Children (Care and Justice) Bill passed

Landmark bill passes Stage 3

MSPs have backed Stage 3 of the Children (Care and Justice) Bill, enshrining in law age-appropriate care and justice for vulnerable young people across the country.

As part of wider work to embed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in law and to Keep the Promise, the Bill contains a series of measures to improve children’s experiences of the care and justice systems, whether victims, witnesses or children who have caused harm.

It ensures children are kept out of prison, ending the placement of under 18s in Young Offenders Institutions, with secure accommodation being the normal place of detention instead.

The Bill also provides new reforms to support victims, including providing a clearer understanding of their right to request information from the Children’s Reporter and a new single point service for victims in the hearings system.

Further measures include:

  • strengthened referral arrangements between courts and children’s hearings
  • enhancements around secure and residential care, including secure transport
  • improved regulation for cross-border placements, to ensure that these happen only in exceptional cases where a move is in the child’s best interests
  • enabling secure care to support a young person past their 18th birthday, in appropriate circumstances

Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise Natalie Don said: “Scotland is taking a big step forward in embedding UNCRC principles and Keeping the Promise by passing this Bill.

“It contains wide ranging measures to ensure age-appropriate justice is delivered, ensuring children in Scotland are kept out of prison and supporting safe, proven care-based alternatives.

“The integrated, welfare-based, Kilbrandon ethos of our children’s hearings system is something Scotland can rightly take pride in and all children – whether in need, at risk or in trouble – deserve our concern and support. This Bill will help ensure they get it. It equally provides a robust package of support for victims and their families, strengthened during Stage 2 and Stage 3 of the Bill.

“This landmark Bill is proof of the progress Scotland is making to Keep the Promise by 2030 and will be transformational for the most vulnerable children and young people in the country.”

The Promise Scotland Chief Executive Fraser McKinlay said: “The Promise Scotland is pleased that the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill has passed the final stage of parliamentary scrutiny. Effective implementation of the Bill will be critical. It must be accompanied by significant support for the workforce, along with adequate investment and resourcing.

“These important changes represent a significant step forward in Scotland’s efforts to Keep the Promise by 2030. It is clear that Scotland’s approach to care and protection must be based on early help and support alongside a more progressive, rights-based approach to youth justice that builds on the Kilbrandon principles, upholding children’s rights and increasing access to Scotland’s unique, welfare-based Children’s Hearings System.”

Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice Director Fiona Dyer said: “This is a momentous day for children in conflict with the law in Scotland.

“It marks the culmination of years of hard work and campaigning from many across the sector, including from children and young people themselves, to rightly recognise all children under 18 in the care and justice systems as children, in need of care and support. 

“Nearly all children who harm have also been the victim of significant harm themselves and this Bill guarantees a compassionate, trauma-informed, and rights-respecting approach to ensure they are given the support needed to prevent future offending.” 

Children (Care and Justice) Bill

Childhood Day raises vital funds for NSPCC services as emotional abuse counselling sessions increase

·       Childline has seen a five percent increase in counselling sessions on emotional abuse.

·       Being shouted at or verbally abused accounted for more than half of the sessions (52%)

·       NSPCC believes everyone can play their part in protecting children from abuse and neglect, and calls for the public to get involved in Childhood Day on the 7th of June.

·       Lidl GB has been named as retail sponsor for the third year in a row and is encouraging customers and colleagues to get involved in activities across the country.

Today, the NSPCC is releasing new data which reveals over the last year its Childline service has seen a 5 per cent increase in the number of counselling sessions it has delivered to children across the UK experiencing emotional abuse.

From April 2023 to March 2024 the service’s trained counsellors delivered 2,879 sessions on this issue.

In 52% of sessions, where the main concern was emotional abuse, being shouted at or verbally abused was the top sub concern.

Being criticised, humiliated and called names was the second most common sub concern.

The children’s charity is releasing these figures as it rallies communities to come together to play their part in helping to keep children safe by supporting the charity’s annual Childhood Day on the 7th of June.

Lidl GB has been named as retail sponsor for the event for the third year in a row and is encouraging customers and colleagues to get involved in activities across the country to help raise money.

