Children and Young People Bill

June 2013

Children and Young People Bill

• Consultation – 4 July to 25 September 2012

• Analysis of responses – 4 December 2012• Scottish Government Response – 22 March

2013• Bill Introduced to Parliament on 17 April

2013

Rights of Children and Young People

• Place duties on Scottish Ministers to take appropriate steps to further, promote and raise awareness and understanding of the rights of children and young people as set out in the UNCRC

Rights of Children and Young People

• Place a reporting duty on Scottish Ministers and the wider public sector

• Extend the powers of Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People

Wellbeing

• Provide a holistic definition ‘wellbeing’ (based on the SHANARRI Wellbeing Indicators) that underpins the Bill’s provisions

Children’s Services

• Place duties on local authorities and health board to prepare a children’s services plan

• Place a duty on relevant public bodies to report collectively on outcomes for children and young people

Named Person

• Place duties on health boards to provide for children from birth up to school age and on local authorities to provide for school children up to 18 or until they leave school.

• Place a duty on relevant establishment to provide for children at independent/grant-aided school or in secure

• Set out specific information-sharing provisions

Child’s Plan

• Require health boards and local authorities to ensure a Child’s Plan is created for every child or young person who needs one

• Place a duty on other public bodies to cooperate as required in the production and maintenance of the Child’s Plan

Early Learning and Childcare

• Place a duty on local authorities to provide a minimum of 600 hours early learning and childcare to 3 and 4 year olds, looked after 2 year olds and 2 year olds subject to a kinship care order.

• Place a duty on local authorities to consult with locally representative populations of parents to identify early learning and childcare needs and respond through published local plans or strategies.

Corporate Parenting

• Sets out a definition of corporate parenting responsibilities

• Lists the bodies to which the term ‘corporate parent’ applies

• Places a duty on corporate parents to collaborate with each other and report on how they are exercising their corporate parenting responsibilities

Assistance for Care Leavers

• Place a requirement on local authorities to assess whether a care leaver requesting assistance (up to and including the age of 25) has eligible needs which cannot be met through other means, and if so, provide such support as it considers necessary.

Kinship Care Order

• Enhance support provided to kinship carers who obtain an order under section 11(1) of the 1995 Act (which will be designated a ‘kinship care order’).

• Place a duty on local authorities to ensure that families in the early stages of distress who seek help are provided with appropriate forms of counselling

National Adoption Register

• Require all adoption agencies to provide the Register with information on children who ought to be placed for adoption and prospective approved adoptive parents

Other Provisions

• Amendments to the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011

• Amendments to the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995

• Amendment to the Schools (Consultation)(Scotland) Act 2010

Introduction

• Bill introduced on 17th April• Accompanying documents published• Written call for evidence issued – closes

26th July• Parliamentary stages• Commencement

Contacts

You can contact the Bill team at:

childrenslegislation@scotland.gsi.gov.uk