‘Clear and Connected’ Orkney’s Children’s Services Action Plan 2017-2020 Annual Review (Update April 2019)

IMAGE: The cover shows the Orkney Children and Young People’s Partnership logo, consisting of the words “Orkney Children and Young People’s Partnership” beside a rainbow. Below it is an illustration of five children and young people standing together, with the words “learning…”, “sharing”, “working together”, “Youth Work Toolkit” and “Growing up Orkney”.

‘the right help, at the right time, in the right way’.

Contents

• ‘Clear and Connected’ Orkney’s Children’s Services Action Plan 2017-2020 Annual Review (Update April 2019).
• Introduction
• Wellbeing: Two Priority Areas and four other themes/workstreams
• Relationships: Four Priority Areas and seven other themes/workstreams
• Poverty and Disadvantage: One Priority Area
• Theme 1: Wellbeing for Children and Young People
• Theme 2: Relationships – Co-construction
• Theme 2: Relationships - Communication and Information Sharing & Shared or Common Approaches to Working with Children and Young People
• Theme 3: Poverty and Disadvantage
• Part 2: Orkney’s Children’s Services Performance Indicators
• Healthy
• Achieving
• Nurtured
• Active
• Respected
• Responsible
• Included

Introduction

Second annual review of Orkney’s Children’s Services Action Plan

The Children’s Services Strategic Plan sets out to describe how, by working together, we can improve the wellbeing of children and young people. It asks the everyone working with, and providing service to, children and young people to help in the task of mitigating the impact of poverty and disadvantage by building and using relationships within the community. This means that the children’s services workforce, and the wider community, must work together so that, as children and young people grow up, they do indeed get:

‘the right help, at the right time, in the right way’.

The origins of the plan lie the hands of the young people of Orkney and how their voice was heard when they challenged the idea that ‘Orkney is the best place in Scotland to raise children’.

Taking the outcome of this dialogue as a starting point, a series of engagement events took place. Providers of services to children were invited to attend and consider the view of Orkney (as a place to grow up) that had been proposed by the young people.

The outcome of this process was the adoption, in 2016, of three key priorities:

Key Priority 1: Wellbeing.

Working together to ensure children and young people have the opportunity to experience activities that will help them to be: safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included.

Key Priority 2: Relationships

Working together to ensure there is a consistent approa.ch to recognising children are rich in potential, strong, powerful, and competent; realising that the best outcomes are achieved when we pay attention to relationships and ‘how’ we work together.

Key Priority 3: Poverty and Rural Disadvantage.

Working together to ensure Orkney’s potential through connecting people, community, activity and services is maximised to limit negative outcomes and ensure equality of opportunity for children and young people.

In addition, it was recognised across all priorities, it is important to ensure we make a difference to our most vulnerable children and young people. For example, those who are Looked After, those in Kinship Care and those who have been Care Experienced.

In February 2017 around 120 people who work directly with children and young people came together to review these 3 themes. The ideas generated were the basis for the Orkney’s Children’s Services Action Plan 2017-2020, as set out below:

Wellbeing: Two Priority Areas and four other themes/workstreams

Relationships: Four Priority Areas and seven other themes/workstreams

Poverty and Disadvantage: One Priority Area

Orkney’s Children’s Services Strategic Plan articulates a series of ‘So What?’ self-evaluation and reflection questions:

• How has this project/activity helped children and/or young people experience being safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included?
• In what way has this project/activity helped to develop relationships and how children, young people, families, colleagues work together?
• How has this project helped to mitigate the impact of poverty and create equality of opportunity for children and young people in Orkney?

Part 1 of this Annual Review looks in more detail at the progress being made with each theme and action. For some actions, new targets have been generated and these are included for reference.

Part 2 of this Annual Review updates the Performance Indicators. These have been selected to facilitate benchmarking and to describe a background level of performance against which new achievements can be made.

The most recent data is reported and, where appropriate, a target or stretch aim given. In most cases the target is created by reflecting on the data drawn from bench marking and relevance of setting out to be the ‘best in class’.

