9. Cabinet 2 June 26 2026 CSP Performance Report
North Ayrshire Council · 2 June 2026
Back to Cabinet — 2 June 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 2 June 2026 Cabinet Title: Children’s Services Performance Report 2025/26 Purpose: To seek approval for: a) The North Ayrshire Children’s Services Plan Performance Report 2025/26 Recommendation: That Cabinet: a) Approves the North Ayrshire Children’s Services Plan Performance Report 2024/26 b) Notes the update in relation to the new Children and Families Plan 2026-2029 1. Executive Summary 1.1 1.1 1.1 Every Local Authority and relevant Health Board are required to jointly prepare a Children's Services Plan for the area of the local authority for each three-year period. Plans are developed collaboratively with other members of the Community Planning Partnership (CPP), as well as with children, young people and their families at various stages of the development and review of the Plan. We published our current Children’s Services Plan 2023-26 in June 2023. 1.2 Our North Ayrshire Children’s Services Plan 2023-26 is part of a suite of child focussed plans which outline how we are actively supporting the wellbeing and wellness of our children and young people, as well as promoting and advocating for the rights of our children and young people. 1.3 This paper presents the North Ayrshire Children’s Services Plan Performance Report 2025/26 and has been prepared in collaboration with the Children’s Services Strategic Partnership (CSSP) which consists of representatives from our Community Planning Partners. We have a duty under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 to produce a Children’s Services Plan Performance report at the end of each year. The 2025/26 Performance Report is the final report associated with this plan cycle and closes off the current Children’s Services Plan.
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1.4 Our Children’s Services Plan Performance Report 2025/26 highlights some of the key achievements and areas of work which impact on babies, infants, children, young people and their families. 1.5 The Children’s Services Strategic Partnership also monitors the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund. The Whole Family Wellbeing Fund is a £500 million investment over the life of the Scottish Parliament (2022 to 2026). 1.6 Appendix 3 of the Children’s Services Performance Report provides a summary of progress to date including updates on the previously agreed proposals and new developments, as well as the current funding position. 1.7 The Children’s Services Strategic Partnership agreed that a new style of Children and Families Plan for 2026 to 2029 would be developed to set out our collective strategic responsibility to promote the wellbeing, rights, and outcomes of babies, infants, children and young people and their families in our area. This responsibility is underpinned by three key statutory duties, including: • Children’s Services Planning: Every local authority and its Health Board must jointly prepare a Children’s Services Plan for each three-year period. • Child Poverty Reporting: The local authority and Health Board must jointly produce an annual Local Child Poverty Action Report. • Children’s Rights Compliance: Local authorities and Health Boards, as listed public authorities, must act in a way that is compatible with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and embed children’s rights in their decision- making and service delivery. 1.8 Recognising the links across these areas of the children’s services plans and reports, we have aligned our planning and reporting, which will be supported by a shared set of child and family wellbeing actions and indicators. This streamlines processes, strengthens accountability, and will enable more effective targeting of resources to improve outcomes for babies, infants, children, young people, and families. 1.9 This work sits within our wider ambitions of strengthening whole family support. We are one of the Scottish Government’s ‘early adopter’ authorities, with that programme established to address the twin barriers of: i) policy complexity and overlap, and ii) funding and reporting approaches. 2. Background Children’s Services Plan Performance Report 2025/26 2.1 Part 3 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 seeks to improve outcomes for all children and young people in Scotland by ensuring that local planning and delivery of services is integrated, focused on securing quality and value through preventative approaches, and dedicated to safeguarding, supporting and promoting child wellbeing. It aims to ensure that any action to meet need is taken at the earliest appropriate time and that, where appropriate, this is taken to prevent need arising. The aims are about creating and maintaining a local environment which facilitates Getting it Right for Every Child Practice (GIRFEC) for individual children and young people.
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2.2 Section 13 (1) of the Act requires that as soon as practicable after the end of each one-year period, a local authority and the relevant health board must publish (in such manner as they consider appropriate) a report on the extent to which: a. children’s and related services have, in that one-year period, been provided in accordance with the Children’s Services Plan; and b. that the provision of services has achieved – i. the aims of children’s services planning (section 9(2)), and ii. such outcomes in relation to the wellbeing of children in the area as the Scottish Ministers may by order prescribe. 2.3 This is our final performance report relating to our 2023-26 Children’s Services Plan which focusses on our vision 'For all our children and young people to have the best start in life and for North Ayrshire to be the best place in Scotland to grow up'. The Performance Report 2025/26 has been structured in line with our five priorities set out in the Plan. These are – 1. The rights of children and young people are promoted and protected. 2. Acting early to improve what happens next. 3. Making Things Fairer 4. Promoting good mental health and wellbeing 5. Inspiring children and young people to be active 2.4 A set of actions were identified to be delivered by CPP partners. Updates on the progress of the actions has been included in Appendix 1 of the report. We have established a set of indicators to measure progress, as attached in Appendix 2 of the report. 2.5 A summary version of the report will be produced in collaboration with young people to ensure it is fully accessible and engaging for our young people. 2.6 Some of the key highlights from the 2025/26 Performance Report include: • All North Ayrshire schools take part in the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) programme, showing a strong commitment to children’s rights • 15 local primary and secondary schools have now signed up to the Young Carers Covenant, ensuring that young carer awareness and tailored support are embedded into school culture. • From 1 July 2025, the National Childbirth Trust began providing postnatal breastfeeding support for women discharged from Ayrshire Maternity Unit who were breastfeeding. Between July and March, 1,331 women accessed this support, with around half exclusively breastfeeding at 6–8 weeks. • 89 practitioners are now trained in the Building Positive Relationships programme, embedding a preventative, trauma-informed approach that strengthens parental regulation, relationships and resilience while reducing reliance on crisis intervention. • 12 local projects and services received a share of the £1.19 million Whole Family Wellbeing Fund investment in North Ayrshire, to support the delivery of positive outcomes for children, young people and families across North Ayrshire. • The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award provided a strong wellbeing and achievement pathway, engaging over 1,000 young people and supporting progression through Bronze, Silver and Gold levels.
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• 9,781 young people participated in sport and physical activity sessions through Active Schools. 2.7 The Children’s Services Strategic Partnership also monitors the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund. The Whole Family Wellbeing Fund is a £500 million investment over the life of the Scottish Parliament (2022 to 2026). Children and Families Plan 2026 to 2029 2.8 Our new joint approach in our Children and Families Plan 2026-29 was approved by Cabinet in January 2026, where it was agreed that the joint responsibilities for planning and reporting could be brought together into one plan, including: • Children’s Services Planning (Part 3 of Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014). The legislation sets out a requirement to develop and publish a Children’s Services Plan every three years, reporting annually on its progress. These plans describe how partners will work together and with local communities, to plan and deliver the right types of services and support so these result in improved life experiences and outcomes for the children and families living in that area. • Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017. This legislation sets out a requirement to develop and publish an annual report to: describe measures taken and planned to meet 2030 Scottish Government child poverty targets; include income maximisation supports, advice and financial assistance; and highlight tailored actions for families facing additional challenges due to protected characteristics. • UNCRC Incorporation (Scotland) Act 2024. This legislation sets out a requirement to develop and publish report on actions taken to comply with UNCRC and outline future improvement plans. This supports the integration of children’s human rights into planning, communications, and decision-making. 2.9 Combining these planning approaches is in line with the Scottish Government’s Whole Family Support (WFS) project, where we are one of seven ‘early adopter’ local authorities. The Whole Family Support approach recognises that reporting complexity and overlap acts as a barrier to local authorities and aims to address this by increasing permissions and reducing reporting and bureaucracy burdens. 2.10 The Children and Families Plan 2026-2029 is in an advanced phase of development with the Children’s Services Strategic Partnership and will be a high level, strategic plan, designed to bring together the impact of our collective efforts on child and family wellbeing. This intends to shift traditionally siloed data practices to reveal an interconnected picture of outcomes. With a shared and consistent evidence base, our strategic planning and decision making will be more robust, enabling us to target resources to where they will have the greatest impact. 2.11 The process of strengthening alignment across governance, planning and service provision is complex and multi-faceted. The Scottish Government’s Whole Family Support approach is underway but is operating on a multi-phase basis with real-time learning integrated into the process. Similarly, we are viewing our own local reform as incremental. The opportunity to align these areas now as a result of natural policy cycles is timely. Our overarching goal remains to further strengthen our capacity to deliver integrated and holistic support to those residents who require it.
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2.12 It is proposed that the new Children and Families Plan 2026-29 will be presented to Cabinet and to IJB in September for formal approval. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that Cabinet: a) Approves the North Ayrshire Children’s Services Plan Performance Report 2025/26; b) Agrees that the North Ayrshire Children’s Services Plan Performance Report 2025/26 can be submitted to the Scottish Government; c) Notes that child friendly versions of these reports and Plan will be published as soon as possible, and; d) Notes the progress relating to the development of the new Children and Families Plan 2026-2029. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 There are no financial implications for North Ayrshire Council contained within the current report. Human Resources 4.2 There are no HR implications for North Ayrshire Council contained within the current report. Legal 4.3 We have a duty under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 to produce a Children’s Services Plan Performance report every year detailing the activities undertaken in relation to Children’s Services. We have a duty under Children’s Services Planning (Part 3 of Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014). The legislation sets out a requirement to develop and publish a Children’s Services Plan every three years, reporting annually on its progress. These plans describe how partners will work together and with local communities, to plan and deliver the right types of services and support so these result in improved life experiences and outcomes for the children and families living in that area. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 Recognising and advocating the rights of our children and young people directly contributes to ensuring equality and equity of opportunity in North Ayrshire. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 There are no Climate Change and Carbon implications.
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Key Priorities 4.6 This report directly supports our Council’s vision of creating ‘a North Ayrshire that is Fair for All’ and our mission of ‘Working together to improve the lives our people in North Ayrshire’. It demonstrates how we are contributing all of our priorities ‘Wellbeing’, ‘Communities and Local Democracy’, ‘Climate Change’ and ‘A Sustainable Council’ in ensuring children’s rights are embedded throughout our services as well as reducing inequality and improving outcomes. This report directly supports the Health and Social Care Partnership Strategic Plan and vision “To empower people in North Ayrshire to live safe, healthy and active lives with fair and equal access to sustainable health and care services.” This report directly supports the North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership Plan and three key themes of ‘Wellbeing’, ‘Work’ and ‘World’. Community Wealth Building 4.7 There are no Community Wealth Building implications for North Ayrshire Council contained within the current report. Islands Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) 4.8 None. United Nations Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 4.9 The joint plan explicitly demonstrates our commitment to Children’s Rights and our continued work to ensure children’s rights are being met. Consumer Duty 4.10 None. 5. Consultation 5.1 Contributions from services across our Council and Partners have been included in this report. Services regularly consult with children, young people and families. A Young Person’s version of the report will be developed over the summer months to ensure it is fully accessible for our young people. Caroline Cameron Director (North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership) For further information please contact Lauren McMath, Policy Officer (Children’s Services), (Health and Social Care Partnership), on 01294 324160, laurenmcmath@north-ayrshire.gov.uk. Background Papers Appendix 1: North Ayrshire Children’s Services Performance Report 2025/26
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Children’s Services Plan – Performance Report 2025-26
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2 Contents Welcome 3 Introduction 4 Priority 1 – The rights of children and young people are promoted and protected 5 Priority 2 – Acting early to improve what happens next 16 Priority 3 – Making things fairer 25 Priority 4 – Promoting good mental health and wellbeing 37 Priority 5 – Inspiring children and young people to be active 41
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3 Welcome Welcome to the 2025-26 Children’s Services Plan Performance Report. In this report we hope to demonstrate some of the key work of the Children's Services Strategic Partnership members and highlight our progress and achievements over the past year. This is the last performance report aligned to our 2023-26 Children’s Services Plan and we close off this Plan hoping to show the improvements that have been made as we worked towards our vision for ‘North Ayrshire to be the best place in Scotland to grow up’ while we continued to focus on promoting children and young people’s wellbeing, underpinned by Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). We recognise that our strong partnership foundation in North Ayrshire provides continued commitment to collectively focus on improving outcomes for our babies, children, young people and families. Our aim going forward will now be to join up our key areas of focus and planning into a streamlined Children and Families Plan for 2026-29 and continue to build on all the progress made through our Children’s services Strategic Partnership to drive forward our ambitions for North Ayrshire. We want to make sure that we move seamlessly into a Whole Family Support model of working where we continue to place babies, children, young people and families at the very heart of service delivery so we can provide the right support at the right time. Caroline Cameron Director North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership (Chair of North Ayrshire Children’s Services Strategic Partnership)
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4 Introduction This report focuses on the key highlights over 2025/26 and has been organised around the five Priorities set out in the Children’s Services Plan 2023-26. We are currently reporting on the third and final year of our Children’s Services Plan which covers 2025-26. The five Strategic Priorities are shown above. Our Children’s Services Strategic Partnership is the responsible group providing leadership in the delivery of the Children’s Services Plan’s vision of our children and young people having the best start in life and for North Ayrshire to be the best place to grow up. This strategic group includes members from: • North Ayrshire Council • NHS Ayrshire and Arran • North Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership • Police Scotland • Scottish Children’s Reporters Administration • Care Inspectorate • Children’s Panel • Third Sector • Scottish Fire and Rescue • Ayrshire College • KA Leisure Appendix 1 to this report provides detailed updates for the 2023-2026 Children’s Services Plan Actions for 2025-26. Appendix 2 provides Performance Indicator data. Appendix 3 provides our Whole Family Wellbeing Support report for 2025-26. For any further information please contact Strategic Planning Team on strategicplanningHSCP@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
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5 Priority 1 – The rights of children and young people are promoted and protected Key Highlights and Progress Children’s Rights We have been working to champion the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), ensuring that all children in North Ayrshire have their rights met, protected and advocated for. In July 2024, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 came into effect. The Act provides protection for the human rights of children and young people in Scotland. Rights Respecting Schools All North Ayrshire schools take part in the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) programme, showing a strong commitment to children’s rights in education. Schools are making good progress — by December 2025, 24 have Bronze, 29 have Silver, and 18 have Gold awards. Schools say the RRSA programme helps children talk about their rights, builds confidence, and improves school life. Pupils are more involved in making decisions and support each other, creating welcoming and safe environments for everyone. North Ayrshire is clearly committed to children’s rights through this work. Case Study: Lockhart Campus was recognised for making good progress towards embedding the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into their ethos and curriculum by gaining Silver accreditation.
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6 The Silver Rights Respecting Schools accreditation is a significant milestone to celebrate how Lockhart Campus is putting children and young people’s rights into the heart of everything that they do. The campus joins others such as Largs Early Years Centre, Springside Primary School, West Kilbride Primary School and St John Ogilvie Primary School who have all progressed to silver in the last year. Assessed at the end of 2025, the silver accreditation has been reached following a number of actions and initiatives developed alongside the Rights Respecting Schools Steering group – with pupil representation from right across the school. Embedding the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Over the last year, UNCRC principles were embedded through targeted consultation and participation activity with children and young people. Engagement included 114 Primary 7 pupils participating in Youth Council workshops exploring key UNCRC articles, including Article 8 (identity), Article 26 (child poverty), Article 27 (risk-taking behaviour) and language and inclusion (Article 30). Feedback gathered is informing service planning and was shared with partners. Young people co-produced the Pupil Voice Toolkit, providing practical guidance to support inclusive and meaningful pupil participation and delivery of Article 12 of the UNCRC. Connected Communities staff, alongside Education, continued to lead UNCRC implementation through staff training, member briefings, child-friendly reporting and direct engagement with young people, ensuring a consistent rights-based approach across Council services. Care experienced young people were engaged through the Champions Board across all 10 secondary schools, with delivery of the What Is The Promise? programme supporting awareness of rights and The Promise.
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7 Young people identified priorities through structured engagement, which were presented directly to staff and senior leaders to inform corporate parenting practice. Strategic consultation also took place through large-scale engagement events, including a Joint Cabinet session involving over 200 secondary pupils, where young people shared views on poverty, wellbeing, risk-taking and employability with elected members and Chief Officers. Additional UNCRC-aligned engagement was delivered through the Joint Youth Forum and Youth Conference, ensuring children and young people’s voices informed policy development, service redesign and decision-making across the Council. Maximising learner participation and voice The new Learner Participation policy and operating procedure (POP) was launched across all establishments. The Young Leaders of Learning programme was piloted by 11 Early Years centres and schools. This programme enhanced opportunities to maximise learner participation and learner voice across the pilot establishments. Young Carers We are committed to identifying Young Carers earlier in their caring journey and increasing the uptake of Young Carers Statements. Significant progress has been made across education settings to embed consistent, meaningful support. • 15 local primary and secondary schools have now signed up to the Young Carers Covenant, ensuring that young carer awareness and tailored support are embedded into school culture. • The number of Young Carers Statements offered and accepted across education continues to grow, reflecting stronger identification pathways and increased confidence among staff in recognising and supporting young carers. • A comprehensive Young Carers Education Information Pack has been developed to strengthen professional understanding and enable a consistent approach to support • Young Carer Statement training sessions have been delivered for staff, helping ensure that statutory duties are met and support is personalised and meaningful. • Through collaborative work, the Carers Gateway and local schools have established a shared working agreement, reviewed annually, which sets out mutual goals for identifying and supporting young carers. These may include: o Regular group sessions within schools o Dedicated one-to-one support for young carers o Developing a Young Carers Charter tailored to each school o Awareness-raising activities for pupils, families, and staff o Providing targeted resources for each school’s needs o Support during key transition points, including P7–S1 and the move to post-school destinations
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8 This collaborative, prevention-focused approach ensures young carers are identified earlier, understood better, and supported in ways that make a genuine difference to their wellbeing and educational experience. LGBT Youth Scotland Charter of Education Irvine Royal Academy has become the first school in North Ayrshire and the latest secondary school in Scotland to have achieved the prestigious LGBT Youth Scotland Charter of Education Gold Award. A national award, the LGBT Youth Scotland Charter of Education Gold Award accreditation - awarded by Glasgow based charity, LGBT Youth Scotland - recognises schools that go above and beyond the basic requirements to support LGBT pupils, staff, parents and carers. Being accredited enables schools to share a positive message championing the LGBT community with confidence, where all LGBTQ+ staff, parents and learners can be safe, supported and included. As part of the important work, over the past year, Irvine Royal pupils and the colleagues supporting them have: • Hosted a weekly Pride Group drop-in every Tuesday for LGBT pupils and allies • Created their own LGBT inclusion board in the main foyer of the school • Hosted a Pride Month celebration with film screening of Heartstopper film • Introduced more diverse book titles in the school library • Ran a drop-in session during LGBT History Month 2025 to celebrate queer icons • Enjoyed a picnic outing and scavenger hunt at McGavin Park in Kilwinning in partnership with Kilwinning Academy’s Equalities group • Helped to promote and be involved in weekly wellbeing walking sessions
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9 • Worked closely with the school’s leadership team and pupil voice ambassadors to develop initiatives to support pupils who may be self-conscious or finding it difficult to be themselves in school Young people involved in the Irvine Royal Pride Group said: • “I really feel like I can be myself and I know where I can turn to for support.” • “I am proud to be part of a school that celebrates my muchness and gives me safe spaces to express myself and make my voice heard.” • “Although I am not queer, I feel like I have the strategies and knowledge now to help my friends who are if they are struggling so that they know they are not alone.” • “The weekly group has made such a difference to my wellbeing.” Six North Ayrshire secondary schools have now either achieved or are on their journey to achieving their next level LGBT Charter for Education accreditation. Irvine Royal Academy now has Gold. Greenwood Academy and the North Ayrshire Youth Services team follow closely behind, holding Silver Level. Although not a school – North Ayrshire Youth Work is part of the council’s Community Learning and Development team and should still be recognised equally for their accomplishments to achieve the Silver Level. Engagement and Consultation Our Youth Services Team are central to the engagement and consultation with our young people through various methods including community-based youth forums, Executive Youth Council, thematic youth work groups, Joint Cabinet, P7 youth council and various other events. We also actively engage with young people to gather their views and opinions through online methods and social media. Topics are co designed and produced with young people and provide valuable data to inform polices, plans and service delivery.
