The Scottish Government has published its first Proposal for the Children’s Rights Scheme under the UNCRC Incorporation (Scotland) Act 2024, marking a historic milestone in embedding children’s rights into law. Public authorities now have a legal duty to act compatibly with the UNCRC when delivering relevant functions, creating a proactive culture of accountability for children’s rights.
For children, this means their rights to health, education, play, and protection are enforceable—not optional. But rights only matter if they are real in everyday life.
Helen Forrest, Chief Executive of Children’s Health Scotland, said:
This Scheme is a game-changer for children’s rights in Scotland—but rights only matter if they are real in everyday life. For nearly 50 years, Children’s Health Scotland has been leading the way as a duty bearer, ensuring that children not only know their rights but understand them and feel empowered to use those rights to access the care and support they deserve. Through our Health Rights Defenders—young people with lived experience—we are shaping policy, challenging systems, and holding those accountable who fail to respect children’s rights. This is not new for us; it is our mission. And we will continue to stand out and speak up until every child’s right to health is upheld.
Why This Matters
The Scheme sets out arrangements to:
- Embed children’s rights in decision-making and budgeting through Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessments (CRWIAs).
- Ensure meaningful participation of children and young people in shaping policies.
- Provide child-friendly complaints processes and access to advocacy and legal representation.
- Raise awareness and empower children to claim their rights.
Our Role at Children’s Health Scotland
We welcome this milestone and it clearly aligns with our Manifesto – Every Child’s Right to Health. For decades, we have championed children’s health rights through:
- Services and Self-Management Skills Programmes – building confidence and resilience for children with long-term conditions.
- Health Rights Defenders – amplifying children’s voices and influencing policy, including recent work with the Children and Young People’s Commissioner.
- Special Smiles and Health-Related Play – reducing anxiety and promoting wellbeing in healthcare settings.
- Training for carers and professionals – embedding trauma-informed, rights-based care across Scotland.
To strengthen accountability, we are launching a new national Health Rights Report at our upcoming conference in 2026. This report will track progress on children’s health rights and provide evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, service leaders, and communities.
