If you are a child or young person looking for advice and information you can contact us on 0800 019 1179 or by email at inbox@cypcs.org.uk. Adults looking for advice and information on behalf of a child or young person can contact us at inbox@cypcs.org.uk.
If you are concerned that a child may be at immediate risk of harm, please contact your local Social Work Department or Police Scotland (dialling 999 in an emergency) as a matter of urgency. The office is not able to investigate child protection concerns.
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This report highlights the troubling use of hotel-type accommodations for children in asylum and homelessness systems, in conflict with established human rights principles. Such environments can pose severe risks and long-term harm to children’s well-being and rights. Unfortunately, the practice persists due to legal and systemic pressures. This report aims to aid decision-makers and frontline practitioners by providing a comprehensive human rights framework and evidence-based insights to reduce the reliance on such accommodations and mitigate their negative impact.
We also have a short report for children and young people.
In response to the growing concern over the mental health of children and young people, a new group of Young Advisors in 2021 decided to focus their investigation on school counselling as part of the Scottish Government’s response to the crisis. The Mental Health Investigators identified a lack of crisis services and community-based interventions, and believed that school counselling could provide a useful picture of levels of need and delivery challenges. They were involved in leading every aspect of decision-making throughout the investigation, from planning to analysis and recommendations. The report they produced identifies both good practice and areas for improvement in the delivery of counselling services in schools across Scotland.
Resource: Guides Resource: Research and Publications
We have developed this Strategic Litigation Toolkit to ensure that we use our powers in a way that is consistent with the Commissioner’s role to promote and safeguard children’s rights, and in compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It will also make sure that we are accountable, transparent and that our decisions are clear and fair.
The toolkit explains the Commissioner’s powers, sets out how we involve children and young people in strategic litigation and the principles that underpin this work. We also share the set of tools we have developed. The tools help us decide which cases we can get involved in as well as provide reasons for those decisions.
This report explains how the Human Rights Act and its provisions help to protect the rights of children in Scotland. It illustrates the impact the Human Rights Act, and the European Convention on Human Rights that it incorporates, has had on the development of children’s rights. It includes analysis of how UK Government proposals to reform the Human Rights Act would undermine children’s rights protections in Scotland.
Resource: Child Rights Impact Assesments Resource: Guides Resource: Research and Publications
‘Listen, engage, have fun’ is a user-friendly guide to involving children in child rights impact assessment (CRIA) and child rights impact evaluation (CRIE).
Reviews the links between poverty, educational attainment and achievement. Aims to provide a clear picture of policy and research developments to address the attainment gap.
This research was carried out to help the Commissioner identify specific issues affecting the inclusion of disabled children and young people in society. It covers areas such as education, self-directed
