UNCRC Strategic Implementation board minutes: September 2022 - Summary

Attendees and apologies

Members of the board

• Ashleigh Pitcairn on behalf of Kay McCorquodale, Scottish Courts and Tribunal Services
• Ben Farrugia, Social Work Scotland
• Chloe Riddell, The Promise
• Claire Dobson on behalf of Gary Ritchie, Police Scotland
• Clare Simpson, Parenting Across Scotland
• Craig Morris, Care Inspectorate
• Des Murray, SOLACE
• Dragan Nastic, UNICEF
• Gina Wilson, Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland (CYPCS)
• Laura Caven, Coalition of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
• Laura Pasternak, Coalition of Care and Support Providers (CCPS)
• Jennifer Davidson, Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures
• Juliet Harris, Together Scotland
• Michael Cameron, Scottish Housing Regulator
• Norma Reuttimann, Care and Learning Alliance (CALA)

Scottish Government officials

• Michael Chalmers (Chair), Director for Children and Families
• Amy Kerr, SGLD
• Andrew Preston, UNCRC Programme Assistant
• Carola Eyber, UNCRC Capacity Building Manager
• Dean Snape, UNCRC Project Manager
• Kaylie Shaw, Policy Support Officer
• Liz Levy, Joint Head of Children’s Rights Unit
• Lyndsey Saki, Embedding Children’s Rights in Public Services Programme Lead
• Paul Gorman, Empowered Children and Young People Programme Lead
• Rachel Nicholson, SGLD
• Shona Spence, UNCRC Bill Lead
• Eilidh Walker (minutes), UNCRC Programme Assistant

Guests

• Miriam McKenna, Improvement Service
• Rebecca Spillane, Improvement Service

Apologies

• Angela Leitch, Public Health Scotland
• David Wallace, Social Security Scotland
• Donna MacLean, Healthcare Improvement Scotland
• Kay McCorquodale, Scottish Courts and Tribunal Services
• Gayle Gorman, Education Scotland
• Lauren Sorrell, UNCRC Implementation Programme Lead
• Nicola Hughes, Joint Head of Children’s Rights Unit
• Tom McNamara, Deputy Director, Children’s Rights, Protection and Justice
• Victoria Morton, SGLD

Items and actions

What is the Strategic Implementation Board?

The Strategic Implementation Board (or SIB, for short) is a group of people that meet every month to support the Government to make the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child part of Scots law and to put in place support for organisations, children and young people, and their families to help ensure that children’s rights are respected.

They discuss if the work is on track and help to resolve any problems in trying to make this happen.

There are people on the SIB from Police, Education, Health, Social Work, children’s rights organisations, and the Scottish Government.

What was discussed at this meeting?

Parents, carers and families UNCRC booklet

Members were told that printing of the Parents, Carers and Families UNCRC booklet has been delayed until the UNCRC Bill receives Royal Assent. However, an online version is being created and will be available in time for World Children’s Day on 20 November 2022.

Participation guidelines

SIB were told that Together members think it is really important to involve children in the new participation guidelines. Members were told that the Children’s Rights Unit are looking at ways to include the voices of infants and younger children when developing the new participation guidelines.

Improvement Service presentation

An organisation called the Improvement Service delivered a presentation to SIB. The presentation explained what is currently being done, and what will be done in the future, to support children’s rights within local government services that work with children.

Monitoring the UNCRC implementation programme

A paper was shared before the meeting which set out how the Children’s Rights Unit plan to keep track of the UNCRC Implementation Programme to ensure everything is progressing well. The paper was discussed further at the meeting and members agreed it is important to have a clear plan for monitoring the programme.

Next meeting

The next meeting of the SIB will be held on Tuesday 25 October 2022.