Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019 - child interview rights practitioners: question and answer guide

Learning and support

Do I need to notify Scottish Government once my involvement in an investigative interview concludes?

Yes, please contact the Scottish Government team by email ACRChIRPs@gov.scot to let the team know that the investigative interview process is complete, to arrange a follow up conversation to debrief, and to arrange for payment of fees and expenses.

Is there an opportunity to learn from this process?

The Scottish Government will collect data in relation to processes under the 2019 Act to support reflective practice by the Scottish Government, police and social work.

The Scottish Government will request a debrief from each ChIRP following involvement in the investigative interview process to further support any learning points identified. Please contact the Scottish Government team after the investigative interview is completed to arrange a debrief about your experience (you will not be required to share confidential information) using this email address: ACRChIRPs@gov.scot. Personal information will be processed in line with data protection legislation.

What support is available for ChIRPs?

The Scottish Government will offer ongoing training on an annual basis. This will allow you to meet and share experiences with other ChIRPs.

In addition, the Scottish Government will continue to review this Question and Answer resource in order to ensure a consistent approach and build on best practice.

Should you require any additional support at any point you can contact Scottish Government mailbox on ACRChIRPs@gov.scot.

How do I claim my fees and expenses for my work as a ChIRP?

Please contact the Scottish Government as soon as your involvement in an investigative interview has concluded by email to ACRChIRPs@gov.scot

The fee structure is in the Code of Practice. The Scottish Government will require information from you in order to set you up on the Scottish Government finance system. Once this has happened, the Scottish Government will need your invoice / receipts in order to process your claim for expenses. Please note that you will need to keep your receipts for audit purposes.

Do I need to apply to the ChIRPs register annually?

No, you are appointed to the Register as a ChIRP for an initial period of three years.

There is also the possibility of registration for a subsequent period of between 1 and 3 years, as can be determined by the Scottish Ministers.

If I no longer wish to be on the ChIRP register, what should I do?

If you no longer wish to be on the ChIRP register, you must notify Scottish Government as soon as possible. If there are any changes to your registration as a ChIRP, please contact us within 20 working days.

You must, as soon as practicable, notify Scottish Ministers in writing if you are no longer entitled to provide children's legal assistance, if you are barred from regulated work with children^[24], or become a member of or are employed by the Scottish Children's Reporters Administration or Children's Hearings Scotland^[25].

You may contact the Scottish Government Age of Criminal Responsibility Review Team using this email address: ACRChIRPs@gov.scot