Minute of meeting of 27 February 2026
Perth and Kinross Council · 16 September 2026
Back to Learning and Families Committee — 16 September 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Children, Young People and Families’ Partnership Minute of meeting of the Children, Young People, and Families Partnership held on Friday 27 February 2026 at 10am in Council Chambers, 2 High Street, Perth. Present: Baillie C McLaren A Singh, Strategic Lead – Children, Families and Justice, PKC G Boland, Strategic Lead – Strategic Planning, People and Performance, PKC S Cooper, Service Manager – Children and Families Social Work E Cruickshank, NHS Tayside R Smith, Third Sector Interface Rep G Binnie, Independent Chair of Child and Adult Protection Committees D Macluskey, Strategic Lead – Education and Learning (from item 7) In Attendance: D Thain, A Devine (NHS – up to item 5), R Jamieson (PKAVS – item 7 only), L Richards (up to item 7), M Smith (up to item 8), J Baker, C McAuley, A McConnachie (all PKC). Apologies: Councillor A Watt with Bailie C McLaren substituting; Councillor Shiers; Councillor Frampton; J Menzies, HSCP; S Jeffrey, Children’s Hearings Scotland; L Sutherland, SCRA; Z Pullar, NHS Tayside; R Munro, Perth and Kinross Council. A Singh in the Chair 1. Welcome and Apologies The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. Apologies were noted as above. 2. Declarations of Interest There were no declarations of interest in terms of the relevant Codes of Conduct. 3. Minute of Previous Meeting The minute of the meeting of the Children, Young People and Families Partnership of 5 December 2025 was submitted and noted as a correct record.
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4. Focus on Teenage Conception Rates in Tayside There was submitted a report (G/26/12) and a short slide based presentation by D Thain, Managed Clinical Network Manager and A Devine, Senior Health Improvement Officer, Sexual Health and Blood Borne Viruses, NHS Tayside exploring possible reasons for the increases in teenage conception rates in Tayside and seeking to re-engage necessary partnerships across Tayside to ensure delivery of interventions to reduce rates further. In response to S Cooper asking how good we are at making condoms readily available, D Thain said it’s something they are always trying to do by identifying and linking in with spaces young people attend. It is a mixed picture overall; there is not a consistent approach in schools and does not think there are any PKC schools providing them. The majority across Tayside are provided by post and there is a drama tour performed at schools that tends to lead to a massive spike after it has been seen but this is not necessarily maintained. They are also available in pharmacies but not sure if young people are aware or access them there. In response to S Cooper asking if condoms could be made available in women’s toilets like sanitary products, D Thain said it is something they could look at piloting, there would be budget restraints and would be reluctant to put them in public toilets as it is an initiative for people who cannot afford them. In response to Baillie C McLaren saying making condoms available in schools would be an easy win D Thain agreed with another reason being that Tayside has the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections in Scotland and mentioned a coordinated approach. Baillie C McLaren suggested coming back to The Partnership with a budget for doing it. In response to the Chair asking if mums are linked in with Family Nurse Practitioners after their babies are born, D Thain said she thinks so with ongoing work in relation to contraception done with them and E Cruickshank agreed. In response to the Chair asking about fathers, if they tend to be teenage or older and if there are any safeguarding issues, D Thain said they did not have the data. Work is done across the genders to support young men to take responsibility for their actions and decisions and in relation to the manosphere. There may be an element of exploitation but does not think it is a key thing. They suspect the majority of fathers are teenagers. That midwives would pick up on safeguarding issues, and nothing is being flagged up. D Thain said that overall, what they are doing is not working, they are looking at targeting communities with the highest rates with a holistic approach and have approached the Scottish Government for funding for a pilot. C McAuley said that maps with work Fairer Futures are doing and will link in. In response to G Boland suggesting taking the presentation to other forums as well such as Community Planning Partnership, D Thain said they will take it wherever awareness is needed.
