maybe admin can sticky this on all the forums as it's pretty important....

At this time every year the Childrens Hearing system look to recruit new members.  You don't need to be academic, have any particular qualifications or to have children yourselves.  All you need is to have been a child.  That childhood can have been the best in the world or not quite so good.  All that is asked is that you bring your own experiences in life to help troubled young people.

Age isn't important either....  young or old....

Adverts are being placed in the Courier, the P&J and other local papers in order to reach as wide an audience as possible. 

The Scottish Executive actively encourage employers to allow staff to take part in this.  Unfortunately it's unpaid but expenses can be claimed.

There is a great need in particular for folk in the Inverness, Caithness and Sutherland areas as well as over the rest of the Highlands.  And for some reason there is a dearth of men.....  The hearing system cannot work without them!

I've copied a bit here about it and it contains a link to the recruitment site.

Please think about this - there are many of you on here that would make great panel members.  If you want to discuss it more please feel free to contact me.

Ex-children wanted

We are now recruiting people from all walks of life to sit on the children?s panel. This year?s campaign runs from 20 August to 21 September.

Who are we looking for?

We?re looking for anyone over 18 who can make good, common sense decisions; essentially people who can commit a few hours a month to help vulnerable children in their area. These children may have been neglected, abused, in trouble at school or with the law.

Scotland?s unique children's hearings system relies on the involvement of around 2,500 people from all walks of life, who give their time and commitment voluntarily to train and serve as children's panel members.

Every year we recruit around 600 new panel members across Scotland and once again we would like to hear from people who feel that they can contribute to their children?s panel to help local children and young people.

What is expected of you?

Panel members are selected and trained to sit on children's hearings in their own local authority area. Children are referred to the hearings system because they are considered to be at risk or have offended. At each hearing, panel members work with the child, parents or carers and professionals to make decisions which are in the best interests of the child.

No particular qualifications are necessary because full training is provided. However, you will have an interest in the welfare of children.

How to get involved

To find out more about panel membership and how to register your interest, visit our recruitment website www.infoscotland.com/childrenshearings.

Childrens panels - and I have unfortunately been on quite a few - can really make or break lives. If only somebody could condense the feckin referral forms !!

Interest registered in Highland and Moray (live in one work in the other).

Apologies for my earlier comment, I retract the tongue in cheek comment I made.

I made this comment as a result of an incident earlier this year when my son was hit above the eye with a full bottle of Baileys and came within a centimetre of being seriously injured. Fortunately the bottle did not break and he has now recovered but his forehead and eye were severely swollen/bruised and there is still a mark on his head some six months later. This unprovoked attack was carried out by a then 17 year old girl, who has been courting trouble for a number of years through drink/drugs.  She has been in court on numerous occasions for various acts of violence etc and is still free to cause trouble every weekend.

This person got probation for this assault, despite her solicitor doing his best to tell a pack of lies in her defence. Since then, the same person has been back in court and I believe the latest one she was given curfews/community service.  Still, maybe it's just me who feels that some kids will never learn and some of them need something a little different as a deterrent. Maybe the new on the spot fines will have an effect on the issues, who knows.

However, my comment was not meant to belittle a very serious issue, which was rightly pointed out by Mr IHE, and as also pointed out, no one is beyond reproach, not even me. Therefore I will accept my six lashings of the birch for my mistimed quote. I had already PM'd maimie to apologise for the quote, but I will not remove it yet, as it makes my second post seem odd and misplaced.

I am also aware that childrens panels deal with lots of varying degrees of issues and is a very worthwhile cause, good luck in achieving your goals.

:whip01: :whip01: :whip01: :whip01: :whip01: :whip01:

consider yourself suitably chastised.....  :001:

unfortunately there are some who just won't accept the help offered to them in all shapes and forms.  having said that there are many that do and that is the rewarding part of the 'job'.  some it takes a few years for them to realise that they way they live can be better...  and even more unfortunately some don't make it...

Hearings have huge powers including locking young people up which i have to say is not the most pleasant of tasks and one which, if you have ever visited secure accommodation for young people, is not taken lightly either.

this is not a criticism of anyone but for myself i find it very difficult to watch young folk making 'wrong choices' in their lives without trying to help in some ways whether it's through youth work, the hearing system or even just taking kids to the footy, talking to them....

as i said that's just my own opinion and i don't criticise anyone for having a differing one from me.

i just wish in many ways instead of childrens panels we had parents ones.....  :007:

I encounter the Childrens Hearing system from time to time and while it tends to work reasonably well on limited resourses my concern is that, in this area at least, the panel members tend to be middle class and comfortably off whereas most of those children an parents appearing before it are not.

In my opinion it's not just about numbers but reaching out to recruit members more representative of society as a whole than is currently the case. It seems to me that it's often difficult for even well meaning individuals to fully appreciate the difficulties faced by families from radically different backgrounds to their own.

I encounter the Childrens Hearing system from time to time and while it tends to work reasonably well on limited resourses my concern is that, in this area at least, the panel members tend to be middle class and comfortably off whereas most of those children an parents appearing before it are not.

In my opinion it's not just about numbers but reaching out to recruit members more representative of society as a whole than is currently the case. It seems to me that it's often difficult for even well meaning individuals to fully appreciate the difficulties faced by families from radically different backgrounds to their own.

i totally agree with you and that is why i've posted this on here and try to spread the word to more people.  the problem often is that the people we need often feel that the system wouldn't accept them when in my opinion they have lots to offer.

and just because you're 'middleclass and comfortable' doesn't mean you haven't had experience of the issues that bring young people in to the hearing system....

