Fit for the Future and for Purpose

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Fit for the Future and for Purpose Netta
Maciver Principal Reporter/Chief
Executive Scottish Childrens Reporter
Administration Date 25 September 2008
www.scra.gov.uk
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Childrens Hearings System

• Care and justice system for children in Scotland.
• Deals with care and protection of children as
  well as offending.
• Key principles
• Childs welfare should be paramount in all
  decisions.
• Childs views should be taken into account in
  decisions about them.

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Historical Context

• Rapid rise of non-offence referrals to the
  Reporter (graph shows number of children)

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Historical Context (contd)

• Recognition that not all of these referrals were
  necessary
• Feeling that the CHS was becoming a gateway to
  service provision
• Need to allow the Reporter to concentrate on
  those children requiring compulsory measures of
  supervision

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The Childrens Hearings System Review

• Scottish Government Review in 2004
• Found broad support for the principles and ethos
  of the CHS
• Identified some challenges and scope for change
  and development of the system

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Getting it Right for Every Child

• Getting it Right for Every Child established some
  key principles
• Every child gets the help they need, when they
  need it
• Integrated, co-ordinated approach across agencies
• Child at the centre of the system

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GIRFEC the Childrens Hearings System

• GIRFECs fundamental principles are aligned with
  those of the CHS
• CHS is the means of providing compulsory
  intervention where necessary
• Children should receive help on a voluntary basis
  wherever possible, without the need for referral
  to the Reporter
• Child is always at the centre

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Workstreams

• Ministerial Task Group on non-offence referrals
• Pre-referral screening initiatives
• Pathfinder projects
• SCRA initiatives
• Single agency for the CHS

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Whats the impact locally?
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What changes are we seeing?

• Reduction in the rate of non-offence referrals
• 40,204 children in 2007/08
• However numbers of Hearings and Supervision
  Requirements are both up in 2007/08

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What changes are we seeing?

• Child Protection Orders slightly down from 624 to
  518 in 2007/08
• SCRA research into CPOs in Edinburgh
• 30 newborn babies
• Half on child protection register
• 52 had open referral or subject to SR
• 87 of grounds were lack of parental care

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So where are we?

• Reporters dealing with increasingly complex
  cases, but more of the right children
• Change in the source of referral
• Better working practices

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Looking forward

• Focus on outcomes-the so what question?
• For children who do not require compulsory
  measures
• And for those who do
• More multi-agency planning and delivery
• Clarity around interventions
• A single body-an administrative change or one
  that is more aspirational that can answer the so
  what question?