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The Children's Hearings system is Scotland's unique system of combining welfare and justice for vulnerable and troubled children/young people from birth to 17 years of age. It has been operating for more than 30 years. Its formation stemmed from the work of Lord Kilbrandon who found that whether young people had offended or been offended against, their needs were the same. He believed that in taking decisions about their future, the best interests of the child/young person must be a prime concern.
In the Children's Hearings system, decisions on what is best for the child are made by members of the children's panel, trained volunteers from the community. The Children's Hearings system helps children/young people who are vulnerable because they are experiencing, or are at risk of, for example:
- physical, sexual or emotional abuse
- parental neglect
- being out of control
- offending
- not going to school
- taking drugs or alcohol.
The purpose of a children's hearing is to decide if compulsory supervision is needed for the child/young person. Compulsory supervision involves measures taken for the protection, guidance treatment or control of the child/young person and this can be tailored to fit the needs of each individual. Members of the children's panel meet the child, family and relevant professionals and decide what is in the best interests of the child/young person.
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