Scotland is a country where compassion is strong, but where child poverty is an ongoing injustice that we have to end together.
Best Start, Bright Future, the Scottish Government’s Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, was published at the end of March. It’s designed to help create the change we need to drive down child poverty and reach Scotland’s interim child poverty targets in 2024.
There are a lot of commitments in the plan, and we are hosting a special morning webinar to explore how we can make sure they are implemented, and how they can best deliver practical change in our communities.
The plan includes pledges to: increase the level of the Scottish Child Payment; create a new employability offer to help parents get into work, and; mitigation of the benefit cap.
There is lot more besides, and Best Start, Bright Futures will touch on all areas of anti-poverty activity in Scotland. It is crucial for groups and organisations across the country to understand what it all means for their work.
Children’s Minister Clare Haughey is encouraging more people to consider fostering.
Currently, around 500 additional foster families are required to provide stable and nurturing homes for children who cannot be looked after at home.
Ms Haughey said: “Fostering is an amazing experience. I know this because I grew up in a family that fostered and fully appreciate the positive benefits of what a loving fostering environment can do to improve the lives of children and young people.
“All children are different, and we are looking for new foster carers from a variety of backgrounds and with different life experiences, skills and qualities to help meet the needs of our young people.
“I know that deciding to foster is a big step, and I am asking people to consider carefully whether they could provide the love and stability that some of our children and young people need.”
Iain Wilson, who, with wife Anita, has been a foster carer for 22 years, said: “Fostering is part of our lives and our birth children’s lives. It’s not always easy, but there are so many kids out there who need a home and an adult who will be there for them and commit to them.
“Fostering is certainly not a one size fits all, but when you’re sure of your reasons for wanting to foster and have the facilities to be able to, why wouldn’t you? It’s about giving young people the time, space, and ability to blossom into the people they want to become.”
Read foster carer Laura’s story about how little Abbi has thrived in her care:
Pupils in Scotland celebrated national Walk to School Week (16-20 May) with a series of events and a special guest.
Walk to School Week is organised by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking. Families are encouraged to walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or ‘Park and Stride’ for the week to see the big differences that come from small steps, from healthier and happier children to fewer cars outside the school gates.
Pupils at schools in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Shetland, Stirling, Moray, Orkney, Renfrewshire, Thurso and Wick were joined by Strider, the Living Streets mascot for a series of events to celebrate Walk to School Week.
Living Streets is working with Scotland schools to deliver WOW – the walk to school challenge in over 120 schools.
WOW is a pupil-led initiative where children self-report how they get to school every day using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker. Pupils who travel actively at least once a week for a month are rewarded with a WOW badge.
Chris Thompson, Schools Manager, Living Streets Scotland said:“Walk to School Week is a fantastic excuse to celebrate the many social, health and environmental benefits that come from walking to school.
“Schools across Scotland are working really hard to get more active on the school run and reduce congestion outside the school gates. We were thrilled to take Strider along to meet some of the pupils swapping the school run for a school walk on what was Strider’s furthest visit north!”
Suzanne Carson Headteacher at Gilcomstoun School, Aberdeen City said: “It is wonderful to be part of a national campaign inspiring children to think about how they get to school while promoting their health, fitness, and mental welling which is a key focus area for our Eco Warriors and our Health and Wellbeing Ambassadors.
“As a city centre school we promote active travel – walk, scoot and if you need to come by bus or car, getting off the bus early or parking further away and striding the last part of your journey to school.
“We hope the enthusiasm for choosing greener ways to travel lasts beyond Walk to School week and that our pupils are encouraged to consider the importance of sustainable travel.”
Mrs Caroline Leask, Road Safety Lead, Sound Primary School, Shetland said:“Sound Primary School are delighted to be selected as Living Streets feature school and are thrilled to welcome Strider to launch the WOW challenge.
“Our pupils are enjoying taking part in the Walk To School challenge each day and earning their badges. The campaign has encouraged pupils to take more active journeys to and from school whilst also being ECO friendly in their travel options.”
Elaine Skinley, Road Safety Officer, Shetland Islands Council, said:“The WOW walk to school resource is great for schools as it increases active travel and encourages pupils to walk to and from school.”
Health boards are to share £2 million to deliver annual health checks for all people with learning disabilities.
The new service will help to address health inequalities and ensure that people in this group are able to have any health issues identified and treated as quickly as possible.
Health checks will be delivered in the local community.
Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Unfortunately we know that people with learning disabilities can experience poorer health than the rest of the population.
