Children's Hearings Redesign Board minutes: January 2026

Attendees and apologies

• Tom McNamara, SG (TM)
• Brian Taylor, SG, (BT)      
• Lindsey Bryne, SW (LB)    
• Ben Farrugia, SWS (BF)   
• Neil Hunter, SCRA (NH)   
• Elliot Jackson, CHS (EJ)   
• Gordon Main, OHOV (GM)
• Mel Parkinson, SG (MP)
• John Urquhart, COSLA (JU)
• Susan Downes, SG (SD)

Items and actions

Welcome and introductions

BT had been delayed by rail disruption. TM welcomed Board members to the meeting and indicated that he would fill  the role of Chair until BT’s arrival.  Apologies for the meeting had been given by co-Chair Nicola Dickie, COSLA.

The Board agreed the minutes of the previous meeting held in November and agreed to their publication on the Children’s Hearings Redesign Board webpage.

Board members raised points for discussion at this point in the meeting instead of under any other business. The key points raised were:

The question was raised as to whether the Board required to arrive at a formal view/position on Non‑instructed advocacy (NIA). The discussion then broadened to a wider range of potentially contested issues, including issues on which Parliament may take a particular view through their scrutiny of the current Bill. TM clarified that the NIA issue had been explored exhaustively over an extended period, firstly in advocacy’s National Providers Network and then the Expert Reference  Group. Officials had discerned that progress had stalled. They therefore explored the potential for reaching consensus through a range of efforts and discussions across spring and summer last year. It had been clarified to the contributors that the matter was being taken to Ministers for decision in autumn 2025, and it was further confirmed that the full range of partners’ views and concerns had been shared with Ministers as part of that process. Ministers took a decision at the level of principle and that had been communicated in December.

The relationship between this Board’s primarily non-legislative work and the current legislation going through Parliament was discussed more generally. It was agreed that sufficient Board visibility and contributions to major issues was important. Ideally, collegiate positions on key topics should be negotiated and agreed.

The Board discussed how CHIP and other stakeholders may input to future regulation‑making powers, and the role of the Board in shaping or determining this engagement. The importance of Board clarity on its decision‑making role in this space was emphasised.

It was noted that infants and babies have distinct needs, including different engagement and participation requirements, which must be explicitly considered in the Board’s work and there was a shared appetite to advance that workstream at pace, taking careful note of Bill developments at Parliament in February and March.

Discussion highlighted the importance of Board Members’ being clear and confident in their role in the overall change programme, particularly in helping the Minister clearly articulate the function and purpose of the Redesign Board.

The Board reflected on how best to identify, sift, and redefine relevant aspects of the work programme, ensuring focus and coherence as the work progresses.

The use of route maps in relation to The Promise was discussed. The Board agreed there is value in interrogating route maps in more detail, ensuring they are regularly updated and revisited at key points.

It was agreed that detailed review work should be undertaken and brought back to Board Members for consideration, with explicit reference back to The Promise framework and recently-published routemaps.

Action – Secretariat to publish minutes from the previous meeting on the Children’s Hearings Redesign Board webpage.

Action - TM to share information (relevant background and key contacts) with John on NIA and Family Group Decision Making (FGDM)

Communication and engagement: Vision and engagement session

MP presented the proposed Vision and invited Board members to consider this version for publication. Members were asked to agree that, subject to approval, the Board would work collectively to support the visual articulation and ongoing development of the vision.

Board members agreed that the statement should be renamed as either a Mission Statement or Purpose Statement, rather than a vision. The Board also agreed a small number of amendments, taking account of feedback received from stakeholders, including SM. In particular, members agreed that the statement should more clearly emphasise that the work is about investment in people, not solely in improved processes.

MP presented the Stakeholder Engagement Plan for the upcoming session scheduled for 25 February. Board members were broadly content with the proposed approach.

Members requested that the programme include a specific agenda item focused on what can realistically be achieved over the next three to four years ( Promise period to 2030). It was noted that while there are current workstreams that are expected to progress over the coming time, there is a need to articulate what follows thereafter, including the longer‑term priorities and direction of travel.

Board members agreed that this framing should reflect the three‑year timeframe available to shape and inform the redesign of the Children’s Hearings System, supporting both the Board and stakeholders to engage in discussion that is ambitious, proportionate, and achievable.

The Board also agreed to host a further stakeholder session in September/October and requested that a provisional date be included in the invitation.

Action – MP to issue the meeting invite to stakeholders

Action – MP to formalise the programme and actions for particular board members to take forward.

Action - MP will revise the statement to reflect the agreed changes, circulate the updated version through correspondence, and make the necessary arrangements for publication on the Scottish Government webpages.

Preparing for Hearings Workstream

GM provided an update on the work of the preparing for hearings workstream and presented a paper that has been developed by the Hearings Redesign Preparation and Planning Workstream, focusing on the perspectives of key parties in the hearings system, including children, relevant persons, social work, SCRA, CHS, advocacy, solicitors, SLAB and safe guarders. Views from health visitors and education are also being sought.

