NSPCC Scotland wants next Scottish Government to transform childhood with £100m investment

NSPCC Scotland calls for Fair Start Fund to be invested in public services to support emotional wellbeing of babies and their families

The charity sets out its calls ahead of Scottish elections, as it holds its UK flagship How Safe conference.

Huge investment in supporting the mental and emotional health of babies and their carers must be a priority for Holyrood’s new government.

That’s the message from NSPCC Scotland, which says to deliver on long-held policy aspirations and to make Scotland a country that fully respects children’s rights, the new Scottish Government needs to radically transform early childhood.

Ahead of May’s election, the charity has outlined its call for a £100m Fair Start Fund to be invested in public services, as the country emerges from the pandemic, to support the emotional wellbeing of babies’ and their families. This will ensure that all young children in Scotland receive nurturing care and thrive; not just survive. 

The charity is setting out its calls as it holds its UK flagship How Safe conference online, which brought together a panel of guest speakers who discussed mental health in pregnancy and the child’s first year, and the impact of the pandemic.

Despite overwhelming evidence that people’s experiences in early childhood lay the foundations for their future health and wellbeing, and over a decade on from the Scottish Government’s Early Years Framework, there is still a massive gulf in the support young children need, and the support they receive.

NSPCC Scotland research shows that before the pandemic hit, there were very few services across the country that specifically addressed the emotional and developmental needs of infants or children under the age of two¹.

And the charity has long warned that without the right support at the right time, adult mental health problems during pregnancy and the first year can have serious immediate and long-term consequences for both young children and families.

Research undertaken during Covid-19 has underlined how closely attuned a young child’s mental and emotional wellbeing is with that of their parents. A UK-wide survey by Parent-Infant Foundation, Best Beginnings and Home Start found that six in 10 new parents shared significant concerns about their mental health and a third of parents reported that interaction with their child had changed².

Also, a Public Health Scotland survey found a clear association between a child’s wellbeing and their parents mental and emotional health during the lockdown period³.

With need increasing as a result of the pandemic, NSPCC Scotland says a £100m investment fund is essential so that all parents are supported to give their children the best start in life. 

It is vital to scope out the level of need among young children and families and ensure that sufficient community and specialist services are available across Scotland to support very young children’s social and emotional development.

Joanna Barrett, policy and public affairs manager for NSPCC Scotland, said: “A baby’s experiences can have a profound impact on the rest of their life. Yet, this is a stage of life that is too often overlooked and under-supported.

“With plans to incorporate the UNCRC into Scots law, which places the rights of all children, including babies, on a statutory footing, it is vital we radically transform early childhood in Scotland – a challenge we urge the new government to fully embrace.

“We recognise that advances in early years policy have been made in Scotland in the last decade but this needs to be matched with funding. Huge investment is needed to ensure that all children in our country are offered the best start in life. Also, it is imperative that those who have experienced early adversity, including the effects of the pandemic, receive the specialist mental health support they and their carers need to heal and move on.”

NSPCC Scotland’s Fight for a Fair Start campaign is calling on the public to back its petition urging the next Scottish Government to invest heavily in early childhood.

Fight for a Fair Start is supported by Jo Malone London who have also funded direct services to new and prospective parents, focusing on support with their mental health problems, to help them develop secure and healthy relationships with their children.