We are aware of recent concerns involving groups of young people in the Pennywell and West Granton area. Our investigations have now identified 14 young people linked to 52 offences.
They and their parents/carers have been spoken to and referrals are being made to Child Protection and Youth Justice partners.
Thank you to everyone in the community who has helped us.
We remain committed to tackling behaviour that affects your quality of life and to working with partners to support young people towards safer, more positive choices.
Scotland’s 32 chief social work officers issue rare joint statement urging action from political leaders to tackle ‘crisis’ in care system they say has led some social workers to take children home with them because of the shortage of placements
Scotland’s care system is in a state of emergency due to an acute placement shortage that has, in some cases, led to social workers taking children home with them.
It was also “placing undue and unsustainable pressure on the people entrusted with keeping Scotland’s children, young people and adults safe”, said the statement, published by leadership body Social Work Scotland.
The CSWOs said the the shortage of placement options had led to:
Social workers having to take children home with them in some parts of the country.
Newborn babies remaining in the care of hospital nurses.
Children as young as three being placed in residential care alongside young adults.
Older children sleeping on the sofas of foster carers and residential homes.
Children who do not have high needs being placed in expensive specialist provision making it unavailable for those who need it.
Foster carers going many months without a break.
They described the care system as “saturated” and said it would have collapsed entirely without “the incredible efforts of Scotland’s carers, social work staff and other professionals”.
“This is an emergency for Scotland’s care system, and we ask Scottish Government and local government leaders to work with us to take necessary action.”
The CSWOs asks for:
To have the flexibility to authorise placements which they deem suitable to protect the welfare and wellbeing of children.
The rapid implementation of commitments already made by political leaders to “alleviate the administrative demand on social work”.
The statement referenced The Promise – the pledge that all children in Scotland would grow up loved, safe and respected by 2030 – which the Scottish Government is seeking to achieve through a raft of policies.
“We share these ambitions wholeheartedly,” said the CSWOs. “But the primary responsibility of public authorities is to protect the welfare and wellbeing of people, and if we are unable to do this fundamental task, those ambitions will never be realised.”
THE CSWOs STATEMENT IN FULL:
Across Scotland there is now an acute shortage of suitable homes and carers for children who are unable to remain in the care of their family. The lack of options increases the risk of harm to children from physical, sexual, emotional abuse or exploitation and neglect, as well as placing undue and unsustainable pressure on the people entrusted with keeping Scotland’s children, young people and adults safe.
The crisis is occurring at a time of growing concerns about the impact of poverty on families, a shortage of housing, and national attention on child sexual abuse and exploitation.
We, Scotland’s thirty-two Chief Social Work Officers, are therefore taking this unusual step of issuing a joint statement to ensure that the public and political leaders are aware of the situation, and the need for urgent action.
In the absence of placement options, newborn babies are remaining in the care of hospital nurses. Children as young as three years old are being placed in residential homes with young adults; a setting characterised by frequently changing staff and other young people.
Older children are sleeping on the sofas of foster carers and residential homes. And in such scarcity, where any safe placement will do, expensive specialist options are being used for children who do not have high levels of need, making them unavailable for those children who do.
The capacity of the care system is saturated, and it is only thanks to the incredible efforts of Scotland’s carers, social work staff and other professionals that we have been able to prevent the system collapsing entirely.
Some carers have not had a break in many months, and in some parts of the country social workers have had to take children home with them, as no other safe options are available. This is an emergency for Scotland’s care system, and we ask Scottish Government and Local Government leaders to work with us to take necessary action.
Principally, we – as the leaders of social work in local government – require the flexibility to authorise placements which we deem suitable to protect the welfare and wellbeing of children. We also need to see political commitments to alleviate the administrative demand on social work implemented at pace.
Scotland aspires to be among the best places in the world to grow up, no matter what your background or circumstances. And Scotland has made a promise to those children and families who require social work support that the experience will be positive and nurturing. We share these ambitions wholeheartedly.
But the primary responsibility of public authorities is to protect the welfare and wellbeing of people, and if we are unable to do this fundamental task, those ambitions will never be realised.
Siobhian Brown, minister for children, young people and The Promise, said she took the issues raised by the statement “very seriously” and had asked to meet with Social Work Scotland “as a priority to discuss their concerns”.
“Any child or young person who cannot live at home, regardless of their age, must be able to stay in a safe, stable and caring environment,” she added.
“However, I recognise that significant pressures remain, and we will work closely with Social Work Scotland and other partners to ensure we have the right placements across the country for children and young people.”
Scottish Association of Social Work professional officer Susan Dobson said: “The dedication of the workforce to those they support is clear, but social workers having to take children home because there is nowhere else for them to go cannot be normalised.
“This environment has potentially catastrophic consequences for those children.
“The immediate needs of children must be the priority, and we must support the profession’s leadership to provide for them in the short-term. In the long-term, there must be significant changes to resourcing and funding for services to protect and care for vulnerable children and young people.”
COSLA’s children and young people spokesperson, Tony Buchanan, said:“The issues highlighted point to real and growing risks for children and young people, for families, and for the workforce who are going above and beyond to keep people safe.
“Local government is committed to working closely with Social Work Scotland, the Scottish Government and partners to deliver both urgent action and longer term solutions… Without stabilising system capacity, there is a risk that the progress we all want to see for children and families will not be achievable.”
