The Children's Hearings system relies on the involvement of around 2,500 volunteers in Scotland who give their time and commitment to training and serving as children's panel members.

The Children's Hearing System is the judicial system for children in Scotland.  It is a unique system that upholds the welfare and rights of children to ensure the best interest of the child.

Children's Panel members come from all walks of life and have different jobs and experiences.  You do not need special qualifications to sit on the panel.  You need the ability to listen, help and to see the child as well as the problem.

Could you fill a vacancy?

• Are you 18 years old or over
• Do you care about children
• Do you enjoy meeting people
• Do you have time to spare
• Do you enjoy a challenge
• do you want to expand your knowledge

Top quality training will give you:

• Communication skills
• Confidence
• Team skills
• Leadership skills
• Decision making abilities
• An understanding of human behaviour

Annual Recruitment Campaign

Every year a national campaign to recruit panel members is conducted in the first 2 weeks in September and following that the local campaigns start.

Panel Member Training

• What training will I receive?

If you have been selected as a panel member, you will receive training to prepare you for your new role.  You will gain new skills and have the opportunity to develop these through sitting on hearings and continuous in-service training.

• Who delivers the training?

The organisation and delivery of training is the responsibility of the Children's Hearings Training Units (CHTUs), housed within four scottish universities.  CHTUs are funded by the Scottish Executive, but staff employed in the units are university employees and most have been panel members.

• What will I learn?

Training is an intensive learning process.  You will develop skills such as leadership, teamwork, effective communication, analytical thinking, decision-making, influencing and negotiating. 

• Will I get my expenses paid?

Yes, panel members receive expenses for attending training.

• What will I gain as a panel member?

Children's panel training can be challenging and requires a high level of commitment and participation.  It is highly valued and can be of as much benefit to the panel member as well as the children and young people.

For the Scottish Executive, every child matters. Where a child has to appear before a children's hearing, it is essential that there is a fair and considered hearing for the child and the family. In this, we are dependant on the commitment of volunteer panel members to work and train to maintain the quality service which is a hallmark of the children's hearings system in Scotland.

In support of this, the volunteers on the Children's Panel Advisory Committees (CPACs) and their sub Groups have a key role to play. The members of the CPACs act as guardians of the standards through their work in recruitment and monitoring, as well as in advising Scottish Ministers.

The training package can be accessed through Aberdeen University.