People can get involved by donating, volunteering at a collection point or taking on the charity’s Childhood Day Mile.

All the funds raised will go towards helping the NSPCC deliver vital services, like Childline which supports children at risk.

Being isolated or ignored, not being allowed to have friends and receiving blame for things they had not done were amongst the main things that children mentioned to the service’s trained counsellors. On average, eight children a day are contacting the service about emotional abuse.

Fundraising activities already planned in Scotland include a beach clean at Broughty Ferry on the 28th of May and bucket collections in Edinburgh Waverley on 30th of May, St Nicholas Street, Aberdeen, on the 31st of May, and Glasgow Central on the 6th of June.

NSPCC fundraisers also hope to capture the generosity of music fans with collections outside Murrayfield on the 8th of June just before Taylor Swift’s concert in Edinburgh and also before a Foo Fighters concert at Hampden Park in Glasgow on the 17th of June.

Fiona Milne, Fundraiser for NSPCC Scotland, said: “The Childhood Mile is a fantastic way to raise money for the NSPCC and help us support children and keep them safe.

“Across Scotland, we will be out in force with our collection buckets, so if you have any spare change please give generously, or if you can give a couple of hours of your time, we would love you to join us.

“Fundraising drives like this are vital in allowing us to continue our work keeping children safe from abuse and neglect.”

A 17-year old from Scotland* told a Childline counsellor: “I live with my dad and most days it’s like treading on eggshells, I don’t know what mood he’ll be in.

“Like, the other day, he shouted at me for no reason, and called me stupid and hopeless. It hurts even more cos none my siblings get treated like this, it’s just me! Physically, I’m safe but mentally I feel like I’m dying inside. I don’t know what to do.”

Another young person that called Childline said: “I love my dad, he does not shout or swear or call me horrible names like mum. I feel way safer at his house, I don’t at mum’s – she’s really scary.

“Just yesterday, she screamed at my sister to ‘shut the F up!’ I honestly want to leave my house and run and run and never look back – but I can’t. What do I do?”

At the NSPCC, we know that emotional abuse can sometimes be difficult to spot as there are not always obvious signs.

Despite this, it is an issue that is impacting many children and young people.

Last year, 99,630 children were identified through Child in Need assessments as experiencing emotional abuse and this was the highest number of assessments for all types of abuse and neglect.

At the NSPCC, we know that over time and without the right support, emotional abuse can have long lasting effects on a child’s social, emotional, and physical health.

That is why it is essential that services like Childline are here for those children who need help and do not know where to turn.

Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC CEO, said: “Half a million children a year suffer abuse in the UK. That means 7 children in a classroom experience abuse before they turn 18. This can’t go on and it doesn’t have to.

“It’s devastating to hear that contacts to Childline on emotional abuse are on the increase. We must remember that these are not children who are being overly sensitive or dislike being disciplined, they are being psychologically abused by the people who are there to protect them.

“For the past 140 years, the NSPCC has been working tirelessly to prevent abuse, change the law and support children at risk, but the charity knows that strong communities are at the heart of keeping children safe.

“That is why the charity is encouraging everyone to play their part and support Childhood Day. £4 raised could help a Childline counsellor answer a call to a child in need of help.”

Lidl GB is sponsoring the NSPCC’s Childhood Day for a third year as retail sponsor. Lidl GB has been partnered with the NSPCC for 7 years and is currently supporting young people with their mental health by raising money for Childline. Lidl GB will be helping to raise awareness of Childhood Day, as well as holding their own activities with their colleagues and customers across Great Britain to help raise vital funds.

Mark Newbold, Lidl GB Senior CSR Manager, said: “We’re proud to be backing Childhood Day for the third year in a row, rallying our colleagues and customers in support of such a vital cause – protecting young people.

“No child facing abuse or feelings of isolation should ever have to struggle alone. Childline is a lifeline for so many young people, and we hope that through our partnership with the NSPCC and continued support with raising funds, children who need somewhere to turn can get help quickly.”

To find out more on how to get involved in Childhood Day this year including taking part Childhood Day Mile or volunteering at a collection point visit:

 www.nspcc.org.uk/support-us/charity-fundraising/childhood-day/