“Evidence suggests that people in this group are twice as likely to die from preventable illness. This is clearly unacceptable and I hope these annual checks will help to address this and begin to reduce this health inequality.
“Health issues like respiratory disorders, diabetes and thyroid problems can become serious if picked up too late. But if they are detected and treated early there’s a much better chance of a positive outcome and a good quality of life. That is where these annual health checks will be so valuable.”
Eddie McConnell, Chief Executive of Down’s Syndrome Scotland, said: “This is a really significant moment in the lives of people with learning disabilities and their families.
“The rollout of the annual health checks across Scotland has the potential to be a game-changer in improving the health outcomes for this community who deserve equal access to good health. It is no exaggeration to say that a well-implemented annual health check could save lives.”
Community Learning Disability Nurse, Sharon Bandeen, who has an adult son with Down’s Syndrome, said: “The new health checks are a welcome additional layer of good health practice for people with learning disabilities in Scotland.
“It is so important that everyone living with a learning disability has equal access to the health checks, no matter where they live in Scotland.”
Pupils, parents and carers are being asked to give their views on school uniform to help shape new national guidance.
A key aim of the guidance will be to reduce costs for families, while ensuring pupils can go to school feeling comfortable and ready to learn.
A consultation to inform the national guidance is launched today, with a wide range of views being sought, including from schools, families, education authorities and suppliers.
There will also be engagement with young people to seek their views.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “School uniform can promote a sense of identity, belonging and connectedness to school. However, the cost can be a significant burden for families, although there is no legal requirement to wear uniform.
“We have increased the school clothing grant to help families who need it most. Now we intend to go further by bringing forward national guidance aimed at reducing uniform costs. This could mean increasing the use of generic items of uniform.
“I would encourage anyone with an interest to have their say on how this guidance should look. It is essential that the views of children and young people are heard as part of this consultation.”
Local authorities and individual schools decide on school uniform policy at local level. The national guidance, which will be underpinned by a range of principles, will inform those policies.
There is no legal requirement to wear school uniform in Scotland. The new guidance is not intended to change this or to mandate the wearing of school uniform at national level.
This academic year has seen the return of National exams and Highers in Scotland after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. For many children and their parents and carers, the exam period can be an anxious and stressful time.
A return to normality in September has seen Childline provide more support to anxious students as end-of-year tests loomed on the horizon.
In the year between April 2021 and March 2022, Childline practitioners delivered 1,734 counselling sessions to children and young people across Scotland and the rest of the UK with concerns about exam stress and revision, which is a 62% rise on the previous year.
When talking to Childline counsellors about their upcoming exams this month, children shared that their worries were affecting their mental health, anxiety levels and ability to sleep.
It is important for young people to know that they aren’t alone if they are feeling like this. Instead, that they are encouraged to share any concerns or worries with their friends or a trusted adult.
Parents and carers can help by reassuring their child that they are there to listen to what they might be feeling and to help them to take the time to think about what to do next.
There are lots of places young people can get support, including the Childline website where they can get advice on dealing with exam stress, visit our message boards or even use an art box to draw through what they want to happen and look at potential next steps.
Childline is here for every child and young person and our specially trained counsellors are also ready 24/7 to discuss exam worries and other concerns free on 0800 1111 or www.childline.org.uk
Around a third of children and young people in Scotland’s publicly-funded schools (that’s around 233,000 pupils) need additional support. And that number has been increasing for years (writes STEPHEN MOORE, a Member of the Accounts Commission) .
There are many reasons why a child might need additional support. These can be as varied as having a life-threatening physical condition to being a young carer. Most children and young people who need additional support go to a mainstream school, with a much smaller number going to special schools.
The Scottish Government’s stated ambition is for all children and young people in Scotland to have the opportunity to grow up loved, safe and respected, enabling them to reach their full potential.
Every child has the same rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, including the right to an education that develops their personality, talents and abilities to the full, and the right for their parents to get the support they need. Schools, councils and other public bodies are required to work together to provide the right type of support for all children and their families. But this isn’t always happening as it should.
The needs of children and young people vary considerably. Some children only have a short-term identified need. Others have complex needs that will require ongoing support throughout their lives. Some children and young people need help involving specialist educational support as well as social work services, health services and the voluntary sector.
At their best, these multidisciplinary teams work together, enabling children and young people to get the support they need, empowering them to reach their full potential and live the life they choose.
These ambitions aren’t, however, consistently being delivered in practice. In 2020, an independent review found that not all pupils in Scotland are always getting the additional support they need, when they need it. In many cases, individuals’ needs are not given the focus they should be. Numerous aspects of additional support therefore need to be improved.
