Measuring child wellbeing

Sam Coope and Ian StorrieScottish Government

Education Analytical Services

“Wellbeing is a positive and sustainable state that allows individuals, groups or nations to thrive and flourish.”

“Wellbeing comprises objective descriptors and subjective evaluations of physical, material, social and emotional wellbeing, together with the extent of personal development and purposeful activity, all weighted by a set of values.”

What is Wellbeing?

“Wellbeing is a positive physical, social and mental state; it is not just the absence of pain, discomfort and incapacity. It requires that basic needs are met, that individuals have a sense of purpose, that they feel able to achieve important personal goals and participate in society.

It is enhanced by conditions that include supportive personal relationships, strong and inclusive communities, good health, financial and personal security, rewarding employment, and a healthy and attractive environment.

Government’s role is to enable people to have a fair access now and in the future to the social, economic and environmental resources needed to achieve wellbeing. An understanding of the effect of policies on the way people experience their lives is important for designing and prioritising them.”

What is Wellbeing? (Cont’d)

6000BC Weapon wielding infants

≈5500 BCFirst recordedmurder by child

CHILD WELLBEING TIMELINECHILD WELLBEING TIMELINE

1860 ADChild thief begs for food

1800 ADMalingering children only work 12 hour day

1987 ADWaving wobbly sticks at children banned

2007 ADScotland cares about cute children’s wellbeing

How we got to where we are…

Material Deprivation – Relative Income, Households without jobs

Health & Safety – Infant Mortality, Immunisations Educational Well-being – School Achievement, Post-

15 Education Relationships – Family Structure, Peer Relationships Behaviours & Risks – Health Behaviours, Experience

of Violence Subjective Well-being – Self-assessed indicators.

UNICEF Domains of Wellbeing

 Average Ranking

Material Deprivation

Health & Safety

Educational Well-Being Relationships

Behaviours & Risks

Subjective Well-being

Netherlands 4.2 10 2 6 3 3 1

Sweden 5.0 1 1 5 15 1 7

Denmark 7.2 4 4 8 9 6 12

Finland 7.5 3 3 4 17 7 11

Spain 8.0 12 6 15 8 5 2

Switzerland 8.3 5 9 14 4 12 6

Norway 8.7 2 8 11 10 13 8

Italy 10.0 14 5 20 1 10 10

Ireland 10.2 19 19 7 7 4 5

Belgium 10.7 7 16 1 5 19 16

Germany 11.2 13 11 10 13 11 9

Canada 11.8 6 13 2 18 17 15

Greece 11.8 15 18 16 11 8 3

Poland 12.3 21 15 3 14 2 19

Czech Republic 12.5 11 10 9 19 9 17

France 13.0 9 7 18 12 14 18

Portugal 13.7 16 14 21 2 15 14

Austria 13.8 8 20 19 16 16 4

Hungary 14.5 20 17 13 6 18 13

United States 18.0 17 21 12 20 20 N/A

UK 18.2 18 12 17 21 21 20

Overall - unicef

Barnardo’s Index of Wellbeing

Looks at 7 key indicators of wellbeing – child poverty, NEET, PISA scores, suicide rates, teenage pregnancy, birth weight, and dental health

Indicators combined to create one measure – an index of child wellbeing.

Barnardo’s asked SG to become involved and take forward development of their work.

SwedenDenmark

NetherlandsNorway

SwitzerlandFrance

FinlandBelgium

LuxemburgAustralia

GermanyCzech Republic

IrelandSpainAustria

UKPoland

JapanItalyGreece

HungaryScotlandPortugal

USA

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

Overall - Barnardos

SwedenDenmark

NetherlandsNorway

SwitzerlandFrance

FinlandBelgium

LuxemburgAustralia

GermanyCzech Republic

IrelandSpainAustria

UKPoland

JapanItalyGreece

HungaryScotlandPortugal

USA

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

Overall - Barnardos

What next?

Limitations of UNICEF/Barnardos approaches

Going back to first principles…. Why measure child wellbeing? Are we measuring it adequately already?

Why measure wellbeing?

Agreement on what’s important what constitutes “progress”

Maintain focus and stimulate attention “The handrail of policy”

Why compare ourselves to others?

Shows countries’ relative strengths & weaknesses

Shows what is achievable in practice Shows us that wellbeing is (to an extent)

policy-susceptible More important for newly devolved nations?

Why measure child wellbeing? ..or, what makes kids different?

“Well-becoming”

“Well-being” The right to be happy and well Adult vs child perceptions of wellbeing

How do we measure it already – in Scotland?

Surveys Health Behaviours of Schoolage Children

(HBSC) Growing Up in Scotland (GUS)

Collections of indicators ScotPHO (Public Health Observatory) work

Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC)

Department for Children, Schools and Families

Creation of the new Dept for Children, Schools and Families

Evidence report aimed to: Inform CP policy development Present a wider and more up-to-date picture of wellbeing

than available previously DCSF’s work is based on a legal concept (set

out in the Children Act 2004) of wellbeing which equates children and young people's wellbeing with the 5 Every Child Matters outcomes (healthy, safe, enjoy and achieve, positive contribution, economic well-being). 

Northern Ireland Assembly

All children will thrive and look forward with confidence to the future

Children and Young People are: Healthy; Enjoying, learning and achieving; Living in safety and stability; Experiencing economic and environmental wellbeing; Contributing positively to community and society and Living in a society which respects their rights.

Indicators being refined and enhanced to incorporate Children’s rights aspects

Welsh Assembly Government Child Wellbeing Monitor agreed in August 2007 Approximately 7 pages each on:

Early Years Education and learning opportunities Health, freedom from abuse and victimisation Access to play, leisure, sporting and cultural activities Respect Having a safe home and community Freedom from Child poverty

Measure of progress over time rather than geography

National Children’s Strategy (2000), leading to State of the Nation’s Children (2006)

Domains used include: Physical & Mental Wellbeing Emotional and Behavioural Wellbeing Intellectual Capacity Spiritual and Moral Wellbeing Identity Self-care Family Relationships Social & Peer Relationships Social Presentation

Measure of progress over time rather than geography

Government of Ireland

10 Year commitment to improve data collection in relation to children

Launched Growing Up in Ireland in January 2007

Government of Ireland

What will we measure in future?

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