First Minister John Swinney is set to announce £25 million of funding to local authorities to invest in the renewal of play parks across Scotland.
All councils will receive a share of the funding to improve the standard of existing play parks – helping to ensure children have access to safe environments to play and socialise in.
The funding is supported by the Play Vision Statement and Action Plan for 2025 – 2030, which has been published today.
Speaking ahead of a visit to Woodhead Park in Kirkintilloch, as part of the East Dunbartonshire Travelling Cabinet event, the First Minister said: “Playing is key to a child’s healthy development, and by enabling councils to invest in outdoor play parks, we will ensure families can access a safe, high-quality place to play within their communities.
“This is all part of my driving mission to eradicate child poverty. Other steps we are taking include investing £3 million to develop mitigations for the UK Government’s two-child benefits cap, £37 million to deliver the expansion of the free school meals programme, and putting more money in families’ pockets through the Scottish Child Payment.”
COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People, Councillor Tony Buchanan said: “COSLA welcomes today’s launch of the Play Vision Statement and Action Plan, play is very important not just for the enjoyment it brings, but also for the part it plays in developing children and young people’s social skills, interests, and curiosity.
“It also assists in developing relationships between parents, carers and other children and young people. The Play Vision Statement and Action Plan provides a good roadmap for how play can be encouraged and supported.”
Marguerite Hunter Blair, CEO Play Scotland and Chair of external Play Strategy refresh group said: “We are delighted to be celebrating this clear commitment from the Scottish Government to play opportunities and experiences for all our children and young people.
“It is fantastic that children’s rights and voices are at the heart of this new vision for play alongside an enthusiastic cross-sectoral collaboration.
“The clear message coming from the versions of the plan that children have co- produced is simple – more play and better play is good for everyone.”
The 54th Travelling Cabinet will meet at Kirkintilloch Town Hall today – Monday 24 March – and hear from the local community at a public discussion at 2pm.
The NSPCC is releasing this data as part of its Listen up, Speak up campaign, aiming to inspire a million people to take action to keep children safe.
The SSC (A Club for the Youth in Scotland) is one of many businesses, community groups and organisations across Scotland who have taken part in Listen up, Speak up workshops.
New findings reveal that 96% of adults surveyed in Scotland believe that emotional abuse in childhood can have a lasting psychological effect well into adulthood.
A YouGov survey of 4,242 UK adults, commissioned by the NSPCC – including 352 in Scotland – also gave participants a series of behaviours and asked them to correctly identify what was deemed as emotional abuse.
In Scotland, on average one in six participants (17%), failed to correctly identify examples of emotional abuse. The scenarios where adults failed to identify emotional abuse correctly included:
Being overly controlling of a child’s life (25%).
Never showing any emotions in interactions with a child (21%).
Pushing a child too hard or not recognising their limitations (26%).
The research also found that more than two thirds of adults (69%) of adults in Scotland surveyed had not done any training or reading to help them recognise the signs of emotional abuse.
Emotional abuse – which is any type of abuse that involves the continual emotional mistreatment of a child – can often be difficult to recognise, sometimes showing limited external signs.
Research suggests that 1 in 15 children in the UK will experience emotional abuse, highlighting just how prevalent the issue is, and it is a topic that young people contact Childline about on a regular basis.
Last year the NSPCC service delivered almost 3,000 counselling sessions to children and young people where emotional abuse was the main concern, a 5% increase compared to 2022/23.
One girl, aged 17, told Childline: “Mum’s never hit me, but it still feels abusive. She always tells me she hates me, that I’m selfish, that I’m stupid.
“When she’s angry she breaks my stuff and blames it on me. She controls my friendships too; she says no one would want to be my friend anyway. I feel so defeated and drained living with this every day.”
This new data highlights the importance of free resources, like the NSPCC’s Listen up, Speak up workshops and online tips and advice. The SSC (A Club for the Youth in Scotland) welcomed safeguarding experts to lead these free, educational workshops.
The SSC is a volunteer-run organisation that organizes summer camps and other events for children and young people in Scotland.