It’s distressing and frustrating that we repeatedly hear of the barriers that some families fight against to get the right support to help their child to learn. Too often, families are worn down by a prolonged search for the right support, and by having to manage a crisis that could have and should have been avoided. Families are partners with public services and should be regarded as such.
On top of that, transitions between school stages – and how they are managed – can have a big influence on the success or otherwise of someone’s journey through the education system.
A child’s needs can evolve over time, from pre-school until after they have left school. Not getting the right support both at these different stages and to make moving between the stages as seamless as possible can have a lasting impact on learning, wellbeing and happiness. Public services are required to anticipate these changing needs and plan accordingly.
Councils provide support in different ways, with a wide variation in spending on pupils who need additional support. This partly reflects the different ways services are provided and the varying costs of supporting individuals – but may also reflect local decisions by councils to prioritise between a wide range of services.
Education aims to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people, supporting wider outcomes such as life skills, apprenticeships and employment. This is set out in the National Improvement Framework and is embedded across the education system. School education and success shouldn’t just focus on exam results. It’s vital to monitor the outcomes that matter most to individuals who need additional support but, as we’ve said previously, information to allow this to happen isn’t always available.
From the information that is available, even the current measures show wide disparity. We know that children and young people who need additional support don’t always get the opportunities they deserve. Overall, a smaller proportion of school leavers with additional support needs progress to a ‘positive destination’ such as college, university, training or employment. This potentially affects their life chances and personal fulfilment.
And the proportion of children who achieve expected Curriculum for Excellence Levels for their stage at school is significantly lower for pupils who need additional support compared to those who don’t.
Across so many areas, Covid-19 has exacerbated and deepened risks and inequalities. School closures and reductions in vital support services have intensified inequalities for children and young people who need additional support. We know that individuals who have disabilities and complex needs, along with their families, were particularly affected.
The impact on the mental health of children and young people who need additional support has also been significant. Some families have asked if their child can repeat a year at school due to the difficulties they’ve experienced, or because there was insufficient planning to move from one stage of learning to another.
However, it must be recognised that for some children who need additional support, learning at home rather than in a school environment was a more positive experience.
The Scottish Government and councils are already working to implement changes following the independent review in 2020. These changes need to consider the wide range of services that should work together to put the child/young person and their family at the centre. Public services need to improve how they’re joining up, across professions, to plan and provide the right support to meet individuals’ needs.
We’ve seen that many public services responded quickly to the challenges presented by the pandemic, showing that change can happen quickly and effectively to support individuals and communities. And councils have the power to improve services as they ‘build back better’. Children and young people must be given the support and access to the right services that enable them to flourish and thrive. It will be crucial to make improvements to services and staffing that ensure continuity as someone moves through the education system.
Central to the Accounts Commission’s priorities is emphasising and reporting on the debilitating and life-impacting inequalities faced by too many across Scotland’s communities. The lack of the right support, at the right time, for children and young people who need additional support – and their families – can exacerbate and intensify these inequalities. So we will continue to focus on this important area as part of our ongoing work.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition commented: “The blog raises issues that we have been highlighting for several years, reiterating our concerns that children and young people with additional support needs (ASN) and their families, are on many occasions not receiving the care and support that they need when they it.
“There are still too far many barriers faced by families seeking support, often leaving them in a crisis situation that could easily have been avoided with prompt access to the appropriate services.
“While we have witnessed a more than doubling in the number of those with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems over the last decade, putting an immense strain on services, there has been a cut in spending on additional support for learning and a slashing in specialist educational support.
“Covid-19 has had a further major impact on those with ASN, for whom exclusion from school and lack of vital support proved devastating. This however exacerbated a situation that existed long before that and we are potentially facing a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people, not able to access the support that they need, with a resultant impact on the economy and society.
“We would urge the Scottish Government and newly elected local authorities to work together to ensure that those children and young people with ASN are a priority and that they can access the necessary support to allow them to reach their full potential.”
Sustainable workshop for National Children’s Gardening Week
Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, is hosting a free sustainable workshop on Sunday 5 June in Edinburgh specially created for kids in celebration of Peter Rabbit’s 120th birthday.
Taking place during National Children’s Gardening Week, children are invited to join a Grow with Peter Rabbit™ workshop at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store, which will include a range of exciting gardening-themed activities for children aged 4-10.
This special workshop marks the 120th birthday of Peter Rabbit and Dobbies is the official garden centre partner for the anniversary year. Children will delve into the world of Beatrix Potter, have the chance to explore Mr McGregor’s vegetable patch, learn how to keep their own fruit and vegetables safe in a sustainable way, and how to welcome wildlife into their garden.