Joanne Smith, NSPCC Scotland policy and public affairs manager, said: “It is deeply concerning to hear from social work professionals that Scotland’s care system is in a state of emergency. The situations they describe highlight how overstretched the system has become.
“Every child who cannot live safely at home must have access to safe, consistent, nurturing and responsive care as early as possible. We have overwhelming evidence that failing to provide timely, high-quality care for children who have experienced early adversity can have devastating and lifelong consequences.
“A lack of suitable placements means that babies and children are left in unsafe, unstable, or inappropriate situations that harm their wellbeing immediately and can have lasting effects on their mental health, relationships and life chances.
“This must be a turning point. We need urgent action to increase the number of suitable foster placements, ensure better support for professionals and carers, and invest in early help so that fewer families reach crisis point in the first place.
“The Scottish Government has committed to keeping The Promise. To deliver its ambitions we must see much greater recognition that how we treat children at the start of their care journey could massively impact their life chances.
“Without immediate and sustained investment, we risk failing those children who are most vulnerable and need our protection the most.”
Inspiring local youngsters to become the next generation of eco-champions
Utilita is thrilled to announce the launch of its Summer Sustainability Club, a free programme of fun, hands-on activities for children and families, taking place across all 12 high street Energy Hubs during the school holidays.
Designed to inspire the next generation of eco-champions, the Summer Sustainability Club blends creativity, education and play to help children understand sustainability in an engaging and accessible way.
The initiative builds on Utilita’s award-winning High 5campaign, which encourages households to adopt simple, everyday behaviours to save energy, reduce waste and lower bills.
On Thursday, 16 July (2pm to 3:30pm) and Friday, 31 July (10am to 11:30am) children visiting the Utilita Energy Hub (at 41 Newkirkgate, Edinburgh, EH6 6AA) will be able to take part in a Build-a-Robot from Waste workshop.
Children will transform everyday rubbish into imaginative robot creations, learning how waste materials can be repurposed. Each participant will name their robot and explain how it can help their family and the planet.
Donna Hall, Partnerships Manager at Utilita, said: “We love to support our communities and regularly run child-friendly activities across holiday times. We strongly believe that children should have access to experiences that spark their imagination and creativity.
“Through our Summer Sustainability Club, we’re sharing what we’ve learned from our eco programme in a fun, interactive way to ignite children’s interest in sustainability and maybe even inspire them to consider green jobs of the future.”
A key part of the programme is the support and expertise provided by Utilita’s Energy Hub Eco Experts, who are on hand to guide families through each activity, offer practical advice and share simple ways to reduce energy use at home. These specialists play a vital role in helping communities build sustainable habits, ensuring that lessons learned during the workshops can be carried into everyday life.
The Summer Sustainability Club reinforces Utilita’s commitment to community engagement, education and environmental responsibility. By combining hands-on learning with real-world advice, the initiative aims to empower families to make small, meaningful changes that contribute to a more sustainable future.
All activities are free to attend and open to children of all ages. Families are encouraged to visit their local Energy Hub to get involved.
Returning for its ninth year, the hugely popular Awesome Bricks event lands at East Lothian’s National Museum of Flight this Father’s Day weekend, 20-21 June.
Families and fans of all ages are invited to enjoy a brick-tastic weekend packed with creativity, hands-on fun, and aviation inspiration at the Museum, located on the historic wartime airfield at East Fortune, between Haddington and North Berwick.
Created in collaboration with LEGO® experts Warren and Teresa Elsmore, this year’s event promises even more building brilliance. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Concorde’s inaugural journey in 1976. Visitors can help create a giant mosaic of Concorde underneath the iconic aircraft itself.
From hands-on build zones to unique LEGO® fan displays, Awesome Bricks is packed with interactive engineering experiences which will delight children, parents, and AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO®) alike. Visitors can compete in speed-building challenges and drive a LEGO® train around the tracks.
Steve McLean, General Manager, National Museum of Flight said: “We are delighted to see Awesome Bricks return to the National Museum of Flight for a weekend of invention, creativity and fun.
“As this year marks the 50th anniversary of Concorde’s historic first commercial flight, it is fitting that our big build is a mosaic of this aircraft. Combined with the chance to learn about flight and see the magnificent aircraft in our collections, this event offers a wonderful day out that the whole family can enjoy together.
Awesome Bricks 2026 highlights include:
Brick build zone: Let your creative talents run free with 70,000 LEGO® bricks.
Make a mosaic: Help us build our giant mosaic image of Concorde right next to the real aircraft!
AwesomeVille: Welcome to AwesomeVille! Build your dream house and add it to our growing awesome LEGO® town, including DUPLO® Little Awesomeville for under 5s.
LEGO® train layout: Choose your controller and drive a LEGO® train around the tracks.
LEGO® fan zones: See unique models and tiny worlds created by talented AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO®).
Speed Build Challenge: Race against friends, family or other visitors to see who is fastest in our LEGO® speed build challenge. Can you top the leaderboard?
Visitors can board Concorde, explore four historic wartime aircraft hangars packed with exciting displays telling stories of a century of aviation, and become aeronautical engineers in the family friendly Fantastic Flight gallery.
East Fortune’s wartime heritage is brought to life in the Museum’s Fortunes of War exhibition, and visitors can step back in time by exploring the recently restored Second World War blast and air raid shelters.