In addition, a trend indicator is offered. In some measures differences form year to year are quite dramatic – an effect created by the small numbers involved. By looking at trend and/or rolling averages these variations can be ‘smoothed’. This is often helpful in determining where our focus needs to be.

As part of the preparation for reporting on Children’s Rights, each section of Part 2 has been linked to UNCRC and a comment added.

Alongside the designated Performance Indicators, additional information about the work of various sectors and services has been captured. This illustrates the range of activity that is taking place. The targeted work contained in the plan assumes and builds on the work of the partners who make up the children’s services workforce in Orkney.

Part 1: Progress Towards the Targets Set Out in the Action Plan

Theme 1: Wellbeing for Children and Young People

Theme 2: Relationships – Co-construction

Theme 2: Relationships - Communication and Information Sharing & Shared or Common Approaches to Working with Children and Young People

Theme 3: Poverty and Disadvantage

Part 2: Orkney’s Children’s Services Performance Indicators

The true measure of a nation’s standing is how well it attends to its children - their health and safety, their material security, their education and socialization, and their sense of being loved, valued, and included in the families and societies into which they are born. (UNICEF 2007).

As part of our strategic plan we selected a number of measures, linked to the Wellbeing Indicators, to help us better understand the experience of children and young people who are Growing Up in Orkney.

These have been selected to facilitate benchmarking and to describe a background level of performance against which new achievements can be made.

The most recent data is reported and, where appropriate, a target or stretch aim given. In most cases the target is created by reflecting on the data drawn from bench marking and relevance of setting out to be the ‘best in class’.

In addition, a trend indicator is offered. In some measures differences form year to year are quite dramatic – an effect created by the small numbers involved. By looking at trend and/or rolling averages these variations can be ‘smoothed’. This is often helpful in determining where our focus needs to be.

As part of the preparation for reporting on Children’s Rights, each section of Part 2 has been linked to UNCRC and a comment added.

Alongside the designated Performance Indicators, additional information about the work of various sectors and services has been captured. This illustrates the range of activity that is taking place. The targeted work contained in the plan assumes and builds on the work of the partners who make up the children’s services workforce in Orkney.

‘the right help, at the right time, in the right way’.

Safe

Comment: Our schools are working with children, young people and parents on a wide variety of projects to help ensure all children at school are safe, happy and achieving their potential.

Comment: In most months between 23 and 33 Concern Forms were received. This represents an increase in the background level of concern reporting of around 10% for the second year in a row, when compared to the previous year. There was an unusually high number in March. Early indications are that despite the increased number of Concern Forms, there is not a corresponding increase in the number of children who require a statutory intervention in order to keep them safe.

Comment: When considering a small population (around 3000 children and young people) such as Orkney, small differences can look like big changes. In considering the ‘rate per 1000’ children, it is not unreasonable to suggest, in general terms, Orkney should be below the national average (3). Variance would then indicate if there were issues of concern. Currently the local rate is less than 3.

Links with Articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

(11) Abduction and non-return of children; (19) Protection from violence, abuse and neglect; (22) Refugee children; (32) Child labour; (33) Drug abuse; (34) Sexual exploitation; (35) Abduction, sale and trafficking; (36) Other forms of exploitation; (37) Inhumane treatment and detention; (38) War and armed conflicts.

Comment

Orkney provides nearly all children a safe place to grow up most of the time. Under the guidance of the Child Protection Committee, organisations, agencies and services collaborate to notice and intervene when children and young people are at risk of significant harm. The Child Protection Committee has been working to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation; staff from the Community Learning and Development Team and Police Scotland have been working with parents to raise awareness of the range of issues associated with internet safety.

