Children & Young People's Forum 13 May
- joford4
- May 15
- 11 min read
This month's Forum focused on Children and Young Peoples Services with participants looking at future work of the Forum, a round up of news from across the area and local initiatives.
Guest speaker Vicki Clark, Health Improvement Specialist for Planet Youth, provided an overview of the recent Planet Youth school report for Plockton High School. This report is based on data gathered through the September 2025 S3 and S4 Health and Wellbeing Survey. Within the school, the findings will help inform PSE lessons, support school improvement planning, and strengthen pastoral care. The report will also be used by the Lochalsh Community Action Group to support the development of a local action plan, ensuring the insights lead to meaningful, community-led action. Find a range of support and guidance on Planet Youth Highlands Parent Hub The Parent Hub - Planet Youth Highland | NHS Highland Engagement Hub
Children & Young People Forum Priorities
To move the work of the Forum forward Jo‑Anne Ford, HWWS Collaboration Lead, facilitated a focused session asking partners to define which services sit within Forums remit. Through this structured discussion, the group reached agreement on six priority areas for the Forum to progress collectively.
Helping families early so problems don’t get worse and they can manage day to day
Supporting disabled children and young people
Helping with emotional wellbeing and connecting people to mental health support
Supporting youth activities and mentoring to build skills and confidence
Helping young people get ready for adulthood, including living independently and transitioning to adult unpaid carer role
Working together to support children and young people with additional needs, including learning disabilities and development issues
These six priority areas strongly align with the aims, objectives, and outcomes of the Skye and Lochalsh Caring Communities Plan 2025–2030, particularly under the “People and Communities” priority. Together, they reflect a clear focus on early intervention, prevention, and holistic support, helping individuals and families manage challenges before they escalate. This directly supports the plan’s aim of building resilient communities and improving wellbeing through early intervention and investment in effective services.
The actions also contribute to improving equitable access to services, particularly for disabled children, young people with additional needs, and those transitioning into adulthood or caring roles. By strengthening youth activities, emotional wellbeing support, and joined-up responses to complex needs, they reflect the plan’s commitment to reducing inequalities and ensuring services are accessible, inclusive, and responsive to local needs.
Alignment with Area Plans
There is also alignment with both the Lochalsh Community Action Plan (LCAP) and Skye and Raasay Future (SARF) Area Place Plan, demonstrating how local delivery supports broader place‑based outcomes.
Helping families early reflects LCAP’s focus on improving support for children, parents and families through early help and childcare, while also supporting SARF’s aim of building stronger, more resilient communities through prevention.
Supporting disabled children and young people aligns with LCAP’s priority to improve support for people with disabilities and additional needs, and with SARF’s aim of ensuring fair access to essential services for all.
Emotional wellbeing and mental health support directly contributes to LCAP’s call for better access to mental health services, while also supporting SARF’s focus on improving health outcomes and service provision across communities.
Youth activities and mentoring reflect LCAP’s priority for more activities and opportunities for young people and contribute to SARF’s aim of building community resilience and future opportunities.
Supporting transitions to adulthood aligns with LCAP’s focus on supporting under‑30s through skills, training and independence, while helping deliver SARF’s longer‑term goal of sustainable, thriving communities where people can stay and contribute locally.
Joined‑up support for additional needs reflects LCAP’s strong emphasis on partnership working and improving access to services, and supports SARF’s aim of better coordinated, integrated service delivery.
In addition, the six priorities align strongly with key strategic plans that guide support for children, young people and families in Highland, including:
Highland Integrated Children’s Services Plan 2023–2026
Highland Whole Family Wellbeing Programme Funding Activity Overview and Analysis Report 2026
Highland Children and Young People’s Needs Assessment 2026
Highland Children and Young People’s Participation Strategy
Children and Young People’s Forum Workshop
In order to take forward the six priorities, it has been agreed that SLCVO will host a workshop bringing together third sector organisations, public bodies, and communities. This session, planned for later in the year, will focus on improving support for children and young people.
The workshop will aim to:
Develop a shared understanding of current challenges
Map existing services, supports, and projects
Identify gaps, duplication, and opportunities for better coordination
Explore accessible, early‑intervention, community‑based models of support
Act as a leaning exchange forum
Strengthen partnership working across sectors
Following the workshop, SLCVO will produce a summary report outlining key findings, themes and identified priorities. This will include a set of proposed projects and actions, which can be taken forward to the HWWS Collaboration for further engagement, development and feasibility work, subject to securing funding for dedicated resource support.
Project Update: Raising Awareness of Nicotine Pouch Use
This issue was first raised at the Skye and Lochalsh Drug and Alcohol Forum in late 2025 by the local Youth Development Officer (YDO) Team, highlighting growing concerns about the emerging use of nicotine pouches among young people. What began as anecdotal evidence has since been supported by findings from the Planet Youth survey, including data from Plockton High School and the wider Highland report, which indicate an increase in nicotine pouch use.
