A new eraJackie Brock on Children

in Scotland’s vision for the future

Page 23

Money trainJim McCormick on

policies that could take families out of poverty

Page 14

Play or test?Upstart’s Sue Palmer

answers the puzzle of P1

Page 28

Essential reading for Scotland’s children’s sectorOctober-November 2017 Issue 182

Attention please!Bruce Adamson lays down the challenge on children’s rights

Interview - Page 8

October-November 2017 CHILDREN IN SCOTLAND MAGAZINE 3

Children in ScotlandLevel 1, Rosebery House9 Haymarket TerraceEdinburgh, EH12 5EZTelephone: 0131 313 2322 info@childreninscotland.org.ukchildreninscotland.org.uk

EditorialEditor:Jennifer DrummondEditorial staff: Chris Small, Lynn Gilmour, Nicola Pay (Membership)

Magazine Brand Development: Chris Small, Jennifer Drummond

DesignTemplate: Alan TaitAdditional Design: Aimée ColleyBrand: Michael O’Shea

Cover image: From a mural displayed in the office of the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland. Illustration by Charlotte Duffy-Scott, Waste of Paint Productions.

AdvertisingTracy HopeT: 0131 313 8839E: thope@childreinscotland.org.uk

We acknowledge the support of the Scottish Government through the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention Fund, managed by The Corra Foundation

Our vision is that all children in Scotland have an equal chance to flourish.

Chief Executive: Jackie Brock

The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the opinions of the editor or Children in Scotland.

To contribute to Children in Scotland Magazine contact Jennifer Drummond, Editor: T: 0131 313 8823/E: jdrummond@childreninscotland.org.uk

MembershipMembers of Children in Scotland receive discounts on publications, training and conferences, plus a range of digital communications. For information on joining contact: T:0131 313 8829,E: membership@childreninscotland.org.ukW:childreninscotland.org.uk/join.

SubscriptionsChildren in Scotland Magazine is published bi-monthly, free for members. If you would like to subscribe, contact jdrummond@childreninscotland.org.uk

Children in Scotland Magazine is published by Children in Scotland and printed by Ink on Paper.

Registered charity in Scotland SCO03527

Registered company number 83383

ISSN 1474-9424

Welcome...

Contents

AGENDA | PAGES 23-30 Jackie Brock outlines our ambitions for children (page 23), Marion Macleod predicts post-Brexit pain (page 24), Amy Woodhouse welcomes action on equal protection (page 26), and Sally Cavers asks if the pace of ASL legislation risks missing the point (page 30). Sue Palmer, our guest opinion writer, takes aim at problems in P1 (page 28).

REGUL ARS | PAGES 5,13,38

Catch up on all the latest news from the sector (page 5) and get to know our staff on the Tea Break page (38). Find out about the great speakers at our annual conference (page 4) and our autumn session of events focused on raising attainment (page 17). See page 13 if you want to subscribe to the magazine?

VOICES | PAGES 31-37 The Yard’s Chief Executive tells us how their approach could help services across Scotland (page 31), and we hear about Contact’s new project supporting families with disabled children (page 34). Young winners of the Get Write In! contest share their tales (page 35) and Theatre in Schools Scotland tell us why their dramas are top of the class (page 36).

FEATURES | PAGES 8-21

New Children’s Commissioner Bruce Adamson challenges the Scottish Government to be radical on rights (page 8), Jim McCormick analyses recent research that points the way to helping families out of poverty (page 14), and Maggie Simpson explains why the SCMA is campaigning to save childminding (page 18).

PAGE 18 PAGE 26 PAGE 31

Jennifer Drummond @jen_drum #CiSMagazine

…to a new magazine and a new era for Children in Scotland.

We’ve been hard at work over the summer redesigning the magazine, to complement a new look and tone of voice for the organisation. Here is the result.

The magazine now comes presented in three distinct sections.

In Features, you will find the latest research and campaigns from the sector as well as a lead interview with a key decision-maker from the sector. I am thrilled to kick off our launch edition with one of the first full-length interviews with Scotland’s Children’s Commissioner, Bruce Adamson, who is as pleasant as he is formidable!

We have also introduced new Comment pages which reflect a heavier focus on analysis and opinion. They offer viewpoints on current practice and policymaking, and feature guest opinions alongside a regular column from our Chief

Executive, Jackie Brock, and other members of our staff team.

Finally, in recognition of the value and importance of sharing experience and expertise, we have introduced a new section, Voices. These pages highlight the voices of children and young people themselves, celebrate the work of our members and introduce us to new projects making their mark in the sector.

As Editor, it’s my goal to ensure that the magazine continues to be essential reading for the sector, and is packed full of interesting, educational and thought-provoking articles that strengthen understanding of how we can improve children’s lives. But it is also my hope that our new approach encourages you to engage with us, and share your views, in person or online. I would love to hear what you think about the changes to the magazine and the perspectives being shared. Do get in touch via jdrummond@childreninscotland.org.uk

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as we enjoyed making it!

2 CHILDREN IN SCOTLAND MAGAZINE October-November 2017

Scotland needs 3,278 therapists to work with children, who have emotional, behaviour and mental health problems!There’s less than 300 at present.A very worthwhile career. Courses in Play Therapy providing University Awards and professional registration in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

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You’ll be amazed at what we see.We see the importance of small class sizes.

We see achievement in the smallest of feats.We see achievement in the biggest of accomplishments.We see the difference specialist teachers can make.

To fi nd out more visit royalblind.org/education

Scottish Charity Number SC017167

112249 - TRBS - Children in Scotland 134x189mm v2 RM.indd 1 07/08/2017 15:31

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Key stories from across the sector

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Annual Conference 20178-9 NovemberMurrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh

“Inspirational, powerful, thought-provoking,emotional and fantastic!”

“Always generate great contacts, research materials and other content from CiS conferences – thanks”

2016 feedback

Key speakers include:

Elaine WylieDaily Mile

Amal AzzudinHuman Rights Activist

Our annual children’s sector flagship event is a unique opportunity for those who work within the sector to meet, network, learn and debate the key issues facing the sector today.

This year we’ll be asking - if not you, then who?

You’ll have the opportunity to explore, discuss and plan how you can make a positive difference to the lives of the children and young people you work with.

Dr Catherine CalderwoodChief Medical Officer

Sara RowbothamSexual health worker and Rochdale CSE whistleblower

Prices One day Two days

Members from £95 from £169

Non-members from £169 from £249

Book today: through our website childreninscotland.org.uk, call 0131 313 8828 or send us an email at events@childreninscotland.org.uk

Day two will include:Four thought-provoking and interactive seminars on mental health, raising attainment, food and leadership followed by a cross-sector child protection session and an opportunity to listen to Sara Rowbotham and Chelsea Cameron.

Day one will include:More than 15 workshops and study trips with leading experts and current practitioners, on a range of topics from early years, children’s voices, care standards, child sexual exploitation, developing hope and promoting equality. We’ll also hear the inspiring stories of Elaine Wylie and Amal Azzudin.

contributors exhibitorsworkshops

70 3628international

rugby stadium

1

Fresh rights warning on ‘justifiable assault’A leading human rights group has issued

fresh warnings that Scotland is “lagging behind” in its attitude towards the physical punishment of youngsters.

Responding to a summer consultation on proposed legislative change, the Scottish Human Rights Commission has expressed concern that children in Scotland are offered less protection from physical violence than adults due to the current accepted defence of justifiable assault. They argue that the Scottish Government must consider how this approach fits with basic human rights, and recommend a change in law.

The calls were issued in response to Scottish Greens MSP, John Finnie, who has outlined plans for a new Members’ Bill. His proposals would secure a change in law, banning smacking and offering equal protection from assault for children and young people.

A host of organisations have spoken out in support, including the Scottish Police Federation and the NSPCC. Many have referenced international evidence which shows physical punishment of children is harmful, both physically and mentally, and identified long-term effects such as a potential cycle of violence. The Law Society of Scotland highlights that the country’s current legislation is at odds with an understanding of children’s rights.

According to Mr Finnie, three in four respondents to the consultation backed the move for change.

Those who did oppose the proposals suggest such a move would criminalise parents and erode parental rights. The Christian Institute have warned parents would be “rendered lawbreakers overnight” and suggests the current law recognises the difference between child abuse and smacking.

Bruce Adamson, Scotland’s Children and Young People’s Commissioner (pictured above) argues that the government does not have a choice.

In an interview with Children in Scotland Magazine he identifies what he describes as breach in the Government’s obligations to uphold fundamental human rights.

“It is my view that the Scottish Government is in breach of its international obligations,” he says. “The UN has repeatedly condemned the UK’s position and Scotland’s position. This is something that has to change now.” He also suggests that the Scottish Government could face some serious legal challenges if the legislation is not revised.

Commenting on the consultation responses, Mr Finnie highlights “widespread recognition that children should receive the same legal protection from assault that adults enjoy”. He has said he will reflect on the findings before deciding whether to seek the support needed to bring the Bill before the Scottish Parliament.

In its programme for government, announced on 5 September, the Scottish Government said it would not oppose such legislation.

More on the Programme for Government:News, page 6

Read our interview with Bruce Adamson, Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland: Page 8

Amy Woodhouse, our Head of Policy, Projects & Participation, explains why we support changes to the law to guarantee equal protecton:Page 26

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Overheard...

Shouts or whispers from the children’s sector? E: jdrummond@childreninscotland.org.uk

Baby blunderWhen asked by perturbed Good Morning Britain hosts why Scotland’s new baby boxes contain contraception, Minister for Childcare and Early Years Mark McDonald kept his cool, telling stand-in presenter Jeremy Kyle: “I would have thought you’ve done enough episodes of The Jeremy Kyle Show to understand how this works.” The red-faced talk show host could be heard saying he would have to take the advice back to his programme.

I,SpyNews reaches us about a parent in one of Scotland’s larger local authorities operating a drone to monitor their child while at nursery. The incident raises many troubling questions about privacy, rights and technological advances, but what we’d really like to know is: how many batteries does it need to do a full sweep of the playground and avoid a crash-landing into the water trays?

There’s been a MordorOverheard in the Scottish Parliament’s tea room: a leading figure in the children’s sector has a hidden Hollywood history, specifically as a Rider of Rohan in the ever-popular Lord of the Rings film trilogy. But who is this distinctively bearded herdsman, horsewrangler and ally of Gondor? Answers on a postcard please, avoiding interception by Sauron.

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Government urged to take action on child benefit hike

New pilot project to address child sexual exploitation

A new project to tackle Child Sexual

Exploitation (CSE) has been launched in Dundee.

The two-year project, a partnership between Police Scotland and Barnardo’s Scotland, will work to reach, protect and support children at risk of exploitation.

Advisors from Barnardo’s Reducing the Impact of Sexual Exploitation (RISE) service will be based at Police Scotland’s Tayside Division headquarters, working with officers to identify perpetrators and tackle any networks operating in the area.

The programme, funded by Barnardo’s Scotland, Police Scotland and Comic Relief, was officially launched at the end of August.

> Sara Rowbotham, Rotherham CSE whistleblower, is a keynote speaker at Children in Scotland’s annual conference, being held on 8-9 November in Edinburgh. Further details and how to book – page 4

Legislative programme targets human rights, equality and poverty

More than 250,000 children missing out on counselling services

New research has revealed that a quarter of a million children in Scotland do not

have access to school-based counselling services, despite a commitment from the Scottish Government to address and support mental health issues in youngsters.

An investigation by BBC Scotland found that 14 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities provide no counselling services within their schools. Of those who do offer on-site support, provision is described as inconsistent and patchy.

The figures, obtained through Freedom of Information requests, come in the context of the Scottish Government’s prioritising of mental health. In March, it published a new ten -year Mental Health Strategy, which recognised the vital importance of supporting good mental health and promising to review provision.

In the BBC report, South Lanarkshire, Highland, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Perth and Kinross and Stirling were identified as

offering no in-school counselling. Conversely, North Lanarkshire was highlighted as having a counsellor based in every school.

Scotland’s Minister for Mental Health, Maureen Watt, has responded to the figures, stating that decisions on the support and development of pupil wellbeing, including what should be provided and how, are made locally by education authorities in each area.

She also highlighted that those who do not provide school-based services may utilise the skills of pastoral care staff, educational psychology services and health services for specialist support.

The investigation comes as the latest figures for waiting times for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) revealed two-thirds of young people seeking mental health services are being forced to wait longer than the 18-week target in some parts of Scotland.

