Commissioner Nicola Killean
The new Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland has started in the role – and her first message is to children and young people – her new bosses.
In a video message, Nicola Killean, who will be the Commissioner for the next six years, introduces herself and the role of Commissioner, and asks for help in creating her office’s plan for the next four years.
Speaking directly to children and young people, she said: “I’ve just started in my role and I wanted my first public message to be to you.
“My job is to be a fierce champion for your human rights. I’m here to promote them and protect them and there are lots of things I’ll do as Commissioner to make sure your human rights are protected.
“With my team, I will work to make sure the laws affecting your lives are fair. We work with and challenge people in power to keep the human rights promises they have made to you. We’re also here to help you understand how valuable and important your human rights are.
“As your Commissioner, I work for you. And with about one million children and young people in Scotland, I’ve never had so many bosses!”
In a separate video for younger children, Commissioner Nicola says: “All children have rights. Your rights mean you should be able to grow and always feel safe. You have a voice and what you think matters.”
She explains that rights include having a safe, warm home, the right to be healthy, and the right to an education.
People who work with children can use the videos – which are presented with BSL – along with PowerPoint slides, if helpful, to spark conversations and learning about children’s rights and the role of the Commissioner.
Commissioner Nicola asks children for their help to develop a new Strategic Plan to guide our work for 2024-2028.
She says: “One of the first things I’ll be doing is creating a plan for the big issues I will work on over the next four years. This plan absolutely needs to have your experiences at the heart of it. I want to connect with you, to communicate with you, and listen to you to find out what good, important things are happening in your lives, and where do you think Scotland should be doing better for you, for your friends, or other children and young people. Soon we’ll be sharing the different ways you can contribute your ideas to this plan.”
The process for creating the new Strategic Plan starts in November and will run until February 2024, with the plan laid at the Scottish Parliament in the spring.