UNCRC Implementation Embedding in Public Services Group minutes: 09 June 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Lyndsey Saki, Scottish Government (Chair) – LS
• Aqeel Ahmed, Scottish Government – AA 
• Ezhilarasi Mahadevan, Scottish Government (Minutes) – EM 
• Liz Levy, Scottish Government – LL
• Luiza Leite, Scottish Government – LL1 
• Elaine Park, Scottish Government – EP
• Saleem Umar, Scottish Government – SU
• Maxine Jolly, Education Scotland – MJ 
• Denise Rooney, Scottish Qualifications Authority – DR 
• Joanna Smith, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) – JS 
• Darren Little, Dumfries and Galloway Council – DL  
• Felicia Szloboda, The Improvement Service – FS  
• Rebecca Spillane, The Improvement Service – RS 
• Mary Campbell, Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights)– MC 
• Katelin O’Neill, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) – KN 
• Chelsea Stinson, Police Scotland – CS

Apologies 

• Alison Sutherland, Social Work Scotland 
• Juliet Harris, Together
• Laura Conachan, Children’s Hearings Scotland 
• Nick Fellows, COSLA
• Nick Targontsidis, NES
• Michelle Cuningham, Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) 
• Katrina Reid, Public Health Scotland (PHS)
• Alyson Lambart, Police Scotland
• Ali Macdonald, PHS

Items and actions

Minutes and actions from previous meeting

The minutes from the previous meeting of 24 February 2025 have been circulated with members for comments and will be made available on the group page soon. 

Action: LS welcomed any further feedback to be shared via email as soon as possible.

Update on support to public authorities   

Children’s Rights Skills and Knowledge Framework

Elaine Park (EP) provided a presentation on the Children’s Rights Skills and Knowledge Framework which was launched on 12 March 2025. The Framework was developed in partnership by Together, Children’s Parliament, Just Right Scotland, JRS Knowhow and the Observatory of Children’s Human Rights Scotland. A children and families panel and a professional panel also informed the development of the Framework.

The Framework can be used flexibly alongside the tools in the Training Plan, allowing members of the public authority workforce to assess the level of skills and knowledge they need for their role or their organisation and access the Framework content they need to help make learning about a broad subject area more manageable.

The Framework approach has built on the Right Way – a children’s rights approach from the Children’s Commissioner of Wales. It is structured around five principles identified in the Welsh approach. These are embedding, equality and non-discrimination, empowerment, participation and accountability.

The learning journey through the Framework is intended to be progressive, continual, cumulative, and lifelong. There are three levels of learning: informed, skilled and enhanced. Users can use the Framework to deepen their knowledge and move from one level to the next as desired. Everyone using the Framework is encouraged to aim for at least the informed level, with opportunities to deepen knowledge and progress as needed.

The accompanying Training Plan also gives organisations information on how to plan, design, and deliver training.

The Framework and Training Plan are being hosted by Together on their website on a temporary basis. The Embedding team are currently working with procurement colleagues to identify a long-term host.

The next steps are to raise awareness of the Framework, understand how organisations are using it and how we can best support implementation.

There has been very   positive feedback about the framework since it was launched. Members were invited to share further comments, either during the meeting or in writing.

Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC)

JS shared an update on the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) e-learning modules, which support the implementation of the UNCRC Act and help to promote a children's rights approach across services.

JS highlighted that two GIRFEC e-learning modules were developed with input from multi-agency partners (e.g. Police Scotland, Education Scotland, The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), National Health Service (NHS) etc.) and it is hosted on TURAS, NES’s unified digital platform for training management, designed specifically for Health and Social Care professionals in the public sector.

The Informed Level Module is aimed at staff interacting with children and families. It covers GIRFEC principles, wellbeing indicators (such as CRWIA – Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment), and collaborative working. The Skilled Level Module is a more in depth course which is aimed at professionals in direct contact with children (e.g. health visitors, school nurses).

The modules were designed to complement local GIRFEC training and align with national guidance. They feature animations, videos, and interactive elements. The modules will be reviewed annually, with ongoing evaluation based on user feedback.

