Bruce Adamson has been officially appointed as the third Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland, starting a six-year term as Commissioner.
The Children and Young People’s Commissioner is appointed by Her Majesty the Queen and has legal duties defined by the Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2003. In particular, Bruce must:
- promote awareness and understanding of the rights of children and young people,
- review law, policy and practice to examine their effectiveness in respecting the rights of children and young people,
- promote best practice by service providers,
- promote and commission research on matters relating to the rights of children and young people,
- encourage the involvement of children and young people in his work, and – in particular – consult with them on the work that he should be doing to improve the rights of children and young people.
The First Minister and Minister for Childcare and Early Years, Mark McDonald MSP met Bruce on Tuesday night at the launch of the independent care review.
Bruce previously worked as a lawyer supporting vulnerable children and their families. He has also been on advisory boards for a number of public bodies and other organisations including the Children’s Panel.
You can find out more about the role of the Children’s Commissioner here.