Awesome Bricks
Sat 20 – Sun 21 Jun (Father’s Day weekend) 10:00 – 17:00 National Museum of Flight Tickets from £17, book in advance to save
Nearly 600 writers from 41 countries gather in Edinburgh from 15–30 August for the 2026 Edinburgh International Book Festival
Over 600 events span fiction, politics, science, history, music, and live performance in a 16-day curated programme
At a time of intense polarisation and entrenched positions, our 2026 theme Changing Your Mind invites audiences to stay open and curious, championing deep listening and celebrating our capacity to evolve our thinking, informed by a range of reliable experts and diverse perspectives
The Festival brings together a carefully curated programme of voices, experts, and ideas, to create space for informed, nuanced public conversation, and encourage new and alternative thinking – a much-needed alternative to debate driven by reaction and polarisation
Major public figures include former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, technology writer Cory Doctorow, best-selling author Michael Pollan, and award-winning poet Claudia Rankine, alongside leading writers from across the world
A landmark rare event brings one of the bestselling writers of all time, John Grisham, and iconic Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin together on stage, crowning The Front List line up at the McEwan Hall. The roster also includes Tom Holland, David Olusoga, Diana Gabaldon, Kiran Desai and Kae Tempest.
Other renowned fiction writers appearing include Maggie O’Farrell, Ann Patchett, Ali Smith, Jenni Fagan, Colm Toíbín, Matt Haig, Louise Welsh, Nao-Cola Yamazaki, Candice McCarty-Williams, Ben Lerner, and 2026 International Booker Prize winner Yáng Shuāng-zi
Greyfriars Kirk becomes a Book Festival venue for the first time, hosting Scotland to the World – a new series connecting leading Scottish writers Ali Smith, Len Pennie, Kathleen Jamie, and William Dalrymple with international musicians, artists and performers.
A strong focus on trust and information runs across the programme, with journalists, analysts and researchers examining misinformation, data, and global narratives, including The New Yorker’s Fergus McIntosh, The News Agents podcast co-host Lewis Goodall, and journalist Yi Ling Liu
The Festival explores the AI revolution and its regulation, with pioneers in the development of AI tools and their application – including Steve Crossan, part of the original DeepMind team; Sarah Wynn-Williams, former Director of Public Policy at Facebook; and Tim Wu, inventor of the term ‘net neutrality’ – weighing its impact and risks
Global Ink convenes 20 cultural leaders from five continents, reinforcing the Festival’s role as an international meeting point for ideas
BBC collaboration transforms the Spiegeltent into a daytime broadcast hub (17–21 August), with live and recorded programming on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds
The Festival’s Young Adults programme returns for its second year, bringing together leading YA authors such as Juno Dawson, Samantha Shannon, and Holly Bourne with performance, spoken word and interactive events tailored for audiences under 30 More than 150 events for children and families, with a Schools programme supporting around 5,000 pupils through free tickets for those in need, transport and books
New partnership with LNER delivers a reimagined Kids Zone with free activities every day of the Festival
Livestreamed and Pay What You Can events, alongside library streaming, extend access across Scotland and beyond
The Edinburgh International Book Festival returns to Edinburgh Futures Institute from 15–30 August with one of its most relevant and international programmes to date.
In a moment of increasing global polarisation, the 2026 Festival – with a hero theme of Changing Your Mind – brings together almost 600 writers from 41 countries for 16 days of ideas, literature, conversation, and performance.
The Festival is where books and words spark new thinking, forge connections across borders, and generate conversations that matter.
The 2026 programme spans the full breadth of contemporary writing – world-class fiction and nonfiction, a rich programme for children and young people, food, poetry, and live performance – with a special focus on how we engage with the world’s biggest questions: from geopolitics and the flow of global power, to the nature of consciousness, the reliability of information, and how we live well together.
The theme, Changing Your Mind, runs through the programme as an invitation to listen, reconsider, and discover something new, unfolding across strands exploring public debate, new thinking in science and consciousness, and the role of stories and art in reshaping how we understand one another.
Jenny Niven, Director of Edinburgh International Book Festival, pictured outside the Book Festival’s home at Edinburgh Futures Institute. Photo credit Aly Wight.
Jenny Niven, Director of Edinburgh international Book Festival, said: “Our theme ‘Changing Your Mind’ speaks to the moment we’re in.
“At a time when opinions seem increasingly polarised and online debate is so divisive, we’re creating space for thoughtful, nuanced conversations – exploring the reasons for our increasing social and political divides, and how we might change each others’ minds, or at least agree to disagree, more agreeably.
“We’re also looking at the potential of the human brain to adapt and relearn, and at the unparalleled power of stories to change our thinking.
Changing your mind is a lifelong process of staying open to new ideas. By bringing amazing speakers and curious audiences together, around knowledge and perspectives that help us challenge our assumptions and see the world differently, we hope the Festival programme this year will help us gain a deeper understanding of both ourselves and each other.”
ARE YOU OPEN TO CHANGING YOUR MIND?
As the world becomes ever more polarised, and opinions increasingly entrenched, we’ve reached a moment where to change your mind is seen as a sign of weakness, or even disloyalty – this year’s key theme seeks to reframe that. A wide range of experts, across three thematic strands, share reliable information and nuanced perspectives, encouraging audiences to think both critically, and flexibly, on a number of prescient topics – and maybe even change their minds about their current stances as they learn more, and expand their understanding.
