Policies

This map will give you an overview of policies centred around children and young people in Scotland.

Children’s Services Planning

What is Children’s Services Planning?

Part 3 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 requires every local authority and its relevant health board to jointly prepare a Children's Services Plan for the area of the local authority, in respect of each three-year period. The first round of Children’s Services Plans dated from around March 2017 and will therefore be due for renewal from March 2020.

The plan has five main aims:

(a) that "children's services" in the area are provided in the way which:

(i) best safeguards, supports and promotes the wellbeing of children in the area concerned
(ii) ensures that any action to meet needs is taken at the earliest appropriate time and that, where appropriate, action is taken to prevent needs arising
(iii) is most integrated from the point of view of recipients
(iv) constitutes the best use of available resources.

(b) that "related services" in the area are provided in the way which, so far as consistent with the objects and proper delivery of the service concerned, safeguards, supports and promotes the wellbeing of children in the area concerned.

Together, these aims focus on creating and maintaining a local environment that facilitates effective GIRFEC practice for individual children and young people.

The Children's Services Plan describes how public bodies and their partners will work together to achieve this by providing services which are organised and equipped to deliver high-quality, joined-up, responsive and, where possible, preventative support to children and families.

• Click here to access the Statutory Guidance on Part 3 (Children's Services Planning) of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014
• Click here to access each local Children’s Services plan
• Click here to access the Children’s Services Plans Review and Strategic Engagement 2018-2019: Summary report

STTS and Children’s Services Planning

To see some examples of how our work supports Children’s Services Planning please see the links below.

• Click here to access Promising examples of Children’s Services Planning
• Click here to access our Shetland case study
• Click here to access our Edinburgh case study
• Click here to access our Third Sector in Children’s Services Planning Survey Report

GIRFEC

Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) is the national approach in Scotland 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. It enables services to work in partnership with children, young people and their parent(s) and places their viewsat the centre of planning and decision-making. The GIRFEC approach has been tested and developed across Scotland since 2006. It is based on research evidence and the experiences of practitioners, families and children.

The GIRFEC approach:

• is child-focused – it ensures the child or young person – and their family – is at the centre of decision-making and the support available to them
• is based on an understanding of the wellbeing of a child in their current situation – it takes into consideration the wider influences on a child or young person and their developmental needs when thinking about their wellbeing, so that the right support can be offered
• is based on tackling needs early – it aims to ensure needs are identified as early as possible to avoid bigger concerns or problems developing
• requires joined-up working – it is about children, young people, parents, and the services they need working together in a coordinated way to meet their specific needs and improve their wellbeing.

STTS and GIRFEC

To see some examples of resources that we have developed to support the implementation of GIRFEC, please see the links below:

• GIRFEC Guidance Refresh – Stakeholder Consultation

  In 2021, the Scottish Government consulted on the updated GIRFEC practice guidelines, which covered the Policy Statement, the role of the named person, the role of the lead professional, using the National Practice Model,  Information Sharing and the Information Sharing Charter. STTS' submitted a response to the consultation, which drew on themes gathered from extensive consultation with organisations from across the children's sector and with children themselves.
  Click here to access

• GIRFEC Revised Statutory Guidance –
  Assessment of Wellbeing

  In 2021, the Scottish Government consulted on the Revised Statutory Guidance –Assessment of Wellbeing. STTS' submitted a response to the consultation, which drew on themes gathered from extensive consultation with organisations from across the children's sector and with children themselves.
  Click here to access