AHDS Conference November 2014; GIRFEC Workshop

getting it

rightfor e ery child

www.scotland.gov.uk/gettingitright

Children & Young People (Scotland) Act 2014

Briefing on GIRFEC ProvisionsLynn Townsend

Education /Implementation LeadScottish Government GIRFEC Team

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Outline of Presentation

• GIRFEC policy

• Duties in the C&YP Act

• Development of guidance

• Support for implementation – progress and issues

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Five Key Implementation Priorities

• Identifying a Named Person for every child and young person in the universal services.

• Identifying protocols and governance for Lead Professional.• Supporting partnerships to take a proportionate approach to

managing all concerns and risks.• Redesign business processes to secure a single planning process

for all children and young people supporting a single plan.• Ensuring the use of the National Practice Model to assess needs

and risks.Children and families at the centre


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Children & Young People (Scotland) Act - GIRFEC

• GIRFEC policy unchanged – on-going refining and updating• Legislation – only aspects of the policy

– Named Person– Child’s Plan– Wellbeing

• Why legislate?– Increase pace of change– Improve consistency across Scotland


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Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014

• Introduced April 2013• Passed February 2014• Royal Assent March 2014

• Commencement:– Early education and child care hours - summer 2014– GIRFEC duties – planning for August 2016


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GIRFEC Duties in the Act: Part 18. General Section 96. assessment of wellbeing• Wellbeing defined – 8 indicators

– Safe– Healthy– Achieving– Nurtured– Active– Respected– Responsible– Included


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GIRFEC Duties in the Act:Part 4. Named Person

• Named Person for every childArrangements 0-5 / 5-18 Information on arrangements Support for the Named Person – Schedule 2 Relevant Authorities Information Sharing

Key duties on local authority / health boards/ independent schools / Scottish Prison Service

Other public bodies will have duty to cooperate and support


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GIRFEC Duties in the Act:Part 5. Child’s Plan

Requirement to draw up a plan – ‘targeted intervention’Content of the plan – Minimum Data SetPreparation of the planResponsibility to prepareResponsibility to manage – Lead ProfessionalAssistance with the plan – Schedule 3 Listed Authorities


getting it

rightfor e ery childGuidance Timeline

• March 2014 - Outline Guidance issued• July – Nov – engagement and informal consultation• Dec - Jan – review and preparation for formal consultation

• Jan – April 2015 – formal consultation• Summer 2015 – publication of statutory guidance

• Commencement August 2016


getting it

rightfor e ery childImplementation Issues

• Inconsistent and variable implementation– Within CPPs – health/LA /others moving at different pace

• Systems change – not a smooth process – managing the old alongside the new – multi agency agreement

• Embedding culture and practice change – long term - leadership, persistence, good quality training and support

• Level of awareness and involvement – strategic/operational – parents and children

• Sharing the learning – improving but patchy


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rightfor e ery childSupport for Implementation

• National Implementation Support Group (NISG) overview of progress learning events materials• National GIRFEC Team development of statutory guidance / other guidance links to CPPs / national / professional groups ‘bespoke’ materials


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rightfor e ery childHow can we help?

• What are the key barriers and what would help? nationally locally

• What are the key questions to be answered? the Act the guidance implementation


getting it

rightfor e ery childKeep up to date

• Sign up for our e Newsletter• Follow us on twitter - @girfec• Check out resources on the website

www.scotland.gov.uk/gettingitrightwww.wellbeingforyoungscots.org/

Contact the team : 0131 - 244 - 7168