On 5 September the Scottish Government announced plans to safeguard human rights, address inequality and tackle

poverty as part of its 2017-18 legislative programme.

In her statement to Parliament, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would not oppose John Finnie’s proposed legislation on equal protection, and would bring forward plans for a new Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility Bill, raising the age in Scotland from eight to 12.

Ms Sturgeon vowed to protect human rights with opposition to any repeal of the Human Rights Act as a result of Brexit, and said she will work to promote equality and eradicate LGBT bullying in schools.

The First Minister also announced plans for a five-year £50 million Child Poverty Fund, and committed to tackle ‘period poverty’ with measures to ensure access to free sanitary products in schools, colleges and universities.

The government has confirmed it will proceed with education reforms including standardised testing, in the face of opposition from some parts of the education sector and charities.

> Full details of the Programme for Government 2017-18 can be found on the Scottish Government’s website gov.scot

> Read how the Programme for Government will impact young people in the Latest News section of our website childreninscotland.org.uk

Glasgow Council pledges to end child hunger

One of Scotland’s largest councils has revealed ambitious plans to eradicate child hunger in the city, announcing its aim to have a scheme in place by next summer.

Phase one of the scheme is aimed at introducing universal free school meals in every community during all main school holidays, not just summer, delivered in schools or other community areas. Phase two will look at expanding free school meals during term time to all pupils.

The move comes after Children in Scotland’s 2017 Food, Families, Futures partnership programme helped provide children with a meal and fun activities during the summer holidays.

Glasgow City Council Treasurer Allan Gow, who is leading an assessment of demand, provision and possible issues, is due to report back to the City Cabinet in the New Year.

A new campaign has been launched to secure a top-up in child benefit for families in Scotland. The Give Me 5 Campaign, organised and launched by Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, calls on the Scottish Government to use the new

powers afforded through the Scottish Social Security Bill to raise child benefit by £5 per week.

Child benefit is currently set at £20.70 per week for a first child, and £13.70 for subsequent children. It is estimated that the proposed increase would lift thousands of children out of poverty.

John Dickie, Director of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, said: “The Give Me Five campaign is delighted by the growing support for an increase in child benefit.

“Academic analysis has shown that increasing child benefit by £5 per week per child would help lift 30,000 children out of poverty. That’s why we are calling on MSPs to ensure the 2018-19 budget includes a commitment to use new powers to top up child benefit.”

The coalition forming the campaign includes CPAG, the Children and Young People’s Commissioner for Scotland, the Poverty Alliance and Children in Scotland.

The campaign comes after recent poverty figures showed more than one million people in Scotland were living in relative poverty and that child poverty in the UK has continued to rise. Published in March, the UK-wide Statistics on Households Below Average Income revealed 100,000 children fell into relative poverty in the year 2015-16. In Scotland, more than a quarter of children are living in relative poverty, according to the figures.

Give Me 5 was formally launched on Wednesday 30 August.

> Follow the campaign on Twitter @GM5Scot #GiveMe5

> Jim McCormick, Scotland Director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, discusses new research on income and child poverty – page 14

iStockphoto ©KatarzynaBialasiewicz

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Very few people would claim to have their dream job, but Bruce Adamson, Children

and Young People Commissioner for Scotland, says exactly that. Taking office earlier this year, the human rights lawyer is, in his own words, doing “the best job in Scotland”.

The New Zealand native has an impressive CV. Working as the legal advisor to Scotland’s first Children’s Commissioner, Kathleen Marshall, in 2005, he went on to hold key positions with the Scottish Human Rights Commission, the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the European Union. He was the UN representative responsible for coordinating the work of human rights commissions around the world. He has guided emerging democracies in Eastern Europe on their human rights agenda, and has worked with war-torn countries to ensure obligations to uphold basic children’s rights are being met. Closer to home, he chaired the Child Law Centre, and spent 13 years as a member of the children’s panel.

These varied experiences all have one thing in common – being an advocate for those who often don’t have a voice – and culminated in Bruce starting work as the new Commissioner in May. In terms of children’s rights, it is one of the most significant roles in Scotland, with the power to hold Scottish lawmakers to account. This gives the office a vast remit and Bruce and his team are still in the process of identifying both short and long-term priorities. But he already has strong opinions on where he can make immediate improvements.

“My biggest priority at the moment is making sure the government and parliament, and others, properly listen to children and young people. I don’t think they do that very well at the moment,” he says.

He is also a strong advocate of the human rights of parents, and wants to highlight the role parents play in advocating for the rights of their children. These shouldn’t be seen in opposition, he believes. “A lot of the time when we talk about children’s rights, we talk about it in conflict with parent’s rights, and I want to change that. A lot of what we talk about in terms of children’s rights is access to education, to healthcare, to places to play, and to be kept safe. Parents agree with all of that, and are usually the biggest champions.”

Changing hearts, minds – and the law

But it’s not just about changing rhetoric. The Commissioner is clear about his intention to reform Scottish law to better reflect and support the rights of children and young people. There are three key areas he feels particularly passionate about: incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), equal protection, and the age of criminal responsibility.

Children’s rights are slowly making their way up the political agenda. Not only has the Scottish Government actively sought children’s and young people’s views on mental health and education reform, but members of the Scottish Cabinet also invited a group of children and young people to Bute House in March this year. The meeting, which the government says will now take place annually, offered a chance for the young people to express, in their own words, issues relevant to their lives today. Together, they agreed action around teacher education, children and young people’s rights, mental health and Scotland’s relationship with Europe.

The Commissioner believes this indicates some real progress. However, he warns that despite vocally and publicly displaying support for the advancement of children and young people’s rights, in his overall view the government is still falling short.

“There are Scottish ministers whose hearts are in the rights place, who really do want to do the right thing, but they are failing in terms of turning that into practice,” he says.

“Things like not incorporating the rights of the child. They have voted down amendments from opposition parties that would lead to it, while at the same time saying they want to. That’s a really stark example of making public statements but then actively fighting against the action to do it.”

Numerous organisations across the country have called for the government to incorporate the UNCRC, enshrining in Scots law a number of fundamental civil, social, political, economic and cultural rights for every child. It is continually referred to in the UK’s Periodic Review (the most recent of which was published

A force for changeOur new Children’s Commissioner is pushing for major shifts in legislation covering equal protection, the age of criminal responsibility and UNCRC incorporation. How will the Scottish Government respond? By Jennifer Drummond

Bruce Adamson, Children and Young People’s Commisioner for ScotlandPhotograph © Anna Cervinkova

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protection has consistently been raised in the UN’s Treaty Bodies and its Universal Periodic Review of Scotland. Previous changes to the law on protection have only come about as a result of legal challenges taken to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. In essence, change has happened because the Government has been forced into it, not as a result of proactive measures taken in recognition of children’s rights.

On leaving office, previous Commissioner Tam Baillie said the failure to secure legislative change around equal protection from assault was one of his biggest regrets. Mr Adamson intends to take a much harder line.

“It is my view that the Scottish Government is in breach of its international obligations,” he says, with the confidence of someone who knows he has the legal knowledge and clout to successfully argue his point. “The UN, Council of Europe and EU have all repeatedly condemned the UK’s position and Scotland’s position. This is something that needs to change now.”

Since taking office the new Commissioner has been proactive about ensuring this is high on the agenda of lawmakers: they know he won’t allow them to be passive on such an important issue. He has already met with Scottish ministers and Scottish Government lawyers to set out his legal arguments, and has appealed for the support of the legal community by setting out his position in a recent article for the journal of the Law Society of Scotland.

“This is a breach of international law and the government’s position is in breach of international law,” he says. He believes the Scottish Government could find themselves on the wrong side of a legal challenge.

“The idea that the assault of a child for the purpose of physical punishment could in any way be justified as necessary for any democratic society is nonsensical. The idea that violence should be used to change behaviour goes against the basic principles of human dignity.

by the United Nations in September 2017) as an area in which we could do better.

The Commissioner dismisses opposition to incorporation on the grounds of accountability and practical application. “I don’t see any barriers whatsoever to incorporation,” he says. “The constitutional set-up in Scotland can be confusing, but that doesn’t stop Scotland incorporating the UNCRC for devolved purposes. There’s no barrier to doing that now.”

But what would this mean in practice? He warns that incorporation of the UNCRC shouldn’t be seen as a silver bullet to addressing inequality issues within Scottish society. Instead, it is about realising children’s rights in a progressive way. Incoproration is the gold standard we have committed to.

“It doesn’t mean that everyone gets the exact education or healthcare they want. It doesn’t mean that waiting lists suddenly disappear or that we magic up additional schools, teachers or social workers,” he explains. “What it requires the state to do is demonstrate that it is spending money appropriately in a way that takes children’s rights into account. It makes people more accountable.”

The Commissioner cites other countries, such as Belgium and Norway, as examples of where incorporating the UNCRC has changed decision-making, public perception and the way we think about children’s rights. International evidence suggests better outcomes and more efficient spending in terms of early intervention as a consequence of full incorporation.

“The advantages are huge, not just for children and young people, but for all of us. By incorporating the UNCRC it actually makes things work better, leading to a better society and better communities.”

No regretsIt is not just on UNCRC incorporation where the Commissioner sees Scotland lagging behind our international counterparts. The issue of equal

The idea that just because the assault against a child is classed as less serious assault and allows it to be justified, just isn’t tenable. The government has to change the law right now.” For anyone who might doubt his determination and conviction on this point, he adds: “My position won’t be one of regret. My position is – this needs to change or legal action will be taken.”

Initally adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach to Scottish Green MSP John Finnie’s proposals for a Member’s Bill on the issue, the Scottish Government has since confirmed they will not oppose such a Bill in Parliament.

Age of responsibility

Scotland has one of the lowest ages of criminal responsibility in the world: at eight it is four years lower than the UN’s absolute minimum of 12. Set almost a decade ago, this was acknowledged as the starting point for moving upwards. We, as a nation, have frequently been criticised about the current legislative status quo. It is a position the Commissioner himself calls “incomprehensible”, recalling that although the Scottish Government has committed to shift the age threshold from eight to 12, and recently announced plans for a Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility Bill, this is still considered by the United Nations to be too low.

The Commissioner also points out a glaring disparity between the ages at which young people are expected to take responsibility for their actions and when they are given the opportunity to participate in democracy. Children as young as eight are expected to understand the complexities of the legal system, yet young people are not considered responsible enough to vote until the age of 18, or 16 in Scottish elections.

“So at age eight, we think in Scotland that children have enough understanding of their actions and the consequences of their actions that we

should criminalise them. But then we say it is not until they are 18 that someone can have the ability to choose someone to represent them in Parliament. I think that is absolutely ridiculous.”

“To be able to understand that my action is in breach of a law that has been set and that there are legal consequences to me breaking this rule, as opposed to any other rule, is actually quite a complicated thing to understand. I don’t think there are any eight year olds that understand the criminal law in that way.

“Choosing someone that you agree with and believe represents you is, in my mind, a much

simpler thing to understand. I think you can do that at a very young age. You can identify if you agree, or don’t agree, with what someone is saying. So, when you contrast voting age and criminal responsibility that’s really stark.”

In combination, resistance to incorporation of the UNCRC, the failure – at the time of going to press – to enshrine in law equal protection from assault for children, and an internationally condemned position on the age of criminal responsibility might paint a depressing picture of children’s rights in Scotland in 2017. But the Commissioner disagrees, maintaining “we should always be optimistic.” And, he has a plan.

In June he announced his support for a national action plan on children’s rights. The intention would be to build

on the body of international evidence, routinely gathered and reported since the 1993 Vienna world conference on human rights, which calls on all countries to identify how they are delivering on rights-related promises. Conclusions drawn from the results over the years have identified the need to involve civil society and children and young people. But, crucially, the consensus is that for any plan to be effective it must have an emphasis on delivering, not rhetoric, and be owned and actively driven forward by the

“Don’t be forced to act like mini-adults to fit in.

On equal protection:

“The idea that the assault of a child for the purpose of physical punishment could in any way be justified as necessary for any democratic society is nonsensical”

Demand your right to be considered as children. Demand all your rights”

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12 CHILDREN IN SCOTLAND MAGAZINE October-November 2017

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*Offer lasts until 31 Dec 2017. Subscriptions purchased in Sept-Nov will be begin from the next issue (Dec 2017 - Jan 2018, Issue 183)

A new eraJackie Brock on Children

in Scotland’s vision for the future

Page 23

Money trainJim McCormick on

policies that could take families out of poverty

Page 14

Play or test?Upstart’s Sue Palmer

answers the puzzle of P1

Page 28

Essential reading for Scotland’s children’s sectorOctober-November 2017 Issue 182

Attention please!Bruce Adamson lays down the challenge on children’s rights

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government. Bruce believes this approach will be the key to the success of such a plan in Scotland.

