Friday, January 14, 2005
Lib Dem Motion 8 - Children's Hearing Panels
I'M GOING TO BE DREADFULLY POLITICALLY INCORRECT HERE
Conference recognises and supports the work of the Scottish Children’s Hearing system, based on the underlying principle that children who offend and children who are neglected or abused are in need of comprehensive support and protection and should receive this care through a single system designed to address their needs.
Conference is concerned at the difficulties faced by the Children’s Hearing system as a result of shortages of social workers, volunteer panel members, and youth workers, and the lack of sufficient support for initiatives such as alternative education and early intervention programmes, family advice centres, restorative justice projects and other successful disposals which support young people and reduce the risk factors in their lives which can lead to educational and social under-achievement, addiction, anti-social behaviour and homelessness.
Conference welcomes the widespread public support shown by the Scottish Executive consultation for the basic principles of the Children’s Hearing system, and calls for:
1)the over-riding objective of the system to remain the furthering of the best interests of the children or young people concerned; NO. THIS IS A BIT PHILOSOPHICAL BUT, ACCORDING TO ROUSSEAU'S SOCIAL CONTRACT & HOBBES & BASICALLY THE FORMERS OF LIBERALISM AS A DOCTRINE THE PRIME PURPOSE & JUSTIFICATION FOR THE EXISTENCE OF THE STATE IS TO KEEP THE CITIZEN SAFE FROM CRIME. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW CHERUBIC THE CRIMINAL IS IT IS NEVER!! THE PRIME DUTY OF THE STATE TO HELP THE CRIMINAL. THERE MAY WELL BE A CASE THAT BEING NICE TO THE BRATS STOPS THEM STICKING TO A LIFE OF CRIME (OR THE OPPOSITE CASE) BUT EVEN IF THAT IS SO THE PRIME PURPOSE IS TO PROTECT THE VICTIM NOW & IN THE FUTURE
2)greater emphasis on identifying and monitoring policies which work most effectively to support young people in a secure family setting and to better their life chances; IDENTIFYING POLICIES THAT WORK IS ALWAYS WORTHWHILE
3)the age of criminal responsibility to be raised to 10 years; NO ARGUMENT IS PUT FOR THIS & I AM NOT CONVINCED THAT TELLING KIDS THAT CRIME WILL NOT BE PUNISHED IS DOING EITHER THEM OR SOCIETY ANY GOOD. WE ARE ALWAYS BEING TOLD THAT CHILDREN NOWADAYS ARE MATURING EARLIER & PHYSICALLY THAT IS TRUE (THO' I AM NOT CONVINCED THAT A 13 YEAR OLD MIDSHIPMAN IN NELSON'S FLEET WAS MENTALLY LESS MATURE)
4)support for advocacy for vulnerable young people in the Hearings System; THIS CONVERTS THE HEARINGS INTO AN ADVERSARIAL SYSTEM
5)additional resources to ensure that every child and young person under the supervision of the Panel receives an effective and adequate quality care package; ADEQUATE RESOURCES = MORE MONEY. AS A GENERAL PRINCIPLE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ANYBODY PUTTING FORWARD A MOTION REQUIRED TO PUT IN A COSTING
6)a nation-wide effort to build on initiatives that promote social work as an important and attractive profession vital to the people of Scotland; BULL. COUNCIL EMPLOYEES HAVE RECENTLY RISEN 15%, ALMOST ALL AMONG SOCIAL WORKERS & TEACHING SUPPORT (IE NOT TEACHERS). IF WE WANT TO PROMOTE ANY FORM OF WORK IT SHOULD BE SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS. IF IT IS PURELY COUNCIL EMPLOYEES WE WANT TO PROMOTE IT SHOULD BE BIN MEN - A NOTORIOUSLY LOW STATUS JOB, WHOSE MANAGEMENT IS AVOIDED BY ANYBODY AMBITIOUS YET, ALONG WITH TEACHING, IS THE ONLY COUNCIL FUNCTION PEOPLE REALLY COMPLAIN ABOUT WHEN IT GOES WRONG
7)a wider and more creative range of disposals (including restorative justice options where appropriate) to be available to Panels, including programmes to address drug and alcohol problems, mental and physical health, learning
difficulties, under-achievement and family and community issues; LONG AS IT WORKS
8)Panels to be enabled more effectively to use these wider disposals by providing them with the information and training to do so; THIS SOUNDS LIKE MORE SUPPORT STAFF AS MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT TEACHING
9)pilot schemes to be established on the use of family conferencing linked, where appropriate, to acceptable behaviour contracts for parents; SOCIAL WORKERS TELLING PARENTS HOW TO PARENT
10)the continued use of fast-track hearings for repeat child offenders; ABSOLUTELY - JUDGE DREDD RULES
11)comprehensive information to be collected and made available to the public, local communities and the Panels on the costs and benefits of the system and its disposals in their area, and showing the effectiveness of different disposal options; and ABSOLUTELY
13)an independent professional group to provide research on the Hearings System and monitoring of Panels’ decisions and outcomes in order to enhance the accountability of the system and guide the development of future policy. ABSOLUTELY - WHAT DO WE DO IF A TRULY INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT GROUP FINDS THAT SERIOUS PUNISHMENTS DETER
Conference recognises and supports the work of the Scottish Children’s Hearing system, based on the underlying principle that children who offend and children who are neglected or abused are in need of comprehensive support and protection and should receive this care through a single system designed to address their needs.