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10 Community learning and Development supported 5,796 young people through active citizenship and community participation through youth forums, Joint Cabinet, Community Councils, Place Framework activity, consultations, climate workshops, community investment activity and issue- based youth work. Engagement strengthened voice, shared decision-making and confidence in shaping local priorities. Democracy and Citizenship We support children and young people to have their voices heard, in line with UNCRC Article 12. They are involved through youth forums, Joint Cabinet, Community Councils, consultations, climate workshops and issue-based youth work. These activities help young people build confidence and take part in decisions about their communities. We worked closely with partners such as Education, the Alcohol and Drug Partnership, Police Scotland, outreach services and third sector organisations. This created more chances for young people to get involved and speak about issues important to them, including wellbeing, substance use, poverty and keeping safe. The Executive Youth Council and MSYPs met regularly and took part in work on budgets, food insecurity, period poverty and equality. Young people also helped shape services through Joint Cabinet sessions, the Youth Forum and the annual Youth Conference. What young people told us continues to shape planning, services and decision-making. Case Study: During National Youth Work Week in November 2025, the bi-annual Joint Cabinet took place at Saltcoats Town Hall welcoming pupils from across our six localities, with Arran joining virtually. This was a landmark #YouthParticipation event for young people between the ages of 12-25, and the meeting was delivered by North Ayrshire Youth Work and the council’s team of Youth Work Modern Apprentices for pupils to tackle a range of hard-hitting issues. The
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11 joint meeting involved North Ayrshire Council’s Cabinet, senior education managers and other senior officers alongside Members of Scottish Youth Parliament and the Youth Council Executive. Almost 100 pupils representing the secondary schools of Irvine Royal, Greenwood, St Matthew’s, Kilwinning, Largs, Auchenharvie, Ardrossan, Garnock Community Campus and Lockhart Campus gave it their all in the action-packed session. In a conversation café format, the discussions centred around key themes that had been decided upon by young people prior to the event, including: • Alcohol and drugs, where pupils discussed concerns, health harms and community impact • Risk taking behaviour, discussing consequences and sharing views on early intervention, risk-awareness and restorative justice • Child Poverty, looking at the council’s Child Poverty Action Plan, the impact on young people and how families can access help without stigma • Positive Relationships and Wellbeing, talking about alternatives to exclusion from school and how to maintain relationships with friends, school, and beyond • Employability Pathways, including modern apprenticeships, digital and cyber opportunities, how to access support and what work experience activities young people want The theme of this year’s National Youth Work Week centred around building brighter futures and safe spaces for young people to thrive. Youth voice is an essential part of ensuring our young people have safe and accessible spaces where they can be supported and empowered to speak up on what matters to them and learn more about how their local authority operates and where to find support locally. The energising morning was a brilliant example of the true power that the youth voice in action has, and the council’s commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
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12 The Promise Champions Board Our Champions Boards place care experienced young people at the heart of decision-making across their schools and the wider community. They provide safe, positive spaces where young people can be heard, build confidence and belonging, and shape the services and supports around them. Supported by the Corporate Parenting Team, the Boards help ensure North Ayrshire fulfils its duties as a Corporate Parent and continues to deliver on its commitment to #KeepThePromise. Across the current school year 2025/26, engagement has strengthened, with all 10 secondary schools now running active Champions Boards. Some of the impact on young people can be seen below: “I have made new friends and can be myself.” – Young person, 2025 “One of our pupils attended the Champions Board for the first time feeling unsure… She realised she wasn’t alone and left feeling connected, understood and comforted.” – Guidance Teacher, 2026 As part of their ongoing Champions Board work this year, young people requested clearer support to understand what The Promise means for them. In response, schools are working through the What Is The Promise? programme (developed with Action for Children), which helps build knowledge, confidence and a shared understanding of rights. Several young people are also completing the Hi5 Award, recognising their achievements and participation through the Champions Board pathway.
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13 Champions Board Conference In November 2025, we held our annual joint Champions Board Conference, attended by 9 out of 10 secondary schools and 59 young people. The conference was co-designed with young people and focused on themes they identified as important, including: • Understanding The Promise • Using their voice safely and powerfully • Building connections with peers across schools • Planning the Summer 2026 Programme Their views from the day have been captured in the What Matters To Us poster (pictured above), alongside feedback from other engagement activities. Together, this provides a summary of what matters most to our care experienced young people and will directly inform the next Corporate Parenting Plan. Staff Promise Conference The staff Promise Conference on 20th January 2026 brought together 81 attendees, including 10 care experienced young people, senior leaders, operational managers, and corporate parenting partners. The event focused on reflecting on our responsibilities as corporate parents, strengthening commitment to The Promise, and gathering staff voice to inform the Corporate Parenting Plan refresh. Key Points from the conference included hearing directly from young people and reinforcing the need for collaboration, clarity, and shared ownership across services. Actions from the conference will be taken forward into the refreshed Corporate Parenting Plan.
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14 Brighter Pathways Programme The Brighter Pathways Programme of remodelling care options aims to improve outcomes for care experienced children and young people, addressing systemic challenges, and ensuring sustainable care models. The Strategic Vision emphasises collaboration, investment, and a rights-based approach to create a sustainable, responsive, and a nurturing care system for children and young people in North Ayrshire and aligns with The Promise. The Brighter Programmes Programme Board was established in February 2024 and has provided strategic leadership with a strong corporate parenting collaboration. The transformation and service developments were delivered through focussed workstreams on the following areas: 1. Housing and Throughcare 2. Fostering and Kinship 3. Education including Residential School Placements 4. Internal Children’s Houses – Model of Care 5. Early Intervention & Intensive Family Support 6. Strategic Needs Assessment/Data/Workforce 7. Best Practice Models and Research Key themes and challenges emerging from the workstreams are: • Placement Pressures and Over-occupancy. • Workforce Wellbeing and Sustainability. • Fostering Capacity. • Transitions and Continuing Care. • Early and Intensive Support Gaps. • System Complexity and Coordination. • Use of Data and Evidence. • Housing and Throughcare Pressures. The Brighter Pathways work has involved all corporate parents which has assisted in a shared awareness of the challenges and opportunities to improve the provision of services for families, looked after children and care experienced young people. Progress during 2025-26 has included: Our supported accommodation model of care is nearing completion with a proposed opening date of 1st June 2026. This is designed to increase independence whilst maintaining relational support on a phased and gradual basis, rather than young people experiencing the cliff edge of transitioning to adulthood which they often talk about. Fortnightly planning meetings are taking place to discuss matching young people to the supported accommodation. A new Fostering Scheme has been introduced, effective from 1st April 2026 to help retain current foster cares and encourage new foster carers. This will support placement stability by increasing retention of current experienced carers alongside strengthening approaches to local recruitment, reducing reliance on external provision (which is more often than not, not local).
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15 The Moving on Forum has been implemented to encourage multi agency working between Throughcare and Housing. The Forum has improved coordination between Housing and Throughcare, with reduced delays in accommodation making decisions resulting in more predictable and better planned transitions for care leavers. This joint approach has helped mitigate impact of increased housing pressures by ensuring earlier planning alongside shared ownership this has resulted in day-to-day collaboration across Throughcare, Housing, internal children’s houses, fostering and kinship services. Care Experienced Leavers educational outcomes 2025 North Ayrshire care experienced school leavers data continued to show improvements. 65% of care experienced leavers achieved at least one qualification at SCQF Leve 5 or better. 42% of care experienced school leavers in North Ayrshire left with at least one qualification at SCQF level six or better. Enhancing digital learning Our Education Service’s Digital Learning Strategy was launched in March 2025 following successful collaborative work of the Digital Service Improvement Group, a group consisting of highly experienced practitioners from across all sectors with responsibility for delivery of the curriculum from 2-18. The Digital Learning Strategy aims to: • develop learners’ digital skills and prepare them for life in an increasingly complex world • ensure that our practitioners are able to use a range of digital technologies confidently and appropriately to deliver exciting, supportive, relevant and engaging learning experiences • support our establishments in achieving strong outcomes in external evaluations There are four main areas within the strategy as outlined below: 1. the vision and aims of the strategy (linked to high quality learning experiences for all children and young people in NAC) 2. the digital skills our children and young people need for learning, life and work (progression tables for each skill) 3. the digital skills our practitioners require to ensure our learners’ digital needs are met (progression tables for each skill) 4. tools and training, as well as examples of good practice at local and national levels Following a successful pilot, the expectation has been that all educational establishments will adopt the strategy from session 2025-26 onwards as part of their raising attainment approaches and across 2025-26 the strategy will become embedded across establishments, from Early Years through to Senior Phase. Underpinning this strategy are the digital skills of our practitioners. Our digital learning offer in 2024-25, delivered by the Digital Development Officer, has resulted in the following:
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17 Priority 2 – Acting early to improve what happens next Key Highlights and Progress Child Protection - Children and Young People Engagement Event In May 2025, over 100 children and young people engaged with the North Ayrshire Child Protection Committee (CPC) in relation to child protection messaging. The CPC wanted to learn more about what children and young people knew about accessing support on a range of child protection issues. Gaps in knowledge or sources of information were identified and discussions with children and young people identified the best ways to share child protection messages and information and in accessible formats. During the engagement event children and young people (aged 11-13 years) from schools across North Ayrshire took part in six workshops to share their views and opinions on a safety theme including, general child protection messages, mental health and suicide prevention, alcohol and substance misuse (vaping), bullying and healthy friendships, domestic violence and relationships, and online safety /safer schools. Using feedback and data from this event and consultations with our children and young people will continue to be a focus and also guide next steps to implementation of child protection messaging. North Ayrshire children and young people’s views will influence policy developments and resources required to make improvements. Through the Safer Choices, Safer Futures, progress has been made in working with whole families, whole systems and whole communities to provide early intervention support for children and young people across North Ayrshire.
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18 Partnership working with Education, ADP, Police Scotland, extended outreach services and the third sector has strengthened joined-up responses to identified risks, enabling support to be offered at the earliest possible stage. This whole-system approach has focused on prevention, relationship-based practice and community engagement, ensuring that children, young people and families receive the right support at the right time. By aligning universal services with targeted interventions, Safer Choices, Safer Futures continues to support positive outcomes, reduce escalation of need and promote safer, healthier communities. Signs of Safety Signs of Safety was launched in North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership in 2023 and is now fully embedded into professional practice. Signs of Safety (SoS) is described as an approach “to enable children's services to deliver services with a rigorous focus on child safety and wellbeing, and to set up their practice, policy, procedures and organisation so that the practitioners can do everything possible to put the parents, children and everyone naturally connected to the children at the centre of the assessment and decision-making”. Implementation has included briefings and training for relevant staff, baseline audit work and realignment of paperwork. In June 2025, the Health and Social Care Partnership carried out a Signs of Safety audit where 10% of parents and carers were interviewed. Between 70% and 84% reported that their worker showed care, spent time with their children, helped them solve problems, recognised family strengths and followed through on agreed actions. This feedback provides a strong foundation for continued improvement. Children and young people also reported positive experiences. Most said they felt listened to (63%), supported by their social worker (69.5%), and confident that their social worker understood their family circumstances (76%). Importantly, 71% said they felt they had a say in decisions affecting them. Overall, the findings indicate strong, trusting relationships between families and practitioners. Given the central role of effective relationships in achieving positive change for children, this provides a solid and encouraging base for ongoing development of Signs of Safety practice.
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19 Social Media We have recently developed a Public Protection Facebook page. In August 2025, North Ayrshire Protecting People Facebook page achieved 2,372 views with 218 followers and 138 likes. This remains under review with a further assessment to be made in 2026 on the efficacy and reach of this channel in supporting Child Protection communications. Children and Families Health Support There are over 5000 children aged 0-4 years in North Ayrshire, all of whom are supported by either a Health Visitor or a Family Nurse. In addition to following the nationally agreed Universal Health Visiting Pathway from the antenatal period through to a child commencing school, within North Ayrshire, children under 5 and their families continue to have access to additional support from the wider, integrated early years team. During 2025/26 (as at March 26), 730 requests for assistance from the various members of the integrated team were made. This included: • 461 (83.6%) for Health Visiting Support Workers for areas such as communication, sleep, toileting, infant feeding and behavior • 64 (8.8%) for the Perinatal Wellbeing Team, supporting new and expectant mums experiencing low level mental health difficulties • 60 (8.2%) for the Family Nurturers who offer support around bonding and attachment, routines, home conditions and community integration • 57 (7.8%) for Early Years Social Workers supporting with domestic violence, parental mental health difficulties amongst others • 38 (5.2%) for specialist infant feeding support • 29 (4.0%) for support to dads via our partnership with national charity Dads Rock
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20 • 19 (2.6%) for the Healthcare Support Worker who provides additional support to the Perinatal Wellbeing Team as well as baby massage Childhood Immunisations The most recent childhood immunisation data for 2024/25, shows 75.2% of those in S1 were immunised for HPV in Ayrshire and Arran, compared to a Scottish uptake of 72.6%. HPV immunisation uptake has seen a rise of 10.1% in North Ayrshire from 2022 to 2025. In 2024/25, 67.5% of S3 pupils received a Td/IPV booster and MenACWY vaccines. This compares to a national uptake of 70.1% for both programmes. North Ayrshire has seen a rise of 0.7%. (2025-26 data is not available at time of writing). It is acknowledged that immunisation rates in North Ayrshire have been historically lower than in South and East Ayrshire, closely correlated with deprivation levels. A range of targeted actions have been taken to promote uptake rates. With the targeted interventions and data capture our aspiration is to continue our upward trajectory for Immunisation Uptake in both HPV, Teenage Booster and Meningococcal ACWY across Ayrshire and Arran, and in particular North Ayrshire to lessen the gap in uptake across Local Authorities. Infant Feeding and Support Breastfeeding has clear short- and long-term health benefits for both babies and mothers. It helps protect babies against infections such as ear, chest and gastrointestinal illnesses, as well as conditions including asthma and diabetes. Breastfed babies are also more likely to follow a healthy growth pattern, reducing the risk of overweight in later childhood. As a result, breastfeeding is a key indicator of child wellbeing and remains a priority for children’s services. Although breastfeeding rates have historically been low and closely linked to deprivation, North Ayrshire has seen encouraging improvement. Increases have been recorded at the first health visitor review (10–14 days) and at 6–8 weeks. More babies are now receiving some breastmilk, and the drop-off in breastfeeding between birth and early reviews has reduced. From 1 July 2025, the National Childbirth Trust began providing postnatal breastfeeding support for women discharged from Ayrshire Maternity Unit who were breastfeeding. Between July and March, 1,331 women accessed this support, with around half exclusively breastfeeding at 6–8 weeks. Community-based infant feeding support continues to be strengthened through: • Mandatory, high-quality training for health visiting and support staff, reviewed regularly to reflect best practice • Annual audits involving staff and mothers to inform training and recognise good practice • Clear care pathways to support consistent and standardised delivery • Specialist support for families with more complex feeding needs through the Infant Feeding Support Nurse • Community infant feeding groups, expanded following a successful pilot in Largs
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21 • Roll-out of the national Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Breastfeeding scheme • Ongoing development of the Local Authority Breastfeeding scheme North Ayrshire, together with health visiting and Family Nurse Partnership services in East and South Ayrshire, holds UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Gold accreditation. This reflects high standards of infant feeding support, a strong focus on breastfeeding, and a continued commitment to quality improvement. This remains a significant achievement, with only a small number of areas across Scotland holding this status. Ayrshire Bairns app A digital resource providing evidence-based parenting advice and support was piloted by North Ayrshire in 2022 and is now well established across all three Ayrshires Health and Social Care Partnerships. The app provides information on what to expect from the health visiting service as well as information on how to support early years development. Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland (CHES) North Ayrshire is one of three local authorities who have been working with the Institute of Health Equities (IHE) and Public Health Scotland as part of the Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland (CHES) programme. Three priority areas were identified in North Ayrshire: Good Start (Irvine), Good Work (Three Towns) and Good Health (Garnock Valley). The Good Start workstream is aiming for all children to have the best start in life and through stakeholder and family engagement has identified areas of work that may help improve wellbeing in early years and wider family support. Work will be taken forward in 2026/27 through a multi- agency approach. North Ayrshire’s involvement in the CHES programme provides an additional opportunity to focus on early years. Indeed, data on developmental concerns was a key driver in the prioritisation of
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22 the early years’ principle, and helped identify the Irvine communities of Fullarton, Bourtreehill and Castlepark as the focal point for the work. Nesta and CELCIS family support in pregnancy and early years North Ayrshire is one of six local Children’s Services Strategic Partnerships (CSSP) selected to work with national organisations Nesta and CELCIS to explore existing pregnancy and early childhood supports and infrastructure. The opportunity aims to: • formulate a tailored early years data profile compiling indicators relevant to your area and at intermediate zone level where possible (created by Nesta) • map current support offer for pregnancy and early childhood • identify specific strengths and areas of unmet need to inform local planning • make clear, evidence-based recommendations for our local planning processes • facilitate engagement with peers from five other CSPP areas to share learning and improve systems across Scotland • contribute to national and local policy and practice recommendations Key partners have participated in two workshops to look at what works well and where things could be better for families. Learning will be used locally to improve our family support and will also be shared nationally to influence children’s services’ policy. Speech and Language We have a North Ayrshire Early Language Network group that meets regularly to share information about supports available to children, young people and families seeking support for speech, language and communication. The groups consist of partners from Health, education, early years social work, Family Nurse Partnership, and the 3rd sector. We also have a Communication Champion Network in Early Years in North Ayrshire that links closely with the Speech and Language Therapy team to share practice. Additional training has been provided for Communication Champions to identify children who may require targeted support in early years, share resources with parents and signpost them to the Speech and Language Therapy helpline and our in person drop-in sessions. We run a monthly Social Communication in person drop-in session. Any family with a concern about their child's social communication or activities for daily living can meet with the Speech and Language Therapy team and Occupational Therapy team to receive advice. The NHS Ayrshire & Arran Children's speech and language therapy Facebook page and NHS Ayrshire & Arran app contains lots of useful information for families and practitioners, with many activities to help support children's speech, language and communication. The Helpline is available for anyone with a concern about a child's speech, language and communication. They can speak to a registered Speech & Language therapist and receive advice and resources.