At the last Forum on 18 March, partners agreed to work collaboratively with Youth Development Officers, NHS Highland, Planet Youth and local groups to build awareness around nicotine pouches, vaping and smoking, there was initial agreement to explore a summer campaign led by the HWWS Collaboration.
While there was initial interest in progressing a dedicated campaign, the discussion at this week’s Forum highlighted a shared view that a new standalone campaign may not be necessary at this time. Instead, there was general consensus that greater impact could be achieved by raising the profile of existing tools, resources, and services already in place. This approach recognises the breadth of current work across vaping, tobacco, and youth health, and aims to avoid duplication while strengthening what is already available.
Rather than developing new materials from scratch, partners agreed to focus on:
Increasing awareness of existing health improvement resources
Better promoting support services available to young people and families
Ensuring consistent messaging across current programmes such as Planet Youth
This more proportionate approach allows for quicker progress while still addressing emerging concerns around nicotine pouch use. To support this, SLCVO will collate information on available resources, and the Planet Youth team will consider including information on nicotine pouches in the updated vaping booklet for parents. This reflects a shared commitment to working collaboratively, avoiding duplication, and making the best use of existing capacity and expertise across the partnership.
Project Update: DBI and Wellbeing Support
Efforts to explore a Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) pilot at Portree High School, aimed at improving access to mental health support for young people, are currently on hold. Initial discussions were held with Change Mental Health and CAMHS to assess feasibility, following a series of roundtable discussions hosted by Kate Forbes in 2024/25 focused on mental health provision for children and young people on the Isle of Skye. However, progress has not moved beyond these early stages.
To advance this work meaningfully, a dedicated feasibility study and development phase would be required. However, this has not been possible to date, as previous funding for the collaboration Development Office was specifically allocated to adult services. As a result, the DBI proposal remains paused while alternative funding opportunities continue to be explored.
While the DBI model has not yet been introduced locally within the school setting, there has been significant progress in strengthening wider mental health and wellbeing support across Skye and Lochalsh.
Community-based Outreach Hubs are now playing a key role in:
Providing accessible wellbeing and social care support
Supporting families, children, and young people locally
Creating clearer pathways into mental health and related services
In addition, several complementary initiatives have enhanced awareness and access to support services:
NHS 111 DBI access remains available nationally for individuals aged 16+
The Planet Youth programme is supporting early prevention and youth wellbeing in Lochalsh
Mikeysline have been very active in the area going into schools to promote their services
The Skye and Lochalsh Wellbeing and Community Support Directory improves visibility of local supports
The DBI proposal remains a future opportunity, subject to securing the necessary resources and dedicated capacity. In the meantime, the continued development of outreach hubs and improved information access is helping build a more connected and responsive support system across the area.
Other Discussions
It was great to welcome Sarah Ross to the forum, who joined to share more about the range of leadership and volunteering opportunities available for young people through High Life Highland’s Active Schools programme in Skye. Sarah supports young people aged 12–25 through the Youth Leadership Programme, helping them build skills, gain experience and work towards recognised awards by volunteering in areas that interest them. She also highlighted upcoming opportunities such as the “Let’s Go” athletics leaders course for young people aged 14+, which focuses on developing practical skills in delivering activities for younger children. Sarah’s input highlighted the strong pathways available locally for young people to build confidence, develop leadership skills and get involved in their community. Find out more here Portree Active Schools | High Life Highland
Ian Mackinnon, Locality Coordinator for the Whole Family Wellbeing Programme, highlighted that pupils who were in P1/2 during the Covid-19 pandemic are now moving into S1/2. It was agreed there is a need to continue monitoring this group and ensure appropriate support is in place to respond to any ongoing or emerging needs. He also emphasised the importance of engaging wider public sector partners when promoting support and services. While Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland are part of the Skye and Lochalsh CPP, their previous engagement through the S&L Drug and Alcohol Forum has ended. SLCVO will follow up with these agencies to strengthen engagement and ensure continued involvement.
Paula Manners from LGBT Youth Scotland also joined the forum following her team’s participation in last month’s Adult Forum. LGBT Youth Scotland supports LGBTQ+ young people aged 13–25 across Skye and Lochalsh, primarily through digital services and outreach connected to the Highlands. They expect their work to grow further through collaboration with Youth Highland, helping to make life better for LGBTQ+ young people across the region. There are many opportunities for young people to get involved—from joining groups and attending events to participating in projects. Find out more here: https://lgbtyouth.org.uk
Linda Birney Operations Manager for MikeysLine highlighted the value of their text-based support service, which offers a simple and accessible way for people to reach out for help when they need it most. This kind of support is especially important in remote and rural areas like Skye and Lochalsh, where access to in-person services can be limited. Being able to connect discreetly by text can make a real difference, ensuring people feel supported, heard and able to access help wherever they are. Find out more here Textline - Our Support at Mikeysline
Jo-Anne Ford from SLCVO noted that Lochalsh Youth Community Trust is in the process of winding down. She has spoken with the Chair, who, although disappointed that the Trust is closing, recognises a strong opportunity for youth work through the work of Plant Youth.