Sarah Murray, Partnership and Events Manager said: “We’re hosting a very special Little Seedlings Club for National Children’s Gardening Week, which celebrates our partnership with The World of Peter Rabbit™ and shares ways in which children can be more sustainable.
“We’re also proud to share the news that Peter Rabbit will become one of our Little Seedling Ambassadors, with blog posts being shared on dobbies.com
“Our Little Seedlings Club is always popular and we are looking forward to welcoming young gardeners to our Dobbies’ Edinburgh store.”
Advance booking is required to secure your space for this free event at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store.
For more information on how your little one can take part, visit dobbies.com/events
Families from across Edinburgh and the Lothians turned out in force at the Dalkeith Minis Rugby Festival 2022 on Sunday (15 May), which was supported by leading housebuilder Stewart Milne Homes.
Hosted at King’s Park by Dalkeith Rugby Club, more than 400 primary school children across six teams including Dalkeith, Falkirk, Lasswade, Leith, Penicuik, and Preston Lodge competed in the round robin festival of 12-minute matches throughout the day.
With a people-first ethos, Stewart Milne Homes was the main sponsor of the event and provided funding to support the organisation of the minis rugby festival which has been encouraging friendly community sport for over 15 years.
The award-winning housebuilder also provided a gazebo for the event which was the main hub for all attendees on the day and supplied re-usable water bottles for all the children to keep them hydrated throughout the event and take home for future use.
Rugby balls were also donated to the club for the kids to use when on the pitch and all participants proudly took home a competition medal as a keepsake of the action-packed day.
Dawn Lawrence, Sales Consultant at Stewart Milne Homes’ Shawfair development, said:“Events such as the Dalkeith Minis Rugby Festival are the foundation of thriving communities, and at Stewart Milne Homes we share the club’s passion in creating vibrant places and a sense of belonging that people want to call home.
“After virtual events have dominated the agenda for the last two years, it’s fantastic to see a huge number of youngsters get outdoors once again into green, natural space and participating in activities that promote healthy lifestyles.
“We’re very proud to work with community groups and sports clubs, and it is humbling to be able to offer a helping hand to an organisation which shares our people-first values. I’d like to say thank you to Dalkeith Rugby Club for collaborating with us on such a fun, family-orientated event.”
Christopher Boyle, Head of Minis Rugby at Dalkeith Rugby Club, said: “The Minis Rugby Festival is one of the highlights in our calendar and we are thrilled to see such a fantastic turn out for the 2022 event.
“The whole team shares a passion for enhancing sporting opportunities across the Midlothian region and beyond for our next generation and seeing these efforts culminate in events is incredibly rewarding.
“The funding support and gifted items from Stewart Milne Homes have been gratefully received by the Club and everyone who attended.”
Stewart Milne Homes is currently creating a number of new developments across Central Scotland, including Shawfair in Midlothian, which will feature 115 new homes as well as communal green space and excellent active travel links to the wider community.
The luxurious three-, four-, five- and six-bedroom homes on offer are from the housebuilder’s new ‘Villages’ range which has been expertly designed for modern-day lifestyles, creating the very best of contemporary and considered living for the whole family.
Shelter Scotland has said Councillors must stick to their promises and make social housebuilding the top priority for the next administration in Edinburgh as talks to decide who will head up the council continue.
Ahead of the election the housing charity’s petition demanding action on social homes attracted more than 3,300 signatures in Edinburgh, and in excess of 12,000 nationally.
Before voters went to the polls, councillors from the SNP and Labour, the two largest parties on the City of Edinburgh Council signed the Shelter Scotland social housing pledge to make social housing delivery a top priority for their term in office.
Shelter Scotland’s analysis of the council’s figures shows the city needs at least 7,000 social homes over the next five years.
Director of Shelter Scotland, Alison Watson, said: “Social housing ends homelessness. It protects against worsening child poverty and helps our communities thrive. It is easily one of the best things the new council can do to improve our city. Despite that, none of Edinburgh’s previous administrations have delivered the homes the council’s own figures say the city needs.
“Before this election, the parties now negotiating a new power sharing agreement promised the 3,360 citizens in Edinburgh who signed the social housing petition that they would make building at least 7,000 social homes a top priority. Now they need to deliver.”
Alison added: “Communities across Edinburgh are suffering as a direct result of the housing emergency. They will not easily forgive or forget if councillors do not deliver what they’ve promised.
This is one thing the parties can agree on and something the people of Edinburgh will expect to see on the first pages of their new plan for the city.”