Completion of trauma-informed practice training is recommended before starting the modules, which can be paused and resumed at any time. JS highlighted that registration on TURAS is straightforward, and users are encouraged to include their organisation to support accurate data tracking. Feedback from diverse professional groups has been positive so far.

DL acknowledged the value of the Children’s Rights Skills and Knowledge Framework but noted it may be challenging for broader workforce groups to understand how it applies, especially those with limited child contact e.g manual workers. He also noted that those groups may have less protected time for training. He felt the GIRFEC modules were more accessible and realistic for basic rights awareness. DL welcomed the positive local reception of the resources and suggested exploring opportunities to expand the learning offer. He also recommended including local authorities in future development for better stakeholder representation. He highlighted the need for consistent basic training for lead professionals nationwide, to ensure shared understanding despite local differences in GIRFEC delivery.

LS agreed the points were helpful, particularly regarding those with limited contact with children. LS suggested that SG could consider creating some basic, accessible training packages from Framework content e.g. for all staff meetings or 30 minute introductory session.

RS appreciated the shared resources and noted positive feedback from local authorities, especially regarding the e-learning modules and an SG animation. She highlighted concerns about training capacity and suggested a "train the trainer" approach to ensure those delivering introductory training are confident and consistent.

Action: EP to consider whether off the shelf training packages and a train the trainer offer could be incorporated into the Framework implementation plan.

Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER) human rights for anti-racism in education resource 

LS shared that the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER) has designed a free, accessible resource to support teachers and educators in embedding anti-racist principles into their everyday practice. It connects human rights education with practical approaches to tackling racial inequality. 

The resource provides some context on human rights and anti-racism, followed by information on a selection of the most relevant rights within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). They are presented alongside examples and questions for self-reflection on how human rights can support anti-racist practice.

Insights from attendees on early implementation including key information that should be shared with the UNCRC Strategic Implementation Board (SIB) 

LL explained that with the UNCRC duties now commenced, the UNCRC Strategic Implementation Board (SIB) has transitioned to a smaller, streamlined group with refreshed Terms of Reference (ToRs). We believe it would be useful to formalise the connection between SIB and this group. We have aligned meeting schedules so that intelligence from these meetings can inform the SIB.

LL proposed a standing agenda item in these meetings for feedback on early implementation. She emphasised maintaining this group as a safe space and assured members that any points shared with SIB will be agreed upon beforehand.

LS invited the group to share reflections on UNCRC implementation progress, challenges, or discussion points relevant to the group.

Update from Improvement Service:

Within local authorities there is increasing focus on the first Children’s Rights reports, including their purpose, content, contributors, performance indicators, and evaluation methods. A UNCRC reporting roundtable is planned with local authorities at the end of June; feedback will be shared afterward.

There have been some shared concerns around child friendly complaints procedures, including the challenge of applying The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) guidance locally. RS highlighted that training costs are a barrier for some local authorities.

That there have been positive examples of leadership, such as: Midlothian Council’s leadership forum on UNCRC, supported by their Chief Executive, and an upcoming event in East Ayrshire, also supported by senior leaders.

Capacity challenges persist in some local authorities, including uncertainty over who leads the work, as well as difficulty embedding the work across service areas.

A report from the action inquiry on children’s rights budgeting is nearly ready and will be circulated when finalised.

Action: LL offered to share feedback from the Children’s Commissioner, UNICEF UK, and Together on the CRWIA for the budget statement with RS, in case the action inquiry group would find this useful in considering how to approach children’s rights budgeting in other contexts.

The UNCRC Implementation Framework (formerly "Getting Ready" framework) has also been updated to reflect the shift to implementation. Updates include:

• Information on inherent obligations.
• Refreshed references.
• Inclusion of the Children’s Rights Skills and Knowledge Framework.

The revised framework will be available on the website soon.

Action: PDF copy of the revised framework  can be provided in the meantime.

Update from NHS Education for Scotland:

Health boards are focusing on adult services’ duties to children and families, with efforts to adapt language, roundtables held to explore barriers and enablers, and consideration of how best to improve children’s experiences in adult settings.

