The implementation of the recommendations
A high-level, collaborative programme for delivery and implementation must be put in place.
Duty bearers: Scottish Government
Part of: Recommendations
A high-level, collaborative programme for delivery and implementation must be put in place. This should be led by the Scottish Government.
A programme board – which should be chaired independently – should oversee the development and execution of national implementation. It should do this by securing and developing:
- Strategic multi-agency and multi-organisational leadership and understanding at national and local levels,
- A coherent national delivery plan – with timescales – for staged implementation and sequencing, and commencement of the recommendations,
- Significant commitment to – and clarity around – how the changes will be resourced,
- A clear and comprehensive accountability framework, so that duty bearers are aware of what they must do, and when by— and how they will be held to account for delivery.
A national delivery plan must include:
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Clear oversight and accountability of improvement activity, so that it feels cohesive, transparent, and less piecemeal. Where improvement work is demonstrably successful, learning should be shared.
Leadership at national level is required to develop secure and sustainable funding streams to maintain the improvements, to test, develop, and roll out consistently what works, and to communicate this to the workforce.
- Identification of areas for legislative change, which should be included within the Promise Bill.
- Identification of areas for testing and further consultation.
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Collaborative work to sequence the implementation of the recommendations in this report, so that they can be prioritised, tested, and developed in a coherent way that leads to real change.
This should not be limited to the redesign of the Children’s Hearings System but should include the other concurrent policy changes so that the workforce is clear about what is happening, and when, in line with the actions identified in Plan 21-24 and the timeline to keep the promise by 2030.
- Detailed work to ensure the changes are fully and sustainably resourced. The recommendations cannot be implemented within the resources currently available. Significant investment must be made.
- Development of accountability and governance mechanisms.
- A robust approach to communicating and sharing the changes with children, families, and those working alongside them.
- Where appropriate, improvements and practice should be co-designed alongside those with lived and learned experience, including members of the workforce working alongside children and families.