Restorative Justice Policy and Practice Framework in partnership with Community Justice Scotland and the Children: FOI release

Information requested

Information about Scottish Government policy/guidance and any work underway relating to support services for children aged 11 and 12 affected by sexual violence, including how services are expected to respond and where referrals should go.

Please provide:

1. Any national guidance, policy, or operational framework held by the Scottish Government that sets out support/referral pathways for children under 13 who have experienced sexual violence (including any age thresholds used in practice).

2. Any documents that describe how rape crisis/advocacy services are expected to operate for children aged 10–12, including any minimum age expectations linked to Scottish Government funding or commissioning.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested. The document attached is the draft Restorative Justice Policy and Practice Framework. This document is aimed at Restorative Justice practitioners. It has been drafted in partnership with Community Justice Scotland and the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ). The purpose of the document is to answer questions that have been raised by stakeholders around the use of Restorative Justice in relation to existing justice processes in both the adult and youth justice context. The focus of the document is therefore around how and when restorative justice might be progressed. It is not focused on any single harm type, but does cover all age groups including children under the age of 13.

Most of the information you have requested is available online. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Child Protection

National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 - updated 2023 - gov.scot

Bairns' Hoose

Bairns' Hoose: project plan - gov.scot
20230510-Bairns-Hoose-Standards-2022.pdf
Bairns' Hoose - project plan: progress report and pathfinder delivery plan 2023 to 2025 - gov.scot
Bairns' Hoose – children and young people: participation and engagement plan - gov.scot
Bairns' Hoose - pathfinder phase: delivery plan 2025 to 2027 - gov.scot
Bairns' Hoose - Scottish Barnahus: vision, principles and approach - gov.scot
Bairns’ Hoose: National Implementation Group - gov.scot
National Bairns’ Hoose Governance Group - gov.scot
Bairns' Hoose - Child protection - gov.scot
bairnshoosescotland.com | Providing children and young people across Scotland with access to trauma-informed recovery, support and justice
Transforming children’s experiences of the justice system - gov.scot
Next steps for Bairns’ Hoose - gov.scot
Programme for Government - gov.scot 

Child Sexual Abuse

Clinical pathway for healthcare professionals working to support children and young people who may have experienced child sexual abuse

To note, work is underway to update this pathway by the Children and Young People’s Working Group of the Sexual Assault Response Coordination Service (SARCS) Strategic Network within NHS National Services Scotland.

Advocacy services for all children and young people referred to the Children’s Hearings System

This information relates to advocacy services for all children and young people referred to the Children’s Hearings system, rather than being specific to support for children aged 11 and 12 affected by sexual violence.

The Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 has given Scottish Ministers the opportunity to make provision for children to access support and representation from advocacy services when attending a children’s hearing.

The National Practice Model for Advocacy for the Children’s Hearings System was commissioned by the Scottish Government in order to develop a sustainable model of advocacy to realise the policy intention of Section 122 of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011. Specifically, the National Practice Model outlines the role of advocacy workers within the Children’s Hearings System including their independent status and requirement for: strong understanding of childhood experience and commitment to children’s rights; solid knowledge base of policy and legislation related to children and young people; working knowledge of procedures related to Children’s Hearings; expertise in advocacy practice; and skills in working with children and young people, to ensure consistent excellence of practice and delivery of advocacy within the Children’s Hearings System across Scotland.

We have set up a dedicated website for children, young people and those supporting them. It advises about advocacy for children and how to obtain it for Children’s Hearings. We have allocated £2.1 million in 2025-26 in grant funding to deliver a sustainable model of advocacy to a selection of providers.

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.

FOI 202600504853 - Information released - Annex

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