Programme for Government 2025-26: Impact Assessments

Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) for Programme for Government 2025-26

Disclaimer

This document is a point in time assessment of the likely effects of the above-named proposal on the rights and wellbeing of children and young people. This impact assessment should be read in conjunction with other impact assessments prepared for this proposal.

Scottish Government acknowledge the importance of monitoring and evaluating the impact of strategic decisions and legislation on children’s rights and wellbeing. Any information gathered during implementation of the legislation or strategic decision to which the impact assessment relates, will be used to inform future determinations of impact. Any new strategic decision or new legislation (including amending legislation) would be subject to a new CRWIA in line with the legislative requirements.

Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment Template

1. Brief Summary

Type of proposal:

• Decision of a strategic nature relating to the rights and wellbeing of children

Name the proposal, and describe its overall aims and intended purpose.

The Programme for Government 2025-2026 (PfG) is an outline of actions that the Scottish Government intends to take over the upcoming year to meet the four priorities determined by the First Minister:

• Growing the Economy
• Eradicating Child Poverty
• Tackling the Climate Emergency
• Ensuring High Quality and Sustainable Public Services

These four priorities span across portfolios and therefore contain actions from a range of directorates within Scottish Government and its Executive Agencies.

While this CRWIA provides a high-level overview and assesses the potential impacts arising from the Programme for Government, the approach to the delivery of commitments in the PfG should be informed by individual CRWIAs as required under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024.

Start date of proposal’s development: 24 March 2025

Start date of CRWIA process: 1 April 2025

2. With reference given to the requirements of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024, which aspects of the proposal are relevant to/impact upon children’s rights?

The PfG provides a clear articulation of the Scottish Government’s priorities over the coming year, focussing on actions that we will deliver, with our partners, over the next 12 months. The combined set of commitments under each of the four priorities within the PfG are relevant to, and will impact upon, children’s rights. In particular UNCRC Articles 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 40.

3. Please provide a summary of the evidence gathered which will be used to inform your decision-making and the content of the proposal

Scottish Government portfolios were asked to provide an assessment of impacts of proposed commitments, including whether and how they would impact upon children’s rights and wellbeing. The evidence provided for these actions relied on a mix of evidence from research and reports, feedback from stakeholders and consultation with children and young people.

In addition to this assessment, meetings were held to discuss the PfG with a number of organisations representing the views of children and young people, particularly in relation to actions on child poverty. Consideration was also given to priorities which have been highlighted by children and young people in direct discussion with the Scottish Government; to invest in and protect youth work services, end gender-based violence, and increase mental health training and education. These priorities align well with the Scottish Government’s own priorities.

4. Further to the evidence described at ‘3’ have you identified any 'gaps' in evidence which may prevent determination of impact? If yes, please provide an explanation of how they will be addressed

There were no gaps in evidence that prevented the determination of overall impact of the PfG. However, as decisions are made about the delivery of the commitments that are relevant to children’s rights, further engagement with children and young people will be carried out and, as the details of the proposals develop, individual CRWIAs will be required in relation to relevant strategic decisions and proposed legislation at the appropriate time.

5. Analysis of Evidence

The actions set out within the PfG are likely to have a positive impact on a number of children’s rights, as set out against each priority below.

Growing the Economy

We expect the actions set out within this chapter to:

• Remove barriers to parental employment.
• Provide multi-year funding to cultural organisations and increase availability of cultural opportunities for young children.
• Address inequalities in, and remove barriers to, the labour market.

While few of the actions set out within this chapter are expected to have a direct impact on children and young people, through the creation of more job opportunities and improvements to the overall economy of Scotland, these actions are likely to have a positive, indirect impact on children’s rights.

Eradicating Child Poverty

We expect actions set out within this chapter to:

• Increase financial security and reduced parental stress, leading to improved family wellbeing and mitigating the impact of poverty for babies and newborns.
• Support healthy early child development.
• Support the provision of suitable accommodation, improve housing standards, and reduce temporary accommodation for children.
• Reduce child poverty through public sector reform approaches.
• Improve health outcomes for children.

Tackling the Climate Emergency

We expect the actions set out within this chapter to:

• Promote sustainable development activity and improve health, wellbeing and prosperity of individuals and communities.
• Contribute to alleviating fuel poverty.
• Bring benefits to Island communities, including economic benefits and improvements to housing.

Ensuring High Quality and Sustainable Public Services

We expect the actions set out within this chapter to:

• Take a whole family approach to our National Mission on Drugs.
• Provide neonatal services for women and babies.
• Improve mental health services, reducing the likelihood of trauma or negative experiences.
• Support early intervention to prevent violence and reduce its harm.
• Support work on anti-social behaviour.
• Support improvements to the criminal justice system.
• Improve educational outcomes for children and young people affected by poverty.
• Support increased take up of school aged childcare.
• Ensure children and young people are well educated and skilled.

6. What changes (if any) have been made to the proposal as a result of this assessment?

The content of the PfG has been updated to take account of relevant inputs as the document and assessment have been developed.

Conclusion

7. As a result of the evidence gathered and analysed against all UNCRC requirements, what is the potential overall impact of this proposal on children’s rights?