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23 Early Learning and Childcare The 1140 funded hours continue to be delivered with flexibility and choice for parents across localities. Our models offer a blend of full year and term time places with various patterns in establishments delivering 8am-6pm and 9am-3pm. Allocations have taken place for session 2025-26 and 85% of parents have been offered their 1st choice for establishment. Work is continuing to raise awareness of eligibility and increase the uptake of eligible 2s. ESOL (English for Speakers of other Languages) and Asylum Seekers and Refugee support The New Scots ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Hub provides a strong illustration of how education, voice, advocacy, rights, community connection and belonging can be translated into effective practice. It delivers a holistic, rights-based model of support for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, trafficked young people and refugees across North Ayrshire. Accessible and sustainable language support is key, underpinning engagement with education, health, advocacy, employment and community life which contribute to positive outcomes. Our nurturing and responsive environment supports our young people who have experienced trauma, disruption or displacement. Inclusive practices and culturally responsive approaches ensure that learners’ identities are respected and valued, promoting a sense of identity, belonging and connection. Fourteen learners attended the Hub during 2025-26, representing a wide range of backgrounds. Learners accessed full-time education alongside community-based learning opportunities, supported through strong multi-agency partnership working with education, Outreach Support Services, Community Learning and Development, Health and Social Care Partnership, Aberlour Guardianship, Ayrshire College and other third-sector partners. Learners participated in a range of opportunities including the Gowanbank Residential, with pupils from Extended Outreach, which supported confidence, teamwork and resilience. Other activities included tree planting and a Christmas Multicultural Event. Participation, Attainment and Positive Destinations: A wide range of achievements, including personal development, language acquisition and a range of academic and wider awards were celebrated. • Eight young people achieved SQA National 2 ESOL alongside SQA National 2 Lifeskills Mathematics • A further 2 young people achieved National 3 ESOL at Ayrshire College and National 2 Lifeskills Mathematics
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24 • As a result of targeted support and effective partnership working, 8 learners will successfully progress to college courses • Two young people achieved accreditation through the John Muir Award delivered in partnership with Barnardo’s. This supported environmental awareness, responsibility and achievement of a nationally recognised award, contributing positively to confidence and wellbeing. • Effective partnership working with Skills Development Scotland supported career education, employability skills and transition planning, ensuring learners received timely advice linked to post-school destinations. The Hub contributed actively to the Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) Working Together group, strengthening information sharing, safeguarding and coordinated planning. Engagement with the Guardianship Pilot drop-in at Saltcoats Town Hall improved access to advocacy and guidance for young people. Collectively, this work contributes to: • Improved safety, advocacy and coordinated support for vulnerable learners • Enhanced wellbeing, confidence and resilience • Increased achievement and progression • Strengthened participation, inclusion and rights-based practice • More robust partnership working and shared accountability Practice from the Hub was shared at The Promise Conference, contributing to national dialogue and supporting wider systems improvement across children’s services and education.
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25 Priority 3 – Making things fairer Key Highlights and Progress Educational Attainment Raising Attainment Raising attainment continues to be a focus for all schools and Early Years establishments, with a commitment to ensuring added value across and through all 3 sectors in a child’s learning, attainment and achievement. Senior leaders’ feedback and the Data Service Improvement Group have helped to shape a refreshed approach to collecting Literacy and Numeracy data and how this is then used to create targets for all establishments. A more focused approach in analysing attainment data is helping to shape Service priorities and collaborative working between central staff and schools to ensure that all learners attain and achieve their best outcomes. Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels In 2025, 68.2% of primary aged children in North Ayrshire Council achieved the appropriate attainment level in Literacy. In Numeracy, 73.9% of primary aged children in North Ayrshire Council achieved the appropriate attainment level in 2025. North Ayrshire’s performance has remained lower than the national picture since Covid. Improving leavers’ attainment in literacy and numeracy In 2025, just over 93% of North Ayrshire’s school leavers achieved level four literacy or better. This is in line with the national figure. Similarly, at level five, 81.9% achieved literacy at level five or better. In 2025, 91.3% of school leavers in North Ayrshire achieved level four numeracy, which is again in line with the national figure. 73.3% of school leavers attained level five numeracy which has increased from the previous year. Attainment of School Leavers In 2025, 80.9% of school leavers attained 5 or more awards at SCQF Level 4 or better which is slightly lower than in 2024 (83.4%). 64.5% attained 5 or more awards at SCQF Level 5 or better which is in line with 2024. These levels are slightly below the National figures. School Leavers entering an initial positive destination An initial positive destination means that a school leaver has gone on to one of the following activities immediately after leaving school: further or higher education, training, skills development or employment. At 95.7%, the proportion of leavers in North Ayrshire moving into an initial positive destination in 2025 is in line with the national figure. To maximise the percentage of school leavers entering and sustaining positive destinations, schools continue to work hard in strong partnership with Skills Development Scotland.
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26 The Annual Participation Measure for all 16–19-year-olds The Annual Participation Measure (APM) is a measurement of the proportion of 16-19-year-olds participating in education, training or employment over a whole year (1 April-31 March). The indicator provides a measure of the status of the wider aged 16-19 cohort – not just those who have left school. The Annual Participation Measure, covering the year from April 2024 – March 2025 showed that of the 6,028 16-19-year-olds in North Ayrshire, 92.5% were in education, employment or training and personal development. School Inspections – Case Studies Dalry Early Years Centre was praised by the Care Inspectorate for creating a warm, nurturing and safe environment for young people. The unannounced inspection took place in September 2025 and carried out a thorough assessment of the staff and facility and concluded that the experiences of children and families was extremely positive. During their visit, the inspection team spoke to one parent who said: ‘The staff are amazing, always got time to chat and will help any way they can’ while another commented ‘I have been involved in my child's plan from the moment they started at the nursery. All my views are taken into account.’ Some of the findings include: • Children were safe, secure, and emotionally supported • Children's individual needs were well understood • Children who required additional support received timely and effective intervention • Children experienced rich and varied play opportunities indoors and outdoors
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27 • Staff were warm, respectful, and purposeful • Indoor and outdoor spaces were thoughtfully arranged to promote independence • Leadership was strong and improvement-focused The inspection also described the facility as a ‘welcoming, spacious, and well-ventilated environment’, while playrooms were equipped with age-appropriate resources and natural materials that supported children's play, learning, and creativity. Springside Primary came under the spotlight in a visit in 2025 – and received a glowing report. In the report, the head teacher and senior management staff were praised for their strong leadership, including consistently driving improvements across the whole school. It also highlighted that ‘a strength of the staff team is their significant work towards improving how they meet children’s needs across the school’. Staff also develop trust and strong relationships with all the pupils Pupils are described as being happy and that they feel safe and secure. Staff are praised for nurturing relationships and understanding the needs of those pupils who need additional support. As well as internally, the report praises the strong relationships that exist with parents/carers and says most are very supportive of the work of the school. Springside Head Teacher Lynsey Boyes said: “We are absolutely delighted with the outcome of our recent inspection which recognises the dedication, effort and commitment of our entire school community. While we celebrate this achievement, we remain committed to the continuous improvement of the school and early years and providing the very best education for our children and young people.” Employability First Steps Programme Launch First Steps is an employability initiative that runs four times over the course of a year for care- experienced North Ayrshire residents aged 16 to 24. It offers opportunities in activities such as food hygiene, cooking, barista skills, team building, First Aid, the Duke of Edinburgh Award and a host of other group and interactive training sessions.
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28 Feedback from people who have completed the course has been positive, and 17-year-old participant Axel, from Irvine, said: “The highlight, for me, was getting to learn about First Aid. I am now exploring becoming a volunteer with St Andrew’s First Aid as I feel this is something I would be really good at.” Most participants go on to work experience, further education or training – and tailored work experience is included. It is ideal for young people who are thinking about their future but are unsure where to start and would like support when considering work, college, training and volunteering options. Participants build on existing skills and move forward in a friendly and relaxed environment. Other participants shared: “The programme really helped me feel more confident in myself and in my abilities and also helped me make new friends. I would recommend the course to my friends and any other young people who are perhaps feeling unsure about their future and what type of job they would like as First Steps really helped me feel better about my future. I am now enjoying work experience in Barnardo's … and know I can make a difference.” First Steps is run under the banner of the Council Employability service’s Your Next Move. The Council’s Employability Service delivers a range of support through its Your Next Move, Working North Ayrshire programme. Contracted partners include We Work for Families and CEIS Ayrshire, who all contribute to delivering a wide range of support to help individuals prepare and progress into employment. Poverty - Closing the poverty-related attainment gap Closing the gap in achievement between North Ayrshire’s least and most disadvantaged young people is one of the Education Service’s five main priorities. Around 45% of local learners live in the most deprived parts of Scotland. North Ayrshire’s Education Service is focused on helping children affected by poverty reach their potential. Schools receive £4.2 million every year in Pupil Equity Funding so head teachers can support pupils where help is needed most. Head teachers can choose the best ways to use this money for their learners.
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29 Rigorous analysis of data for improvement at all levels includes a focus on closing the poverty- related attainment gap and how educational establishments can support those children and young people most affected by poverty. Education Service priorities ensure that universal approaches to improving learning, teaching and assessment, as well as raising attainment, allow a focus on approaches to closing the gap. Strategic planning and spending of Pupil Equity Funding by schools allows for focused and targeted interventions and supports for learners most affected by poverty, with input focused on Health and Wellbeing, Literacy and Numeracy. There remains a commitment in schools and in the Education Service to mitigating against the Cost of the School Day, with approaches such as uniform banks, Prom dresses and low/no cost trips and excursions. Co-designing approaches to reduce child poverty North Ayrshire Council’s Child Poverty Strategy Team, through the Scottish Government’s Fairer Futures Partnership, launched a local project to better understand and reduce child and family poverty in specific areas. Initial research involved meeting families in libraries during school holidays, speaking with 140 Primary 7 Youth Council members about the cost of living, and asking young apprentices about how easy it is to get support online. After this, two local Third Sector organisations received grants to help design and deliver new ways to support families, working together with the council and community groups. New roles were created to connect families with the right services at community spaces and events, and to spot gaps in support. This work helps families access social and economic support and ensures children and families have a say in decisions that affect them. A shared database is also being developed to list services related to child poverty and wellbeing, which will help staff — and eventually the community — find support more easily. Case Study: Three pupils from Irvine Royal Academy had the chance to meet First Minister John Swinney and discuss a poverty-related issue close to their hearts in Scotland’s first Children and Young People’s Cost of the School Day Summit 2025, held at The Social Hub in Glasgow and hosted by Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). The young people, who form part of Irvine Royal Academy’s Cost of the School Day (COSD) group discussed with Mr Swinney directly how to make education more inclusive and affordable for all. Savanah, Jacob and Evie also played a key role in shaping the day – helping design sessions, leading discussions and representing pupil voices from across Scotland. During the summit, they delivered confident presentations and took part in engaging workshops. The event provided a powerful platform for pupils to share their lived experiences and ideas for reducing financial barriers in schools. Chiara Sheridan, Youth Worker at Irvine Royal Academy said: “We are so proud of our young people. They showed real leadership, confidence, and compassion, ensuring the voices of pupils
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30 are heard at a national level. Their involvement in this summit will help shape positive change across schools in Scotland.” Welfare Rights in Schools Project The Welfare Rights in Schools project expanded significantly during 2025–26, with three Welfare Rights Officers embedded across all educational establishments, including early years centres. Schools have provided trusted, stigma-free access to advice, enabling early intervention. During the year, the project has secured significant financial gains for families. Child Poverty and Early Intervention Fund Across its first two years, the Child Poverty and Early Intervention Fund has now committed over £1 million, supporting both direct financial relief and innovative, co-designed test-of-change initiatives. This includes investment in integrated data through Smart Data Foundry and piloting a Family Enterprise Programme in partnership with Ayrshire College. Financial Inclusion Our 2025 ambitions to deliver services through an Advice Line and a single point of contact are now fully embedded. Client-centred surveys are routinely issued to strengthen our understanding of impact and ensure service improvement. In-house debt advice is fully operational, providing seamless access to both debt and welfare rights support. The Financial Inclusion Partnership Communications Subgroup was established during the year and successfully delivered the Partnership’s first multi-agency event in October. The event, themed around winter preparedness, brought together a range of services with the aim of increasing awareness of support available across North Ayrshire and improving understanding of how services connect and refer between one another. Workshops were delivered by Citrus, Community Link Workers and Christians Against Poverty (CAP). The Financial Inclusion Partnership continues to grow and strengthen, with new members joining throughout the period. Collaborative working with third sector organisations and partner agencies remains central, with a shared focus on developing clear referral pathways and delivering coordinated, joined-up support for residents. Rosemount Crisis Service The Rosemount Crisis Service has built strong collaborative partnerships across North Ayrshire by operating as a highly integrated, multi-agency service focused on supporting children and young people with complex needs and significant levels of risk, with the clear aim of keeping children safely at home with their families and out of local authority care wherever possible. The service mainly works with the four Children & Families Social Work teams in North Ayrshire - but also accepts referrals from the Families for Children, Children & Families (Disabilities), Kinship and Young Person Support teams - and plays an important role in the wider multidisciplinary response to family crisis, escalating risk, and instability. Rosemount is embedded within statutory planning and decision-making processes.
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31 Partnership working extends beyond social work to include Education, CAMHS, Police Scotland, health services, and community-based supports, ensuring that children and families receive a holistic, coordinated, and responsive service. This integrated model enables Rosemount to respond effectively to overlapping issues such as family breakdown, distressed behaviour, trauma, school non-attendance, mental health concerns, and contextual risks. A key measure of the service’s impact is its consistent success in keeping over 90% of the children involved with the service each year out of local authority care. This demonstrates the effectiveness of intensive, relationship-based crisis intervention when delivered in close partnership with families and professionals. Overall, the service’s strong local partnerships are central to delivering high-quality, child- centred, and family-focused support, ensuring that children and young people with the most complex needs receive the right help at the right time, while reducing the likelihood of escalation into care. Building Positive Relationships The Building Positive Relationships (BPR) programme has been successfully implemented, adapted and evaluated. Staff have been training and supporting facilitators, updating resources and responding flexibly to family and service needs. As a result, 89 practitioners across the authority are now trained in the Building Positive Relationships programme, embedding a preventative, trauma-informed approach that strengthens parental regulation, relationships and resilience while reducing reliance on crisis intervention. The Education Psychology Service has delivered large-scale, evidence-based professional Neurodevelopmental learning (e.g. We Were Expecting You, Supporting Neurodevelopmental Needs, NAIT resources) that reached hundreds of practitioners across Early Years and schools, with over 97% of participants reporting the training met their needs. This work is improving inclusive, neuro-affirming practice, strengthening anticipatory planning and consistency, and enabling many families to experience more predictable, supportive environments across home and education. Whole Family Wellbeing Fund The Whole Family Wellbeing Fund (WFWF) has supported a shift towards preventative, trauma informed and whole family approaches, in line with Scottish Government ambitions, GIRFEC and The Promise commitment to reduce the number of children and young people in care by addressing challenges earlier. During the reporting period, 12 local projects and services received a share of the £1.19 million WFWF investment in North Ayrshire, to support the delivery of positive outcomes for children, young people and families across North Ayrshire. Three of the funded activities are detailed below. Dads Support Workers Dads Support workers are strengthening preventative approaches by intervening at key transition points, addressing underlying risks early and helping families break cycles of trauma to improve long-term outcomes for children. For example, 20 referrals through Safeguarding Midwifery enabled multi-agency support before birth; 13 families were care experienced, highlighting significant intergenerational vulnerability. Reflective, relationship-based support alongside
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32 antenatal care helped parents build insight, emotional regulation and confidence, contributing to safer early environments. Preventative impact is also evident in father-inclusive work, where tailored one-to-one support enabled meaningful change, rebuilt trust and led to a supported, child-led reunion—reducing the need for escalation and supporting family permanence. Peer support further strengthens prevention, with Dads Rock networks offering ongoing informal support beyond services. Five Dads Antenatal Workshops (launched July 2025) were delivered during the reporting period, engaging 18 dads. Several participants went on to connect with peer support through the WhatsApp community and weekly in-person groups following the birth of their children, strengthening continuity of support during the early parenting journey. Engagement is underpinned by non-judgemental, consistent relationships that build trust and encourage earlier, sustained participation. A major success was the service’s expansion, increasing capacity to 1.8 FTE, widening delivery from Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston to include Irvine and Kilwinning, alongside the introduction of a second group activity delivered outside standard 9–5 hours. This led to a 90% exceedance of engagement targets, with 103 families supported and over 400 one-to-one sessions delivered. Impact was further recognised through awards nominations and strong peer networks that continued beyond formal involvement. The Family Centred Wellbeing Service The Family Centred Wellbeing Service (FCWS) plays a key preventative role across North Ayrshire, supporting families early to reduce escalation to crisis and statutory intervention. Partners across education and social work consistently report that, without FCWS, more families would reach crisis point, increasing demand on child protection and specialist services. The fact that cases are often retained within FCWS following Initial Referral Discussions (IRDs) reflects strong partner confidence in the service’s ability to manage risk proportionately and provide effective early intervention. During 2025/26, FCWS received 212 referrals, with 81% relating to primary-aged children, indicating that needs are increasingly being identified and addressed
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33 earlier, before difficulties become entrenched. Education remains the main referral route, demonstrating a wider cultural shift towards proactive, early help within universal services. This preventative impact is further evidenced through both qualitative feedback and outcomes. Families report improved relationships, better communication and greater understanding of their child’s needs, leading to increased confidence in managing challenges. Case study evidence highlights how coordinated, whole-family support improves stability and prevents escalation to statutory thresholds, while group-based interventions reduce isolation and build social connections—key protective factors against crisis. FCWS also plays an important role in supporting the “missing middle”: families experiencing emerging neurodevelopmental, emotional or behavioural needs that do not meet statutory thresholds. By responding early with holistic, flexible support—including home visits, group programmes and community-based activity—FCWS helps prevent gaps in provision and reduces longer-term reliance on higher-cost services. The non-judgemental, relationship-based model is central to engagement, with families reporting that they feel more comfortable seeking help earlier and sustaining involvement. A key strength of FCWS is its collaborative, whole-system approach. The service works in close partnership with education, health, social work and third sector organisations, contributing to multi-agency planning such as Team Around the Child (TAC) and acting as a bridge between services. This ensures coordinated, holistic support tailored to the strengths and needs of each family, including access to community-based opportunities that promote inclusion and reduce isolation. This model has contributed to improved outcomes across a range of areas, including school attendance and engagement, emotional wellbeing, parenting capacity and access to mental health, financial and community supports, particularly for families experiencing disadvantage. Workforce development has also strengthened early intervention across the system. Input from Educational Psychology and Speech and Language Therapy, alongside interventions such as Building Positive Relationships, has increased practitioner confidence in identifying and responding to emerging need. Weekly consultation with Educational Psychology has been particularly valued, enhancing problem-solving skills and the use of practical tools such as goal setting, scaling and emotion coaching. Overall, sustained demand for the service, alongside strong qualitative and quantitative evidence of impact, highlights FCWS as a key contributor to early intervention and prevention, improving outcomes for children and families while reducing pressure on statutory services. EmpowerED The EmpowerED programme demonstrates a strong preventative impact by engaging young people before difficulties escalate into crisis, particularly those at risk of disengagement from education, emotional distress or more intensive intervention. Evidence from surveys, session reflections and school feedback consistently indicates that many participants were struggling with school engagement and wellbeing when referred. Preventative impact is evident in the programme’s relationship based and flexible delivery model. Session reflections show that early stages often involved a period of settling in, with young people initially hesitant or disengaged. Over time, however, there was a clear and sustained shift towards increased participation, confidence and motivation. This progression illustrates the
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34 value of consistent, trusted relationships in preventing problems from becoming entrenched and reducing the likelihood of escalation to statutory or crisis services. The programme also strengthens preventative outcomes by supporting emotional regulation, resilience and social connection. Young people frequently reported feeling calmer and more able to cope after sessions, especially following outdoor and active learning experiences. Opportunities to build friendships, share activities and support peers reduced isolation and enhanced protective factors. Importantly, EmpowerED contributes to longer-term prevention, with some young people progressing into peer mentoring roles, indicating growing confidence, aspiration and leadership. Modern Apprenticeships The Modern Apprenticeship programme is being used as a peer support model by creating visible, relatable role-model opportunities for young people within their own communities. Apprentices, many of whom have lived experience of local challenges, support younger peers through informal mentoring, shared learning and positive role-modelling, helping to build confidence, aspiration and engagement. By positioning apprentices within community and youth work settings, the programme supports peer-led learning, early intervention and prevention, enabling young people to access advice, reassurance and support from someone they can identify with. This approach strengthens relationships, promotes positive behaviours and supports children and young people to make safer choices, while also building skills, confidence and progression routes for the apprentices themselves.
