Following the Scottish Commissioner for Children and Young People’s Oral Evidence to the Review of SPCB Supported Bodies Committee this morning,
Alex Cole-Hamilton, Head of Policy for Aberlour Child Care Trust said:
“The office of the Scottish Commissioner for Children and Young People represents very much a ‘Rolls Royce’ standard in Europe and is a benchmark to which other nations aspire. The office enjoys a level of independence which allows the Commissioner to act as a critical friend both to Parliament and Government and to pursue issues and campaigns without pre-condition.
“We are concerned that the line of questioning put to the SCCYP by the SPCB Supported Bodies Committee this morning belies intent to merge the Commissioner’s office with the greater functions of the Scottish Human Rights Commission. Whilst there may be some merit in looking at efficiencies that may be made in combining some low level back office functions, we believe that absorption of the Commissioner’s office would represent a retrograde step and critically undermine Scotland’s internationally respected commitment to children’s rights, needs and interests that the SCCYP has fostered over the 4 years since the offices inception.”
“The rights and interests of children and young people enjoy special attention in international treaties, which is why; in addition to the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights we also have the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Intergovernmental bodies like the UN recognise the particular vulnerability of children in every society and as such have seen fit to enshrine a separate set of rights and provisions for children in international law. It is for that reason that the Children’s Commissioner was originally established and it is for that reason we firmly believe that it should remain both separate and independent from any other body.”
For more information or for interviews, please contact Alex Cole-Hamilton, Head of Policy at Aberlour Child Care Trust
Mobile: 07786554661
Notes to editors
www.aberlour.org.uk
About Aberlour
Aberlour is the largest, solely Scottish, children’s charity which works with and for 6,000 children, young people and families throughout Scotland who need additional support to promote their development and wellbeing. It runs 46 services across the country.
These include:
• Intensive support for severely disabled children and young people;
• Residential and outreach support to families affected by parental drug and alcohol use;
• Community and family centre based services to promote and enhance positive Parenting, play and early learning;
• Residential care and community programs for children and young people with social, educational, emotional and behavioural difficulties
• A refuge and out reach service for children who have runaway from home