Looking to the future – insights from GIRFEC across Scotland

To improve outcomes for children and young people, we must consider how we can build on GIRFEC for the future.

In September 2024, the ALLIANCE hosted a series of regional events across Scotland, bringing together professionals from the children and young people sector who had a role in implementing GIRFEC. These events aimed to generate an understanding of the extent to which GIRFEC is currently delivered, as well as explore how we can strengthen partnerships and build and improve on GIRFEC in the future to ensure better outcomes for children and young people.

Attended by representatives from Education, Local Authorities, NHS, the Third Sector and Scottish Government, the events captured all 32 local authorities and hosted over 300 participants. If there was an opportunity to establish a picture of what GIRFEC looks like in Scotland in 2024, it was here.

Our new report, GIRFEC Insights, offers exactly that. Insights into how GIRFEC is currently implemented across Scotland, from both strategic and boots-on-the-ground perspectives. It highlights where we’re getting it right, whilst outlining the mounting challenges we’re facing as a sector. Crucially, it offers strategies and actions to move forward and build upon the legacy of GIRFEC at a local, regional and national level.

Here are four reflections from the report on how we can shape the future of GIRFEC:

1. Joined up working at a national level is a golden thread

GIRFEC hinges on partnership working. So, whilst it is unsurprising that this was where most of our GIRFEC success stories lay, it is also where we must continue to invest our energies. Improving cross-sector networks was highlighted, and more consistent joined-up approaches at a national level was a recurring theme across all discussions. A national resource bank, including training and case studies, could support joined-up work, and although many local authorities have invested in the development of their own Childs Plan, a national template of the plan was raised.

2. Support and invest in the development of our workforce

Our workforce is one of our strongest assets in getting it right for every child, but we know that across the board, teams are facing immense challenges: increasing workloads, tightening resources and high staff turnover, to name a few. Long term investment was called for, but opportunities for training and development for our staff were also considered to be vital to shaping the future of GIRFEC. We offer GIRFEC training which you can find out more about here.

3. We must understand what the world looks like for our children and young people

Specific approaches or focus areas were featured in discussions, considering the current context many of our children and young people are experiencing today. The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly had a profound impact on our children and young people, so we must continue to explore strategies that can support them in the wake of this global event. GIRFEC is underpinned by a children’s human rights-based approach, amplified by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and a fundamental component is that children participate in discussions and decisions that affect them. Advocacy support is an important partner in empowering our young people to understand their rights. We must recognise the role it can play in upholding GIRFEC.

4. Continue to spread the word

GIRFEC has been around for a long time (since 2006!), but we shouldn’t be complacent. We must be proactive in promoting GIRFEC as an approach that can achieve better outcomes for children and young people, continuing to share it with professionals, as well as families, so they know they should receive the right support at the right time.

You can read the full report below.

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