Getting it Right in East Lothian

What is GIRFEC?

"Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) is the national approach to improving outcomes and supporting the wellbeing of children and young people by offering the right help at the right time from the right people - so that every child and young person in Scotland can reach their full potential"

National Policy & Legislative Context

Children & Young People (Scotland) Act 2014

The aim of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 enshrines the common values and principles of GIRFEC which apply across all aspects of working with children and young people. Its aim is to make Scotland the best place to grow up by putting children and young people at the heart of planning and delivery of services, and ensuring their rights are respected across the public sector.

National GIRFEC Policy Statement (2022)

The National GIRFEC policy statement (2022) provides an overview of the policy and legislative context for GIRFEC including the incorporation of UNCRC, the Promise and the commitment to eradicate child poverty. The 2022 policy statement includes refreshed values and principles and is part of a series of guidance documents. Getting it right for every child – Policy Statement – 2022

National Practice Guidance (2022)

Practice Guidance 1: Using the National Practice Model Getting it right for every child – Practice Guidance 1 – Using the National Practice Model – 2022

- Improving outcomes using the Wellbeing Indicators (SHANARRI)

- Gathering information with the My World Triangle

- Analysing information with the Resilience Matrix

Practice Guidance 2: The role of the named person Getting it right for every child – Practice Guidance 2 – Role of the named person – 2022

Practice Guidance 3: The role of the lead professional Getting it right for every child – Practice Guidance 3 – Role of the lead professional – 2022

Practice Guidance 4: Information sharing Getting it right for every child – Practice Guidance 4 – Information Sharing – 2022

Statutory Guidance: Assessment of Wellbeing – Part 18 (section 96) of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. Getting it right for every child – Statutory Guidance - Assessment of Wellbeing 2022 – Part 18 (section 96) of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014

Information Sharing Charter - Parents and Carers Getting it right for every child – Information Sharing Charter – Parents and Carers – 2022

Information Sharing Charter - Children and Young People Getting it right for every child – Information Sharing Charter – Children and Young People – 2022

Glossary Getting it right for every child – Glossary – 2022

GIRFEC Key Values & Principles

GIRFEC as a strengths-based approach seeks to realise children’s rights on a day-to-day basis and is therefore underpinned by key values and principles:

Placing the child or young person and their family at the heart, and promoting choice, with full participation in decisions that affect them;
Working together with families to enable a rights-respecting, strengths-based, inclusive approach;
Understanding wellbeing as being about all areas of life including family, community and society;
Valuing difference and ensuring everyone is treated fairly;
Considering and addressing inequalities;
Providing support for children, young people and families when they need it, until things get better, to help them to reach their full potential.

Based on these principles, GIRFEC is about enhancing the wellbeing of all children and young people as well as building a flexible scaffold of support: where it is needed, for as long as it is needed. Nationally, this is delivered through the core components of:

a named person who is a clear point of contact for children, young people and families to go to for support and advice. A named person can also connect families to a wider network of support and services so that they get the right help, at the right time, from the right people;
shared and holistic understanding of wellbeing and a single model of how this can be considered and supported; and,
a single, shared and rights-based approach to planning for children and young people’s wellbeing where support across services is needed, co-ordinated by a lead professional.

This is supported by use of the National Practice Model which sets out a shared framework and approach to identification, assessment and analysis of wellbeing needs. It provides a consistent way for practitioners to work with children, young people and their families to understand the child or young person’s individual growth and development in the context of their rights; unique family circumstances and wider world; and exploring strengths, resilience, adversities and vulnerabilities.

GIRFEC in East Lothian - Child and Young Person's Planning Framework

National GIRFEC policy and guidance is delivered in East Lothian's Children's Services via the Child and Young Person's Planning Framework. This framework has been designed to be child centred, holistic and integrated in its approach to ensure that children and young people and their families, receive the earliest and most effective response to their needs. It is a dynamic framework where assessment is directly linked to intervention. The framework is a single shared approach to planning for children and young people across services which enables collaborative decision making and planning. Key to success are children, young people, families and agencies working together in gathering information, carrying out interventions, and evaluating progress. The paperwork ensures all aspects outlined in the National practice guidance are met and compliant.

GIRFEC - LearnPro Module

We would recommend that all staff should complete the GIRFEC Learn Pro Module to ensure they understand the components of this approach and their responsibility to support the wellbeing of the children and young people they work with.

The module covers three sections of learning:

Section 1: The Getting it Right for Every Child Approach
Section 2: The National Practice Module
Section 3: Information Sharing and Managing Wellbeing Concerns

Child Protection

If you have concerns about a child or young person's safety or are concerned that they are being harmed or are at risk of harm, you must report this to a Designated Member of Staff (DMS) who will follow the Edinburgh and the Lothians Inter-agency Child Protection procedures (2015). If they are not available, you should contact:

Duty Social Work (Monday to Thursday 09:00 - 17:00; Friday 09:00 - 16:00) - 01875 824309

Emergency Social Work (after hours, weekends, public holidays) - 0800 731 6969

Further Information

Summary of the Scottish Government GIRFEC approach
Scottish Government Policy Statement (2022) Getting it right for every child – Policy Statement – 2022
The aim of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 is to make Scotland the best place to grow up by putting children and young people at the heart of planning and delivery of services and ensuring their rights are respected across the public sector.
The key guidance for anyone working with children in Scotland is the National guidance for child protection in Scotland (Scottish Government, 2014) is the: National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2014 (pkc.gov.uk)

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