New recruits needed for kids’ panel

A Lanarkshire children’s panel member is encouraging fellow local residents to volunteer for the role to help support young people in their communities.

Stephen Haggarty features in a newly-launched recruitment campaign being run by Children’s Hearings Scotland, including as the star of its TV and online advert.

The organisation is looking for 145 volunteer panel members in Lanarkshire this year, aged over 18 and from a diverse range of backgrounds; and is particularly raising awareness of the role among men.

Stephen said:“It is a challenging role but incredibly rewarding too. As someone who has experience of children’s hearings, I’d say that it’s vitally important that panel members are relatable, approachable, good listeners and are focused on the needs of the child or young person.”

He also tells viewers in the TV advert of“having lived through the whole children’s hearings system, being care experienced and had a wide range of tough times when I was a youngster.

“I think that every child and young person really deserves a chance, and if the hearings system and panels are a way to give them that chance, then I feel that I want to be part of that.”

Panel members are volunteers from local communities who take part in children’s hearings, with the role of listening and making legal decisions with and for infants, children and young people and“ensuring that the young person is at the heart of every decision made”.

There are currently 2500 volunteer panel members across Scotland, who held more than 16,000 hearings in 2020-21 for nearly 9000 young people – 85 per cent of which were on care and protection grounds. Applications are open online now, and close midnight on February 9.