FOI Request - Policy Creation for Children and Families

Request 101003229843 

1. Within your local authority please provide information on which groups, committees, councils or platforms do

a) Children and young people
b) Parents/ carers/ family/ guardians

sit on as part decision making, participation, involvement regarding policy creation and implementation?

2. In relation to the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014: Guidance on Part 1: Duties of Public Authorities in relation to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), how does the local authority involve

a) Children and young people
b) Parents/ carers/ families / guardians

on preparing their children’s rights report?

3. Within your local authority, what percentage of primary schools offer play-based learning in

a) P1
b) P2
c) P3
d) P4

4. Within your local authority, what percentage of primary schools offer outdoor learning as part of their daily learning and development in
a) P1
b) P2
c) P3
d) P4
e) P5
f) P6
g) P7

Response 24-02-2023

1. 

• The following Committee has a parent representative, pupil representative, 3 x religious representative and 2 x teacher representatives sitting on it, alongside Councillors:

Education, Children's and Leisure Services Committee. You can find the information here:  https://moray.cmis.uk.com/moray/CouncilandGovernance/Committees/tabid/62/ctl/ViewCMIS_CommitteeDetails/mid/381/id/44/Default.aspx

Previously, there was Education, Communities and Organisational Development - details to be found here: https://moray.cmis.uk.com/moray/CouncilandGovernance/Committees/tabid/62/ctl/ViewCMIS_CommitteeDetails/mid/381/id/36/Default.aspx

and Children and Young People's Services Committee - information to be found here: https://moray.cmis.uk.com/moray/CouncilandGovernance/Committees/tabid/62/ctl/ViewCMIS_CommitteeDetails/mid/381/id/4/Default.aspx

Please note, the reps listed above do not have voting rights.

• In addition there is the Moray Parent forum - more information can be found here: http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_55068.html
• Parents are involved in leeting and final interview in selection processes for Deputy Head Teacher and Head Teacher posts.
• Devolved School Management Working Group – parents are involved.
• Pupils represent their peers and views in Pupil Councils at class, year group and school level
• Parents/carers/family/guardians sit on Parent Councils and are invited to express their views and ideas on school and community improvement
• Children, young people and parents were involved in the creation of the Parental Involvement and Engagement Strategy. They will also be involved in the role out of this strategy.

With regards to the the maintaining relationships policy change and residential tendering presentations process, please see below a summary:

• Young people from a local authority children’s house had voiced their views on their ability to maintain relationships with residential staff after they moved on to independent living or returned home. The children’s house were made aware of the young people’s views and we worked together to capture the views of other young people who had moved on. We had a meeting with a senior residential worker to talk through what the young people had voiced and from there they would look at best ways to support what the young people said they would want with regards relationships. A referral would be submitted to the policy team to create new policy and that is where the process is currently at.

• 3 young people who are members of the Champions Board said they would like to be part of the residential tendering process when it was offered to the group as a piece of work. Those that were currently in residential children’s houses and a young person who had previous experience of being in a children’s house came forward.
One applicant submitted an tendering application and would present to the young people a short 15 min presentation about ‘love and belonging’ and would then be asked questions by the young people (this took place on Tuesday 14th Feb 2023). The young people were made aware that their score would make up 25% of the overall scoring of the applicant. The presentation was delivered online.

You can also find here information on the Better Meetings Project.

2. Children and young people have been consulted as part of the process of developing the Children's Services Plan and will be involved along with parents in the role out of plans contained therein.
The Children's Services Plan incorporates our ongoing work to progress Children's Rights under the UNCRC as well as 'The Promise'. Children, young people and parents have been and will continue to be part of the development, implementation, assessment and reporting of this overarching Children's Services Plan.

3. a) P1 - 100
b) P2 - 90
c) P3 - 50
d) P4 - 50

4. Not held - Unable to quantify as schools do offer some outdoor learning but not on a daily basis. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.