Activity that is helping children and young people to be safe includes

• CLD provide youth sessions for young people to attend where we arrange fun and safe activities, and we arrange speakers and organisations to come along and discuss health & wellbeing issues with young people.
• CLD provide training and support for expeditions, accreditation work and awards within Duke of Edinburgh and Youth Achievement to be completed safely.
• CLD run the First Aid Ready programme, where young people and are trained to deliver First Aid training to their peers.
• Work carried out by the Outdoor Education Service, and the swimming pools service to do with water safety, linking in to National water safety week as well as the learn to swim programme delivered in all Council and Trust swimming pools.
• All activities are risk assessed and run by qualified and PVG check coaches and volunteers.
• Community Sports Hub officer and Active schools working with community sports clubs and associated governing bodies of sport to ensure that correct governance is in place.
• Health Zones have been established and will be running weekly starting September 2019 in the 2 mainland secondary schools and monthly in the Isles junior High Schools. The subjects covered in these drop in/group/1:1 sessions are internet safety, healthy relationships, sexual health, mental health and wellbeing.
• Young people attending the Connect Project take part in an eight-week course delivered by Orkney Rape and Sexual Assault Service on healthy relationships, consent and gender equality.

Healthy

Figure 1

IMAGE: Figure 1 is a bar chart titled “Percentage of children in Scotland meeting their developmental milestones at 27th month check.” It compares Scottish local authorities on a percentage scale from 0 to 100. Orkney is highlighted among the authorities, at approximately 80%, while the highest values are approximately 85–88% and the lowest values are approximately 62–65%.

Comment: This means that most children growing up in Orkney get a good start in life. Compared to other places in Scotland we do well (figure 1), but we need to think carefully about how we can help to make things better for some as the number meeting their milestones appears to have reduced over the last 4 years.

Comment: Primary 1 children in Orkney have shown improvements in oral health in the past 10 years and maintained increments of improvement in line with or above national performance.

Comment: P7 oral health improvement appears less progressive, though the most recent data is very encouraging. However, the need remains for at least maintaining and probably developing preventive oral health improvement programmes for children in the county.

Links with Articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

(3) Best interests of the child; (6) Life, survival and development; (24) Health and health services; (39) Recovery and rehabilitation of child victims.

Comment

Across a range of health indicators Orkney is ‘not statistically worse than the national average’. However, there is a persistent concern in relation to mental health being raised by both professionals and young people themselves.

Activity that is helping children and young people to be healthy includes

• Orkney is working towards UNICEF Baby Friendly Gold Standard in Maternity and Health Visiting services. A new post is being introduced in 2019 to support ongoing breast feeding with an aim to reduce drop of.
• Early data shows a significant decrease in elective Caesarean section and there are less women needing to be sent off island to Aberdeen.
• There is an active programme of P1 screening (height/weight/BMI).
• S1 wellbeing chats based on the well-being indicators have been introduced.
• Sleep Scotland trained counsellors are available to support families and can be referred though the School Nursing Service.
• The School Nursing Service undertakes targeted work around maintaining healthy lifestyles; Mental Health and Wellbeing is one of their priority areas, and represents a significant part of their caseload.
• Youth Clubs sessions promote healthy lifestyles through active programmes, associated visiting organisations and providing heathy free snacks at many clubs.
• The Duke of Edinburgh programmes provides many opportunities for young people to develop healthier lifestyles, both through the physical challenge and also through the expeditions.
• Young people completing their Dynamic Youth or Youth Achievement accredited awards frequently link their challenges to physical activity which supports young people to develop their skills and healthy lifestyles.
• Community Learning and Development have run Drugs Awareness, Sexual Health and Self-Harm Awareness for young people and those working with young people.
• Paediatric Occupational Therapy has started to offer ‘dealing with worries’ sessions to some of the children. In one case a school refuser is back to school.
• The multi-disciplinary nature of the assessment of Autistic Spectrum Disorder has been strengthened.
• A group of practitioners have undertaken Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) training and are now considering the development of a ‘Neurodevelopmental Pathway’ for Orkney.
• Paediatric Therapy Services have moved to accept self-referrals This makes the services more accessible, and to avoids the need for families to visit their GP.
• Physical Activity and Sport Strategy for Orkney in place working with partners such as PE, NHS Orkney, The Pickaquoy Centre Trust, Active Schools and Sportscotland focusing on one specific aim of increasing participation focusing on the following 3 areas ActiveLife, Disability and Active Schools.
• Work with Communities to develop play areas linking in to the Councils Play Area Strategy.
• Continued development of the ActiveLife Leisure Membership scheme currently with 6208 people included. ActiveLife also offers a Budget option for people and families that are in receipt of certain benefits.
• The Connect Project supports some of the most vulnerable young people, aged 15-21 through the difficult transition between adolescence and adulthood. Examples of activity are weekly healthy living sessions using local sports centre, opportunities to complete peer support programs such as Scottish Mental Health First Aid and the Confidence to Cook course, which includes basic nutrition and a balanced diet, budgeting for healthy meals, menu planning and meal preparation.

