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The voice of Scotland’s vibrant voluntary sector

Published by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

TFN is published by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registration number SC003558.

UNCRC and Children’s Right to be Heard

Clan Childlaw

This event is in the past

This training is part of our series focusing on incorporation of UNCRC. Our team of expert lawyers have designed this training to offer practical, developing knowledge of UNCRC to those whose support and advocacy is essential to children and young people in Scotland. As practitioners ourselves we know you need more than a legal overview of UNCRC, you need confidence in using UNCRC rights in advocacy to improve children’s lives. Over the course of the year there will be training on a variety of ways you will encounter UNCRC in practice, including sibling rights, transition from care, preventing homelessness and supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

About this course:

It is a general principle of UNCRC that every child has rights. Children in conflict with the law are among the most marginalised and are at risk of being treated as offenders instead of as children. This can result in children being in secure accommodation Children accused of minor offending can end up with a ‘criminal record’ which restricts their lives as adults. The challenge for those advocating for and supporting these children in Children’s Hearings is to ensure that all decisions are in the best interests of the child.

Children in conflict with the law need lawyers as well as advocacy. Article 12 of UNCRC guarantees children the right to be heard in all matters that affect them and have legal representation for legal proceedings. Only 25% of children referred to Children’s Hearings on offence grounds had legal representation putting them at risk of formal measures through the Children’s Hearings System or the Criminal Justice System, rather than alternative interventions to support them to address their behaviour and resolve the causes of offending.

This training will connect your day-to-day work with children in conflict with the law to UNCRC articles, strengthening your rights-based practice. Find out how you can prevent negative consequences for children and young people you work with by using their UNCRC rights when you advocate for them.

Key learning:

- The principles of UNCRC and what they mean for children in conflict with the law in the Children’s Hearing system.

- How to use a child’s right to be heard in the Children’s Hearing system

- The children’s hearing process and how children in conflict with the law experience their hearings.

- UNCRC and Children’s Hearing’s decision to place a child in secure accommodation.

- Disclosure/criminal records – practical ways to support children to understand their record and what accepting offence grounds means for them.

- The role of lawyers and identifying when children and young people in conflict with the law need a lawyer.

- Practical tips and signposting to resources and further learning.

Who is this course for?

This training will be useful for anyone whose work involves advocating for or supporting children in the Children’s Hearing System.

Date
09:30-12:30, 7 November 2024
Contact
Katya Allcott
Theme
Families & young people
Cost
75
Attendance type
Online only
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