Can You Change Your Mind? explores how we form and revise our views – featuring internet pioneers Sarah Wynn-Williams, Jimmy Wales and Cory Doctorow on the development of the web, and leading political voices including Gordon Brown, Jeremy Hunt and former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin on the forces shaping our world today. Practical workshops offer tools for more open and productive dialogue.
Consciousness Now looks at how our understanding of the mind is being transformed – with Michael Pollan and Anil Seth in conversation about what remains distinctively human in a machine-led world, and Gwen Adshead and Orlando Swayne on the brain’s remarkable capacity for adaptation and recovery.
Stories That Change Us celebrates reading as a route to new perspectives, with Daisy Fancourt and choreographer Wayne McGregor examining how the arts support wellbeing and cognition, and Claudia Rankine and Kiran Desai sharing the books that have shaped their lives and work.
INFORMATION WE CAN TRUST
The Festival has a long-standing commitment to trusted, verifiable sources and data – and this year’s Good Information strand brings together journalists, analysts and researchers to examine how we know what we know. Sir John Curtice examines what data tells us about Britain’s electorate today; Fergus McIntosh, who runs The New Yorker’s fact-checking department, discusses rigour in modern journalismwith The News Agents podcast host Lewis Goodall; while journalist Yi Ling Liu takes audiences behind the Great Firewall for a fascinating account of China’s internet.
The New World Orders strand brings together leading voices in economics, law and politics – including former US State Department official Edward Fishman and Oxford economist Carl Benedikt Frey on the shifting flow of global money and power, and Rana Dasgupta and Ece Temelkuran on borders and displacement.
More widely, nonfiction programming this year includes discussions on topics as wide-ranging as the World Cup (Simon Kuper, who has attended every one since 1990), designing cities for the future (Gabriella Bennett), bringing data to life with design (Mona Chalabi), and using the law as a framework to navigate and protect our rights, with Baroness Brenda Hale.
GLOBAL CONVERSATIONS
At the Festival, a book is just the beginning, and a starting point for conversations that reach far beyond the page – and that spirit is at the heart of this year’s programme.
Scotland to the World is a special series at Greyfriars Kirk – the first time the venue has been part of the Book Festival – bringing together Scottish writers including Ali Smith, William Dalrymple, Kathleen Jamie, and Len Pennie with artists and performers from Japan, India, the Netherlands and the United States. Supported by the new Expanded Festivals Fund, the series reflects Edinburgh’s status as a global meeting point for culture, and Scottish writers as our ambassadors.
Highlights include a highly experimental production created by pairing Kathleen Jamie’s writing with performance from Japan’s Noh Reimagined theatre company, alongside leading musicians Aidan O’Rourke and Brìghde Chaimbeul; and Dutch contemporary classical collective New European Ensemble presenting four new pieces inspired by Ali Smith’s Seasonal Quartet, with the author reading alongside.
The Front List, presented in partnership with Underbelly at McEwan Hall, forms one of the programme’s flagship strands: a curated series of large-scale events bringing leading writers, journalists, historiansand performers into in-depth conversation on some of the most pressing questions of our time.
Highlights include Diana Gabaldon marking 35 years of Outlander, Pulitzer and Booker Prize winners including Colson Whitehead, Douglas Stuart (hot on the heels of his Oprah appearance), and Kiran Desai, as well as conversations with voices such as Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, Cory Doctorow and the BBC’s Lyse Doucet.
Fiction this year ranges from Colm Tóibín and Maggie O’Farrell to recent International Booker Prize winners Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and Lin King, and international stars Daniyal Mueenuddin and Japanese literary sensation Mieko Kawakami, with Scottish voices including Fern Brady, Jenni Fagan and Graeme Armstrong.
This August also sees a landmark pairing: John Grisham – whose books have sold over 500 million copies worldwide, with more than 50 consecutive number-one bestsellers and translations into almost 50languages – joins Ian Rankin for an event marking Grisham’s first visit to the Festival.
It is a rare chance to see the godfather of the legal thriller genre with one of the biggest names in contemporary crime writing together on stage, celebrating the accessibility of books and highlighting this year’s status as a National Year of Reading.
A limited number of VIP tickets will offer audiences the chance to enjoy a pre-event drinks reception with Ian Rankin, with proceeds supporting the Festival’s charitable aims, including its communities and Schools programmes.
BUILDING INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
The Festival’s international reach extends well beyond its programme. Global Ink, the Festival’s industry forum, reaches a new milestone in 2026 – spanning five continents for the first time, bringing senior figures from 20 of the world’s leading festivals and cultural organisations together for three days of exchange and collaboration with the support of Scottish Government EXPO funding. Now in its third year, Global Ink reflects the Festival’s role as a global meeting point for ideas and the people who champion them.
A multi-year creative partnership with Celtic Connections continues, with The Golden Road – inspired by William Dalrymple’s award-winning book – which premiered at Celtic Connections in January 2026developing into an expanded Festival performance in August.
This year, the BBC will use the Spiegeltent as a base for wider Festival coverage, curating its own selection of content and voices for broadcast on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, bringing the atmosphere of theFestival to national and international audiences.