Achieving

Comment: Young people who are looked after are not doing as well as their peers in both literacy and numeracy at the moment. These are key life skills and will help our most vulnerable young people at work, in life and with their future learning. The ‘gap’ narrows over time (which is positive) and the difference is reduced by about a half by the end of the senior phase.

Comment: Young people have a lot of opportunities to do well at school and they do well in comparison to young people elsewhere in Scotland (figure 2 below); however we feel they could, and should, do even better! Our school staff are working with children, young people and families to raise attainment for all learners.

Figures 2 and 3

IMAGE: Figure 2 is a bar chart titled “Average Tariff Score.” It compares average tariff scores across Scottish local authorities, with values ranging from approximately 700 to 1,400. Orkney is highlighted at approximately 907.

IMAGE: Figure 3 is a bar chart titled “Average Tariff Score (Quintile 3).” It compares average tariff scores for areas classified as Quintile 3, with values ranging from approximately 600 to 1,300. Orkney is highlighted at approximately 867.

Comment: Young people who experience additional challenges (especially in terms of equity and access) are helped to do especially well (figure 3).

Links with Articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

(4) Governments must do all they can to make sure every child can enjoy their rights in systems that promote and protect these rights; (18) parental responsibilities and state assistance; (28) right to education; (29) goals of education.

Comment

Most children and young people are able to benefit from Orkney’s education service most of the time. Pupil and Student Councils, along with other forum are increasingly helping to ensure that the voice of young people is both heard and understood. Ensuring that this voice reaches into and influences policy making, and therefore the nature of Orkney in the years to come is developing.

Activity that is about children and young people achieving includes

• Community Learning and Development supports young people to achieve through a variety of programmes and opportunities such as Youth Achievement Awards, Dynamic Youth Awards, Hi 5 Awards, Duke of Edinburgh Award, Support to Scottish Youth Parliament and our MSYP’s, Orkney Youth Forum, FireSkills, First Aid Ready, PSYV, Money For Life, Youth Chamber Debates, Orkney Youth Conference.
• Paediatric Occupational Therapy continue to offer twilight training to teaching staff, on handwriting, sensory processing.
• Active Schools coordinate and deliver the Sports Leaders Awards level 4 &5 Young Ambassadors, I Can Lead. Active Schools Leadership for Primary 7. Outdoor Education offer the John Muir award to schools.
• Schools volunteer award and young volunteer award form part of Orkney Annual Sports Awards that are run by the Active Schools Team.
• The Learn to swim programme provide the opportunities for children from pre school to start to learn to swim and the Council and Trust have just signed up to the new Scottish Swimming Framework.
• 27 secondary pupils delivering Active Schools Activities.
• The Connect Project uses a strengths based model to identify and support young people’s personal strengths and areas for future development, to gradually made autonomous decisions about their future.
• Young people at the Connect Project can take part in a range of opportunities within the local community to increase community participation, for example, community gardening projects, working with isles development trusts to upgrade a community park, baking for events and volunteering at a community farm. Young people have their volunteering recognised through the Saltire Award Scheme. 5 young people have worked towards Youth Achievement Awards (4 silver and 1 Gold).
• Young people have been engaged in a Forum Theatre project in which they explored issues they felt important to them. The group decided to develop a piece around the topic of bullying and the impact that it had on them. The presented the participatory drama piece to local practitioners, local councillors and during the Growing Up in Orkney Conference.
• Youth Development Workers work in partnership with secondary schools and charities to facilitate Charity Fairs and support the delivery of the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI). 18 Charities were in attendance in 2018. The event provided teams of young people with an opportunity to learn about local charities and to present their findings at a final judged by an external panel. The charity that is the subject of the winning presentation is awarded £3,000. Over the three years the work of young people involved in YPI has led to a total of £21,000 being awarded to local charities.
• Youth Development Workers work with schools to promote and engage young people in volunteering. They facilitate individual and group volunteer placements including intergenerational activities and provide training and support for those not yet ready to volunteer. All young volunteers are eligible for a Saltire Award for the hours they commit to volunteering.

