Justice for children and young people - a rights-respecting approach: vision and priorities - action plan

Introduction

This plan sets out the early actions towards achieving the outcomes and priorities within the Rights-Respecting Approach to Justice for Children and Young People – Scotland’s Vision and Priorities (‘the vision’) between June 2021 and June 2024. This will be achieved through a partnership approach.

The vision is aimed at all children up to the age of 18 and has been drafted for adaptation and application for all young people up to age 26. The key priorities are based on the views of children and young people, key stakeholders and partners and go some way to meet the asks from the Promise and other key review and research pieces such as Expert Review of the Provision of Mental Health Services at HMP&YOI Polmont and ‘Rights Respecting? Scotland’s approach to children in conflict with the law’. They represent a shared foundation to ensure that the rights of children and young people in Scotland are protected and upheld, to prevent them from being involved in behaviour which leads them into conflict with the law, and to promote desistance and rehabilitation when that occurs. They also continue to support the Getting it Right for Every Child agenda.

Both the vision and this action plan have been prepared by the Scottish Government and members of the Youth Justice Improvement Board. Members and the organisations they represent have agreed to support delivery of this plan by 2024. However, support is also needed from a wider representation of those working with children and young people in order to fully deliver on implementation.

To ensure that the actions remain relevant and receive the right attention timeously, this plan will be actively reviewed and updated quarterly or as new issues and priorities emerge.

Governance oversight of the action plan will be conducted by the Youth Justice Improvement Board through quarterly meetings. Reporting arrangements will also be shared and agreed with the Promise Oversight Board.

Delivery groups (where necessary) will be set up and organisations will be tasked to deliver on the actions outlined in this plan.

The action plan should be read in conjunction with the vision.