Getting it right for every child

In her latest TFN column, our Chief Officer Sara Redmond reflects on 20 years since Scotland moved to put children at the centre of policy.

As we celebrate our very own 20 year anniversary of the Health & Social Care Alliance Scotland (ALLIANCE) this year, I’ve also been reflecting on another milestone; two decades since Scotland moved to put children at the centre of policy.

It’s 20 years since the Scottish Government introduced ‘Getting it right for every child’ (GIRFEC), a national commitment and approach to providing the right care and support at the right time for children and young people across Scotland.

We often deride the short term nature of policy cycles so 20 years is no mean feat.

When GIRFEC was first introduced, it recognised that improving outcomes for children and young people required services to work together in a more joined-up way and to place the child or young person’s wellbeing at the centre of what matters. It understood the importance of providing children, young people, and their families with a clear point of contact and helping ensure the right support was available at the right time. 

Since its birth, GIRFEC has grown to shape how Scotland supports our children and young people. What began as a policy framework has become a shared national ethos. At its heart there remains a strong commitment to early intervention, collaboration across services, and ensuring the voices of children and families are not just heard but genuinely influence the decisions that shape their lives.

At the ALLIANCE, this same ethos is central to our Children and Young People Programme. Every day we work with our members to strengthen and embed GIRFEC in practice; championing approaches to empower children, young people and their families, while also building the capacity of organisations to support them effectively.

Through the growth of the GIRFEC approach, and more recently through the incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law, we’ve seen valuable progress in placing children’s rights at the centre of decision-making.

And this progress means supporting those who work in this sector. We’re delighted the ALLIANCE’s GIRFEC training continues to be in demand across Scotland to health and social care professionals and volunteers. Our aim is to help strengthen knowledge and confidence among those who support children, young people and their families in their everyday work.

But a key part of getting it right is ensuring that lived experience shapes policy and practice. So as important as policy knowledge is, so is ensuring children and families themselves feel empowered to understand their rights and engage with the GIRFEC approach to ensure they can and access the support they need, when they need it.

Many of our member organisations are leading important work in this area. Children’s Health Scotland, for example, supports the ‘Health Rights Defenders’ a group of young people living with health conditions who developed the ‘My Health, My Rights Charter’.

Similarly, Children in Scotland supports the ‘My Rights, My Say Young Advisors’, a group of young people with lived experience of additional support needs. Its work helps ensure children’s rights are better understood and respected by sharing their perspectives and experiences.

The ambition is clear; GIRFEC must not be a well‑intentioned framework, but become a consistently delivered reality for every child, in every community, across Scotland.

We can see clearly the progress, but hard work is still required. Strengthening implementation, improving data and transparency, and continuing to listen to the voices of children and families are essential steps if GIRFEC is to evolve and remain meaningful. By recommitting to these principles now, Scotland can ensure that GIRFEC continues to drive improvement – and we can truly get it right for every child in the next 20 years and beyond.

This article first appeared in the March edition of TFN magazine.

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