“It has to be focused on it being a government action plan, a government delivery plan, on how they are going to demonstrate their commitment to children’s rights by setting out how they are going to deliver on those promises,” he explains. He criticises the reporting duties introduced with the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 as being “really not good enough”, suggesting an action plan, specifically concerned with the rights of children and young people, would immediately bring the type of accountability a simple duty does not. He is also clear that such a plan doesn’t mean delivering right away but outlining how the goals will be achieved, including what financial investment is needed, what resources are required, and who will be responsible.

“It needs to be action-focused with very clear time frames, and a very clear process for monitoring and evaluation. It needs budget assigned to it. It needs to have responsibility attached at the highest levels of government and civil service. It needs to be fully embraced across government, with high level buy-in and commitment. It needs to link to the government’s work and flow through all areas of government.

“It can’t be something that’s seen as a wish list. It needs to be the government’s plan to deliver on promises it has already made. This isn’t new promises, this isn’t new ideas, but promises that were made through the international law, assessments that have been made from the monitoring and reporting process and treaties that tell us what to do. The government’s response needs to set out very clearly what they are going to do to deliver on that.”

With the Scottish and UK government duty-bound to report on rights-based activity at regular intervals, an action plan, he suggests, is simply “a smarter way of doing things”.

Over to you

Although Mr Adamson is focused on these immediate priorities, the longer-term agenda of the office will be put in the hands of children and young people. Katie, aged 15, and Nina, 13, have also attended the interview with me. As members of the Children’s and Young People’s Advisory Group recently established by Children in Scotland, they and their peers identified mental health and gender inequality as two particularly pressing topics. They ask the Commissioner how he plans to address these.

“There are lots of really important issues – poverty, mental health, care experience, disability or other things – and I need to make those choices, but I am not going to make those choices until I’ve spoken to a lot of children and young people about what they think I should be doing,” he says.

The Commissioner draws attention to the consultation work the office is undertaking, with the staff team currently developing a plan which aims to gather views from children and young people across Scotland. This body of work will build on participation and engagement activity already completed while seeking the fresh input of children and young people from the Highlands to the Borders.

“One of the things I am absolutely committed to is getting children and young people right into the heart of my work – how I set the budget, how I run my office, how I use my time,” he explains. “I want children and young people to really help me make some of those difficult decisions about how I prioritise things.”

Speaking of difficult decisions, Nina and Katie challenge the Commissioner on what he thinks is the most important right for children and young people.

“There’s no most important right. A key thing to realise about rights is that they are interdependent and interrelated,” he says, offering up an example. “The right to food and social security affect your right to education – if you’ve not got a full tummy, and you are living in a damp house and you’ve not really got somewhere to sleep, that’s going to impact on your right to education. In terms of all rights relying on other rights, the key value in terms of looking at human rights is looking at them interconnected. You can’t look at one right without thinking how it is going to affect the other ones.”

Before we part ways, we ask if the Commissioner has any advice for the young people in attendance.

“Don’t be forced to act like mini adults in order to fit in,” he says. “Demand your right to be considered as children, demand all of your rights. Engage with learning about your rights so that you see their value and really use them to their full extent.”

But in order to do this, he warns, the adult world needs to change. Adults must ensure we know and respect the rights of children and young people in our lives. We need the systems, structures and processes to understand and reflect everyone’s voices – not just the voices of the adult population. Decision makers need to respect the rights of all and legal systems and structures need to protect our children. Elected officials need to address the democratic deficit, remembering that they are representing all of those in their constituency, not just those who are old enough to vote. We, as adults, need to ensure children know their rights and utilise them to their full potential.

Bruce Adamson is a man with strong opinions and beliefs. He is persuasive. He oozes drive and determination, and a compassion that comes with dedicating his whole working life to the advancement of human rights. He is also a man who practices what he preaches. When he tells you he has the best job in Scotland, you’ll believe him.

Interview by Jennifer Drummond, with Nina (13) and Katie (15) from our Children’s and Young People’s Advisory Group.

> Photography © Anna Cervinkova www.annacervinkova.com

> With thanks to Bruce Adamson and the Office of the Commissioner

> For more details on the recently announced Programme for Government, which includes items on equal protection and the minimum age of criminal responsibilty, see News, page 6

The Commissioner on … Brexit

“It is important to remember that the rights structures that we talk about aren’t from the EU. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a UN document, the European Convention on Human Rights is a European Council document. We are still going to be part of that – they won’t be affected.”

“In order for Scotland to properly live up to its commitment to children and young people, it’s not about the EU, it’s about the decisions that are made here to embed children’s rights into our decision making and our service delivery. That’s done through incorporation of the UNCRC, and a national action plan on children’s rights. Those things are more important, in terms of going forward, than Brexit is to me.”

“The EU is powerful in requiring things from those who want to deal with them, and that hasn’t been discussed much. It can be a powerful motivator for change. One of the things I want to look at is how the EU can be a strong ally for us in terms of holding the government to account. We spend a lot of our time thinking about what our side of the negotiations should be whereas actually what we need to be thinking about is talking to our European partners about what they should be requiring from our government.”

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Solving poverty. That’s the goal of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s (JRF) long-term strategy

published last autumn. The strategy is the result of four years of work, marshalling evidence on the causes, costs and impact of poverty and identifying policy and practice solutions that appear to make the most difference. A companion report, A Scotland without poverty, maps out the contribution of devolved powers and budgets around a five point plan concerned with education and skills (including early learning and childcare), social security, support for families and communities, a better economy and a reduction in high housing costs.

Before we can look at any of the causes, effects and proposed measures to mitigate poverty, we first need to understand what it is.

An individual or family are considered to be in poverty when a household lacks the resources to meet their needs. This takes into account people who face higher costs due to disability or living in a remote area for example, and should be regarded as a complementary measure

alongside the common poverty measure linked to median incomes and household types.

Addressing poverty and ‘solving the problem’ won’t mean that no-one ever falls below an agreed poverty line. But we recommend three parts to this long-term endeavour.

First, no-one should ever experience destitution. Research by Heriot-Watt University tells us destitution, defined as when people cannot afford two or more of shelter, food, heating, lighting, clothing or footwear, and basic toiletries, affects a growing number of adults and children. Glasgow is estimated to have the third highest rate of destitution in the UK.

Second, fewer than one in ten of the population should be in poverty at any one time.

Third, poverty should be a short-term experience. The scarring effects of persistent poverty are damaging. Therefore, we should focus on quickly enabling people to get out of poverty if prevention and mitigation efforts have failed. The JRF strategy recommends no

more than two years, but a stricter definition could be set for families with young children.

These points may seem ambitious, but there is no reason to think they are not feasible. Other countries have achieved, or come close to achieving, at least some of these goals, and Scotland has been closer to realising some of these in the recent past.

So what is the scale of the poverty problem in Scotland?

The latest Households Below Average Income (HBAI) figures for Scotland for 2015-16 were published by the Office for National Statistics in March. This annual UK-wide survey-based measure of poverty shows a recent rise in the number of people living in poverty after a decade or more of stable rates.The figures revealed that more than a quarter of a million children in Scotland are living in poverty. This represents a 4% increase on last year. It would seem that poverty in the UK is actually on the up.

Snapshot measures like this don’t tell us about the trend. This is significantly lower than in the mid 1990s, but above the low-point reached in recent years. In Scotland we fare a little better than the UK as a whole. However, there are important variations in the rate of child poverty. Although child poverty has fallen sharply for lone parents due to higher employment and tax credit support over the last 20 years, it is still double the rate for couples with children.

A particularly striking feature of recent years is the share of in-work poverty. Around two in three working-age adults in poverty are in households where at least one adult is working – rising to 70% among children living in poverty. This means nearly three quarters of children affected by poverty have a parent in work. Both figures were under 50% in 2000-01

It paints a relatively bleak picture – and this is without factoring in what’s likely to happen in the years ahead.

Projections by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) point to average wage growth staying at 2% or less until 2021. The return of inflation is eroding wage gains, especially for the cost of essentials (rent, food, energy, travel). The national living wage helps, although it is well below the voluntary living wage pegged to actual costs. The continuing freeze in working-age benefits and tax credits creates an even stronger squeeze on low-income households.

JRF analysis of recent and projected changes in wages, tax, benefits and employment shows a couple with two children working full-time on the national living wage would be £1,051 a year worse off by 2020, while a lone parent with two children also working full-time at national living wage would be £3,363 worse off as a result. These are sobering projections, but forecasting is not fate.

Some of these pressures reflect policy choices. Governments can choose to lift the freeze on working-age social security – a move JRF are calling for. They can seek to extend the voluntary higher rate of living wage across the public service workforce, as is happening in Scotland. Many economists agree rising inflation is driven in no small measure by currency weakness induced by Brexit risks. Whatever errors occur in economic models, we can say with certainty that low-income families have the fewest resources to serve as a

buffer against these financial pressures.

Poverty is strongly associated with poorer outcomes for many but not all who experience it. Families with short spells of poverty are likely to fare better than those in persistent or severe poverty. Those with wider resources – for example family members to borrow from or to help with childcare – are likely to cope better than those who are isolated. Poverty does not determine life chances in each case, but it creates strong, often cumulative layers of risk.

High quality public services, fair work and affordable housing make an essential contribution to fighting poverty. But reviews of of international evidence confirm that having an adequate income makes it easier to achieve good outcomes for children.

So, should we be investing in services and support, or should we be looking at a way of increasing household income in a more real and tangible way? These are among the questions explored by a team at the London School of Economics and Political Science, with support from JRF, over two waves of research in 2013 and 2017.

The research includes 61 relevant, high quality studies with clear evidence on whether money affects child outcomes. These span 30 years of evidence. The majority of studies were from the USA, but other significant studies have been done in Canada, Australia, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Mexico as well as the UK. Despite the lack of evidence from Scotland, the pathways by which a lack of money affects children’s outcomes seem consistent across countries and equally relevant here: poverty drives parental stress, anxiety and especially maternal depression, material deprivation and a poorer home environment. Reductions in family income are likely to have wide-ranging negative effects. Long periods of poverty affect children’s outcomes more severely than short-term.

Turning this around, what are the positive effects of families having more financial resources? A clear and consistent finding of the review is that more money does directly improve child development and that there is a significantly bigger effect for low income families. It states “the overwhelming majority of studies find significant positive effects of increased family income across a range of children’s outcomes, including cognitive development and school achievement, social and behavioural

“A clear and consistent finding of the review is that more moneydirectly improves child development”

Running on emptyWhen it comes to making real inroads in tackling poverty, should we be investing in services or ensuring more money in the pockets of families? Jim McCormick reflects on new research which considers the impact of both

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Unsurprising but significant are two new examples in Canada and the USA where a higher family income is associated with lower ‘food insufficiency’.

In this, and other poverty-related studies, there is clear evidence of cause and effect between money and children’s outcomes. But estimating the effect is still the tricky part. Where this can be estimated, impacts seem to vary widely. With the exception of maternal depression (where a strong impact is seen), the effects are described as small but far from negligible. It also important to note they compare reasonably well to the impact of other approaches such as spending more on education.

This is an important and balanced conclusion for policy-makers and practitioners in Scotland. Raising low family incomes is not a magic bullet for addressing unequal child development. However, as the report authors state, there are “strong reasons to believe that reducing income poverty would itself have important and measurable effects both on children’s [home] environment and on their development”.

Other approaches to improving the prospects of low-income children via home and learning environments are essential. The new Child

Poverty Bill presents a set of ambitious targets to be achieved by 2030 and should help to focus attention on what makes the biggest contribution towards reducing child poverty. The newly formed Commission on Poverty and Inequality will be charged, in the first instance, with informing the Delivery Plan to be published by the Communities Secretary in April 2018. In addition, the Scottish Government’s commitments to expanding early learning and childcare, reducing the attainment gap and expanding the supply of affordable housing will all help to improve children’s life chances.

However, very specific policy approaches on education, health or skills may have quite ‘domain-specific’ effects. For example, investment in education might only improve education outcomes and not poverty as a whole. By comparison, addressing what’s in the pockets of low income families affects many different outcomes at the same time, spanning cognitive and behaviour, attainment, the home environment and health, including child anxiety and parental mental health.

