The Scottish Government Response To 'A Scotland for Children: A Consultation on a Children and Young People Bill'

Reporting on Outcomes

The consultation proposed placing a duty on relevant public bodies to assist the local authority on a common set of high level outcomes for children and young people. The duty would include the ability of the Scottish Government, working in partnership with stakeholders, to set consistent indicators across Scotland.

What You Said

70% of respondents agreed that reporting arrangements should be put in place making a direct link for the public between local services and outcomes for children and young people. The mains reason for supporting the proposal was that it would promote transparency and accountability. It was also seen as particularly helpful in complex areas such as domestic abuse, parents with learning disabilities and LGBT young people.

73% of respondents agreed that these reporting mechanisms should be based on the SHANARRI Wellbeing Indicators as set out through the consultation. The main reasons cited were that the SHANARRI Wellbeing Indicators were all encompassing and provided a holistic approach to measuring links between local services and outcomes for children and young people. Also, the use of SHANARRI was already widespread and well established, and there was already common understanding of the Indicators and a shared language had been developed.

Most of those responding to the question about which public bodies this reporting duty should apply to referred to their response to the previous question about which bodies the public sector reporting duty on the UNCRC should apply.

The Scottish Government Response

The Bill will include a duty on local authorities and health boards to report on a one yearly basis on the extent to which they have achieved the aims of the plan to improve the wellbeing of the children and young people in their local government area. There will be a requirement for other service providers to participate in the reporting process if requested. The public bodies that this duty will apply to are:

• Local authorities
• Health boards
• The Scottish Police Service for Scotland
• Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
• Scottish Children's Reporter Administration
• Children's Hearings Scotland
• The Scottish Court Service
• Scottish Ministers

This will give the public, and particularly children and young people, a full picture of how their wellbeing is being promoted, supported and safeguarded at a local level.