Parenting newsletter Autumn 2021

Welcome

 Welcome to the Parenting across Scotland email newsletter. We have put together news and information for you about what is happening with policy and practice for parents and carers in Scotland from the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government to the UNCRC and news from our partners.

All links were checked and working at the time of going to press.

News, research and events update from Parenting across Scotland

Programme for Government

The Scottish Government announced its Programme for Government in September; we have summarised here what is in the Programme for Government about children and families.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Last year the Scottish Parliament passed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) Scotland Bill which aimed to incorporate the UNCRC into Scots Law. However, the Bill was subsequently referred to the UK Supreme Court on the grounds that it exceeded the Scottish Parliament’s powers under the Scotland Act.

The Supreme Court’s judgement stated that it had no issue with the Scottish Parliament’s decision to incorporate the UNCRC but that this was a judgement about where the Bill had exceeded the constitutional powers of the Scottish Parliament.

Together has written a very informative and clear blog explaining what this means for incorporation of the UNCRC into Scots Law.

The Bill will now go back to the Scottish Parliament to be amended; the Scottish Government has confirmed its intention to do this as quickly as possible. Meanwhile there is much that can be implemented and progressed without legislation and this work is being taken forward by the Scottish Government’s Strategic Implementation Board.

UNCRC – PAS events

The UNCRC supports families to support their children:

Convinced that the family, as the fundamental group of society and the natural environment for the growth and well-being of all its members and particularly children, should be afforded the necessary protection and assistance so that it can fully assume its responsibilities within the community.

PAS is running a series of events on the UNCRC and families.

The first was The UNCRC: what does it mean for families. You can read our report of the event and watch the recording here.

The next one is ‘The UNCRC: supporting families’ which will look at how the UNCRC can support families in relation to poverty, housing and family support. Hold the date: 20th Jan 2022. Booking coming soon.

You can read the Together briefing on parents and the UNCRC here.

Early years

While there is a recognition that much of the burden of Covid-19 with its lockdowns and restrictions has landed on parents and carers, very little attention has been paid to the under five population. PAS held a webinar in June to look at what happened to the under fives during lockdown. If you missed the webinar, you can watch it here You can read the briefing here  

Public Health Scotland has been carrying out a series of surveys with parents and carers looking at the impact of Covid-19. There are research studies for different age groups of children from 2 – 17. (A report on the 0-2 population is forthcoming). You can read the reports here

Poverty

Even prior to the pandemic, one in four children in Scotland was living in poverty with figures rising; Covid-19 has only accelerated that process. Any Covid recovery must put those living in poverty front and centre. The new Child Poverty Delivery Plan will be published in March 2022, setting out the measures it proposes to take to meet these targets. This will be a crucial moment for tackling poverty in Scotland. The interim targets are set for 2024 and the latest statistics show that Scotland is not on track to meet them.

The Poverty and Inequality Commission has a statutory duty to advise the Scottish Government on its Child Poverty Delivery Plan. It funded the Fraser of Allander Institute to produce a report on what measures could be taken to meet the child poverty targets, the report has recommended doubling the Scottish Child Payment.

Covid Realities is a project that works alongside parents and carers to share their experiences of living on a low income during the pandemic and to develop ideas of what needs to change and why. “Over 100 parents and carers from across the UK have completed online diaries and responded to weekly video questions about life during a pandemic.”

A new Joseph Rowntree Foundation report shows that poverty levels for people in ethnic minority communities in Scotland are double the national average, and rising.

National Care Service consultation

The Scottish Government is consulting on the creation of a National Care Service. It has included children’s services within its proposals. You can read more about it here.

News from our partners

At the end of July, another record number of deaths due to drug misuse (1,339 people) was announced; this was an increase of 75 from the previous year. Scotland has the highest drug death rate of any country in Europe, with a rate that is also three-and-a-half times that of England and Wales.

One of our partners, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs work with families to help them support their loved ones. They launched a new service called Holding On at the end of 2020 with funding from the Drug Deaths Taskforce. This service supports families who are living with extreme levels of anxiety, stress, exhaustion, chaos and trauma on a daily basis because of the high risk of drug-related death within their families.

Research

The educational challenges of armed forces children

Growing up in an armed forces family involves unique experiences and sometimes challenges not shared by civilian families. A recent literature review, funded by Forces Children Scotland and carried out by Strathclyde University, explored existing research on the experiences and educational outcomes of armed forces children. The report confirmed that frequent mobility and parental deployment pose challenges for the education and mental health and wellbeing of children in armed forces families. Read more here.

Resources

Tech for All

Read how charity Guide Dogs is offering free iPads or iPhones to children with sight loss across the UK.

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