New research report

SCRA has worked with CELCIS (Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children) to produce a new research report. The report ‘Contact Decisions in the Children’s Hearings System’ is available to read here. The research considered – When and how, if at all, do decisions relating to contact by Children’s Hearings differ from social work report recommendations?

The key findings included:

• Children and young people’s views on contact are often not recorded in Hearings’ documentation.
• The majority of Hearings’ contact decisions reflect social work recommendations.
• Hearing decisions and social work recommendations are justified using similar reasons.
• Reasons for Hearings’ decisions and social work recommendations are often not well recorded.
• Reasoning for both Hearings’ decisions and social work recommendations is variable.

The report recommends a number of action points going forward.

If you have any questions about the report, please email Inforequest@scra.gsi.gov.uk