Victoria Day

Well, not the holiday in Edinburgh. Instead I spent the morning meeting an 11 string delegation of children's services and groups from, primarily, Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. We had a lively discussion about the role community representatives play in decision making and discussed similarities and differences. While in the Aboriginal community system an elder/ leader will advise a justice, the final decision is taken by the legally trained individual. In Scotland the decisions rest with three community members. The fact that they are unpaid volunteers and that they give their decisions immediately in front of the child and the family was striking to them.

My register of interests will now include a lovely children's book for the office coffee table and this little koala attached to my tie.