COMMUNITIES, YOUNG PEOPLE, AND ACCESSIBILITY
In the National Year of Reading, the Festival maintains its commitment to bringing the benefits of reading to all. New research shows fewer than 1 in 5 children currently read daily; 1 in 4 children do not reach the expected reading level by age 11. Both within the National Year of Reading, and as a long-term commitment, the Festival creates environments where reading is fun, sociable and imaginative, rather than solely educational.
Twenty percent of this year’s programme is for children and young people, with more than 150 events for families alongside a Schools programme supporting around 5,000 pupils each year through free ticketsfor pupils in need, transport support, and a free book for every participant, supported by Claire and Mark Urquhart. Authors appearing include Cressida Cowell, Julia Donaldson, Neill Cameron, and Jodie Ounsley of Gladiators fame, while the LNER Kids Zone and Families Hangout offer creative activities and relaxed reading spaces designed for all ages, with free events daily.
A dedicated Young Adults programme for readers aged 30 and under includes BookTok sensation Jack Edwards bringing his Inklings Book Club to life as a live podcast, alongside YA authors Juno Dawson, Samantha Shannon, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Holly Bourne, and a range of special pop-up events let audiences connect with one another and make new friendships.
The Festival’s year-round Communities Programme works to address literacy inequality and social isolation. Paper Trails, the flagship five-year library initiative launched by HM Queen Camilla in 2025 and developed with City of Edinburgh Council, works with five Edinburgh libraries through co-created creative programming.
This August, events will be livestreamed free to libraries across 20+ Scottish local authorities (up from 13 LA’s in 2025), including as far afield as Shetland. Community work will also be visible throughout the Festival in the Communities Cabaret, the Where We Are exhibition featuring work by Edinburgh College of Art students, and writing from young people at Spartan Foundation’s Alternative School, as well as in visits to hospitals and prisons by a range of authors.
Events will continue to be livestreamed globally with a Pay What You Can model helping to widen access, alongside live and AI captioning, British Sign Language provision and events designed for audiences with learning disabilities.
Lyse Ducet, Chief International Correspondent and senior BBC presenter
FURTHER PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS
How to Live a Meaningful Life offers warmth and perspective: Waterstones Children’s Laureate and the first ever Children’ Booker Prize judge Frank Cottrell-Boyce discusses protecting childhood, Prue Leithreflects on the pleasures of ageing, and philosopher Julian Baggini celebrates the meaning of coffee – with a tasting from Santu Coffee.
Table Talks returns with the chance to share a meal with writers including Ella Risbridger, Yasmin Khan, Jess Elliott Dennison, Meera Sodha, Michelin-starred chef Santiago Lastra and former Ottolenghi pastry chef Helen Goh.
Poetry ranges from Loud Poets’ Grand Slam Final and Push the Boat Out’s Open Mic Night to Simon Armitage, Hanan Issa and Peter MacKay – the UK and Welsh Poet Laureates and Scottish Makar – on the idea of national poetic identity.
The Festival’s Spiegeltent programme includes a new edition of Buffy’s Book Club, a celebration of 50 years of Scottish punk with Caledonia Screaming, and Hamish Hawk performing the Festival-commissioned Life in a Scotch Sitting Room, Vol. 0, following a UK tour and sold-out Glasgow show.
Workshops cover war reporting with Sally Hayden, translation with Polly Barton, Tarot as a writing tool with Jill Dawson, and – building on the Festival theme – open conversations with Sarah Stein Lubranoand deep listening with Emily Kasriel.
Social media platforms to be blocked from offering services to under-16s, marking a line in the sand and setting a new normal for future generations
UK will go further to protect kids with world-leading additional restrictions on harmful features online such as live streaming and strangers communicating with children
Government action shows clear choice to side with families over tech companies to put power back in parents’ hands and give kids the childhood they deserve
Decisive action – backed by 9 in 10 parents – expected to be brought to Parliament before Christmas, with protections expected to come into force in Spring 2027
Children will be given back their childhoods thanks to government action to ban social media platforms from offering services to under-16s, with less time for scrolling and more time for play.
The plans will set a new normal for future generations, kickstarting a cultural shift and driving forward the government’s fight to give every child the best start in life.
The government plans to use the same model for a social media ban as Australia. This would capture user-to-user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material, alongside algorithms. The ban will therefore include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. We do not intend for messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal to be included in the social media ban.
In a move to protect children online and address the scale of the challenge, the government will also go further than a blanket ban on social media with world-leading blocks on harmful functions such as livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s. These restrictions – which together with the ban go further than any other country – will apply to a wider range of online services, including on gaming sites.
Restrictions on these functionalities will also be on by default for under 16- and 17-year-olds to prevent a cliff-edge at 16. The government will also be looking in more detail at overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18-year-olds and will set out more detail in July.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Parents want to keep their kids safe and happy, but the online world has made that harder than ever.
“I’ve heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them.
“That’s why we’re going further than any country in the world by banning social media for under-16s and putting wider protections in place to give kids their childhood back.
“This is a line in the sand. Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations.”
So-called AI ‘romantic companion’ chatbots – designed to simulate sexual relationships or roleplay with users – will have to enforce a minimum age of 18. Similar intimate functionalities will be restricted for under-18s on AI chatbots more widely.