Listen up, Speak up provides simple tips and advice on signs a child might be at risk and steps that can be taken to help. The tips can be found online, and anyone can take part in a workshop run for free by local NSPCC teams, either in person or online.
Through a series of everyday scenarios, participants learn some of the signs that a child might be at risk, showing that not all situations are black and white, how to approach difficult conversations, and who to contact if they are concerned about a child or their family.
The NSPCC local campaigns team delivered 557 LUSU workshops in Scotland.
As part of their partnership with the NSPCC, The SSC, has committed to ensuring their volunteers and members across the region are familiar with Listen up, Speak up.
Cat Robertson, SSC chairwoman, said: “The Listen up, Speak up training was a great experience for the volunteer youth workers of the SSC.
“We believe that all young people should have access to safe, fun and positive experiences – not only at our summer camps and events but in every aspect of their lives.
“The workshop was accessible, interactive and highly relevant to the role of our team.”
NSPCC’s CEO, Chris Sherwood, said: “It is concerning that on average one in six adults in Scotland are unable to correctly identify emotional abuse. We know that emotional abuse can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on children’s wellbeing and development, affecting their mental health, and relationships well into adulthood.
“The NSPCC is here to support any child who has experienced any kind of abuse. We are also fully committed to creating a nation of adults who are passionate about preventing harm from happening to a child. With our Childline service delivering almost 3,000 counselling sessions about emotional abuse last year alone, we understand the scale and seriousness of this issue across the UK.
“That’s why Listen up, Speak up is so vital. In just 10 minutes, we can help adults learn to recognise both the obvious and subtle signs a child might be at risk and take action to support them. Every adult has the power to make a difference.”
Join us for CREATE calm, an inclusive play sessions for children, this Friday 21st March at 2.45pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.
Experience the joy of play in a welcoming, supportive space! Our CREATE calm taster sessions are for local families with children aged 0-7 that might benefit from a smaller group and a calm, quieter experience.
This could include children with disabilities or health concerns; autism; neurodivergent; those struggling with school or other learning environments; challenging family or care circumstances; or other social or emotional support needs.
No diagnosis or referral needed – parents, carers, and siblings are welcome!
Safe, accessible play space
Activities tailored to sensory needs and interests
*By ‘local families’ we mean families living in the community surrounding North Edinburgh Arts, which includes areas of Muirhouse, Pilton, Drylaw and Granton.
Call for greater resourcing as spending to support vulnerable children in Scotland is slashed by just under a third
Spending cut of £1,708 per pupil from 2013/14 for those identified with additional support needs (ASN) – 30.1 per cent cut over a decade
Number of pupils identified with ASN has almost doubled (97 per cent increase) over the same period
Postcode lottery in spending across local authorities for those with ASN
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, has warned of a potential lost generation of children and young people with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems, and called for greater resourcing to support this group.
The call comes as new figures contained in a parliamentary answer to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth MSP, reveal that average additional support for learning (ASL) spend per pupil has slumped by just under a third (30.1 per cent) over the last decade.[1] This comes against a perfect storm of escalating numbers of pupils with ASN and cuts in support.
The SCSC is calling on the Scottish Government to work with local authorities to increase funding to support the needs of vulnerable children and young people, including greater provision of specialist ASN teachers, educational psychologists, behaviour support staff and classroom assistants.
The figures highlight that average spending per pupil on ASL by local authorities in Scotland (primary, secondary and special education) has fallen from £5,558 in financial year 2013/14 1 to £3,850 in 2023/24 [2] (based on 2023/4 prices). This amounts to an overall cut in spending of £1,708 per pupil, representing a 30.1 per cent drop.
This fall is against the backdrop of a 97 per cent increase between 2013 and 2023 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 131,593 to 259,036, amounting to 127,443 individuals. Those with ASNrepresent more than a third of all pupils (36.7 per cent).3
There is a wide variation in spending on pupils who need additional support, ranging from £2,624 per pupil in the Scottish Borders to £7,470 in North Lanarkshire, highlighting a postcode lottery in spending across local authorities.
A recent report from Audit Scotland has called on the Scottish Government and local authorities to fundamentally rethink how they plan, fund and staff additional support for learning as part of core school education in Scotland.
