Be Part Of Shaping The Law!

Attention to detail is often the difference between something good and something great.  The Children (Scotland) Act 2020 is heralded as making fundamental changes to child contact disputes and the regulation of vital roles and services.  It was acknowledged by the Scottish Government, as it passed through the Scottish Parliament, that it would be essential to give careful consideration to the implementation and training provisions relating these regulations. 

With this in mind, the Scottish Government opened two consultations on 22 March 2021 and you now don’t have long to give your views on the Scottish Government’s proposals.

The first consultation relates to the provisions establishing registers of child welfare reporters, curators ad litem appointed in terms of section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 and solicitors who can be appointed when an individual has been prohibited from conducting their own case (both under s11 of the 1995 Act and court proceedings arising from children’s hearings).

The main points which the Scottish Government are seeking views on relate to the responsibility for operating and managing the register of child welfare reporters, the proposed requirements and process for inclusion on the register, proposed retention period on the register, proposed training requirements, proposed expenses policy and the proposed re-appointment policy.

The second consultation relates to the Scottish Ministers’ new powers to regulate child contact centres.  It seeks views on what the child contact centres will look like including the minimum regulation standards, staff training standards, inspection administration amongst others. 

Both consultations are open until 12 July 2021.  The register of child welfare reporter etc consultation paper and details of how to respond can be found here.  The contact centre consultation paper can be found here.

All responses will undoubtedly play a part in shaping the future regulation of these integral roles in child contact disputes and should be encouraged.  In years to come consideration of the finer detail now will be crucial if we are to deliver successful implementation of the 2020 Act, with the transparency in the process promised.