Looking Ahead by Principal Reporter/ Chief Executive, Neil Hunter

2024/25 has been another exciting and challenging year for SCRA. Our commitment to Keeping the Promise and making progress with the Hearings System Working Group recommendations has led to a series of important and stimulating projects emerging. as well as a real commitment from SCRA staff to testing new ways of working and delivering our important statutory service to children and young people. We remain absolutely committed to keeping the detail and the spirit of The Promise and Hearings for Children and we are very aware of the work being done in the background on what has become known as the Promise Bill.

But we also understand that much change does not require legislation, rather commitment and energy for change and improvement for children and young people involved in the Hearings System – and that’s where we will be putting so much of our work in 2025/26.  We have welcomed and comprehensively responded to the range of consultations which have a feature of the last few years. This ensures everyone with an interest in Scotland’s Hearings System to have their say. I’m very conscious that we have been over 5 years in a state of review and examination.

Whilst it is important we get the next few stages right, it’s equally important that we end this prolonged and uncertain period of inward looking and move forward with certainty and confidence. In 2025/26 we expect to finally implement the Children’s (Care and Justice) Act. Amongst all the review and examination this remains SCRA’s primary focus for next year. The Act is a fundamental piece of the jigsaw to ensure Scotland is compliant with UNCRC and that children under 18 can access the protections and support of the Hearings System when they need it.

This is a massive operational challenge for SCRA and we will embark on the biggest recruitment in our organisation for over a decade. Whilst this is welcome, we remain in a year on year extremely difficult financial position that must be stabilised. Nonetheless the safety and continuity of our service remains paramount and that will guide me and the senior team of SCRA over the next year.

Our SCRA staff remain our most valuable and precious asset, every day working hard on behalf of children and young people. We have been working hard in the background on a review of the Children’s Reporter Job Description and we hope to complete and implement this in 2025/26. The last time we reviewed this was over 15 years ago and we are keen to ensure that the range of critical roles the Children’s Reporter plays in the Hearings System are reflected in a contemporary way which narrates the range of skills and qualities this job entails.

To our Hearings System partners, I very much look forward to working with you again in 2025/26 – we have significant plans to refresh and strengthen some of our key partnerships over this next year to ensure the Hearings System works in a truly collaborative way for children and young people in Scotland.