Scotland's children's services plans 2023-2026 review: improving outcomes for children, young people and families

2. Context for Children’s Services Planning 2023-2026

Legislative Requirements

Part 3 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 seeks to improve outcomes for children, young people and families across Scotland through a number of duties over each three-year planning, delivery and reporting cycle.

These duties require the local authority and health board to work collaboratively with other public bodies, specified service providers, the Third Sector, and children, young people and families, to develop the local Children’s Services Plan. There are requirements to engage with stakeholders at different stages of the Plan’s development, delivery, review, and reporting on progress.

An annual report must be produced detailing the extent to which the aims of the Children’s Services Plan have been achieved by CSP partners working together in a whole systems approach.

Annual reports should demonstrate how wellbeing outcomes have been improved for:

• all children, young people, and families living in that area;
• groups with specific types of wellbeing needs (e.g. unaccompanied asylum seeking children; pre-birth to three age group; families affected by poverty; young people with care experience; young carers; children in conflict with the law; and those impacted by disability or other socio-economic barriers).

Part 3 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 sets out the overarching aims for Children’s Services Planning:

(a) that children's services in the area concerned are provided in the way which:

(i) best safeguards, supports and promotes the wellbeing of children in the area concerned,

(ii) ensures that any action to meet needs is taken at the earliest appropriate time and that, where appropriate, action is taken to prevent needs arising,

(iii) is most integrated from the point of view of recipients, and

(iv) constitutes the best use of available resources (assets, budgets, workforce),

(b) that related services in the area concerned are provided in the way which, so far as consistent with the objects and proper delivery of the service concerned, safeguards, supports and promotes the wellbeing of children in the area concerned.

“Taken together, these aims are about creating and maintaining a local environment which facilitates effective Getting it right for every child practice for individual children and young people. The Children’s Services Plan itself is the description of how public bodies and their partners will work together to achieve this, providing services which are organised and equipped to deliver high quality, joined-up, trauma-informed and responsive, and, where possible, preventative support to children and families...” (p. 16 Pt 3 Statutory Guidance (2020)).

A Children’s Services Plan should describe how services, support and improvement activity will be delivered in the local area in line with local priorities and national outcomes, setting out the provision of both children’s services and related services.

‘Related Services’ are those which are not provided directly to children, but have an impact on children or young people’s wellbeing. These services would include consideration of streamlined support through the transition between children’s and adult services, provision of adult services to address drug or alcohol use, mental health needs, or offending, and community-based services such as housing providers, libraries, welfare advisory services, and recreation facilities.

Context

Since the last review of Children’s Services Plans (2020-2023) and publication of the national report in June 2022, there have been a number of changes across the delivery context for Children’s Services Planning focussed on improving outcomes for children, young people and families. Children’s Services Planning Partnerships (CSPPs) have continued to plan and deliver services and support across Scotland, which respond to existing, and emerging needs of children, young people and families.

Public services and families have faced economic challenges of inflation, with a cost-of-living crisis, as well as Brexit impacts on trade, freedom of movement, and availability of workforce. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Scotland has been welcoming displaced Ukrainian people, with local authority areas hosting resettlement arrangements. Continued support is also provided to children and young people aged under 18, who arrive in Scotland without a parent or guardian, many of whom have been trafficked, with experiences of trauma.

In June 2023, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Scottish Government agreed The Verity House Agreement (VHA).This new partnership agreement sets out the vision for a collaborative approach to delivery of three shared priorities for the people of Scotland: eradicating poverty, especially child poverty; transforming Scotland’s economy through a just transition to deliver net zero; and delivering sustainable person-centred public services. Children’s Services Planning is identified within VHA as an opportunity to streamline the local strategic planning and reporting landscape.

A number of legislative and policy developments focussed on rights and wellbeing of children, young people and families, have also taken place. These include:

