The future of secure care and the single point of contact (SPOC) for victims in the Children's Hearings System
Questions on the Single Point of Contact for victims
Single Point of Contact for Victims - background information
Provisions under the new section 179D of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 as inserted by Section 9 of the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 require Scottish Ministers to establish through regulations a national support service for individuals who are entitled to request information about the action taken by the Principal Reporter and the children’s hearing in relation to a child who has committed an offence against them or otherwise acted or behaved in a physically violent, sexually violent or sexually coercive, or dangerous, threatening or abusive way and that has harmed the person.
This consultation seeks views on establishing a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) service to provide information and support to people harmed where a child’s case is dealt with in the Children’s Hearings System. At present, victims or people harmed by the behaviour of children dealt with in the hearings system may receive information from a range of bodies – for example, local authorities, Police Scotland, social work, victim support organisations.
Consistent with wider reforms across the care and justice system in Scotland, there is increasing recognition of the need to:
- Strengthen trauma-informed engagement with victims;
- Provide clear, accessible and timely information;
- Ensure victims understand processes and decisions; and
- Support victims to exercise their rights safely and appropriately.
The Scottish Government has commissioned Victim Support Scotland (VSS) to work with partners to produce a delivery model for the SPOC service for victims in the Children’s Hearings System and in relation to cases that are dealt with through the wider Whole System Approach. This work has included developing processes for victims to access information, advice, and support when a child under 12 has caused harm or committed an offence. The aim has been to establish a platform for interagency communication and data-sharing protocols to ensure victims are aware of their rights and the support available.
Proposed core functions
Dedicated point of contact
The SPOC service is intended to provide victims with a dedicated contact point that ensures they feel supported, heard, and safe. It aims to treat the harm they experienced seriously and fairly, while also recognising the needs of the child who caused the harm. Victims should have access to tailored support across justice, health, recovery, and community services, along with clear, easy-to-understand information about what will happen in their case and possible outcomes.
Integration of services
To make this service work, the SPOC would need to link with a wide range of partners. Justice agencies, such as the Police, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration, and Social Work would share information and guide victims to the SPOC. It would also involve working with other victim support organisations, including specialist services for rape, domestic abuse, and restorative justice. For recovery, key supports would include counselling and mental health services, delivered in partnership with other agencies. Health services, such as the NHS and specialist care, would also play a role in directing victims to counselling and mental health support. Finally, to reach young people effectively, the SPOC would work with youth workers and community organisations to provide tailored support and help connect victims with education providers and housing services.
Tailored support
The SPOC service is designed to improve the experience of victims harmed by children in the Children’s Hearings System by making sure their rights are respected and their needs are met. With tailored support and access to authorised information, victims can feel confident their case is taken seriously and handled properly.
Child victims and their families will get clear guidance about what happens next, helping build trust and reduce uncertainty. By tackling stigma and providing consistent, trauma informed care, the SPOC will help victims feel understood and supported. This approach will also strengthen community connections, creating a culture of safety and recovery that benefits victims, families, and society.
The ‘Reimagining Secure Care’ report and the Scottish Government’s response both emphasise restorative, relational, rights-based approaches. Although the primary focus is the child in secure care, these reforms intersect directly with the experience of victims navigating the children’s hearings system.
The introduction of a SPOC aligns directly with other proposals in this consultation:
- If secure care is nationalised, national support structures – including victim support – could be aligned for consistency.
- A new national placement mechanism could have responsibility for taking account of how decisions it makes may impact victims. A SPOC could ensure victims understand how risks are being managed.
- Community based supports and alternative models, such as “flex secure”, rely on confidence in safety and robust communication; victims need clarity about how decisions affecting them are made.
- Strengthened mental health provision and trauma-informed practice should apply to both children who harm and those who have been harmed.