Routine protective measures in schools, early learning and childcare (ELC) settings and daycare of children's services: child rights and wellbeing impact assessment

8. How will the impact of the policy/measure be monitored?

Following the revised schools and ELC sector guidance, protective measures will be kept under constant review, and if data and evidence suggest that any specific measures must be adjusted, advice will be provided to that effect.

Going forward, we will ensure that our leadership capacity across the system is used in the right way to support outcomes for children and young people. That means we will retain a CERG Monitoring Group, including representation from local government, professional association, parents, and young people, which will continue to meet regularly. This provides a mechanism for appropriate review and discussion of the data and evidence as well as a route of escalation should it be necessary to stand CERG up again in its full capacity. Within ELC, we will continue to engage with partners through the Covid Recovery Group to review the impacts of measures and any concerns around implementation.

Furthermore, the Scottish Education Council, which was stood down when CERG was established, was re-established last year as the key stakeholder forum for oversight of improvement and recovery activity in Scotland.

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 places key elements of GIRFEC in statute. There are eight GIRFEC wellbeing indicators – Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, Included –commonly known by the acronym SHANARRI. The indicators were developed as part of the GIRFEC approach which aims to improve outcomes for all children and young people in Scotland. Section 96(2) of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 provides a statutory definition of 'wellbeing', relating it directly to the eight indicators. The statutory guidance for Part 18 (Section 96) of the Act provides further detail.

The GIRFEC approach was built up from the UNCRC, and requires those who work with children and young people to put children at the centre of their day-to-day practice. Putting children at the centre realises all UNCRC Articles, but in particular highlights the requirement to consider the best interests of the child (Article 3), and the need for children's views to be taken into account when decisions are being made about them (Article 12).