A new Children's Rights and Wellbeing and Impact Assessment (CRWIA) and Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) template was developed and is being adopted across health boards to strengthen understanding and implementation of children’s rights.

LS suggested sharing strong case studies, especially involving senior leaders, to inspire other sectors.

Update from UNCRC listed authorities peer support network:

DR shared that the UNCRC peer support network discussed making reporting meaningful and aligning efforts amid limited resources. She emphasised the importance of linking work on communications with upcoming Scottish Government guidance on inclusive communication under the public sector equality duty.

LS agreed on the importance of the connections between UNCRC, GIRFEC, and corporate parenting in local authorities, especially amid resource constraints and gaps in UNCRC leads. She acknowledged the usefulness of linking policy areas and welcomed suggestions.

RS shared a collection of case studies highlighting how children’s human rights are being put into practice across Scotland’s local authorities

Agreement on updated terms of reference and membership 

LS invited final comments on the updated Terms of Reference (ToRs), noting no feedback had been received by email since the last discussion.

Members were given a chance to raise concerns or suggest additional members during the meeting. With no objections raised, the ToRs were agreed in principal.

Action: members to provide any feedback on the updated Terms of Reference by end of June.

Discussion on scoping paper on the analysis of the first UNCRC children’s rights reports 

LS discussed scoping the analysis of the first UNCRC children's rights reports.  At the last meeting, the group discussed a previously agreed option to analyse 20–30% of UNCRC reports. It was agreed that this was may no longer be the preferred option and a voluntary peer review process was suggested.

LS noted that the first reports are due as soon as practicable from 1 April 2026, with most expected between September and November. Listed authorities require to send the report to Ministers and publish a child friendly version of the reports.

AA provided an update on the plans to analyse upcoming UNCRC reports. He outlined options being considered, including a voluntary peer review process, wider analysis supported by Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and learning from existing work on child poverty reports.

AA emphasised the importance of accountability, transparency, and cross-sector shared learning. He intends to set up a working group involving stakeholders like NES and the IS to support this work. The aim is to have a set of analysis options in place by the end of the year, ensuring meaningful use of the reports across key policy areas. He shared that the Children’s Rights Unit (CRU) may test the potential for AI to analyse reports, with available 2020 to 2023 children’s rights reports.

FS offered to share learnings from the child poverty report process. She highlighted an upcoming report reviewing seven years of reporting, which she can share. She welcomed collaboration with the CRU to share insights and peer review templates.

AA welcomed FS’s offer and encouraged others to share reflections from their own organisational learning sessions and the upcoming reporting roundtable.

DR expressed interest in the AI analysis of 2023 reports, suggesting that sharing key themes, good practice, and weaker areas could help guide others in preparing future reports.

AA welcomed the suggestion and proposed discussing the AI analysis and good practices at the next UNCRC listed authorities peer support network meeting, aligning it with the planned focus on communicating children’s reports.

MJ raised concern that UNCRC reporting is often seen as the sole responsibility of education or children’s services, which limits a whole-authority approach. AA agreed, noting that statutory guidance supports broader involvement and praised the Improvement Service's work in promoting whole-system engagement.

RS agreed with MJ that reports may be combined, requiring a flexible system to link relevant parts. She noted uncertainty about whether national bodies like Police Scotland will report nationally or locally, adding complexity.

LS noted that it would be useful to engage with national bodies on where they intend to report, as it’s not covered in the statutory guidance. They have the option to do combined and joint reporting. She suggested sharing case studies or webinars on children’s rights reports to improve consistency.

Action: LS also asked members to let us know if they would like to join the working group and noted Public Health Scotland’s interest, given that they have valuable national and local data that listed authorities can use.

LL confirmed with members that nothing shared in the meeting was of a sensitive nature, and therefore feedback can be provided to SIB.

Action: LS confirmed that any concerns can be raised by email.

Any Other Business

The next meeting, initially scheduled for Monday, 18 August 2025, has been deferred to Monday, 22 September 2025, in consideration of the summer holiday period.