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35 Island Communities Work has continued to strengthen equity of access to youth work support and participation opportunities for children and young people in North Ayrshire’s island communities. Partnership working with Arran Youth Foundation has supported the development of a local youth work offer on Arran, ensuring provision is responsive to local need while remaining connected to wider Council priorities. Island communities are routinely included in all youth voice structures and engagement activity, including the Youth Council, Joint Cabinet events and wider consultation processes, ensuring young people from Arran have opportunities to influence local and strategic decision-making. The appointment of an MSYP from Arran has further strengthened parity of access, enabling regular feedback from island young people and ensuring their views are represented consistently at both local and national consultations.
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36 Young Carers We are committed to ensuring that young carers can access support in ways that are flexible, familiar, and responsive to their needs. A range of access routes have now been embedded across education and community settings, ensuring a no wrong door to support model. Dedicated Young Carers Champions are now in place within every primary and secondary school. These Champions act as a first point of contact for identification, support, and information-sharing within their school communities. Three Young Carer Workers are aligned to clusters of three secondary schools and their associated primary schools. This structure ensures consistent partnership working, proactive engagement, and timely support for young carers and their families. A termly Young Carer Newsletter is shared with education staff, providing updates on supports available, upcoming events, awareness activities, and practical resources for working with young carers. This helps maintain visibility and ensures staff remain informed throughout the year. An upgraded Carers Gateway digital self-help portal for young carers was launched in August 2025, offering 24/7 access to a wide range of information, resources, wellbeing tools, and guidance. The platform significantly enhances accessibility - enabling young carers to seek help at any time, in a format that suits them. Together, these access points ensure that young carers can engage with support through trusted adults in school, dedicated staff, digital tools, or wider community activities. This blended model strengthens early identification, reduces barriers, and offers young carers multiple pathways to information, advice, and personalised support.
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37 Priority 4 – Promoting good mental health and wellbeing Key Highlights and Progress Counselling support and community wellbeing supports Our school counselling service supports children and young people aged 10–18 in school settings. This year, 500 young people accessed the service, with 98.6% reporting an improvement in CORE-YP scores. Area Inclusion Workers and additional support staff continue to deliver Let’s Introduce Anxiety Management (LIAM), with positive impact. Mental and emotional wellbeing remains one of the ten priority pathways within the school nursing service, with all staff nurses trained in LIAM and work underway to improve recording and reporting. Through Children and Young People’s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services Framework grant funding, 6,527 children and young people and 1,212 family members were supported through a range of programmes, with 94% reporting improved outcomes. Early intervention continues to be delivered across primary and secondary settings, with pathways in place to school counselling, LIAM and conflict resolution sessions, and onward referral to CAMHS where required. Collaboration with third sector partners has further strengthened local provision. The revised wellness model is now in place across all localities except the Three Towns, with full rollout planned early next session. Education and primary healthcare colleagues report positive partnership working, supporting timely access to mental health and wellbeing support. Support materials for delivery of the SQA Award in Mental Health and Wellbeing at Levels 4 and 5 were provided this session, with 343 young people achieving the full award. The refreshed Be Amasin’ anxiety resources were shared via education and community mental health blogs, attracting over 11,000 views combined. Project Restore continues to develop, with early feedback showing improved wellbeing and engagement, particularly through breathing and grounding strategies. Area Inclusion Workers supported 5,541 children and families through individual and group interventions to improve engagement with education and wellbeing. This included 64 reflections groups and Building on Positive Relationships family groups for 35 families, using relational approaches to address conflict and support positive family relationships Nurture A nurturing approach is being embedded across Children’s Services through shared trauma-informed and relational practice. In Education teams this is evolving into a New Authority model that combines compassion with clear, supportive boundaries. Professional learning in nurturing, Emotion Coaching, Positive Behaviour Support and CALM is supporting consistent adult responses focused on safety, regulation and repair. This year there are examples of joint problem-solving with Psychological Services, Children’s Houses and CAMHS - growing a community of practice for care-experienced young people enabling shared learning and consistency across services.
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38 Physical activity and Social Participation Targeted and universal programmes supported mental health, resilience and positive relationships across schools and communities. Evidence-based and creative approaches such as Your Resilience, Bounceback, Drama for Wellbeing and outdoor and physical activity programmes developed emotional literacy, coping skills and self-regulation. Early intervention addressing suicide, alcohol and vaping risks was complemented by workforce development in neurodiversity, trauma and complex behaviours, improving the quality and consistency of support. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award provided a strong wellbeing and achievement pathway, engaging over 1,000 young people and supporting progression through Bronze, Silver and Gold levels. Alongside this, targeted programmes and partnerships supported care experienced young people, young New Scots and those facing additional barriers to sustain engagement, build confidence and progress to positive destinations. Active Schools played a key role in promoting positive mental health through year-round extracurricular activity, events and leadership opportunities that reduce stress, boost mood and enhance self-esteem. A dedicated guidance resource for schools and comprehensive mental health training for coaches and volunteers strengthened inclusive, supportive practice. Together, these approaches demonstrate a coherent, strengths-based model combining participation, prevention and progression to improve wellbeing outcomes at scale. Public Health Public Health have worked over the 2025-26 period to produce a suite of life course evidence briefings. The mental health and suicide prevention briefing will be used in the coming year to shape conversations with partners regarding the preventive potential of a life course approach and opportunities based on evidence across the life course and across all stages of prevention (universal, primary, secondary, tertiary).
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39 During 2025-26, Public Health has continued to strengthen and embed mental health improvement activity across Education and wider children’s services in North Ayrshire. Examples of activity include: Promotion and Utilisation of Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources in Practice- The Guide for Children, Guide for Young People and Children’s Workbook for Mental Wellbeing continue to be actively promoted across Education and to partners who support children, young people and families. Work this year has focused on reinforcing awareness of these resources, supporting staff to build them into everyday practice, and ensuring consistent access to practical tools that help initiate and sustain wellbeing conversations. Mental Health Improvement – a Practical Approach (MHI-apa) training is now being delivered across Education by the MHWB Operational Lead, building capacity at school level and ensuring staff have the knowledge and skills to support children, young people and families. Area Inclusion Workers continue to use and cascade this learning within their roles, contributing to more consistent approaches across schools. This training is available through Public Health for other groups who wish to participate. There continues to be a network of facilitators delivering Time, Space, Compassion (TSC) workshops which are open to staff working across children's and young people's services. During April 2025 and March 2026, Public Health has organised and delivered 12 TSC workshops across Ayrshire and Arran. Four of these sessions were in North Ayrshire. Staff from North Ayrshire have accessed a number of sessions, with attendance including staff working with children and young people within both public and third sector organisations. Initial discussions and awareness raising regarding the Enabling Conversations Toolkit has taken place through the Strategic Suicide Prevention Group. In the coming year Public Health would like to see further awareness raising and engagement with this toolkit as a guide which was created by and for young people, to find help and support when experiencing painful feelings about suicide. Enabling conversations toolkit - Suicide Prevention Scotland. Supporting Young Carers We continue to prioritise opportunities that enable young carers to experience a positive quality of life beyond their caring responsibilities, while ensuring they are fully supported during key transitions in education and life. • Young Carers Education Fund (£15K–£20K annually) provides flexible financial support to meet identified needs through Young Carers Statements. This includes opportunities for breaks from caring, participation in hobbies and activities, and access to life-enhancing experiences that contribute to wellbeing, resilience, and personal development. • KA Leisure memberships are available for young carers, giving them regular access to health, fitness, and wellbeing activities within their local community and supporting them to take time for themselves. • Eligible young carers have been supported by Carers Gateway to apply for the ILF Scotland Transition Fund, helping them build independence, confidence, and opportunities to engage socially, explore interests, and become more active in their communities.
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40 • Time to Live funding, accessed via Carers Gateway, provides young carers with the opportunity to apply for personalised short breaks—helping reduce stress, improve wellbeing, and create positive time away from their caring role. • To support key educational transitions, Carers Gateway actively participates in enhanced transition planning from primary to secondary school, ensuring young carers are identified early and their needs are understood. Young carers preparing to leave secondary school can access a 1:1 Young Adult Carers Transition Plan, offering tailored guidance around their caring responsibilities, available supports, future aspirations, and the move into further education, training, or employment. This multi-layered approach ensures that young carers are supported not only in their caring role, but also in experiencing a balanced life, developing their potential, and moving confidently into adulthood.
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41 Priority 5 – Inspiring children and young people to be active Key Highlights and Progress Jumpstart - Child Healthy Weight Services During 2025–26, 40 children and young people aged 5–17 were supported through our Child Healthy Weight programme (JumpStart) in North Ayrshire. Referrals showed a balanced gender profile (21 male, 19 female), indicating equitable access across genders. Referrals were largely concentrated in early and middle childhood. Children aged 5–9 accounted for 45% (18/40) of referrals, those aged 10–13 comprised 37.5% (15/40), and 17.5% (7/40) were aged 14+. This reflects strong early identification through school-based pathways. Service delivery strongly aligns with health inequalities priorities. 62.5% (25/40) of referrals were from the most deprived (SIMD 1) communities, with a further 20% (8/40) from SIMD 2. Overall, 82.5% of referrals came from the two most deprived quintiles, demonstrating effective targeting of families experiencing the greatest socioeconomic disadvantage. Referrals were driven primarily by core health partners. School Nurses accounted for 27.5% (11/40) of referrals, GPs for 20% (8/40), and Dietitians for 17.5% (7/40). This highlights strong multi-agency engagement, particularly within universal and primary care services. 66 group-based sessions were delivered within community settings. In addition, seven young people (teens) were supported through one-to-one interventions, making use of KA Leisure facilities. All participating children were provided with a KA Leisure card, offering a minimum of three months’ free access to KA Leisure facilities to support ongoing physical activity and sustain engagement beyond the intervention. Outdoor Play Case Study: Children and their families have been taking advantage of updates to local playparks in Kilwinning and Irvine. The welcomed playground upgrades have been unveiled at Bourtreehill Playpark and Eglinton Country Park. Each of the popular outdoor playgrounds have been assessed and upgraded by the council’s Streetscene team and refreshed to create exciting spaces that are more accessible and inclusive for all. Funded by the Scottish Government’s Capital funding programme with support from Eglinton Country Park’s fund, the upgrades are the latest of several playpark upgrades across North Ayrshire since 2021.
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42 Completely revamped, the new additions to Bourtreehill Playpark, located just a few minutes’ walk from the main bus route and village include: • An obstacle course with stepping stones, climbing stilts and rope walk • Impressive tower slide with wobble bridge, climbing wall and low-level hammock swinging seats • Accessible bench for wheelchairs, strollers and prams • Dynamic single-user dish roundabout and sculptural spinning platform • New freestanding swing seat • Motorbike wobble seat • Wheelchair and stroller accessible roundabout with seating for children • Engaging Neurodivergent games boards at main entrance • Protective playground surface underfoot for added protection • Re-painted and upgraded basketball court One child shared: “I love how high up the slide is because we didn’t have one before! I really am king of the castle!” At Eglinton Country Park, in the main playpark children can enjoy: • A new, impressive multi-sensory climbing dome • Kaleidoscope-inspired sensory play boards for sensory exploration • Low level climbing options for all abilities to hone their skills • Wheelchair accessible toddler play corner with small slide, interactive clock and number boards to encourage imaginary play and learning • Improved perimeter fencing • Neurodivergent boards for non-verbal members of our communities Eglinton Park will welcome other improvements in the coming months as maintenance on other pieces of equipment is currently underway. The popular playground at Eglinton Park has also been complimented by parents and carers, with one sharing: “I like it because there’s a lot more for the children to do now and something for all ages.
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43 “It feels safe too because there’s perimeter fencing added in and the new equipment is also very inclusive and has added variety and excitement for children visiting the country park. It’s really nice to see it all freshened up and everyone having fun exploring the new options together.” Improvements to the playparks are part of North Ayrshire Council’s wider investment strategy to make all play facilities in North Ayrshire more inclusive and accessible. Safe Spaces for Young People Youth work programmes continued to create safe, inclusive and purposeful outdoor spaces that support children and young people’s physical health, mental wellbeing and social connection. Outdoor learning remains a key delivery approach, enabling young people to build confidence, resilience and a sense of belonging through structured, supported activity in community and natural environments. Programmes are deliberately inclusive, ensuring access for care-experienced young people, young New Scots and those facing additional barriers to participation. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award continues to be a cornerstone of this work, engaging large numbers of young people in regular outdoor activity, skills development and expeditions across Scotland. Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, day trips and overnight experiences provide well-managed, safe environments where young people develop teamwork, leadership and problem-solving skills while enjoying the outdoors.
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44 Alongside this, Outdoor Learning, Outdoors for Wellbeing and residential opportunities offer accessible entry points for young people who may not engage with traditional settings, including targeted provision for at-risk groups. Complementary initiatives such as Gardening for Wellbeing, mountain biking, football and outdoor creative activities further enhance safe outdoor provision by promoting routine physical activity, positive mental health and connection to place. Gardening and nature-based activities support emotional regulation, responsibility and mindfulness, while team sports and outdoor challenges strengthen social connections and confidence. Together, these approaches ensure children and young people have regular access to safe, supportive outdoor spaces that encourage play, exploration and wellbeing, while contributing to wider prevention, participation and achievement outcomes. 354 Children and young people participating in outdoor residential learning through DofE Bronze, Silver and Gold awards, camping residentials and AYA residentials reported positive experiences, supporting confidence, resilience, teamwork and personal achievement. 183 Young people participated in CLD supported employability activity through Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver awards, including sectional achievements, and PDA in Youth Work programmes. Active Schools and KA Leisure Active Schools and KA Leisure have continued to work collaboratively to increase opportunities for children and young people to be active across both school and community settings. Through strong partnership working, we have ensured that each of the six localities has well-established links between school-based activity and wider community provision. Over the past year, our joint efforts have also focused on identifying and addressing gaps in local provision. This has allowed us to create a more equitable offer across all areas, ensuring that every young person, regardless of where they live, has access to a broad range of activity and sporting opportunities. As a result, the pathways from school participation into local clubs and community sport have been strengthened, supporting smoother transitions and encouraging sustained engagement.
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45 Furthermore, Active Schools has maintained a strong commitment to supporting young people who face the greatest barriers to participation. By prioritising targeted programmes and coordinated support, we continue to ensure that those who need our help most are able to access and benefit from positive, inclusive sporting experiences, particularly for young people who are care-experienced, living in poverty, at risk of disengagement, non-attenders, or otherwise identified for targeted support. Our overarching ambition of achieving “More Kids, More Active, More Often.” supports all schools across North Ayrshire to deliver high-quality, inclusive extra-curricular programmes that are accessible to every child and young person. Throughout the year, participation trends across our schools have highlighted the continued popularity of several key sports. The top five most actively engaged activities were football, netball, racket sports, dance and multi-sports, reflecting a broad range of interests and demonstrating the strength of provision offered across our localities.
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46 KA Leisure continues to deliver a broad and inclusive programme of sport and physical activity opportunities. Working closely with communities and partner organisations, we offer a varied calendar of term-time sessions alongside an extensive holiday programme. Our term-time offer spans all localities, delivering more than 150 classes each week and ensuring that young people and families have access to high-quality, community-based activity opportunities throughout the year. Our annual events calendar has also continued to grow in both scale and impact. This year, more than 5310 young people took part in a diverse programme of 75 competitive and participative events, showcasing their skills, representing their schools and experiencing the excitement of large-scale sporting occasions. These events play an essential role in developing teamwork, resilience and confidence while providing memorable experiences for participants. We have worked closely with partners to ensure pupils with additional support needs (ASN) can participate in meaningful and appropriate competitive opportunities. This includes supporting ASN young people to attend both the Ayrshire Sportsability events and activities within the Scottish Disability Sport calendar. By providing tailored pathways and ensuring representation at these events, we continue to uphold our ambition that every young person has the chance to perform, compete and celebrate their achievements at a level that is right for them.
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47 Engagement levels have been strong. A total of 9,781 young people participated in sport and physical activity sessions during the year—representing over 53% of the entire school-aged population in North Ayrshire. This reflects both the reach of our programme and the value placed on physical activity by our schools, families and communities. Across the year, 13,065 individual sessions were offered, generating an impressive 271,061 participant visits. This figure illustrates the depth of engagement within the programme: for example, ten pupils attending ten sessions each equates to 100 recorded visits. These levels of participation highlight the consistency with which young people return to Active Schools activities. This year, 703 individuals contributed to the delivery of Active Schools sessions, and 98% of them were volunteers. This represents the highest proportion of volunteer deliverers recorded anywhere in Scotland. Their commitment, time and passion are critical to the success of the programme. During the last academic year, Active Schools worked closely with 60 community sports clubs across North Ayrshire, strengthening partnerships and increasing the breadth of provision available to children and young people. These clubs contributed significantly to school engagement by delivering a variety of high-quality activities, including: • Curriculum enhancement sessions, providing additional PE input beyond the statutory two hours • Health week activities, supporting whole-school wellbeing initiatives • One-off taster days, offering pupils the chance to try new sports and activities • Visits to local clubs, helping young people experience community-based environments • Promotion of club opportunities, such as distributing flyers and raising awareness of routes into long-term participation In addition to this strong school-club collaboration, our North Ayrshire Community Sport Hubs continue to thrive. Working in partnership with KA Leisure, we have provided extensive support to local clubs, including access to training opportunities, facility provision, and tailored one-to-one development sessions aimed at strengthening governance, sustainability and volunteer capacity.
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48 To further enhance community engagement, we have collaborated with selected affiliated clubs to deliver satellite club programmes, enabling more localised and accessible participation options for young people. These satellite sessions are helping bridge the gap between school activity and long-term involvement in community sport. Leadership Programmes At primary level, the P6 Move and Improve Programme has made a significant impact, with 1,006 pupils trained as young leaders this year. These pupils play a key role in their school communities by planning and delivering high-quality lunchtime sport and physical activity sessions for their peers. To strengthen the sustainability of the programme, 34 teaching staff have also been trained, enabling them to support leadership development and ensure consistency across all participating schools. In secondary schools, the Young Ambassador Programme continues to thrive, with 126 S1–S6 representatives actively championing sport and promoting the importance of being active within their school communities. These young leaders act as role models, supporting events, raising awareness of opportunities and helping influence positive attitudes toward sport and wellbeing.
