Listening to children, young people and their families
In Scotland, each local authority publishes a Children’s Services Plan every three years. The Glasgow City Integrated Children and Young People’s Services Plan for 2023 to 2026 and summary version of the plan outlines the key priorities for children’s services. These include actions to promote safety, improve children’s health and wellbeing, address the impact of poverty, support families in their communities, provide inclusive education, employment and life opportunities and ensure that voice and participation influence services.
Responsibility for delivering the plan sits with the Children’s Services Planning Partnership, which includes Glasgow City Council, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, Glasgow Life, Police Scotland and a range of third sector partners, as well as the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA).
The Children’s Services Plan Steering Group has started a programme of engagement that will inform the development of our next Integrated Children’s Services Plan for 2026 to 2029. This will involve a range of approaches to seeking children and young people’s views, including consultation sessions in schools and community groups, as well as creative approaches through art and drama.
Vincent Henry, Planning and Change Officer in the HSCP’s Children’s Services Planning Team, said: “Through our extensive networks, we plan to ask children and young people, ‘What is important to you?’ We’ll ask children and young people what they and their peers need and about their experience of living in Glasgow to encourage them to discuss the topics they think are most important. We’ll then use their answers to inform the development of our new set of priorities to ensure that support is delivered based on children and young people’s current needs.”
Community engagement sessions are planned in August and September across the city, and Education Services teams have provided opportunities to meet with hundreds of pupils over the next few months. This includes consulting with the Senior Phase Parliament (S4 – 6) in September to discuss the Children’s Services Plan and canvass views, and also the Pupil Voice Forum in February. The Pupil Voice Forum is attended by every Primary and Secondary School in Glasgow and will support involvement of pupils in a range of written and artistic activities to gather their views.
Three focus groups have been conducted with Police Scotland Youth Volunteers and 47 children and young people took part in engagement sessions at the Parkhead Hub Networking event in May.
Karen Dyball, our HSCP’s Assistant Chief Officer Children’s Services said: “We’re starting our engagement early so that we can capture a wide range of children and young people’s views. We’ll use our experience of different methods of participation to encourage as many children and young people to take part as possible.”
For further information on planned engagement sessions, or to express an interest in participating, please contact GCHSCP_Communications@glasgow.gov.uk.