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is devastating to note cuts in spending supporting those with ASN, and we would urge the Scottish Government and local authorities to increase resourcing to support the greater provision of the likes of specialist teachers, educational psychologists and classroom assistants.
“We are facing a lost generation of children with ASN, and they must get the care and support they need, when they need it, especially given the impacts of the Covid-19 and cost-of-living crisis and the escalating mental health emergency. This is also key if we are to deliver genuine inclusion in the classroom and close the educational attainment gap.
“Our schools are also witnessing dramatic increases in classroom disruption, impacting on pupils and teachers alike. This is in part due to increased levels of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties post-lockdown, and we must ensure the necessary resourcing is delivered to address this.
“The Scottish Government and local authorities must work together to provide adequately resourced support across Scotland for those children and young people with ASN, who represent some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. “
Proposed regulations to support next phase of rollout
Families could get quicker access to free school meals under proposed new regulations laid at Holyrood.
If agreed by MSPs, the regulations would see Social Security Scotland given new powers, allowing them to share Scottish Child Payment data with local authorities. This would allow councils to ensure eligible pupils receive their free school meals.
The latest phase of the free school meals programme will include all pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment in Primaries 6 to 7 and S1-S3 in eight local authority areas.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “Free school meals are a crucial element of the Scottish Government’s ambition to eradicate child poverty, and the provision is currently available to over 273,000 pupils across Scotland, saving families who take up the offer around £400 per child per year.
“The next phase of the rollout will significantly build upon this, with an additional 25,000 pupils being able to benefit from this vital provision. Through further support for data sharing, local authorities will be able to more quickly identify those eligible for this next phase.
“That is why we have proposed these changes to streamline the process to help more families and remove any administrative burden for local authorities. I would encourage members of the Committee to back these proposals to ensure more families can easily access the support they need.”
Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People Committee will vote on the regulations on Wednesday 2 April. If approved, they will come into effect from 19 May 2025.
More than £2 million will fund wrap-around support to households
The Scottish Government will invest nearly £2.2 million to enable the Wise Group to provide wrap-around support to individuals and families on low incomes in six local authority areas.
The investment, from the Tackling Child Poverty Fund, was announced by Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville during a Scottish Parliament debate on supporting households with cost-of-living pressures and rising energy bills.
It will allow the Wise Group to continue with work which has so far helped 3,200 households, enabling people to find work, increase their skills and improve their financial situation.
The wrap-around nature of the support means mentors from the Wise Group are also able to support people to improve their mental health and wellbeing.
Ms Somerville said: “We know people continue to face pressures with the cost of living and the recent announcement that energy bills are set to rise again this month will only add to those pressures.
“The Wise Group work we are funding, offers support not just with an immediate crisis, but aims to help people make long-term improvements to their financial stability, helping them to access help with issues such as childcare, training and finding sustainable work.
“Eradicating child poverty is the Scottish Government’s overriding mission. This year’s budget commits more than £3 billion to a range of actions to tackle poverty and the cost of living. However our efforts are undermined by the social security policies of the UK Government, not least the two-child cap which prevents parents from claiming universal credit for more than two children.
“That is why we will develop the systems necessary to effectively scrap the impact of the two-child cap in 2026. The Child Poverty Action Group estimates that scrapping the cap in Scotland could lift 15,000 children out of poverty.”
“Today, I am announcing more investment to ensure that families get the help they need, when they need it.”
Social Justice Secretary @S_A_Somerville announced over £2 million funding to provide wrap-around support to families on low incomes.
Sean Duffy, Wise Group Chief Executive said: “This investment is a vital opportunity to rethink how we deliver services, strengthen local partnerships, and take a preventative, ‘invest to save’ approach that drives lasting change in tackling poverty.”
Young carers take open top bus to Westminster on Young Carers Action Day to call on MPs and decision-makers for more support
Almost a quarter of young carers say no one else can provide the care they do
Two-fifths worry too much about the person they care for to take a break
72% miss out on the school holidays, nearly half miss out on friendships and almost one in five say they’re missing time out of their education
More than half of young carers can’t get a regular break from caring, while almost a quarter say there’s no one else to provide the care they do, an alarming survey has found.