When it comes to improving outcomes for children in Scotland, reducing child poverty should be at the centre. Action to prevent poverty in the long-run and to break the cycle is crucial, but these will be more effective if we do more to help families escape poverty in the here and now.

Dr Jim McCormick is the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s Associate Director for Scotland

> The Joseph Rowntree Foundation works to inspire social change through research, policy and practice. Find out more about their work at jrf.org.uk

> For more information on Joseph Rowntree Foundations’ work in Scotland, visit jrf.org.uk/our-work/scotland

> Follow Jim on Twitter @jim.mccormick16 or contact him at jim.mccormick@jrf.org.uk

> Universal Basic Income trials are taking place in a number of local authorities in Scotland including Fife, Glasgow, North Ayrshire and Edinburgh. For more information, visit www.thersa.org

Closing the attainment gapTo support schools and other organisations helping to tackle Scotland’s attainment gap, we are offering the following seminars and workshops:

Three easy ways to book:events@childreninscotland.org.uk

0131 313 8828

childreninscotland.org.uk

Foundations of literacy with Sue Palmer6 October, Glasgow17 November, Aberdeen

Raising attainment and closing the gap - what works?11 October, Glasgow

Supporting P4-S3 EAL learners in mainstream classroom settings27 October, Edinburgh

Raising attainment through parental engagement3 November, Edinburgh

Children in Scotland Annual Conference8-9 November, Edinburgh See page 4 for details

Transforming school improvement planning with Frank Crawford1 December, Glasgow

The engagement model: supporting and motivating hard to reach learners20 November, Edinburgh

Making primary maths more creative8 December, Edinburgh

development and children’s health”. Some of these effects – notably for cognitive development – are stronger in early childhood.

The impact of increased income appears to be roughly the same as spending similar amounts on education programmes. Increases in family income for those on low incomes substantially reduce differences in school outcomes and wider aspects of a child’s wellbeing. The researchers found that raising family incomes to the average for their household type would be expected to halve the attainment gap between children eligible for free school meals and other children in England at Key Stage 2 (between 7 and 11 years old).

The evidence on health is stronger than in 2013 thanks to a set of studies identifying positive income effects on birth weight in particular, although evidence is more mixed for later children’s health outcomes including obesity and respiratory diseases. There is also further evidence of the positive effect of the US equivalent of working tax credits on reducing maternal smoking, including during pregnancy.

One particularly important new finding comes from the first study included in the review

considering the effects of income on child abuse and neglect. Allowing families to retain more of their child support payments, rather than deducting them from benefits, led to significant reductions in investigations for child maltreatment. The authors single out this finding due to the devastating consequences of child maltreatment and the rigour of the study methodology.

On the other hand, there has been the suggestion that an increase in income may not have solely positive outcomes. One of the few studies which found no significant effects comes from Sweden, where a sudden increase in

income, in this case through family lottery wins, appears neutral or even negative for children. Reasonably, the review team points out that this form of income rise probably has a very different impact on family spending patterns than other more routine changes to social security or wages.

Throughout the research, two main pathways have been found where more money enables better outcomes for children.

1. Investing in maternal health to mitigate family stress.

New studies on maternal depression amplify earlier findings about the damaging effects of poverty on mothers’ mental health, itself a vital sign of child well-being and development.

2. Family investment, to increase the ability of parents to invest in support and goods that enhance child development.

“Allowing families to retain more of their child support payments led to significant reductions in investigations for child maltreatment”

Photograph © A

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Sending out an SOSIn the face of a changing childcare and early years landscape, a new campaign aims to secure childminders the recognition and support they deserve. Maggie Simpson tells us more

Childminders are a crucial part of the childcare landscape in Scotland, providing

essential childcare services for children and their families, tailored to meet the individual needs of each child. Working from their own homes they give an unrivalled continuity of care, offering unique and flexible approaches to professional childcare whilst looking after small groups of children in a family setting.

Childminders are inspected by the Care Inspectorate and registered to care for children up to the age of 16, offering a perfect solution for those with children of varying ages. The hours they work can be far more flexible than those of other childcare providers, often extending to evening and weekends, and may even include overnight stays. This flexibility is especially valuable when parents work part-time or unusual hours. Being cared for by a childminder gives children the opportunity to learn from real-life experiences in a secure, loving, home environment, that can include: going to the shops; being involved in school pick-ups; family meal times, and visits to the park – all valuable life skills.

But funded provision of Early Learning and Childcare in Scotland is changing and judging by the phone calls we are receiving it is now emerging that a consequence of this is an expected decline in the childminding workforce. with regulators to ensure that systems

do not try to get childminding services to become more like a nursery. Currently we have nearly 6,000 childminders delivering services to over 32,000 children across Scotland. This includes places for babies, a large number of out of school care services, and specialist community childminding services. Thousands of childminders are delivering services to tens of thousands of children. Clearly childminding is seen as a preferred childcare option for many families, yet only 114 childminders throughout the whole of Scotland, out of a possible 5,954, are delivering ELC for eligible two-year-olds, funded through their local authority. This equates to fewer than 2% of the whole childminding workforce in Scotland.

Two years ago, the SCMA was commissioned by the Scottish Government to produce a national report on the state of childminding in Scotland in relation to funded ELC. At the time this made for grim reading and I am sad to say that not much has

changed since then. Currently only about 2% of childminders are commissioned to actually deliver free childcare for two-year-olds and only a handful for three- and four-year-olds. Most local authorities are not yet offering childminding as an option for parents, even for two-year-olds, which is a cause for concern.

In more recent discussions with local authorities we are finding that they are not familiar with childminding services in their area, or how they are regulated. As a result, it is difficult for them to have confidence in these services. For years parents have been steered towards using nursery provision,

with childminders only commissioned if no nursery place is available. So the reluctance of parents to opt for childminding services rather than nursery provision starts to become understandable.

We firmly believe that different types of childcare services can really complement one another and should not be seen to be in competition. The ELC expansion should embrace the whole

“Most local authorities are not yet offering childminding as an option for parents”

Funded provision of Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) is currently offered to all three- and four-year-olds, as well as eligible two-year-olds. In August 2014, this funded provision increased to 600 hours per year, equivalent to around 16 hours per week, delivered during school term time. Now, the Scottish Government is committed to increasing the ELC entitlement to 1140 hours per year by 2020. This will continue to cover all three- and four-year-old children, and eligible two-year-olds. As part of the planned expansion, the Scottish Government has emphasised its commitment to high quality care, and promised the flexibility parents need to work, train or study.

This all seems like good news. After all, we know that free childcare places are a big help for families. They are good for children, giving them the chance to learn and play with peers, and can also be of financial help to families.

But all is not as well as it appears.

The Blueprint for 2020: Early Learning and Childcare in Scotland Action Plan released by the Scottish Government in March to support the ambitious expansion clearly asks local authorities to include childminders in their plans. In reality, this isn’t happening, even though it is well known that childminders are adept at providing quality childcare that builds confident children within a family setting. This is evidenced in the latest ELC Care Inspectorate Report which details that 94% of childminders achieved a grade four or above (out of the six-point scale). It is also evidenced in the Growing Up in Scotland Report, Tackling Inequalities in the Early Years: Key messages from 10 years of the Growing Up in Scotland study, which found that children who attended providers with a high care and support grade, as assessed by the Care Inspectorate, are more likely to show improvement in vocabulary skills by age five, irrespective of their social background and other pre-school characteristics.

It is the low ratios and home environment that lead to such consistently high-quality services for childminders. The Scottish Chilminding Association (SCMA) has, over the years, worked

“Funded provision of early learning and childcare is changing and an unintended consequence is an expected decline in the childcare workforce.”

Image supplied by SCMA

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range of services including nursery, playgroup, childminding, and out of school care so that we work together to ensure the best start in life for children. The SCMA family support services in particular should be integrated with the funded ELC places in order to properly support children and families and reduce the poverty-related attainment gap.

Considerable work needs to be done to raise awareness of what childminding can offer – and not just for working parents. We need to change the opinion that childminding is little more than complementary to all the other more recognised services.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

For families, childminding offers a flexible alternative to mainstream care settings. Childminders have a unique, personal relationship with families and can play a pivotal role in their lives, especially during times of transition. As children become

eligible for a funded ELC place they may spend part of the day with the childminder and part in another setting. Far from being a problem, these flexible arrangements give the children the best opportunity to have a variety of experiences and

the management of these transitions is standard for childminders to arrange.

A report published by the Growing up in Scotland longitudinal study last year identified that access to good quality ELC settings – of any kind – helps a child’s development, giving them the chance to learn and play with friends in a natural family-style setting. In the November 2016 Care Inspectorate Report, 94% of childminders are rated as good, very good or excellent across all quality measures. In addition, research into community childminding, commissioned by the SCMA and published by Dr Christine Stephen at the University of Stirling, evidenced that the service had a lasting benefit to children’s social and emotional development, which is

particularly important for eligible two-year-olds.

Finally, childminding should also be recognised for

its role in the workforce, providing a dynamic and evolving career. But registered childminders are self-employed and run their own business; excluding them from local authority funded ELC provision risks the livelihoods of nearly 6,000 self-employed workers.

Currently tens of thousands of parents are happily using a childminding service and we urge local authorities to allow those parents to continue this use as part of their funded hours.

We will be doing everything possible to raise awareness of the need for childminding to be part of the changing ELC process. We know childminding offers a blended approach to childcare with parental choice and flexibility, that it is the ideal setting for children to experience their free hours and that the quality of childcare delivered by childminders exceeds that of many other day care services, including nurseries.

We’ve started the process with the launch of a high-profile national ELC campaign to drive awareness of the current status of childminding in Scotland. We’re asking that professional childminding businesses operating in each local authority area are given due consideration in ELC expansion plans and in ongoing service developments to ensure that parents, who wish to do so, can access a childminding service for part or all of their funded entitlement. We are also asking childminders to join us in rallying for support. Nearly 70% of our members have signed mandates asking the SCMA to lobby on their behalf to protect their future.

We have an online campaign, accessible through our website, that highlights the current state of childminding in Scotland, and have published a leaflet for parents aimed at promoting the benefits of engaging with childminders. The next phase is to try and capture the voices of childminders, families, and supportive organisations through support of a public pledge to protect professional childminding services in Scotland. We hope that as many people as possible will sign our pledge to recognise childminders as part of the childcare community that ensure the best start in life for children in Scotland.

Maggie Simpson is Chief Executive of the Scottish Childminding Association

> To find out more about the SCMA Save Our Services Childminding campaign visitchildminding.org/elc

> Follow the campaign on Twitter #SOSChildminding

> The Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) is the national voice of childminding in Scotland. With a membership of 4,500, they represent approximately 83% of registered childminders across the country. For more information, visit childminding.org

“Only 114 childminders throughout the whole of Scotland are delivering childcare for eligible two-year-olds, funded through their local authority”

The pledge to save childminding in ScotlandThe SCMA would like to ensure that childminders remain a viable option for families when the funded Early Learning and Childcare increases to 1140 hours for children who are three or four years old, as well as for qualifying two-year-olds in 2020. Understanding the value of funded childcare, they are campaigning to ensure childminders are given the opportunity to be partner providers, paid by the local authority for providing a childminding service.

They will be lobbying on behalf of all SCMA members for inclusion in their funded early learning and childcare plans, presenting vital evidence to the Scottish Government, local authorities and all other decision makers.

For more information, or to sign the pledge, visitchildminding.org/pledge-wall

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We work with our clients and families in the recruitment and tailored training of their specialist team, giving the people, we work with the power of choice in the care they receive, building a trusted partnership for continued care package delivery and improvement, trainers on-hand to meet any of your complex care training requirements.

An approved ProTrainings centre we offer a number of training opportunities to meet your needs.

www.bespokeclinicalcare.co.uk Tel 01698374362 We welcome all enquiries.

Email: enquiries@bespokeclinicalcare.co.uk

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the lives of the young people you work with

Learn more about how your organisation can get involved

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Brexit and children’s rights

Equal protection

Guest opinion: Sue Palmer

The ASL landscape

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Comment, policy & analysis

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@jackiejbrock

A chance to flourishWe’ve changed our voice and look to better reflect our ambitions for children and families, writes Jackie Brock

Making Scotland the best place in the world to grow up. Sometimes

that feels unachievable, but it is an ambition that all of us in Children in Scotland, our members and partners, are passionately committed to.

