Glossary – SCRA Annual Report 2025/2026

Glossary of Terms

There’s quite a few words or phrases in this report that you might not have come across before, so we hope this glossary helps. We also have a jargon buster on our website which covers all the words used in the Children’s Hearings System.

A

Accessibility
Making sure information, services and buildings can be used and understood by everyone, including disabled people.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Technology that can carry out tasks that normally require human thinking, such as analysing information or creating content. SCRA carried out research into how AI might be used in the Children’s Hearings System

B

Bairns’ Hoose
This aims to provide children and young people across Scotland with access to trauma-informed recovery, support and justice.

British Sign Language (BSL)
The visual language used by many Deaf people in the UK. SCRA produces information and resources in BSL to improve accessibility.

Business Plan
This is our annual plan which sets out what we will achieve in the year ahead. Our Business Plan runs from 1 April to 31 March every year.

C

Calls to Action
Our Hearings, Our Voice produced 40 Calls to Action in October 2020, which set out key areas of improvements for the Children’s Hearings System. We produce an annual update for them every October.

Care Experienced
A person who has experience of being looked after by a local authority, either at home or away from home.

Child-Centred
Putting the rights, needs, views and experiences of children and young people at the heart of decision making.

Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act
The Act makes changes to the law relating to the Children’s Hearings System and several parts of the criminal justice system. This includes courts that hear cases relating to children and the places where children can be detained.

Communi-crate
A toolkit developed by SCRA to help children and young people communicate their views, feelings and experiences during Hearings. It includes communication aids and sensory resources

Compulsory Supervision Order (CSO)
A Compulsory Supervision Order (CSO) is a legal document which means that the local authority is responsible for looking after and helping a child. It might say where the child must live or other conditions which must be followed.

Corporate Parent
On 1 April 2015 we became a proud Corporate Parent. By law (the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014) Corporate Parents must carry out special responsibilities. We also have a moral duty to provide the best possible support and care we can to the children and young people we are involved with.

Corporate Plan
This is our year three strategic plan that sets out what we aim to achieve in the three years.

CSAS
This is our records management system for recording all information about referrals/Hearing decisions etc for children that have been referred to us.

D

Digital Services
The technology, systems and online services used by SCRA to support children, families, staff and partners

E

EAP
HELP EAP is our Employee Assistance Programme

EDI
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion – a collective term for efforts to promote fairness, representation, and belonging.

EMT
Our Executive Management Team is our team of senior leaders in the organisation.

Equalities and Human Rights Impact Assessment (EHRIA)
Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessments (EHRIAs) are a recognised way of improving policy development and service delivery. By assessing equality and human rights impact of our policies and practices, we proactively consider the needs of the children, young people and their families whom we serve, our staff and our stakeholders, identify potential steps to advance equality and foster good relations, and ensure that we do not discriminate unlawfully.

F

Fairer Scotland Duty
The duty places a legal responsibility on particular public bodies in Scotland to pay due regard to (actively consider) how they can reduce inequalities of outcome, caused by socio-economic disadvantage, when making strategic decisions.

Family Centred Scheduling
A national approach that helps children and families prepare for Hearings and take part in ways that suit their individual circumstances

Family Group Decision Making
Family group decision making helps children and families have a say in important decisions that are being made about them

G

Gender Pay Gap
The gender pay gap is the difference between the average earnings of men and women. We produce an annual report which is published on our website.

H

Hearing Information Pack (HIP)
Information shared before a Hearing so participants understand the issues being discussed.

I

ICT
Information and communication technology (hardware and software)

Inclusion
Making sure everyone feels welcome, respected and able to participate.

Imagination Library
A book-gifting programme that provides free books to children to encourage reading and learning.

Inclusive Standards and Behaviours Framework
The framework describes how all staff can contribute to upholding SCRA’s values.

K

Key Performance Indicators
This is a measure used to evaluate our performance/how we met specific targets.

L

Learning Hub
An online learning resource developed to support professionals and others to better understand the Children’s Hearings System.

Lived Experience
Knowledge gained through personal experience of a service or situation.

Locality
SCRA has nine Localities, supported by a Head Office. The nine localities are: Highland, Moray & Western Isles; North Strathclyde; Glasgow; Grampian; South East; Tayside & Fife; Ayrshire; Central; and Lanarkshire/Dumfries & Galloway.

M

Mental Health First Aiders
More than 30 members of staff are now qualified as Mental Health First Aiders. Mental Health First Aid looks to promote the recovery of good mental health and provide comfort to someone experiencing distress.

N

Net Zero
Net zero means the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) that’s produced and the amount that’s removed from the atmosphere.

Neurodiversity
The different ways people’s brains work, learn and process information. Examples may include autism, ADHD or dyslexia

Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB)
SCRA is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) which means we have a role in the processes of government, but we are not a government department and we operate at arm’s length from ministers. Our Board, although acting independently, is ultimately accountable to Scottish Ministers, and Board Members are appointed by Ministers.

Non-Disclosure
A process used to carefully manage highly sensitive information so that people only receive information they are legally entitled to see.

O

Our Hearings, Our Voice (OHOV)
OHOV is an independent group of Hearings-experienced children and young people. Their aim is to ensure children and young people have a decision making role in the improvement of the Children’s Hearings System.

P

Participation
Ensuring children and young people have opportunities to share their views and influence decisions that affect them.

Pre-Hearing Panel
A meeting held before a Children’s Hearing to decide certain arrangements, such as who should attend.

Principal Reporter
The head of SCRA and the person responsible for the national delivery of the Children’s Reporter service.

The Promise
Scotland’s commitment to improving the lives of care-experienced children and young people and ensuring they grow up loved, safe and respected.

Pre-Hearing Panels (PHPs)
A Pre-Hearing Panel takes place before a Hearing and three Panel Members meet to consider any special arrangements needed for the Hearing.

Programme Management Framework
This is our approach to support deliver our of Corporate Plan and our Business Plan.

Q

Quality Improvement methodology
This is one of the approaches we are using in SCRA to test and make measurable improvements to the service we provide.

R

Remuneration and Nominations Committee
The committee’s remit is to oversee the organisation’s scheme of salaries, and to ensure that its arrangements for the remuneration and financial benefits of its staff are consistent with the recruitment of suitable personnel and the maintenance of a high level of motivation within the organisation.

T

Trauma-Informed
An approach that recognises the impact trauma can have on people and aims to ensure services are understanding, supportive and safe

U

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
The UNCRC is a legally-binding international agreement setting out the rights of every child. It consists of 54 articles that set out children’s rights and how governments should work together to make them available to all children.

V

Vicarious trauma
This a negative reaction to trauma exposure and our staff are undergoing training in how to spot it/how to respond.

Voice of Experience Reference Group (VOERG)
The group was set up in March 2022. It is comprised of colleagues from across Scotland with a wide range of experiences of care, including fostering, adoption, being in care and as kinship carers. The group is part of our commitment to Keep The Promise.

W

Welfare-Based Approach
An approach that focuses on what support, care and help a child or young person needs rather than punishment