As children and young people progress through life, some may have temporary difficulties; some may live with challenges and some may experience more complex issues.
Sometimes they – and their families – are going to need help and support. No matter where they live or whatever their needs, children, young people and their families should always know where they can find help, what support might be available and whether that help is right for them.
The Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) approach ensures that anyone providing that support puts the child or young person – and their family – at the centre.
GIRFEC is important for everyone who works with children and young people – as well as many people who work with adults who look after children. Practitioners need to work together to support families, and where appropriate, take early action at the first signs of any difficulty – rather than only getting involved when a situation has already reached crisis point.
The GIRFEC approach is about how practitioners across all services for children and adults meet the needs of children and young people, working together where necessary to ensure they reach their full potential. It promotes a shared approach and accountability that:
• 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 better working together to improve life chances for children, young people and families.
What GIRFEC means for children, young people and their families
It's about making sure that if a child needs any help, the right help will be there at the right time.
• 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 have experienced a more streamlined and co-ordinated response from practitioners.
What is the ‘Named Person’?
One of the most important things about the GIRFEC approach is that every child in Scotland will have a Named Person from before birth to the age of 18. This will usually be someone from the child's medical practice or school who will be your first point of contact if you have any concerns about a child's wellbeing.
A Named Person will normally be the health visitor for a pre-school child and a promoted teacher - such as a headteacher, or guidance teacher or other promoted member of staff - for a school age child.
The Named Person duties are integrated into their current role and strengthen the support they currently provide, formalising their role as a central contact for children, parents and other people working with them.
As a childminder you will need to know who the Named Person is for each child in your service. You won’t be required to ask parents who the child’s Named Person is; instead you should ask for details of their health visitor (for pre-school children) or which school they attend (for school-aged children). This is no different to information you would have gathered for each child previously.
What will a Named Person do?
A Named Person will be available to listen, advise and help a child or young person and their parent(s), provide direct support or help them access other services. For example, a health visitor might ask for help from a speech and language therapist, or a guidance teacher may put parents in touch with a local bereavement counselling service.
They will also be a point of contact for other services, such as childminding services, if they have any concerns about a child’s or young person’s wellbeing.
What happens when a concern is raised?
When the child or young person, their parent(s), or someone who works with them raises a concern, a Named Person will carefully consider the situation by asking five questions:
1. What is getting in the way of this child’s or young person’s wellbeing?
2. Do I have all the information I need to help this child or young person?
3. What can I do now to help this child or young person?
4. What can my agency do to help this child or young person?
5. What additional help, if any, may be needed from others?
Once they have considered the situation, a Named Person will discuss this with the child’s parent(s) and other appropriate professionals if required, to assess what needs to be done to improve the child’s wellbeing.
They will then plan what action(s) will be taken with the child or young person and their parent(s) and arrange appropriate review dates for the plan. Each situation and concern will be unique to the child or young person, and the way they are supported will be tailored to their individual needs.
A Named Person will only offer advice or support in response to a request from a child or parent, or when a wellbeing need is identified. They can help a child, young person or their parent(s) address their concerns early and in some cases avoid bigger concerns or problems developing.
There is no obligation to accept the offer of advice or support from a Named Person.
Key facts about the Named Person role
1. A Named Person will be available to children and young people across Scotland from birth to age 18, or beyond if still in school. This means a child, young person, parent, or someone who works with them, knows who they can approach for help or advice if they need it.
2. The Named Person will work with children, young people and their parent(s) to get the help they need, when they need it. A Named Person has a responsibility to respond to a concern about a child’s or young person’s wellbeing but there is no requirement to take up the offer of advice or support. A Named Person does not replace or change the role of a parent or carer. The rights and responsibilities of parents to raise their children and provide for their wellbeing needs stay the same.
3. The Named Person service will help families and the services that support them to work in partnership. A Named Person will be a single point of contact available to parents, children and young people by law to make getting help and advice more straightforward and joined up. Named Persons have no new legal powers to compel parents, children or young people to accept advice, support or help.
4. Effective communication, including sharing relevant information where appropriate, is essential to ensure children, young people and families get the right help at the right time. Every child’s needs and circumstances are unique and a Named Person will work with a child or young person and their parent(s) to offer the right advice and support. Information about their needs and circumstances may be shared with a Named Person if it’s relevant to understanding what help they may need and it supports their wellbeing, this will be done in discussion with the child and their parent(s), unless there is a child protection concern. They will not directly access personal information held by other services.
5. The new law makes good practice the national standard across Scotland to ensure that support is available to all if they need it. The GIRFEC approach and the Named Person approach already operates in many parts of Scotland. The Named Person service builds on the supportive role teachers and health visitors have long offered to children and parents.
6. The Named Person is mainly provided by health and education services. A Named Person will support specialist services, such as social work and mental health services, as they continue to respond to the needs of vulnerable children and families. A Named Person does not remove the responsibilities of others working with children, young people and families or change current child protection procedures. The police and or social work will continue to be contacted immediately if a child is believed to be at risk of significant harm.
7. The GIRFEC approach makes better use of available resources. GIRFEC provides a common approach to thinking about wellbeing and co-ordinated planning. This helps to ensure that targeted support is provided where it’s required to help a child or young person.
Where can I find more information?
Further information about GIRFEC, the Wellbeing Indicators and the Wellbeing Wheel is available from the Membership Dashboard at childminding.org.
Learn more about GIRFEC on our ‘Introduction to GIRFEC’ workshop or e-Learning programme. Search for workshops in your area at childminding.org or call 01786 445377.