Taken together, these measures will mean a much more comprehensive model than just a blanket ban on social media — one that responds to how children experience harm online, rather than just where it happens.
The changes will back parents grappling with the risks for children that come from the online world and help empower them by providing a clear decision on what is safe and age-appropriate for children.
This is a decisive first step by the government which marks a clear choice to put children’s wellbeing first and give them a healthy life online. We stand ready to take further measures in the future.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “Today we take a bold and significant step, towards creating a safer, healthier life online, for our children and future generations.
“Tech companies have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, yet they have failed to act. That is why we are a taking power away from the tech giants and putting it back in parents’ hands.
“My driving force has always been to give every child, from every background, the best possible start in life. That is what these regulations will deliver.”
The government will also learn the lessons from Australia’s experience by introducing more highly effective age assurance (HEAA) measures to support compliance, making it far harder for children to bypass safeguards.
Ofcom will conduct a rapid study on what is effective age assurance for verifying whether someone is over 16. The Secretary of State has also written to the new Chair of Ofcom to ask for an urgent review of Ofcom’s enforcement capabilities with a clear enforcement strategy to be published as soon as possible.
In her letter, the Secretary of State confirmed the government will ensure Ofcom has the funding it needs to carry out its new responsibilities – as well as continue its vital work to enforce the existing provisions of the Online Safety Act, including protecting women and girls online, tackling harmful content that puts vulnerable people at risk, and taking action against serious illegal activity such as child sexual abuse material and online fraud and scams.
Today’s announcement follows one of the biggest national conversations held by this government, with more than 116,000 responses submitted by parents, children and experts across the country. The responses showed overwhelming public backing for tougher action. 9 in 10 parents said they would support a social media ban for children under 16.
The majority of young people also backed action, with two-thirds agreeing that children younger than 16 should not be allowed to use at least some social media platforms.
On social media services, real-time content makes harmful material harder to moderate, and algorithmic feeds can intensify exposure to dangerous, distressing or overly engaging material.
Parents rightly expect government to take action as quickly as possible, which is why the government has already taken powers through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act to act fast — using secondary legislation to introduce targeted protections without needing to wait to bring in a whole new Act. This means the first set of regulations could be in effect in Spring 2027.
Today’s action builds on the government’s work to date to go further and faster to protect children online and fight for their wellbeing. Last week, the Prime Minister challenged tech companies so that Britain will be the first country in the world to make it impossible for children to take, share or view nude images – with a 3-month deadline to make meaningful progress.
This watershed moment will come alongside the government’s drive to remove barriers to opportunity and set every child up for happy, fulfilling lives. Yesterday, the government set out further steps to make sure children in every part of the country get greater access to enrichment opportunities in sport, creative activities, nature and the arts both in and out of school.
This builds on wider work to halve the participation gap and reclaim childhood for all young people, including through reforms to the curriculum so that every child gets the skills they need to get on in life, and support throughout their school years to explore and develop their talents, regardless of their background or where they live.
Commenting on the announcement of a social media ban for under 16’s Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive, Children First said: “The UK Government’s move to restrict social media for under 16s and tackle live streaming and stranger contact is a welcome indication of the desire to protect children in the face of a national childhood emergency.
“The intention of both the UK and Scottish Governments to reset the digital culture that is causing widespread harm to children and childhood is clear. It must now be matched with the resource and determination needed to realise it.
“Given children are likely to find ways around a ban, they will continue to be harmed unless tech companies are forced to implement changes to ensure their products are safe from the start.
“Bans on social media and smartphones in schools can begin to shift cultural norms, but they will not fix a system designed to maximise profit and ignore protection.
“The tech companies have addicted us all and we cannot expect children to change their behaviour, if the adults around them don’t.
“Parents and caregivers need support to model a new approach to screens and above all tech companies need to ensure safety by design and urgently develop platforms that are not addictive for anyone.
“Both the UK and Scottish governments must hold tech companies to account and drive a comprehensive public health response to digital harm. The commitment to invest in play, creativity and sport so children have meaningful alternatives to being online must be realised here in Scotland, as well as in other parts of the UK.
“Most importantly, every solution must be shaped by the voices of children and young people themselves. Childhood is being reshaped by technology. Both governments must act now to reclaim it, so every child in Scotland can grow up safe, happy and connected.”
Children in every part of the country to get access to enriching activities to beat isolation online and build connections in the real world
New benchmarks to give every school and college the tools to offer high-quality enrichment across arts, sport, nature, civic life and life skills
£132.5 million ‘Every Child Can’ programme will fund activities within school and in communities at weekends and in the holidays, ensuring enrichment is a common entitlement for all — not just those who can afford to pay
Every child, regardless of where they grow up or which school they attend, will benefit from enriching activities that build the skills, confidence and relationships they need for life and work thanks to government action announced today.
Greater access to opportunities in sport, creative activities, nature and the arts will be made available to children both in and out of school in order to halve the participation gap and reclaim childhood for all young people.
The drive to make sure all children are supported to develop new skills and explore their talents includes new benchmarks for schools and colleges published today. These will ensure schools and colleges have the practical tools and guidance to offer a wide range of opportunities across five categories: civic engagement; arts and culture; nature, outdoor and adventure; life and future skills including STEM, sport and physical activities.
