Brothers and sisters – participation rights

Brothers and sisters – participation rights

From Monday 26 July 2021, the law is changing on what local authorities and Children’s Hearings have to do to support brothers and sisters. Clan Childlaw – a Stand Up For Siblings partner – has created a helpful guide to the changes on their website, covering:

  • What does the new law say?
  • Who does the new law apply to?
  • Can I take part in my brother or sister’s Children’s Hearing?
  • How do I ask to take part in my brother or sister’s Children’s Hearing?
  • What happens when I take part in my brother or sister’s Children’s Hearing?

Click here to view.

Fellow Stand Up For Siblings member, SCRA, has also published information about the changes. More information is available here.

 

Mapping the relationship of children in care

Mapping the relationship of children in care

A pilot initiative is underway to map the relationships of siblings.

The map is a visual aid to help social workers prepare reports for Children’s Hearings or to help panel members make more informed decisions in Hearings about siblings.

The pilot has been launched in four Local Authority areas – Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, Stirling and West Lothian.

Hazel Oliver, Area Support and Improvement Partnership from Children’s Hearings Scotland, is leading the pilot, along with support from social work, SCRA and Stand Up For Siblings.

Hazel explained: “We know how critical sibling and some sibling-like relationships are to children and young people in care. With the introduction of the new legislation and the imperative to make improvements in this area, we wanted to try something different.

“We are developing a visual template which allows social workers or panel members to fill in. It includes the names and ages of siblings (full and half biological siblings) the households in which these siblings usually reside. Information such as forms of contact between siblings can also be added to the map.”

The completed map is then included with panel papers, so children, young people and relevant persons get to see them, as well as the panel members.

Initial responses to the visual map have been extremely positive.

Hazel added: “People seem to find a visual aid like this really beneficial.”

The pilot is just in its infancy, but it will be evaluated in a few months time.

STAR wins Pride of Scotland award

STAR wins Pride of Scotland award

Karen Morrison from STAR, Siblings Reunited, has won a Pride of Scotland award.

Karen received the Special Recognition award for all her work with the Fife-based charity which reunites brothers and sisters and allows them to spend time together.

The awards have been running for more than 20 years now and recognise the country’s unsung heroes.

You can read more here.

Congratulations to Karen and the team from everyone at Stand Up For Siblings.

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