The Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA) is an

executive non-departmental public body In the United Kingdom, non-departmental public body (NDPB) is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, the Scottish Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive to public sector organisations that have a role in the process of na ...

of the

Scottish Government The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in ...

, with responsibility for protecting children at risk. SCRA was formed under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 and became fully operational on 1 April 1996, taking over responsibility for the existing system of Children's Reporters (see Children's Hearing). SCRA's aim is to "provide a safety net for vulnerable children and deliver tailored solutions which meet the needs of the individuals involved, while helping to build stronger families and safer communities".

Organisation

Although SCRA operates within a legislative remit, and at arm's length from government, it receives oversight and direction from its board. As a non-departmental public body, SCRA's board, although acting independently, is accountable to

Scottish Ministers The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in t ...

. Management oversight is achieved by a series of Committees. Complaints are usually dealt with by SCRA, but the public can also complain to the

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) is the organisation that handles complaints about public services in Scotland. The Ombudsman service is independent of government and with a duty to act impartially. The SPSO is responsible for looki ...

(SPSO).This will only happen after the SCRA complaints process has been exhausted.

Referral mechanism

Referrals are made to SCRA about children who may be in need of legal intervention to help them address their needs and/or behaviour. The referral may be made on offence grounds and/or care and protection grounds. Most referrals are received from the

police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

departments or

school A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the Educational architecture, building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most co ...

s. However,

parents A parent is either the progenitor of a child or, in humans, it can refer to a caregiver or legal guardian, generally called an adoptive parent or step-parent. Parents who are progenitors are first-degree relatives and have 50% genetic meet. ...

, family members,

carer A caregiver, carer or support worker is a paid or unpaid person who helps an individual with activities of daily living. Caregivers who are members of a care recipient's family or social network, who may have specific professional training, are o ...

s or any concerned member of the public can also contact the Children's Reporter. These grounds are contained within statute namely, Section 67(2) of the Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act, 2011. Each case is assigned to a Children's Reporter employed by SCRA. The Reporter investigates the case and decides whether or not compulsory measures of supervision may be required. If, in the Reporter's opinion, such measures are required, a Hearing will be arranged. The Reporter may take other steps short of arranging a Hearing, for example arrange for some form of

restorative justice Restorative justice is a community-based approach to justice that aims to repair the harm done to victims, offenders and communities. In doing so, restorative justice practitioners work to ensure that offenders take responsibility for their ac ...

Referral statistics

53,883 children were referred in 2005/6 and 87% of referrals came from the police. This represents a doubling in the number of referrals since the SCRA took responsibility for Children's Reporters.SCRA Frequently Asked Questions
In 2005, 16,470 children (33%) were referred to the Reporter for an offence and 33,379 children (67%) were referred on non-offence grounds (i.e. concern for their safety or welfare). In 2015–16, there were 15,329 referrals received, which represented 1.7% of all children and young people in Scotland; 2,761 of the referrals were on offence grounds.

Role in the Children's Hearings System

SCRA's role within the Children's Hearings System is to provide suitable accommodation for Hearings, provide information to the hearing panel and to enable the children and families to participate in Hearings.

References

External links

*
Children's Hearings
{{authority control Children's Reporter

Children A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...