{"id":834,"date":"2016-01-25T16:00:39","date_gmt":"2016-01-25T16:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/an\/anguschildrenandlearning\/?p=834"},"modified":"2016-01-25T16:01:31","modified_gmt":"2016-01-25T16:01:31","slug":"children-and-young-peoples-commissioner-visits-angus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/an\/anguschildrenandlearning\/2016\/01\/25\/children-and-young-peoples-commissioner-visits-angus\/","title":{"rendered":"Children and Young People’s Commissioner Visits Angus"},"content":{"rendered":"

posted by Eileen Jackson, Early Years Collaborative Programme Manager
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Children and Young People\u2019s Commissioner visits Angus
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Children and Young People\u2019s Commissioner, Tam Baillie, visits a number of early years services today (14 January 2016) to see some of the outcomes of the Early Years Collaborative in Angus.<\/p>\n

The Early Years Collaborative (EYC) was launched in October 2012 and is the world\u2019s first national multi-agency quality improvement programme. Its aim is to make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up\u00a0in by improving outcomes and reducing inequalities for all babies, children, mothers, fathers and families to ensure that all children have the best start in life and are ready to succeed.<\/p>\n

Launched in October 2012, EYC involves all 32 Community Planning Partnerships and a wide range of National Partners.<\/p>\n

In Angus there is a multi-agency approach<\/a>, working to deliver improvement through change at grass roots level across the county. It focuses on what already works well and what needs to happen to develop more effective improvement.<\/p>\n

Welcoming the Commissioner, the Council\u2019s Vice Convener of Children and Learning, Councillor Lynne Devine<\/a> said: \u201cThe early years of a child\u2019s life is so crucial to their development and life chances.\u00a0 For this reason we are trying hard to prioritise the services \u2013 health, social work and education \u2013 who work together to support families as early as possible.\u00a0 In the Early Years Collaborative, continual improvements through small tests of change are undertaken to make our services as good as they can be for both the children and their families.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m delighted to welcome Tam to Angus and to be able to show him some of the excellent work being done by staff in the Early Years Collaborative which in the long run will help to close the educational gap which concerns all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tam Baillie, Children and Young People\u2019s Commissioner Scotland said: \u201cThe\u00a0early years of children\u2019s lives are the most important; it is their earliest experiences at home, at school and with friends\u00a0that shape how they will develop.\u00a0It is also a children\u2019s rights issue. We know that focusing on the early years will have life-long benefits into adulthood. That\u2019s why the work that Angus Council is doing through the EYC is an inspiring example of making real the good intentions of the Children and Young People Act and by doing so, further improve the long-term outcomes for our children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aileen Campbell, Minister for Children and Young People said: \u201cThere are almost 650 Early Years Collaborative (EYC) Improvement Projects across Scotland and it\u2019s encouraging to see that, through their involvement with the EYC, Angus is strengthening their services to improve outcomes and life chances for children and families.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have increased support for expectant mums where there are issues relating to substance misuse;\u00a0improved sharing of information between health and early learning and childcare so children\u2019s development needs can be identified and responded to as early as possible and they\u2019ve increased children\u2019s library membership through Bookbug to build literacy skills.\u00a0 This is exactly what the EYC is about \u2013 making early year\u2019s services as effective as possible so all children gets the best start in life and have an equal opportunity to thrive and learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Notes to editors:<\/strong>
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EYC focuses on strengthening and building on services using improvement methodology. This method enables local practitioners to test, measure, implement and scale up new ways of working to improve outcomes for children and families.<\/p>\n

The commissioner will have the opportunity to find out more about the following on his visit:<\/p>\n