The Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise Natalie Don-Innes has officially opened the revamped Children’s Hearings Centre in Bell Street, Glasgow.
The Hearings Centre, which is set in the heart of the Merchant City, has been transformed into a modern, welcoming, accessible and trauma-informed space.
The building is the first to implement SCRA’s new Hearing Centre Design Standards which were announced earlier this year.
In 2024, SCRA invited Hearings-experienced young people, partners from across the Children’s Hearings System and SCRA staff to take part in a series of design workshops. The aim of the workshops was to create a new set of design standards for the Hearings Centres across Scotland.
The workshops were facilitated by architects who were appointed following a procurement exercise. They were supported by members of SCRA’s Hearings Centre improvement project team which consists of colleagues from a range of areas, including property, operations, digital and participation.
The standards are built around eight key principles: Welcoming, Caring. Safe, Trauma-informed, Calming, Non-institutional, Green and Sustainable.
The voice of children and young people with lived experience was at the heart of the development of the new standards. Children and young people from Larkfield Children’s House, Our Hearings, Our Voice and Proud 2 Care Champions Board were all involved in the stakeholder engagement. In addition, staff from SCRA’s own Voice of Experience Reference Group were also consulted with.
At the opening event on Wednesday 12 November, the Minister got the chance to hear from SCRA staff and meet some of the young people involved in the development of the Hearings Centre Design Standards. She also had the opportunity to tour the building and see the new look reception area, waiting rooms and Hearing rooms.
Speaking at the event, Promise Minister Natalie Don-Innes said: “I’ve been really struck by the hard work and dedication that has gone into this transformation. When you walk through the door, the space is very welcoming, which is so important for children and families going through truly difficult experiences.
“It is clear that voices of children and young people are at the heart of this development – I am enormously grateful to them and the staff for committing their time and support for children both now and in the future. Refurbished centres like this are a huge step forward to our commitment to Keeping The Promise.”