Nurtured

Comment: It is generally recognised that the quality of early learning and childcare provision is critical if it is to have any long-term benefits. Maintaining a standard that is ‘good or better’ offers a secure baseline.

Comment: The Child Poverty Action Plan will be a means of targeting action meeting and exceeding this target.

Links with Articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

(4) Governments must do all they can to make sure every child can enjoy their rights in systems that promote and protect these rights; (5) parental guidance and a child’s evolving capacities; (18) parental responsibilities and state assistance; (20) children deprived of a family; (21) adoption; (25) review of treatment in care; (27) adequate standard of living.

Comment

Most young people growing up in Orkney get a range of opportunities to develop as ‘responsible citizens and effective contributors’ but we need to think carefully about how we can help to create access to more opportunities for some.

Activity that is helping children and young people to feel nurtured includes

• New pathways have been introduced in maternity to improve outcomes for pregnant women which are designed to have positive impact on babies and families. Orkney continued to have the highest breast-feeding rates in Scotland in 2018.
• Community Learning and Development (CLD) run youth clubs are focused on building positive relationships not only between the young people but also between the staff and young people. Through a range of activities and opportunities we work with young people to build their confidence, skills, self-esteem and resilience.
• Family learning opportunities are now offered within the Community learning programme of classes and courses to help and support families to learn together.
• CLD are leading on a review of family learning across Orkney which will identify provision, gaps, priorities and a plan of action to ensure family learning is promoted and developed across the County.
• CLD recently organised a PDA qualification in youth work, which supported those working with young people to develop genuine and child centred nurturing approaches are used within the youth work field.
• The Young People’s Befriending Project provides vulnerable young people (approx.19 per year) with a trustworthy and reliable Befriender who supports them through challenging and difficult times. The support of the Befriender is consistent, dedicated and dependable and gives the young person a friendship that brings them value, esteem and confidence and helps them feel included in their community.
• School Nurses now carry out more home visits as part of the new pathway and this supports vulnerable families on a low income or who are affected by fuel poverty to access services at the earliest opportunity.
• The Project develops with young people holistic, individual plans where they discuss, plan and organise a personal programme that meets their needs. By the end of the programme young people will have been involved in a range of activities, which provide them with greater knowledge of their strengths and areas for development, with a better awareness of their community and environment. They have tools and skills that help them to deal with challenges, manage their behaviour, respect others and with the knowledge and motivation to begin to make effective choices about their future.

Active

Links with Articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

(3) best interests of the child; (23) children with disabilities; (31) leisure, play and culture.

Comment

There are many opportunities within Orkney for children and young people to be active but we have recognised that some of our most vulnerable children do not access these. We need to think of community solutions that will address this so that we become a more inclusive community.

