| Title |
Children and Young People`s Services Plan 2026-2029 |
| Lead officer(s) |
Sina Currie, Senior Nurse Manager, Integrated Children`s Services |
| Telephone number |
|
| Email address |
sina.currie@east-ayrshire.gov.uk |
| Date summary created |
21 Oct 2026 |
| Date assessment completed |
20 Oct 2026 |
| Summary of policy aims |
The Children and Young People's Services Plan 2026-2029 sets out a shared vision, priorities and outcomes for children, young people and families across East Ayrshire. It reflects the collective commitment of Community Planning Partners, including local and national public sector organisations, the Third Sector, and community partners who work together to improve outcomes for children and families and aligns directly with the East Ayrshire Community Plan 2015-2030.
We will translate our collective ambitions into practical actions, measurable outcomes and clear accountability. By using data, evidence and lived experience to inform decision-making, we will target resources where they can make the greatest difference and ensure progress is regularly reviewed and reported.
Evaluating the impact of the East Ayrshire Children and Young People`s Services Plan is a shared responsibility across all Children`s Services Planning Partners. Robust performance management and continuous improvement will be central to ensuring that we deliver positive outcomes for children, young people and families across East Ayrshire. |
| Key issues |
The Children and Young People`s Service Plan 2026 - 2029 recognises that the needs of children and young people vary throughout their life and are shaped by social, economic, environmental and family factors. These factors can have a significant impact on health, development, education, safety and future outcomes. In addition, some children and their families can experience additional or more complex needs and they will often face overlapping issues.
We want to ensure that every young person in East Ayrshire has the best start in life and that they are supported to be safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, responsible, respected and included. No single organisation owns the solutions to the challenges our communities face and as such, effective intervention requires partnership working. |
| Summary of involvement with Groups |
A key priority throughout the development of the CYPSP has been ensuring that the voices of children, young people and families are captured in a meaningful, consistent and transparent way. Informed by research and learning from best practice across Scotland, the Children's Services Leadership Group has agreed to adopt the national VOiCE (Visioning Outcomes in Community Engagement) platform as the standard approach for engagement and consultation activities. This will provide a consistent and evidence-based methodology for gathering, analysing and demonstrating the impact of participation across all stages of service planning, design and evaluation.
The adoption of VOiCE reflects our commitment to embedding participation and co-production within decision-making processes, ensuring that children, young people and families are not only heard but are able to influence the development of services that affect their lives. By strengthening our approach to engagement, we will be better equipped to understand local needs, measure the impact of participation and demonstrate how feedback has informed change. This directly supports the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), particularly Article 12, which affirms the right of children and young people to express their views freely and have those views given due weight in all matters affecting them. Together with the principles outlined in Article 3, this ensures that the best interests, rights and wellbeing of children and young people remain at the centre of strategic planning, service design and delivery across East Ayrshire.
1. A key focus of our approach was ensuring that children, young people and families have meaningful opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their lives. Through mechanisms such as the Children and Young People`s Cabinet, Rights Respecting Schools, Care Experience Cabinet and a range of local engagement activities, children and young people are helping to influence policies, services and community priorities
Utilising the the VOiCE participation framework, further engagement with children and young people took place. Care experienced children and young people and young carers helped to shape the two engagement questions;
Q1. What are the most important things to you that would make East Ayrshire the best place for children and young people to live?
Q2. What things do we need to do better?
2. Engagement with Care Experienced young people on 17.03.26, Young Carers Group (Primary 1 -7) in New Cumnock on 24.03.26 and Dalmellington (S1-S6) on 02.04.26. Further engagement will include children and young people effected by imprisonment. Ayrshire 360, facilitated engagement via their Community Pathways, coordinating a response from Youth Workers, Friday Night Football, Youth Mentor and Active School Coordinators.
Engagement at Park School in May 2026, individual class discussion with pupils across the Secondary Sector. Further engagement opportunity hosted Engagement HQ with QR code circulated across ICS Leadership Group. National Play Day took place on Wednesday 5th August 2026, QR code with the two questions located throughout the Kay Park with colleagues gathering responses from attendees throughout the day.
Oversight of CYPSP rests with the Integrated Children's Services, with responsibility for strategic planning and continuous improvement activity delegated to the Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership (CYPSP) which is now known as the Executive Leadership Group for Infant's, Children and Young People. This governance is managed on a shared basis with the Child Protection Committee (CPC).
A session with the Resettlement Team capturing voices of refugee children, young people and families.
3. Identifying best practice across Scotland on how the voice of our children is captured has led us to agree as a leadership group to utilise the national VOiCE platform for all communication and engagement with children and families.
Existing local or national evidence which has been used to inform the development of your policy. The overarching vision “East Ayrshire`s vision for the |
| Key recommendations |
We are committed to ensuring that every child and young person in East Ayrshire has the best possible start in life and the opportunity to grow up loved, safe, respected and supported. As partners, we will work together to protect children`s rights, promote their wellbeing and respond effectively to their needs. Grounded in the principles of GIRFEC and The Promise, our commitment is to provide compassionate, coordinated and inclusive services that enable all children and young people to flourish within their families, communities and schools.
Approving the Children and Young People's Services Plan 2026-2029 will support elimination of discrimination, and promotion the equality of opportunity be providing support to our most vulnerable communities. It will also support a focus on promoting good relations by ensuring that there is a shared understating of issues facing our most vulnerable children, young people and families covering the nine protected characteristics. |