Young Scot has published a new report highlighting how children and young people have helped shape the draft Children’s Rights Scheme, a key part of the Scottish Government’s work to deliver on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024.
Through a national survey and in-person workshops, 224 children and young people aged 9 to 18 shared their views on the proposals.
Key findings include:
Strong support for the scheme overall – with most survey responses showing over 75% agreement with the commitments set out.
Confidence in complaint and support mechanisms – 87% of 14 to 18-year-olds and 75% of 9 to 13-year-olds believe the scheme will help children raise complaints and know who to ask for support.
Mixed views on monitoring and accountability – while most younger participants (74%) felt the commitments would help government track progress on rights, only 67% of older respondents agreed.
Supporting organisations – 73% of 9 to 13-year-olds and 79% of 14 to 18-year-olds agreed the commitments would strengthen services that protect children’s rights.
Language matters – ‘children and young people’ was the preferred term across all age groups, with strong agreement on the importance of getting the wording right.
Some scepticism remains – especially around how well commitments would be honoured in practice, with schools frequently mentioned.
In-person sessions gave a more nuanced picture, showing greater uncertainty among older age groups, with many answering ‘maybe’ or ‘not sure’ when asked if the commitments would truly deliver change.
The report makes clear that children and young people’s voices have been central in shaping the scheme while also highlighting where trust needs to be built to ensure rights are upheld in practice.
Read the full report to explore the findings in detail and hear directly from young people about how Scotland can make children’s rights a reality.