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L Richards said they would link them in with the Youth Work Partnership at Scott Street and in response to asking if they could have access to the Speakeasy programme at no cost, D Thain said they could. In response to G Binnie asking if they had confidence maternity services know what to do in terms of exploitative relationships and if there is anything the Child Protection Committee could do to improve it as gathering evidence in sexual crimes is difficult, E Cruickshank said there is a degree of confidence around links and sharing when teenage pregnancies are picked up, more information and knowledge could probably be shared through the Public Protection Team. A Devine said it is something to explore and formalise as just now it is down to individual teams. In response to the Chair asking how we ensure future interventions are sustainable following a seismic shift between 2016-2021, D Thain said they have evidence of what worked in the past, there is scoping work being done to find good practice taking place and they will then look to fill in the gaps by building into what is already happening. S Cooper said pregnancies at school often result in repeating cycles of poverty as there is no support system in place. Resolved: The Partnership noted the report. 5. Route Maps from The Promise Scotland L Richards referred to the letter from COSLA within the Agenda Document Pack and said there is a session at the end of March to look at Route Maps and where our Corporate Parent Plan aligns and adjust it where needed following the session. In response to the Chair asking if the preferred method of response to COLSA would be in writing or a discussion, L Richards said discussion. In response to the Chair asking the Partnership if they agreed to remit responding to COSLA’s letter to L Richards, the Partnership agreed. Resolved: The Partnership agreed to remit the response to COSLA’s letter to L Richards. 6. Corporate Parenting 2025-2030 – Annual Update There was submitted a report by L Richards, Service Manager - Children and Families Social Work (G/26/13) updating The Partnership on the progress made in the past year in relation to the actions outlined in the Corporate Parenting Plan 2025 – 2030. In response to G Boland asking what are the implications of upcoming legislation and how the Partnership can prepare, L Richards said we do not know if the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning)
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(Scotland) Bill will become an Act, if it does the biggest implication will be financial with the need for an increased workforce due to a fundamental change in the definition of a care experienced young person opening up Through Care and Aftercare. There is the Care Leaver Payment coming in April and there is no financial agreement from the Scottish Government regarding its administration. In response to G Boland asking for an update on actions with a timescale of January 2025, L Richards said the data set had been delayed by moving to the new Mosaic system then linking it with SEEMIS, and they are looking at reporting now. In response to E Cruickshank asking about increased responsibilities for Health and Social Care Partnerships, L Richards said different local authorities have different structures, this would be where Children’s Services sits in the Health and Social Care Partnership and would be around lifelong advocacy and child to adult transition support. In response to the Chair asking how they are ensuring voices of young people are being heard, L Richards said they are key to it all. They have had a change in structure with no dedicated Children’s Rights Officer and the responsibilities shared with Youth Workers who work with Champions Boards. Champions Boards are working well with young people attending in their own space and they feedback to a Youth Worker who sits on the Corporate Parenting Sub Group. Resolved: The Partnership noted the progress of the actions contained in Appendix 1. 7. Young Carers Presentation There was a short slide based presentation by R Jamieson, PKAVS Carers Centre Manager on young carers and the work PKAVS are doing. In response to Baillie C McLaren asking how much their Alternative Respite Funding Pot is and whether they have applied to the Robertson Trust or Northwood Trust, R Jamieson said it is approximately £21,000 from the Local Authority, their income is too high to apply to the Robertson Trust and they have not applied to the Northwood Trust as they thought it was directed towards Dundee. Baillie C McLaren encouraged them to apply. In response to D Macluskey asking if we are getting it right with groups that support young carers, R Jamieson said it is better now than it has ever been and they pull resources from partners more than ever although there is always room for improvement. In response to S Cooper asking how do they know they are getting good outcomes from the current tutorial model, R Jamieson said through feedback from young carers who have an increase in confidence around schoolwork and feedback from parents, tutors, and schools.
