Hansard

I declare my interest as a corporate parent, as an elected member of North Lanarkshire Council.

The SNP Government has demonstrated its commitment to all of Scotland’s young people in a programme for government that will transform outcomes for children and young people throughout Scotland. It has delivered on the commitment to establish the centre for excellence for looked-after children. My understanding is that the centre has already established a permanence team to examine the very issues that have been raised in the debate.

The Government’s early years strategy provides an opportunity to tackle some of the most challenging circumstances for children and sets an expectation that healthcare, social care and education departments will collaborate on delivering care plans and on ensuring the best possible start for children—especially those who are looked after or who are on the fringes of becoming looked-after.

The debate and the consensus across the chamber have demonstrated not only that we understand the debt that we all owe to foster carers, adoptive parents and kinship carers but—I believe—that we all understand the issues and the problems. We have a wealth of research and submissions on the matter, not least of which is Susan Deacon’s report, entitled “Joining the dots: A better start for Scotland’s children”.

The Government’s commitment to providing £6.8 million for an early years action fund, alongside its support for the third sector in helping to improve the life chances of our children and for projects such as the go play initiative, demonstrate its understanding of some of the issues.

The Government has also demanded that we improve child protection practice through inspections of each of Scotland’s 30 child protection committees, and it has published new national guidelines on the implementation of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.

I know that the ministers are committed to protecting children and to delivering legislation through the Parliament to strengthen and modernise the children’s hearings system, to strengthening choices and decision making for looked-after children, and to investing in early intervention to reduce the number of children who enter the criminal justice system. To support delivery of those priority areas, the Government is continuing to roll out business systems and trying to achieve the cultural change in the getting it right for every child approach.

However, the legislation that could have the most impact on how we improve outcomes for young people is the proposed rights of children and young people bill, which will enshrine in law a duty for Scottish ministers to have due regard to the UNCRC when exercising their responsibilities. We need to achieve cultural change. Adoption of the UNCRC will put children at the heart of decision-making processes that affect their lives and is the lever that is needed to achieve the cultural change that all members recognise is necessary.

I will mention a few of the UNCRC articles, which I have taken from the National Assembly for Wales’s documentation. Article 1 states that everyone who is under the age of 18 has all the rights of the convention. Enshrining that right in law will ensure that no one can be abandoned by the system at the age of 16. So much of our research highlights the plight of young people who have no security and certainty about their future and whose support mechanisms are pulled like a rug from under them, so that they are left to fend for themselves.

Article 3 says that organisations that are concerned with children should work towards what is best for each child. We know that lack of collaboration, delayed decision making and temporary short-term placements all damage the life chances of looked-after children. What is best for a child is not in the current culture. The UNCRC could compel people to work towards decision-making cultures and working practices that will improve outcomes.

Article 9 says that children should not be separated from their parents unless it is for their own good: if, for example, a parent is mistreating or neglecting their child. Children whose parents have separated have the right to stay in contact with both parents unless that might hurt the child. Decisions about removing children from their parents must be the right decisions. When we take the decision to leave a child as a looked-after child in their own home, we have a duty to support the parents and to work with them to improve their parenting skills, particularly in helping them to support their child’s educational development. Every care plan must give due recognition to improving the educational outcome for children and it must ensure that learning support is given whenever it is required.

I am sure that there is not an elected member who has not been contacted by a parent who is looking to establish extra learning support for a child in need. However, if a young child’s parent is not able to do that for them, who is there to speak up for them? Who is their advocate or champion?

Article 25 says that children who are looked after by the local authority have a right to have their situation reviewed regularly. Surely the cultural change that the UNCRC could bring will tackle some of the delays in establishing permanent solutions for children.

I do not want to pre-empt the investigation that is being carried out by the Education and Culture Committee into the attainment levels of looked-after children. However, there is overwhelming evidence about their chances, especially those who are looked after at home.

Mr Malik talked about cultural issues for children from ethnic minorities. Article 29 of the UNCRC states that education should develop each child’s personality and talents to the full, and that it should encourage children to respect their parents and their own and other cultures. I am sure that that will be of interest to Mr Malik.

Children should be protected from any activities that could harm their development. We know that some of the current practice is harming the development of children, but the proposed rights of the child and young people bill will legislate for our moral obligation to take every action that we can take to ensure that every Scottish child is safe, secure, happy, healthy and able to fulfil their potential.

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