Delivery of the actions contained within the PfG is assessed as having a likely overall positive impact on children’s rights.

8. If you have identified a positive impact on children’s rights, please describe below how the proposal will protect, respect, and fulfil children’s rights in Scotland.

As set out above, our evidence suggests a number of actions set out under the four priorities will have a positive impact on children’s rights by, directly or indirectly, furthering the realisation and enjoyment of children’s rights in Scotland.

Growing the Economy

The commitments in this chapter have the potential to strengthen access to the following rights:

• Adequate standard of living (Article 27)
• Leisure, play and culture (Article 31)

Eradicating Child Poverty

The commitments in this chapter have the potential to strengthen access to the following rights:

• Non-discrimination (Article 2)
• Best interests of the child (Article 3)
• Parental guidance (Article 5)
• Life, survival and development (Article 6)
• Respect for the views of the child (Article 12)
• Parental responsibilities and state assistance (Article 18)
• Protection from violence, abuse and neglect (Article 19)
• Children with disabilities (Article 23)
• Health and health services (Article 24)
• Social Security (Article 26)
• Adequate Standard of Living (Article 27)
• Right to education (Article 28)
• Goals of education (Article 29)
• Leisure, play and culture (Article 31)
• Respect for higher national standards (Article 41)

Tackling the Climate Emergency

The commitments in this chapter have the potential to strengthen access to the following rights:

• Non-discrimination (Article 2)
• Best interests of the child (Article 3)
• Implementation of the convention (Article 4)
• Life, survival and development (Article 6)
• Freedom of expression (Article 13)
• Children with disabilities (Article 23)
• Health and health services (Article 24)
• Adequate Standard of Living (Article 27)
• Goals of education (Article 29)
• Leisure, play and culture (Article 31)

Ensuring High Quality and Sustainable Public Services

The commitments in this chapter have the potential to strengthen access to the following rights:

• Non-discrimination (Article 2)
• Best interests of the child (Article 3)
• Parental guidance (Article 5)
• Life, survival and development (Article 6)
• The right not to be separated from parents unless it is in the child’s best interests (Article 9)
• Respect for the views of the child (Article 12)
• Freedom of expression (Article 13)
• Freedom of association (Article 15)
• Right to privacy (Article 16)
• Parental responsibilities and state assistance (Article 18)
• Protection from violence, abuse and neglect (Article 19)
• Children with disabilities (Article 23)
• Health and health services (Article 24)
• Social Security (Article 26)
• Adequate Standard of Living (Article 27)
• Right to education (Article 28)
• Goals of education (Article 29)
• Right to use the language, customs and religion of their family (Article 30)
• Leisure, play and culture (Article 31)
• Protection from drug abuse (Article 33)
• Juvenile Justice (Article 40)

9. If a negative impact has been identified please describe it below. Is there a risk this could potentially amount to an incompatibility?

No negative impacts have been identified. Delivery of the actions set out within the PfG should be informed by individual CRWIAs as required under the UNCRC Act. If any negative impacts are identified as the detail of the policies is developed, mitigations in relation to these should be considered and recorded in the relevant CRWIA

10. As a result of the evidence gathered and analysed against all wellbeing indicators, will the proposal contribute to the wellbeing of children and young people in Scotland?

Safe: Yes

Healthy: Yes

Achieving: Yes

Nurtured: Yes

Active: Yes

Respected: Yes

Responsible: Yes

Included: Yes

We have mapped the UNCRC articles to the Wellbeing Indicators and, in doing so, identified how each priority area will contribute to the wellbeing of children and young people.

Growing the Economy

The commitments set out to progress the Growing the Economy priority will support children and young people’s wellbeing by contributing to the following indicators: Nurtured, Active, Included.

Eradicating Child Poverty

The commitments set out to progress the Eradicating Child Poverty priority will support children and young people’s wellbeing by contributing to the following indicators: Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, Included.

Tackling the Climate Emergency

The commitments set out to progress the Tackling the Climate Emergency priority will support children and young people’s wellbeing by contributing to the following indicators: Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Included.

Ensuring High Quality and Sustainable Public Services

The commitments set out to progress the Ensuring High Quality and Sustainable Public Services priority will support children and young people’s wellbeing by contributing to the following indicators: Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, Included.

11. How will you communicate to children and young people the impact that the proposal will have on their rights?

A copy of this CRWIA will be published on Gov.scot. Care has been taken to use plain English in the drafting of this CRWIA so that it is published in an accessible format.

Policy teams will continue to meet with children and young people who engaged with the Scottish Government and ensure they are aware of the CRWIA.

Post Assessment Review and sign-off

12. Planning for the review of impact on children’s rights and wellbeing

Ongoing monitoring of the impact on children’s rights of the various commitments in the PfG will be undertaken, with an overview of plans for this set out in individual CRWIAs.

13. Sign off

Policy Lead Signature & Date of Sign Off: Strategy Division, 8 May 2025

Director Signature & Date of Sign Off: Lisa McGuinness, 9 May 2025

Date CRWIA team first contacted: 27 March 2025