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Children's Panel: Definitions Index

Provided by the local authority for a period of more than 24 hours for a child where:

• no-one has parental responsibilities for the child
• the child is lost or abandoned, or
• the person who has been caring for the child is prevented from providing the child with suitable accommodation or care.

A civil order that exists to protect the public from behaviour that causes, or is likely to cause, distress.

An Area Support Team (AST) is made up of a group of volunteers who support members of the Children’s Panel sitting on children's hearings in their area.

Active participation of an indirect nature before or during the commission of a crime. Presence alone is not enough, active involvement is required.

This can be in the community or in a residential setting and include information from psychologists (educational and/or clinical), psychiatrists, and any specialist services. Continuation for an assessment is made when additional information is required, more detailed explanations are needed, or information from additional sources is requested. Careful thought should be given regarding assessment in a residential setting. This process should not be confused with a Child Assessment Order, which can only be issued by a sheriff.

Each looked after child is required to have a care plan which details the immediate and longer term plans for the child, details of services to be provided and the responsibilities of the local authority to the child and parents.

Local authorities are required to review cases of all children who are looked after by them at certain specified intervals.

The member of the hearing with specific responsibility for chairing the hearing.

Under the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 usually a child is either under 16 or under 18. A local authority’s duties relate to children under 18. For hearings it means:

• a child is a person who is not yet 16 years of age
• a child over 16 years of age but is subject of a compulsory supervision order
• a child over the age of 16 years of age but not yet reached school leaving age.

An order granted by the court on application of a local authority which enables social workers to gain access to any child whose safety they are concerned about and whose parents are refusing to co-operate. The order, which is time limited to a maximum of 7 days, allows for assessment of a child’s health and/or development or to investigate how a child has been treated. The sheriff must be satisfied that there is reasonable cause to suspect that child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm and that an assessment of the child is necessary to resolve these concerns. The child may be removed from home to allow the assessment to take place.

An order granted by the court where the sheriff is satisfied that there is reasonable cause to believe that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm and cannot be protected other than by removal from home. If no application is made to set the order aside it will be reviewed by a hearing on the second working day. A Child Protection Order lasts for a maximum of eight working days after it has been implemented.

Multi-agency, in place in each local authority (or in collaboration with others) to develop, monitor and review child protection policies and guidance for dealing with child protection referrals and promote inter-agency working.

Maintained by local authorities listing all children in the area who are the subject of an inter-agency child protection plan.

A person with a disability is defined as someone with:

• a chronic sickness or disablement
• suffering from a mental disorder.

Services must be designed to minimise the effect on children of either their own disability or that of a family member, and toallow them to lead as normal a life as possible.

link (Lothian)

A lay tribunal composed of three panel members, one of whom chairs the proceedings. Both genders must be represented. The hearing is charged with deciding if a child requires a compulsory supervision order.

Children's Hearings Scotland is a national body established to support the national Children’s Panel and provide assistance to the National Convener (pdf).

(Table of Contents) The Act which provides the legislative framework for the conduct of Children’s Hearings. A copy of the Act is issued with Training Resource Manual Volume 1.
See also (Rules of Procedure in Children’s Hearings) Rules 2013 (Table of Contents)

The rules concern the operation of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 in relation to children’s hearings. A copy of the Rules is issued with Training Resource Manual Volume 1.

The Children's Panel is a body of lay people appointed by the National Convenor on the recommendation of an Area Support Team.

A local authority must publish plans for services for children in their area. There is also a duty on the local authority to consult with other specified people, including the Area Convener of the children’s panel, when drawing up plans and reviewing them.

This is defined as the child being a member of the same household as the person or that the child is not a member of the same household but has significant contact with the person.

An order put in place by a hearing to impose measures of protection, guidance, treatment, or control on a child.

Conditions attached to a supervision order may include matters relating, for example, to: contact, where a child should live, secure accommodation, non-disclosure of address.

Contact between children and their parents (and brothers, sisters) is a basic right which should only be regulated if the welfare of the child might be compromised. Contact includes face to face meetings, letters, phone calls etc.

A hearing, if it considers it appropriate, may defer making the substantive decision to a subsequent children’s hearing. Interim decisions may be made when deferring.

One of the measure that can be applied to a CSO, for example, authorising the person who is in charge of the place where the child is required to live to restrict the child’s liberty to the extent that the person considers appropriate, having regard to the measures included in the compulsory supervision order.