In the hope of delivering on this, over the past 10 years there has been a clear move towards investment and services in early years, focused on making a difference at the earliest possible opportunity. Legislative and policy developments aim to strengthen systems, recognise children’s rights more fully, and achieve ambitious health, education and child poverty targets. Add to this a series of far-reaching reviews on

child protection, the care system and poverty and inequality, and it shows we are taking big steps in the right direction. But there is much more to be done.

The challenge for the children’s sector is to identify how best we can support these goals. What role can we play as individuals, as organisations, and as a collective force?

I believe collaboration is the only chance we have of meeting these challenges. Partnerships at every

level – locally with young people and families, and at national level across the sector and with key influencers on strategic issues – will be the only way to succeed. We need to pool resources, share knowledge and work together. A single service approach to tackling any of the systematic and complex challenges facing us will fail.

So, how does Children in Scotland fit in? We want to lead on finding solutions

that can give all children in Scotland an equal chance to flourish. As part of this, over the past 18 months we’ve taken stock of our identity and asked some searching questions about our role within a thriving children’s sector in Scotland. The end result is a change to our voice, look and profile, and a re-articulation of our core beliefs.

Children in Scotland is in a unique position. Our audience encompasses adults working in the sector and children and young people themselves. As an organisation, we bridge the gap between them and are proud to work with a huge range of professional and voluntary interest action groups.

Our membership, which informs our policy positions and decisions about where to focus our work, is extensive and truly multidisciplinary. We actively seek the input of children and young people, and have a dedicated participation and engagement team who ensure that children and young people understand their rights, and that these rights are realised - especially the right to be heard.

This breadth is our greatest strength. It allows us to cultivate strong values and base policy positions on knowledge, evidence, expertise, and lived experience drawn from our network.

Knowledge exchange is enabled through the delivery of our continuous professional development programme. We facilitate experts’ sharing of experience and practice to strengthen skills amongst those who work with or for children and families. And we want children and families to feel the benefit.

Personal and professional development

All staff are taught Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and apply the habits to themselves personally and professionally to enable them to model the habits within the school. Teachers then teach the 7 Habits to the pupils throughout the curriculum. There are 27 highly effective practices that provide a framework to increase personal leadership, improve school culture and academic performance. The Leader in Me works on the three big challenges (Leadership, Culture, Academics) that all schools face with the goal of being able to measure both qualitative and quantitative data in these areas. The Leader in Me is not another topic to be squeezed into an already burgeoning curriculum. Instead it offers a means of looking at things differently; schools continue to do everything they already do, they simply do it within a framework based on ‘The Leader in Me’ principles and practices. Visit our website (www.unitededucationgroup.com) to download the Leader in Me E-Book to find out how Giles Junior school successfully closed the attainment gap and more! Or call us to arrange a meeting with you at your school (+44) 0208 335 6670.

“The Leader in Me is a whole school approach that has a positive impact on children’s emotional well-being, their achievements and life aspirations, in addition to helping them to pause, reflect and therefore self-regulate their behaviour.”~ Rae Walker, Headteacher Fair Isle Primary School ~

Inspire Greatness in People

When you start the Leader in Me within your school you will be joining a worldwide network of over 3000 schools. An organised group of schools that are all committed to providing an outstanding education for their children by preparing them with the life skills they will need to be successful and happy in tomorrow’s rapidly changing world.

The missing link to the ‘Attainment Gap’

www.unitededucationgroup.comPhone: 0208 335 667077 High street, Thames Ditton, KT7 0F

Culture Academics

Leadership

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The Leader in Me is a personal and professional development process for the whole school that provides a framework and common language for teachers and pupils. It impacts emotional well-being, builds emotional intelligence and the growth mind set, and crucially develops personal leadership skills that enables teachers to close the poverty-related attainment gap. In many ways it is the missing link to solving the attainment gap within Scotland. We are unable to improve disadvantaged children’s literacy, numeracy, health and well-being unless we can raise their self-esteem and life aspirations, and give them high socio-emotional skills that empowers them to self-regulate and build effective relationships with others within the social context of school and their sometimes-adverse families’ circumstances. The Leader in Me puts the child at the centre of creation by giving them the tools to develop personal leadership and take responsibility for the outcomes in their life. It moves the disadvantaged child from being a possible victim of adverse early circumstances (resulting in long term under performance) to a proactive child who is taking responsibility for their life (resulting in continual measurable progress and long-term achievement). It does this by enlarging the role and skills of teachers - moving beyond just teaching academics to a teacher who can change the life outcome of a disadvantaged child by being a mentor and coach as they incorporate integrated life skills lessons during normal lesson time.

“A single service approach to tackling any of the challenges facing us will fail”

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study in any EU member state, but EU programmes such as Erasmus and Erasmus Plus have provided financial support for so doing. These programmes will not be available if the UK Government is no longer contributing to the EU. Conversely, many workers from other EU countries will no longer be able freely to move and gain employment here. This is likely

to have major implications for our public services, such as the NHS, and for sectors such as social care delivery.

Ensuring access to decent employment is a key element of addressing poverty in families, enabling more parents to offer their children a good quality of life. The EU has provided many millions of pounds, through its structural funds, that have actively supported workforce development, economic regeneration and community development that has enhanced job availability and workers’ skills, including programmes for young workers. We will have no access to such funds post-Brexit.

Children in Scotland believes that many questions around the impact of Brexit remain unanswered. We have grave concerns that children’s rights and wellbeing will be adversely affected. We are working actively with our members and our UK and European partners to urge those who sit round the negotiating table to make the needs and voices of those who will populate post-Brexit Scotland a priority in their discussions.

Marion Macleod is Children in Scotland’s Policy Manager

We can also lay claim to substantial knowledge in key areas such as child protection, additional support for learning, mental health and wellbeing, children’s rights, and poverty and inequality within our staff team. This, along with the expertise of our contacts, contributors and members, means we can comment on child policy issues with real authority – and always backed by evidence.

We are excited to be increasing our focus on working with our local networks at community level, with and for children and families. This enables us to use the learning from these initiatives to contribute to improved policy at local and national level. While we are not, and never will be, a significant service delivery organisation, it has been wonderful to work in partnership with local communities and children and families to achieve improvement.

From June to August this year, we were again partners in delivering Food, Families, Futures (FFF), working with schools, local authorities, communities and businesses to offer holiday clubs and free meals over the summer holidays. It offered more than 4,000 places in this, its second year. The response was extraordinary and we hope to extend FFF to other areas during further holiday periods.

We are also working with a range of families and community partners on a BIG Lottery funded-project about childcare. Childcare and Nurture, Glasgow East (CHANGE) will identify the current childcare provision in the North-East of Glasgow, engaging with parents and families to identify models that would better suit their needs. We hope this will ultimately improve provision and eventually serve as a model for other parts of the country.

Our in-house services, Enquire and Resolve, continue to offer advice and help to children and families on additional support for learning. Their ability to provide successful resolutions is a source of genuine pride for us.

In the process of our review, a common theme kept recurring. It was the value of conversation, achieving an ongoing, open and honest dialogue between us, our members and the wider children’s sector, as well as the families and young people we work with. Without knowing what you need from us in terms of support, development, and training we would not be in a position to deliver on our ambition of strengthening the sector. Without talking to decision makers at the highest level, we would be unable to influence the long-term policy changes needed to make a tangible difference. And without speaking to children and families directly, we wouldn’t know how to prioritise work that can help them.

Underlying all of this is the message of partnership. We want to be leading and facilitating these partnerships as much as possible. We believe that as a sector we are greater than the sum of our parts, but if we are to succeed in influencing change we need to continue to work together, drawing on shared beliefs and ensuring appropriate support.

From this autumn we will be giving a greater emphasis to the voices of our membership whilst putting extra effots into encouraging and facilitating the work of our wider network. We’re stepping into a new era and we hope you’ll come with us.

Jackie Brock is Children in Scotland’s Chief Executive

Brexit woundsThe full impact of withdrawal from the EU is becoming clear – and it’s our next generation who have the most to lose, writes Marion Macleod

The result of last year’s referendum on the UK’s membership of the

European Union saw Scotland embark on a journey whose destination was uncertain. Progress so far with negotiations has not provided much enlightenment. The only certainty is that the UK will cease to be a member of the European Union at some point in the next couple of years. We do not yet know what the full impact of this will be. Though much has been written and broadcast on the subject, little has focused on the interests of children and young people and how they will be affected. The wholesale repeal of European legislation will remove many statutes that support and protect children. European institutions have been instrumental in bringing about changes, through European law, that have benefited children directly and indirectly and have promoted and protected their rights and wellbeing. Protection of children has been strengthened by binding European legislation, particularly in respect of child protection matters that cross national boundaries. These include laws against trafficking of children, child abduction, forced migration, sexual exploitation and the capacity to pursue criminal proceedings against those who offend against children across national boundaries, all of which would cease to apply once the Great Repeal Bill is passed. The gathering and sharing of intelligence in respect of concerns such as online child abuse and missing children may also be at risk once the UK is no longer an automatic participant in the European protocols and bodies that deal with these matters.

There are approximately three million people in the UK who are nationals of other EU member states, including many children who are settled in schools and communities and who may indeed have been born here. There are also many UK nationals under 18 who are resident in other EU countries. Of course there will be issues about the right of both groups to remain in their current country of residence after Brexit. This will depend to a great extent on

movement of goods, services and people across the national boundaries of its member states to optimise workforce availability, prosperity and economic growth. Since its inception, however, it has progressively acknowledged the contribution of effective social policies and activities in supporting good economic outcomes. This has been reflected in its guidance and recommendations to member states.

Many of these have benefited children. The 2002 ‘Barcelona targets’ set out clear indications of the levels of preschool provision that all member states were expected to achieve. The 2011 communication ‘Early childhood education and care: providing all our children with the best start for the world of tomorrow’ underlined the importance of high quality in terms of workforce, curriculum and environment for children in their early years. ‘Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage’, a 2013 Commission recommendation, conveyed clear advice to member states that support for children should be protected, even in the face of the austerity policies that many member governments were pursuing.

Access to healthcare for all EU citizens, guaranteed by the EU across all member states, ensures that children are entitled to receive care and support from public health services in any of the EU member states.

Not only do young Scots have rights to move freely and be employed or

“There are several important aspects of family life that could change when European procedural protocols no longer apply”

what arrangements are put in place for protecting reciprocal rights of residence for citizens. Even if they are not required to leave their current country of residence, they may experience greater insecurity in terms of permanence of arrangements, more bureaucracy and higher cost associated with procedures for those who wish to remain and restrictions on right of access to public services. They are likely to be treated as third country nationals, therefore less favourably, in terms of both inward and outward migration.

At present free movement of population means that there are no permissions, visas or other administrative procedures required for young people to work, study or holiday in EU member states. There are no guarantees that this position would continue beyond Brexit; indeed a ‘hard’ Brexit would almost certainly ensure that it would not.

There are several important aspects of family life that could change when European procedural rules no longer apply. For example, EU regulation that requires official decisions affecting children, such as custody, access and maintenance payment arrangements when parents divorce, to be recognised and enforced in all member states.

Much of UK employment law derives from EU legislation. While this may not affect many children directly, its effect on family life certainly does. Entitlement to parental leave, and protection of permissible working hours, enable and support parents to enjoy time with their children in early childhood and beyond.

The 2009 Lisbon Treaty embedded children’s rights in the EU constitution. These are monitored and protected, as a key priority, by the Fundamental Rights Agency, one of the agencies of the European Commission and by a dedicated child rights coordinator within the Commission.

All EU member states are, furthermore, party to the European Convention on Human Rights. This convention applies to EU citizens of all ages, thus equally to children and adults. It guarantees, among many other rights, freedom from torture, prohibition of forced labour, freedom of conscience and religion, right to privacy, prohibition of discrimination, right to family life (which could apply, for example, in deportation cases) and freedom of expression. It would not apply to the UK once Brexit is concluded.

The EU originated as a primarily economic entity, with its main objectives being to assure the free

“We have grave concerns that children’s wellbeing will be adversely affected and are working with our members on this issue”

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@amywoodhoose

From here to equality Protecting our children from so-called ‘justifiable assault’ must be top of the political agenda this autumn. It’s time to stop defending the indefensible, says Amy Woodhouse

Currently children and young people in

Scotland are denied equal protection from assault as adults, through a defence of ‘reasonable chastisement’ in Section 51 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003. This essentially allows for the physical punishment of children and young people by parents and others caring for children, if it can be argued to have been carried out for disciplinary purposes.

