Scotland must stick to its Promise to our children - Paul Carberry

The arrival of the New Year naturally leads us to reflect on the previous 12 months and look ahead to what is to come. I’m proud of what Action for Children achieved in 2021 and I’m confident we can build on that in the year ahead. However, the concerns we have for the most vulnerable children, young people and families in Scotland are only growing and the cost of living crisis means we face an unprecedented challenge in trying to provide support to those in need.
One in four children in Scotland are growing up in poverty – and the impact this has on them is profoundOne in four children in Scotland are growing up in poverty – and the impact this has on them is profound
One in four children in Scotland are growing up in poverty – and the impact this has on them is profound

Action for Children made some important progress last year in our efforts to help families. We, together with many other charities, successfully lobbied the Scottish government to double the Scottish Child Payment in this parliamentary term which was a key goal outlined in our 2021 manifesto.

While these kinds of changes go some way to easing the pressure on families struggling, more needs to be done, especially with the cost of energy bills and food prices increasing. These hikes, together with rising inflation and increases in National Insurance and Council Tax, will offset the positive impact of the Scottish Child Payment increase and will force many more families in Scotland to choose between heating or eating.

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I’m immensely proud of the work our staff have undertaken to help those under immense financial hardship this winter. The Scottish Government’s Winter Wellbeing Fund together with our emergency fund allowed us to once again support vulnerable families over the Christmas period with supermarket vouchers and financial aid for energy bills. The families we support find Christmas an especially difficult time with the pressure to bring some festive cheer to their children and I’m proud that we were able to provide gifts for families to give to their children.

Paul Carberry is the Action for Children director for Scotland.Paul Carberry is the Action for Children director for Scotland.
Paul Carberry is the Action for Children director for Scotland.

It shouldn’t come to this, though. Poverty is not inevitable, it is the outcome of the political and economic choices in the policies made by governments, parliaments and politicians. Families in Scotland need to be in a position where they can afford the basic essentials like heating and food. Instead, one in four children in Scotland are growing up in poverty and the impact this has on children is profound, from poor mental and physical health and wellbeing to underperforming at school.

To effectively address this we will continue to do everything we can to ensure the Scottish Government and all parties keep the Promise – the outcome of the Independent Care Review which heard from more than 5,500 people: children, adults, and families on how Scotland needs to change how it cares for children.

The Promise mapped out the steps that need to be taken in order for Scotland’s children and young people to grow up loved, safe and respected so that they can realise their full potential. Action for Children has appointed Promise Keepers to work with all colleagues to develop and implement actions for our whole organisation to honour The Promise.

One area outlined with the Promise is ensuring Scotland complies with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Incorporating this bill into Scots Law is another target we outlined in our manifesto last year and something we have campaigned in favour of for years. Realising this will not only help address poverty, inequality, homelessness and youth justice but will give children and their families legal recourse if their rights are not being met.

Another area important to the work Action for Children do which we made progress in last year was youth justice. In December the Scottish Government increased the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland from eight to 12, meaning a child under 12 cannot be considered an ‘offender’. Scotland is now leading the UK on this matter and this change is a significant step in the journey to fully realising Children’s rights, however, there is still ongoing work to assess the need to raise the age further. Children are still growing and learning and do not develop high levels of maturity until later in life so Scotland must treat children appropriately and ensure all decisions are in the best interest of the child.

Paul Carberry, Action for Children Director for Scotland

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