The Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland

It is gravely concerning that there are reports of pregnant mothers and infants being housed in hotel rooms and without the financial support they need. Hotel accommodation is completely unsuitable for children and families and should only be used on a short-term basis in an emergency.  

Our Annual Report 2021/2022 starts just as we were coming out of the second lockdown. We’ve worked to safeguard children’s rights during the pandemic and made progress on other key issues.

This report is a warning to the Scottish Government that to tackle child poverty it needs to focus on long-term prevention, not just on short-term solutions.

Nick Hobbs, Head of Advice and Investigations, on why recommendations from a new report by Claire Lightowler and Clan Childlaw must be achieved.

Universal school meals are one of the ways in which the Scottish Government can fulfil children’s right to food by providing a nutritious meal to all children. There are many barriers to families taking up the offer of the free school meal provision, and one of the greatest can be the stigma attached to claiming for this entitlement. Free school meals for everyone in primary school reduces that stigma and helps reinforce the understanding of food as a human right, not an act of charity.

This week, the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland office turns 18. We’ve championed children’s human rights for the equivalent of an entire childhood. Read more from Bruce about our journey so far.