This legal defence has been widely condemned by the children’s sector for many years, including by successive Children’s Commissioners. In an interview with us (see page 9), Bruce Adamson, the current Commissioner, speaks openly about his intent to ensure that the Scottish Government is held to account for what he calls a ‘breach of international obligations’. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has noted that the current legal framework in Scotland is incompatible with the UN Convention on

the Rights of the Child and should be altered as a matter of priority, and it has been suggested that the current legal situation in Scotland does not uphold the right to protection from cruel and inhumane treatment under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). We are increasingly out of sync with other European nations on this issue.

In May 2017, John Finnie MSP lodged a proposal for a Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill to remove this defence. It comes following an acknowledgment of consistent and united calls to action from across the children’s sector, and the work of Children 1st, Barnardo’s Scotland, NSPCC Scotland and the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland (CYPCS) to drive this forward.

In September, whilst announcing their programme for government 2017-18, the Scottish Government

confirmed they would not oppose such a Bill if brought before Parliament. This represents a big step and indicates acknowledgement of the volume of responses the consultation received (650) and the overwhelming support for legislative change.

The reasons for extending protection have been presented time and time again. There is solid legal arguements and persuasive international evidence.

Physical punishment is an infringement of children and young people’s rights

Children and young people across Scotland regularly articulate the importance of having access to the same rights and protections as adults. In the Child Rights Manifesto, published by Together, one young person is quoted as saying: “It is important all of us are treated the same and have the same opportunities.”

We agree. Based on a child rights basis alone, it is unacceptable that a defence that would not be acceptable for assault on an adult would be admissible because a child is involved. The proposed new Bill would address this injustice, and go some way to meeting our commitments under the UNCRC and the ECHR.

Physical punishment is not an effective tool for disciplining children

In 2015, Children 1st, NSPCC Scotland, Barnardos Scotland and the Children’s Commissioner, commissioned a systematic review of the evidence on the physical punishment of children. They concluded: “there is little evidence that corporal punishment works. It is not effective in achieving parenting goals of increasing children’s moral internalisation and decreasing their aggressive and antisocial behaviour.”

If the evidence is not present to show that physical punishment works as a disciplinary tool, then the reasoning behind having this as a defence within the law simply is not there. There is no good reason to carry out physical punishment on a child.

Physical punishment has a negative impact on children and young people’s health and wellbeing

Children and young people have identified that they feel physical punishment such as smacking is harmful to them both physically and mentally. When the National Children’s Bureau and Save the Children asked children how they felt about parents being able to use smacking, one said: “It hurts and it’s painful inside – it’s like breaking your bones.”

This view is clearly backed up by academic evidence on the subject. Research indicates that physical punishment negatively impacts on the health and wellbeing of children and young people in a number of ways, including increased prevalence of mental health problems, damaged parent / child relationships and, in the longer term, aggression in adulthood and antisocial behaviour.

We strongly believe that providing equal protection from assault for children and young people will not only support health and wellbeing, but also positive relationships. It is a vital part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to making Scotland ‘the best place in the world to grow up’.

Changing the law will make a difference

International evidence shows that in countries where equal protection from assault has been introduced, decreases in the prevalence of physical punishment have followed.

Furthermore, this has been achieved without an associated increase in the criminalisation of parents – an argument that has often been used in opposition of the proposed change in law. In short, legislation works.

Consultation on the proposed Bill closed in early August. The next step will be the publication of a final proposal, which, in order to progress through the parliamentary process,

requires support from no less than 18 other MSPs. If achieved, the Bill can be introduced to parliament through the normal three-stage scrutiny process.

A concerted effort is needed to keep the profile of the campaign high, explaining rationally why we need this change to happen, encouraging our MSPs to support the proposal, and refuting those who continue to defend the indefensible. If we don’t take this opportunity now and make it work, we may not have another chance for many years.

Amy Woodhouse is Children in Scotland’s Head of Policy, Projects & Participation

> To read Children in Scotland’s consultation response on Equal Protection, visit the influencing section of our website childreninscotland.org.uk

> For updates on the proposed bill, see the Members Bill area of the Scottish Parliament website parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/12419.aspx

Policy & Participation round-up In the past few months our Policy and Participation staff’s work has ranged from taking part in our food project activities to responding to the consultation on equal protection from assault. Every issue we’ll update you on what we’ve been up to, and how you can get involved. By Elaine Kerridge

Food,Families, Futures summer clubsThe Participation and Engagement Team had a wonderfully busy summer visiting our Food, Families, Futures summer clubs. Based in nine sites across Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire, with children from 26 schools, we played rounders, danced, attacked pirate pinatas, decorated mugs and t-shirts, ate ice cream and made healthy macaroni cheese. It was a fantastic experience for us, and we hope for the families who took part too.

Children’s and young people’s advisory group: first meetingWe’ve made great progress with the development of the advisory group who will help shape our work and ensure we are actively listening and responding to their views. The young people, aged 8-16, met for the first time in August to identify how we might have the most beneficial partnership. Watch this space!

Equal protection and Social Security consultation responseOn the core policy side of things we responded to MSP John Finnie’s proposed Member’s Bill on equal protection from assault (see Amy’s column, left). We also responded to the call for written evidence on the Social Security (Scotland) Bill, once again pressing for the Scottish Government to consider using its powers to top up benefits to reduce child poverty. Both responses are available on our website.

Village Storytelling evaluation – childcare providers neededAugust saw the start of a new project with the Village Storytelling Centre. We will be evaluating the roll-out a new storytelling programme for parents with children under five. Interested in trying it out? Get in touch with me to find out more: ekerridge@childreninscotland.org.uk

> For more information on our policy, projects and participation work, visit childreninscotland.org.uk

“Physical punishment negatively impacts on the health and well-being of children and young people in a number of ways”

“If evidence is not present to show that physical punishment works as a disciplinary tool, then the reasoning of having this as a defence is not there”

Children enjoy lunch at a FFF summer club

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Solving the P1 puzzleTeachers are being asked to reconcile two competing ideologies: building a play-based curriculum or teaching to test. Children are paying the penalty, argues Sue Palmer

@UpstartScot A decade ago, the then Scottish Executive

published a document that had the potential to change the life-chances of innumerable Scottish children. Building the Curriculum 2 (official guidance for the Early Level of Curriculum for Excellence) (BtC2) outlined an approach to care and education for three- to six-year-olds very similar to the type of play-based ‘kindergarten stage’ seen in Nordic countries.

Sadly, it didn’t catch on.

One reason is the word ‘play’. The play-based principles of kindergarten education, based on the work of Friedrich Froebel and other great early years pioneers, have never been widely understood in the handful of countries worldwide where children start school at the very young age of four or five. So, while it’s taken for granted across the rest of Northern Europe that under-sevens learn best through play, most UK adults see playing as a frivolous activity, only appropriate during out-of-school hours.

Another reason, again the result of our early school starting age, is that Curriculum for Excellence’s (CfE) Early Level is split down the middle, making a clear distinction between nursery level and primary one.

From government level down, these two chunks have very different structures, systems and bosses. So the Scottish public, and its politicians, think of the first half (nursery) as ‘childcare’ and the second (primary one) as ‘education’. The ‘childcare’ chunk – despite

its increasingly professional workforce – is unfortunately valued mainly in terms of the hours it frees up parents to work. Education has far greater prestige but is hierarchically organised, and is right at the bottom of an academic pecking order. Since most early years educational expertise these days resides in the pre-school sector, it doesn’t exert much influence in schools.

So, despite ten years of CfE’s Early Level, most Scots still think that ‘play’ has little or no educational value and traditional schooling, with an emphasis on reading, writing and reckoning, should start at

five. Unsurprisingly, therefore, very few P1 classes have so far fully embraced the play-based pedagogical principles of BtC2 and, thanks to regular media reports about ‘falling standards’, many private nurseries dilute play-based learning with ‘school readiness activities’.

There is, however, some good news.

There is a growing awareness among professionals in all areas of children’s services that Scotland’s difficulties in closing the attainment gap, along with a range of physical and mental health problems among children and young people, are linked to adverse childhood experiences, especially in the early years. They are also linked to significant lifestyle changes over recent decades, including the decline of outdoor, active, social, self-directed play.

Today’s children tend to lead a mainly indoor,

sedentary existence from the day that they’re born.

Yet neuroscience now confirms what early years experts have always said. The under-sevens need plenty of ‘old-fashioned’ play to promote lifelong physical and mental health. They also need sensitive, non-judgemental adult support to develop self-regulation skills and emotional resilience. What’s more, international evidence clearly shows that in terms of closing the attainment gap, a ‘kindergarten approach’ is more effective than an early focus on age-specific academic standards.

As these revelations have spread, more and more teachers are now keen to implement a play-based approach throughout the Early Level. This summer a Facebook group on ‘P1 play-based pedagogy’, launched by Upstart Scotland, attracted 300 members within 24 hours. Unfortunately, their enthusiasm has coincided with a political response to the attainment gap that’s still rooted in outdated cultural assumptions: national assessments in literacy and numeracy, linked to skills-based ‘benchmarks’ for achievement and starting at P1, will begin this year.

Many five-year-old children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have little chance of reaching these benchmarks without considerable coaching in the relevant skills. So Scotland’s P1 teachers find themselves in a dilemma. Should they support four- and five-year-olds in developmentally-appropriate, play-based learning, as in BtC2, and as international evidence suggests is the most beneficial? Or should they

perform in literacy and numeracy tasks which, for well-established developmental reasons, other European children don’t encounter until they are six or seven? During the summer Upstart heard many reports of situations where senior managers in schools and/or policymakers in local authorities require pupils to reach the ‘expected standard’. In these cases, primary teachers are under considerable pressure to teach to the tests. As Chair of the campaign for play-based learning, I met with representatives of Education Scotland to ask advice about the P1 dilemma.

I was delighted to hear that they ‘hold dear the sorts of practice we know work well, and that are appropriate for children’s individual needs and the importance of children learning through play, as set out in BtC2’.

It was encouraging that, in terms of inspection, ‘the effectiveness of P1 teachers

will not be judged on the basis of children’s performance in the national test’. I was informed that Education Scotland accepted that some children will achieve all of the benchmarks, whilst others will not. The Inspectorate weren’t, however, prepared to

comment on the appropriateness of standardised national tests at this age nor the likely knock-on effects in terms of practice. This is scarcely surprising since the Inspectorate, now part of Education Scotland, has been tasked by the Scottish Government to help introduce the testing regime.

So P1 teachers are left trying to reconcile two directly conflicting ideologies.

While Upstart Scotland will offer all possible support to the professionals who still intend to implement BtC2, we are convinced that CfE’s Early Level is never going to ensure the high-quality

early education and care that all our children deserve.

Therefore, we want a ring-fenced, kindergarten stage for Scotland’s three- to seven-year-olds. All the evidence forming the basis of our campaign is available on our website and our August Newsletter (in the website archive) includes a report of the meeting with the Inspectorate. Most recently, I have also written 10 evidence-based reasons why national testing of children at the age of five is just plain wrong.

For the sake of their long-term health, wellbeing and educational success, it is vital that the education of Scotland’s under-sevens is play-based, with an emphasis on outdoor play, person-centred ... and test-free.

Sue Palmer is Chair of Upstart Scotland. She is also a literary expert and author of Toxic Childhood.

> Upstart Scotland promotes the value of play-based learning and campaigns for a later school starting age. For more information visit

“The political response to the attainment gap is rooted in outdated cultural assumptions”

“Most UK adults see playing as a frivolous activity, only appropriate during out-of-school hours”

Noting the divide between Nursery and P1, an illustration adapted from Curriculum for ExcellenceIllustration: David Bruce

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Members Spotlight: The Yard

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Contact’s new transitions project

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Bringing theatre into schools

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People, projects, perspectives

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Are we wobbling on ASL?Things move so fast in the additional support for learning world that we could risk missing the point. By Sally Cavers

@sallycavers

This summer has seen several Scottish

Government consultations in relation to the Additional Support for Learning (ASL) framework. There’s an opportunity to respond to proposed amendments to the Code of Practice, revised regulations related to dispute resolution, and changes to do with the ASN Tribunal. At the end of August views were sought on a 10-year strategy for the learning provision for children and young people with complex additional support needs. Meanwhile, the Education Governance report (out for consultation) notes some significant factors about ASL.

Established in 1999, the Enquire service contributed to landmark Scottish ASL legislation. We were proud of this Act which recognised the breadth of reasons why children and young people may need additional support with their learning and established a duty to have these needs met.

