Appointment of a Member to the Board of Children’s Hearings Scotland

Scottish Government · United Kingdom

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ABOUT CHILDREN’S HEARINGS SCOTLAND (CHS)

Children’s Hearings Scotland (CHS) plays a central role within Scotland’s unique children’s hearings system, working alongside partners to ensure the safety, wellbeing and rights of infants, children and young people. Every year, thousands of children, young people and families engage with the system, making it one of Scotland’s most important child-centred decision-making forums.

CHS is a public body responsible for recruiting, training and supporting volunteer Panel Members who sit on children’s hearings. Panel Members listen to children and families and make legal decisions with and for children who need care, protection or support. Through a robust recruitment process and ongoing learning and support, CHS helps ensure Panel Members have the skills, knowledge and confidence to make high-quality decisions that are fair, consistent and centred on the rights and needs of each child.

Established under the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011, CHS works to a set of National Standards and is committed to upholding its vision, purpose and values in everything it does. Through the dedication of its volunteers and its work with partners across the system, CHS helps ensure children and young people are heard and supported to achieve better outcomes.

The organisation is led by the National Convener, who is also the Chief Executive. We have around 2,000 volunteer Panel Members from communities across Scotland, supported by a team of over 100 dedicated colleagues operating on a national level.

CHS is operating within an ever changing, complex environment shaped by the implementation of significant legislative and non-legislative changes that will help deliver The Promise by 2030. Together these changes will strengthen children’s rights and improve experiences and outcomes for children and young people. In the next three years the children’s hearings system will see its most significant transformation in over 50 years.

Our vision is for all infants, children, young people and their families to be safe, loved, and supported to realise their full potential. Our purpose is to ensure our hearings make child-centred decisions which respect and protect children’s rights and support them to thrive. Our values are: challenging, child centred, creative, respectful, open and fair.

THE BOARD OF CHS

As a Board Member, you will help provide strategic leadership and oversight to CHS as we work with partners across the children’s hearings system to deliver positive outcomes for children and young people. You will contribute to decisions on our strategic direction, scrutinise organisational performance and support effective governance of the organisation.

This is an exciting time to join CHS. As a Board Member, you will play an important role in helping CHS respond to significant change while remaining focused on the rights, wellbeing and experiences of children and young people.

The CHS Board works with the National Convener and the senior team to ensure that the organisation contributes effectively to the modernisation of the hearings system. It supports the National Convener in his statutory responsibilities, providing strategic direction, advice, guidance, support and challenge. The Board has a corporate responsibility for ensuring that the organisation delivers on the aims and objectives set by Scottish Ministers and for promoting the efficient and effective use of staff and other resources in line with the principles of best value. Board members’ responsibilities include:

• Understanding the CHS role within the children’s hearings system and wider public services;

• Overseeing the preparation and approval of annual corporate, financial and operational plans to deliver the objectives and outcomes set out in the CHS framework documents;

• Agreeing challenging targets for the organisation and monitoring its performance;

• Supporting the National Convener and senior team to deliver the organisation’s objectives;

• Ensuring that CHS is following best practice in its governance functions;

• Delivering on the vision to put children and young people at the centre of the organisation’s work;

• Acting as an ambassador for CHS to build positive relationships with the children’s panel community and other partners to achieve better outcomes for children, young people and their families;

• Working productively with key partners (these include the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration, local authorities, COSLA, Social Work Scotland and the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland);

• Following the Board Members’ Code of Conduct at all times, particularly when performing the functions of the Board and on any of its committees, sub-committees and groups;

• Attending Board meetings on a regular basis and being well prepared by reading relevant papers in advance and, if necessary, seeking further information to ensure understanding;

• Upholding the principles of public life as set out by the Ethical Standards Commissioner at all times.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For more information, we would encourage you to attend an online information session hosted by the Chair of Children’s Hearings Scotland at 5.30pm on Tuesday 6 October 2026, where we will be discussing the role and the appointment process and you will have the opportunity to meet members of the CHS Board and ask questions. To register, please contact Frieda.cadogan@chs.gov.scot at CHS for further details and a link to the event.

You can also contact Katharina Kasper, Chair of Children’s Hearings Scotland, at katharina.kasperboard@chscotland.scot for an informal conversation about the role. Further information about CHS can be found at www.chscotland.gov.uk.

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