At Children’s Health Scotland, we are incredibly proud to celebrate the voices, creativity, and courage of our Health Rights Defenders who contributed to the powerful Storylines project led by the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland.
The recently released films, highlighted in the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland’s article on children’s powerful films about education, shine a much-needed light on the reality of education for children and young people whose health conditions impact their experience of school. These are not just films — they are real stories, shaped by lived experience, courage, and creativity.
Amplifying Lived Experience
One of the films focuses on the lived experiences of children and young people with long-term health conditions — including our Health Rights Defenders — and explores the barriers they face in education, from anxiety and chronic pain to feeling left behind or unsupported. The contribution of our Health Rights Defenders was not a one-off moment. They worked on this project over a number of months, taking time to reflect, create, and shape how their stories were told. Through creative approaches such as digital collage, they were able to express their experiences in ways that felt safe, meaningful, and true to them.
This process ensured their voices were captured with care — built over time through trust, creativity, and meaningful participation. Their reflections highlight just how powerful it is to be listened to:
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Elodie: “I really liked working on our collages, especially the birds! It was great to be listened to.”
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Ruaridh: “I think it’s really cool that Nicola came and listened to what we had to say. It made me feel important and listened to.”
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Isha: “This is what the Health Rights Defenders are for—to share our experiences and have adults listen and pay attention.”
These voices remind us that participation is not just a moment — it is a process. And when children and young people are given the time, space, and support to share their lived experience, the impact is powerful, meaningful, and impossible to ignore.
A Partnership Rooted in Rights
We are incredibly grateful to the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland for approaching Children’s Health Scotland to contribute to such an important project.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland for inviting Children’s Health Scotland to be part of this important project. Our Health Rights Defenders consistently tell us how vital it is that children and young people with lived experience are truly listened to. These films powerfully demonstrate that when we create space for young people’s voices, we can begin to shape more inclusive, understanding, and rights-respecting education systems.”
— Rhianne Forrest, Officer, Children’s Health Scotland
This collaboration demonstrates what can happen when organisations come together with a shared commitment to children’s rights and meaningful participation.
Bringing the EACH Charter and UNCRC to Life
This project brings the principles of the EACH Charter and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) to life.
Children and young people with health conditions have the right to:
- Be heard and taken seriously
- Access education that meets their individual needs
- Be treated with dignity and respect
- Receive the support they need to thrive
Our Health Rights Defenders have shown that these rights are not always realised — but they have also shown us what needs to change.
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Malak: “As a young person with a health condition it’s really important to me that people in education listen to what we need, not assume what we need. Not being able to access a toilet is really worrying. I hope our voices create a change.”
Their experiences align closely with the challenges highlighted in the films, where children describe anxiety, overwhelm, and the need for better support to fully realise their right to education.
Rethinking Education
A powerful message runs throughout the films and the voices of our young people: education must not be one-size-fits-all.
Young people are clear about what would help — including more flexible approaches, individual support, and environments that recognise their health needs.
They also show us what is possible when they are empowered to take part in shaping change:
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Niamh: “Maybe one day I can be the Commissioner, just like Nicola, and help even more. It’s really important and makes me proud to be a Health Rights Defender.”
This sense of empowerment is exactly what meaningful participation should create — confidence, ambition, and a belief that their voices can shape the future.
A Call to Action
This project is not just about storytelling — it is a call to action.
It challenges us all — educators, decision-makers, and services — to:
- Listen to children and young people with lived experience
- Respect health rights within education
- Embed participation meaningfully
- Adapt education systems to meet diverse needs
At Children’s Health Scotland, we will continue to defend the voices of our Health Rights Defenders and advocate for a future where no child is excluded from education because of their health.
Together, We Can Make Change
We are so proud of every young person involved in this project. Their creativity, honesty, and bravery are helping to shape a more inclusive and compassionate education system.
Because when we truly listen to children and young people, we don’t just hear their experiences —
We learn how to build something better.
