The publication of the Draft Children's Hearings (Scotland) Bill in June 2009 was preceded by a number of consultations that proposed reform of the Children's Hearings system:
As a means of demonstrating that Ministers and officials have listened to stakeholder concerns, we issued a Bill Progress paper (and associated table) which outlined the comments received, the concerns we have heard and our response to all key stakeholders. We received around 40 responses to that paper and around 100 responses to the Draft Bill that was published in June 2009. These comments have further informed our thinking on the Bill prior to its introduction to Parliament.
The Children's Hearings Reform Team commissioned the Children's Parliament to consult with children who had experience of the Hearings system. The Children's Parliament report was published on 31 March 2010.