The Commissioner’s role
The job of Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People is to promote and safeguard the rights of children and young people in Scotland.
The Commissioner’s duties
The Commissioner has many statutory duties. In particular he must:
- promote awareness and understanding of the rights of children and young people
- review law, policy and practice to examine their effectiveness in respecting the rights of children and young people
- promote best practice by service providers
- promote and commission research on matters relating to the rights of children and young people
- encourage the involvement of children and young people in his work, and – in particular – consult with them on the work that he should be doing to improve the rights of children and young people.
Powers of investigation
The Commissioner has a power of formal investigation where it seems that the rights of groups of children and young people might have been breached, but cannot investigate matters that apply to only one child. This power has not yet been used by the Commissioner.
Remit
The Commissioner is responsible for protecting the rights of all children and young people in Scotland under the age of 18, and those under the age of 21 if they have at any time been in the care of, or looked after by, a local authority.
Read the law establishing the Commissioner’s post, the Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2003.