Activity that is helping children and young people to be active includes

• Paediatric Occupational Therapy has undertaken P1 motor screening work. These provide reassurance that children with marked motor difficulties are not missed.
• Community Learning and Development (CLD) plays a key role in organising activities and opportunities for young people to ensure they are active in the community.
• Duke of Edinburgh Award, Youth Achievement Awards, Dynamic Youth Awards, Youth Voice, Youth Forum, Scottish Youth Parliament.
• CLD run youth clubs often attract young people who are not always involved in other local sports groups or activities. Youth clubs offer alternative physical activities that encourage young people to participate and have fun in active pursuits.
• CLD also runs a reward scheme in partnership with OIC Sport & Leisure and the Picky Centre which entitles those completing a Youth Achievement Award or 100 hours of Dynamic Youth to free swimming and activity passes to local sports facilities.
• An ActiveLife/ ActiveIslands programme is offered across our community.
• Active Schools is working with NHS on a joint hydration project.
• Community Sports Hub officer working with Scottish Disability Sport to increase opportunities for children and young people with a disability and also providing opportunities for coaches and volunteers working with people with a disability to gain skills.
• A joint holiday programme of activities is offered – Zumba Kids, Ross County Football etc with a lot of the activities being available through ActiveLife.
• Specific activities for all Schools in Orkney through the Active Schools programme – working from specific schools data from ASMO data that is collected termly and the information gathered from the Schools Sport Award.
• Active Schools also work with schools PE staff to create a inter school competition calendar of events.
• Work with the North Isles communities in delivering the annual North Isles Sports events, which now includes a schools section.
• Work in partnership with PE staff in the delivery of the annual primary school sports awards.
• In 2017-2018 41% of the school roll participated in Active Schools Activities.
• The Outdoor Education Service provides a season programme of learning which is offered to all schools.
• We have a Play Area strategy and Play strategy and our community play spaces are being developed by and in partnership with community organisations.
• The Young People’s Befriending Project enables its young people to take part in various activities across the community that they may otherwise be unable to participate in. The support of their Befrienders and the financial support of the Project means that young people are able to take advantage of Orkney’s opportunities to be active.
• Young People attending the Connect project are supported take part in a wide range of activities and to explore opportunities within their local community that will support them in the future.

Respected

Comment: Through the wellbeing curriculum, schools are developing and supporting a wide range of activities to ensure children, young people and families are both heard and respected.

Links with Articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

(2) non-discrimination; (3) best interests of the child; (4) Governments must do all they can to make sure every child can enjoy their rights in systems that promote and protect those rights, parental guidance and a child’s evolving capacities; (8) protection and preservation of identity; (12) respect for the views of the child; (13) freedom of expression; (14) freedom of thought, belief and religion; (16) right to privacy; (17) access to information: mass media; (18) parental responsibilities and state assistance; (30) the right to learn and use the language, customs and religion of their family.

Comment

The promotion of the rights of children and young people needs to become an integral part of children’s services planning across Orkney.

Activity that is helping children and young people to feel respected includes

• A major focus of the Community Learning and Development (CLD) team is to support young people to be respected and listened to. The CLD team organises events annually such as the Chamber Debate and Youth Conference.
• The Youth Chamber Debate allows young people, schools and services to engage in active debate on issues which young people feel passionate about and are a great opportunity, not only for young people to get their voices heard and to better understand the democratic process, but they are also valued as an important and essential way for Councillors and service providers in Orkney to have a genuine and productive discussion with young people on an array of issues which affect them.
• The Orkney Youth Conference is a comprehensive, meaningful and fun day where young people have an opportunity to discuss, with both peers and agency representatives, a range of topics and issues relevant to them.
• CLD is leading on the Youth Voice agenda. We support the Members of Scottish Youth Parliament and are currently supporting and developing the Orkney Youth Forum. We support a young person to represent the forum on a number of groups including on the Orkney Children & Young People Partnership.
• We support young people to attend an array of opportunities both locally and nationally including Big Skills, SYP, Young Scot Training and thematic Programmes and Highland Youth Parliament.
• Within our local programmes Youth club programmes are developed by the participants and delivered at a level that they are comfortable with.
• School Nursing offers 1:1 support and helps to provide a safe space for a child or young person’s voice to be heard. They can also act as an advocate, supporting the child or young person to tell their story so that they get the right help, at the right time in the right way.
• Young people from the Connect Project travelled to Inverness to take part in the Young People’s Human Rights conference and spent the weekend working with Bruce Adamson and his team, along with over 50 young people from all over Scotland. The young people explored their human rights and how to promote and advocate for these as Human Rights Defenders.
• Young people from the Connect Project are also encouraged and supported to take the lead on a variety of projects throughout the year e.g. Couch to 5K and Gung Ho Challenge.