Planet Youth offers a number of ways to stay connected with their work. You can sign up for their newsletter, which this month includes Highland updates, support for helping adolescents develop better sleep routines, and a new booklet for parents and carers of primary school-aged children. It also highlights available resources and training opportunities. Sway They also host a Parent and Carer Padlet, which brings together a range of resources on health and wellbeing linked to the Planet Youth Community Action Plans. Planet Youth - Parent and Carer Padlet. Working with Communities to improve the health of our children and young people. there is the Lochalsh Community Action Group, to find out more contact: Vicki Clark (she/her) Health Improvement Specialist, Planet Youth victoria.clark5@nhs.scot
The final discussion of the forum focused on volunteer recruitment processes in the area. With SLCVO no longer supporting Volunteer Services, as this has been taken in-house by HTSI through the Volunteer Academy, there appears to be a gap in grassroots volunteer recruitment and engagement support. Jo-Anne asked participants whether a locally based service would help strengthen their recruitment and engagement efforts, and initial discussions suggested there would be value in this. She is now inviting further feedback to help gauge interest in developing a dedicated local volunteer recruitment service. If you would like to share your thoughts, please contact Jo-Anne at jo.ford@slcvo.org.uk.
Your Views and Support
Youth Highland is working with the Poverty and Equalities Commission to gather young people’s views on key issues raised over the past year. Please encourage the young people you support to take part in the Young Life in Highland Survey using the link below.
Kyleakin Connections are creating a welcoming space to support wellbeing and inclusion in the community. Please support them by completing a short questionnaire. To develop how the space meets local needs.
Children’s Health Scotland is gathering views on children’s health, care and support. Launched as part of Children’s Health Scotland’s 50th anniversary, the survey aims to gather important evidence to help shape advocacy efforts, influence positive change and ensure that the voices of children and young people are heard. The findings will be formally presented at the My Health, My Rights Conference later this year. The survey will close on 8 June 2026
The NHSH Engagement Hub enables people across the Highlands to get involved in shaping local health and care services. It offers opportunities to take part in consultations, share views, and influence decisions. People can follow projects, receive updates, and see how their input helps improve services now and in the future.
Kirsty Adam from Red Chair Highland, a community interest company focused on digital inclusion across the Highlands, is seeking local partners to collaborate on a project delivering hybrid digital safety and digital support workshops in Skye. The work aligns with Priority 2 of eth new CLLD fund—tackling inequality for children, young people and families through digital inclusion. Partners could help shape session planning, identify participants and venues, and support promotion. Kirsty would welcome the opportunity to connect with anyone interested in getting involved. kirsty@redchairhighland.scot
General Updates
As part of the Whole Family Wellbeing Programme, Ian Mackinnon has created a Padlet for Skye, Lochalsh and Wester Ross to support shared information and updates across the area. The Padlet provides a flexible space to share learning, resources, emerging issues and useful links, with existing headings to help structure content. It is still in the early stages and contributions are encouraged to help it grow into a valuable shared resource. Access is managed to maintain oversight, so please contact Ian directly if you would like to be added or think someone else would benefit. Access the Padlet here:
The Highland Community Planning Partnership (CPP) produces a fortnightly Community Briefing bringing together key updates from across the Highland area. It includes news, funding opportunities, events, and information on community safety and resilience, making it a useful resource for anyone working in or supporting communities locally. The briefing is a simple way to stay informed and connected with what’s happening across the region. You can sign up to receive it regularly or view the latest edition online. Find out more and access the briefing:
Review of Health and Social Care Delivery Model in Highland
The Highland Council and NHS Highland are undertaking a joint review of how health and social care services for adults and children are planned and delivered across the region. Highland currently operates a unique Lead Agency model, unlike any other partnership in Scotland. As part of this review, two options are being explored: enhancing the existing model or moving to an Integration Joint Board (Body Corporate), in line with other areas of Scotland. Both options will be subject to full engagement and consultation, with no decision made at this stage. The process aims to gather views from staff, communities and partners before any recommendations are put forward. A final governance decision is expected in Autumn 2026. Find out more here 9. Models of Integration Review
Next Children and Young People’s Forum
The next Children and Young People’s Forum will take place on 19 August at UHI Broadford. To register your interest or book a place, please visit Skye and Lochalsh Community Wellbeing and Support Forum
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