Contributors
Author: Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights)
Publisher: Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights)
Date: 2023
Geographic Coverage: Scotland
Type of Resource: Framework
Sector/setting: Children’s Rights
Vulnerable groups: Children
Developed with children and young people? Yes
Type of participation: Co-produced with workers, children, young people and their families
Availability: Open Access
Keywords: Children, Young People, Rights, Skill and Knowledge Framework
Introduction
The Scottish Government is giving children’s rights the highest possible protection in Scotland by incorporating the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (1) into Scots law through the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 (2). Children’s rights are already central to law and policy in Scotland and progressing them is a key part of the roles of many workers. Incorporation of the UNCRC means there is a legal duty on public authorities and those carrying out public functions not to act in ways that are incompatible with the UNCRC requirements. The adoption and implementation of a children’s human rights approach will support workers in preparing for these new duties.
The framework has been designed to:
• Support individuals and organisations to adopt a children’s human rights approach.
• Improve and consolidate the workforce’s understanding of children’s rights and increase their confidence to implement the UNCRC in their everyday work.
• Set out the skills and knowledge the workforce will need to grow their children’s rights practice, and improve over time.
• Highlight useful resources for workers to engage with to further develop their skills and knowledge.
• Enable the necessary culture change to fully respect, protect and fulfil rights for children and young people in Scotland. Implementing a children’s human rights approach will build on existing best practice and support the realisation of other crucial policy objectives.