Responsible

Comment: Interest and uptake in a wider range of approaches to recognising achievement is leading to new ways of creating opportunities for children, young people, families and communities to learn together. Specific awards reflect a trend. A key challenge continues to be ensuring equity of opportunity across all our communities.

Comment: In schools, approaches to wellbeing and personal development create a wide range of opportunities for children and young people to take responsibility for their learning. Success in this context is an integral part of the purpose of schools in Orkney.

Links with Articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

(3) best interests of the child; (12) respect for the views of the child; (14) freedom of thought, conscience and religion; (15) freedom of association; (40) juvenile justice.

Activity that is helping children and young people to be responsible includes

• Community Learning and Development (CLD) has a key role in ensure and supporting young people to be responsible through a variety of programmes and opportunities, for example: Dynamic Youth Awards, Youth Achievement Awards, Duke of Edinburgh Scheme, Youth Choice, Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament (elections and ongoing support), Youth Forum, Police Scotland Youth Volunteers, FireSkills, Money For Life, First Aid Ready.
• Young people take a lead role in organising and running key evets such as our Chamber Debate, Youth Awards Ceremony and Youth Conference, and young people set the rules and agreements for youth club procedures.

Included

Figure 4

IMAGE: Figure 4 is a bar chart titled “Attendance at school.” It compares school attendance percentages across Scottish local authorities for 2016–17. The values are mostly between approximately 90% and 96%; Orkney is highlighted at approximately 95%.

Comment: Orkney has one of the lowest exclusion rates in Scotland. However, after a relatively stable period, the number of exclusions has increased in the past 12 months. Neither of the above measures provides an accurate insight into the level of social exclusion that is experienced by some children and young people and is reported when qualitative approaches are used.

Comment: Many practitioners believe the number of families registered is lower then the number entitled. For some children this may create an additional disadvantage.

Links with Articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

(3) best interests of the child; (12) respect for the views of the child; (14) freedom of thought, conscience and religion; (15) freedom of association; (40) juvenile justice.

Comment

There is recognition that for some children and young people a placement out with Orkney is the ‘right’ place for them, in relation to the services they need to improve their health and well-being.

Activity that is helping children and young people to be included includes

• Paediatric Occupational Therapy are able to offer advice to teaching staff, which supports strategies to improve inclusion and participation in learning, through informal classroom observations.
• Young people who are matched to Befrienders through the Young People’s Befriending Project are given 1–1 support to engage in local community events and activities regardless of their family’s financial means. This participation enables them to feel included in their local community.
• School Nursing is able to signpost young people and their families to other services in Orkney and further afield. Close working relationships with other agencies including 3rd sector allows School Nurses to support our most vulnerable families at the right time.
• Projects such as our youth accreditation routes (DYA, YAA and Hi5’s), Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Youth Voice, Young Scot Cards, PSYV, and Fire Skills all provide opportunities of inclusiveness.
• Other targeted project work like a recent Health & Wellbeing Club ensures those who can most benefit from such interventions are given the opportunity and support to participate.
• All young people from the Connect Project are encouraged and supported to take part in a variety of new experiences, opportunities and activities whilst establishing new relationships and networks. Through these opportunities young people not only build confidence, self-esteem and self-efficacy but begin to recognise their personal skills and attributes along with those of others.

Orkney Partnership Strategic Objectives

In addition, it was recognised that across all priorities, it is important to ensure we make a difference to our most vulnerable children and young people, for example those who are Looked After, those in Kinship Care and those who are Care Experienced.