Questions and answers for young people

The Children’s Reporter is the person who will decide if you need to go to a Children’s Hearing. They will get some information about you to help them make a decision. They might speak to a social worker if you have one, or your teacher or the people who look after you at home. Anyone who is worried about serious problems that you have can tell the Children’s Reporter.

A referral is information received by the Children's Reporter from anybody about a young person who may need help on a compulsory basis, rather than on a voluntary basis.

Most of the information about young people is received from the police, social work departments or schools. However, anyone, including you, can contact the Children's Reporter if there are particular concerns about a young person and their circumstances.

If the Children's Reporter receives information about you, they may want to find out more about you before making a decision.

A Children's Hearing is a legal meeting arranged to make decisions about children and young people who are having problems in their lives. Children's Hearings are held in private.

Yes, unless the Children’s Reporter has told you that you do not have to go. The Children’s Hearing is about you. It is important that you are there to let the people at the Children’s Hearing know what you think.

Generally speaking, children over the age of 12 years automatically receive the same reports as Panel Members and relevant persons*. Children between eight and 12 years may receive reports, if they wish to see them. Report writers can indicate to the Reporter, on a separate sheet, information which they feel would be detrimental to the child – this information is not sent with the child’s papers.

*Relevant person is a legal term for those persons (usually parents) who have a legal right and duty to attend and take part in a children's hearing.

• You, unless the Children’s Reporter has told you that you do not have to go.
• The people who look after you.
• Three people called Panel Members who will decide what to do next.
• The Children’s Reporter who will record what has been decided.
• A social worker.
• There may be a person called a Safeguarder – they are there to help the panel make the right decisions for you.

If you want to, you may bring someone along, like a friend.

Remember - you are the most important person at a Children’s Hearing. Sometimes the Panel Members can ask some people to leave the Children’s Hearing if this would help you.

One of the Panel Members will introduce everyone and read out the legal reasons for the Hearing (these are sometimes called the “grounds for referral”). You will be asked whether you accept that these reasons are correct. They will also ask your parents or carers if they accept that these reasons are correct.

Where these reasons are not accepted or you do not understand them, the Panel Members may ask a court to decide if they are correct. This will mean that you may have to go to court.

Where these reasons are accepted, or have been proved to be correct at court, the Panel Members will go on to have a discussion with everyone present. The Panel Members will also have read reports about you and your family.

If you want to tell them what you think you can use the “Having Your Say” form. This will be sent to you by the Children’s Reporter.

The Panel Members will listen to everyone, especially you. They will consider all the information, and then make a decision. The Panel Members must give reasons for their decision. You will be sent a copy of the decision and reasons for the decision in writing.

• The Hearing can decide that formal, compulsory supervision measures are not required and discharge the case.
• The Panel Members can decide that they need more information to help them make a decision about what is best for you and they can continue the hearing until a later date.
• The Hearing can decide to issue a warrant to keep you in a safe place for up to three weeks, until the next Hearing but only if this is necessary.
• The Hearing can decide that compulsory measures of supervision are needed to help you, and can make a Supervision Requirement.

A Supervision Requirement can be made at a Children's Hearing. It can contain conditions stating where you are to live and other conditions with which you must comply.

The local authority is responsible for making sure that what is stated in the Supervision Requirement is happening, and that you are getting the help that you need. A Supervision Requirement has no set time limit, but should last only as long as is necessary. It must be reviewed by a Children's Hearing at least once a year when it can be continued, varied or stopped.

If you do not agree with the decision of the Hearing you should tell someone immediately. You can appeal the decision, but you should also consider taking legal advice before deciding whether to appeal.

Billy aged 15, said: “I was always in trouble with the police for being drunk and vandalising cars. The people at the Hearing made me understand that if I carried on like that, I would end up in jail. There’s no way that I wanted that to happen.”

David said: “I was expecting it to be like court. I was surprised that it was just really ordinary people at the other side of the table. They really do care about young people.”