A GIRFEC Review of 2018

A review of Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) activities over 2018 for our annual report.

2018 Has been a very busy year for the Getting to Know Getting it Right for Every Child Team. This year we celebrated the Year of Young People by co-producing a Wellbeing Bingo Game resource in partnership with the NTS GIRFEC Project and Fife and Edinburgh Young Carers. The game received excellent feedback and has been distributed to a number of youth groups.

The team further produced an inclusive communications Guide, “Involving Children, Young People, Parents and Carers in Planning to meet Children’s Wellbeing Needs”. This document offers clear and concise advice for practitioners holding planning meetings for children, young people and families, as well as a range of easy read materials that can be adapted to suit the context of the meeting and can also be used with children and young people directly. The team worked extensively with the Getting it Right for Every Child Advisory Group as well as People First to ensure the material was clear and that the additional resources were accessible.

The team have continued to develop and deliver training to increase parents, children and young people’s understanding of what GIRFEC means for them; to empower them to access and influence the support the child or young person needs to achieve their desired outcomes. The team have also held a number of Train the Trainers workshops educating those working in the field who wish to deliver GIRFEC information, thus extending our reach. The team have held 18 sessions this year so far, including a number of sessions held in partnership with deafscotland aimed at families affected by deafness, and the practitioners who work with them.

This year we have hosted several consultations, promoted the voice of children and young people and their families and carers to help influence policy affecting children and young people. This has included responding to the recent consultation on the resource for disabled children, young people and families, and the consultation on the Young Carers Grant. Both of these events have sold out extremely quickly, highlighting the appetite to share lived experience in shaping future policy.

The new Cabinet Secretary has expressed interest in experience of transitions to adult services. We have highlighted our research conducted last year and continue to push for ALLIANCE recommendations to be considered for future policy making.

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