This is not just about local government performance. It’s about whether our democracy at the most local level still works for the people it’s supposed to serve.

This survey suggests it doesn't.

There are so many examples of what *should* be a wake up call for decision makers and leaders. This is another one.

If they ignore it, the erosion of trust in local democracy will only worsen and outcomes for people in Scotland will continue to suffer.

Scotland deserves better.

We need:

✅ Councils involving and responding to communities
✅ Leaders who are accountable & transparent
✅ Real focus on the issues that impact people’s lives

Where’s the spotlight on this?

Outcomes thadon’t match people’s needs.

Communities left unheard.

A culture of finger-pointing instead of accountability.

Trust is the foundation of democracy.

Without it, people disengage, feel powerless and turn away from the system entirely.

When half of survey participants feel disrespected by their council, that’s not a comms problem. That’s a legitimacy and democratic problem.

There's a clear disconnect between power and people’s priorities in their local communities.

Barely 1/3 of people believe councils deal with the issues that affect their quality of life & neighbourhood.

These are not just poor satisfaction scores. They are a warning sign of something deeper, reflecting a failure of democratic accountability at the local level.

Scotland’s crisis in local democracy rarely gets any spotlight.

The latest Household Survey shines a harsh light that trust in local councils is collapsing.

Only 51% of people feel their council treats them with dignity & respect.

Our campaign was founded on the basis of local democracy failures across Scotland regarding parent and children's rights, education and local decision making.

Seven years on, still talking about this.

Families deserve timely, consistent, legally compliant support, accountability, transparency and real change. But who is brave enough to push to achieve this?
#ASN #ChildrensRights #GIRFEC #UNCRC #EducationForAll #LocalAuthorityAccountability #EqualAccess #AccountabilityMatters #InclusiveEducation

Too many families in Scotland continue to face inconsistent support, involvement and failures from local authorities despite clear duties under policy and law.

What will it take to see local authorities held to the same scrutiny as other people and organisations in positions of power?

Children and families face:

⏳ Long delays for assessment and support
📝 Poorly implemented or no CSPs
📉 Inconsistent access to resources
❌ A lack of paren/child involvement

All highlighting a serious accountability gap in local authorities.

Scotland also committed to the UNCRC

📚 Every child has the right to education
🗣 Children’s voices must be heard in decisions affecting them
⚖ Authorities must protect and promote rights

But not all children can access their legal right to education ...

The Equality Act 2010 is supposed to ensure

✅ Disabled children are not discriminated against
✅ Schools & authorities make reasonable adjustments
✅ Equal access to education and school life

But Tribunals and complaints increasingly show it doesnt ensure this ...

The Children & Young People (Scotland) Act 2014

👤 Assigns a named person as a point of contact to coordinate support for children
🌱 Embeds GIRFEC to ensure wellbeing was the centre of all decisions impacting children
📊 Promotes early intervention and prevention

But ... this doesnt happen for all

Under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 LAs should

✅ Identify children with ASN
✅ Provide appropriate support
✅ Involve parents/guardians in decisions
✅ Prepare Coordinated Support Plans (CSPs)

But this doesnt always happen ...

The rhetoric and spin in NLC has done 360 on the safety issues and decision making on 'acceptable' routes but noone cares ...

We need new standards in politics and local government. They are supposed to problem solve based on facts, verifiable evidence. Cherry picking data for political gain shouldn’t be allowed. It’s dishonest and harmful to the entire population. It’s time for honesty and transparency or communities