Proposals to reform the Children's Hearing system ahve been published.

A working draft of the Children's Hearings (Scotland) Bill has been published before the legislation is introduced to the Scottish Parliament in the autumn.

"It's crucial that we maintain panels made up of local people, drawn from the same community as the young people they are supporting and best placed to take decisions and appreciate circumstances and we are also moving to reduce bureaucracy and improve delivery to help vulnerable youngsters," said Children's Minister Adam Ingram

"This working draft of the Bill sets out how we can enable more consistent decision-making nationally and improve support for the professionals and volunteers who deliver it. By sharing these plans with interest groups now we can ensure full discussions over the summer before the legislation is finalised and put to Parliament."