(GIRFEC) is a shared approach for people who work with children and young people and their families, focusing on what makes a positive difference to the lives of our children and young people, and the part we all play in helping make these positive changes happen.

The provision of a Named Person is part of the GIRFEC approach as contained within the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.  Health visitors, head teachers and guidance teachers in many areas of Scotland already offer this service, which is planned to be available nationally by 31 August 2016.

The information below explains more about Named Person provisions and how they apply to a wide range of practitioners:

Named person

A Named Person is someone each child knows they can go to at any time they need help or just want to speak to someone.  For children from birth until they start school, the Named Person is the health visitor, while the Head Teacher or depute head teacher is the Named Person for children once they start school.

The creation of the Named Person role aims to build on existing good practice, formalising a role that health visitors, teachers and others already have in terms of providing care, advice and information.  It does not replace the role of the parent or carer and the Named Person will not actively monitor children, families or young people in an effort to find problems.  They will respond to requests for help from a child, young person or parent and any others who work with particular children/families and have concerns for a child’s wellbeing.

Duties

There are duties on a range of public bodies to share relevant information in an appropriate and proportionate way, and to support the role of the Named Person and delivery of the Child’s Plan.  All of the duties fall on organisations and not on individual members of staff, but will apply to all services delivered by relevant organisations and hence to all practitioners who are in the position to support the wellbeing of a child or young person.

Duties apply to services directly provided via children’s services, or indirectly, such as in adult services supporting parents, carers or those who have contact with children in a family setting.  A wide range of practitioners will be required to this about children’s and young people’s wellbeing in teh course of their day to day activities, when exercising functions under the Act.  This could include: addiction workers; housing officers; fire or police officers; health workers, or; Third Sector organisations and independent contractors delivering functions on behalf of the Local Authority or Health board.

Access to a Named Person is an entitlement and whilst the Named Person has a duty to respond to a worry about a child or young person’s wellbeing, there is no obligation on families to take up an offer of help.

The GIRFEC approach runs through all the work that community planning partners do with children, young people and their families in Stirling.  The joint Integrated Children’s Services Plan (2015-2018) identifies embedding GIRFEC principles and processes in all partner organisations.  Implementing GIRFEC provisions in the Children and Young People Act will build on this established approach.

More information

• Find out more about GIRFEC (Scottish Government)
• Find out more about GIRFEC (Stirling Council external website)
• GIRFEC Forth Valley’s Child’s Plan Paperwork for practitioners working with children and young people is available here