Children's hearing system
How it works
The grounds (legal reasons) for bringing a child or young person before a hearing include that the child is:
- beyond the control of parents or carers
- at risk of moral danger
- or has been the victim of an offence, including physical injury or sexual abuse
- likely to suffer serious harm to health or development through lack of care
- misusing drugs, alcohol or solvents
- not attending school regularly without a reasonable excuse
- subject to an antisocial behaviour order and the Sheriff requires the case to be referred to a children's hearing
- has committed an offence
The reporter
A Children's Reporter will organise the Hearing and send you a letter about it.
They will come and say hello to you when you arrive. They will be in the Hearing room and they will ensure that your Hearing is fair.
The children's panel
The children's panel is a group of people from the community.
They are unpaid and give their services voluntarily, but are carefully selected and highly trained. They must be at least 18 years old but there is no upper age limit.
The hearing
The Hearing is all about you!
You will have the chance to tell Panel Members how you are and what you would like to happen.
You can also fill out a form which is called 'All About Me'.
It is important the Panel Members hear what you have to say.
The Panel Members will listen to everyone at the Hearing and will make the best decision for you. They will tell you what is going to happen and why.
If Panel Members are worried about you, they might make what's called a Compulsory Supervision Order (Supervision Requirement). This is a legal document which means that the Social Work Department or the Local Authority must be involved in your life and that they are responsible for looking after and helping you.
Most children on a Compulsory Supervision Order (Supervision Requirement) stay at home, but if the Panel Members are very worried about your safety, they might decide that you need to stay in another place for a while to keep you safe from danger.