supreme Court has published its judgment in relation to two Scottish cases which challenged the compatibility of the Children’s Hearing System and the participation rights of siblings with Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms, Policies & procedures

One factor identified by the Human Rights Consortium Scotland which hinders Public Interest Litigation, is the restrictive test on who has legal standing to take a case to court. From this, Chris McCorkindale and Douglas Jack produce a briefing on how Scotland can adopt a more expansive test to enable organisations to engage in these legal proceedings in the interest of those they represent.

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Child poverty, Education, including vocational education

COVID-19 has magnified the already greater risk of poorer educational outcomes and wellbeing, increased barriers to engagement and reduced participation in school life associated with growing up in poverty. This finding originates from a survey that looked at how household income has affected children’s experiences of education while they learn from home.

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

On 23rd June 2020, the Deputy First Minister John Swinney MSP updated Parliament on plans to reopen schools and announced that Scottish Government will provide a further £100 million over the next two years to help support children returning to school and recover “lost ground”.

Date: 25th June 2020
Category: Child poverty

Through a package of £27.6 million of additional funding from Scottish Government, councils will be enabled to continue the provision of free school meals during the summer holidays and other food provision to help low income families during COVID-19.