Optimism v realism .... and Hayley

I was a guest at today's Scottish Children's Reporter Administration annual staff event. SCRA bring around half of their staff together each year (some 200 people).

It was a stimulating, thoughtful and encouraging day. Some powerful speakers - see my tweets @CHSBoyd - leading to some self evaluation on what the organisation does. As the system's sister organisation ( the staff of which in total number one tenth of those attending the SCRA event) I reflected that many of the issues raised - corporate parenting; equalities; the child at the centre; being human and acting to make a positive difference however small - apply equally to Children's Hearings Scotland.

SCRA, marking its 21st year, are making progress in the time taken in handling cases and in the maturity of the organisation to meet the challenges that exist. I believe the same applies to CHS despite our much younger years.

Much more needs to be done and how we might achieve what we wish to do with available resources injects a dose of realism. But the sense of the discussions was that people wish to make progress.

At lunch I looked out from the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow and down on the statue of Donald Dewar, the first First Minister of Scotland. In his early career he too was a children's reporter so the main blip is fitting. As is the optimism of the busker faced with the deserted street. Fortunately passers by emerged.

We had our own CHS stand at the event which Hayley managed. She is one of the interim support members of ur Business Support Team and seemed to be nvm lived in many discussions throughout the day. The extra is of her at the start of the day.