Ministers observing a Children’s Hearing: FOI release

Information requested

What Cabinet Ministers including FM have observed a Children’s Hearing either in person or virtually, if anyone has what dates.

Response

Your request was interpreted to mean Cabinet Secretaries and the First Minister and officials considered any information held covering the relevant period which, following your clarification, we considered to be a timeframe dating from 29 January 2021 to the current date, and any information that is held by relevant offices. Furthermore, whilst not a Cabinet Secretary, the relevant Minister, the Minister for Children, Young People and the Promise who has a remit for children’s hearings, was included in this search.

We can confirm no Cabinet Secretary including the First Minister, have observed a children’s hearing either in person or virtually in the last four years.

Details of all Ministerial engagements are proactively published on the Scottish Government website, which can be accessed here: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot.

You may wish to note from these records that Natalie Don-Innes, the Minister for Children, Young People and the Promise attended a mock hearing, whilst meeting with the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA), on 15 November 2023.

Likewise, Claire Haughey, Minister for Children and Young People attended a mock hearing, when meeting with SCRA, on 28 July 2022.

Mock hearings involving panel members and other professionals are considered less disruptive and allows an environment for those who may not be familiar with the process to learn how the system operates within the setting of a hearing.

Children’s hearings are legal meetings to discuss concerns about a child’s wellbeing and care and children have the right to have as few people as possible attending their hearing, as made clear in the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011.

Whilst the attendance of a Minister, Cabinet Secretary or the First Minister at a substantive hearing is possible, at the discretion of the chairing member and providing the child or other relevant persons do not object, it could be extremely disruptive for the child and is not something that would be considered appropriate on a regular basis.

I hope this response provides a sufficient response to your query.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.