We have talked to thousands of parents and carers, helping with issues in relation to supporting their children’s needs being met. We have spoken to hundreds of children and young people about their experiences, and what makes a difference. We have met, listened to and been trained by a host of phenomenal practitioners whose passion and dedication is inspiring.

We know that in many areas progress in identifying and providing for those with additional support needs has been very good. Evidence in relation to educational outcomes for many children is positive. However, a number of families who contact Enquire, use

dispute resolution mechanisms, and participate in research reveal that changes are still needed.

In the recent ASN report from the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee, “resources” are frequently mentioned, with a particular emphasis on how limited they are becoming and the impact this has. We often hear from parents struggling with some of the messaging from their child’s school or the local authority which suggests their child’s needs cannot be met in a way that will allow them to reach “their full potential”.

We hear from families who are frustrated with the systems they are encountering and practitioners who cannot do their best within that system.

We hear of parents who are worried about the impact of inclusion on their child’s

learning and from children who feel their support changes without review.

This feels a bit like an ASL wobble. We have come so far in developing our schools and support systems, but some hurdles keep tripping us up. Curriculum pressures at secondary level continue to make it more difficult than in primaries to meet the range of needs of

children in our communities. A busy legislative landscape provides more rights for children but does not build in sufficient time to let everything bed in. And we continue to develop parental involvement without providing parents and practitioners with the tools to establish how they

can most effectively work together.

Overwhelmingly, what we hear makes a significant difference – to children and young people, parents and carers or practitioners – are human exchanges and experiences that recognise the relational foundation of us all. Examples are numerous and often so obvious they are overlooked.

Make time to talk when you suspect someone is worried or concerned. As soon as phone calls are not returned, appointments moved, and people rushed it starts an escalation of an issue that may have been resolved quickly on first enquiry.

We also hear a lot about attitudes. School leaders and staff who have a ‘can-do’ approach and do all in their power to support their school to meet the needs of all its pupils. Parents who train staff and support other parents in their child’s school to raise awareness of a specific need. The children and young people who support the genuine inclusion of their peers.

If we could stop and take a breath we might see the path has been laid out. By and large, we are unanimous about our aspiration for children. Maybe if we took the foot off the pedal we’d have the space we need to get us there.

Sally Cavers is Manager of Enquire

> If you have an issue relating to provision of ASL support, Enquire’s trained advisors may be able to assist. Call the confidential helpline on 0345 123 2303.

> More information is also available at enquire.org.uk

“It’s not about Empire building, it’s about sharing our model”

Loneliness and social isolation are among the greatest challenges faced

by disabled children and their families. Although there is very good legislation and policy designed to support the inclusion of disabled children in all settings, we see a disconnect between this and actual experience.

The reality is that many families feel the interests of their child are not fully met in mainstream settings. They may find it difficult to access leisure facilities where their child can feel safe, happy and included. Their child may be unable or not want to attend school, or find it difficult to make friends. Negative experiences like these mean that they feel excluded, and can never entirely relax and be happy.

Feedback from families who use The Yard is that this is a place where they can relax, and feel happier. The children and young

> continued on page 32

“A busy legislative landscape provides more rights for children but does not build in sufficient time to let everything bed in”

The Yard, which provides play and support for disabled children and their families, has published details of the financial impact of its services. In our new members’ spotlight, Celine Sinclair explains how it could help others set up similar services across Scotland

Children play in the outdoor area at The Yard, Edinburgh

“What we hear makes a significant difference are human exchanges and experience that recognise relationships”

32 CHILDREN IN SCOTLAND MAGAZINE October-November 2017

Join us in membership and help change children’s lives for the better

Find out more: childreninsotland.org.uk/join

Children in Scotland is the largest multi-disciplinary network in Scotland dedicated to improving children’s lives.

Our members span policy, practice and research in all areas relating to children, young people and families.

Each contributes uniquely valuable knowledge, skills, experience, passion and dedication.

Together we can make a difference to children’s lives.

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people, including their siblings, can play freely and safely. At the same time, parents and carers can access respite, information, advice and other family support services. Most importantly, they are all part of a close-knit community where strong and lasting bonds are being formed.

It’s true that we are a specialist service and so, on one hand, fly in the face of ‘inclusion’. But on the other hand, children who come through our respite and youth clubs grow their confidence and self-esteem, then go on to use mainstream facilities and build friendships beyond The Yard. We are also a building block for the wider world.

I believe our model is effective, and demand is huge. We’ve gone from supporting 50 families to over 800 within a decade. Many more families in Scotland want to access our services than we can provide for, and so we need to continue to grow. This was the starting point for commissioning an analysis of our social return on investment.

We required something concrete that would give credence to the model we use and demonstrate to local authorities, the Scottish Government, trusts and foundations, and individuals that what we deliver works and is cost-effective.

Having anecdotal evidence just isn’t enough anymore. Unless the social benefits of what we put in are analysed and somehow quantified, our impact will never be anything more than anecdotal.

We were extremely lucky that one of our

supporters offered to pay for independent research to be carried out. One of the biggest challenges was the focus groups used to identify individual outcomes because so many of our children and young people have complex disabilities. It meant the groups had to be run over several sessions, researchers had to undergo training, and our staff needed to be present whilst continuing to run a full service. It was an involved piece of work and we were pleased with the set of outcomes that emerged.

Parents and carers reported that their children had better self-esteem and confidence; were happier; had better social networks and felt calmer, which meant better physical health.

Parents and carers said their stress was reduced; their social network was improved and they were less socially isolated because they felt part of a community where they didn’t feel judged. They also felt much better informed with relevant knowledge and advice, which wasn’t something that we had ever recognised as an outcome of the organisation.

Many of the benefits ran across every member of the family, including siblings.

Assigning a financial value to these intangible outcomes was perhaps less challenging than people assume. We were working with researchers experienced in social return on investment and the

model chosen has been used by other charities working with children and young people who have disabilities.

‘Financial proxies’ were used to assign financial value to the children and young people’s outcomes. For example, the associated financial proxy for better self-esteem, confidence, and being happier was set at £270 per child per year, which is the cost of treating mental health in adolescents. Improvement in their physical health as a result of being calmer was set at £1,318 per year, which is the average cost to the NHS related to injuries and self-harm. All of these result in reduced use of, and therefore reduced cost to, statutory services.

A technique called ‘choice modelling’ assigned value to parents’ and carers’ outcomes. They were asked to rank things such as cars or holidays based on their market value, and then to rank the intangible outcomes they had already identified using the tangible things as reference points.

The results show that our investment in 2016/17 was around £653,000. But the social value of the benefits in economic terms was over £13 million. This represents a social return on investment of £20.70 per £1 invested.

So, when a local authority asks ‘is there any cost benefit and evidence that this model works?’, we will be able to offer this analysis as a snapshot of what the benefits are, both qualitatively and

quantitatively. We’ll also use it in applications to funders, trusts and foundations, and it will be available for anyone who would like to set up a similar service in their own local community.

This is not about Empire-building. I don’t envisage ‘The Yard’ exactly like the ones we have in Edinburgh, Dundee and Fife all over Scotland. It’s the model that I want to share - an adventure play setting for disabled children and their siblings with wraparound family support. There are many ways that this model can be applied, for example, using special schools or existing community facilities.

We’d be delighted to work with any local authority, third sector organisation or individual to deliver services using this model either directly or in partnership.

Celine Sinclair is Chief Executive of The Yard

> If you would like to find out more about The Yard and any aspect of its work visittheyardscotland.org.uk

> Interview by Nicola Pay

> Photography © Anna Cervinkova www.annacervinkova.com

Spotlight on: The Yard ScotlandThe Yard has been a member of Children in Scotland since 2011. Staff have attended a range of Children in Scotland conferences and training over the years covering topics including play, risk, and health and wellbeing.

“Children in Scotland provides The Yard with frequent invaluable updates on both policy and practice and ensures that our team is able to keep abreast of any changes and developments within the Sector.

“All of our team benefit from being members through the training they access, the information provided and the network of support.”

- Celine Sinclair, The Yard

“Results show our investment was around £653,000. But the social value of the benefits in economic terms was over £13 million.”

Indoors at The Yard, Edinburgh

October-November 2017 CHILDREN IN SCOTLAND MAGAZINE 3534 CHILDREN IN SCOTLAND MAGAZINE October-November 2017

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Moving forwardParents and families are often the only constant in a world of change for school leavers with learning difficulties and disabilities. We have to work harder to support them better, says Tracey Francis

There’s no doubt transition is currently a hot topic. How we manage change for

young people and families with learning difficulties and disabilities has never been higher up the social and political agenda.

Many services across the country are doing their utmost to get it right. No-one wants young people to fall by the wayside, denied the chance to achieve their potential and contribute to the society and communities to which they belong. Yet daily experiences, familiar to those working directly with young people and their families, show we still have a very long way to go.

A national survey, Facing the Future Together, published in July by the Scottish Transitions Forum, found an overwhelming majority of parents and carers are unaware of any written transition plan for their child. Families cite lack

“Parents will be the ones plugging any gaps in effective support throughout the transitions process”

Scottish Government’s Children, Young People & Families Early Intervention (CYPFEIF) and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities (ALEC) Fund, we are working with parents’ groups and partner organisations

across Scotland to engage directly with hundreds of parents. We want to identify what they most need to give them the confidence and skills to best support their son or daughter through leaving school and beyond. Parents and young people will then be key partners in creating

a comprehensive new national resource, shaping its content, design and how it is shared to make sure it will be accessible to as many families as possible as they embark on this crucial journey.

In Scotland we are lucky to have a raft of legislation and guidelines on transitions that, at its best, is second to none. Ensuring that the Scottish Transition Forum’s Principles of Good Transition 3 are followed universally, across children’s and adult services, would be an excellent next step to improve practice for this group of young people. Equipping parents to better understand and access relevant services and support represents a similar step change in improving experiences for them and their families.

Tracey Francis is Transitions Officer for Contact

> Contact (formerly Contact a Family), the charity for families with disabled children, would like to hear from young people and families living with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to help explore issues around leaving school, and what comes next. To attend a regional workshop, join the discussion or share your thoughts, visit contact.org.uk/scotland

> For more information on the project, emailtracey.francis@contact.org.uk

of information and support as the biggest factors in increasing uncertainty and stress. Clearly all the activity in recent years has yet to make the impact we might wish.

The main reason lies in the complexity of the process. You hear ‘transition’ spoken of as if it were a single event, similar to finding the right college course or sourcing a supported employment placement. But for young people with additional support needs, there is so much more to take into account: complex health care plans, practical difficulties with transport or accessibility, managing care packages and multiple support agencies, a landscape of changing benefits and entitlements, the need to develop life skills and learn new strategies. If any aspect doesn’t work as it should, the whole structure can come crashing down.

A successful transition is years in the planning, and delivery. It can take 10 years or more for all the pieces of the jigsaw to fall into place, and only then will it truly be possible to assess whether the individual making the journey really has arrived at a point where he or she has all the skills, confidence and support they need to be able to live the life they choose.

Of course services play a crucial role. How well they interact, share relevant information, and discharge their own responsibilities are vital to a young person who is no longer a child and should be regarded accordingly. But for the vast majority of young people with learning difficulties or disabilities, parents and families will be the one constant as the world around them changes. They will be the ones plugging any gaps in effective support throughout the transition process. In a climate of frequently restructured services, short-term project funding and workforce pressures, parents who are informed, engaged, and properly supported are essential for making sure good rhetoric translates into lasting positive outcomes.

Contact’s new transitions project, Going forward – preparing parents for transition, aims to do just that. It will empower families to play an informed and active role at the heart of the transition process from the very beginning, wherever they live and whatever their child’s needs. Supported through the

Magic moments

Image supplied by ContactPhoto © Rebecca Lee

We present extracts from entries to a new writing competition for care-experienced young people

The Get Write In! competition encouraged school-aged children who are looked after, or have care experience, to put pen to paper and write about a ‘random

moment’. Participants from across Scotland submitted a short story or poem, reflecting on an unexpected surprise, a moment that was a turning point or a fork in the road. Announced by Scotland’s makar, Jackie Kay, in August, here, with their permission, we publish extracts from the winning entries.

> Get Write In! was launched by CELCIS and is supported by Scottish Book Trust, Who Cares? Scotland and the University of Strathclyde. celcis.org/news/campaigns/get-write/

SENIOR WINNERExtract from New Life (A fork in the road) , written by William Cathie

A fork in the road is the metaphor we use to represent a turning point.It can be either good or bad, depending on your point of view. For example, an unplanned pregnancy may start as a shock, whereas winning the lottery would change anyone’s life for the better.