I agree with tha last sentance but many of the issues which bring children and famlies before the systwm are rooted in poverty, relative or otherwise, and it would certainly help if those affected by those issues were dealt with by people more akin to their peer group.

I agree with tha last sentance but many of the issues which bring children and famlies before the systwm are rooted in poverty, relative or otherwise, and it would certainly help if those affected by those issues were dealt with by people more akin to their peer group.

And not a few out and out NEDS as well?

I agree with tha last sentance but many of the issues which bring children and famlies before the systwm are rooted in poverty, relative or otherwise, and it would certainly help if those affected by those issues were dealt with by people more akin to their peer group.

Am with ya on that K. Take that idiot Ann Widdecombes series that was on....where her solution to young prostitiutes was to send them back to live with their mothers. How detatached from the reality of the situation is she!

I agree with tha last sentance but many of the issues which bring children and famlies before the systwm are rooted in poverty, relative or otherwise, and it would certainly help if those affected by those issues were dealt with by people more akin to their peer group.

Am with ya on that K. Take that idiot Ann Widdecombes series that was on....where her solution to young prostitiutes was to send them back to live with their mothers. How detatached from the reality of the situation is she!

so the question then becomes......

how do you encourage a wider spread of people to help?  every year i do my bit and in doing that it's not just a numbers game.... 

but when i ask folk they don't think they can do it..... :007:

I know, it's a dilemma. It tends to be the same group of people who volunteer for school boards and other bodies who end up in positions of influence often quite unrepresentitive of those they purport to represent.

Maybe there's an argument for approaching people at random drwan from the electrol roll or council tenants list.

Maybe there's an argument for approaching people at random drwan from the electrol roll or council tenants list.

Or maybe to balance things up you could approach some of all these folk who managed to get theyre ballot papers wrong at the elections.  :015:

Maime, I dont think i could take the heartbraking cases that would come up I am sure. The other side of the coin is, for the more wayward ones...........i totally agree with TM4TJ's earlier post (tongue in cheek or not)

I am a father, and I would be quite happy if my kids wer oout of line at school for them to recieve the belt. The problem today, there is no fear! I ALWAYS thought twice as to what the consequences before doing something borderline as a kid....and by that, I dont mean anything nasty. These days, there are far too many sandal wearers for my liking, all to ready to make excuses for childrens poor behaviour and the kids know it. BRING BACK FEAR!!!!!!!!!

I agree that we should do all that we can to encourage responsible behavior and respect but there is, in this day and age, no excuse for a large human being in a position of influence assaulting another smaller more vulnerable person no matter what the provocation.

I speak as one who has been sorely tempted to wallop my own kids and others on many occasions !

What is learned from violence in the long term is violence.

Social circumstances make up a lot of the issues these young people face and if you think you have solutions I suggest you stand for parliament. There are no easy answers.

Can I just add.........in school....i was belted every so often, and it did me no harm. And........I wouldnt call a controlled execution of a punishment violence!

Most of us over  a certain age were subject to corporal punishment either at school or at home or both and, while it may have done us no obvious harm, it doesn't make it right.

And It doesnt make it wrong in my book. I despise the way this country's children are going. There is a direct link between yob culture and lack of discipline

Punishment comes in many forms, it doesn't have to be physical.

I agree, there is a link between yobbishness  and lack of dicipline. Physical force, however, is not the answer.

Define punishment as is exercised in Schools and in many homes today? Maybe am just old fashioned....but I believe corporal punishment has a place.

Successive governments of all political hues have failed to find the right balance in educating children.

We went from the "beat them brigade" to the "sandal wearers" and failed to recognise that children need encouragement and non-violent discipline in equal measures. I love the idea of a "parents panel".

Some of todays kids are stuck in never ending cycle of neglect and abuse, they in turn become abusers.

I have too many commitments already, but I'll approach the panel and offer my assistance.

I think this is the first time that I have put into print my 'reason why' youngsters go off the rails.

I feel that there is a number of factors but the main one is the lack of pride/shame.

When I suffered the belt, whilst it inflicted pain, the shame I felt at having received it and the dent to my pride, is my lasting memory!

In the close knit community we lived in, it was the family name that mattered(pride) and if the police car came to your door, I fancy, my Dad would have gone crazy(what would the neighbours think?)

I feel that this pride has now almost gone and with it the adhesive that keeps our living together in order.  Old people scared to go out - youngsters scared to play and the culprits, quite often, become the 'big men' in their locality. 

I often wonder if the old Grannie has children/grand children waiting for the release of the offender or maybe that is just wishful thinking!

I do feel that I have too much sympathy with the victim and would therefore not make a very good Panel member but all power to the ones who can do this very difficult job!

Maimie

You know I am with on all your postings.

Being a member of the Children's Panel enables you to help the members of society who need the support of persons/groups beyond their family and friends. It is not just about the offending element of society but also supporting those young children who are abused.

Do you remember what is was like to get a clip on the lug or worse? Not at all pleasant!

Try and think how it could be to be physically or sexually abused. 

The Panel members have deal with these issues and try and find what is the best solution for the particular youngster.

Give your support  by applying to become a member.

Neksor

surely there must be a better way of discipline than corporal punishment. I remember when I was in school folk got belted for anything ie forgetting homework, not getting a good enough marks and although I suppose it probably did'nt do any lasting harm it was a bit out of order. I think a lot of kids want love and security. A lot of kids don't have this anymore. The family situation can change from day to day. Lack of a good role model and set boundaries does'nt help either.

Good luck in this search for people Maimie. I wish you well. I bet the success stories outway the failures.