“Before I joined Health Rights Defenders, I didn’t know other young people felt the same way I did about hospitals, appointments and having a health condition. Now I know I’m not alone, and together we’re helping other children understand their rights too.” — Health Rights Defender. For children and young people living with health conditions, […]
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A Place to Belong: Creating Happiness Through Self-Management Skills
Happiness doesn’t always come from the biggest moments. It comes from the moments that matter. Sometimes it’s finding the confidence to join a conversation. Sometimes it’s meeting someone who understands what living with a health condition is like. Sometimes it’s discovering a new strength, trying something you never thought you could do, or simply having […]
More Than 1,100 Voices. One National Conversation. Scotland Has Spoken. Are We Ready to Listen?
What does it really mean for children and young people to experience their health rights in Scotland today? Over the past year, Children’s Health Scotland has been listening. Through our My Health, My Rights Survey, more than 1,100 voices have come together to create one of the most significant conversations about children’s health rights in […]
“Listen to Us”: Health Rights Defenders Partner with the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland to Rethink Education
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.
Dear First Minister: Will you listen?
Sometimes the most powerful advocacy doesn’t come from reports, policy papers or presentations. It comes from children taking time to sit down, think carefully, and write from the heart.
Every Child Has a Shadow: The Right to Be Seen
This story introduces us to a child whose “shadow” does not match the expectations placed upon them. Their interests, their expression, and their sense of self sit outside what others believe is acceptable. What follows is not just a story about difference—it is a story about visibility, courage, and the conditions children need to truly […]
“We Want Change”: Health Rights Defenders Share Their Story Through Film
What does it really feel like to grow up in Scotland today with a health condition — waiting, navigating systems, and too often feeling unheard? On Saturday 30 May, our Health Rights Defenders began to answer that question in their own words, as we came together to watch the first cut of a powerful new […]
Protection Without Participation Is Not Protection: Children’s Health Scotland Responds to Social Media Ban Consultation
Children’s Health Scotland has published its response to the national consultation on proposals to introduce a social media ban for under 16s, drawing directly on the voices of children, young people, parents and carers. While the intention to improve online safety is welcomed, the organisation is urging policymakers to rethink a blanket ban approach, warning that […]
What You Don’t See: Health Rights Defenders Reveal the Reality of Growing Up with a Health Condition
This week, our Health Rights Defenders continued their media journey by focusing on something simple yet incredibly powerful. They created posters that show what it is really like to be a child or young person living with a health condition. Funded by Awards for All, this project is rooted in a clear belief. When children […]
Lights, Camera, Listen: Health Rights Defenders Take the Next Step
Our Health Rights Defenders are now officially behind the camera and firmly in the director’s chair. We are excited to begin the next stage of our media project, having appointed Media Education to support this work. This work builds on our shared commitment to listening to children and young people and ensuring their lived experiences […]
