Integrated Children's Services Report 2017-2020 and Plan 2021-2023
We remain committed to implementation of the National Practice Model . This dynamic and evolving process of assessment, analysis, action and review supports our staff in working with children, young people and their families to identify outcomes and solutions which meet their needs. It allows practitioners to meet the Getting it Right for Every Child core values and principles in an appropriate, proportionate and timely way.
In West Dunbartonshire there is shared commitment to Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC); to the delivery of corporate parenting responsibilities; supporting the needs of young carers, and to improved outcomes for looked after children and young people. We have embedded the principles of GIRFEC into all aspects of children's services across community and specialist health, social work and care services: working to ensure that all children are safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included.
It supports children and their families to work in partnership with the services that can help them receive the right help at the right time from the right people and ensuring their voices are integral to the process. Our approach is very much informed by the concept of Wellbeing and the National Practice Model and as we progress will continue to ensure the RIghts Of The Child are at the centre of planning.
Children's Services planning takes place within the wider context of community planning and decision making in West Dunbartonshire (See Diagram Below). As such our Integrated Children's Services Plan will be one of the many delivery vehicles for the achievement of the children and young people's outcomes within the West Dunbartonshire Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP). Along with the Statutory Partners of West Dunbartonshire Council and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, a range of local and national bodies are members of the child's planning groups and participated in the arrangements to agree our plan. We have well established multi-agency partnerships which underpin our approach to the planning and delivery of children’s services. Over the last three years we have taken the opportunity to make sure that form follows function and have streamlined structures to ensure a sharper focus on the work, for example the Nurtured Delivery and Improvement Group has allowed all significant stakeholders the ability to collaborate and plan together to ensure a joint vision and strategic direction for delivery of improved outcomes.
Importantly young people have featured significantly in the process to develop the vision as well as the plan. Indeed many children and families who have helped with this task have been users of services, whilst others have participated in survey activities or by attending the range of engagement events that have taken place locally.
