The campaign to recruit new Children’s Panel Members is underway, seeking volunteers to sit at children’s hearings.
Children’s hearings are legal meetings set up because there are concerns about the wellbeing or care of an infant, child or young person. They’re a uniquely Scottish system that supports around 10,000 infants, children and young people, including more than 1,200 in the Grampian and Northern Isles region.
In Shetland there were 77 hearings held in 2024/25, and at its heart are volunteers who sit on the Children’s Panel. At each hearing, three Panel Members make legal decisions with and for the infant, child or young person, making sure that the young person is at the heart of the decisions made.
Children’s Hearings Scotland (CHS) is the public body that recruits, trains and supports around 2,200 volunteer Panel Members who sit at children’s hearings across Scotland. There are around 220 Panel Members in the Grampian and Northern Isles region and 10 of those Panel Members serve in Shetland.
All volunteers receive comprehensive training before sitting on their first panel and are supported by CHS experts, including local volunteer Area Support Teams, throughout their time as a volunteer.
Laura Mearns, Tribunal Delivery Manager for Grampian and Northern Isles at CHS, explains: “The Children’s Hearings System helps children and young people who need care and protection. The Panel Community is a diverse group of people who make informed, legally binding and often difficult decisions that impact the lives and futures of children and young people.
“As we do every year, we are recruiting in Shetland. Our volunteers tell us that serving in the hearings system is an exceptionally rewarding experience, and we’d love to hear from anyone who wants to make a difference in young people’s lives.”
Anyone interested in becoming a Panel Member can register their interest and find out more at www.chscotland.gov.uk or by contacting Anne Cogle, Clerk to the Children’s Panel in Shetland on anne.cogle@chscotland.scot
An information session will take place this evening (Tuesday 23 September) at Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick – with a short presentation starting at 6.30pm. Anyone interested in finding out more is invited to come along – there’s no need to register in advance.