Children's Hearings System - future of secure care and the single point of contact (SPOC) for victims: consultation

3. About this consultation

This consultation seeks views on a transformative future for secure care, and for the children who may need its support, across the following inter-linked issues:

• The case(s) for the future nationalisation and / or the national co-ordination of secure care in Scotland, including the potential contribution of the National Social Work Agency;
• Depending on the adopted future approach, the design of funding and commissioning models to support consistent, high quality provision;
• Expanding or redefining the statutory concept of “secure accommodation” or “secure care” and revising the criteria for when a child may be placed in restrictive environments;
• Models proposed in the ‘Reimagining Secure Care’ report – ‘flex secure’, ‘community-based hubs’ and ‘multi-disciplinary teams’;
• Standards for the safe and secure transportation of children, whether to secure care facilities or to essential appointments during their stay in secure care, or wider transport needs when secure transport is required; and
• The establishment of a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for victims affected by harmful behaviour that is being considered within the youth justice system.

This consultation forms part of the Scottish Government’s wider programme to transform children’s care, centred on furthering the rights of children (UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024), The Promise, and the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024.

Your input to this consultation will shape the next stage of policy development, guiding future decisions on legislative, structural, and funding reforms.

We will take a phased approach to any change identified, engaging stakeholders - including children, young people - to ensure changes are effective and sustainable. A clear plan will guide incremental delivery, balancing system impact and workforce readiness.