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

4. Engagement and ownership of Plan

This chapter explores how Children’s Services Planning Partnerships gathered stakeholder feedback and incorporated this into their 2023-2026 Children’s Services Plans.

Engagement and ownership (Criterion 10)

The Statutory Guidance states that Children’s Services Plans should convey a shared sense of ongoing engagement and ownership with a range of stakeholders, including children, young people, families, the workforce and the wider community. Clear evidence that stakeholders’ ideas and suggestions have contributed to the development of the CSP should also be provided.

Criterion 10 was fully achieved by half (15 out of 30) of the CSPs and partially achieved by 14. Only one CSP was deemed to have not met this criterion. These are similar results to the previous review (Figure 4.1).

Fulfilment of this criterion was achieved through the inclusion of clear evidence and examples of engagement with a range of children, young people and families who access services; service providers (including frontline workers); and local communities, including community-based groups. This was provided in different ways; for example, some CSPs included a summary of findings from consultation events, others presented data from surveys, and several incorporated direct quotes from those consulted. In some CSPs, design elements also helped to convey a shared sense of ownership, with pictures of children’s artwork or photographs of local children and families used effectively throughout.

The CSPs which partially met this criterion presented some evidence of engagement with stakeholders, but not in enough detail to fully meet the criterion. Some did not demonstrate consultation with a wide enough range of stakeholders; for example, CSPs which contained a detailed section on the views of children and young people but did not mention parents, families or the workforce were deemed to have partially met this criterion. In other cases, it was not clear how the views of those consulted had been incorporated into the CSP.

The CSP that did not meet this criterion included a sentence stating that children, young people, and their families were engaged at various stages of the CSP’s development, but did not provide any evidence or examples of engagement throughout the remainder of the document.

All but one Children’s Services Plan provided evidence and examples of consultation with children and young people in the development of the CSP. Two thirds (20 out of 30) discussed engagement with parents, and just under half (14 out of 30) shared examples of consultation with groups representing particular population groups (e.g. those with disabilities or care experience and children and families from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds). Specific examples included organisations working with refugees, support groups for children with autism, young carers groups, and charities supporting children and families with experience of the care system (e.g. kinship carers).

Evidence of consultation with service providers was also present in most CSPs. Engagement with the third sector workforce was discussed in 24 out of 30 CSPs, and with professionals from statutory services (e.g. nurses, teachers, social workers) in 18 CSPs.

A mix of online and in-person methodologies to engage stakeholders were described. Consultation through surveys was most common; this was mentioned in 21 CSPs. Other methods for gathering feedback included engagement events, focus groups and interviews, social media activity and organised groups/forums (e.g. pupil/parent councils and Champions Boards for care experienced young people).

Some Children’s Services Plans provided more detail about engagement activity than others, for example by including the number of attendees at events, or the number of survey responses received.

Examples of good practice

Moray: Various methods of engagement with stakeholders are discussed throughout the CSP, including a survey of parents, the Neurodiversity GIRFEC survey and a training needs options appraisal with the workforce. Quotes from stakeholders are used effectively to demonstrate how the experiences and needs of children, families and staff in Moray have been used to shape the CSP’s priorities.

Glasgow City: The Children’s Services Plan integrates feedback from a range of stakeholders throughout, using quotes from a diverse range of children and families (including refugees and single parents), local data from the 2021/22 Health and Wellbeing Census, and findings from the Glasgow Promise Partnership consultation exercise. Pictures of children’s artwork and photographs of local young people engaging with services help to further convey a sense of shared ownership.

South Lanarkshire: The voices of children, young people and parents were central to the development of the CSP; over 16,000 children and young people were supported to give their views and opinions on services via a wide range of processes. Some innovative methods were used, such as the ‘Mind of My Own’ app, to help care experienced children and young people share their views and experiences with staff and a Facebook ‘Closed User Group’ consultation as part of the Scottish and World Breastfeeding Week events. Overall, it is clear that the views of a variety of stakeholders have contributed to the development of the CSP.

Additional Policy and Engagement Context

Children in Scotland’s (CiS) Supporting the Third Sector Project (STTSP) has been grant funded by Scottish Government since 2014. The project has a focus on supporting third sector partners to be demonstrably involved and influential in policy development, strategic planning, and service delivery as equitable partners. The project promotes collaboration between and across Children’s Services Planning Partnerships (CSPPs), Scottish Government and key stakeholders, with an aim of strengthening the development, delivery, and accountability of Children’s Services Planning arrangements.

It does this through facilitating enhanced participation and engagement by and with the third sector at national and local level, through delivery and improvement activity aimed at improving outcomes for children, young people and families. STTSP has a key role working with local Third Sector Interfaces (TSI) to enhance their contribution to policy development and strategic planning of national and local services.

The Supporting the Third Sector Project works closely with the Children’s Services Planning Strategic Leads Network and other groups. Over 2024-2025, the project will continue to offer local development support to a number of local CSPP areas, to enhance the role of the third sector as part of collective local capacity-building.

Since the last review of Children’s Services Plans, the STTSP has undertaken a number of surveys and research, as well as publishing reports and co-producing practical resources:

2023

• Case Studies: Whole Family Wellbeing Funding - Positive Planning
• Survey: Third Sector Participation in Children’s Services Planning
• Summary: GIRFEC Refreshed Policy Statement
• Family Support Conference: learning links and resources (co-hosted with CCPS and The Promise Scotland)

2024

• Report on pilot of self-evaluation tool
• ‘An Introduction to Getting it Right for Every Child’ e-learn module
• Self-evaluation tool: How good is our third sector participation in Children’s Services Planning?

The Self-Evaluation Tool, ‘How Good is Our Third Sector Participation in Children’s Services Planning? was published in January 2024. This followed a pilot phase and revision of the tool and guidance based on feedback. The tool provides CSPP’s with a structured way to reflect collaboratively on the extent to which the contribution and opportunity for Third Sector participation is robustly embedded within different aspects of the local Children’s Services Planning cycle. As a practical resource, the tool can be used by CSPP’s to identify areas of strength, as well as to support local improvements, and considers strategic planning, service delivery and reporting activity.