Children's Hearings Scotland

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Children's Hearings Scotland We recruit, train and support 2,300 volunteers for Scotland’s unique Children’s Hearings System - helping ensure every child and young person is heard.

Making sure children's voices are heard shouldn't be a one-off conversation. The new CHS Voicebank gives young people ag...
22/10/2026

Making sure children's voices are heard shouldn't be a one-off conversation.

The new CHS Voicebank gives young people aged 12 and over with experience of hearings the opportunity to regularly share their views through short surveys and feedback opportunities.

By joining Voicebank, young people can help influence future improvements, shape services and make a difference for others coming through the Children's Hearings System.

Because the children and young people who are experiencing hearings right now are best placed to help improve them. https://www.chscotland.gov.uk/children-and-young-people/getting-more-involved/voicebank 📣

If you know a young person who would like to join the Voicebank encourage them to sign up on our website.

Our Experts told us that sharing feedback about their children’s hearing should feel simpler, more accessible and more m...
21/10/2026

Our Experts told us that sharing feedback about their children’s hearing should feel simpler, more accessible and more meaningful.

Their ideas helped shape improvements to our feedback processes, including a redesigned feedback form built around three themes: Voice, Choice and Journey.

Children and young people can use emoji sliders, free text or both. They can choose which questions to answer and can provide feedback anonymously.

It's one example of how lived experience is helping us improve the way we work. 🤩 https://www.chscotland.gov.uk/children-and-young-people/your-voice-matters

How do you show a young person that their experiences matter? 📣That's the question behind Every Voice, our new animation...
20/10/2026

How do you show a young person that their experiences matter? 📣

That's the question behind Every Voice, our new animation co-created with Experts by Experience and developed in collaboration with Braw Talent.

Together, they created a resource that explains why feedback matters, how CHS uses young people's views and how experiences can help improve hearings for others.

Because when young people understand the impact of their voice, they're more likely to use it.

Watch Every Voice and discover how feedback can help shape change. https://www.chscotland.gov.uk/children-and-young-people/your-voice-matters

Children and young people told us they wanted information that was easier to understand, better opportunities to share t...
19/10/2026

Children and young people told us they wanted information that was easier to understand, better opportunities to share their experiences and more ways to influence change.

In response, we worked alongside our Experts by Experience to create new resources designed by and with young people.

These resources weren't created for young people. They were created with them.

Throughout this week, we'll share how young people helped shape the project and the changes that followed.

The first is our new home for children and young people on our website. A dedicated online space designed to help children and young people understand hearings, their rights and how CHS works.

Visit our new 'For Children and Young People' section on the CHS website. https://www.chscotland.gov.uk/children-and-young-people 🙌

We joined volunteers and local partners at the opening of Lerwick's redesigned Hearings Centre last month. Let's take a ...
16/10/2026

We joined volunteers and local partners at the opening of Lerwick's redesigned Hearings Centre last month. Let's take a look inside a modern, welcoming and trauma-informed space. 🛋️

Stuart Lamberton, Director Tribunal Delivery at Children's Hearings Scotland, is delighted: 'By providing a welcoming and supportive environment, we can help children, young people and families to participate more fully in the hearing process and ensure their voices are heard.'

This World Mental Health Day, let's talk, listen and support better mental health together. One of the most powerful thi...
10/10/2026

This World Mental Health Day, let's talk, listen and support better mental health together. One of the most powerful things we can do is listen when someone shares how they're feeling.

This year's theme, "Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change," reminds us that people feel less alone when they are listened to, understood and taken seriously.

At CHS, we see the value of listening every day. Our Panel Members listen to children and young people during hearings, helping to ensure their views, wishes and experiences are heard and respected.

Beyond the hearing room, we listen to children and young people through feedback about their hearings, our new VoiceBank, and our Experts by Experience programme. We also create opportunities for volunteers to share their experiences, helping us learn, improve and strengthen the support we provide.

What people share with us helps shape positive changes across the Children's Hearings System and reinforces our commitment to keeping children and wellbeing at the centre of what we do.

Because every voice matters.

Because every experience matters.

And because real change starts with listening.

If you'd like to learn more about looking after your mental health or support someone else, explore the advice and resources available from the Mental Health Foundation. 🌍 https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health

Over the last week, we've shared some of the stories behind our Progressing Children's Rights Report and highlighted the...
09/10/2026

Over the last week, we've shared some of the stories behind our Progressing Children's Rights Report and highlighted the role children and young people have played in shaping our work. 🤝🏻

From influencing recruitment and contributing to national conversations, to helping us understand what works well and where we can improve, their voices have helped drive positive change across CHS.

This report reflects on the progress we've made over the last three years, but it also reminds us that the best improvements happen when children and young people help shape them.

Thank you to every child and young person who has shared their experiences, challenged our thinking and helped shape our work.

We've made progress, and we'll continue listening, learning and improving together. Children's rights have always been important to CHS, and children's voices will continue to help shape what comes next.

If you haven't already, read the full report, executive summary or child-friendly version to learn more about our progress and the people behind it. https://www.chscotland.gov.uk/resources/reports-and-planning/progressing-childrens-rights-report-2023-2026

This week, we're taking a closer look at the stories behind our Progressing Children's Rights Report and the voices that...
08/10/2026

This week, we're taking a closer look at the stories behind our Progressing Children's Rights Report and the voices that helped shape it. 👋

Throughout the child-friendly report, our Experts by Experience share their thoughts on the changes they've helped influence, the issues that matter to children and young people, and the difference participation can make.

From helping shape recruitment and contributing to discussions on new legislation, to highlighting the importance of feedback through Voicebank and raising awareness of issues facing care experienced young people, their experiences help inform positive change across CHS.

These aren't CHS's views about participation. They're the views of children and young people who have used their experiences to help shape our work.

Swipe through to hear directly from our Experts.

Read the child-friendly report to discover more of their stories and reflections. https://www.chscotland.gov.uk/resources/reports-and-planning/progressing-childrens-rights-report-2023-2026

This week, we're taking a closer look at the stories behind our Progressing Children's Rights Report and how children an...
08/10/2026

This week, we're taking a closer look at the stories behind our Progressing Children's Rights Report and how children and young people helped shape our work. 🫶

One example is Panel Member recruitment.

Our Experts by Experience helped shape the recruitment process by influencing the qualities, understanding and thinking we look for in future volunteers.

They challenged candidates to think about issues that matter to children and young people from the very beginning of the recruitment process.

For our 2025 recruitment campaign, the Experts chose homelessness and insecure housing as a priority topic because of its impact on care experienced young people. By bringing their lived experience into the process, they helped shape the conversations and challenges candidates were asked to consider.

This is one example of how our Experts helped shape CHS's core role of recruiting, training and supporting Panel Members. Their insights helped ensure children's and young people's experiences were reflected in how we identified the people best suited to make decisions with and for children.

Read more in our Progressing Children's Rights Report. https://www.chscotland.gov.uk/resources/reports-and-planning/progressing-childrens-rights-report-2023-2026 ℹ

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Thistle House, 3rd Floor, 91 Haymarket Terrace
Edinburgh
EH125HE

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+441312443696

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