The findings have been released by Carers Trust for Young Carers Action Day on 12 March. The time young carers spend on their caring role mean young carers often miss out on education, friendships, holidays and many other things their classmates take for granted, the survey showed.
The survey of 423 young and young adult carers found nearly one in five rarely or never get a break (17%), while 40% said they got one only some of the time. Just 15% said they could take a break whenever they wanted.
Asked what stopped them getting a break, almost a quarter (23%) said there was no one else to provide the care they give. Two-fifths (40%) said they worried too much about the person they care for to take time out from looking after them.
One young carer said:“I feel bad for taking breaks and when I have time for myself I’m always thinking that I could be doing something else to help out. It’s isolating because I can’t meet up with friends. I can text but it’s just not the same. Everyone’s planning their holidays and trips but I know I can’t go on holiday.”
Almost three-quarters of young carers (72%) said they miss out on the holidays because they provide care, the survey showed.
Many also felt they were shut out of a lot of the things most other children get to do. Nearly half (49%) miss out on friendships, and 46% on hobbies. Almost two-thirds (65%) said they lacked time to themselves and nearly one in five (19%) felt they were missing their education.
Young Carers Action Day is an annual campaign organised by Carers Trust with its network of local carer organisations.
It aims to highlight the challenges faced by the UK’s one million young carers (under-18s) and the hundreds of thousands of young adult carers aged 18-25. At least 16,000 young carers in the UK, some just five years old, are caring for 50 hours a week or more, according to the most recent census data.
This year the theme of Young Carers Action Day is “Give Me A Break”. It was chosen by young carers themselves to show their need for respite but also to be given a chance in life by schools, employers and politicians.
Carers Trust is calling on the UK Government to ensure all young carers have access to a properly funded break from their caring role. Politicians, education providers, employers and other organisations are also being asked to sign the Young Carers Covenant, a pledge to help young carers improve their lives.
Kirsty McHugh, Carers Trust’s CEO, said: “Across the UK, children as young as five are spending huge amounts of their free time caring for others. We know this can have a devastating effect on their education, wellbeing and future prospects. It is simply wrong that, as a country, we are asking so many children to take on so much.
“Those in power need to give young carers a break. If we want young people to thrive, as well as those for which they care, we need to give these young people the chance to take time out from their caring duties.”
The Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said:“As Children’s Commissioner, I know from speaking to young carers that they provide essential support to their family members and take on extra responsibilities to look after their loved ones, sometimes at a cost to their own education.
“Young carers often have to navigate extremely challenging circumstances alone without extra support, which can have a big impact on their lives and wellbeing.”
“I am collecting evidence from schools and colleges about how they support young carers in their own settings, to build a national picture of how these children’s extra responsibilities are being recognised. We should be no less ambitious for young carers than we are for all children.”
On Young Carers Action Day, Carers Trust will be giving a group of young carers a break by taking them on an open top bus tour in London. The bus will be stopping at Westminster where politicians are being invited to hop aboard, meet the children and hear their concerns directly.
The day before, young carers from Hartlepool Carers Centre will hand in a letter to 10 Downing Street. It will ask for the Prime Minister’s support for the Young Carers Covenant and cross-government action to improve opportunities for young and young adult carers.
In Scotland, there will be a mass gathering of young carers at Holyrood where they will meet MSPs, share their experiences and call for more support.
There will also be a roundtable discussion with decision-makers about better access to breaks for young carers. A Young Carer Action Day Parliamentary Debate will take place in the Scottish Parliament Chamber with over 100 young carers in attendance.
In Wales, Carers Trust’s Youth Council of young carers supported by local carer organisations across the country will join together at the Senedd.
They’ll be quizzing MSs about how they can work towards a country where young carers are supported to access the short breaks they need and they’ll have a chance to hear from former young carers about the breaks they’ve had in life in their careers and education.
For the fifth year in a row, creative arts charity Create and Carers Trust are partnering for a special showcase of artwork made by young carers during four Young Carers Action Day 2025 projects. These have taken place across the four nations of the UK.
