This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Record response to recruitment campaign
27/10/2006
More people than ever before have responded to the annual call to find new Children's Panel members.
This year's month-long campaign attracted 4,371 responses - up 541 from last year.
The number of men responding (1,185) was up nine per cent from last year and 35 per cent from the year before.
And there were also increases among younger age groups - the number of under 20s interested in becoming a Children's Panel member was up 25 per cent while responses in the 20-29 bracket were up 28 per cent.
Deputy Education Minister Robert Brown said:
"This is a fantastic response to our campaign and shows just how many people out there want to do their bit to help our most vulnerable youngsters.
"The real challenge now will be to ensure that as many of these people as possible are appointed as panel members. To do this, we must rigorously assess their suitability and provide the support and information they need to help them make the commitment."
The national campaign - with the message 'Ex-children wanted' ran from August 28 to September 25 and had celebrity endorsement from Dougray Scott, Kaye Adams, Nick Nairn and Atta Yaqub.
Responses to the campaign in previous years have been:
- 2003 - 3,816 responses
- 2004 - 3,072 responses
- 2005 - 3,830 responses
- 2006 - 4,371 responses
Every year, Children's Panel advisory committees across Scotland estimate how many new recruits they need. This year's figure was 583. The 2005 campaign attracted 3,830 responses, from which 590 members were appointed.
The Children's Hearings System is unique to Scotland and was established in 1971 to address the needs and behaviour of children and young people who face serious problems in their lives. These problems can include, for example, a child committing an offence, the child's parents having difficulty looking after them or a child failing to attend school.
A Children's Hearing is a lay tribunal of three Panel members. The Children's Hearing considers and makes decisions on the needs of the child or young person before them.