Hearings 'must tackle behaviour'

The Scottish Executive's planned overhaul of the children's hearing system must restore its original aim of reducing the number of young people ending up in court for anti-social behaviour, a leading children's charity said last week. According to NCH, the system of hearings created 33 years ago was too often used as a route to services for children in need. Maggie Mellon, NCH head of public policy said, 'When it was set up it was clearly intended to deal with children involved in offending and anti-social behaviour.