UNCRC Strategic Implementation board minutes: June 2025 - summary

Attendees and apologies

Members of the board

• Ian Donaldson (Chair), Deputy Director Children’s Rights, Protection and Justice

• Rachel Fox, UNICEF UK

• Juliet Harris, Together Scotland
• Gina Wilson, Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland (CYCPS)
• Craig Morris, Care Inspectorate
• Eleanor Deeming , Scottish Human Rights Commission
• Laura Pasternak, Coalition of Care and Support Providers Scotland

Scottish Government officials

• Liz Levy, Unit Head, Children’s Rights Unit
• Lyndsey Saki, Embedding Children’s Rights in Public Services Programme Lead
• Joe Smith, Right Reporting and Monitoring Programme Lead
• Paul Gorman, Empowering Children and Young People Programme Lead
• Dean Snape, UNCRC Project Manager
• Andrew Preston, UNCRC Programme Assistant (minutes)
• Saleem Umar, Policy Support Officer (minutes)
• Victoria Morton, Scottish Government Legal Directorate

Guests

• Steven Kidd, UNICEF UK
• Lucinda Rivers, UNICEF UK

Apologies

• Laura Caven, COSLA
• Kay Tisdall, The Observatory of Children’s Human Rights in Scotland
• Jennifer Davidson, Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures
• Amy Woodhouse, Parenting Across Scotland

Items and actions

What is the Strategic Implementation Board?

The Strategic Implementation Board (SIB) is a group of people who meet every two months. They support the Scottish Government to make sure the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is part of Scots law.

The board helps put support in place for organisations, children and young people, and their families so that children’s rights are made real. Members discuss whether the work is on track and help to address any problems.

The board includes people from police, education, health, social work, children’s rights organisations, and the Scottish Government.

What was discussed at this meeting?

Concerns about new laws

One member shared concerns raised by others about how new laws linked to children’s rights are being written. In particular, there were concerns that the Promise Bill may not fully protect children’s rights.

Another member said they had raised these concerns with the team working on the bill and confirmed that further feedback would be shared to help improve the legislation.

Access to meeting minutes

Members discussed that it can be difficult to find or understand minutes from a group that works on children’s rights improvements. It was confirmed that minutes will be published online, although there may be a short delay due to the approval process.

Skills and knowledge framework

Members discussed the skills and knowledge framework, which helps adults learn more about children’s rights. While feedback on the framework has been positive, usage has been lower than expected. Further work is planned to raise awareness and encourage greater use.

Support for public services

Updates were provided on how public services are embedding children’s rights in their work. Key points included:

• a new contract is being put in place to continue hosting the skills and knowledge framework website until 2026

• new training options are being developed for busy staff, including short five-minute sessions and longer thirty-minute sessions

• work is underway to ensure adult health services consider children’s rights

• a network of fourteen organisations is supporting shared learning and reporting on children’s rights

• more than half of complaints handled by a national complaints body in 2024 involved children, with work ongoing to ensure children are listened to

• planning is underway to review children’s rights reports, including exploring the use of digital tools

• one health board is testing short nineteen-minute training sessions based on the framework

Rights respecting schools award

Members discussed the rights respecting schools award, which supports schools to embed children’s rights in their culture and practice.

• over 2,000 schools in Scotland take part

• more than half have achieved an award

• research shows improvements in respect, learning, inclusion and reduced bullying

The programme is now funded through local authorities rather than directly by the Scottish Government. Members discussed whether all schools are receiving equal support and whether engagement should take place with schools and education leaders who are not currently involved.

Action

• the board will consider how to engage with education leaders in areas not participating in the programme to understand alternative approaches

Update on the children’s rights scheme

Members received an update on the children’s rights scheme, which sets out how the Scottish Government will make children’s rights part of everyday decision-making.

Feedback from children and young people has been considered, and their views have helped shape the scheme. Suggestions were discussed, including:

• showing more clearly how children from different backgrounds are listened to

• providing more information about projects that monitor children’s rights

• explaining how children and young people help to develop and review the scheme

The updated scheme is ready but will not be published before July, as discussions continue with the Children and Young People’s Commissioner.

The Commissioner has requested:

• a clearer timetable for reviewing UK laws in devolved areas

• annual information from public bodies about laws affecting children’s rights

• yearly reporting on progress against the Commissioner’s recommendations

• clearer guidance on what counts as a strategic decision that requires a children’s rights assessment

These points are still being considered.

Next meeting

The next meeting of the strategic implementation board will take place on Tuesday 30 September 2025 from 15:30 to 17:00.