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Draft Children's Hearings Bill
26/06/2009
Scotland's Children's Hearings system is to be reinforced to offer better local support for young people under proposed reforms published today.
A working draft of the Children's Hearings (Scotland) Bill - which follows a national consultation revealing support for changes to improve consistency and practice in the system across the country - has been published to enable discussions with interested parties over the summer before the legislation is introduced to the Scottish Parliament in the autumn.
Children's Minister Adam Ingram said the draft reforms - which outline plans for a new national body bringing together the delivery and administration of hearings - will lead to a locally delivered, strengthened and streamlined system.
Mr Ingram said:
"Scotland's Children's Hearings system is recognised internationally for its unique, welfare based approach to supporting young people going through difficult times, behaviour or circumstances.
"This government is committed to intervening early to help our children and we know just how vital hearings are to that drive, allowing young people to get their lives back on track and improve their future chances.
"Yet the young people and families which the Children's Hearings system is supporting today are facing significantly different challenges and circumstances from when it was created.
"That's why we have engaged with those from across the sector and listened to views before bringing forward plans modernise and reinforce the system.
"It's crucial that we maintain panels made up of local people, drawn from the same community as the young people they are supporting and best placed to take decisions and appreciate circumstances and we are also moving to reduce bureaucracy and improve delivery to help vulnerable youngsters.
"This working draft of the Bill sets out how we can enable more consistent decision-making nationally and improve support for the professionals and volunteers who deliver it. By sharing these plans with interest groups now we can ensure full discussions over the summer before the legislation is finalised and put to Parliament."
Under the draft plans, the new Scottish Children's Hearings Tribunal (SCHT) will bring together Scotland's 32 Children's Panels and Children's Panel Advisory Committees and be responsible for recruitment, support and training for local panel members, leading to more consistent high standards
The Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA) will also continue to provide the Children's Reporter Service for Scotland in order to make decisions on whether a child should be referred to a hearing, and on what grounds.
Further sections of the Bill, dealing with secure accommodation and the provision of legal representation in hearings, will be added prior to introduction.