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49 Leadership development is further enhanced through the North Ayrshire Sports Academy, aimed at senior pupils in S5–S6. This year, 147 young people took part in the programme, gaining between 8 and 12 recognised qualifications each. These include Saltire Awards, National Governing Body coaching qualifications, and, at the highest level, the SQA Higher Leadership Award. The breadth of accreditation provides participants with valuable skills and nationally recognised credentials that support future education, employment and volunteering pathways. This equates to more than 5000 volunteer hours within schools and the wider community. This comprehensive leadership pathway not only builds capacity within North Ayrshire’s sporting landscape but also empowers young people with lifelong skills, confidence and a sense of civic responsibility. Active Girls Committees This year marked the successful introduction of Active Girls Committees across all nine secondary schools in North Ayrshire, representing an important step forward in promoting gender equity in sport and physical activity. A total of 45 motivated young leaders were appointed to these committees, each entrusted with the responsibility of encouraging increased participation among female pupils and helping to remove the barriers that often limit girls’ engagement in physical activity. Throughout the year, these young leaders have demonstrated exceptional commitment and maturity, acting as positive role models within their school communities. They have collaborated closely with PE departments, Active Schools staff and wider school teams to identify areas for improvement and to contribute to the development of more inclusive, girl-friendly environments. Their work has included advocating for the needs and preferences of female pupils, improving visibility of opportunities, and championing a culture where girls feel confident and supported to be active. In addition to their strategic contributions, the committees have played an active role in designing and delivering bespoke girls-only programmes and events, tailored specifically to increase engagement and create safe, welcoming spaces for participation. These initiatives have included lunchtime and after-school sessions, awareness campaigns, taster activities and targeted interventions to encourage girls who may be less physically active. The creation and success of the Active Girls Committees have strengthened the voice of young
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50 women in shaping school sport, contributing meaningfully to North Ayrshire’s wider commitment to inclusion, empowerment and lifelong participation. Quote: “Active Girls was one of the best experiences I’ve ever been a part of. It helped me build strong relationships with other girls and keep those friendships going. It also improved my communication skills and helped me feel more confident, relaxed, and able to enjoy every moment. I loved meeting new people and learning how to encourage other girls to enjoy sport the same way I do. I would honestly recommend this experience to anyone because it has helped me grow as a person through sport and physical activity. One of the tasks I enjoyed most was finding out what girls at my school liked and disliked about sport. Getting this feedback allowed me to help make changes within the PE department so that every girl felt included and comfortable taking part. This motivated me to get to know the girls better and understand the barriers they face, so I can hopefully help tackle them and make sport more enjoyable for everyone.” Quote: “I have enjoyed planning and creating change in an around sport for girls to feel more comfortable when participating in Sport. From my experience being in active girls for 2yrs it has helped me develop my confidence as I know speak up and use my voice to make change for other girls in sport.” Care Experienced Young People By adopting a Whole Systems Approach, the programme supports individuals to access sport and physical activity opportunities that contribute to healthier, more active lifestyles. 373 young people participated in a wide range of experiential opportunities. These experiences were diverse and engaging, including activities such as water sports, climbing, sailing, residential trips, and community fun days. To ensure equitable access, the team worked closely with internal and external partners to address individual barriers, including transport, appropriate clothing, food provision, and activity access. This coordinated support enabled seamless participation for those who may otherwise have been excluded. Following their initial experiential opportunity, young people were encouraged and supported to transition into regular physical activity within their school or local community. As a result, 84% chose to continue their involvement in ongoing sport or activity programmes. Of the 373 participants, 53% were living in the two most deprived SIMD quintiles (SIMD 1 and 2), demonstrating the programme’s strong reach into communities experiencing significant inequality.
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51 Appendix 1 contains the detailed action updates for 2025-26 for the Children’s Services Plan Actions. Appendix 2 contains the most recent Performance Indicator data for the associated PIs. Appendix 3 contains the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund Report which covers the detailed information associated with the fund.
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Appendix 1 – Children’s Services Plan Action Updates 2025-26 Priority 1: The rights of children and young people are promoted and protected No. Action Update 2025-26 1 Implement the North Ayrshire UNCRC Plan actions, ensuring the rights of all children and young people are protected. North Ayrshire Council has continued to put children’s rights at the heart of how services are planned and delivered. Staff across the council have taken part in training to understand their responsibilities under the new UNCRC law, including a mandatory online course. The council has also reviewed tools like the Equalities and Children’s Rights Impact Assessment and made the complaints processes more child-friendly so young people can speak up more easily. Work to combine the Children’s Services Plan, Child Poverty Action Plan and UNCRC Plan into one joint plan—shaped and overseen by young people—means children’s rights are now further embedded in children's services planning and delivery. Children and young people have been more involved in shaping services and decisions that affect them. They have taken part in budget consultations, contributed to health and social care planning, and influenced school and council priorities through groups like Youth Voice and Champions Boards. The UNCRC Steering Group has supported this work by raising awareness, providing training, and checking progress across services. Now that the group has completed its main tasks, ongoing work to protect children’s rights will continue through existing partnerships and the new joint plan, helping make sure all children and young people are listened to, included and protected. 2 Ensure the voices of children and young people are heard and influence the work of the Community Planning Partnership. Community Learning and Development supported 5796 young people through active citizenship and community participation through youth forums, Joint Cabinet, Community Councils, Place Framework activity, consultations, climate workshops, community investment activity and issue-based youth work. Engagement strengthened voice, shared decision-making and confidence in shaping local priorities. 3 Provide opportunities for children and young people to develop their citizenship skills, including active democratic participation opportunities. Over the year, North Ayrshire Council has continued to strengthen youth participation and rights-based practice through the Champions Board, Executive Youth Council, Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs) and a range of engagement activity. This work has supported delivery of The Promise, UNCRC duties and Council Plan priorities by ensuring young people are informed of their rights and meaningfully involved in decision-making. Care experienced young people were supported across all secondary schools through the Champions Board, including delivery of the What Is The Promise? programme and strategic input from Champions Board Representatives, whose priorities were shared directly with staff and senior leaders. The Executive Youth Council and MSYPs met regularly throughout the year, contributing to Council engagement on key issues including budget consultation, food insecurity, period poverty and equality campaigns. MSYPs continued to represent young people locally and nationally, with one North Ayrshire MSYP successfully proposing a national motion on access to free school breakfasts. Youth voice was further strengthened through large-scale engagement, including a Joint Cabinet session with elected members and senior officers, a refreshed Joint Youth Forum model, and the annual Youth Conference delivered during National Youth Work Week. Feedback gathered across these activities continues to inform service planning and policy development. Significant progress was also made in embedding participation structures and children’s rights. Young people co-produced the Pupil Voice Toolkit in partnership with Education, providing practical guidance to support
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2 No. Action Update 2025-26 inclusive and meaningful pupil participation and delivery of Article 12 of the UNCRC. Connected Communities, alongside Education, continued to lead UNCRC implementation through staff training, member briefings, child-friendly reporting and direct engagement with young people, ensuring a consistent rights-based approach across Council services. 4 Equality and Children’s Rights Impact Assessment (ECRIA) will be carried out on all new policies that affect the lives of our children and young people. During 2025/26, eight full Equality and Children’s Rights Impact Assessments (ECRIA) and seventeen pre-assessment screening forms were completed, each assessment asks about the potential impact on protected characteristics including age (incorporating young people) and on which Children’s Rights could be affected by any policy or proposal being reviewed or developed. Mitigations are identified to counteract any impacts identified through the assessment process; some of the mitigations required further research or exploration or identified other processes to reduce or negate any potential impacts. During 2025, six training sessions took place on how to carry out an ECRIA, each session included an overview of the Children’s Rights process. Briefing sessions were delivered in conjunction with our legal team. We also continue to support services by providing advice and guidance on an on-going basis in relation to completing impact assessments. 5 Through the engagement workstream of the care experienced task force, work proactively with Children and Young People. Significant progress has been made this year in strengthening engagement with care experienced young people across secondary schools and through wider corporate parenting work. All 10 schools now have active Champions Boards; young people co-designed two major Promise Conferences; and the Boards continue to shape service priorities through “What Matters to Us”. Large-scale events, including the Employability & Skills Fair, the Summer Programme, Care Experienced Week, and the Christmas Dinner, further broadened opportunities for participation and connection. The Promise Champions staff network has supported learning and improved Corporate Parenting practice across services. Feedback gathered from staff and young people throughout 2025–26 will inform the refreshed Corporate Parenting Plan, ensuring it is inclusive and grounded in lived experience. 6 Co-create with children and young people new, systematic mechanisms for maximising learner participation and voice and create a new Learner Participation Policy. The new Learner Participation policy and operating procedure (POP) was launched across all establishments. The Young Leaders of Learning programme was piloted by 11 Early Years centres and schools. This programme enhanced opportunities to maximise learner participation and learner voice across the pilot establishments. 7 Ongoing consultation with children and their families on service design and delivery. Over the year, we engaged a significant number of young people through structured consultation and events to gather views on key issues. This included the 2 Joint Cabinet event, where over 200 secondary pupils engaged directly with elected members and senior officers on priorities such as child poverty, wellbeing, risk-taking behaviour and employability. Engagement was further strengthened through the 3 Joint Youth Forum (almost 40 young people), the Youth Conference (94 young people), and targeted budget consultation at youth-led events. Additional consultation was delivered through the Champions Board, engaging care experienced young people across all secondary schools, and Primary 7 engagement, involving 114 pupils focusing on UNCRC themes including identity, language and poverty. Feedback from all engagement has informed service planning, strategy development and policy discussions, ensuring young people’s views are embedded in decision-making at local and strategic levels. 8 Ensure that Children’s engagement forums focus on rights, helping children and Over the year, UNCRC principles were embedded through targeted consultation and participation activity with children and young people. Engagement included 114 Primary 7 pupils participating in Youth Council workshops exploring key UNCRC
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3 No. Action Update 2025-26 families understand UNCRC and what this means. articles, including Article 8 (identity), Article 26 (child poverty), Article 27 (risk-taking behaviour) and language and inclusion (Article 30). Feedback gathered informed service planning and was shared with partners. Care experienced young people were engaged through the Champions Board across all 10 secondary schools, with delivery of the What Is The Promise? programme supporting awareness of rights and The Promise. Young people identified priorities through structured engagement, which were presented directly to staff and senior leaders to inform corporate parenting practice. Strategic consultation also took place through large-scale engagement events, including a Joint Cabinet session involving over 200 secondary pupils, where young people shared views on poverty, wellbeing, risk-taking and employability with elected members and Chief Officers. Additional UNCRC-aligned engagement was delivered through the Joint Youth Forum and Youth Conference, ensuring children and young people’s voices informed policy development, service redesign and decision-making across the Council. 9 Work with local partners/members to identify opportunities for children and young people to become involved locally. Throughout the year, strong partnership working with Education, Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP), Police Scotland, extended outreach services and third-sector organisations has supported increased opportunities for children and young people to become involved locally. Joint approaches enabled young people to engage meaningfully on issues such as substance use, risk-taking behaviour, wellbeing, child poverty and safeguarding. This partnership approach was evident through strategic engagement including the Joint Cabinet event, Joint Youth Forum, Youth Conference and targeted outreach activity, providing young people with direct access to elected members, senior officers and partner services. Collaborative working has strengthened early intervention, widened participation and ensured young people’s views are embedded in local decision-making, service planning and community responses across North Ayrshire. 10 Through our Advocacy Strategy prioritise community-based advocacy to children and young people ensuring they are aware of their rights and are appropriately represented. Independent, community based, advocacy continues to be provided via Barnardo’s Hear 4U service. It provides one to one advocacy to children and young people from North Ayrshire and priority is given to children and young people, who: • Are involved in the Child Protection process and/or Children’s Hearing system • Are care experienced in Foster Care, Residential Care and/or Kinship Care • Are on the periphery of Secure Care • Were previously looked after and accommodated • Have additional support needs They continue to support young people to ensure they are aware of their rights, as defined within the United Nations Convention on the rights of the Child (UNCRC). They are committed to ensuring that the voices of children and young people are heard, in a way which builds their confidence, also ensuring that they are listened to and their rights are appropriately represented, when decisions are made 11 Implement learning and improvements identified through the HSCP SDS Learning Phase 1 activity is largely complete. The SDS Policy has been finalised and accompanying SDS Practice Guidance has been completed to support consistent and proportionate application in practice. A North Ayrshire Directory of Services has also
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4 No. Action Update 2025-26 Review Board for the Children with a Disabilities Team. been produced to support signposting. The SDS website has also been fully developed and is now live, providing updated and accessible information for children and families, adults and practitioners. Work is at the final stage in relation to Level 1 SDS Awareness and Training. Further development work is still required in relation to the ethical care framework to ensure full alignment with SDS principles and revised operational practice under the Eligibility Policy. 12 Include young carers in the planning and shaping of their services. A peer-led approach, such as the Young Carers Champions Boards now being delivered across all secondary schools, creates meaningful opportunities for young carers to influence decisions that affect them. These initiatives amplify young carers’ voices and ensure that a diverse range of experiences is represented, including those of young carers from minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ communities, and young carers who have their own disabilities or health needs. 13 Develop a young people users forum for KA Leisure and ensure their views and opinions are considered when developing programmes and initiatives. Delay in implementation due to a governance review. Following recent board approval, the panel will be established in 2026/27. Priority 2: Acting early to improve what happens next No. Action Update 2025-26 14 Work with our partners to keep all children and young people safe, with the robust implementation of the new National Guidance for Child Protection. In collaboration with our Pan Ayrshire Colleagues, the North Ayrshire Child Protection Committee have developed the Ayrshire Child Protection Procedures. These procedures were updated following the publication of the National Guidance for Child Protection, 2021 (updated 2023). Changes in North Ayrshire practice have been embedded in accordance with the guidance across the partnership and are reviewed via the Management Information Sub-group and Evaluation and Improvement Sub- group of the Committee. 15 Support families with children aged 0-5 through our integrated universal early years’ service. There are over 5000 children aged 0-4 years in North Ayrshire, all of whom are supported by either a Health Visitor or a Family Nurse. In addition to following the nationally agreed Universal Health Visiting Pathway from the antenatal period through to a child commencing school, within North Ayrshire, children under 5 and their families continue to have access to additional support from the wider, integrated early years team. During 2025/26 (as at 17 March 26), 730 requests for assistance from the various members of the integrated team were made. This included: • 461 (83.6%) for Health Visiting Support Workers for areas such as communication, sleep, toileting, infant feeding and behaviour • 64 (8.8%) for the Perinatal Wellbeing Team, supporting new and expectant mums experiencing low level mental health difficulties • 60 (8.2%) for the Family Nurturers who offer support around bonding and attachment, routines, home conditions and community integration • 57 (7.8%) for Early Years Social Workers supporting with domestic violence, parental mental health difficulties amongst others
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5 • 38 (5.2%) for specialist infant feeding support • 29 (4.0%) for support to dads via our partnership with national charity Dads Rock • 19 (2.6%) for the Healthcare Support Worker who provides additional support to the Perinatal Wellbeing Team as well as baby massage 16 Increase access to early learning and childcare. The 1140 funded hours continue to be delivered with flexibility and choice for parents across localities. Our models offer a blend of full year and term time places with various patterns in establishments delivering 8am-6pm and 9am – 3pm. Allocations have taken place for session 25-26 and 85% of parents have been offered their 1st choice for establishment. Work is continuing to raise awareness of eligibility and increase the uptake of eligible 2s. 17 Work together with parents or carers to provide support to their children. We have continued to roll out the Building on Positive Relationships Families groups. This financial year 17 groups have taken place with 22 families taking part. All participants have reported that the programme was either extremely useful or very useful and it has had a positive impact on family life. 18 Improve outcomes for care-experienced young people. Our Brighter Pathways transformation programme to improve outcomes and opportunities for care experienced children and young people has been progressing since April 2024. The transformation and service developments were delivered through focussed workstreams on the following areas: 1. Housing and Throughcare 2. Fostering and Kinship 3. Education including Residential School Placements 4. Internal Children’s Houses – Model of Care 5. Early Intervention & Intensive Family Support 6. Strategic Needs Assessment/Data/Workforce 7. Best Practice Models and Research The Brighter Pathways work has involved all corporate parents which has assisted in a shared awareness of the challenges and opportunities to improve the provision of services for families, looked after children and care experienced young people. Progress during 2025-26 has included: 1. Our supported accommodation model of care is nearing completion with a proposed opening date of Summer 2026. This is designed to increase independence whilst maintaining relational support on a phased and gradual basis, rather than young people experiencing the cliff edge of transitioning to adulthood which they often talk about 2. Fortnightly planning meetings are taking place to discuss matching young people to the supported accommodation. 3. A new Fostering Scheme has been introduced, effective from 1st April 2026 to help retain current foster cares and encourage new foster carers. This will support placement stability by increasing retention of current experienced carers alongside strengthening approaches to local recruitment, reducing reliance on external provision (which is more often than not, not local). 4. The Moving on Forum has been implemented to encourage multi agency working between Throughcare and Housing. The Forum has improved coordination between Housing and Throughcare, with reduced delays in accommodation making decisions resulting in more predictable and better planned transitions for care leavers. This joint approach has helped mitigate impact of increased housing pressures by ensuring earlier planning alongside shared ownership this has resulted in day-to-day collaboration across Throughcare, Housing, internal children’s houses, fostering and kinship services.