This allows the local authority and others to take steps to protect a child in an emergency prior to seeking a child protection order.

Order granted by the court to remove a suspected abuser from the home in order that a child who is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm may remain at home. Used in place of a Child Protection Order.

Causing all or part of the property to be consumed by fire. Fire must have been started intentionally or recklessly.

The legal situation where a court or parent who has parental responsibilities and rights passes these on to an appointed person to act in their place in the event of the parent’s death. A guardian must be appointed in writing, and children should be asked their opinion before any appointment. Guardianship lasts until the child is 18.

The Act defines a child as being in need of care and attention if:

• he or she is unlikely toachieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development unless services are provided by the local authority
• his or her health and development is likely to be seriously impaired or further impaired without such services
• he or she is disabled
• he or she is affected adversely by the disability of a member of the family.

A local authority must provide a range and level of services to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in its area who are in need and to promote the upbringing of children in need by their families.

Broader than a warrant as the child need not be required to reside in a place of safety. It can be issued where it is necessary as a matter of urgency for the protection, guidance, treatment or control of a child. May contain any of the measures possible for a CSO. Maximum duration 22 days. Where a proof application is pending, maximum total duration of ICSOs? issued by a hearing is 66 days.

Where a CSO is in force, any interim change to the compulsory provisions applying to a child is achieved through an interim variation of the CSO. The order which is then in force remains the CSO, but as varied. Maximum duration of the interim variation is 22 days, but there can be further interim variations.

The body responsible for the provision of legal assistance is the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB). Legal assistance may be provided

• To allow the child or any relevant person to participate effectively in the hearing it is necessary that the child or relevant person be represented by a solicitor or counsel: and
• It is unlikely the child or relevant person will arrange to be represented by a solicitor or counsel.

Legal assistance will automatically be available to children at the following hearings:

• Second working day hearings
• Custody hearings
• Any hearing considering secure accommodation.

The child has to have the capacity to instruct a solicitor.

Children who are looked after are those who are:

• provided with accommodation by local authorities under s.25 of the Act
• subject to compulsory supervision order (whether living at home or away from home)
• subject to an order, warrant or authorisation under which the local authority has responsibilities for the child.

The local authority has a duty to look after a child in order to:

• safeguard and promote the child’s welfare
• provide family support services where the child is living at home
• promote contact between child and parents
• ascertain and take account of the child’s viewsand views of parents and other relevant adults
• have regard to the child’s religion, race, culture and linguistic background
• review the child’s case at regular intervals.

Intentional or reckless destruction or damage to the property of another.

Practice and Procedure Manual (pdf)
Training Resource Manual (TRM) Vol 1 pdf of complete manual
Training Resource Manual (TRM) Vol 2

Measures can be added to a compulsory supervision order or an interim compulsory supervision order. These measures can be directions, conditions or requirements.

Under the Age of Legal Capacity (Scotland) Act 1991, children under the age of 16 have the capacity to consent to their own medical examination and treatment where, in the opinion of the qualified medical practitioner, the child is capable of understanding the nature and possible consequences of the examination or treatment.

If a hearing requires further information and considers it necessary to do so, it may make an order for a medical examination. This order that may include a range of measures including attendance or residence at a clinic or hospital.

Restriction on child’s movements as specified and imposition of electronic monitoring. Criteria apply. Can be included in a CSO or ICSO.

The National Convener (pdf) is the principal officer and Chief Executive of Children’s Hearings Scotland.

A court or hearing should only impose an order if it would be better for the child to do so than not making an order at all.

Under the Act, parents have the following responsibilities towards their children:

• to safeguard and promote child’s health, development and welfare until the child is 16
• to provide appropriate direction until the child is 16 and guidance until 18
• maintain good personal relationships and contact with the child until 16
• to act as a legal representative until the child is 16.

A sheriff may transfer parental responsibilities to a local authority; lasts until child is 18.

Under the Act, parents have rights to:

• regulate the residence of a child under 16
• direct the child’s upbringing
• maintain contact
• act as a legal representative

where this in the child’s best interests.

A parenting order will direct a parent as to how he or she should behave in respect of their child. It will require a parent to undertake certain actions which should lead to improvements in reducing the offending or antisocial behaviour of their child or to improve the welfare of the child. The order would also require the parent to exercise control over their child’s behaviour. This could include ensuring that the child attends school, avoids contact with certain individuals or visiting certain areas.