Leading figures within these categories will soon be announced as ambassadors using their influence and expertise to inspire participation, raise awareness and help drive support for enriching opportunities for young people.
Activities could include music groups, engineering clubs, debating societies, football clubs and much more. These clear benchmarks will work in partnership with civil society and help schools and colleges develop inclusive, engaging enrichment offers that reflect the needs of their pupils and communities.
Ofsted will consider a school’s enrichment offer as part of how it assesses personal development, and parents will be able to see their local school’s offer through new ‘school profiles’ – a one stop shop with key information on a school’s offering.
This complements the government’s wider reforms to bring the national curriculum into the modern day, break down barriers to opportunity and better prepare young people for life and work in today’s world and beyond.
‘Every Child Can’, funded through the Dormant Assets Scheme, will deliver £132.5 million for new activities programmes delivered through schools, community programmes, weekend activities and holiday provision.
It is structured around the same five categories as the Enrichment Framework, ensuring a consistent approach to building skills and confidence wherever young people engage and removing the postcode lottery that has held children in underserved parts of the country back.
It responds directly to the State of the Nation survey of more than 14,000 young people, which found that despite being the most digitally connected generation, young people today face some of the highest levels of isolation globally.
They want safe spaces, trusted adults, better mental health support and greater access to enriching activities. However, access to these opportunities remains unequal, with too many children locked out because of where they live and what school or college they go to.
Education Secretary Bridget Philipson said: “Every child should be able to enjoy sport and the creative arts, not just the lucky few.
“Whether it’s performing on stage, playing sport, exploring nature or getting involved in their community, these experiences build confidence, spark ambition and help young people discover what they are capable of.
“As the world around our children continues to move fast, investment is about making sure the childhood experiences we truly value can once again be for every young person, wherever they live.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “Every child deserves the chance to find their spark through great art, sport, music, dance or drama, because arts and culture belong to all of us – not just a privileged few. A child who loves the arts shouldn’t have to be born into the right postcode to pursue it.
“That is why we are rebuilding opportunity in the classroom and in communities and ensuring every young person has something to do, somewhere to go, and someone who cares through our National Youth Strategy: Youth Matters.
“For too long we have underinvested in generation with appalling consequences. Every child should have the chance to live a richer, larger life and we will ensure they do.”
This package forms part of the UK government’s commitment to restore lost childhood freedoms – investing in playgrounds, in music hubs, sports partnerships, youth services and youth spaces and support for families through measures including VAT relief on children’s activities this summer.
With children growing up in an increasingly fast-changing world the package is designed to protect and nurture childhood, ensuring young people are equipped with skills and confidence to achieve and thrive.
Participating in enrichment activities has been associated with higher attainment and a stronger sense of school belonging and wellbeing among children and young people.
According to EPI research, children who attended sport clubs during secondary school were more likely to be in education or employment as young adults, while those who participated in hobbies, arts and music clubs were significantly more likely to progress to higher education.
Today’s announcement builds on the UK government’s work to ensure young people have access to enriching and cultural activities including:
More than £500 million for an ambitious 10-year National Youth Strategy – co-designed with young people – to connect half a million more young people with a trusted adult outside their home and equip them with skills to boost their resilience and stay safe online.
Over £1 billion of investment in school sport over the next three years, including the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, which will bring national sporting expertise into every primary and secondary school to tackle inactivity and ensure more young people have access to high-quality PE and sport. Alongside this, an additional £400 million will also be invested in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities across the country
Inviting 400 schools in the most deprived areas of England to take part in the £22.5 million Enrichment Expansion Programme, to support them to meet the benchmarks set out in the Enrichment Framework, helping them build a strong offer shaped by their own pupils.
Revitalising the curriculum to ensure young people are given the chance to experience the arts, while maintaining a strong academic core, removing school performance measures that constrain subject choice, and making sure GCSEs in arts subjects are fit for purpose.
The government is working with The National Lottery Community Fund to develop Every Child Can. Further details on the remaining funding, how each programme will work and how to apply to take part will be published in due course.
The Department for Education will work closely with schools, colleges and sector partners, including the Enrichment for All Coalition, to support implementation of the framework and understand its impact on children and young people.
This will help build a shared approach to ensuring high-quality enrichment opportunities can support attendance, engagement, wellbeing and achievement for all pupils.
Little Seedlings Club and Gabby’s Dollhouse Summer Holiday Club
UNP Dobbies Dunfermline – 46719
Chloe (7) and her dad Ruary.
Dobbies’ Edinburgh store has a fantastic line up of free workshops to inspire kids to get outdoors and discover the magic of nature during the school holidays.
This July, the popular Little Seedlings Club returns with a workshop exploring the wonders of water. Dobbies is also teaming up with DreamWorks to bring an extra special Gabby’s Dollhouse Summer Holiday Club workshop, for children to learn about gardening with Gabby and Kitty Fairy.
Little Seedlings Club is the free-to-attend kids gardening workshop that takes place every month in Dobbies’ Edinburgh store and covers a wide variety of seasonal topics.
July’s workshop will focus on the wonders of water in an interactive workshop where children will learn about where water comes from, its journey through the water cycle, and how ponds provide essential habitats for wildlife with demonstrations and activities to help bring their learning to life.
Children will get the chance to take part in a hands-on creative craft activity to make their own pond habitat.