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6 19 We continue to develop and implement the Childsmile programme, focussing on early referral and preventive advice for all families. In 2025 along with all boards in Scotland, NHS Ayrshire and Arran embarked on a programme to reorientate the Childsmile programme. This included changing how the Fluoride Varnish programme is delivered in educational establishments. The team are working to an action plan which is reported through the Oral Health Improvement Plan. Additionally a review of the Dental Health Support Worker programme has provided a clear direction for improving this service working alongside health visiting colleagues and other stakeholders. 20 We will continue to deliver Jumpstart, a family centred healthy lifestyle programme for children aged 2-17, who are above a healthy weight. During 2025/26, 40 children and young people aged 5–17 were supported through our Child Healthy Weight programme (JumpStart) in North Ayrshire. Referrals showed a balanced gender profile (21 male, 19 female), indicating equitable access across genders. Referrals were largely concentrated in early and middle childhood. Children aged 5–9 accounted for 45% (18/40) of referrals, those aged 10–13 comprised 37.5% (15/40), and 17.5% (7/40) were aged 14+. This reflects strong early identification through school-based pathways. Service delivery strongly aligns with health inequalities priorities. 62.5% (25/40) of referrals were from SIMD 1 communities, with a further 20% (8/40) from SIMD 2. Overall, 82.5% of referrals came from the two most deprived quintiles, demonstrating effective targeting of families experiencing the greatest socioeconomic disadvantage. Referrals were driven primarily by core health partners. School Nurses accounted for 27.5% (11/40) of referrals, GPs for 20% (8/40), and Dietitians for 17.5% (7/40). This highlights strong multi-agency engagement, particularly within universal and primary care services. During the reporting period, 66 group-based sessions were delivered within community settings. In addition, seven young people (teens) were supported through one-to-one interventions, making use of KA Leisure facilities. All participating children were provided with a KA Leisure card, offering a minimum of three months’ free access to KA Leisure facilities to support ongoing physical activity and sustain engagement beyond the intervention. 21 Expand our peer support service to all breastfeeding mothers as part of our integrated infant feeding service working alongside the Breastfeeding Network. From 1st July 2025, The National Childbirth Trust took over the contract with the third sector to provide postnatal breastfeeding support to all women who were breastfeeding on discharge from Ayrshire Maternity Unit. Between 1st July - 31st March, 1,331 breastfeeding women engaged in the support offered. Of those, around 50% were exclusively breastfeeding at 6-8 weeks. 22 Continue working with whole families, whole systems and whole communities to provide early intervention support to all of North Ayrshire’s Children. Through Safer Choices, Safer Futures, continued progress has been made in working with whole families, whole systems and whole communities to provide early intervention support for children and young people across North Ayrshire. Partnership working with Education, ADP, Police Scotland, extended outreach services and the third sector has strengthened joined-up responses to identified risks, enabling support to be offered at the earliest possible stage. This whole-system approach has focused on prevention, relationship-based practice and community engagement, ensuring that children, young people and families receive the right support at the right time. By aligning universal services with targeted interventions, Safer Choices, Safer Futures continues to support positive outcomes, reduce escalation of need and promote safer, healthier communities. 23 Providing training/guidance to families, schools, partners and communities that enhances the understanding of early intervention and provides skills needed for families to feel confident and equipped to manage family life. 1801 children and young people engaged with programmes delivered by the Mental Health and Wellbeing Project Delivery Officers. These activities prioritise supporting children and young people to develop ways to keep mentally well and promotes positive wellbeing practices. Examples of programmes delivered include, Drama for Wellbeing, Outdoors for Wellbeing, TakeTime Families and Your Resilience at The Hive in Ayrshire College. The BounceBack programme continues in Primary
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7 Schools with one young person aged 11 reporting “I liked the resilience exercise, I learned to believe in myself and try not to give up.” The CLIMB programme has been introduced in Secondary Schools where young people develop skills to positively manage their mental wellbeing and also gain some qualifications. Staff involved report substantial improvements in several areas including - Confidence and Self-Belief, Emotional Regulation and Wellbeing and Social Skills and Teamwork. Please see response to No. 15 and No 17. 24 We will implement the Signs of Safety approach to social work practice. Signs of Safety was launched in North Ayrshire HSCP in 2023 and now is fully embedded into professional practice. Signs of Safety (SoS) is described as an approach “to enable children's services to deliver services with a rigorous focus on child safety and wellbeing, and to set up their practice, policy, procedures and organisation so that the practitioners can do everything possible to put the parents, children and everyone naturally connected to the children at the centre of the assessment and decision-making”. Implementation has included briefings to CPC members, 5-day training for HSCP Social work children and families staff, baseline audit work and realignment of paperwork. In June 2025 an audit was undertaken. Activity involved a random sample across all open social work Children and Family cases on which at that point were 956. Within this audit, 10% of parents /carers of all open cases in children and families’ teams were interviewed and 70%-84% of the cohort interviewed felt that their workers show care, spend time with the children, help solve problems, recognise strengths within the family and are following through on actions. This is very positive feedback and an excellent base from which to build and improve practice. There is strong evidence from the responses gathered from children and young people that they feel listened to (63%), feel their social worker helps them (69.5%), feel their social worker knows their family (76%) and 71% of the children and young people interviewed feel they have a say in what happens to them. This data provides strong indications that there are positive working relationships between families and practitioners. Given how important working relationships are in evoking change for children this is an excellent starting point for implementation. 25 Improve planning for transitions of care to ensure children and young people are able to thrive moving into adulthood. A series of Short Life Working Groups (SLWGs) were completed between September and December 2025. The SLWGs looked at areas including resource allocation, Self-Directed Support, eligibility criteria and assessment formats. The conclusion of these groups provided actions to drive forward for future implementation. The following will be taken forward: • One resource allocation group for children with disabilities and adult learning disabilities. • Revise the current SDS model to bring up to date the budget structure. • Re-write the eligibility criteria for an All-Age Disability Team. • Continue to use Signs of Safety in CFDIS, however, to review the current paperwork format as was in period of review. Not to use the Signs of Safety Pathways Assessment as a transition assessment. Seek to move towards the use of GIRFE for transition and adult LD assessments. Since these decisions were agreed, changes outwith our control has meant that there are further amendments to make. Social Work Scotland Self Directed Support Children's Peer Space has provided a draft Scottish Government document which moves away from indicative budget-based supports to needs led. Further work is now required in relation to our current model.
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8 26 Invest in premises infrastructure to support children and young people experiencing distress in appropriate environments. The service approach is strongly aligned with the core principles of the Bairns’ Hoose national model. This includes a commitment to trauma-informed practice, ensuring children do not have to repeatedly retell their experiences, and providing coordinated, multi-agency support that prioritises safety, dignity and wellbeing. Joint Investigative Interviews (JII) and the Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM) – Staff trained in SCIM undertake interviews using trauma-informed, child-led approaches designed to reduce distress, support memory accuracy and uphold children’s rights throughout the justice process. This ensures that the child’s voice is captured safely and respectfully, while supporting improved investigative and decision-making outcomes. The alignment between SCIM, JII and Bairns’ Hoose principles means that our workforce is already operating within the national direction of travel. We have established processes that reduce duplication, strengthen cross-agency communication and ensure that children have access to advocacy, therapeutic support and a consistent professional network. As the local Bairns’ Hoose model becomes fully operational, these foundations will enable seamless integration, ensuring that children’s journeys through care, protection and justice pathways remain centred on participation, protection and recovery. 27 Work across partners to develop robust pathways of support for infants, children and young people and their families seeking support for speech, language and communication development support. North Ayrshire Early Language Network group meets regularly to share information about supports available to children, young people & families seeing support for Speech, language and Communication (SLC). Health, education, early years social work, Family Nurse Partnership, 3rd sector representative are part of the network. Communication Champion Network in Early Years in North Ayrshire link closely with the SLT team and as a group quarterly to share practice. Communication Champions have received additional training from SLT to identify children who may require targeted support in early year, can share resources with parents and signpost them to SLT helpline and in person drop in session with SLT. A Social Communication in person drop in runs monthly. Any family with a concern about their child's social communication or activities for daily living can receive advice. The NHS Ayrshire & Arran Children's speech and language therapy Facebook page and app contains information for families and practitioners to access with many activities to help support children's speech, language and communication. There is a Helpline available for anyone with a concern about a child's speech, language and communication. They can speak to a registered Speech & Language therapist and receive advice and resources. Annual meetings with our Health Visitor colleagues ensure that they are familiar with the SLT pathways and build relationships with colleagues. 28 Improve access to Speech and Language therapy for children and young people who require specialist support. If families contact us through the helpline or attend an in person drop in with Speech and Language Therapy (SLT), they will receive advice and resources from the service. If a Request for Assistance is required because the child needs a complex SLT assessment they will be added to the waiting list. While the child is waiting for this complex SLT assessment the family will be offered support at a targeted level. They can continue to access the in person drop in, they may be offered a one off assistant demonstration session, for example, on Makaton. 29 Develop a trauma informed workforce by rolling out trauma aware and trauma skilled resources North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership has invested in providing the majority of trauma informed training on a face- to-face basis. At this moment in time, many other organisations are relying on an online format. The positives of providing training in this manner is that staff are having the opportunity to have the discussions around what is working and what is not. This is crucial for services to start the process of looking at where changes need to occur. In partnership with Connected
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9 Communities we have developed a guide on Trauma informed Language for staff within the residential care setting. This has involved working with young people on how language has impacted them and what they would like to see improved. This informed training for residential staff along with a guide on language use. This has been rolled out to Canmore Children's House, but it is hoped that the other three houses will also get involved. Additional trauma inputs also take place for all newly qualified social workers and student social workers. Input is now also incorporated into the 5-day Child Protection Training Course. Education’s recently launched Supporting Relationships and Behaviour Policy and Professional Learning Programme supports the development of a trauma-informed workforce by providing a clear, graduated pathway from Trauma Aware to Trauma Skilled practice across universal, targeted and intensive levels. Universal professional learning, including CALM Theory, New Authority, Emotion Coaching, Expectations and Consequences develops workforce awareness of the impact of trauma, stress and adversity on relationships and behaviour, establishing a shared relational, compassionate and preventative approach that prioritises safety, predictability and emotional regulation. Targeted and intensive elements, including Positive Behaviour Support, CALM Physical Intervention, re-accreditation and structured train-the-trainer delivery with ongoing locality-based coaching, deepen the ability of education teams’ to respond safely and in a neuroaffirming way to dysregulated behaviour using low-arousal, dignity-preserving and trauma-informed strategies. Sustained coaching, peer reflection and access to national trauma, nurture and relationships-based resources ensure practice is embedded, consistent and reflective, supporting team wellbeing and resilience while enabling children and young people to experience emotionally safe, regulated and supportive learning environments. Develop an evaluation framework to maximise resources to support children and young people, to enable system partners to invest and sustain early intervention approaches. A monitoring and evaluation framework has been developed to support implementation of the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund. All funded elements provide 6 monthly reports setting out how they are meeting the aims and outcomes of the WFWF, involvement and impact on children, young people and their families, and sustainability. This is in line with the annual Scottish Government reporting expectations. 31 Reach and identify all young carers earlier in their caring role and promote increased uptake of Young People’s Carer Support Plans. We are committed to identifying young carers earlier in their caring journey and increasing the uptake of Young Carers Statements. Significant progress has been made across education settings to embed consistent, meaningful support. • 15 local primary and secondary schools have now signed up to the Young Carers Covenant, ensuring that young carer awareness and tailored support are embedded into school culture. • The number of Young Carers Statements offered and accepted across education continues to grow, reflecting stronger identification pathways and increased confidence among staff in recognising and supporting young carers. • A comprehensive Young Carers Education Information Pack has been developed to strengthen professional understanding and enable a consistent approach to support. • Young Carer Statement training sessions have been delivered for both education and HSCP staff, helping ensure that statutory duties are met and support is personalised and meaningful. • Carers Gateway Young Carer staff now able to offer and complete Young Carers Statements where appropriate. • Through collaborative work, Carers Gateway and local schools have established a shared working agreement, reviewed annually, which sets out mutual goals for identifying and supporting young carers. These may include: o Regular group sessions within schools
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10 o Dedicated one-to-one support for young carers o Developing a Young Carers Charter tailored to each school o Awareness-raising activities for pupils, families, and staff o Providing targeted resources for each school’s needs o Support during key transition points, including P7–S1 and the move to post-school destinations This collaborative, prevention-focused approach ensures young carers are identified earlier, understood better, and supported in ways that make a genuine difference to their wellbeing and educational experience. Priority 3: Making things fairer No. Action Update 2025-26 32 Implement the North Ayrshire Child Poverty Action Plan. Significant progress has been made this year in strengthening governance, delivery and system change to reduce child poverty in North Ayrshire. Child poverty is now embedded as a core priority of the Community Planning Partnership, strengthening strategic oversight and accountability. The Child Poverty Strategy Team, initially established through Fairer Futures Partnership funding, is now fully embedded and staffed through permanent roles, providing sustained leadership and coordination across partners. The No Wrong Door approach has transferred into the Child Poverty Strategy Team, ensuring closer alignment with strategic objectives. Fairer Futures Partnership activity has prioritised co-designing place-based tests of change with third sector partners and community members with lived experience as equal partners. This has led to the creation of new third sector posts within co-identified priority communities and the commencement of feasibility work on a community directory to improve access to local supports and services. A new Project Board has been established in recognition of the intersectional work and impact of child poverty, and to drive delivery at pace across three priority workstreams: Single Shared Assessment, No Wrong Door, and Data and Evidence. This structure will enhance collaboration, reduce fragmentation and improve the targeting of support. The Welfare Rights in Schools project expanded significantly during 2025–26, with three Welfare Rights Officers embedded across all educational establishments, including early years centres. Schools have provided trusted, stigma-free access to advice, enabling early intervention. During the year, the project secured £1.5 million in financial gains, with 240 families achieving positive outcomes. Continued funding is required to sustain and further develop the model, including testing more intensive support in selected schools.
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11 No. Action Update 2025-26 Across its first two years, the Child Poverty and Early Intervention Fund has now committed over £1 million, supporting both direct financial relief and innovative, co-designed test-of-change initiatives. This includes investment in integrated data through Smart Data Foundry and piloting a Family Enterprise Programme in partnership with Ayrshire College. Youth participation has been strengthened through engagement with the P7 Youth Council and Joint Cabinet, while modern apprentices have shaped the content of family friendly versions of the 24/25 Child Poverty Progress Report. Looking ahead, the development of the joint Children and Families Plan brings together children’s services, child poverty and UNCRC statutory duties. A focused youth panel with scrutiny and oversight responsibilities will be established as a key component of governance to ensure actions and implementation accurately reflect the needs of the communities they are intended to serve. 33 Improve attainment and achievement for all. There has been a focus on raising attainment for all children and young people across session 2025-26, including: • Key discussions and planning of attainment priorities with senior leaders across Early years, Primary & Secondary • Use of data for improvement, raising attainment and closing the poverty-related attainment gap • Relevant and purposeful uses of Play in EY and Primary • Involvement in the CYPIC National Writing programme for Achievement of a Level in Writing • Professional learning delivered by NAC Professional Learning Academy • Target-setting and monitoring of progress towards targets through attainment meetings across all 3 sectors • Focused and targeted support from Education Scotland Attainment Advisor • Data clinics for staff across all 3 sectors to support improved use of data to raise attainment • Embedded use of approaches and tools to gathering and analysing attainment data in Literacy and Numeracy from Early Years to S3, including input from EY Funded Providers and Childminders • Analysis of Senior Phase data with Secondary senior leaders to provide key priorities for next academic session • Looking outwards at national level as well as sharing strategy nationally • Development of a NAC Reading Programme which will begin to be implemented in academic session 2026-27 34 Close the poverty related attainment gap. Rigorous analysis of data for improvement at all levels includes a focus on closing the poverty-related attainment gap and how educational establishments can support those children and young people most affected by poverty. With 46% of learners residing in SIMD Q1, Education Service priorities ensure that universal approaches to improving learning, teaching and assessment, as well as raising attainment, allow a focus on approaches to closing the gap. Strategic planning and spending of Pupil Equity Funding by schools allows for focused and targeted interventions and supports for learners most affected by poverty, with input focused on Health and Wellbeing, Literacy and Numeracy. Quality assurance of this is included in annual PEF impact reports as well as Improvement Plans and Standards and Quality reports. Senior Education Authority staff attended national events on Scottish Attainment Challenge and PEF and delivered input to highlight effective practice in NAC schools.
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12 No. Action Update 2025-26 There remains a commitment in schools and in the Education Service to mitigating against the Cost of the School Day, with approaches such as uniform banks, Prom dresses and low/no cost trips and excursions. 35 Implement the recommendations from the Independent Care Review (Scotland), The Promise. We are fully committed to #KeepThePromise which provides a benchmark for corporate parents, carers, practitioners, managers, care experienced community, and decision makers in fulfilling the goal to meet the collective and individual needs of all of our Care Experienced infants, children and young people. A staff Promise Conference was held on 20th January 2026 and brought together care experienced young people, senior leaders, operational managers, and corporate parenting partners. The event focused on reflecting on our responsibilities as corporate parents, strengthening commitment to The Promise, and gathering staff voice to inform the Corporate Parenting Plan refresh. In November 2025, we held our annual joint Champions Board Conference, attended by 9 out of 10 schools and 59 young people. The conference was co-designed with young people and focused on themes they identified as important, including: Understanding The Promise Using their voice safely and powerfully Building connections with peers across schools Planning the Summer 2026 Programme Their views from the day have been captured in the “What Matters To Us” poster, identifying the six shared young people’s priorities: Feeling Safe and Secure Trust and Relationships Having a Voice and Being Listened To Friendships and Social Connections Opportunities and Aspirations Understanding and Respect Together, this provides a summary of what matters most to our care experienced young people and will directly inform the next Corporate Parenting Plan. The HSCP and multi-agency partners continue to promote and implement The Promise locally. The Corporate Parenting Steering Group continues to meet quarterly to drive the work of the Corporate Parenting Action Plan which captures all activity associated with The Promise. The action plan has been aligned with the 5 key foundations upon which The Promise is built - Care, Voice, Family, People and Scaffolding. 36 Implement the recommendations from the Additional Support for Learning Review (Scotland). Educational Psychology Service continues to contribute to recommendations from the ASL review, building workforce capacity through trauma-informed, inclusive professional learning and coaching, strengthening inclusive leadership, mindsets and practice, improving attendance and participation, and securing equitable outcomes for neurodivergent learners through consultation , assessment, intervention and research.
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13 No. Action Update 2025-26 37 Build strong collaborative partnerships in local areas to ensure we deliver high-quality services for all of our children, young people, and families. Rosemount: The Rosemount Crisis Service has built strong collaborative partnerships across North Ayrshire by operating as a highly integrated, multi-agency service focused on supporting children and young people with complex needs and significant levels of risk, with the clear aim of keeping children safely at home with their families and out of local authority care wherever possible. The service mainly works with the four Children & Families Social Work teams in North Ayrshire - but also accepts referrals from the Families for Children, Children & Families (Disabilities), Kinship and Young Person Support teams - and plays an important role in the wider multidisciplinary response to family crisis, escalating risk, and instability. Rosemount is embedded within statutory planning and decision-making processes and contributes to Child Protection processes and plans, Looked After and Accommodated Children (LAAC) processes, Children’s Hearings, and wider young person protection pathways, including Vulnerable Young People (VYP) and CARM arrangements. Partnership working extends beyond social work to include Education, CAMHS, Police Scotland, health services, and community-based supports, ensuring that children and families receive a holistic, coordinated, and responsive service. This integrated model enables Rosemount to respond effectively to overlapping issues such as family breakdown, distressed behaviour, trauma, school non-attendance, mental health concerns, and contextual risks. A key measure of the service’s impact is its consistent success in keeping over 90% of the children involved with the service each year out of local authority care. This demonstrates the effectiveness of intensive, relationship-based crisis intervention when delivered in close partnership with families and professionals. Rosemount’s collaborative approach strengthens risk management, improves family functioning, and creates the conditions for safer, more stable home environments. Overall, the service’s strong local partnerships are central to delivering high-quality, child-centred, and family-focused support, ensuring that children and young people with the most complex needs receive the right help at the right time, while reducing the likelihood of escalation into care. Family Centred Wellbeing Service: The Family Centred Wellbeing Service (FCWS) has built strong, effective partnerships across North Ayrshire by embedding a whole-system, relationship-based approach to early intervention and family support. Working collaboratively with education, health, social work, and a wide range of third sector and community partners, FCWS ensures that children, young people, and families receive coordinated, holistic support that responds to complex and interconnected needs. Practitioners actively engage in multi-agency planning, including Team Around the Child (TAC) processes, and play a key role in bridging gaps between services, advocating for families, and improving communication across the system.
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14 No. Action Update 2025-26 Partnerships are also shaped by the needs and voices of children and families, with flexible approaches that connect individuals to supports aligned with their strengths, interests, and circumstances, including community-based opportunities that promote inclusion and reduce isolation. This collaborative model has contributed to tangible improvements in outcomes, including: • improved school attendance and engagement, • increased emotional wellbeing and confidence, • strengthened family relationships and parenting capacity, and • improved access to mental health, financial, and community supports. By working in this integrated and responsive way, FCWS has strengthened local service delivery, enhanced access to early support, and contributed to preventing escalation to crisis or statutory intervention - particularly for families experiencing the greatest levels of disadvantage. An example of this is the first year of joint delivery of the SCQF level 5 Performing Engineering Operations Award between NAC Education Service and Ayrshire College. Learners from over 5 different NAC Secondary schools are taught the course at Ardrossan Academy and Ayrshire College, resulting in an increased number of pupils being able to access the course. other benefits have been upskilling of school staff in the delivery and assessment of the Award, improved partnership working with the College and a direct link to opportunities within the Ayrshire Growth Deal. 38 Create a new 3 year Raising Attainment Strategy. Raising attainment continues to be a focus for all schools and Early Years establishments, with a commitment to ensuring added value across and through all 3 sectors in a child’s learning, attainment and achievement. Senior leaders’ feedback and the Data Service Improvement Group have helped to shape a refreshed approach to collecting Literacy and Numeracy data and how this is then used to create targets for all establishments. A more focused approach in analysing attainment data is helping to shape Service priorities and collaborative working between central staff and schools to ensure that all learners attain and achieve their best outcomes. 39 Maximise opportunities to work with Third Sector providers to provide early intervention and prevention supports, with a particular focus on primary prevention approaches. Through Whole Family Wellbeing Funding, the Children’s Services Strategic Partnership has awarded grants to third sector organisations during this financial year with the aim of testing or expanding early intervention projects which support a whole family approach. Some of these projects include support to kinship families, transition support to young people with additional support needs and support to dads. Through Children and Young People’s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Funding, small grants have been awarded to a range of Third Sector partners. Examples of programmes include, using judo to promote wellbeing, KA Leisure have developed programmes and work in collaboration with schools, nature based programmes, and programmes that promote financial stability.
