6 November 1973

Dear Sir/Madam

TRAINING OF CHILDREN’S PANEL MEMBERS

Summary

1. This circular gives guidance on the training which, following selection, lay people must complete before becoming panel members and the training which they must continue to undertake whilst serving on the Children’s Panel. It also outlines the Secretary of State and the local authority’s responsibility to make adequate arrangements for panel training. A paper giving guidance on the main areas which training should cover is attached.

Background

2. The Secretary of State places considerable importance on the training of panel members. On appointment, a panel member accepts a commitment both to initial and on-going training. Similarly if a panel member is re-appointed for a further period, the commitment to attend training sessions remains. If it emerges that an individual panel member is not fulfilling this commitment to the satisfaction of the Chairman of the Panel and the regional tutor, the matter should be reported to the Children’s Panel Advisory Committee; the Committee may take into account the extent to which panel members have participated in training as one of the factors in making recommendations about their re-appointment.

3. Under paragraphs 6 and 7 of Schedule 3 to the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, the Secretary of State and local authorities are empowered to make such arrangements as they think necessary for the training of panel members. The Social Work Services Group has given financial support to the appointment of Children’s Panel Training Organisers based in the Universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, St Andrews and Aberdeen. The addresses of those concerned and the areas which they cover are given in an appendix to this circular.

4. Local authorities have an important responsibility in ensuring that adequate arrangements exist for training panel members in their areas. Authorities arrange this in a variety of ways depending on the local circumstances and needs. What is important is that the local authority should ensure that the responsibility for training is accepted by some part of the system which has available to it the necessary organisational machinery, and that all the elements should be consulted on the planning of the programme and play their part in its implementation. It is part of the responsibility of each CPAC to advise on the extent to which any further training for panel members may be needed.

5. Copies of this circular are being sent to the Chairman of the Children’s Panel Advisory Committee, the Chairman of the Children’s Panel, the Chief Social Work Officer and the Principal Reporter. A copy is enclosed for the Chief Financial Officer.

Contact Point

6. Mr D C Macnab, Social Work Services Group, Room 42, James Craig Walk, Edinburgh EH1 3BA (telephone 0131 244 5320).

Yours faithfully

J W SINCLAIR

Encl

APPENDIX 6 SWSG(CP)5/73

NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF CHILDREN’S PANEL TRAINING ORGANISERS

GUIDELINES ON TRAINING FOR CHILDREN’S PANEL MEMBERS

Introduction

1. This memorandum is an attempt to set out, in broad terms, guidelines on the content of children’s panel training. The guidance is intended to set a broadly based national pattern dealing with the core of the content of training courses and is intended to be used as a point of reference by those concerned with the children’s hearings system in local authorities, universities, children’s panels, Children’s Panel Advisory Committees and reporters. It does not attempt to prescribe in detail the content of courses arranged at regional or local level; it may, however, prove a useful yardstick with which to measure performance.

2. Training is an integral part of panel membership and, on accepting appointment or re-appointment by the Secretary of State, a member of a children’s panel undertakes a commitment to initial and continuing training. While the pattern of arrangements made for training varies considerably in different parts of Scotland to meet differing local needs and circumstances, the types of training which a panel member should receive fall into the categories listed below:

a. Pre-Service Training;

b. New Member Training;

c. In-service training.

Pre-service training

3. Pre-service training must be completed before appointed panel members commence their term of office. This period is a very important one for the new panel member. The Chairman of the Panel and the organisers concerned should liaise closely to ensure that formal training, visits to resources for children and observation of hearings go hand in hand.

3.1 Content

New panel members should be introduced to the existing group of panel members at a very early stage and attempts should be made to make them feel at home with their colleagues. Panel members should receive "The Children’s Hearings System in Scotland: An Introduction for Panel Members", provided by Social Work Services Group. There may be additional local material which should be made available to them. Arrangements should be made for visits to children’s homes and other local facilities. Trainee panel members’ visits should always be preceded by introductory material aimed to draw panel members’ attention to points to look for during the visit, and their impressions should be discussed afterwards in a review session. Where possible panel members should be accompanied on visits by a person able to initiate discussion on essential points. Panel members should observe a minimum of 2 hearings prior to serving, the timing is a matter for the chairman of the panel. In order to obtain maximum value from any observation exercise, prior preparation followed by discussion of the experience are vital elements. Attention should be particularly draw to problems of personal communication, interviewing techniques and the interaction of those panel members at the hearing with the others involved, eg the reporter, the social worker, the child and his/her parents and any friends of the family and panel members with one another.

3.2 Methods

Panel members by definition come from a wide variety of social backgrounds and have differing levels of educational achievement. It is important that the presentation of material and structuring of discussions should operate in a way which brings out the differing experiences of panel members and takes account of differing patterns of learning by the use of varying educational methods eg use of seminar work, role playing exercises and visual aids, in addition to straight information giving sessions. Findings on the operation of the children’s hearings system should be disseminated to panel members and be discussed as an integral part of the training process.

4. New member training

New member training follows pre-service training and tends to concentrate on training for chairing hearings.

5. In-service training

In-service training is attended by panel members throughout their years of service. Panel members will themselves have views about those areas which should be covered in in-service training and some of these may come from feedback from other training sessions. Among the subjects which should be considered as forming the basis of continuing training are:

i. Particular problems which occur with children who come before hearings eg truancy, maladjustment.

ii. Interviewing and communication techniques.

iii. The operation of the children’s hearings system in terms of decision making.

iv. Resources for dealing with children coming before hearings.

v. Discussion of research findings.

vi. Refresher training.

vii. Visits to newly created facilities, or return visits to establishments already visited and visits to centres outwith the area.