Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund: Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment

Conclusion

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?

Overall, the impact on children's rights is expected to be positive. No negative impacts have been identified.

6. 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.

The focus of the Fund on enabling the delivery of Whole Family Support to support children and their families who are at risk of, or who are in, poverty has direct and indirect impacts on children’s rights.

The impact is most specifically on Article 26 Social Security, given that assessment criteria for the fund explicitly require funded organisations to plan activity to address one of the three main drivers of poverty, e.g. increase income from social security and benefits in kind. It is likely that many of the funded projects will focus on income maximisation. Incomes are maximised through a range of interventions, including ensuring families access the social security they are entitled to, as well as by helping people into employment and through providing access to childcare.

In particular, it is likely to have a positive impact on Article 3 Best interests of the child, as, by their very nature, measures to eradicate child poverty, including through Whole Family Support provision, support parents and guardians to support their children’s best interests. WFS projects which will be funded by the Third Sector Delivery Fund will support parents and guardians to raise their children in the best possible environment. This may also include support for parental wellbeing to ensure that parents themselves are equipped with the skills and resilience required to be effective role models.

The Fund will positively impact Article 12 Respect for the Views of the Child, since the application criteria for the Fund stipulated the need to incorporate lived experience into the development of any activity and service delivery funded. This is an element which we will look to develop further in the delivery phase, ensuring that ongoing feedback is sought from children and families supported by services funded.

Some WFS projects may encompass childcare provision, particularly those with an employability focus, to create the enabling conditions for parents and carers to enter employment as a sustained route out of poverty, thus having an indirect positive impact on Article 18 Parental responsibilities and state assistance.

Funded activity may have a positive indirect impact on Article 24 Health and health services, in relation to Whole Family Support and linkage to support for family health.

Activity may also have a positive impact on Article 27 Adequate standard of living, which will likely address material standards of living through several avenues including increased access to services, employability support, financial advice, and overall increased wellbeing.

Depending on the focus of projects funded, there may be an indirect impact on Article 28 Right to education and Article 29 Goals of education, when considered in the context of providing access to information on education and vocational training linked to employability support and employability pathways, in addition to wellbeing and capabilities approaches and their focus on personal development.

These interventions will also likely have an indirect positive impact on a range of other rights, on; Article 6 Life, survival and development; Article 39 Recovery from Trauma and Reintegration; and Article 31 Leisure, play and culture.

By targeting Whole Family Support towards priority family groups, the Fund will also positively impact Article 23 Children with a disability.

These interventions will also likely have a more indirect impact on a range of other rights, as better financial security has a positive impact on children and is linked to more positive wellbeing and better outcomes.

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

No negative impact has been identified.

Mitigation Record

What options have been considered to modify the proposal in order to mitigate a negative impact or potential incompatibility?

While no negative impacts on children’s rights under the UNCRC have been identified at this stage, this will be kept under review, and if appropriate, the mitigation record will be updated.

8. As a result of the evidence gathered and analysed against all wellbeing indicators (Annex 2), will the proposal contribute to the wellbeing of children and young people in Scotland? (Guidance Section 2.3.2, pages 20-22).

The provision of support enabled by the Fund is likely to have an indirect positive impact on children’s wellbeing. Children living in families who are no longer in poverty are more likely to be Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active and Included (SHANARRI wellbeing indicators). Added to this, improved parental wellbeing and alleviation of financial pressures brought about by WFS will also have a positive impact on children’s wellbeing:

Safe – not growing up in poverty means children are more likely to feel secure and nurtured, and more likely to develop to their full potential.

Healthy – not growing up in poverty means that families and children are more likely to be able to make healthy choices, in relation to both food and exercise.

Achieving – the impact of poverty on attainment is well documented, and supported parents with increased confidence are more likely to be able to help children in their learning and in the development of skills and confidence at home.

Nurtured – families who are no longer struggling with poverty are more likely to be able to provide children with a secure environment.

Active – children are more likely to be able to take part in recreational activities if their family is no longer in poverty.

Included – Research suggests that poverty negatively affects children's social relationships and wellbeing, including their friendships, happiness with friendships, and participation with peers; therefore, reducing poverty can support greater social engagement and inclusion within peer groups and communities.

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

Given that funded activity will look different depending on the delivery organisation and the local areas where activity is being supported, each funded organisation will be encouraged to ensure that they include children in the design, delivery and evaluation of the WFS services they provide.