This week, Children’s Hearings Scotland has launched its first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. Developed by a working group made up of members of our National Team and volunteer community, the strategy reinforces our commitment to being an organisation, and team, with equality, diversity and inclusion at our heart.

Children’s Hearings Scotland’s Head of Practice, Improvement and Learning, Christine Mullen, said, “It is important to us that our people, volunteer community and the children, young people and families we are here to support, feel valued and respected.

“This strategy is ambitious. It outlines our commitment to equality and diversity and marks the beginning of an exciting journey for Children’s Hearings Scotland as we work towards embedding it across everything we do.”

The strategy has been informed by feedback gathered through consultation with a variety of stakeholders including our volunteer community, National Team, experts and people with lived experience. It is focus on three key themes: communications and engagement; training, development and support; and recruitment and retention, and outlines eight priorities for our organisation to focus on.

Jeanne Martin who led the working group adds, "It’s a real pleasure to see all of the invaluable input from everyone involved in the consultation process, come together in the form of a strategy that we can begin to action.”

A huge thank you to everyone involved in developing our strategy. You can read the full strategy document here.