If a child or young person is granted participation individual status, they have the right to: 

  • Be notified of the time and place of their sibling’s Children’s Hearing.
  • Provide a report or other document to their sibling’s Children’s Hearing.
  • Be given documents by the Children’s Reporter that relate to seeing or staying in touch with their sibling.
  • Attend the part of their sibling’s Children’s Hearing that relates to the siblings seeing each other.
  • Seek a review of their sibling’s Compulsory Supervision Order by requesting another Children’s Hearing after 3 months.

A child or young person also has the right to be represented at the Children’s Hearing. This can be by an advocacy worker or a lawyer, or both!

If the outcome of the Children’s Hearing is not the outcome the child or young person was looking for, there is no right to appeal. However, it may be possible to challenge a decision through the courts. A child or young person will need a lawyer and legal aid to do this.