Policy implications

Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) is our national commitment to provide all children, young people and their families with the right support at the right time, so that every child and young person in Scotland can reach their full potential. The GIRFEC National Practice Model sets out a shared framework and approach for promoting, supporting, and safeguarding the wellbeing of children and young people. It provides a consistent way for all practitioners working with children, young people and their families to understand the child or young person’s individual growth and development in the context of their rights, unique family circumstances and wider world. This helps connect families to a wider network of support and services so that they get the right help, at the right time, from the right people.

The Children and Young People’s Act includes a legal definition of what ‘wellbeing’ means – so that children, parents, families and professionals (like teachers and youth workers) all have a shared understanding if and when they are discussing how to support a child or young person’s health and wellbeing. Wellbeing is summed up in eight words that describe different aspects of what it means when things are going well for a child or young person whether they are ‘safe’; ‘healthy’; ‘achieving’; ‘nurtured’; ‘active’; ‘respected’; ‘responsible’ and ‘included’ (often referred to as SHANARRI) .

Learning in Health and Wellbeing, as part of Curriculum for Excellence, ensures that children and young people develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future. All adults who work in schools have a responsibility to ensure the mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing of the children and young people in their care. The Responsibility of All includes each practitioner’s role in establishing open, positive, supportive relationships across the school community.

The Curriculum is designed to improve education for children and young people by putting their learning experiences at the heart of education.

Good health and wellbeing is central to human development. Schools, colleges and other learning establishments have much to contribute to its development.

In 2014 guidance on the Conduct of Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) education in schools was published. This guidance clearly states how important it is that RSHP education is inclusive and reflects issues relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) children or those with LGBT parents, such as same sex marriage and hate-crime reporting.

LGBT Scotland produced guidance on ‘Addressing Inclusion: Effectively Challenging Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia’ which can be used in conjunction with Respect for All.

Conduct of relationships, sexual health and parenthood education in schools (www.gov.scot)

Addressing Inclusion - (lgbtyouth.org.uk)

Realising the Ambition: Being Me (2020) provides practical guidance on child-centred approaches to supporting the learning and development of babies, toddlers and young children up to the end of early level of Curriculum for Excellence and beyond. This guidance should inform how early years practitioners, including teachers, support the wellbeing and positive relationships which contribute to children in Scotland having the best start in life. Education Scotland hosts a range of anti-bullying resources focused on inclusion, wellbeing and equality.

The Scottish Government recognises the need to raise the attainment of all children and young people living in deprived areas in order to close the equity gap and has set out its aims for this within the Scottish Attainment Challenge23. This is set within the context of CfE and targets improvement in literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing in these areas.

One of the most important aims of the National Improvement Framework 24 is to drive improvements in learning for individual children and to ensure that there is a purpose to assessment and information gathering. It is hoped that more robust and transparent assessment and information gathering will help schools and local authorities to support children and young people more appropriately. As well as a focus on literacy and numeracy, it will also bring greater focus to improvements in the health and wellbeing of young people.

The Scottish Government’s Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy (2016) sets out 4 key objectives, realisation of which will create the optimum conditions for an education enhanced and enriched by digital technology. The strategy recognises the importance of ensuring that young people and schools capitalise on the benefits of using digital technology safely.

The Youth Justice vision for children and young people – A rights Respecting Approach to Justice for Children and Young People, was published in June 2021. The vision is based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and focuses on supporting all children and young people to participate in decisions about them, directing positive support to families, and offering that support through safe and caring relationships.

The vision represents a shared foundation between partners to continue to support the agenda to keep children out of the criminal justice system and promote the use of the Whole System Approach to preventing offending by children and young people.

The National Youth Work Strategy 2014-2019, Our Ambitions for Improving the Life Chances of Young People in Scotland25 recognises youth work as a key and distinctive component of the Scottish Government’s present and future agenda for young people.

The strategy aspires to ensure all young people, in every part of Scotland, have access to high quality and effective youth work practice.

Youth work practitioners also have a responsibility to ensure that they follow the principles of Respect for All and ensure they receive the appropriate training.

This strategy is designed to ensure our young people have an educational experience which is relevant to future work to future work opportunities where employers play an active role, both shaping and benefiting from Scotland’s education system by helping to create the talent pool they need and recruiting young employees.

The National Carers Strategy takes a cross-government, multi-year approach to tackling a range of issues that affect many carers. It sets out how we intend to address current issues facing carers as well as a long-term vision for building a sustainable future for carers. The Strategy gives a strategic vision for how unpaid carers can be supported to provide care to loved ones without the financial worries and social isolation that affects too many carers currently.

Many of the actions within the Strategy reflect existing work, but bring it together in a multi-disciplinary, cross-policy approach. This recognises that carers come from all walks of life and many of their needs overlap with those of other groups.

National carers strategy (www.gov.scot)

We know that psychological trauma, including adverse experiences in childhood, is more common than is often assumed and can have a wide range of negative consequences for those affected.

In particular, growing up with ACEs – such as abuse, neglect, bullying, homelessness or growing up in a household where adults are experiencing mental health issues or harmful alcohol or drug use – can have a long-lasting effect on children and young people’s lives, including the risk of poorer physical and mental health, over a lifetime.

The Scottish Government is committed to preventing and mitigating ACEs and trauma and supporting the resilience of the many children, young people and adults affected. The Scottish Government wants anyone who has been affected by trauma in Scotland to be supported by trauma-informed and trauma-responsive services which are built on safe and trusted relationships, and help support recovery.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Trauma (www.gov.scot)

National Trauma Training Programme website

All children and young people have the right to be cared for and protected from harm, and to grow up in a safe environment. The National Guidance describes the responsibilities and expectations of everyone who works with children, young people in Scotland. While there are specific child protection responsibilities associated with certain professional roles, everyone has a job in making sure that children are protected from all forms of harm and abuse. All services and professional bodies should have clear policies in place for identifying, sharing and acting upon concerns about risk of harm to a child or young person. These should align with the National Guidance. As part of the protective and preventative responses to bullying, the National Guidance states that: “Education and social work services will consider triggering an IRD when there is a risk of significant harm to a child from bullying or peer-on-peer abuse. Referral to the Reporter will be considered when there is an apparent need for compulsory measures. When a crime is reported, the police will investigate, respond and consider the need for an inter-agency referral discussion under child protection procedures.