Guernsey’s Children’s Tribunal System saw an influx of volunteers put themselves forward to support the Children’s Convenor safeguard Bailiwick children
Guernsey’s Royal Court has appointed 12 brand new volunteers to sit as members of the Child Youth and Community Tribunal.
The Children’s Tribunal System began its recruitment campaign for new volunteers last year, receiving a flood of applications from more than 50 islanders keen to help protect children and young people. This was then reduced to a shortlist of those accepted for pre-service training.
12 volunteers have now completed the essential 55 hours of pre-service training, delivered through a combination of presentations, practical workshops and discussion groups.
Volunteers are members of the community with an interest in improving the lives of children and young people across the Bailiwick. Their role is to make decisions for children and young people who are in need of protection from harm or additional guidance, support or control.
Children or young people are referred to the Office of the Children’s Convenor, an independent public office, which investigates the case. If the need for compulsory intervention remains, and the grounds for referral are accepted by the child and their family, a hearing is arranged, with the child/young person and their family or carers as central participants.
Cases are heard by a panel of three of the fully trained volunteers. They then decide what action is required in the best interests of the child, based on the facts and information presented. The members are required to make an informed and unbiased decision which is legally binding.
Their appointment is initially for three years and can be renewed following satisfactory monitoring of performance. The organisation currently has 47 members from a diverse range of backgrounds. Members are requested to commit to a minimum of one hearing a month, with the average being two.
Ashley Rawles, President of the Tribunal, said: “There continues to be very strong support for The Children’s Tribunal System by the local community, evidenced by the high numbers of volunteers putting themselves forward for this role, and we are delighted to welcome the new intake. This was how I started my journey with The Children’s Tribunal System, and I’ve never looked back. You cannot put into words just how invaluable this service is to our community, and I am looking forward to working with each and every new member, guiding and supporting them on this journey to ensure the safety of young people within our community.”
Jane Hunter, who is responsible for training new volunteers, said of the 2020/21 intake: “In order to be an effective tribunal member, one must attend a rigorous and comprehensive training programme. Due to Covid-19, the latest recruits had to endure an unfortunate break. However, thanks to the resilience, willingness and calibre of this latest cohort and the high standard and cooperation of the presenters, the recruits were able to successfully complete their training and meet the required standard of competence to be active and effective members of the Child Youth and Community Tribunal.”
Amanda Hibbs is one of the new volunteers. She said: “The training to become a tribunal member has been quite intense at times, but it has been an extremely fulfilling experience. It has been really interesting to find out about the support systems here on Guernsey – although I was aware that many of them existed, I hadn’t necessarily appreciated the volume and depth of work they deal with. Many parts of the training were eye-opening, inspirational and humbling and I am looking forward to applying the learnings in my future work with the tribunal.”
