Children’s Health Scotland works to ensure every child in Scotland has the right to the best possible health and understands their health rights. We provide support programmes for children with health conditions, as well as for Kinship and Foster Carers. We are the only charity in Scotland that focuses on the healthcare needs and rights of children with health conditions, and we work with children, families, carers, teachers, and health professionals to help everyone understand how to support children’s health and wellbeing
Children are not small adults. They differ from adults socially, mentally, and physically, and adult health policies and services do not work for children. Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), Article 24, children have the right to the best possible health. The European Association For Children In Hospital And Healthcare (EACH) Charter also states that children have the right to care that recognises their age and individual needs, to be listened to, to receive clear information, and to feel safe and supported when using services that support their health. Scotland’s GIRFEC approach underpins this work by ensuring every child gets the right support at the right time, centred around their wellbeing needs.

This survey gives professionals across Scotland the chance to share their experiences so Scotland can better respect and uphold children's rights.

In this survey, you choose a number from 1 to 5 to show how much you agree.
1 means ‘I don’t agree at all’ and 5 means ‘I totally agree!’” and the numbers in between are in the middle. Choose the number that fits your feeling best.

(In this survey, as in the UNCRC, the word ‘children’ is used to refer to babies, children, and young people below the age of 18.)

Please note, in this survey, the word ‘health’ is used to refer to the three parts of health – physical, mental and social.
If you would like to know more about our privacy notice, you can find it at: https://www.childrenshealthscotland.org/privacy/

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1. What is your health board? (Required.)

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2. What is your role?

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3. How confident are you in understanding children’s health rights in an education setting?
1 being not confident and 5 being very confident (Required.)

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4. Do you want to tell us more?

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5. Are you aware that teachers and education staff are duty‑bearers under UNCRC and GIRFEC, with responsibilities to uphold children’s health rights?
1 means unaware and 5 means completely aware. (Required.)

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6. Do you want to tell us more?

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7. How confident do you feel identifying and supporting children with physical needs in school? (Required.)

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8. How confident do you feel identifying and supporting children with mental health needs in school? (Required.)

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9. How confident do you feel identifying and supporting children with social health needs in school? (Required.)

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10. Do you want to tell us more?

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11. Are you confident in your use of GIRFEC to secure support and reasonable adjustments for pupils with any additional support needs (Required.)

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12. Do you want to tell us more?

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13. When a child is absent because of a health need or in hospital, how effectively does your school support their learning and reintegration?
1 not very affectively, 5 very affectively. (Required.)

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14. Do you want to tell us more?

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15. How well do you feel equipped to support the health and wellbeing needs of Kinship Care children?
1 being not well equipped and 5 being extremely equipped (Required.)

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16. Do you want to tell us more?

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17. How well do you feel equipped to support the health and wellbeing needs of Foster Care children?
1 being not well equipped and 5 being extremely equipped (Required.)

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18. Do you want to tell us more?

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19. Please, share your organisation’s experience in supporting Care Experienced Children, and outline the training and ongoing support your staff receive to ensure their work is rights‑based and trauma‑informed? (Required.)

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20. How often are children and young people meaningfully involved in conversations about their health needs, rights and support in school? (Required.)

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21. Have you observed delays or challenges in accessing mental health or neurodevelopmental services for children? (Required.)

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22. Do you want to tell us more?

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23. Would you benefit from more training in? (Required.)

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24. If other, please specify here

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25. Do you want to tell us more?

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26. From your experience, how do strict attendance targets affect your ability to support pupils with chronic or fluctuating health conditions (Required.)

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27. If other, please specify here

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28. Do you want to tell us more?

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29. Should the role of the school nurse in supporting children’s understanding of their health rights be recognised as essential? (Required.)

Self Management Skills (SMS) Programmes
SMS Programmes are designed with young people and support them to build the skills they need to manage and support their health and wellbeing in their own way.
SMS Programmes help:
  • Build confidence and self-belief
  • Learn tools to manage their health and wellbeing
  • Connect with other young people who get it
  • Have fun in a safe, supportive space

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30. Would you want the Scottish Government to invest in Self Management Skills (SMS) Programmes for children in your school? (Required.)

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31. Do you want to tell us more?

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32. Would you be willing to participate in a national Children’s Health Rights Learning Network for professionals? (Required.)

OPTIONAL QUESTIONS - YOUR HELP MAKES A DIFFERENCE
The following questions are entirely optional. You do not need to answer them to complete the survey.

However, if you choose to provide this additional information, it will greatly strengthen our understanding of how pupils’ health rights are being supported across education settings in Scotland.

Your responses will help us to:
  • Identify trends and gaps in health rights awareness within schools and other learning environments
  • Improve training, resources, and practical guidance for education staff
  • Ensure the voices and experiences of those working directly with pupils inform national health rights development

Please answer any optional questions you feel comfortable responding to. Every contribution—big or small—adds valuable context to this national picture.

TO SUBMIT ANSWERS PLEASE PRESS THE GREEN BUTTON AT THE END OF THIS FULL SURVEY

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34. What makes it difficult to support pupils with health needs in school?

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35. If other, please specify here

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36. Do you want to tell us more?

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37. How confident are you explaining children’s rights to families?

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38. Do you want to tell us more?

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39. Are you aware of financial help for families like the Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF) and when it applies?

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40. If yes, have you recommended financial help?

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41. Do you want to tell us more?

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42. Do you want to tell us more?

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43. Are you aware that children who are absent due to ill health have a legal right to education support (Scottish Government Guidance 2015)?

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44. Do you want to tell us more?

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45. How effective is communication between your school and health professionals regarding pupils’ health needs?

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46. Do you want to tell us more?

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47. Do children in your school understand their own health needs and rights?

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48. Do you want to tell us more?

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49. Have you received rights-based or trauma-informed training in the past 2 years?

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50. What resources, training, partnership or support would help you better uphold children’s health rights?

Is there anything else you'd like to say?

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51. Please tell us if there is anything else you'd like to say here.

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