A Day in the Life of a Support Assistant
They have an extremely varied role, and no two days are the same. Support Assistants work closely with the Children’s Reporters and have to ensure that important documents, such as Children’s Hearings’ papers and letters to children and their families, are sent out at the correct time.
They also have to have a basic working knowledge of computers to operate SCRA’s Referrals Administrative Database (RAD) to ensure electronic files are kept up to date and accurate.
For more information on the Children’s Hearings System, please see the Frequently Asked Questions page.
A Typical Day of a Support Assistant
8.45am - 9.00am
The first task of the day is to check the task bar on your computer which is part of the RAD system. This informs you of all your tasks which need to be completed that day. It reminds you of any correspondence which needs to be sent out, such as Hearings’ papers or any urgent filing which needs to be organised. The next task is to check your individual work shelf. This is split into three areas – no further action cases, results and typing. Normally the Support Assistant will work through these tasks during the day. Support Assistants also check the mail and faxes first thing in the morning, and then throughout the day to check if there is any urgent correspondence.
9.30am
One of the priority tasks of the day is to deal with correspondence called notifications – these inform children, their parents or guardians, Panel Members and any other agencies involved in the child’s case, such as social work or education - of when a Hearing is taking place. The notification is sent out in advance and it is important that deadlines are met. Attention to detail is extremely important when sending out notifications, as there may be instances where a child’s address must not be disclosed to a certain individual.
10.30am
The next task for the day is issuing papers for Hearings to Panel Members. Again, timing is critical – Panel Members must receive their papers at least three days in advance of Hearings to ensure they have enough time to read through all the information and to familiarise themselves with the child’s circumstances. Again, the Support Assistant double checks that all the papers are there, and this involves liaising closely with the Reporter. It’s important for a Support Assistant to be organised and keep on top of things!
1.30pm
The first task after lunch is typing up report requests. These are requests from the Children’s Reporter to schools or the social work department for background information on a child who has been referred. These reports help the Reporter determine if the child is required to attend a Hearing. These also have to be issued within a set time frame to ensure tight deadlines are met.
2.30pm
The Support Assistant then moves on to put new referrals on RAD. The Support Assistant is given initial training in the system, and then refresher training if the database is updated or amended. This task involves inputting information from a variety of agencies, including the police and schools into RAD. The Support Assistant must also record the reason why the child is being referred – this is called the Ground/s. For example, a child may be referred due to lack of parental care or because the child has committed an offence.
3.30pm
The Support Assistant then moves on to recording the results of Hearings on to RAD. This includes, who was present at the Hearing and what decision was made by the Hearing. The Hearing may decide that the child is placed on a ‘Place of Safety Warrant’ or they may be made subject to a ‘Supervision Requirement’. The decisions are recorded by the Support Assistant, then sent to the child and their parents or guardians as well as other specific agencies who are involved.
4.30pm – 5.00pm
The last part of the day involves ensuring the filing of children’s case files is kept up to date and organised. Files quite often need to be accessed quickly and it’s important the Support Assistant keeps them in order.
The first task of the day is to check the task bar on your computer which is part of the RAD system. This informs you of all your tasks which need to be completed that day. It reminds you of any correspondence which needs to be sent out, such as Hearings’ papers or any urgent filing which needs to be organised. The next task is to check your individual work shelf. This is split into three areas – no further action cases, results and typing. Normally the Support Assistant will work through these tasks during the day. Support Assistants also check the mail and faxes first thing in the morning, and then throughout the day to check if there is any urgent correspondence.
9.30am
One of the priority tasks of the day is to deal with correspondence called notifications – these inform children, their parents or guardians, Panel Members and any other agencies involved in the child’s case, such as social work or education - of when a Hearing is taking place. The notification is sent out in advance and it is important that deadlines are met. Attention to detail is extremely important when sending out notifications, as there may be instances where a child’s address must not be disclosed to a certain individual.
10.30am
The next task for the day is issuing papers for Hearings to Panel Members. Again, timing is critical – Panel Members must receive their papers at least three days in advance of Hearings to ensure they have enough time to read through all the information and to familiarise themselves with the child’s circumstances. Again, the Support Assistant double checks that all the papers are there, and this involves liaising closely with the Reporter. It’s important for a Support Assistant to be organised and keep on top of things!
1.30pm
The first task after lunch is typing up report requests. These are requests from the Children’s Reporter to schools or the social work department for background information on a child who has been referred. These reports help the Reporter determine if the child is required to attend a Hearing. These also have to be issued within a set time frame to ensure tight deadlines are met.
2.30pm
The Support Assistant then moves on to put new referrals on RAD. The Support Assistant is given initial training in the system, and then refresher training if the database is updated or amended. This task involves inputting information from a variety of agencies, including the police and schools into RAD. The Support Assistant must also record the reason why the child is being referred – this is called the Ground/s. For example, a child may be referred due to lack of parental care or because the child has committed an offence.
3.30pm
The Support Assistant then moves on to recording the results of Hearings on to RAD. This includes, who was present at the Hearing and what decision was made by the Hearing. The Hearing may decide that the child is placed on a ‘Place of Safety Warrant’ or they may be made subject to a ‘Supervision Requirement’. The decisions are recorded by the Support Assistant, then sent to the child and their parents or guardians as well as other specific agencies who are involved.
4.30pm – 5.00pm
The last part of the day involves ensuring the filing of children’s case files is kept up to date and organised. Files quite often need to be accessed quickly and it’s important the Support Assistant keeps them in order.
