Children's hearings training resource manual: volume 2

15 Summary

When making decisions about children at hearings, panel members have to consider each child as an individual. This means taking account of age, stage of development, family circumstances, health, ability and social environment. All these external and internal factors affect children as they grow and will have an impact on their past, present and future.

Sometimes children put themselves or other people at risk by their own behaviour. Often it is other people's behaviour that causes children to be at risk. Whatever the reason for the child's appearance at a hearing, panel members must remember to consider the child 'as a whole'.