Our body of work

All our projects and consultations are shown in chronological order.  Please use the ‘More info‘ link to access full information and reports.

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• 2020 and previous…

Big ideas Big vote

2020
After 11000 responses from children across Scotland, Members of Children’s Parliament (aged 9-12) selected the 4 big problems facing children in Scotland today.
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Children’s Parliament Investigates Our Health and Wellbeing Curriculum

2020
What do children think needs to happen when it comes to their school environment, learning for health and wellbeing and how they access and experience personal support?
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The Bramble Brae Feelings Inspectors

2020
In February 2020, Bramble Brae Primary School partnered with Children’s Parliament to take a rights-based approach to creating the school’s new mental health strategy.
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Imagining Aberdeen

2016-2020
Children have a right to take part in and influence how adults plan and run services for them in the areas where they live and learn. Through our collaboration with Aberdeen City Council, we supported the engagement of children in the design, delivery and monitoring of services.
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Seen and Heard (Fife)

2015-2020
Seen + Heard (Fife) was a creative, rights-based project for children with care experience aged 9-to-12 from across Fife.
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Screensavers

2020
Designed by children and young people from the Children’s Parliament and Scottish Youth Parliament, the Mind Yer Time website was developed to support children and young people to use screens and social media in healthy ways.
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Alcohol-free Childhood

2020
A children’s Parliament consultation, commissioned by Alcohol Focus Scotland. Children explored their experiences of where they see alcohol, what impact alcohol has on them, what they think about an alcohol-free childhood, and what would need to change to ensure that they are not affected by alcohol-related harm.
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National Sitting 2019

2019
The 5th National Sitting of Children’s Parliament brought together children and adults from across Scotland to celebrate 30 years of children’s rights as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
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Children as Human Rights Defenders

2019
Children’s Parliament worked with experienced Members of Children’s Parliament to design and deliver Children as Human Rights Defenders; the programme explored children’s views on what rights they feel need to be defended in Scotland and what support is required from adults to ensure children can be both empowered and protected in their role as human rights defenders. 
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Children Create

2019
Children’s Parliament worked in partnership with the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow (SPHSU), to interpret findings from their SPACES (Studying Physical Activity in Children’s Environments across Scotland) study.
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What kind of Edinburgh

2019
Children and young people across the city of Edinburgh met with duty-bearers to influence how adults plan and run the city’s services.
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Democracy Matters

2019
A series of workshops with children, exploring the ideas of local democracy, decision-making and power. The workshops unpicked what works and doesn’t work for children, and looked at how Scotland might re-imagine the way children can be involved in how decisions are made in the future.
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Manor Park Parliament

2019
Manor Park Parliament brings a children’s human-rights approach to learner participation in school improvement planning and implementation.
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Scottish Learner Panel

2019
How does our education system work and feel to those learners who it has been developed to serve?
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Children’s Rights in Scotland

2019
As part of the public consultation on the Action Plan for Progressing Children’s Rights in Scotland: 2018-2021, Children’s Parliament undertook a consultation to explore children’s views on how children’s human rights are experienced here in Scotland.
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What Kind of Edinburgh

2018-2019
What Kind of Edinburgh do children and young people want to grow up in? This project developed a model of strategic engagement for adult stakeholders, children and young people; supporting public bodies to meet obligations defined in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act (2014).
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National Sitting 2018

2018
Together, how can children and Unfearties make Scotland a nation with human rights at its heart?
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Review of Children (Scotland) Act 1995

2018
As part of the public consultation on the review of Part 1 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, Children’s Parliament engaged with children to explore their views and ideas on themes raised in the review.
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School Food

2018
Prior to amending the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2008, the Scottish Government commissioned Children’s Parliament to explore children and young people’s views on the food and drinks that are currently on offer in schools.
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Best Start Grant

2018
As part of the new social security powers, which were devolved to Scotland through the Scotland Act 2016, the Scottish Government is planning to introduce a new benefit called the Best Start Grant.
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Child Poverty

2018
Children are experts in their own lives and as such Children’s Parliament is interested in learning about the experiences that shape children’s lives at home, at school and in the community. For roughly one in four children in Scotland, poverty is one of the biggest issues they face.
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Age of Criminal Responsibility

2018
Children aged 8-12 years shared their views about the minimum age of criminal responsibility.
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Dunkeld and Birnam, A9 Co-creative

2018
Children’s Parliament facilitated engagement with children and young people from the Dunkeld & Birnam area, ensuring their voices are included in discussions about the future of their community.
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National Sitting 2017

2017
To mark Universal Children’s Day 2017 and Children’s Parliament’s 21st birthday, children and adults travelled from across Scotland to meet and discuss the future of Scotland and how it can be a safer, healthier and happier place for children and families to live and grow.
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Edinburgh Children’s Partnership

2017
It is the responsibility of adults who run services to involve children and young people in all aspects of strategic planning. Children’s Parliament has been working with Edinburgh Children’s Partnership to develop a methodology for engagement that is jointly owned by children, young people and adult duty-bearers.
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Children’s Parliament meets the Scottish Cabinet 2017

2017
Children’s Parliament, along with the Scottish Youth Parliament, attended Bute House to meet with the Scottish Cabinet. This meeting marked the first time children and young people have officially met with the Scottish Cabinet in this way.
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You can’t get there on your own.

