Justice for children and young people - a rights-respecting approach: vision and priorities - action plan
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.
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Priorities and Actions – Year Two Onwards
Although some of these priorities may be under initial consideration in year one, specific actions are likely to progress from June 2022.
Priority | Action | Timescales | Responsibility/Interest[1] |
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Rights and Understanding | |||
Services provided to children and their families uphold their rights, through all aspects of work, in line with UNCRC requirements and Scottish Government legislation, including monitoring services to ensure rights are being upheld |
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CYCJ (Participation workers) | |
Support children and families to understand and know their rights | |||
Promote public understanding and awareness of the needs and rights of children and young people in conflict with the law and the systems in place to support them |
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For those who go through the Criminal Justice System their experience should be meaningful and participative, one which educates, improves, understands and upholds the rights of children and young people |
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CYCJ | |
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All children and young people should be able to access services to address trauma, abuse, neglect and communication needs | |||
Provision should be made to ensure professionals/services are taking in to account additional support needs, including speech, language and communication needs, to improve their life chances |
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Provide activities and opportunities for children and young people to engage in education, gain employment and to have stable housing options as a necessity |
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Participation and Engagement | |||
Improve participation and engagement of children and young people ensuring that they have developmentally appropriate participation opportunities to help shape the decisions, services and supports that affect them; including addressing barriers to engagement providing access to information and processes in language that they understand and taking account of cultural differences or disabilities and any communication needs |
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June 2023 | CYCJ participation leads, local authorities |
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June 2023 | SG, CYCJ participation leads, YouthJustUs | |
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June 2024 | CYCJ participation leads | |
Victims | |||
Information and support for victims is enhanced, considering good practice, whilst respecting data protection and confidentiality rights; this includes access to restorative justice approaches where appropriate, regardless of the age of the person responsible or the outcome of the case |
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Children and young people at risk of criminal exploitation are supported through increased understanding of the nature, scale and extent of the issue and awareness raising with practitioners and communities |
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Whole System Approach | |||
Continue to deliver a WSA to under-18s, supporting effective multi-agency partnerships and creating lasting systems and culture change |
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To the extent possible, no under-18s should be detained in youth offender institutes, including those on remand, with secure care being used, where therapeutic trauma-informed approaches are required for the safety of the child or those around them and where community alternatives are available for those who require additional support |
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Raise the age of referral to the Principal Reporter to 18 for all children with a presumption against under-18s in the Criminal Justice System, consistent with the Lord Advocate’s prosecution policy; where this is not possible, they must be treated in a way that is trauma-informed and recognises their age and stage of development |
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SCTS | |
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CYCJ | ||
Extend WSA to those beyond the age of 18 providing access to support up to age 26 |
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CYCJ | |
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CYCJ | ||
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Data and Evidence | |||
Data on children and young people is recorded, gathered and analysed in order to evidence the need for change and guide further improvements in policy and practice and to ensure that improvements are sustained |
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Early Intervention and Support | |||
Children and families are supported at an early stage to assess, identify and respond to wellbeing needs, to reduce stigma and improve their life chances and outcomes |
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Relationships are built and access to services to address adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma and other challenging experiences is improved through the delivery of trauma-informed approaches, youth work, gender-based approaches and effective multi-agency partnerships | |||
Other areas of action | |||
Disclosure Scotland Bill |
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Age of Criminal Responsibility |
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Contact
Email: Youth.Justice@gov.scot
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