Young people from Our Hearings, Our Voice enjoyed taking centre stage at yesterday’s launch of the Hearings System Working Group’s ‘Hearings for Children: the Redesign Report’.
The report contains 97 recommendations for a re-designed Children’s Hearings System which will help improve outcomes and how children and families experience hearings. Read the suite of reports, including a child friendly version.
Across the last 19 months, OHOV board members have been working alongside the Hearings System Working Group with Sheriff David Mackie, The Promise Scotland, the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration and Children’s Hearings Scotland – to redesign the Children’s Hearings System, drawing on OHOV’s 40 Calls to Action.
You can read more about the young people’s Keeping The Promise journey on our website.
Young people at OHOV have devoted their time and lived experience to making sure the changes are the right ones and are followed through.
Duck Armstrong shares her passion for change:
“Change is needed in the Children’s Hearings System because for so long it was very centred around the thoughts, beliefs, and wants of adults, rather than children.”
Fellow Board member Mustang gives us hope for what we can achieve together:
“In five years from now when attending a hearing I will feel comfortable and welcomed entering the room because I already know who the panel members are. I have seen a photo of them and I know what they do to keep themselves busy, e.g. hobbies. I will be given a chance to say what I want to happen in my life. The panel members will be interested and listen to what positive experiences I have had and what I’ve achieved since my last panel.”
Finally, as Board Members Ciara and Lisa say in their foreword to the report:
“Although this can be easily seen as just words in a report, there are real people and real lives behind these pages. For those responsible for making these changes happen, we ask that you don’t miss this opportunity to change lives.”