Recommendations have been built on existing evidence and prior work by the Hearings System Working Group, the ‘Hearings for Children’ report, and the Scottish Government’s response. Proposed improvements are not dependent on legislative change and are designed to be flexible in light of any future legal developments.

The paper sets out a proposed direction of travel for redesigning planning and preparation for hearings. It does not provide detailed practice guidance, which will be developed later through multi‑agency guidance and training, subject to approval or amendment by the Hearings Redesign Board.

Key points raised by the Board:

The Board discussed the next phase of this work, including the level of support required from the Board and the wider multi‑agency system, and how these elements will need to align and work together to deliver the ambitions set out.

Members raised concerns about current workforce capacity and the practical challenge of delivering the proposed approach within existing resource constraints.

It was noted that achieving relationship‑based practice will be difficult without sustained and explicit investment in people. Members highlighted issues including workforce availability, the number of social workers and Panel Members, caseload pressures, and the absence of sufficient capacity to support the level of engagement envisaged. There was strong consensus that implementation will surface these constraints, and that this is where focused attention will be required.

Members reflected on the reality of caseloads and the number of families being worked with concurrently, questioning how the proposed model can be delivered in practice under current conditions. The importance of being clear and honest about what is deliverable, and how services are managed and resourced, was emphasised.

Capacity was repeatedly identified as a key risk, with members stressing that  while there was a shared ambition to deliver to the highest standards, there must be a clear understanding of the limits of what can realistically be achieved in the short to medium term.

The role and journey of the Reporter and Social Work, from start to end, was discussed in the context of the system’s overall ambition. Members noted that the proposals reflect a clear intention to invest in the workforce and agreed that the paper should act as a statement of the Board’s collective ambition.

It was recognised that the Board has completed the initial strategic phase and is now moving into the next phase, which will require a stronger focus on operational delivery. Multi‑agency guidance, learning and training, and effective joint working at national and local (CHIPs) levels were identified as central to this phase.

Members emphasised that implementation must take place over time, with appropriate capacity and resources, and should not be rushed. The Board discussed how it can provide leadership, support, and oversight as this work is taken forward.

The interaction between the proposals and the legislative framework was discussed, including how forthcoming changes may either enable or constrain delivery. Members highlighted the importance of future‑proofing the work, including understanding the impact of changes to preparation for hearings within the Bill.

It was suggested that further work, including workshops, may be required to explore the implications of the legislation, identify stepping stones toward implementation,

The issue of time was highlighted as a contested pressure within the system. Members stressed the need for sufficient time to build relationships, balanced against pressures to progress cases more quickly. Ensuring the quality of decision‑making, rather than speed alone, was seen as critical, and members reflected on how this tension should be addressed within the proposals

Members noted that reflections must be informed not only by system leaders, but also by practitioners, and children and young people themselves. The question was raised as to whether elements of the work need to wait for legislation, or whether progress can be made in parallel, including through engagement sessions already planned.

Update on work of the Planning group and Workstreams

Planning and Preparing for Hearings Workstream

There have been some capacity challenges affecting attendance at meetings, resulting in some discussions taking place offline.

Despite these challenges, the workstream remains on track, with the group expecting to deliver initial outcomes by Summer 2026.

Data and Information Workstream 

The workstream is focused on identifying data and information needs, mapping existing data and activity, and aligning this with outputs from other workstreams.

Data was highlighted as critical. EJ confirmed this and offered support, with discussion around what data is needed and how it should be measured. The group will refocus through planning activity.

A scoping paper will be brought back ahead of the next meeting for approval.

It was agreed that further development is required before formal involvement from the Board.

Culture Workstream

There are concerns about the loss of key members from the group and limited capacity to secure replacements quickly.

BF will convene a meeting to discuss these issues.

Draft principles were circulated, and approval was sought to test them with stakeholders. The Board agreed that the principles should be tested with stakeholders.

Referrals Workstream

The Learning Leads, have developed learning materials for professionals working in the children’s hearing system and launched a new resource on the learning hub hosted by SCRA, further resources are in development and expected to be launched in Spring 2026. 

Enhanced Partnership Model has 2 Senior Practitioners recruited in SCRA are working well,

Joint project SCRA & Police Scotland to support the establishment of a Children’s Hearing Champion model and wider learning and referral practices. The champion recruitment is well underway with positive uptake and training delivery plans have been developed. Initial feedback has been extremely positive about the progress being made.

Future Workstreams

We have secured academics to be involved in the Language and Grounds Group and we will be looking for feedback on what this group should do from the engagement session on 25 February.

Membership is being considered for the Babies and Infants Workstream, with a focus on achieving the right balance. Feedback will be received from the engagement session on 25 February also.

Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill

BT provided a brief update that the Bill passed Stage 1 and outlined that the next month will be busy with stage 2 and working through detailed Government and Opposition amendments.

AOB

No further items were raised. BT thanked Board members for their contributions and closed the meeting.

Scottish Government

February 2026