Highland Council has appointed three children’s champions to advocate for young people and their families.
Members of today’s health, social care and wellbeing committee agreed that councillors Muriel Cockburn, Isabelle MacKenzie and Margaret Paterson would take on the role.
According to the report: “Champions gather opinions and insights from every corner of the organisation, then funnel them to the appropriate people who can act decisively. This is what we want to encourage and develop.”
Champions will make the role their own
Committee chairwoman Linda Munro has high hopes for the scheme.
She said: “Highland Council had children’s champions for many years and they were synonymous with great networks and links with the community and third sector.
“Each brought their own knowledge to the role but each provided the crucial link between policy, committee, communities and the individual child.”
The three champions will work as part of a pilot ending in April 2022, and will receive training from Who Cares Scotland.
Unlike previous children’s champions, they will not have a specific area remit.
Instead, each champion will shape the role according to their own area of interest or experience – for example, mental health and wellbeing.
Take off the ‘rose-tinted specs’
At the core of the response is the ‘village’ that surrounds a child – specifically their family/carers and wider community.
“School isn’t where children spend most of their time – they spend most of their time in their family and community,” said councillor Munro.
“This means shifting minds but it should also mean shifting resources. In my view, we need pennies in the pot.
“We have to make this role relatable and important to communities, otherwise there’s no point in doing it.”
Councillor Muriel Cockburn – one of the three champions appointed today – is also unequivocal about the need to make this work for children.
She said: “My reason for taking on this role is that coronavirus made us acutely aware of system failures.
“We can have rose-tinted specs sometimes, thinking that our young people are all safe and all cared for. Some are not. There are glitches in the system and people can slip through the net.”
Listening and learning
For her part, Isabelle MacKenzie hopes to bring her own perspective as a parent.
Councillor MacKenzie also has professional insight from the board of Inverness Women’s Aid and the charity Safe Strong Free.
She said: “As a mum of four boys now aged 19 to 30, I have some experiences to draw on.
“The variety of stages I went through, bringing up four very different young people, should be of some reference.”
“We should be there to be their ears, eyes and sounding board, to voice and bring up any concerns through our networks.”
Councillor Munro said the champions will learn from the pilot as it goes on.
She added: “I’d like to see a blank page here. Post-covid, let’s start again.
“We can long lament what’s not working in our communities. Well here’s our chance to get it right.”
