Natalie Don-Innes – Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise – officially opened the newly transformed Children’s Hearings Centre in Glasgow this week.
The Hearings Centre has been refreshed into a modern, welcoming, trauma informed, and accessible space for children, young people, and their families. The rooms are painted in calm, neutral tones and feature a range of textures and materials; from warm cosy blankets and soft rugs, to baskets of wooden toys and books.
The design of the Hearings Centre was carefully planned with children and young people at the heart. In 2024 SCRA brought together young people with experience of Hearings, partners from across the Children’s Hearings System, and SCRA staff members for a series of creative design workshops led by architects.
During the workshops, eight design principles were established: being Welcoming, Caring, Safe, Trauma-informed, Calming, Non-institutional, Green and Sustainable.
Young people from Larkfield Children’s House, OHOV, and the Proud 2 Care Champions Board all contributed to planning, along with members of SCRA’s Voice of Experience Reference Group. Their insights helped shape a space that truly reflects what children and young people say they need.
OHOV board member Poppy is in her fourth year of a Building and Surveying degree and has a keen interest in architecture, design, and renovation. She is particularly interested in how the look and feel of a space can impact emotions. Poppy worked with architects early on in the planning process and shared her ideas. She then had the opportunity to tour the Hearings Centre and share her thoughts. Reflecting on the experience, Poppy said:
“Being involved in this project was a right privilege, to be honest, to get some experience of dealing with something like that, but also, to now come in here and see some of my suggestions brought to life.”
Poppy was impressed by the way the design of the Hearings Centre struck the balance between children’s needs, and the needs of young people too:
“I think they’ve done a fantastic job focusing on not just young children but teenagers too. Really thinking about how everyone can use this space, without feeling excluded.”