Date: 11th June 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities, Civil Rights and Freedoms, Family Environment and Alternative Care

The report includes data about the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on vulnerable children and families in Scotland in the initial weeks of the ‘lockdown’, and the way that services adapted and responded to the crisis.

Date: 11th June 2020
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

Paragraphs 24 and 25 of the UN Human Rights Committee’s List of Issues relate to children's rights, specifically concerning putting an end to corporal punishment and increasing the age of criminal responsibility.

Date: 5th June 2020
Category: Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC

These webinars will explore children’s rights issues in Scotland which will inform our report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Based upon our examination of the UK’s progress implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child the UN Committee will make recommendations and thereby influencing legislation and policy.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

In an open letter to the First Minister, organisations are calling for a direct financial boost for all families living on low incomes to support them through the coronavirus crisis.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: General principles, Civil Rights and Freedoms

Country leaders from New Zealand, Argentina, Finland, and Norway have attempted to address the key concerns raised by their country’s youngest inhabitants in a child friendly way.  Following on from this, young people from Scotland have joined the conversation as to why politics is not just for adults and why their concerns should be listened to.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Funding

Scottish Government has recently committed to a rights-based approach to decision making when transitioning out of lockdown. To translate this into action, the Government should follow the series of recommendations made by Scottish Human Rights Commission and Social Care Alliance Scotland, and adhere to the principles of accountability, transparency and participation when making budgetary decisions.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Civil Rights and Freedoms, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

Following reports that parents are facing criticism by members of the public and supermarket staff for bring their children to the shops, the Children and Young People’s Commissioner  Scotland wrote to supermarket Chief Executives urging them to provide guidance and training to staff.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Civil Rights and Freedoms, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

The concerns of a group of people with lived experience of poverty have been captured in the first five weeks of lockdown. The briefing aims to draw the UK and Scottish Government and Parliament’s attention to the experiences of people in poverty during the pandemic and offer suggestions on how to take a human rights-based approach to directing resources over the coming months.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms

The Crown Estate Scotland is responsible for the management of land and property in Scotland by the Monarchy. To children and young people’s insight is taken into account in the 2020-23 Corporate Plan, the views of seven to 25-year-olds on Scotland's land, seabed and coast were gathered.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Civil Rights and Freedoms, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities, General measures of implementation

Aoife Nolan, Professor of International Human Rights Law and Co-Director of the Human Rights Law Centre at the University of Nottingham analyses whether children have become the biggest victims of this pandemic as she explores the effect of COVID-19.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Family Environment and Alternative Care

Connect’s survey ran for the first four weeks of school closures and received 1578 responses from parents and carers across 29 local authorities in Scotland. Concerns of parents and carers include: their ability to support their child’s learning, children’s health and wellbeing, lack of social interaction and absence of communication from school or nursery.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Recreation, play and cultural activities

Play Scotland is asking all organisations in the play sector to share their play and family-based resources which would help parents and families during this time.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms, General principles

Carers Trust Scotland is asking young carers to share their experience of being a young carer in school, university, college in Scotland, or who are in the process of applying to university or college. Clan Childlaw is seeking the insight from children, young people, family members, carers or professionals supporting children and young people about how COVID-19 is and lockdown is affecting them and what they think the long-term impact of the pandemic will be.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

Following the closures of schools due to COVID-19, councils and schools are currently offering support for families and children. Parents or carers with school aged children can share their thoughts and experiences of the success of the support offered by government, councils and schools and identify areas of improvement.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Family Environment and Alternative Care

Adoption UK ran a week-long survey in April for parents and carers of care-experienced children who would normally be in school. The UK-wide survey received 660 valid responses and found 85% of care-experienced children are not receiving additional support for their home-based learning. Following this finding, the organisation is calling on the governments in all four nations to provide additional funding and resources to help schools support these children.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC

Over 40 NGOs issue a joint letter to encourage United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies to explore all possible options to ensure continuous monitoring of States’ compliance with their treaty obligations during the crisis.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Children of prisoners

States must remember that the children of those held in detention are rights holders, and that their rights and their best interests must be considered in all COVID-19 responses which impact upon them. This paper discusses the impact of the response taken by States and other actors upon children’s rights and offers recommendations to them to ensure these rights are safeguarded.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms

Public health measures imposed globally to curb the pandemic have restricted public gatherings, this article discusses what impact this has on children and young people’s right to protest, what alternatives they have found to street protests and how organisations and parents can support their civic participation.  

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Other human rights treaties and mechanisms, Policies & procedures, Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC

This database is a powerful tool to respect, protect and fulfil human rights and fundamental freedoms, as it includes more than 79,000 Universal Periodic Review recommendations and 1,500 voluntary pledges that States have made.

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Policies & procedures, Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC, Other human rights treaties and mechanisms

This media guide provides information on the newly appointed Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts, outlining their profile, role and how you can contact them.