“My pilgrimage through the hospital to meet my nephew was pretty cruel; we had to walk miles to get to the maternity ward. Finally, we reached our destination. As we walked into the ward my eye caught a glance of a small, fragile, wrinkled bundle of bones sleeping silently in a hospital incubator, with my sister watching over him like a goddess. “My heart melted when I saw this beautiful boy resting so peacefully. I looked up at the woman who gave me my nephew and hugged her. With a smile on my face, I didn’t say ‘congratulations’, I said ‘thank you’. “In all my life, God has put me through so many obstacles. But while I was feeling sorry for myself, time raced by, and before I knew it I was an adult with a nephew to look after.”

JUNIOR WINNER (under 12) Extract from Dumb, written by Joseph Ness

It was Sunday 12th June. The sun was blistering everyone it stroked. The clouds had either run away, or gained invisibility powers. When I got on the rollercoaster of hell I thought ‘This is fun’, when BAM the roller coaster derails, the cart flies into the water rapids and only one person, one little

boy who had a normal life, got injured. Me. “I was found under the rubble and carried off in a stretcher into a waiting ambulance. It went round the whole town before getting to the hospital. They rushed me in and took me straight to Radiology. Now we just need to do a check-up, ok?” Doctor Clover said. I tried to reply but no sound came out. He looked at my scan. “Well, no break, but what’s this?” He wheeled the picture round and pointed to part of the scan. That’s where your vocal cords are”. I couldn’t swallow the lump in my throat. “You see, when you hit your head it damaged one vocal cord really

badly. So it’s gone into paralysis.

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The w

inners, runners-up and finalists

Photography © C

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36 CHILDREN IN SCOTLAND MAGAZINE October-November 2017

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Theatre-curious? Join the classA pilot project taking theatre to Scottish school children is embarking on its second year and inspiring a new generation, writes Emma Schad

Scottish performing arts for children

and young people is a success story. Over the last 20 years, thanks to the influence of Imaginate, the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival, and the creativity and success of companies like Visible Fictions, Starcatchers and Catherine Wheels, Scottish theatre for children and young people is generally accepted as some of the best in the world, with productions being celebrated both in Scotland and globally.

In recognition, last year Theatre in Schools Scotland (TiSS) was launched with the aim of ensuring children in Scotland have the opportunity to access world-class children’s theatre through a shared space that’s accessible to all: their school.

This new initiative was conceived by Imaginate and the National Theatre of Scotland, in partnership with theatre companies Catherine Wheels, Visible Fictions and Starcatchers. All shared an aspiration to raise the quality of theatre productions touring into schools.

Theatre in Schools Scotland (TiSS) is a three-year pilot with the long-term ambition of ensuring that every child in Scotland receives a minimum of one performing arts production in their school or nursery per year as a core part of their education. The pilot, now in its second year, is testing this model to see whether it is achievable, if income models can be developed in partnership with local authorities, funders, schools, other theatres, cultural agencies and through sponsorship, and whether an infrastructure can be built that would allow for the tours to increase their reach year-on-year.

For the first pilot year, two award-winning Scottish shows were chosen by the steering group: Martha, presented by Catherine Wheels Theatre Company (P1 to P4) and Shopping for Shoes, presented by Visible Fictions (P5 to P7). Shows chosen targeted specific age groups, were tour-ready and had

previously received critical accolades. These productions toured to 62 Scottish primary schools, with 121 performances, reaching an audience of nearly 11,000 children.

We are now in the second year of the pilot. Four acclaimed productions are touring this autumn and in spring 2018: Up to Speed, created by Rosalind Sydney, in association with Catherine Wheels Theatre Company (P3 to P5), Visible Fictions’ Jason and the Argonauts (P6 and P7), Catherine Wheels’ production of The Story of The Little Gentleman (P1 to P4) and How to Fix a Broken Wing, a new play from Catherine Wheels, created by Pete Collins (P4 to P7).

The Theatre in Schools Scotland 2017 to 2018 tour is expected to extend its capacity, performing to around 20,000 children and teachers at primary schools throughout Scotland from Shetland to the Scottish Borders.

Years one and two of the programme have been funded through contributions from a sponsor, The Scottish Salmon Company. This has been via Arts & Business Scotland through their New Arts Sponsorship grants programme (year one) and their new Culture & Business Fund Scotland (year two). Additional funding has come from a host of local authorities and regional partners.

The Scottish Salmon Company was particularly keen to collaborate with us in order to engage with the remote communities in which the

majority of their employees live and work. This echoed TiSS’s aim of extending its reach and developing relationships with local authorities and schools throughout Scotland.

Each supporting local authority is involved in making choices about the participating schools. TiSS producers arrange all the practicalities directly with the Headteacher to ensure minimum disruption to the school. Online classroom resources are shared in advance, and after the theatre visit, to add value to the experience.

During the pilot, TiSS is focusing on the development of digital content to run alongside each show. A new website, theatreinschoolscotland.com, was launched this year to accommodate these resources and support booking. Teacher engagement is encouraged through ongoing CPD events and consultations.

We are also offering a commission for an existing work by a Scotland-based artist or company, to tour in the autumn of 2018, chosen by the steering group through an open call process.

Working with many partners on one initiative is not without its problems, as is touring into non- theatre spaces. Finding more money year-on-year to meet the ambitions of the initiative will also be tough. However, TiSS has received nothing but positive feedback from the children and teachers who experienced the shows and all those who have invested in the pilot thus far. As one teacher in Dumfries and Galloway told us: “I feel strongly that children need to experience live theatre. They need to experience being part of an audience. The emotional response to live theatre cannot be matched”

Touring into schools is vital if you want to make a genuine commitment to being truly accessible and to growing a new generation of theatre-curious children. These are the shared values of all the partners in TiSS.

We are looking forward to meeting thousands of children in classrooms across Scotland this year and introducing them – many for the first time – to the unbeatable experience of live theatre.

Emma Schad is Head of Press for the National Theatre of Scotland, writing on behalf of Theatre in Schools Scotland

> For more information about the initiative, resources and booking info visittheatreinschoolsscotland.com

> Follow developments on Twitter @tiss_scotland #TheatreinSchoolsScotland

Located in the heart of Scotland’s capital just minutes away from Haymarket railway station, our centrally located office space is fully accessible making it an ideal venue for training, interviews and meetings.

Prices start from £15 per hour for a meeting room, to £25 per hour for our larger training room which holds up to 35 people.

“The training room was spacious and well-equipped, so it was ideal. Staff were friendly and attentive so I couldn’t really have asked for more!” (Befriending Networks)

For more information visit our website

Venue HireTo book, contact Erin Butler on: 0131 313 8827 or venue@childreninscotland.org.uk

Call our Membership Department on 0141 221 4148Email info@earlyyearsscotland.orgVisit the website earlyyearsscotland.org

• Voluntary, Private and Local Authority Early Learning and Childcare Settings • Parent and Toddler Groups • Local Authorities • Colleges

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Range of sample policies for settings • Dedicated support helpline • Insurance package + legal advice line • Discounted publications and resources • Discounted rates for conferences • much more..

Membership of Early Years Scotland is open to:

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“Children need to experience being part of an audience. The emotional response to live theatre cannot be matched”

“Touring into schools is vital if you want to be truly accessible and grow a generation of theatre-curious children”

Children and actors celebrate the launch of the Theatre in Schools Scotland 2017-18 tour at Tillicoultry Primary School

38 CHILDREN IN SCOTLAND MAGAZINE October-November 2017

A D V E R T O R I A L

38 CHILDREN IN SCOTLAND MAGAZINE October November 2017

Notices & networks

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Keep in touch with us Email the Editor: jdrummond@childreninscotland.org.uk

New membersWe are always delighted to welcome new members. Some of those who have joined us recently include:• Fox Covert Early Years Centre (Edinburgh)• Craighead Country Nursery (E.Ayrshire)• Dalmarnock Primary School (Glasgow)• St Timothy’s PS Nursery (Coatbridge)• Girvan Youth Trust (S. Ayrshire)• Knightswood Early Years Centre (Glasgow)

Find out more: childreninscotland.org.uk/join

Participation: Fun and GamesDancing Worms Things you will need: gummy worms, vinegar, two clear plastic cups, baking soda, scissors

Step 1 Cut the worms in halfStep 2 Add 3 tablespoons of baking soda to a plastic cup. Half fill with warm water and stir. Step 3 Add the worms. Step 4 Leave for 15 minutes to soak Step 5 Pour the worms into half a cup of vinegar and watch the results!

>Have you done this experiment with your children or your class? Tweet us your results @cisweb #CiSMagazine

www.childreninscotland.org.uk childreninscotland @cisweb

# 1: Laura McKale Administrative Co-ordinator

Tell us a little bit about your job

I have been with Children in Scotland for five-and-a-

half years, first starting as a volunteer before settling

into a full-time post.

My role is varied. I have some HR responsibilities,

including ensuring a smooth process for recruitment

and induction of new staff and supporting recruiting

managers, monitoring absence and leave, and helping

to ensure our policies and procedures are up to date.

I am also responsible for administering membership

– looking after our membership database and helping

to ensure all our members are aware of, and able to

access, all the benefits of membership.

Last but not least I sit on the reception and am the face

and voice of Children in Scotland when you come into

the office or call us on the phone.

What is the most rewarding part of your role?

I enjoy the variety – it is always nice to have lots of

different things to do! I particularly enjoy the HR

elements of my job, and working with different teams

to ensure that recruitment and induction of new staff is

as good as it can be.

What has been your best professional achievement or

experience, so far?

I was involved in the preparation of our EFQM

Committed to Excellence Award, which has led to a

range of improvements for staff.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

As one of the founding members of the Children in

Scotland book group, most of my guests would be of a

literary nature, though I’m not sure I would get on with

the authors I most admire! It would be more interesting

to meet great grandparents and hear their stories

first-hand.

Tell us your favourite joke

Q. What is brown and sticky?A. A stick.

> Want to get in touch? Contact Laura via email:

membership@childreninscotland.org.uk or call

0131 313 2322

Meet the staff

Next issue: Dec - Jan 2018

Our next edition will be published

in early December. If you have any

items you’d like considered for

inclusion, please get in touch with

the editor by Monday 9 October.

We’d also love to hear what you

think of the relaunched magazine!

Contact details at top of the page.

38 CHILDREN IN SCOTLAND MAGAZINE October November 2017

We champion parental engagement with decision makers and ensure the voice of parents is heard

We are a volunteer led organisation helping every child to maximise their potential throughout their school life, improving outcomes for our young people

Free resources for parentsAvailable to download from www.npfs.org.uk The In a Nutshell series, cutting the jargon to help parents understand the curriculum, assessment, qualifications, careers information and much more.

Coming Soon• CfE The Basics• Updated national 5 subject nutshells to reflect

the changes to UNIT assessments• Languages in a nutshell• Cost of the School Day Parent Council Toolkit in

conjunction with Child Poverty Action Group• and lots more!

We’re listeningWe always want to hear from parents, and those working with parents, about their thoughts on Scottish Education.We need you! Reps from each local authority help us use local experiences to inform national policy.Every parent of every child is important to us.

Get in touchenquiries@npfs.org.uk�parentforumscotland

�parentforumscotwww.npfs.org.uk

Join our mailing list www.npfs.org.uk/join-our-mailing-list

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Day Placement and Outreach Services

Primary Day Services

Senior Day Services

BRIGHTER FUTURESINTEGRATED SERVICES IMPROVED OUTCOMES

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Secure Care Services

BRIGHTER FUTURESINTEGRATED SERVICES IMPROVED OUTCOMES

Kibble Education and Care Centre Scottish Charity No. SC026917Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in Scotland No. 158220

Registered office: Abercorn House, 79 Renfrew Road, Paisley PA3 4DA

Based in Renfrewshire, but with referrals from across Scotland, Kibble offers a uniquely integrated array of services to young people at risk aged 5 to 29.

Operating at the intersection of child welfare, youth justice and adolescent mental health, all of Kibble’s residential services offer a specialised type of

non-secure residential care that is therapeutic and structured, evidence-informed and delivered through a welfare approach. In addition, our

total service provision is contributing significantly to keeping young people out of secure care.

As a charity with over 150 years’ experience, our social enterprise business model allows us to reinvest in the organisation to ensure the young people in our care maximise their potential.

To find out more about the Kibble journey a young person in our care might take, visit www.kibble.org

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

AT KIBBLE, THE JOURNEY BEGINS WITH THE YOUNG PERSON