Duo share thoughts on children’s hearing system
Two young Renfrewshire women were given a chance to share their thoughts on the children’s hearing system with lawmakers when the were invited to Holyrood.
Chloe McKirdy, 18, and Alice Ferguson, 20, who both grew up in care in Renfrewshire, were asked to the Scottish Parliament to advise politicians on recent reforms.
The girls appeared before the Education and Skills Committee and were asked for their own experiences and opinions on serious and in-depth topics such as children’s participation in the hearings, the role and training of panel members, improvements to the hearing system, the role of advocates, safeguarders and solicitors, feedback, and interaction between the hearing system and the courts.
Julie MacTaggart, co-ordinator of Who Cares? Scotland’s Communities That Care Project in Renfrewshire, said: “Chloe and Alice were nervous, but were made to feel very special.
“They presented to a panel of MSPs in big meeting room, which would be very daunting for anyone, but they held their nerve because they were determined to let the Committee hear their experiences first hand and to help make things better in future for all young people who have to attend Children’s Hearings.
“After giving their evidence, Chloe and Alice’s views were presented to the Minister for Childcare and Early Years, Mark MacDonald, who thanked them for their input, and then gave them a personal tour around the Parliament.
“Alice was delighted when she even got to sit in Nicola Sturgeon’s seat in the Chamber.
“This was a big day for the girls — not only will they never forget it, but their feedback informed the committee’s thinking to help make changes to the way children and young people all over Scotland experience hearings in the future.”
The reforms to the Children’s Hearing system were brought about by the 2011 Children’s Hearing’s ( Scotland) Act, and this inquiry by the Education and Skills Committee is to take stock of those reforms and recommend further improvements where necessary.