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In response to the Chair asking if we are doing enough in relation to Child Poverty, R Jamieson said about 90% of young carers are from financially disadvantaged families and we could probably do more. G Boland said he would look to take that forward. In response to S Cooper asking if they are linked in with Fairer Future, R Jamieson said they have it is something they have just started working on. In response to Baillie C McLaren asking if housing concerns are ever brought to them and is that information we should be capturing, R Jamieson said large portion of young carers are from social housing and is not aware of any housing issues being brought to them. In response to the Chair asking if they have noticed a change the profile of young carers, R Jamieson said an increase in mental health challenges. COVID had a serious impact with young carers losing their break from caring that came through attending school, they fell behind with schoolwork as care needs increased. Counselling is a valuable resource. Resolved: The Partnership noted the presentation. 8. Thematic Approach to Performance Reporting There was submitted a report by Strategic Lead - Children, Families and Justice (G/26/14) continuing the thematic reporting plan for performance and outcome information focused on children, young people and families and setting out a suite of information focused on contextual and inequalities information, for consideration and scrutiny by the Partnership. In response to G Boland asking about the difference in 4-5 year old reviews from the previous year, E Cruickshank said this is due to reduced delivery to non-core families and will return to full delivery in October. In response to the Chair asking about the reduction in immunisation uptake, if herd immunity could be compromised and should we be promoting immunisations to childminders and early years, E Cruickshank said this is an area of concern, there is a risk around herd immunity, and they are very much focussing on that. The Childhood Immunisation Group is still going, education work on it is a high priority which should be shared across Tayside and the group is thinking about broadening its membership to include partners so could look to do that. In response to D Macluskey asking about the trends in mothers smoking during pregnancy and babies being breastfed, E Cruickshank said there has been good traction in the past, it has waned and they are refreshing that with midwives and having conversations around broader addiction issues with the Drug Partnership. C McAuley said there is a clear link with inequalities and deprivation which Fairer Futures are looking at.
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In response to the Chair asking about primary 1 children meeting their milestones, the link to COVID and the support available, D Macluskey said support for families was initially really positive, it waned and was reviewed. Now have more stimulating learning for boys in particular which has had some success, enhanced primary 1 transition for children who have not met their milestones and a realignment of early years provision to support those that need it. There is a link to poverty and depravation and a feeling they are being successful but need the data to support that. Resolved: (i) Considered and commented upon the information set out in Appendix 1; and (ii) Provided guidance to inform the future direction of thematic performance reporting. 9. Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee Business Activity Report Since 5 December 2025 There was submitted a report by the Independent Chair of Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (G/26/15) providing a summary of the key business activities of the Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC) since the last meeting of the Children, Young People and Families Partnership (CYPFP) on 5 December 2025 when the update report was last presented. In response to the Chair asking about Perth and Kinross’s response to the national picture around child sexual exploitation and abuse, G Binnie said their focus is not just on assessment but the good work and practices that are being done. S Cooper said they have only just started to look at it with the focus on the last 2 years. In response to the Chair asking if there are lessons to be learned can they be put in place locally, G Binnie said they have already slightly changed their quality assurance work and through working with Dundee’s trafficking enquiry they have a lot of information on what went well and what did not. S Cooper said the operational group has identified areas where there are gaps and is in the process of making changes. J Baker said they are carrying out a desktop audit, Perth and Kinross are in a different environment to other Local Authorities as they do not have any residential units and have already identified issues they want to take forward. The Chair said the findings are about understanding how gaps occurred and not about blame. Resolved: The Partnership noted and endorsed this update from the CPC. 10. Cost of the School Day Policy There was submitted a report by Rhona Munro, SAC and PEF Project Lead (G/26/16) setting out the policy which Perth and Kinross Council schools should follow to ensure that all children and young people receive the same
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opportunities in their educational journey, regardless of their socio-economic background. In response to S Cooper asking what the response from Parent Councils has been, D Macluskey said overall it has been well received. Resolved: The Partnership considered the contents of the report and commented as appropriate. 11. Perth and Kinross Integrated Children’s Service Plan – Update There was submitted a report by Strategic Lead – Children, Families and Justice (G/26/17) providing a second update on the development of the Perth and Kinross Integrated Children’s Service Plan (ICSP) 2026-2029. The Chair said they will bring a report to the next Partnership meeting regarding governance of the plan. The Chair asked for and was granted delegated authority from the Partnership to submit a draft of the plan to the Scottish Government. Resolved: The Partnership: (i) Considered and commented upon the information detailed in the report and as set out within Appendix 1; and (ii) Provided guidance to inform the future direction and further development of the ICSP 2026-2029; and (iii) Granted the Chair delegated authority to submit a draft of the plan to the Scottish Government.