Policy into practice

The Children and Young People Programme are involved in a range of policy and practice issues across Scotland. Some of our most recent work includes:

• Ongoing engagement in key representation platforms, such as the Children’s Sector Strategic and Policy Forum (CSSPF), the GIRFEC Advisory Group, the Disabled Children and Young People Advisory Group (DCYPAG), and the Engagement sub-group of the DCYPAG.
• The ALLIANCE are part of the National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy Working Group bringing together organisations who can play a key role in contributing towards the development, and support the implementation, of Scotland’s first National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy for disabled young people. If you would like to share learning around transitions, please get in touch with the team.
• A report by the ALLIANCE outlines the findings from a research project commissioned by East Ayrshire Council to understand families’ experiences of accessing out of school (or recreational) additional support needs (ASN) services in the local area.
• ALLIANCE Live ‘Children and Young People and the National Care Service this link will take you away from The Alliance website‘.
• As part of the DCYPAG, a sub-group was established to consider in more detail how disabled children and young people with complex support needs and alternative communication, should be engaged to influence and inform the design and development of the National Care Service (NCS). Project findings will be launched in August 2023.
• In August 2022, we published a report ‘Disabled children’s, young people’s, and carers’ experiences of accessing healthcare services and supports during the pandemic’. The report explores how some measures to tackle the public health crisis associated to COVID-19 in Scotland had negative implications for disabled children’s and young people’s health, wellbeing, and rights. 
• In 2022, we were delighted to be involved in the ‘Making Children’s Rights Real’ Series in partnership with Children’s Parliament, Together, Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector (GCVS), Children in Scotland and the Scottish Child Law Centre. The first event in a series of three hosted by the ALLIANCE focussed on the UNCRC Incorporation in Scotland including policy updates, practical application and awareness raising.

To find out more about our work, please get in touch with our Children and Young People Team by emailing GIRFEC@alliance-scotland.org.uk

End of page.