• The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 came into force in July 2024. This is a landmark piece of legislation which makes Scotland the first country in the UK, and the first devolved nation in the world, to directly incorporate children’s rights under the UNCRC into domestic law.
• In June 2024, the Children (Care and Justice) Bill became an act. It makes changes to the law in relation to the treatment of children in the criminal justice system and includes changes to the children’s hearing system, court hearings, and places where children can be detained. This act is a significant step forward in upholding children’s rights under the UNCRC, and to Keep the Promise.
• Implementing key actions set out in the Best Start, Bright Futures (BSBF) Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan for 2022-2026. This includes: expansion of the Scottish Child Payment to all eligible children, more than doubling the value of payments as of November 2022; working with local authorities to mitigate the Benefit Cap as fully as possible; and Investment in No One Left Behind, an employability approach which supports parents. The Scottish Government has reported on BSBF for the periods 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.
• The Scottish Government is also working in partnership with Clackmannanshire, Dundee and Glasgow, to tackle child poverty through transforming the way public services are delivered. Initial evaluation of the Child Poverty Pathfinders (May 2023) has been published and further evaluation is ongoing. Local activity is reflected within Local Child Poverty Action Reports as well as child poverty being a priority outcome for Children’s Services Plans.
• The Scottish Government published its Keeping the Promise Implementation Plan in March 2022. This set out cross-portfolio actions to deliver on the commitment to Keep the Promise for Scotland’s care experienced children, young people and families. An update on progress was published in September 2024, to provide a comprehensive review of actions and commitments undertaken across government.
• The Whole Family Wellbeing Funding (WFWF) Programme, backed by a commitment of £500m investment, was established to enable and support local system changes required to deliver holistic whole family support in line with the national principles. Recognising varying local circumstances, the programme did not seek to mandate specific delivery models, and asked Children’s Services Planning Partnerships (CSPP’s) to assess gaps and opportunities in their current delivery systems. Focussed on all families getting the right help, at the right time, for as long as they need it, WFWF is supporting the system change needed to help Scotland’s families thrive, and prevent them from reaching crisis, so that support is readily available, wraps around individual family’s needs, and promotes wellbeing. The WFWF Year 1 evaluation was published in January 2024.
• In May 2023, the Children’s Hearings System Working Group report set out recommendations aimed at ensuring the system, its leaders; policymakers; managers; and practitioners, better support children in need of care and protection. The Scottish Government published a response in December 2023, and established the Children’s Hearings Redesign Board, jointly chaired by COSLA. Senior leaders from key statutory partners have responsibility for the delivery of practice-based recommendations for change, and a consultation on potential legislative changes launched in July 2024
• The Promise Scotland launched Plan 2024-30 in June 2024 based on the five foundations of The Promise (Family, Voice, Care, People, Scaffolding). This builds on the progress made at national and local level so far, and sets out an evolving routemap to keep track of progress, as well as to identify what still needs to happen.
• In 2022, The Scottish Government commissioned CELCIS (Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection) to carry out a research study to improve the understanding of current children’s services structures and delivery models in Scotland and how services can best support the needs of children, young people and families. The research forms part of the evidence-base for future decision-making and improvement activity. Four findings reports (Rapid Evidence Review; Case studies of transformational reform programmes; Mapping integration and outcomes in Scotland: a statistical analysis; Scotland’s children’s services landscape: workforce views and experiences) and a concluding report have been published.
• Getting it right for everyone (GIRFE) is a multi-agency approach to health and social care services and support, from young adulthood to end-of-life care. It will underpin the future practice model of all health and social care professionals and shape the design and delivery of services, ensuring that people’s needs are met.
• The Early Child Development Transformational Change Programme, set up in December 2023 to help address increasing numbers of early child development concerns by providing oversight and better integration of policies with a focus on prevention. This reemphasises the importance of pre-birth and early years across all policy areas and is helping to identify and address gaps in getting evidence into policy and implementation.
• Scotland’s approach to improving everyone’s mental health was set out in the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy: Delivery Plan 2023-2025 (June and November 2023). The final report of the Children and Young People's Mental Health and Wellbeing Joint Delivery Board details the reforms it oversaw (September 2023), with a new Joint Strategic Board for Child and Family Mental Health set up in February 2024 to drive forward work relating to mental health and wellbeing, spanning preconception to early adulthood.
• The Scottish Government and SOLACE Public Protection Group agreed to more cohesively consider strategic, service delivery and practice approaches across Public Protection activity. This spans Child Protection, Adult Support and Protection, Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), Alcohol and Drug Partnerships, Violence Against Women and Girls, and Suicide Prevention). The National Public Protection Leadership Group (NPPLG) was established in June 2024, and will drive continuous improvement across Scotland’s Public Protection arrangements at national and local level. The NPPLG will set the context for Public Protection as an integral part of Scotland’s whole systems approach, ensuring interconnectivity with prevention and early intervention activity.
• National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland was revised in August 2023, with the updated Chief Officers induction resource published in November 2023 to enhance collective local leadership and shared learning in partnership approaches to Public Protection (November 2023).
• Scotland’s National Drugs Mission Plan (2022-2026) published August 2022 sets out delivery actions to reduce deaths and improve the lives of people across Scotland impacted by drugs, with ‘Children, families and communities affected by substance use are supported’ as a national outcome.
• Best Start: Strategic early learning and school age childcare plan for Scotland 2022-2026 (published October 2022) builds on the commitment to make high quality, affordable and accessible childcare available to all 3 and 4 year olds, and eligible 2 year olds in Scotland, delivered through the implementation of 1140 hours of funded early learning and childcare (ELC) in August 2021.
• The 2024-25 Programme for Government ensures access to affordable, high-quality funded early learning and childcare services by continuing to invest almost £1 billion a year. Work is also underway with local authorities to increase take up of funded early learning and childcare for eligible 2-year-olds. There will be a community-based approach to developing a future national childcare offer, which focuses on reducing costs and helping parents take work or increase their hours. Over the next two years Scottish Government will design and deliver a new childcare offer, backed by £16 million, for priority families within six Early Adopter Communities – aligned with our fairer futures partnerships and offering easier access to the support families need.
• A range of measures have been introduced to overcome identified barriers to learning for children and young people. These include continued investment in the £1 billion Scottish Attainment Challenge as well as additional funding to local authorities to make provision of counselling services available in every secondary school.
• The National Discussion on Scottish Education and Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (November 2023) highlighted continued post-pandemic challenges faced by children and young people in terms of relationships and behaviours, and a need for additional supports to improve attendance, attainment and wider wellbeing.
• An updated Additional Support for Learning Plan (November 2022) sets out progress made by the Scottish Government, COSLA, ADES, and other partners to deliver the Morgan Review recommendations. This considers supports for learning aimed at improving outcomes for children and young people with additional support needs, and has a focus on improvement implementation to achieve meaningful change.
• The launch of the National Carers Strategy (December 2022) includes the approach to delivery of support for Young Carers.

These societal, policy and legislative developments, have all shaped the evolving context for Children’s Services Planning since the last national review of Children’s Services Plans.

Implementation requires collaborative, collective leadership – by national and local government, organisational and sectorial leaders, and at a local level, through Children’s Services Planning Partnerships. This recognises the necessity of continued partnership working to deliver a joined-up and whole systems approach, which will lead to improved outcomes, and positively impact on the lived experience of Scotland’s babies, children, young people, and families.