Our approach to helping children
Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) aims to support and promote children and young people’s wellbeing by making sure they have access to the right support when they need it.
Following the most recent refresh, our GIRFEC approach encompasses the UNRC Rights of the Child and The Scottish Government's 'The Promise'.
Read about GIRFEC on the Scottish Government website.
Background
The GIRFEC approach, including having a named person, came from For Scotland’s Children, a review of how children’s services supported families and children and how they addressed inequalities.
This review considered the views and experiences of parents, children and services. It saw that services
- needed to work better together
- often had conflicting objectives - decisions made in one service impacted on other services involved
and that families had
- to keep repeating the same information
- no consistent place to ask for help.
A named person provides a single point of contact for children, young people and families to ask for advice or support.
GIRFEC in Edinburgh
GIRFEC approach has been used in Edinburgh since 2009.
In 2013 Edinburgh adopted a single assessment and planning framework. This helps everyone to work together in a coordinated way when a child or young person needs support