# The Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland: Protecting and promoting children's rights: the human rights of children and young people\. > The Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland is Nicola Killean\. She works with her team to protect the human rights of children and young people\. Generated by Yoast SEO v28.8, this is an llms.txt file, meant for consumption by LLMs. ## Pages - [About the Commissioner](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/about/commissioner/): The Children and Young People’s Commissioner promotes and protects your rights if you’re under 18, or up to 21 if you’re in care or care experienced\. Find out more with BSL interpretation\. - [UNCRC](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/rights/uncrc/): Many rights people under 18 have are listed in a document called the UN Convention on The Rights of the Child, or UNCRC\. - [British Sign Language](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/bsl/): Welcome to the British Sign Language section of the website\. This section has been created to ensure children and young people can access information in their own language\. British Sign Language is the first or preferred language for many young people in Scotland, and efforts are focused on promoting and protecting their rights\. - [Freedom of information](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/freedom-of-information/) - [Contact us](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/contact-us/) ## Priorities - [Mental Health](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/priorities/mental-health/) - [Poverty](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/priorities/poverty/) - [Education](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/priorities/education/) - [Our Priorities](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/priorities/my-priorities/): My commitment and duties to work towards a country that provides everything all children are entitled to and to hold to account those responsible for delivering that\. - [Climate Change](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/priorities/climate-change/) ## Resources - [Response to Consultation on Updates to the Code of Practice for the Mental Health \(Care and Treatment\) \(Scotland\) Act 2003](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/resources/response-to-consultation-on-updates-to-the-code-of-practice-for-the-mental-health-care-and-treatment-scotland-act-2003/) - [Annual Report 2025 \- 2026](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/resources/annual-report-2025-2026/): Our Annual Report covers the period from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, marking Commissioner Nicola Killean’s second full year in the role\. It highlights our work to promote and protect children’s rights, from giving young people a greater say in education to challenging child poverty and improving mental health support\. It also reflects on how we have used our new legal powers to defend children’s rights and sets out four recommendations to help make children’s rights a reality across Scotland\. - [Legal Aid Reform \- Scottish Government Consultation](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/resources/legal-aid-oct26/) - [Investigation: Police use of force against children](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/resources/investigation-police-use-of-force-against-children/): The Commissioner used her legal powers of investigation to examine how Police Scotland records and monitors the use of force against children, including Tasers, strip searches, restraint and strikes\. The investigation found gaps and inconsistencies in the data which make it difficult to properly scrutinise what is happening and whether some groups of children are being disproportionately affected\. - [Response to UK Government Consultation on Rosebank and Jackdaw Developments](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/resources/response-to-uk-government-consultation-on-rosebank-and-jackdaw-developments/) ## Governance - [Minutes of meeting: Senior Management Team August 2026](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/governance/minutes-of-meeting-senior-management-team-august-2026/): August 2026\. Meeting minutes from the Commissioner’s Senior Management Team\. - [Advisory Audit Board – Register of Interests](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/governance/advisory-audit-board-register-of-interests/) - [Minutes of meeting: Senior Management Team July 2026](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/governance/minutes-of-meeting-senior-management-team-july-2026/): July 2026\. Meeting minutes from the Commissioner’s Senior Management Team\. - [Minutes of meeting: Senior Management Team June 2026](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/governance/meeting-minutes-senior-management-team-june-2026/): June 2026\. Meeting minutes from the Commissioner’s Senior Management Team\. - [Meeting minutes: Governance Group March 2026](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/governance/meeting-minutes-governance-group-march-2026/): March 2026\. Meeting minutes from the Commissioner’s Governance Group\. ## Positions - [Child poverty](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/positions/child-poverty/): Growing up in poverty is the biggest human rights issue facing children in Scotland\. - [The Right to Food](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/positions/the-right-to-food/): Access to food is a basic human right, but one that isn’t met for all Scotland’s children and young people\. - [Mental health](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/positions/mental-health-2/): Just like anybody else, children and young people have the right to the best mental health possible\.  - [Climate justice](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/positions/climate-justice/): Climate justice is a human rights issue for children and young people now, and they've told us it should be a priority for our office\. - [Domestic abuse](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/positions/domestic-abuse/): Our office has been working on the rights of children who experience domestic abuse for a number of years\. ## FAQ - [Where can I find free legal advice and representation for and about children and young people?](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/faq/where-can-i-get-legal-advice/) - [Can the police handcuff a child?](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/faq/can-the-police-handcuff-a-child/) - [Where can I find information about Children’s Hearings?](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/faq/where-can-i-find-information-childrens-hearings/) - [Where can I find support if I'm experiencing racism?](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/faq/racism-where-can-i-find-support/) - [How can I complain about the police?](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/faq/how-can-i-complain-about-the-police/) ## UNCRC Articles - [Article 31\- I have a right to rest, relax and play\.](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/rights/uncrc/articles/article-31/): Adults should make sure children have the chance to play and relax in a safe, supportive and stimulating environment\. Governments should make sure children can be part of cultural and artistic activities\. When decisions are made about activities in the community, adults should include children in planning these - [Article 12 \- I have the right to be listened to and taken seriously\.](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/rights/uncrc/articles/article-12/): When adults are making decisions that affect children they should ask them what they think\. Adults should take account of children’s views when making the decision\. Children should be supported to give their views in a way that is best for them\. - [Article 6 \- Children have the right to life\.](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/rights/uncrc/articles/article-6/): Children have the right to life\. Governments should make sure that children develop and grow healthily and should protect them from things which could hurt them\. - [Article 3 \- Adults must do what’s best for me\.](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/rights/uncrc/articles/article-3/): When adults make decisions, they should think how they affect children and do what is best for them\. - [Article 2 \- All children have these rights no matter what their differences are](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/rights/uncrc/articles/article-2/): The UNCRC applies to all under 18s, with no exceptions\. Governments should make sure that every child has equal access to their rights\. Governments should make sure that children are protected against discrimination\. ## News and Stories - [Using legal powers, promoting rights, pushing for law and policy changes, all with children at the heart: our Annual Report 2025\-26  ](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/news-and-stories/using-legal-powers-promoting-rights-pushing-for-law-and-policy-changes-all-with-children-at-the-heart-our-annual-report-2025-26/): Today we publish our Annual Report, covering the period from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2026 and Commissioner Nicola Killean’s second full year in the role\.  Incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child \(UNCRC\) was a significant milestone for Scotland, and our Office, as we were given new litigation powers\. Our report shares the success of our legal work, which has had a real impact on strengthening children’s rights\. - [Join us for a LIVE assembly from a primary school for World Children’s Day\! ](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/news-and-stories/join-us-for-a-live-assembly-from-a-primary-school-for-world-childrens-day/): We’re holding an exciting assembly for World Children’s Day – and for the first time, we’ll be broadcasting live from a school\! - [Commissioner calls for answers over deaths of children in state care](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/news-and-stories/commissioner-calls-for-answers-over-deaths-of-children-in-state-care/): Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland Nicola Killean has raised concerns over the increasing number of children dying in state care and called for thorough investigations, clearer data and lessons to be learned to prevent future deaths\. - [Children increasingly know their rights \- Many are not experiencing them\.](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/news-and-stories/children-increasingly-know-their-rights-many-are-not-experiencing-them/): Children increasingly know their rights, but many are still not experiencing those rights in practice, is the key message emerging from the National Health Rights Report 2026, launched at the My Health, My Rights Conference in Stirling\. - [Commissioner's investigation finds worrying data gaps in police use of force against children ](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/news-and-stories/commissioners-investigation-finds-worrying-data-gaps-in-police-use-of-force-against-children/): Children in Scotland are being subjected to police use of force without proper recording and monitoring, according to a new report\. The Children and Young People’s Commissioner investigated how often police had used force against children like Tasers, incapacitating spray, spit hoods, bite guards, strip searches, and “empty hand” techniques which include punches and kicks\. ## Resource Categories - [Consultation Response](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/resource-category/consulation_response/) - [Research and Publications](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/resource-category/research_and_publications/) - [Correspondence](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/resource-category/correspondence/) - [Parliamentary Evidence](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/resource-category/parliamentary_evidence/) - [Education](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/resource-category/education/) ## Office Governance - [Minutes Senior Management](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/office-governance/minutes-senior-management/) - [Annual Report and Accounts](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/office-governance/annual-report-and-accounts/) - [Minutes Governance](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/office-governance/minutes-governance/) - [Office Policy](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/office-governance/office-policy/) - [Corporate Governance](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/office-governance/corporate-governance/) ## News Categories - [Statements](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/news-category/statement/) - [Media Releases](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/news-category/media-releases/) - [Blogs](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/news-category/blogs/) - [education](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/news-category/education/) - [participation](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/news-category/participation/) ## Optional - [Sitemap index](https://www.cypcs.org.uk/sitemap_index.xml)