Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People
Encyclopedia
Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People (SCCYP) is a post in Scotland
whose main task is to promote and safeguard the rights of children and young people. The position, equivalent to the Children's Ombudsman
agencies of many other countries, was established by the Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Act of 2003. Scotland's first Commissioner was Kathleen Marshall who assumed her position in April 2004 and served a five-year term, demitting office in April 2009. Scotland's current Commissioner is Tam Baillie who took up the position in May 2009, and has a two-year term.
on what action they feel is deemed appropriate.
The Commissioner consults with children and young people on a regular basis via the SCCYP website, and through the networks of organisations who work on or on behalf of children and young people. In 2009, the Commissioner's office began to plan a national consultation of children and young people in Scotland called 'a RIGHT blether'. As part of the consultation there will be a national vote in which children and young people will be able to influence the Commissioner's office's work plan for the next four years. Children and young people will vote on what they think the Commissioner should take action on in four key areas: Where I live, where I learn and develop, My neighbourhood or community and Scotland.
The Commissioner's duties apply to all children and young people under 18, and all children and young people up to 21 who have been in care or looked after by a local authority, and are living in Scotland.
Scotland's first Commissioner, Kathleen Marshall, was appointed by Queen Elizabeth
in April 2004, after a selection process which included her being interviewed by two groups of children and young people. Marshall was appointed for a period of five years, with the possibility of a further five-year period. Before taking up her post as Commissioner, Marshall worked as a child law consultant and from 1989-1994 she was the Director of The Scottish Child Law Centre. She is currently a visiting professor at the Glasgow Centre for the Child and Society at the University of Glasgow
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Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
whose main task is to promote and safeguard the rights of children and young people. The position, equivalent to the Children's Ombudsman
Children's Ombudsman
The Children's Ombudsman, Children's Commissioner, Child Advocate, Children's Commission or equivalent body is a public authority in various countries charged with the protection and promotion of the rights of children and young people, either in society at large, or in specific categories such as...
agencies of many other countries, was established by the Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Act of 2003. Scotland's first Commissioner was Kathleen Marshall who assumed her position in April 2004 and served a five-year term, demitting office in April 2009. Scotland's current Commissioner is Tam Baillie who took up the position in May 2009, and has a two-year term.
Commissioner responsibilities
The Commissioner must review law, policy and practice relating to the rights of children and young people with a view to assessing their adequacy and effectiveness. Specific regard must be had to any relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, especially those requiring that the best interests of the child be a primary consideration in decision-making, and that due account be taken of the views of affected children and young people. The Commissioner cannot intervene in individual cases, however these can highlight issues affecting a broader range of children and young people and these issues can be investigated by the Commissioner. After an investigation the Commissioner can make recommendations to the Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
on what action they feel is deemed appropriate.
The Commissioner consults with children and young people on a regular basis via the SCCYP website, and through the networks of organisations who work on or on behalf of children and young people. In 2009, the Commissioner's office began to plan a national consultation of children and young people in Scotland called 'a RIGHT blether'. As part of the consultation there will be a national vote in which children and young people will be able to influence the Commissioner's office's work plan for the next four years. Children and young people will vote on what they think the Commissioner should take action on in four key areas: Where I live, where I learn and develop, My neighbourhood or community and Scotland.
The Commissioner's duties apply to all children and young people under 18, and all children and young people up to 21 who have been in care or looked after by a local authority, and are living in Scotland.
Commissioner selection
Scotland's current Commissioner is Tam Baillie. He was appointed in in May 2009 after an interview process which included children and young people as well as Members of the Scottish Parliament. After working as practitioner and as a manager of services for children and young people and their families for almost 25 years, Baillie moved into the strategic policy field. He worked as the Director of Policy for Barnardo’s from 2003 to 2009 and has also held the post of Chair of the Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights.Scotland's first Commissioner, Kathleen Marshall, was appointed by Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in April 2004, after a selection process which included her being interviewed by two groups of children and young people. Marshall was appointed for a period of five years, with the possibility of a further five-year period. Before taking up her post as Commissioner, Marshall worked as a child law consultant and from 1989-1994 she was the Director of The Scottish Child Law Centre. She is currently a visiting professor at the Glasgow Centre for the Child and Society at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
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See also
- Timeline of young people's rights in the United Kingdom
- Children's Commissioner for EnglandChildren's Commissioner for EnglandThe post of Children's Commissioner for England was established under the Children Act 2004 . The Children's Commissioner has a duty to promote awareness of the views and interests of all children in England, in particular those whose voices are least likely to be heard, to the people who make...
- Children's Commissioner for WalesChildren's Commissioner for WalesThe Children's Commissioner for Wales is a publicly funded post in Wales, with responsibility for protecting children's rights as set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Peter Clarke was the Commissioner from its introduction in 2001 until his death in 2007. The job interview process...
- Commissioner for Children and Young People, Northern IrelandCommissioner for Children and Young People, Northern Ireland4 NationsThe Commissioner for Children and Young People, Northern Ireland is a publicly funded post, with responsibility for protecting children's rights as set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child...