What you need to know about impairment hearings
Impairment hearings may be held in person at our offices at Compass House, Dundee or they may be held online. The Chair of the Panel will decide if the hearing will be in person or online at the case management meeting which is held in advance of hearing . If there is a hearing you would like to observe please contact us to find out if it is being held online or in person.
Impairment hearings are normally held in public but they may be held in private (either the whole of the hearing or part(s) of it) where the allegations relate to the registrant’s physical or mental health or to protect vulnerable witnesses or people who use services. The Chair will decide if the hearing will be in private at the case management meeting.
Fitness to Practise Panel hearings and their outcomes are on our Fitness to Practise section.
Hearings coming up
- Hearings are publicised on our website seven working days before the hearing is due to take place.
- Media will not be notified of the hearings in any other way.
- Media interested in attending a hearing should let our media contact know.
- Hearings held in private cannot be attended by the media or public. Hearings may be held in private if for example there are health matters being discussed or vulnerable witnesses are being heard.
Temporary Orders
- Hearings about Temporary Orders (temporary suspension and temporary conditions) are held in private and there is no advance publicity.
- Temporary Orders imposed are published on our website shortly after the hearing and will be removed when it is no longer in effect.
Attending an in-person hearing
- Members of the media must sign the Protocol for Observers.
- On the day of the hearing members of the media will be required to arrive at our reception no later than 15 minutes before the start of the hearing.
- All media must sign in at reception in Compass House.
- No photography or recording is allowed on the SSSC premises.
- Members of the media will not be able to interview those taking part in the hearing on SSSC premises. Any interviews arranged are at the discretion of the parties involved.
- Media must always abide by the rules set down by the Chair of the Fitness to Practise Panel. For example, if the Chair decides that part of the hearing should be held in private this should be respected.
- At no time should the media interject or engage in discussion during a hearing.
Observing an online hearing
- Members of the media must sign the Protocol for Observers.
- Members of the media must provide a telephone number and the Hearings Officer will call you to allow access to the hearing.
- Media must always abide by the rules set down by the Chair of the Fitness to Practise Panel. For example, if the Chair decides that part of the hearing should be held in private this should be respected.
- At no time should the media interject or engage in discussion during the hearing.
- No recording of any part of the hearing is permitted.
Decisions
- The result of a hearing will be posted on the SSSC website within 14 working days of the decision. Media will not be informed any other way.
- The registrant has the right of appeal to the Sheriff Court.
All the information we can provide will be posted on our website only. We will be happy to assist with any other press enquiries. Our Public Information Policy has more information about how we communicate information about hearings and decisions on our website.