Change can feel exciting, overwhelming, and everything in between. For many children living with health conditions or experiencing inequality, these moments can feel even more difficult — whether that’s moving to high school, managing friendships, or coping with everyday worries.
At Children’s Health Scotland, we support children and young people to develop develop the skills, confidence and understanding of their health rights they need to manage their health and wellbeing. Our recent Self-Management Skills (SMS) programme delivered in Cranhill gave a group of children the opportunity to explore these challenges together in a safe, supportive and inclusive environment.
Learning Skills That Last
Self-management is not about removing difficult feelings — it’s about understanding them. Through our SMS programme, children learned to recognise emotions, build self-awareness and develop practical strategies to support their wellbeing. This includes helping children understand their rights to be involved in decisions about their health and care. Over the course of the programme, children explored stress, anxiety and healthy coping strategies. As the weeks progressed, we saw increased confidence, improved participation and a growing ability to identify what helps them feel calm and in control — key outcomes of our self-management approach.
As Eilidh Findlay, Coordinator at Children’s Health Scotland, explains:
Our Self-Management Skills programmes are about giving children the space, confidence and practical tools to understand themselves and their health. We see children grow in confidence week by week — finding their voice, connecting with others and realising they are not alone. These are skills that make a lasting difference in their lives.
These are skills that children can use every day, supporting them to manage their health, wellbeing and life experiences both now and in the future.
Thinking Differently About Worry
Children with health conditions often experience additional uncertainty and anxiety, particularly when faced with change. One of the key areas we explored was realistic thinking — helping children understand that thoughts are not always facts. Rather than trying to stop negative thoughts, children learned how to notice, question and respond to them with greater confidence and self-kindness. Reframing thoughts such as “What if everything goes wrong?” into more balanced thinking helps reduce anxiety and supports positive coping.
Growing in Confidence Together
Every group develops differently, but across this programme we saw clear progress. Children who were initially unsure began to engage, use their voice and connect with others. Friendships developed, participation increased and children became more comfortable expressing themselves. By the final sessions, children were encouraging one another, sharing ideas and recognising their own strengths — demonstrating increased confidence, improved social connection and greater engagement.
Supporting Children Where It Matters Most
Our work in Cranhill reflects our commitment to supporting children whose health and wellbeing are most at risk. Many children here experience a combination of health conditions, poverty and inequality, which can impact confidence, emotional wellbeing and access to opportunities and understanding of their health rights. By delivering SMS programmes directly in communities, we remove barriers to support and create safe spaces where children can build skills, feel included and take part fully.
Creating “Moments That Matter”
Programmes like SMS, alongside SMS:FAMILIES and Bear’s Big Adventure Days, are designed to create “moments that matter” — opportunities for children to feel safe, included and valued. These moments build confidence, strengthen relationships and support children to experience connection, achievement and joy. For children facing barriers linked to health conditions or disadvantage, these experiences are vital in helping them develop resilience and self-belief.
Looking Ahead
Self-management is a lifelong skill. By supporting children to understand their health, emotions and strengths, we are helping them feel more confident, more connected and better able to take part in the world around them. These are small changes that make a big difference — supporting children not just through transitions like moving to high school, but throughout their lives. Crucially, this includes helping children understand their right to the best possible health and supporting them to feel confident in using their voice.
To find out more about our SMS Programmes or to refer your child or young person email us at sms@childrenhealthscotland.org