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15 No. Action Update 2025-26 40 Providing a robust ‘peer’ support model that upskills parents and carers, providing training and volunteering opportunities and enhances employability skills as well as building self-esteem and confidence. In 2025/26, the Employability service has registered 811 new parents who are engaging, developing skills, confidence, and resilience to secure and sustain employment in the future. In this period 85 parents have secured paid work experience through placements created from the Skills for Life initiative. We Work for Families have supported 134 parents to progress to sustainable employment as well as increasing their household incomes. Two new Peer Navigators have been recruited to engage and support parent to engage in training, volunteering and the range of opportunities provided by Your Next Move Working North Ayrshire to prepare people to progress to employment. 41 Take an asset-based approach to communities/children and families and build upon the skills and strengths that exist. North Ayrshire has been implementing Safe and Together since 2021, a model which is designed to improve our practice and how we work together with families where there is domestic abuse and concerns about children. 42 Establish a Financial Inclusion Partnership in North Ayrshire to better support access to support for families. Our 2025 ambitions to deliver services through an Advice Line and a single point of contact are now fully embedded. Client- centred outcomes surveys are routinely issued at case closure, strengthening our understanding of impact and ensuring continual service improvement. In-house debt advice is fully operational, providing seamless access to both debt and welfare rights support across all tenures. The Financial Inclusion Partnership Communications Subgroup was established during the year and successfully delivered the Partnership’s first multi-agency event in October. The event, themed around winter preparedness, brought together a range of services with the aim of increasing awareness of support available across North Ayrshire and improving understanding of how services connect and refer between one another. Workshops were delivered by Citrus, Community Link Workers and Christians Against Poverty (CAP). The Financial Inclusion Partnership continues to grow and strengthen, with new members joining throughout the period. Collaborative working with third sector organisations and partner agencies remains central, with a shared focus on developing clear referral pathways and delivering coordinated, joined-up support for residents. 43 Develop peer support models. The Modern Apprenticeship programme is being used as a peer support model by creating visible, relatable role-model opportunities for young people within their own communities. Apprentices, many of whom have lived experience of local challenges, support younger peers through informal mentoring, shared learning and positive role-modelling, helping to build confidence, aspiration and engagement. By positioning apprentices within community and youth work settings, the programme supports peer-led learning, early intervention and prevention, enabling young people to access advice, reassurance and support from someone they can identify with. This approach strengthens relationships, promotes positive behaviours and supports children and young people to make safer choices, while also building skills, confidence and progression routes for the apprentices themselves. 44 Strive for parity of access to support and services for our Island Communities including for Children and Young People. Work has continued to strengthen equity of access to youth work support and participation opportunities for children and young people in North Ayrshire’s island communities. Partnership working with Arran Youth Foundation has supported the development of a local youth work offer on Arran, ensuring provision is responsive to local need while remaining connected to wider Council priorities. Island communities are routinely included in all youth voice structures and engagement activity, including the Youth Council, Joint Cabinet events and wider consultation processes, ensuring young people from Arran have
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16 No. Action Update 2025-26 opportunities to influence local and strategic decision-making. The appointment of an MSYP from Arran has further strengthened parity of access, enabling regular feedback from island young people and ensuring their views are represented consistently at both local and national consultations. 45 Provide multiple points of access for young carers into carer support services. We are committed to ensuring that young carers can access support in ways that are flexible, familiar, and responsive to their needs. A range of access routes has now been embedded across education and community settings, ensuring no wrong door to support. • Dedicated Young Carers Champions are now in place within every primary and secondary school. These Champions act as a first point of contact for identification, support, and information-sharing within their school communities. • Three Young Carer Workers are aligned to clusters of three secondary schools and their associated primary schools. This structure ensures consistent partnership working, proactive engagement, and timely support for young carers and their families. • A termly Young Carer Newsletter is shared with education staff, providing updates on supports available, upcoming events, awareness activities, and practical resources for working with young carers. This helps maintain visibility and ensures staff remain informed throughout the year. • An upgraded Carers Gateway digital self-help portal for young carers was launched in August 2025, offering 24/7 access to a wide range of information, resources, wellbeing tools, and guidance. The platform significantly enhances accessibility - enabling young carers to seek help at any time, in a format that suits them. Together, these access points ensure that young carers can engage with support through trusted adults in school, dedicated staff, digital tools, or wider community activities. This blended model strengthens early identification, reduces barriers, and offers young carers multiple pathways to information, advice, and personalised support. Priority 4: Promoting good mental health and wellbeing No. Action Update 2025-26 46 Develop our nurturing approach across all Children’s Services. A nurturing approach is being embedded across Children’s Services through shared trauma-informed and relational practice. In Education teams this is evolving into a New Authority model that combines compassion with clear, supportive boundaries. Professional learning in nurturing, Emotion Coaching, Positive Behaviour Support and CALM is supporting consistent adult responses focused on safety, regulation and repair. This year there are examples of joint problem-solving with Psychological Services, Children’s Houses and CAMHS - growing a community of practice for care-experienced young people enabling shared learning and consistency across services. 47 Work with children, young people, families, and communities to improve mental health and wellbeing through physical activity and social participation. Youth work activity continued to make a significant contribution to improving the health, wellbeing and life chances of young people across North Ayrshire. A sector-leading approach to youth voice and participation enabled young people to influence decision-making on issues including rights, equalities, mental health and community priorities through Youth Forums, Champions Boards and the Joint Cabinet. This work strengthens confidence, belonging and civic participation, ensuring services are shaped by young people’s lived experience, including care-experienced young people and young New Scots.
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17 No. Action Update 2025-26 Targeted and universal programmes supported mental health, resilience and positive relationships across schools and communities. Evidence-based and creative approaches, including Your Resilience, Bounceback, Drama for Wellbeing and outdoor and physical activity programmes, helped young people develop emotional literacy, coping strategies and self-regulation. Early intervention and prevention activity addressing suicide, alcohol and vaping risks was complemented by workforce development on neurodiversity, trauma and complex behaviours, strengthening the quality and consistency of support available to young people. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award continued to provide a strong wellbeing and achievement pathway, engaging over 1,000 young people across schools and communities and supporting progression through Bronze, Silver and Gold awards. Alongside this, targeted programmes and partnerships supported care-experienced young people, young New Scots and those facing additional barriers to build confidence, maintain connections to education and progress to positive destinations. Together, these approaches demonstrate a coherent, strengths-based model that combines participation, prevention and progression to improve wellbeing outcomes at scale. All Active Schools activities are designed to support and promote positive mental health and wellbeing for every child and young person who takes part. Our year‑round programme of extra‑curricular opportunities, events and leadership initiatives plays a vital role in reducing stress, boosting mood, and enhancing self‑esteem among participants. To further strengthen our approach, the Active Schools team has developed a comprehensive guidance resource for schools. This guide raises awareness of how our programmes contribute to improved mental health outcomes and provides practical examples of the ways physical activity and leadership experiences can positively influence wellbeing. In addition, all coaches and volunteers involved in Active Schools delivery participate in a robust mental health training programme. This training equips them with the knowledge and confidence to recognise signs of poor mental health, create inclusive and supportive activity environments, and respond appropriately to the needs of young people during their weekly sessions. Through this combined focus on participation, education and staff development, Active Schools continues to play a significant role in nurturing healthier, happier and more resilient young people across our communities. 48 Continue to have appropriate pathways in place for supporting mental wellbeing. Our school counselling service supports children and young people aged 10-18, in the school setting, this year 500 children and young people accessed the service with 98.6% reporting an improved CORE-YP score. Our Area Inclusion workers and additional support staff continue to deliver Let’s Introduce Anxiety Management (LIAM) with positive impact. Mental and emotional wellbeing is one of the 10 priority pathways in the school nursing service. We are currently exploring ways to record this to allow more accurate reporting. All staff nurses supporting the school nursing service are trained in LIAM. 49 Work together with children, young people, and their families to help build resilience. Education and Social Work teams have worked together in the following areas – see WFWF report for greater detail. • Building parental confidence and capacity: The Building Positive Relationships (BPR) programme strengthens adult presence, helping parents regulate, de-escalate and repair relationships, reducing reliance on crisis intervention and supporting sustained family resilience. Pre-programme assessment, readiness processes and flexible delivery enable families to access timely support before challenges escalate, building coping strategies and emotional regulation skills. Emotion coaching, neurodevelopmental understanding and co-parenting inputs support parents to
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18 No. Action Update 2025-26 better understand their child’s needs, improving relationships and reducing family stress. There is evidence that the BPR approach is helping some families feel less alone, fostering peer connections and shared problem-solving that strengthens family resilience. • Consistent, joined-up support around families: Weekly Educational Psychology consultation with the Family Centred Wellbeing Service (FCWS) has enhanced problem-solving, goal-setting and reflective practice, enabling tailored, strengths-based support for families. • Supporting attendance and anxiety: Development of targeted resources (e.g. animation groups and attendance-related anxiety supports) helps children and families build confidence and coping skills linked to engagement and participation. • Empowering families of neurodivergent children: Training and resources shared with practitioners and families promote understanding of sensory, emotional and communication needs, enabling consistent approaches across home, early years and school. Psychological Services are working in partnership with NEST and the new Learning and Development Advisor. • Proactive planning and transitions: Use of NAIT resources such as Let’s Not Just See How It Goes and We Were Expecting You with school teams supports anticipatory planning and predictable environments, reducing stress at key transition points for children and families. 50 Improve services for children with neuro- developmental conditions, implementing a whole system approach with partners across Health, Education, Social Services and the Third Sector. (Implementation of the National CAMHS and Neurodevelopmental Specifications). The Business Case for a pan-Ayrshire diagnostic Neurodevelopmental service for children and young people is currently being finalised and will be presented to Chief Officers. In North Ayrshire, there has been a focus on training and development of the children’s services’ workforce through WFWF monies to NEST, including the recruitment of an Learning & Development Adviser for Neurodevelopmental Delay (NDD), who has been delivering a programme of opportunities to upskill the workforce. This was a recommendation from a NDD training needs analysis undertaken in North in 2024. 51 Public Health will implement a life course approach to Mental Health and Wellbeing, focusing on the first thousand and one days, infancy and Children and Young People. Public Health have worked over the 25-26 period to produce a suite of life course evidence briefings. The mental health and suicide prevention briefing will be used in the coming year to shape conversations with partners regarding the preventive potential of a life course approach and opportunities based on evidence across the life course and across all stages of prevention (universal, primary, secondary, tertiary). During 2025 - 26, Public Health has continued to strengthen and embed mental health improvement activity across Education and wider children’s services in North Ayrshire. Examples of activity include: • Promotion and Utilisation of MHWB Resources in Practice – The Guide for Children, Guide for Young People and Children’s Workbook for Mental Wellbeing continue to be actively promoted across Education and to partners who support children, young people and families. Work this year has focused on reinforcing awareness of these resources, supporting staff to build them into everyday practice, and ensuring consistent access to practical tools that help initiate and sustain wellbeing conversations. • Supporting a Whole School Approach – Public Health continues to work with the North Ayrshire Education Mental Health and Wellbeing Operational Lead to promote a Whole School Approach to mental health.
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19 No. Action Update 2025-26 • Mental Health Improvement – a Practical Approach (MHI‑apa) – training is now being delivered across Education by the MHWB Operational Lead, building capacity at school level and ensuring staff have the knowledge and skills to support children, young people and families. Area Inclusion Workers continue to use and cascade this learning within their roles, contributing to more consistent approaches across schools. This training is available through Public Health for other groups who wish to participate. • Time, Space, Compassion – There continues to be network of facilitators delivering Time, Space, Compassion workshops which are open to staff working across children's and young people's services. During April 2025 and March 2026, Public Health has organised and delivered 12 TSC workshops across Ayrshire and Arran. Four of these sessions were in North Ayrshire. Staff from North Ayrshire have accessed a number of sessions, with attendance including staff working with children and young people within both public and third sector organisations. Enabling Conversations Toolkit – Initial discussions and awareness raising regarding the Enabling Conversations Toolkit has taken place through the SSPG and Young People's Taskforce. In the coming year Public Health would like to see further awareness raising and engagement with this toolkit as a guide which was created by and for young people, to find help and support when experiencing painful feelings about suicide. Enabling conversations toolkit - Suicide Prevention Scotland. 52 Establish a Community Planning Partnership led Health and Wellbeing Alliance to bring key partners together to co-ordinate approach to targeting support to improve individual, family and community health and wellbeing. Work continues to align the Alliance to the strategic programmes including CHES and Active Communities. Updates to follow 53 Build on services that encourage parenting skills and interactions with between family members. Please see responses to No. 15 and No. 23. 54 Build on the National CAMHS Specification through the 3 established pathways (core, unscheduled care, neuro), ensuring young people are on the correct pathway at a much earlier stage. Pathways have been established and are now in place. 55 Continue to provide ‘worry workshops’ e.g. identifying key issues raised as worries by North Ayrshire children and young people and using this to develop targeted workshops on these issues. This action was cancelled as no longer required. 56 Be responsive and pro-active in responding to and learning from Young Person’s Suicide through our Young People’s Suicide Prevention Taskforce. Our Young People’s Suicide Taskforce (YPST) has been a well-established group that has very successfully delivered positive outcomes for suicide prevention. The Taskforce was focussed of ensuring that a professional, cohesive and effective multi-agency response was taken in the event of a child or young person completing suicide. This work resulted in the creation and maintenance of a multi-agency Crisis Response Plan, that ensures all partners respond and contribute to
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20 No. Action Update 2025-26 supporting young people, families, teachers and any other parties who require support at a very vulnerable time. In April 2025, the Taskforce considered what actions were required to be taken forward in the forthcoming period; the conclusion being that the substantive objectives of the group had been achieved. A bespoke meeting of the YPST on 07 May 2025 agreed that the YPST had achieved its main purpose – the development of the Crisis Response Plan (CRP). The CPR remains effectual and operational to date and continues to serve as a trauma informed framework for responding to a young persons suicide, ensuring timely support for families, schools, communities etc. Collectively this work demonstrates a shift from individual service responses to a more coordinated , relationship based system built around what matters to infants, children, young people and their families. As the YPST was aligned to the Strategic Suicide Prevention Group (SSPG) it was proposed that the responsibilities of the YPST would be subsumed by the SSPG, with the Terms of Reference being amended to reflect that change. The excellent and important work of the YPST was recognised by all members; and it was agreed that the tradecraft developed would not be lost during the transition of responsibilities. On 26 May 2025 the proposal to stand down the YPST and transfer responsibilities to the SSPG was presented at the Child Protection Committee (CPC). The proposal was unanimously agreed. This approach was endorsed by COG in June 2025. 57 Deliver the new National Secure Adolescent Inpatient Secure Unit (Foxgrove) for children across Scotland, which will also benefit young people in North Ayrshire. The service has been delayed in opening due to the facility not having been handed over by the main contractor as 'complete'. We are working with all parties to remedy this and it is hoped that the facility will be ready for handover in late summer/ early autumn 2026. At this point there is a projected 8-week period of post-handover works to be completed. It is anticipated, based on current projections, that we will be ready to receive admissions by December 2026. 58 Explore opportunities to ensure young people are not admitted to non-specialist environments including options to develop and in-house CAMHS inpatient provision. Working with the West of Scotland Tier 4 Regional Board to develop intensive home treatment services building on the existing CAMHS Unscheduled Assessment Intensive Treatment Team (CUAIT). 59 Building on the success of the Kilwinning Wellness Model, the Revised Wellness Model working group will now seek to roll out the approach across all North Ayrshire localities. The Wellness Model is now in place in all localities. Partnerships between the Education Service and local GPs have been strengthened and CAMHS are receiving more robust referrals when necessary. 60 Enable young carers to have a quality of life outside caring and ensure support when moving through key life stages. We continue to prioritise opportunities that enable young carers to experience a positive quality of life beyond their caring responsibilities; while ensuring they are fully supported during key transitions in education and life. • Young Carers Education Fund (£15K–£20K annually) provides flexible financial support to meet identified needs through Young Carers Statements. This includes opportunities for breaks from caring, participation in hobbies and activities, and access to life-enhancing experiences that contribute to wellbeing, resilience, and personal development. • KA Leisure memberships are available for young carers, giving them regular access to health, fitness, and wellbeing activities within their local community and supporting them to take time for themselves.
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21 No. Action Update 2025-26 • Eligible young carers have been supported by Carers Gateway to apply for the ILF Scotland Transition Fund, helping them build independence, confidence, and opportunities to engage socially, explore interests, and become more active in their communities. • Time to Live funding, accessed via Carers Gateway, provides young carers with the opportunity to apply for personalised short breaks—helping reduce stress, improve wellbeing, and create positive time away from their caring role. • To support key educational transitions, Carers Gateway actively participates in enhanced transition planning from primary to secondary school, ensuring young carers are identified early and their needs are understood. Young carers preparing to leave secondary school can access a 1:1 Young Adult Carers Transition Plan, offering tailored guidance around their caring responsibilities, available supports, future aspirations, and the move into further education, training, or employment. This multi-layered approach ensures that young carers are supported not only in their caring role, but also in experiencing a balanced life, developing their potential, and moving confidently into adulthood. Priority 5: Inspiring children and young people to be active No. Action Update 2025-26 61 Create innovative physical activity and sports opportunities with communities and partners. Active Schools and KA Leisure have continued to work collaboratively to increase opportunities for children and young people to be active across both school and community settings. Through strong partnership working, we have ensured that each of the six localities has well‑established links between school‑based activity and wider community provision. Over the past year, our joint efforts have also focused on identifying and addressing gaps in local provision. This has allowed us to create a more equitable offer across all areas, ensuring that every young person—regardless of where they live—has access to a broad range of activity and sporting opportunities. As a result, the pathways from school participation into local clubs and community sport have been strengthened, supporting smoother transitions and encouraging sustained engagement. Furthermore, Active Schools has maintained a strong commitment to supporting those young people who face the greatest barriers to participation. By prioritising targeted programmes and coordinated support across our system, we continue to ensure that those who need our help most are able to access and benefit from positive, inclusive sporting experiences. The Active Schools and Communities Partnership Officers have been instrumental in widening access to participation, particularly for young people who are care‑experienced, living in poverty, at risk of disengagement, non‑attenders, or otherwise identified for targeted support. Their work has effectively removed barriers and created meaningful pathways that ensure these groups can participate in sport and physical activity with confidence and consistency. In addition, the team has continued to provide valuable support to the HSCP, third sector organisations and children and young people with additional support needs, strengthening collaboration across the wider system.
