Issue - meetings

(i)       to note that officers were considering issuing communication to parents around social media and the use of devices, similar to the attendance communication which had previously been issued;

(ii)       to note the content of the report and the data shared within Appendix A;

(iii)      to instruct the Interim Director Families and Communities to consider the findings of the report and plan next steps as part of work being taken forward through the Children’s Services Plan and associated National Improvement Framework Plan;

(iv)      to instruct the Interim Chief Officer Education and Lifelong Learning to report the findings of the next Health and Wellbeing surveys to Committee within one calendar year;

(v)      to thank all involved in the ongoing work to support children and young people in achieving better health and wellbeing;

(vi)      to note and welcome the considerable amount of positive interventions in place which were effectively helping and nurturing young people in the city;

(vii)     to note and welcome the significantly increased participation from young people in the latest annual SHINE surveys and instruct the Interim Chief Officer Education and Lifelong Learning to work with Head Teachers to encourage participation in future surveys;

(viii)    to note and welcome the continued signs of improvements in indicators relating to loneliness, body image, general health, self-harm, low mood;

(ix)      to note the value of the Family Stress Model in identifying emotional, economic and social pressures which affect the wellbeing of children and young people in their home, local and learning environments; and

(x)      to note with concern evidence that indicated that the current cohort of S4 girls were generally outliers in the improvement journey; and, therefore, instruct the Interim Chief Officer Education and Lifelong Learning to give this issue special focus and undertake further targeted work on supportive solutions; with information on actions and outcomes reported back in the agreed report at (iv).

The Committee had before it a report by the Interim Executive Director – Families and Communities which set out the findings of the Health and Wellbeing surveys undertaken within Aberdeen City Schools in November and December 2023, and the current support in place for wellbeing, both physical and mental.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the content of the report and the data shared within Appendix A;

(b)      instruct the Interim Executive Director - Families and Communities to consider the findings of the report and plan next steps as part of work being taken forward through the Children’s Services Plan and associated National Improvement Framework Plan; and

(c)      instruct the Interim Chief Officer - Education and Lifelong Learning to report the findings of the next Health and Wellbeing surveys to Committee within one calendar year.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to note that officers were considering issuing communication to parents around social media and the use of devices, similar to the attendance communication which had previously been issued;

(ii)       to thank all involved in the ongoing work to support children and young people in achieving better health and wellbeing;

(iii)      to note and welcome the considerable amount of positive interventions in place which were effectively helping and nurturing young people in the city;

(iv)      to note and welcome the significantly increased participation from young people in the latest annual SHINE surveys and instruct the Interim Chief Officer - Education and Lifelong Learning to work with Head Teachers to encourage participation in future surveys;

(v)      to note and welcome the continued signs of improvements in indicators relating to loneliness, body image, general health, self-harm, low mood;

(vi)      to note the value of the Family Stress Model in identifying emotional, economic and social pressures which affect the wellbeing of children and young people in their home, local and learning environments;

(vii)     to note with concern evidence that indicated that the current cohort of S4 girls were generally outliers in the improvement journey; and, therefore, instruct the Interim Chief Officer Education and Lifelong Learning to give this issue special focus and undertake further targeted work on supportive solutions; with information on actions and outcomes reported back in the agreed report at recommendation (c); and

(viii)    to approve the recommendations.