In 2012/13 Children’s Hearings Scotland (CHS) and the Scottish Children’s Reporter
Administration (SCRA) conducted a joint survey to gather feedback from adults, children and
young people about their experience of the Children’s Hearings System. It was the first such
joint initiative since the passage of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 and sought to
build on baseline information collected by SCRA in 2008.
A total of 745 people participated in the survey, including 456 adults, 158 young people and 131
children. Those taking part were asked whether they would be willing to participate in this piece
of follow up qualitative work. In the event, this study drew on both adult survey participants
and children and young people recruited specifically. However, the purpose of the study
remained the same, to capture an in depth view of the lived experiences that lay behind the
survey findings.