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22 No. Action Update 2025-26 KA Leisure continues to deliver a broad and inclusive programme of sport and physical activity opportunities. Working closely with communities and partner organisations, we offer a varied calendar of term‑time sessions alongside an extensive holiday programme. Our term‑time offer spans all localities, delivering more than 150 classes each week and ensuring that young people and families have access to high‑quality, community‑based activity opportunities throughout the year. 62 Adopt a whole systems approach to diet and healthy weight. This action is no longer being progressed as it has been superseded by work on the requirement to develop a Good Food Nation Plan. 63 Design opportunities into the whole system to enable children, young people, and their families to access supported physical activity opportunities and have a healthy lifestyle. Active Schools remains firmly committed to its core priority of supporting all schools across North Ayrshire to deliver high‑quality, inclusive extra‑curricular programmes that are accessible to every child and young person. This commitment underpins everything we do and ensures that opportunities to be active, build skills and experience new sports are open to all, regardless of background or ability. Throughout the year, participation trends across our schools have highlighted the continued popularity of several key sports. The top five most actively engaged activities were football, netball, racket sports, dance and multisports, reflecting a broad range of interests and demonstrating the strength of provision offered across our localities. Our annual events calendar has also continued to grow in both scale and impact. This year, more than 5310 young people took part in a diverse programme of 75 competitive and participative events, showcasing their skills, representing their schools and experiencing the excitement of large‑scale sporting occasions. These events play an essential role in developing teamwork, resilience and confidence while providing memorable experiences for participants. Importantly, our commitment to inclusion extends across all aspects of the programme. Active Schools has worked closely with partners to ensure pupils with additional support needs can participate in meaningful and appropriate competitive opportunities. This includes supporting ASN young people to attend both the Ayrshire Sportsability events and activities within the Scottish Disability Sport calendar. By providing tailored pathways and ensuring representation at these events, we continue to uphold our ambition that every young person has the chance to perform, compete and celebrate their achievements at a level that is right for them. 64 Ensure all our early years indoor and outdoor learning environments and activities enable children to be physically active. All early year’s establishments provide learning environments which provide opportunities for physical play both indoors and outdoors. All staff are aware of the importance of developing gross motor skills and ensure experiences offered support development of core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility. 65 Promote access to leisure services for children and young people to encourage participation in physical activities. KA Leisure continues to promote inclusive access to leisure facilities through targeted programmes, concessions and outreach, increasing participation among children and young people across a range of physical activities. 66 Promote the introduction of the INSPIRE programme to improve opportunities for alternative activities, including arts, drama and music. KA Leisure has supported the rollout and promotion of the INSPIRE programme, widening access to alternative activities such as arts, drama and music to engage children and young people with diverse interests. We currently provide 105 classes across all localities in North Ayrshire.
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23 No. Action Update 2025-26 67 Create and protect safe spaces for children to play and enjoy being outdoors. Youth work programmes continued to create safe, inclusive and purposeful outdoor spaces that support children and young people’s physical health, mental wellbeing and social connection. Outdoor learning remains a key delivery approach, enabling young people to build confidence, resilience and a sense of belonging through structured, supported activity in community and natural environments. Programmes are deliberately inclusive, ensuring access for care-experienced young people, young New Scots and those facing additional barriers to participation. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award continues to be a cornerstone of this work, engaging large numbers of young people in regular outdoor activity, skills development and expeditions across Scotland. DofE expeditions, day trips and overnight experiences provide well-managed, safe environments where young people develop teamwork, leadership and problem-solving skills while enjoying the outdoors. Alongside this, Outdoor Learning, Outdoors for Wellbeing and residential opportunities offer accessible entry points for young people who may not engage with traditional settings, including targeted provision for at-risk groups. Complementary initiatives such as Gardening for Wellbeing, mountain biking, football and outdoor creative activities further enhance safe outdoor provision by promoting routine physical activity, positive mental health and connection to place. Gardening and nature-based activities support emotional regulation, responsibility and mindfulness, while team sports and outdoor challenges strengthen social connections and confidence. Together, these approaches ensure children and young people have regular access to safe, supportive outdoor spaces that encourage play, exploration and wellbeing, while contributing to wider prevention, participation and achievement outcomes. 68 Support parents to understand the importance of movement and enjoyment for children and young people. Social Media campaigns have highlighted the importance of regular movement, enjoyment and positive experiences in supporting children and young people’s wellbeing and development. 69 Work with local small business/ fitness team to provide access to activity and nutrition information. As above. 70 Creation of new and local growing spaces to support communities to grow foods, to upskills families, enhance family time and connection. Work continues to progress positively at the Three Towns Growers, with the HUB nearing completion. Final-stage planning is now underway to agree operational arrangements for groups and individuals wishing to access and use the space. A further successful Potato Day was held in March, attracting hundreds of visitors to the allotment site to purchase seed potatoes. Community Roots have completed Phase One of their build and are currently securing funding to complete the remaining elements. Once finished, the space will support education activities, holistic therapies, and provide a dedicated rest area for volunteers. In parallel, preparations are underway to support local larder users to grow potatoes at home, with resources including grow bags, compost, and seed potatoes being gathered for distribution. Eglinton Community Gardens are preparing for the forthcoming growing season and will host their annual Potato Planting Party, inviting local families to participate and engage in food-growing activities. The Organic Growers of Fairlie are once
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24 No. Action Update 2025-26 again planting and growing potatoes for the benefit of the local community and community larders. Springside Community Association is developing a local network of growers, with plans to cultivate space surrounding the community centre to grow a variety of vegetables for local residents and the community larder. An initial meeting has taken place with Facilities Management to discuss the proposal, and the group is now exploring funding opportunities to enable the work to progress. 71 Ensure all primary, secondary and ASN schools are provided with quality extra- curricular opportunities in sport and physical activity that are open to all. Active Schools has remained firmly committed to its overarching ambition of achieving “More Kids, More Active, More Often.” This focus continues to underpin our planning, partnerships and delivery across North Ayrshire. Throughout the year, we have ensured that high‑quality extra‑curricular opportunities have been available across all primary, secondary and ASN establishments, providing children and young people with a broad range of accessible, engaging activities. Engagement levels have been exceptionally strong. A total of 9,781 young people participated in sport and physical activity sessions during the year—representing over 53% of the entire school‑aged population in North Ayrshire. This reflects both the reach of our programme and the value placed on physical activity by our schools, families and communities. In terms of delivery, the scale of provision has continued to grow. Across the year, 13,065 individual sessions were offered, generating an impressive 271,061 participant visits. This figure illustrates the depth of engagement within the programme: for example, ten pupils attending ten sessions each equates to 100 recorded visits. These levels of participation highlight the consistency with which young people return to Active Schools activities, demonstrating the positive experiences and meaningful connections being created. Our programme is powered by a dedicated network of deliverers. This year, 703 individuals contributed to the delivery of Active Schools sessions—and notably, 98% of them were volunteers. This represents the highest proportion of volunteer deliverers recorded anywhere in Scotland. Their commitment, time and passion are critical to the success of the programme and play an essential role in ensuring sustained, high‑quality opportunities for children and young people. 72 Ensure all young people have the opportunity to compete and perform regardless of what level they are at. This year, our Active Schools Events Calendar has continued to grow in both scale and impact, providing a wide range of meaningful sporting experiences for children and young people across North Ayrshire. More than 5310 participants engaged in a diverse programme of 75 events, demonstrating the strong appetite for competition, participation and school‑to‑school collaboration. These events are delivered across cluster, locality and authority‑wide levels, ensuring pupils have opportunities to take part in sport close to home as well as within larger, North Ayrshire‑wide settings. This tiered structure not only widens access but also allows young people to progress through different levels of competition and develop confidence in a supportive environment. A key focus of our events programme is ensuring that all young people, regardless of ability or need, have access to appropriate and meaningful sporting pathways. We are particularly proud of the continued support offered to pupils with additional support needs (ASN). Throughout the year, Active Schools has actively facilitated ASN participation in Ayrshire Sportsability events as well as opportunities within the Scottish Disability Sport calendar. In addition to this, this year we have establish a three Ayrshire approach to ASN competition and programming. This has allowed wider access and more
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25 No. Action Update 2025-26 opportunities for our ASN young people to attend. All these partnerships enable pupils to compete, perform and experience success at a level tailored to their individual needs, ensuring fairness, inclusion and the chance to celebrate personal achievement. Through this comprehensive and inclusive approach, our events programme continues to play a vital role in promoting participation, encouraging healthy competition, and ensuring that every young person across North Ayrshire can experience the enjoyment and benefits of taking part in sport. 73 Create and support a school to community club pathway for sport across North Ayrshire. During the last academic year, Active Schools worked closely with 60 community sports clubs across North Ayrshire, strengthening partnerships and increasing the breadth of provision available to children and young people. These clubs contributed significantly to school engagement by delivering a variety of high‑quality activities, including: • Curriculum enhancement sessions, providing additional PE input beyond the statutory two hours • Health week activities, supporting whole‑school wellbeing initiatives • One‑off taster days, offering pupils the chance to try new sports and activities • Visits to local clubs, helping young people experience community‑based environments • Promotion of club opportunities, such as distributing flyers and raising awareness of routes into long‑term participation In addition to this strong school‑club collaboration, our North Ayrshire Community Sport Hubs continue to thrive. Working in partnership with KA Leisure, we have provided extensive support to local clubs, including access to training opportunities, facility provision, and tailored one‑to‑one development sessions aimed at strengthening governance, sustainability and volunteer capacity. To further enhance community engagement, we have collaborated with selected affiliated clubs to deliver satellite club programmes, enabling more localised and accessible participation options for young people. These satellite sessions are helping bridge the gap between school activity and long‑term involvement in community sport. We have also prioritised the development of inclusive opportunities and have been working with the other Ayrshire’s to provide more opportunities for our ASN young people to take part in at Club leave. 74 Ensure an effective leadership pathway is developed for P6 through to S6 and beyond to develop transferable skills. At primary level, the P6 Move and Improve Programme has made a significant impact, with 1,006 pupils trained as young leaders this year. These pupils play a key role in their school communities by planning and delivering high‑quality lunchtime sport and physical activity sessions for their peers. To strengthen the sustainability of the programme, 34 teaching staff have also been trained, enabling them to support leadership development and ensure consistency across all participating schools. In the secondary sector, the Young Ambassador Programme continues to thrive, with 126 S1–S6 representatives actively championing sport and promoting the importance of being active within their school communities. These young leaders act as role models, supporting events, raising awareness of opportunities and helping influence positive attitudes toward sport and wellbeing.
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26 No. Action Update 2025-26 Leadership development is further enhanced through the North Ayrshire Sports Academy, aimed at senior pupils in S5–S6. This year, 147 young people took part in the programme, gaining between 8 and 12 recognised qualifications each. These include Saltire Awards, National Governing Body coaching qualifications, and, at the highest level, the SQA Higher Leadership Award. The breadth of accreditation provides participants with valuable skills and nationally recognised credentials that support future education, employment and volunteering pathways. The commitment and enthusiasm of these young leaders is demonstrated through their collective contribution of more than 5000 volunteer hours within schools and the wider community. Their involvement has enriched local programmes, expanded opportunities for younger pupils, and strengthened community engagement in sport. This comprehensive leadership pathway not only builds capacity within North Ayrshire’s sporting landscape but also empowers young people with lifelong skills, confidence and a sense of civic responsibility. This year marked the successful introduction of Active Girls Committees across all nine secondary schools in North Ayrshire, representing an important step forward in promoting gender equity in sport and physical activity. A total of 45 motivated young leaders were appointed to these committees, each entrusted with the responsibility of encouraging increased participation among female pupils and helping to remove the barriers that often limit girls’ engagement in physical activity. Throughout the year, these young leaders have demonstrated exceptional commitment and maturity, acting as positive role models within their school communities. They have collaborated closely with PE departments, Active Schools staff and wider school teams to identify areas for improvement and to contribute to the development of more inclusive, girl‑friendly environments. Their work has included advocating for the needs and preferences of female pupils, improving visibility of opportunities, and championing a culture where girls feel confident and supported to be active. In addition to their strategic contributions, the committees have played an active role in designing and delivering bespoke girls‑only programmes and events, tailored specifically to increase engagement and create safe, welcoming spaces for participation. These initiatives have included lunchtime and after‑school sessions, awareness campaigns, taster activities and targeted interventions to encourage girls who may be less physically active. The creation and success of the Active Girls Committees has strengthened the voice of young women in shaping school sport, contributing meaningfully to North Ayrshire’s wider commitment to inclusion, empowerment and lifelong participation. 75 Ensure we remove any barriers to participation for care experienced young people to take part in sport and physical activity. The Active Schools and Community Partnership plays a critical role in collaborating with key partners and stakeholders to remove barriers faced by young people and families with Care Experience across North Ayrshire. By adopting a Whole Systems Approach, the programme supports individuals to access sport and physical activity opportunities that contribute to healthier, more active lifestyles. Throughout the 2025–2026 period, 373 young people participated in a wide range of experiential opportunities. These experiences were diverse and engaging, including activities such as water sports, climbing, sailing, residential trips, and community fun days. To ensure equitable access, the team worked closely with internal and external partners to address
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27 No. Action Update 2025-26 individual barriers, including transport, appropriate clothing, food provision, and activity access. This coordinated support enabled seamless participation for those who may otherwise have been excluded. Following their initial experiential opportunity, young people were encouraged and supported to transition into regular physical activity within their school or local community. As a result, 84% chose to continue their involvement in ongoing sport or activity programmes. Of the 373 participants, 53% were living in the two most deprived SIMD quintiles (SIMD 1 and 2), demonstrating the programme’s strong reach into communities experiencing significant inequality. Over the four-year duration of the programme (Roles), the team delivered over 150 bespoke opportunities, engaging 1,124 young people with Care Experience. These experiences created meaningful pathways into sustained activity, with 72% of participants moving into more frequent participation supported by their school or community settings. In addition, the team delivered targeted support for 435 young people within ASN provision, ensuring that they too had access to high-quality experiential opportunities. Impressively, 89% of these young people transitioned into regular, sustained participation following their initial engagement. Collectively, these achievements highlight the significant impact of the Active Schools and Community Partnership in reducing barriers, widening access, and improving health and wellbeing outcomes for young people with Care Experience across North Ayrshire. Unfortunately, these dedicated roles will come to an end in March 2026. 76 Expand and develop the Health and Wellbeing Service to accommodate children and young people, with a focus on partnership working within the Mind and Be Active programme to establish an early intervention approach that provides supported physical activity opportunities for children and young people who are experiencing poor mental health. Funding for the Mind and Be Active Programme was withdrawn by the Health and Social Care. Empower is a programme that supports young people to engage in regular physical activity with the aim to improve their mental health, confidence and life skills. The programme targets young people facing mental health challenges such as stress, anxiety or social isolation. These individuals are referred through healthcare professionals, schools or self-referrals with delivery taking place within a school environment or local leisure centres. 77 We will work with Community Planning Partners to establish a set of outcome indicators to measure progress on each of the priorities and actions. A set of performance indicators were established and have been used to monitor the progress of the Children’s Services Plan 2023-26 as can be seen in Appendix 2 of the Children’s Services Plan 2025-26 Performance Report.
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APPENDIX 2: Childrens Services Plan Performance Indicators 2025-26 Priority 1: The rights of children and young people are promoted and protected Indicator 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26 Children and Young People receiving Advocacy Support 282 284 240 352 Number of young people taking part in influence and engagement through CLD (Community Learning and Development) (e.g. engagement, youth participation and citizenship work) 20,694 15,202 11,746 11,185 Proportion of child protection re-registrations within 18 months 10.8% 11.4% 7.2% N/A Priority 2: Acting early to improve what happens next Indicator 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26 Percentage of children reviewed with at least one developmental concern recorded at their 27-30 month review (PHS Dashboard) 20.5% 22.6% 20.0% N/A Babies who have always been exclusively breastfed (reported at 6/8 weeks) 20.3% 25.6% 25.9% N/A Children referred to Reporter for offences (aged 12-16) (rate per 1000) 10.0 14.7 10.1 N/A Children referred to Reporter for care and protection (aged under 16) (rate per 1000) 15.0 16.8 13.2 N/A Immunisation uptake for 6-in-1 - children (aged 24 months) (annual, calendar year) 96.6% 97.1% 96.2% N/A Immunisation uptake for MMR - children (aged 24 months) (annual, calendar year) 92.2 % 94.6% 93.9% N/A Number of Requests for Assistance received - referred to Specialist Services - for Speech and Language 26 46 12 29 Number of Requests for Assistance received – referred to HV support workers within UEY (Universal Early Years) team in the period for Speech and Communication 139 157 171 100 Percentage of Primary 1 Children free from dental decay 73.32% 69% N/A N/A Percentage of Primary 7 Children free from dental decay 77.34% 70.1% 71.9% N/A Uptake of the HPV vaccine in S3 girls (annual, school year) 84.1% 78.8% 80.5% N/A Deaths from suicide (aged 11-25) (rate per 100,000) (5 year rolling average) 10.3 11.2 N/A N/A Alcohol-related hospital admissions (aged 11-25) (rate per 100,000) (3 year rolling average) N/A 151.9 N/A N/A Drug-related hospital admissions (aged 11-25) (rate per 100,000) (3 year rolling average) 147.1 116 N/A N/A Smoking during pregnancy as reported at antenatal booking (Calendar year) (2022) 15.4 (2023) 13.2 (2024) 11.2 N/A Priority 3: Making things fairer Indicator 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26 Proportion of Looked after Children with more than 1 placement in the last year 17.4% 18.3% 17.8% N/A Children looked after by the local authority as at 31st July (aged 0-17) 404 405 416 N/A Children on the child protection register as at 31st July (rate per 1,000 children) 3.5 3.9 4.6 N/A School attendance rate for whole population 89.0% 89.1% 89.6% N/A School attendance rate for looked after children 84.2% 83.7% N/A N/A Number of families receiving cash payments for Free School Meals during holiday periods (school year, snapshot of data) 2,706 2,626 2,690 2,497 Combined Numeracy achievement for P1, P4 & P7 (expected CFE level) 75.9% 76.2% 73.9% N/A Combined Literacy achievement for P1, P4 & P7 (expected CFE level) 68.5% 68.6% 68.2% N/A Percentage of pupils gaining 5+ awards at SCQF Level 5 (LGBF) 63% 65% 64% N/A
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Indicator 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26 Percentage of pupils from 20% most deprived areas gaining 5+ awards at SCQF Level 5 52% 53% 54% N/A Annual participation measure for all 16-19 year olds (calendar year) 92.0% 91.7% 92.5% N/A School leavers entering an initial positive destination 96.5% 95.6% 95.7% N/A Percentage of Children living in poverty after housing costs N/A (not comparable due to method change) 18.1% 18.0% N/A Priority 4: Promoting good mental health and wellbeing Indicator 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26 Number of referrals to CAMHS (ISD Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Scotland) (Pan Ayrshire) 2,166 2,741 1,194 1,252 Percentage of referrals to CAMHS started treatment within 18 Weeks 95% 99% 99.6% 100% Number of children and young people accessing Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services 6,038 5,962 6,527 TBC Total number of children accessing counsellors (school year) 666 379 477 500 Percentage of children who have reported an improved outcome following access to a counsellor 100% 100% 99.4% 98.6% Priority 5: Inspiring children and young people to be active Indicator 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26 Child healthy weight in Primary 1 (2% to 85% centile) 76.7% 74.8% 70.9% N/A Number of young people (Distinct participants) engaged with Active Schools during Extra Curricular (school year) 9,285 9,201 9,781 N/A Number of Young people who are leaders in our key Active Schools programmes (school year) 1,171 1,327 1,132 N/A Number of Active Schools experiential opportunities offered to Care experienced young people (school year) 31 31 25 N/A Number of ASN (Additional Support Needs) pupils engaging with Active Schools extra-curricular and through experiential opportunities (school year) 140 213 435 N/A KA Leisure memberships distributed either free or funded by partners 69 TBC 201 136 Active travel to school 47.49% 48% 42.4% N/A Please note – data that is not available yet is due to timescales of national data releases or variations in reporting schedules, for example, academic years. Data will be reviewed and updated when available.