Template for expressions of interest for Child Interview Rights Practitioners (CHiRPs)

Expressions of Interest

Individuals and the Firm must submit this completed application template by the closing date of 12 noon on 9th July 2021. Completed application templates should be emailed to ACRChIRPs@gov.scot.

Basic Eligibility

Please tick the boxes against the questions below where the answer is correct.

☐ The law firm is registered with the Law Society of Scotland as their practice unit

☐ The individual solicitor and law firm are registered on the Children’s Legal Assistance Register

Details about the individual and the law firm

Please provide contact details for the assessment of the application and for ongoing correspondence if this application is successful.

These details should include those for the individual solicitor applying to be included on the ChIRP Register and those of the law firm where the individual works and for whom support and agreement to them being part of the scheme will be given.

Name of law firm main contact:	Click or tap here to enter text.

Position within organisation:	Click or tap here to enter text.

Name of the individual applying for inclusion in register:	Click or tap here to enter text.

Individual’s position within the organisation:
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Individual’s work address:	Click or tap here to enter text.

Individual’s work telephone and/or mobile:
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Legal name of the organisation:	Click or tap here to enter text.

Trading name or ‘known as’ name of the organisation if this is different to the legal name:	Click or tap here to enter text.

Registered office address (as registered with Law Society Scotland):	Click or tap here to enter text.

Website address (if applicable):	Click or tap here to enter text.

Social media pages and accounts (if applicable):
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Bank Details

☐ I confirm that the individual/law firm has a bank account set-up for any payments of fees to be made, should the application be successful.

Please tell us what the law firm has done or is doing in relation to paying staff the Living Wage.

Please briefly tell us what training your employees receive.

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Which of these other policies and checks are in place?

Child protection

Lone working

Disclosure Scotland

Equal opportunities

Health and Safety

Disciplinary

Employer's Liability

GDPR

Child Rights and Well-being Impact Assessment

☐ Publicised complaints process

None of the above

If your law firm receives or are applying for any other Scottish Government funding, please provide details below.

Name of Scottish Government funding:	Click or tap here to enter text.

Value of funding:
2021-22: Click or tap here to enter text.
2022-23: Click or tap here to enter text.
2023-24: Click or tap here to enter text.

Is this funding confirmed or indicate a date when confirmation is likely to happen?
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Competency 1 – Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019.

Please provide a brief statement demonstrating the individual’s understanding and detailed knowledge of the provisions of the Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019 and associated regulations.

Please submit response using the space below in no more than 500 words.

Click or tap here to submit details in no more than 500 words.

Competence 2 – Child Protection Practice and Procedures

Please describe how the individual has a good understanding of child protection practice and procedures and supports available under Early and effective Intervention.

Please submit a response using the space below in no more than 500 words.

Click or tap here to submit details in no more than 500 words.

Competence 3 – Child Development

Please detail how the individual has a good practical understanding of child development and the principles of communicating with children, and a trauma-informed approach.

Please submit a response using the space below in no more than 500 words

Click or tap here to submit details in no more than 500 words.

Competence 4 - Ethos of the Investigative Interview

Please describe how the individual has a good understanding of the ethos behind an investigative interview and the potential additional consequences that could flow from it.

Please submit a response using the space below in no more than 500 words

Click or tap here to submit details in no more than 500 words.

Competence 5 – Working with Children under 12

Please describe how the individual has the appropriate skills and experience of working sensitively with children under 12, including experience of representing children and young people at children’s hearings and related court proceedings.

Please submit a response using the space below in no more than 500 words

Click or tap here to submit details in no more than 500 words.

Competence 6 – Children’s Rights

Please describe how the individual has a detailed knowledge of children’s rights, particularly the rights of children who may be in need of special protective measures, or who come into conflict with the law.

Please submit a response using the space below in no more than 500 words

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Additional information

Please list the local authority/authorities in which you are expressing an interest in providing your services as a Child Interview Rights Practitioner.

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Please detail any additional skills you have which you wish to utilise during ChIRP meetings (for example, competency in an additional language, BSL user etc)

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Please indicate if you are willing to be placed on a reserve list in the event you are not immediately selected for inclusion in the ChIRPs Register.

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Procedures and Guidance

Please provide details on how the following areas, are put into practice and monitored by the law firm in relation to children’s legal services and for staff:

Practice guidance;

Fees, expenses and allowances scheme and associated guidance;

Child Protection guidance;

Lone working guidance;

Complaints procedures;

Performance support and monitoring;

Data Management guidance;

Data retention policy.

Please submit a response using the space below in no more than 500 words

Click or tap here to submit details in no more than 500 words.

Equalities

How will you ensure the activities and services which you are applying to have funded do not discriminate against people with protected characteristics as listed in the Equality Act 2010? (in no more than 200 words):

Click or tap here to enter details in no more than 200 words.

Please describe how you will ensure that all those who require your ChIRP services, including individuals with protected characteristics, can access and benefit from them? (in no more than 300 words):

Click or tap here to enter text in no more than 300 words.

Declaration

By signing this declaration, you are confirming that you are an authorised signatory for the law firm employing the individual expressing an interest in providing a ChIRP service. You are also confirming that the statement below is accurate, and that you have robust governance arrangements in place.

I confirm that I am authorised to sign this application and that as far as I know and believe, all of the information in this application form is true, accurate and complete. My organisation(s) authorises Scottish Government to:

use my firm’s contact details for correspondence;

publish details of any funding awarded as a result of this application;

give any details they have about our application or from future assessments to Scottish Government colleagues, and other agencies, including other grant-making bodies;

use any of these details in news releases, case studies, publications and other publicity materials; and

share contact details if successful with other funded organisations and Scottish Government colleagues.

The Scottish Government can do these things without asking us again for our agreement and will not use any of these details for commercial purposes.

Our organisation complies with Data Protection and Privacy requirements and has undertaken a Data Protection Impact Assessment (if appropriate).

I agree that, if successful in this application, I will ensure that the organisation works within the principles of relevant legislation.

Please tick to confirm your acceptance of the above conditions

Signature	Click or tap here to enter text.

Print Name
Position within the organisation
Date