Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan

Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment

IMAGE: The cover identifies the document as the Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment. It includes a map of Orkney and the logos of Orkney Islands Council and the Scottish Government.

The Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment Flowchart

Follow links below to the three different stages of the Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) process.

There is a three stage process to CRWIA. This flowchart lays out the different steps you should take. Templates are available with key questions for each stage of the process, supported by guidance on what you need to consider at each stage.

IMAGE: The flowchart shows a three-stage CRWIA process. Stage 1 is screening, leading either to a decision that no CRWIA is required or to Stage 2, the CRWIA. Stage 2 leads to Stage 3, authorisation and publication of the CRWIA.

Stage 1 - Screening

General description of the policy and its aims, supplemented by an initial assessment of the applicability of the policy/measure to children and young people in Scotland.

Asks you to consider:

• What aspects will affect children and young people up to 18
• What the likely impact will be
• Which groups of children and young people will be most affected

Based on this, decide - will this require a CRWIA?

No CRWIA required

Explain your reasons.

Sign the CRWIA declaration form.

Publish the Screening form.

CRWIA required

Sign the CRWIA declaration form and continue to next stage.

Stage 2 – the CRWIA

Asks you to set out:

• All relevant Articles of the UNCRC and Optional Protocols
• What impact the policy will have on children’s rights
• How the policy/measure will contribute to child wellbeing (using the GIRFEC child wellbeing indicators)
• How the policy/measure will give better or further effect to the implementation of the UNCRC in Scotland
• The evidence base for the assessment, including the results of consultations with stakeholder groups
• How you have involved children and young people in the assessment

Stage 3 - Authorisation and Publication of CRWIA

Prepare an abridged version of the CRWIA for publication that summarises Stage 2 findings. There are two different Stage 3 templates: one for policies, and one for legislation.

The senior accountable officer must sign off the CRWIA.

Consider preparing an accessible or child-friendly version of the CRWIA for publication.

CRWIA Stage 1

Screening - key questions

1. Name the policy, and describe its overall aims.

Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan: The Plan vision is that the Orkney Islands marine region is clean, healthy, safe and productive; Orkney’s marine and coastal environment is rich in biodiversity and managed sustainably to support thriving and resilient local communities. The Plan aims to balance sustainable use, whilst ensuring effective conservation, of the marine environment. Its purpose is to ensure a healthy and diverse marine ecosystem that supports current and future generations. The Plan reflects the requirements for regional marine plans under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and associated Delegation of Functions Direction 2020. The Plan is in conformity with Scotland’s National Marine Plan (2015) and has been prepared to guide public authority decision making on development and activities in the Orkney Islands marine region.

2. What aspects of the policy/measure will affect children and young people up to the age of 18?

The Articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC) and the child wellbeing indicators under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 apply to all children and young people up to the age of 18, including non-citizen and undocumented children and young people.

No discernible affect.

3. What likely impact – direct or indirect – will the policy/measure have on children and young people?

‘Direct’ impact refers to policies/measures where children and young people are directly affected by the proposed changes, e.g. in early years, education, child protection or looked after children (children in care). ‘Indirect’ impact refers to policies/measures that are not directly aimed at children but will have an impact on them. Examples include: welfare reforms, parental leave, housing supply, or local transport schemes.

None; there are no anticipated direct impacts expected from the objectives, priorities and policies within the Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan.

4. Which groups of children and young people will be affected?

Under the UNCRC, ‘children’ can refer to: individual children, groups of children, or children in general. Some groups of children will relate to the groups with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010: disability, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation. ‘Groups’ can also refer to children by age band or setting, or those who are eligible for special protection or assistance: e.g. preschool children, children in hospital, children in rural areas, looked after children, young people who offend, victims of abuse or exploitation, child migrants, or children living in poverty.

No discernible effect as no specific groups will be directly affected by the high level policies, priorities or objectives in the Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan.

5. Will this require a CRWIA?

Explain your reasons.

The Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan has no discernible effects on children’s rights and wellbeing as the policies within the Plan do not relate to activities specifically aimed at children or young people directly or indirectly and any potential minor impact cannot reasonably be isolated or measured in a proportional manner.

Section 16 (5) of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 requires that the first plan review report must be published before the expiry of five years beginning with the date on which the marine plan concerned was adopted. This will include another assessment on whether a CRWIA is required.

CRWIA Declaration

Tick relevant section, and complete the form.

Authorisation

This publication is available at www.orkney.gov.uk

Published by Orkney Islands Council 2026.

IMAGE: The publication page displays the Orkney Islands Council and Scottish Government logos alongside the publication website and publication date.