Improvement Underway at Dundee Children’s Hearing Centre

Work has begun on a significant refurbishment of the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration’s (SCRA) Children’s Hearings Centre in Dundee.

The project, which started in January, will transform the entire Commercial Street building to bring it in line with SCRA’s new Hearing Centre Design Standards launched in 2025. These standards are built around eight core principles: Welcoming, Caring, Safe, Trauma‑informed, Calming, Non‑institutional, Green and Sustainable.

Refurbishment work is being carried out in phases, beginning with the former staff areas on the third and second floors. Once upgraded, staff will relocate to a newly modernised workspace on the second floor, while the third floor will become leasable office accommodation.

The first floor will see minor improvements and will continue to serve as a key meeting and training venue for the East coast.

The most extensive changes will be made to the ground‑floor Hearings suite, where a new reception area is being created and both the waiting rooms and Hearing room are being redesigned to reflect the trauma‑informed, accessible and future‑proofed principles of the new standards. These improvements are intended to support children and young people of all ages, including those who are neurodivergent or have physical disabilities, ensuring their rights, voice and participation remain central to the Hearings experience.

Locality Reporter Manager John Cunningham said: “There will be some disruption while the work is being carried out, but we are trying to keep it to a minimum. We know it will be worth it in the end. Once completed, our Hearings centre in Dundee will have children’s rights, voice and participation at its centre.”

The refurbishment will be completed in three phases, with staff and Hearings moving between floors as required. Phase three is expected to be finished by June 2026.