Plans for streamlining children's hearing system

Government proposes new national body to bring together work of children's reporter service

News, 1 August 2008

The Scottish Government has published proposals to improve Scotland's children's hearings system.

Central to the "Strengthening for the Future" consultation, are plans to create a single national body which will bring together the work of the children's reporter service, the delivery and administration of children's hearings, and the recruitment and training given to panel members.

It will also help the work of safeguarders, who provide children's hearings and courts with an independent assessment of what action is needed to ensure the best interests of a child.

The consultation runs until the end of October. The Scottish Government announced its intention to create a single new body to improve services for vulnerable children in January.

System under strain

The children's hearings system deals with children and young people in trouble or at risk. The majority of referrals relate to care grounds (for example, parental neglect). There are 2,700 volunteer panel members who are carefully selected and undergo continuous training.

In 2006-07, the Scottish Children's Reporter's Administration received more than 100,000 referrals involving 55,000 children, and 42,000 hearings were held. The system has been under strain for the past few years because of the number of referrals it receives.

Minister for Children and Early Years, Adam Ingram, said: "By improving support for those who deliver that system, both professionals and panel members, they can in turn focus their skills on creating a better and brighter future for the children who need our help.

"The creation of the single national body will also allow us to reduce bureaucracy in the system while ensuring services continue to be delivered locally and with great consistency in decision-making for the benefit of everyone involved."

Anne Houston, chief executive of Children 1st, said: "The system has been put under increasing strain in recent years by a huge increase in the number of referrals.

"We want to see more resources allocated to meet the needs of children and families before compulsion is required. This will also allow the hearings system to get back to being used for the purpose for which it was originally intended."