Understanding GIRFEC: Empowering Children & Young People in Scotland

1. Getting It Right For Every Child Its All In The Name

2. Children & young people’s(Scotland) Act 2014 • Strengthens children and young people’s rights. • Significant bit of legislation regarding children and young people. • Legislates for aspects of GIRFEC such as a Named Person Service including the sharing of information, Assessment of Wellbeing, Single Plan for every child requiring additional support. • Supports a marked cultural shift from crisis intervention towards early intervention and prevention.

3. Scottish Government Vision All our children and young people to be Safe Healthy Achieving Nurtured Active Respected Responsible Included Knownas the Wellbeing Indicators

4. So that they can be….. Confident individuals Effective contributors Successful learners Responsible citizens

6. WHAT IS GIRFEC • builds solutions with and around children, young people and families • enables children and young people to get the help they need when they need it • supports a positive shift in culture, systems and practice • involves working better together to improve life chances for children, young people and families 

7. GIRFEC values and principles .. Getting it Right for every child is an approach It is underpinned by common values and principles which apply across all aspects of working with children and young people. These values and principles are reflected in legislation, standards, procedures and professional expertise. They are for everyone with a part to play in promoting the well-being of children and young people.

8. What GIRFEC means for children, young people and their families • They will feel confident about the help they are getting • They understand what is happening and why • They have been listened to carefully and their wishes have been heard and understood • They are appropriately involved in discussions and decisions that affect them • They can rely on appropriate help being available as soon as possible • They will experience a streamlined and co-ordinated response from practitioners

9. So it looks like this...

10. Named Person – Who me..? Birth- P1 • Education for those in school • Local Authority for those Home educated but school age • Health Board P1 – age 18

11. Named person Service • Promote • Safeguard • Support • the Wellbeing of that child/young person

12. Named Person Service • A named person for every child and young person that looks out for them if they need help. • Does not take over from the parenting role. • Help get support from other organisations/services if needed. • Makes sure that children, young people and families are involved and know about any decisions that affect them. • Where the Named Person has worries about a child/young person it is their role to try and make things better

13. Information Sharing Named Person role depends on successful information sharing Duty to co-operate with Named Person will extend across all services within all agencies Act ensures information which may be relevant to the exercise of the Named Person functions will be passed to Named Person

14. Key Principles • Well-being outcomes • Solution oriented approach • Child at the centre • Involvement of the child/young person and their parent/carer is paramount • Single Child’s Plan • Proportionate and appropriate information sharing • Early Intervention • Rights of the child/young person are enshrined in the GIRFEC values and principles

15. Useful websites • http://www.alliance-scotland.org.uk/what-we-do/projects/getting-to-know-girfec/ • http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Young-People/gettingitright • http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_56873.html

16. Questions ?