Alongside the monthly Little Seedlings Club, Dobbies has teamed up with DreamWorks to host a Gabby’s Dollhouse Summer Holiday Club workshop. During the workshop, children will step into Kitty Fairy’s garden to learn about the secret life of gardens, discover magical fairy garden stories, explore dandelion wishes and learn how to become nature guardians. The session will finish with children creating their own secret fairy garden door to take home.
Dobbies’ Plant Buyer, Nigel Lawton, said: “Gardening is a fantastic way for children to connect with nature, spark their curiosity and have fun outdoors.
“Through our Little Seedlings Club and the Gabby’s Dollhouse Summer Holiday Club workshops, we’re creating fun, hands-on experiences that introduce children to plants, wildlife and the environment, and help them learn a new skill.
“Whether they’re learning how water helps gardens grow or creating their own magical fairy garden, these workshops are designed to inspire the next generation of young gardeners while showing that spending time outdoors can be lots of fun.”
Dobbies’ Edinburgh store monthly Little Seedlings Club, taking place on Sunday 5 July at 9:30am, is free-to-attend and must be booked in advance at www.dobbies.com/events.
The free-to-attend Gabby’s Dollhouse Summer Holiday Club runs on selected dates in the Edinburgh store and must be booked in advance at www.dobbies.com/events
Free family-friendly Live Site offers sporting opportunities
craigwatsonpix@icloud.com www.craigwatson.co.uk
Children, young people and families can enjoy free activities, sport and live screenings of Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games events at the Game On Live Site this summer.
Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Park will be transformed for 11 days to allow families and fans to gather to watch the Games on giant screens, while getting the chance to try a diverse range of physical activities – inspired by the Summer of Sport.
The Game On Live Site, which is backed by £1 million from Scottish Government’s Summer of Sport programme and supported by funding from Commonwealth Sport, will be open from 23 July to 2 August, with over 12 hours of daily coverage of the Games shown on three large screens.
While the world-class sporting action of Glasgow 2026 unfolds across the city, children, young people and visiting fans will have the chance to take part in a range of sporting and cultural activities split across seven areas of Kelvingrove Park, including:
sport and physical activities
mass-participation events
creative activities, play and games
live performances.
The Glasgow 2026 Game On Live Site, funded by the Scottish Government, Government, sportscotland, and Commonwealth Sport, is part of the Scottish Government’s wider £20 million Summer of Sport campaign.
It will fund opportunities designed to make sport more accessible across all 32 local authority areas drawing inspiration from the Games and the Scotland men’s team’s participation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Sport Minister Maree Todd said: “It’s ‘Game On’ for Glasgow and Scotland. This Live Site will help showcase the very best the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games has to offer, while bringing families of all backgrounds together to get active and stay active.
“We want the legacy of the Summer of Sport – the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Glasgow 2026 and the women’s hockey and cricket team world cup campaigns – to stretch far beyond the next few months.
“As part of our wider £40 million additional funding for the 2026-27 sport budget, our £20 million Summer of Sport funding can be truly transformational and will offer sporting opportunities across the length and breadth of Scotland. This is about ensuring that every child who attends a session still has the option to stay active in a year’s time and throughout their life.
“If we get it right, the impact it will be felt long after this summer and will help to improve health and wellbeing, tackle inequality, strengthen communities and make sport accessible to all.”
craigwatsonpix@icloud.com www.craigwatson.co.uk
Glasgow 2026 Chair, George Black CBE said: “As we welcome athletes and visitors from across the Commonwealth to Glasgow, the Live Site is the perfect way for everyone to soak up the atmosphere of the Games. It’s free, it’s family-friendly and it’s right at the heart of the city in Kelvingrove Park.
“Whether you come to try a new sport or simply cheer on the action on the big screens, this is your chance to get involved and be part of an unforgettable summer of sport.”
craigwatsonpix@icloud.com www.craigwatson.co.uk
Forbes Dunlop, sportscotland CEO said: “At sportscotland, we believe that sport has the power to strengthen communities and change lives. The 2026 Summer of Sport campaign, made possible by £20 million of Scottish Government investment, is a great example of what can be achieved when partners come together with a shared ambition to make sport more inclusive and accessible.
“While sportscotland is not investing in the core costs of delivery of the Games, we are committed to ensuring that Scotland’s sporting system feels the benefits of this major international event and the live site will be an opportunity for people to gather and celebrate.
“We are working with the team at Glasgow 2026 and are proud to play our part together in helping more young people enjoy the benefits of being active as we celebrate a fantastic summer of sport.”
Leader of Glasgow City Council Councillor Susan Aitken said: “The launch of Game On in Kelvingrove is a fantastic opportunity for Glaswegians and visitors to come together and share in the excitement of the Commonwealth Games 2026.
Kelvingrove Park is one of the city’s most-loved outdoor spaces and is the perfect venue to catch the sporting action, take part in fun activities and soak up in the atmosphere, for free, in the city.”
Deputy Chief Executive of Commonwealth Sport Martin Reynolds said: “Commonwealth Sport is proud to help fund the Game On Live Site at Kelvingrove Park.
“As a celebration of our 74 nations and territories, the Commonwealth Games have a unique ability to bring people together and this Live Site will help Glaswegians and visitors alike come together to enjoy the sport, soak up the atmosphere and share in the Games experience.”
