Scottish Government

Page 1, Item 3-Training pack for child protection legislation

The meeting acknowledged that ENABLE have provided SE with this document

Page 3, Item 5- a) SCS training video

ENABLE declared interest in the SCS video and requested a copy for training

To be provided by SCS

b) Video from Dundee voluntary organisation

ENABLE declared an interest and requested a contact for the Dundee organisation

To be provided by Justice for Children

c) National Training Strategy

ENABLE added to the list of existing training by advising of their input to the Police Tulliallan training programme. Their material will be updated to include VWA issues.

Page 5- Item 5

ENABLE were interested in how training material and updates could be disseminated to smaller organisations, such as the Govan Law Centre. The group noted that the VWU website should provide updates and access to guidance material when finalised.

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Comments/issues

Action

'What happens next' Working Group

The group heard a presentation by Constable David Pullen, providing a background to the project which targets adults with different learning needs to improve their understanding of the whole criminal justice system. The working group has representatives from COPFS, VSS, Police, Health, and Speech Therapy, amongst others. The aim of the group is to produce an interactive DVD to provide information about crime prevention, police roles, court procedures and the roles of other organisations. An application for lottery funding is pending.

Members discussed:

• Whether a single project could meet the needs of all witnesses - vulnerable adults with and without learning disabilities and children with and without learning disabilities.
• Much of the content would be applicable to all, but the language used and presentation styles may be different and would not be universally appropriate
• A major section of the DVD would be the court process. The group wondered if this could be given priority.
• The benefits of a 'virtual court tour' were also acknowledged. Members noted the Home Office website material.

Members finally agreed that there was a need for separate material for the different target groups and that the 'What Happens Next' Project could possibly form one part of a pack of material. It is not the priority for the Implementation Steering Group and this sub-group in this first phase, but might possibly meet the needs of the second phase for one category of vulnerable adults next year.

The priority for this sub-group was to produce material accessible to children. COPFS noted the SE's technical expertise and resources in this respect.

In the meantime, it was agreed to ask the Project Steering Group to produce a detailed specification and submit this for further consideration by SE for a possible grant.

ENABLE 'What Happens Next' Project to provide detailed specification to SE

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Comments/issues

Action

Witnesses with 'special needs'

Members were asked to consider how to incorporate sections applicable to children with learning disabilities in the guidance for each of the special measures. ENABLE were specifically asked if they could provide:

• A 'stand alone section for the pack of guidance documents
• and / or a short section to be included in each paper.

It was agreed that criminal justice organisations do need such guidance to help explain the special measures and to help identify the most appropriate special measure for particular needs.

ENABLE are considering the request to provide this material and will raise the matter at their meeting on 17 ^th February. Their concern about the tight deadlines was noted.

ENABLE to advise SE of any decisions after 17 ^th Feb.

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Comments/issues

Action

2 ^nd Drafts of guidance on Taking evidence on commission and use of a supporter.

VWU provided an update to the sub-group:

• both redrafts have now been received and distributed to members for comments.
• comments are requested by 18 ^th February prior to being amended and circulated to the wider consultation group

It was acknowledged by all parties that there are difficulties with the tight deadlines but the group could not identify any alternative if we want to make material available on target. Some members requested hard copy today to speed up their responses.

Members to submit comments to VWU by 18 ^th February.

VWU to issue hard copies after the meeting as requested.

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Comments/issues

Action

National Training Strategy and questionnaire

VWU thanked members for their participation in the questionnaire. Responses were still being received and collated and the VWU will issue a report on this after 18 ^th February.

The sub-group discussed:

• whether a national strategy was appropriate and if so, how it might relate to existing agency training programmes.
• what training gaps had been or could be identified and who were the target audiences.

Views were expressed that any national strategy should be kept simple and focused. The agreed aim was to achieve consistency across organisations and across the country.

Members noted the success of the first Roadshow, although the majority of issues raised were evidential and more relevant to the legal professions.

Concerns were expressed in relation to gaps in the training and awareness of those in social work and education. SE efforts to communicate with ADSW and COSLA colleagues had proved difficult to date, but further efforts were being made through the ADSW children and families Standing Committee. The group also noted that some progress had been made through Child Protection Committees who were identifying themselves as one of the best route for co-ordinating multi-agency local authority training.

In particular, members expressed the view that training should target those who would be assessing children's needs relating to giving evidence; the criteria to be used; skills required and best practice issues relating to identifying the most suitable special measures.

VSS/ WS referred to their internal training packs and statistics on child witness referrals. Members appreciated the financial implications for voluntary organisations who had built up training material, but also acknowledged that shared expertise was to be encouraged.

Skills for Justice expressed interest in taking these training issues forward and in facilitating training partnerships. They agreed that the first step was to do an audit and analysis of existing training on the basis of the questionnaire returns.

COPFS are continuing to focus on training for their legal and non-legal precognition staff, using the guidance produced by the sub-set. They noted internal resource issues and it was agreed that it was not crucial to have COPFS directly involved in the training of other organisations.

SE to collate questionnaire returns and report on findings by 18 ^th February.

SE to meet with Skills for Justice and Justice for Children to plan next steps.

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Comments/issues

Action

Sub-set update:

a) identifying degree of vulnerability

b) prior statements

c) screens

d) live TV link

The sub-set reported that:

• COPFS, SCRA and Law Society guidance was still to be finalised.

• new draft guidance for non-legal practitioners was available in this paper and members were invited to comment.
• guidance on the use of prior Statements has been drafted by the VWU and will be issued for comments soon.
• there is no date for a next meeting, whilst awaiting responses on current documents.

ENABLE provided their comments to the group along with suggestions for additional sections on special measures for children with special learning needs.

ENABLE also advised the group of a call centre in Edinburgh University who hold a range of tolls on communicating with children. It was suggested that a reference to this could be included in the guidance documents.

It is intended that all guidance documents will form a Vulnerable Witnesses Act pack to be distributed to organisations.

Again, members noted the tight deadlines for comments, but appreciated the need to have guidance available to practitioners as quickly as possible following consideration by the wider consultation group.

SE to distribute paper on use of prior statements for comments -date to be advised.

Members to submit comments on existing guidance documents to VWU by 18 ^th February.

SE will then distribute all guidance documents to wider consultation group.

Section

Comments/issues

Action

Paper VWTC/05/05

This paper was withdrawn and the item deferred pending further discussion amongst key agencies.

SE agreed to communicate this to all sub-group members so that the paper could be deleted.