Meeting of the Parliament 22 June 2023
I am really short of time—I apologise.
I also note the changes to the children’s hearings system that Sheriff David Mackie proposed in the recently published “Hearings for Children” report and the fact that the move towards a single point of authority—a paid position to support care-experienced young people through the hearings system—will have an effect on the on-going bill process.
Although that report looks to radically change the process of volunteering for children’s hearings and panels, it is important to highlight that, if we are to increase the number of young people who utilise the hearings process, we must ensure that adequate training, support, funding and expertise are provided. We know that there is currently a shortage of children’s panel volunteers, and it is estimated that the bill will result in a need to increase the number of panel members by 10 to 20 per cent. We do not have the capacity.
We will be asking panel members to review some of the most concerning cases in a judicial capacity, and it is imperative that all relevant training and support are provided to ensure that the process works not only for young people from a care-experienced environment, but for all young people in Scotland. If we do not ensure that the capacity is there, we will fall—and fail—at the first hurdle.
In conclusion—I have gone faster than I thought—although I support the intentions of the bill and am encouraged by the progress that is being made towards implementing the Promise, the Government must recognise the effort that is required to ensure that what the bill proposes will work outwith the care-experienced silo, for all of society.
15:46