2017
The review addresses the most effective ways to support students in Higher and Further Education, with a focus on providing fair and fit-for-purpose support for Scotland’s most vulnerable learners.
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Just People Like Us: Police Scotland

2017
Police Scotland commissioned Children’s Parliament to engage directly with children so that children’s experiences, views and ideas can be included in Police Scotland’s draft strategy for the future of policing in Scotland entitled ‘2026: Serving a Changing Scotland’.
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Family Law

2017
Children’s Parliament was commissioned by the Family Law Committee to engage directly with children to explore their views on the draft F9 Form, which is currently used in family court cases.
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Community Ambassadors

2017
Working with communities across Edinburgh. At the heart of the children’s work was the importance of relationships based on human dignity, empathy, kindness and trust.
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StreetsAhead Tranent

2016
How do the local community and built environment impact on children’s experience of their rights and wellbeing?
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CLAPA & CP

2016
How do rights apply to children affected by cleft lip and palate? And what do children, who are affected by cleft lip and palate, want adults and peers to do to support realising their rights? We’ve been meeting with CLAPA’s Scotland group to explore and better understand their experiences.
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All children should be healthy, happy and safe

2016
This consultation explored what children with disabilities say they need to be healthy, happy, safe and to have their say in their lives. Children identified what can get in the way of realising their rights and what actions can be taken to support the realisation of rights for children with disabilities.
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Children’s Parliament Investigates Bullying

2016
Through the lens of children’s human rights, children from eight Edinburgh schools explored what they need to be healthy, happy and safe at home, school and in the community.
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Gamechangers: Girls Get Active

2016
Gamechangers focused on empowering girls to get active, try new sports and physical activities, meet new people and have fun learning football along the way.
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Police Powers

2016
Should Police have the right to stop and search children and young people for alcohol? On behalf of the Scottish Government, Children’s Parliament consulted with children aged 8-12 years to find out their views.
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Under the Same Sky – Children’s Parliament at the United Nations

2016
Under the Same Sky is an international constellation of projects exploring children’s rights and the environment.
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Learning/Attainment

2016
Children’s Parliament views educational attainment as a human rights issue. Find out what children tell us that they need and want from their learning experience.
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National Sitting 2016

2016
Children’s Parliament held its second annual National Sitting at Albert Halls in Stirling. The theme of 2016’s sitting was active lives and the Active Children mural was unveiled for the first time.
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Active Children

2016
In 2016 children across Scotland shared experiences and aspirations for participation in sport and physical activity. Their discussions and views were brought together in the Active Children mural.
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Developing a Digital Learning Strategy

2015
This consultation reports on the views and opinions of children as they explore the Scottish Government’s vision for digital technology within learning and teaching.
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Pushing the Boundaries

2015

A growing body of evidence confirms the vital importance of nurture and positive relationships on children’s development.
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Fairer Fife Mural

2015
Jump on ‘the fairness bus’ and join ‘the Great Leader of Fairness’ as 150 children from across Fife create their vision of a fairer Scotland.
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National Sitting 2015

2015
At the First National Sitting of Children’s Parliament participants looked at what children need to be healthy, happy and safe at home, in school and in their communities; what can get in the way; and finally, what actions we can take to ensure that Scotland is the best place to grow up.
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Adolescent Wellbeing

2015
What do children and young people think they and their friends need to be healthy, happy and safe?
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Consultation on Raising Complaints

2015
How do you complain? Who do you complain to? What do you hope will happen with your complaint? Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People has been given new powers to investigate complaints from individual children and young people. Children’s Parliament was commissioned to speak with children to gather their views on the theme of complaints.
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Realising Ambition

2012-2015
Over three years Children’s Parliament were part of a UK-wide programme exploring what it takes to successfully replicate evidence-based programmes that reduce the likelihood of young people offending.
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Home Free

2014
Home-based accidents and injuries are one of the main causes of hospital admissions for children under the age of 15. In 2014 RoSPA commissioned Children’s Parliament to facilitate a consultation with primary aged children about home safety and accident prevention.
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Children and Technology – Glow Privacy Impact Assessment

