The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill was unanimously passed in Scottish Parliament on December 7th 2023. It was a historic day for children, young people and all those that advocated for UNCRC incorporation.
Incorporation of the UNCRC into Scots law is a vital step to ensuring children and young people have their rights recognised and protected. This Act will help ensure that children’s rights are at the heart of policy and decision making.
The granting of royal assent on January 2024 marks the final step of making the Bill into an Act of Parliament.
A big congratulations to all the children, young people and their supporters who have got us to this point.
- Read the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act in full here.
- Read more about the journey to incorporation here.
Families Outside has produced child friendly resources to help care-experienced children and young people who have a sibling in prison to know - and access - their rights to sibling contact.
According to the Staying Connected project carried out by Families Outside and the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA), many Care-Experienced children and young people do not know their rights to keep in touch with their siblings in prison. This meant that they weren't always accessing the support that was available, because they didn't know they were entitled to it.
Families Outside has also produced rights resources for young people in prison and secure care who wish to know their rights to keep in touch with their siblings on the outside.
- Check out their sibling rights resource here.
- Check out their resource for young people in prison here.
- Check out their resource for young people in secure care.
Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland
“Let’s Explore Our Rights” teaches young children about their human rights. The book which features iconic Scots landmarks is aimed at children aged up to five. It was beautifully illustrated by Corinna Campbell and takes readers on a journey to discover rights like having a safe home, being healthy, learning, and playing. The book will support early years practitioners to spark first conversations about human rights with very young children.
The book was created in response to requests from early years practitioners for a resource to help them talk about human rights with children. The book aims to explain in a gentle, age-appropriate way what rights are and why they are important, and to support even very young children to understand their rights and to challenge adults in power when they feel their rights aren’t being respected. The children from Lochardil Primary School Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) played a vital role in creating the book, with their ideas helping to create and refine the illustrations, and some of their own drawings included. The book will be provided to every local authority nursery in Scotland before the end of term, with a Gaelic edition in production.
You can download or view a copy of the book below. We also have some physical copies available to order. Please email administration@cypcs.org.uk to find out more.
Let's Explore Our Rights – Picture book for young children (under 8s) - Developed by CYPCS
Children's Human Rights PDF Booklet - Information for Families - Developed by Children 1st
Young children explore their rights in Gaelic with new book
Clann òga ag Ionnsachadh mu an cuid chòraichean sa Ghàidhlig le leabhar ùr
Commissioner Nicola Killean said: “Let’s Explore Our Rights explains to very young children in a way they can understand what rights are and why they are important.”
“The book was published earlier this year and we are delighted to have a Gaelic edition. All children should be able to access information in their own language and this book will help practitioners to have those first conversations – in Gaelic – about human rights with young children. “
“Children are never too young to start learning about their rights and, longer term, that knowledge will empower them to be able to challenge adults when their rights aren’t being respected.”
Jennifer McHarrie, Director of Education at Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said: “It’s great that a resource like this will now be available in Gaelic. It’s important that children and young people can learn about their rights in their preferred language. It’s also vital for the growth and development of the language that resources are available in Gaelic relating to all areas of people’s lives.”
The Commissioner’s office is providing the Gaelic edition of the book to all Gaelic-medium schools in Scotland and will have a stock on request. The book has been created in English, BSL, Braille, and there are audio versions available online. It has provided a copy of the English version of the book to every local authority nursery in Scotland, and has a supply for childminders and other nurseries.
Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC)
GIRFEC is short for Getting it Right for Every Child. In Scotland GIRFEC helps the adults who support you to work together to make sure you’re ok and that you get the support you need.
The adults who support you, like your teachers or a doctor, might use GIRFEC when they’re talking to you about what is going well in your life and where you need more help.
GIRFEC says there are 8 things that every child or young person needs to have a good life. These things are called Wellbeing Indicators.
- Safe
- Healthy
- Achieving
- Nurtured
- Active
- Respected
- Responsible
- Included
Together they can be remembered as SHANARRI
The Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland website gives lots of information about the articles of Children Rights and states, As a person, you have rights that apply to everyone in the world.
As a young person you have other rights, too. These are listed in a document called the UN Convention on The Rights of the Child, or UNCRC.
The UNCRC builds on other rights.
It builds on the Charter of the United Nations (1945), which recognised that the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family are the foundation of freedom, justice, peace and social progress.
And it breathes life into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), which proclaimed that childhood is entitled to special care and assistance.
UNCRC Articles Archive - The Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland (cypcs.org.uk)
Young Scot
Has lots of information about Children and Young People’s rights, to find out more or look for something in particular take a look at their website What is the UNCRC? – Young Scot
You can also listen to Podcasts on the Young Scot website ‘PODCAST: Activate Your Rights, The Rights of Children and Young People’ by clicking this link PODCAST: Activate Your Rights, The Rights of Children and Young People – Young Scot
Scottish Youth Parliament
SYP is the democratic voice of Scotland’s young people. Our vision for Scotland is of a nation that actively listens to and values the meaningful participation of its young people. Our goal is to make this vision a reality, in order to ensure young people in Scotland grow up loved, safe and respected, and able to realise their full potential.
SYP’s mission is to provide a national platform for young people to discuss the issues that are important to them, and campaign for changes to the nation that they live in. We support our members in their work by training them, supporting their personal development and empowering them, using a youth work ethos.
MSYPs listen to and recognise the issues that are most important to young people in every community across the country and ensure that