An order that gives the local authority

• The “right to control residence” (this is automatically removed from the child’s parents)
• The “responsibility to provide guidance” (this may be shared with the child’s parents).

The hearing’s role is to provide a report to the court as to the suitability of such an order.

Decisions made on the long-term future of children who have been removed from their families’care. Its purpose is to ensure that the child has a permanent, stable and secure upbringing either with their original family or with alternative high quality care.

The temporary placement of a child where there are concerns about his or her safety This could be a residential or other establishment provided by the local authority and includes a foster carer’s home, a hospital, police station, surgery or other suitable place the occupier of which is willing temporarily to receive the child.

Pre-Hearing Panels replace, and extend, the previous provisions on business meetings. They will be arranged to deal with:

• whether to deem someone a relevant person
• whether a child can be excused from their duty to attend a children’s hearing
• whether a relevant person can be excused from their duty to attend a children’s hearing
• whether the hearing is likely to consider making a compulsory supervision order with secure accommodation authorisation
• any other matter specified in the rules.

A legal officer who performs the functions of a public prosecutor.

One of the measures that can be applied to a CSO, for example allowing the address of the child to be withheld.

A hearing held in private before the sheriff to establish (or not) the statement of grounds.

A local authority may provide refuge for a child or young person who appears to be at risk. The refuge must be designated to be a refuge and could be in a residential establishment or local authority approved household. The young person will only be allowed to stay for 7 days, or in exceptional circumstances 14 days.

Under the Act in relation to children’s hearings, a relevant person is:

• any person who has parental responsibilities and rights over the child
• all parents
• any person who has (or has recently had) significant involvement in the upbringing of the child.

A person employed by the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration to whom referrals about children are made and who makes decisions whether to refer a child to a hearing.

A person attending a hearing to assist a child or relevant person in the discussion of the child’s case.

A measure applied to an CSO, for example compelling the child to comply with specific measures.

Handling goods knowing them to have been acquired illegally.

An order made by a court which regulates the arrangements about where, and with whom, a child will live. If an order is made in favour of someone who does not have parental responsibilities and rights (e.g. grandparents, aunts) then that person will hold responsibilities and rights until or unless the order is changed. This lasts until the child is 16.

An independent person appointed by a children’s hearing (or by a sheriff) to safeguard the interests of the child in the proceedings.

For children whose 16th birthday is between

• 1 March and 30 September - the date is 31st May
• 1 October and 28 or 29 February - the date is Christmas.

The body responsible for the provision of legal assistance to children and / or relevant person(s).

Involves representatives from panels throughout Scotland and provides a forum for sharing views and promoting understanding of the system to the wider community.

A non-departmental public body whose statutory function is to manage the reporter service and to provide suitable accommodation and facilities for children’s hearings.

The seventeen conditions contained in the Act which indicate that a child may need compulsory supervision. See Section 67.

Accommodation approved by the Scottish Executive to meet social, educational and health needs of young people when their liberty needs to be restricted.

Lawyer or advocate of ten years’ standing appointed to a sheriff court to administer the law.

The test for a person to be deemed a relevant person is that they have (or have recently had) a significant involvement in the upbringing of the child. “Significant involvement” is one where the individual concerned has key involvement in the core decision-making for the child and their life involving where the child stays, the child’s schooling and health matters. The category of ‘deemed relevant person’ is additional to that of ‘relevant person’.

A report provided by the local authority which provides detailed information on the child and the family and recommends a course of action to guide the hearing.

Part of the Scottish Executive which has a responsibility for the quality of social work services across Scotland.

An order made by the court which regulates any specific question which has arisen in relation to parental responsibilities, rights, guardianship or administration of a child’s property.

Measures taken for the protection, guidance, treatment or control of children.

A multi-agency group (pdf) set up to consider the setting of national standards covering time-scales and other aspects of the delivery of services to children within the children’s hearings system.

The local authority has a general duty to help prepare a child to leave their care. In particular they must advise, guide and assist any child under 19 who was looked after by the local authority at any time after he or she reached the school leaving age.

Young people between 19 and 21 can ask for advice, guidance and assistance and the local authority can agree if this is in the young person’s best interests.

Google search for Throughcare and Aftercare

STAF - Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum

A warrant for police to search for, apprehend, take and detain in a place of safety, and bring a child a children’s hearing or court hearing.

Every day except Saturdays and Sundays; 25 and 26 December and 1 and 2 January.