Conference is concerned at the difficulties faced by the Children’s Hearing system as a result of shortages of social workers, volunteer panel members, and youth workers, and the lack of sufficient support for initiatives such as alternative education and early intervention programmes, family advice centres, restorative justice projects and other successful disposals which support young people and reduce the risk factors in their lives which can lead to educational and social under-achievement, addiction, anti-social behaviour and homelessness.
Conference welcomes the widespread public support shown by the Scottish Executive consultation for the basic principles of the Children’s Hearing system, and calls for:
1)the over-riding objective of the system to remain the furthering of the best interests of the children or young people concerned; NO. THIS IS A BIT PHILOSOPHICAL BUT, ACCORDING TO ROUSSEAU'S SOCIAL CONTRACT & HOBBES & BASICALLY THE FORMERS OF LIBERALISM AS A DOCTRINE THE PRIME PURPOSE & JUSTIFICATION FOR THE EXISTENCE OF THE STATE IS TO KEEP THE CITIZEN SAFE FROM CRIME. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW CHERUBIC THE CRIMINAL IS IT IS NEVER!! THE PRIME DUTY OF THE STATE TO HELP THE CRIMINAL. THERE MAY WELL BE A CASE THAT BEING NICE TO THE BRATS STOPS THEM STICKING TO A LIFE OF CRIME (OR THE OPPOSITE CASE) BUT EVEN IF THAT IS SO THE PRIME PURPOSE IS TO PROTECT THE VICTIM NOW & IN THE FUTURE
2)greater emphasis on identifying and monitoring policies which work most effectively to support young people in a secure family setting and to better their life chances; IDENTIFYING POLICIES THAT WORK IS ALWAYS WORTHWHILE
3)the age of criminal responsibility to be raised to 10 years; NO ARGUMENT IS PUT FOR THIS & I AM NOT CONVINCED THAT TELLING KIDS THAT CRIME WILL NOT BE PUNISHED IS DOING EITHER THEM OR SOCIETY ANY GOOD. WE ARE ALWAYS BEING TOLD THAT CHILDREN NOWADAYS ARE MATURING EARLIER & PHYSICALLY THAT IS TRUE (THO' I AM NOT CONVINCED THAT A 13 YEAR OLD MIDSHIPMAN IN NELSON'S FLEET WAS MENTALLY LESS MATURE)
4)support for advocacy for vulnerable young people in the Hearings System; THIS CONVERTS THE HEARINGS INTO AN ADVERSARIAL SYSTEM
5)additional resources to ensure that every child and young person under the supervision of the Panel receives an effective and adequate quality care package; ADEQUATE RESOURCES = MORE MONEY. AS A GENERAL PRINCIPLE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ANYBODY PUTTING FORWARD A MOTION REQUIRED TO PUT IN A COSTING
6)a nation-wide effort to build on initiatives that promote social work as an important and attractive profession vital to the people of Scotland; BULL. COUNCIL EMPLOYEES HAVE RECENTLY RISEN 15%, ALMOST ALL AMONG SOCIAL WORKERS & TEACHING SUPPORT (IE NOT TEACHERS). IF WE WANT TO PROMOTE ANY FORM OF WORK IT SHOULD BE SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS. IF IT IS PURELY COUNCIL EMPLOYEES WE WANT TO PROMOTE IT SHOULD BE BIN MEN - A NOTORIOUSLY LOW STATUS JOB, WHOSE MANAGEMENT IS AVOIDED BY ANYBODY AMBITIOUS YET, ALONG WITH TEACHING, IS THE ONLY COUNCIL FUNCTION PEOPLE REALLY COMPLAIN ABOUT WHEN IT GOES WRONG
7)a wider and more creative range of disposals (including restorative justice options where appropriate) to be available to Panels, including programmes to address drug and alcohol problems, mental and physical health, learning
difficulties, under-achievement and family and community issues; LONG AS IT WORKS
8)Panels to be enabled more effectively to use these wider disposals by providing them with the information and training to do so; THIS SOUNDS LIKE MORE SUPPORT STAFF AS MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT TEACHING
9)pilot schemes to be established on the use of family conferencing linked, where appropriate, to acceptable behaviour contracts for parents; SOCIAL WORKERS TELLING PARENTS HOW TO PARENT
10)the continued use of fast-track hearings for repeat child offenders; ABSOLUTELY - JUDGE DREDD RULES
11)comprehensive information to be collected and made available to the public, local communities and the Panels on the costs and benefits of the system and its disposals in their area, and showing the effectiveness of different disposal options; and ABSOLUTELY
13)an independent professional group to provide research on the Hearings System and monitoring of Panels’ decisions and outcomes in order to enhance the accountability of the system and guide the development of future policy. ABSOLUTELY - WHAT DO WE DO IF A TRULY INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT GROUP FINDS THAT SERIOUS PUNISHMENTS DETER
