For Professionals
Useful Information for Professionals
This page is for professionals working with children and young people who have been appointed a Safeguarder. Here you will find information and resources to clarify the role of a Safeguarder in the Children’s Hearing System and how you can support children and young people with their understanding, participation and highlighting mechanisms to provide feedback to the Safeguarders Panel Team.
Coronavirus has caused major disruptions and challenges in the lives of families across the country. Scottish Government restrictions have changed how families access support and how Children’s Hearings are held. Hearings have been mostly virtual meetings, and as restrictions ease, they may be a mix of virtual and in-person hearings for the foreseeable future.
Children 1st is working alongside the Scottish Children’s Reporters Administration (SCRA) to make sure families feel supported and their rights are upheld, throughout the virtual Children’s Hearings being held because of the coronavirus pandemic.
You can take a look at the Children's Hearings Scotland website for more information on Hearings. You can also look at our Parentline service who can help you understand how your virtual hearing will work, how you can have your voices and views heard and what your rights are.
Please feel free to contact them by calling free on 08000 28 22 33 or you can start a live webchat on our Parentline webpages.
Learn more about Safeguarding
A breakdown of the role of a Safeguarder.
Some FAQ about the Safeguarding process.
In this section, you will find additional resources along with our procedure should you wish to submit a concern.
Learn about the Safeguarder Performance Monitoring process.
'What do children and young people say about Safeguarders?'
Across Scotland, children and young people’s lives are shaped, changed, and influenced by decisions made within the Children’s Hearings System daily. As we learned in The Promise, there are countless examples of how children and young people are let down by the system, seen as a case number instead of an individual, and aren’t heard by the adults around them.
This report describes the views and experiences of children and young people who have been involved in the Children’s Hearings System and the youth justice system.
Can professionals give feedback about their experience with a Safeguarder?
Yes! We always want to hear from you. Your views and opinions help us make sure that Safeguarders are doing their best to protect the best interests of the children and young people they work with. If you want to tell us anything about your experience with a Safeguarder, please answer the questions below. Our Complaints procedure and Policy can be found here.