The online showcase is on the “Give Me a Break” theme and highlights the importance of giving young carers time off from their caring responsibilities to look after their own wellbeing.
This year’s showcase will feature puppetry, photography, prints and collages specifically created for the day by young people in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
A leading European tobacco control expert is encouraging elected representatives in Scotland and across the UK to dismiss tobacco industry attempts to weaken measures in the UK Government’s four-nations Tobacco and Vapes Bill which is progressing through Westminster.
The call comes ahead of Lilia Olefir, Director of the Smoke Free Partnership (a European coalition of tobacco control non-governmental organisations), leading a discussion as part of ASH Scotland’s Learning Week yesterday (10 February) about the importance of regulating emerging addictive and health harming tobacco and nicotine products.
Alarm is being raised by public health experts as tobacco companies including Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco (BAT), Imperial Brands, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and Altria have moved into the nicotine pouch market, which is estimated to be worth $2 billion globally, through developing their own products or acquiring companies which produce nicotine pouches.
Nicotine pouches, which are placed under the top lip, are teabag-like products filled with a fibrous white powder and infused with nicotine and ingredients such as sweeteners and flavourings that are released during use.
A health risk assessment on nicotine pouches by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment concluded that high levels of nicotine, which has strong effects on the cardiovascular system, is a health risk. Pouches present high risks for children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people with cardiovascular disease.
By fighting Big Tobacco, these women are protecting public health and empowering women and girls to stand up for their right to a healthier future. Here are their messages to fellow advocates—urging them to keep exposing Big Tobacco and strengthening global efforts to… pic.twitter.com/T369V747yY
Lilia Olefir, who is also the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control Coordinator for Europe and won the 2024 Judy Wilkenfeld Award for International Tobacco Control Excellence, said: “The tobacco industry is strategically marketing new nicotine to target young people, claiming that novel products have lower health risks, while simultaneously lobbying to avoid regulation on them for as long as possible.
“The rise in use of novel products by young people is extremely alarming and that’s why updating legislation is vital to address concerns about young people’s access to emerging tobacco and nicotine products.
“Annual tobacco industry spending on lobbying activities in the EU is at an all-time high of €19 million and their interference remains the largest obstacle to the implementation of effective tobacco control policies to protect children and young people.
“It’s not a surprise ASH Scotland’s analysis has found many concerning industry-connected arguments against restrictions that can be enabled by the UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which parliamentarians would be wise to ignore for the benefit of younger people’s health.”
In March 2023, Belgium became the first nation in the EU to ban nicotine pouches, followed by the Netherlands a month later, and France decided in February 2025 to introduce a ban.
In Scotland and across the UK, nicotine pouches are currently not covered by tobacco or e-cigarette regulations so are not required to adhere to the same controls on advertising and retail displays as tobacco nor age of sale restrictions that are in place for cigarettes and nicotine containing vapes.
Strong measures to restrict the advertising and promotion of nicotine pouches will be introduced in the event of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill being passed.
Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said: “The evidence presented by the Smoke Free Partnership and ASH Scotland’s analysis suggests that the tobacco industry is aiming to attract youths to use its new addictive and health harming products such as nicotine pouches to maintain a sizeable customer base in the UK and across Europe to enable the generation of huge profits into the future, at a considerable cost to the health of our young people.
“We have seen a disturbing increase in marketing campaigns promoting nicotine pouches in Scotland in recent months, including the provision of free samples in major train stations and a proliferation of shop window posters which are seen by children and young people.
“We welcome the robust measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which proposes to restrict the advertising and promotions of nicotine pouches and vapes to reduce their visibility and availability and protect the health of children now and of future generations.
“We strongly urge elected representatives in Scotland and across the UK to reject the destructive interference by the tobacco industry and its profit-motivated business associates who are not public health stakeholders and should never be treated as such.”
safety 
sessions – valuable advice on the challenges of the digital world our kids live in
7-8pm online 
for parents/carers of kids with ASN
Safe, accessible play space
Activities tailored to sensory needs and interests
Opportunities for family bonding and connection
Families can explore and play at their own pace
Tea, coffee & snacks provided
