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SCiP Alliance Annual Conference 2024

James Anderson 2 weeks ago

Influencing Policy

Jaiden, Sophia, Meg, and Robyn delivered a workshop on Forces Children Scotland’s Children’s Rights Report ‘It’s not just their job, it’s our whole lives’ at the SCiP Conference in Cardiff on 13 November 2024.

The beginning of the conference featured a video from the Minister for Veterans and People, Al Carns. Young people who work with Forces Children Scotland, Rubie, and Gracie, were able to ask questions directly to the Minister. You can check out the video below.

We began our workshop with an overview of Children’s Rights and the new UNCRC Incorporation Act (Scotland). Then, the fun began!

The next phase of the workshop was all about our newly developed Children’s Rights Snakes and Ladders! This game features illustrations from Rubie and prompts discussion on how forces life interacts with Children’s Rights in a positive and sometimes negative way.

It helps to encourage discussion about what may help uphold rights or mitigate situations that can’t be changed such as deployments. Workshop participants played the game and were welcomed to take a smaller version away with them to play with children and young people.

Sophia and Jaiden shared their experiences of the Rights Residential and the activities they participated in. It was interactive and they felt they were approached in a way that suited them.

Not only this, but Sophia and Jaiden reflected on their time meeting with the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise and how important it was that she heard directly from them and not filtered through adults. Both young people felt the experience of presenting the workshop also added to this.

“It was eye-opening. When presenting I felt everyone was engaged and actually listened to what we had to say.”
Jaiden

“I really loved being a part of the FCS workshop because we were treated like adults and given the chance to do something we might never normally do.”
Sophia.

We hope all participants enjoyed and took some value in the workshop and please do reach out to Forces Children Scotland to learn more. and read our report online.

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About the SCiP Alliance

The SCiP Alliance bring practitioners, researchers, policymakers and funders together to build a stronger evidence-base, better policy, and enhanced support for Service children’s education and progression, placing their voices at the heart of all that they do.

Forces Children Scotland leads the Alliance’s Scotland Hub in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University to connect stakeholders so that they can enable new and better collaborations, facilitate communication, share best practice, and contribute to the Alliance Practice Group and Strategy Board.