2014
Following an upgrade to Glow, the national online learning platform available to children, young people and staff in Scottish schools, the Scottish Government undertook a Privacy Impact Assessment commissioned Children’s Parliament to undertake direct engagement with children; looking at the benefits and areas of risk involved in Glow.
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Sporting Chance

2014
A Children’s Parliament consultation exploring children’s experiences and aspirations about participating in sport.
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My life in Scotland Survey

2014
An innovative survey tool which brings the voice of children and young people to our understanding of their wellbeing.
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Embark! Routes to Reading

2014
Reading is the key to unlocking a child’s full potential, yet there are many children in Scotland who leave primary school without being able to read well.
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Moving on up: Renfrew Transitions Project

2014
The transition from primary to high school is a time of excitement which also brings up many issues and questions for children.
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NHS Lothian Consultation

2014
NHS Lothian believes that every child should have the best start in life and grow up being healthy, confident and resilient.
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Mapping our Future

2014
As part of Scottish Government’s Horizon Scanning process; Children’s Parliament brought children and adults together to explore a range of possible futures and how our world might be different by 2021.
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Leaders of Learning

2014
Leaders of Learning is an exploration of children and young people’s experiences of learning, both in and out of school.
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Children & Young People Bill:
How does your garden grow?

2013
Children contributed their ideas, thoughts and opinions on what they need from the adults in their lives for children to feel healthy, happy and safe. The children’s voices informed Children’s Parliament’s response to the Children and Young People Bill, which later became the Children and Young People Act 2014.
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The Dads Project

2013
The Dads Project put children’s voices at the centre of the growing debate around contemporary fatherhood.
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Me + Us

2013
Me + Us engaged children in an exploration of what makes them unique and what connects them to others.
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Art Puts Colour and Joy Into Things

2012
When Creative Scotland wanted to develop a Scottish National Youth Arts Strategy, they contacted Children’s Parliament to find out how art impacts on children’s lives.
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Living Lomonds Landscape

2012
Living Lomonds development project is about reconnecting people with the living legacy of the Lomond Hills by bringing people to the hills. Children’s Parliament worked with local artists on a project that allowed children’s voices to be included in this development.
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Do the Right Thing Local Projects

2011
The purpose of our Do the Right Thing Local Projects was to promote awareness of children’s human rights and the UNCRC among childcare and education professionals.
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Teacher Employment Review

2011
Children’s voices contributed to the 2011 Teacher Employment Review, helping to define the terms and conditions of employment for teachers in Scotland.
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StreetsAhead Glasgow

2011
Children’s Parliament worked with children in the East End of Glasgow to bring their views on what their communities need to be safe, healthy and happy.
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Creating a Culture of Kindness

2011
Helping Fife Council staff consult effectively with children and ensuring that children’s voices help shape the Children and Early Years’ Service.
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Ecocity

2011
EcoCity is a creative consultation process, where children engage with urban planners, architects, local councillors, environmentalists and community stakeholders to rethink their local environments and propose better solutions.
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The Best Start in Life

2010
Children have their say about what helps create the best start in life. A Children’s Parliament consultation in association with Professor Susan Deacon (University of Edinburgh)
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Wee Voices

2010
What would a creative Children’s Rights workshop look like for the early years? Children’s Parliament worked with partners to explore this through Wee Voices.
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Identipix

2010
An introduction to children’s human rights and an exploration of identity using photography and mixed media.
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Making Space

2010
Children’s Parliament facilitated children’s involvement in the Architecture + Design Scotland Making Space conference, selecting a children’s award prize-winner and forming part of a discussion panel at the conference in October 2010.
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Right to Play: Article 31

2010
Children’s Parliament and the International Play Association (Scotland) working together to listen to children’s views of play.
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The Children’s Manifesto

2010
Children’s Parliament engaged with children to ask what we need to do in Scotland to make sure every child is safe, happy and healthy. The children’s views were formed into a manifesto and presented to Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People as part of the ‘Right Blether’ national consultation.
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Children’s Hearings Reform

2009
What do children think of the Children’s Hearings process? In 2009 the Scottish Government approached Children’s Parliament to explore the views of children with experience of the Hearings system.
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Glasgow 2014: The Legacy

2008
Scottish Government asked Young Scot and Children’s Parliament to gather the views of children and young people on how Scotland’s people could engage with the Games in the run up to 2014, and what Scotland’s host legacy should look like.
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Climate Change Project

2008
This innovative project engaged young people in the global debate on climate change and particularly the national debate on the Scottish Climate Change Bill.
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Wee Democracy

2007
A research project that examined the interface between family life and children’s rights with the intention of creating a model of work with families.
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