Membership Spotlight highlights the work of our member organisations and outlines how other individuals and NGOs can support them. We are shining the light on Scottish Child Law Centre who have now been a member of Together for three years. They want individuals and NGOs to support their newly launched online masterclasses. They have also answered our #RightsOnTrack campaign question!

Tell us about the work of your organisation in Scotland

We are a specialist hub protecting all children’s rights across Scotland, through free legal advice, specialist training and influencing long term change for children and young people. We provide free and confidential legal advice by qualified solicitors about Scots law relating to children and young people. Our qualified solcitor’s also offer training to organisations, individuals and schools on all topics surrounding children’s rights and child law.

What projects are you currently working on?

We have just launched our online masterclasses which are designed to provide an overview of important topics in children’s rights. These are one hour seminars that are ideal for professionals and individuals with an interest in child law. Currently we are offering 3 classes that are quickly filling up! They are:

UNCRC Incorporation in Scotland

Date: 16 April 2024

Time: 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Participants will learn an overview of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, how the convention has been implemented in Scotland, and what duties this places on public authorities.

Children’s Hearings

Date: 7 May 2024

Time: 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Participants will learn an overview of the Children’s Hearings system, how children are referred to the system, what happens at hearings, and what orders can be made for children and young people.

Court Orders under S11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995

Date: 28 May 2024

Time: 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Participants will learn an overview of section 11 orders under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, who can apply for them, and what the court must consider before making orders for children.

Anyone can book a place at the masterclasses by visiting our website at https://sclc.org.uk/training-events/

#RightsOnTrack

Together’s #RightsOnTrack campaign is all about making sure that ALL children in Scotland have ALL of their rights ALL of the time. We’re looking for members to join the campaign, by taking on a specific recommendation from the United Nations’ latest review of Scotland (more about these here) and calling for decision makers to put this into practice. If you’d like to take part, which recommendation would you want to take on and why? If there’s an issue that you’d like to drive forward that’s not included in the recommendations then please let us know this!

You can sign-up to our new mailing list for our campaign #RightsOnTrack by clicking here.

Response:

The recommendation we want to take on is access to justice and the importance of children and young people having access to legal support to help them claim their rights.

Through our work we recognise that in order to realise children’s rights it is essential that they can access legal remedies when their rights have been breached. The demand for our free legal advice service has now outstripped our capacity. It is crucial that tailored services are developed for specific groups of children and young people, especially marginalised children and young people, so that all children and young people can access legal advice and advocacy services.

Consistent, tailored education to children and young people on their rights is essential to making sure that all children and young people know their rights and are empowered to report rights breaches. Training on children’s rights is also essential for professionals who work for and with children, in order to promote and protect all children’s rights.

How do you support children and families to learn about their rights?

Our free legal advice line is a crucial avenue for many children and families to learn about their rights. Many families have exhausted all other options and have nowhere else to turn. Our qualified solicitors can answer any questions about child law and children’s rights in Scotland.

Through our specialist training we build capacity in organisations, empowering those who work with children and young people with the law and children’s rights and allowing them to cascade this down to the children and young people that they support.

How can children and young people make their views heard to influence your work?

We are working to establish a group of young advisers across Scotland, which will help us better connect with new and younger audiences.

Does your organisation influence policy development on issues affecting children and young people?

Yes – we work closely with the Scottish Government on proposed changes to the law and on implementation of new laws, such as the UNCRC. We have recently been involved in proposed amendments to the Child Abduction Act and are working on guidance on how we can best let children and young people know about their rights and what to do if they are breached.

What do you enjoy most about being a member of Together?

We love being able to learn from and share knowledge with other members of the children’s rights community!

How can other organisations or individuals get involved or support your work?

We are always looking for new volunteer solicitors to join our team and help out with our advice line.

Email: advice@sclc.org.uk

Phone: 0131 668 4400

Website: https://sclc.org.uk/contact/

And something a bit silly to end – If your organisation was an animal what would it be and why?

An elephant! Elephants form communities that care for and protect their young – just like us!

Sign-Up and Become a Member (Individual or Organisations)

Would you like to find out further information about joining Together’s Membership?  Find out further information by opening this hyperlink.

Are you a Together organisational member and would like to collaborate for a Membership Spotlight? Email: caitlin@togetherscotland.org.uk

#RightsOnTrack

• Click here to find out more about our #RightsOnTrack campaign and register to our mailing list.
• Together is looking to work with 12 organisations to join our State of Children’s Rights Report deadline for applications is: Tuesday 16th April 2024, noon: Click here to apply.
• Do you have questions about applying then email: info@togetherscotland.org.uk to seek further information about our ‘Drop-In Sessions’ online

Donate To Us Today!

By donating to Together, you can help us to promote children’s rights in Scotland and improve the lives of all babies, children and young people. Click this hyperlink to make a donation.