Learning Together GIRFEC Getting It Right For Every Child

GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
Learning Together: GIRFEC
Getting It Right For Every Child
Achieving success for all learners
This learning together guide can be used individually at a time and place of your choosing. However the
very nature of an inclusive approach to education presupposes collaboration among teachers,
colleagues who work alongside teachers in classrooms, other professionals and parents.
After completing this course you will:
• understand the implications for GIRFEC in relation to the Children and Young People (Sco) Act;
• understand the National Practice Model;
• understand the role of the Named Person and Lead Professional;
• understand how your contribution supports GIRFEC processes;
• understand more about the Child’s Plan; and
• know where to access further information, support and training.
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
CONTENTS
1. GIRFEC AND LEGISLATION – P3
2. THE NAMED PERSON – P5
3. THE LEAD PROFESIONAL – P6
4. THE NATIONAL PRACTICE MODEL – P8
5. INFORMATION SHARING – P14
6. CHRONOLOGIES – P16
7. GETTING IT RIGHT IN EVERY SCHOOL – P17
8. PLANNING FOR CHILDREN – P18
9. FURTHER TRAINING – P19
SELF-EVALUATION OF GIRFEC KNOWLEDGE
EVALUATION
REFERENCES
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
1 – GIRFEC AND LEGISLATION
What is GIRFEC?
“It’s a consistent way for people to work with all children and young people. It’s the
bedrock for all children’s services and can also be used by practitioners in adult services
who work with parents or carers.” (Scottish Government)
The Core Components
Getting it right for every child is founded on ten core components which can be applied in any
setting and in any circumstance.
1. A focus on improving outcomes for children, young people and their families based on a
shared understanding of wellbeing
2. A common approach to the proportionate sharing of information where appropriate
3. An integral role for children, young people and families in assessment, planning and
intervention
4. A co-ordinated and unified approach to identifying concerns, assessing needs, and agreeing
actions and outcomes, based on the wellbeing Indicators
5. Streamlined planning, assessment and decision-making processes that lead to the right help
at the right time
6. Consistent high standards of co-operation, joint working and communication where more
than one agency needs to be involved, locally and across Scotland
7. A Named Person for every child and young person, and a Lead Professional (where
necessary) to co-ordinate and monitor multi-agency activity
8. Maximising the skilled workforce within universal services to address needs and risks as
early as possible
9. A confident and competent workforce across all services for children, young people and their
families
10. The capacity, proportionately and appropriately, to share demographic, assessment, and
planning information within and across agency boundaries
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
Legislation
Aspects of Getting It Right For Every Child have been incorporated into The Children and Young
People (Sco) Act 2014 to ensure that Scotland’s children receive the most appropriate supports in
a timely manner. Children who move between Authorities will also benefit from this way of working
particularly in relation to those who receive a coordinated targeted intervention and therefore
require a Child’s Plan.
The overarching themes from all recent legislation is that every child in our care has the right to
the very best opportunities and that as the universal provider, we have a duty to effectively plan to
meet the needs of all. Meeting the needs of all children incorporates academic, social and
emotional supports and there will be times when schools and other agencies such as Social Work,
Health and Third Sector organisations work together to provide the support required. The various
people providing this support are often referred to as partners to the plan, which also includes
parents/carers and the pupils themselves.
In order to ensure that children and young people get the right support without needless repetition
of information to a range of helping professionals, the Named Person will be enshrined into the
legislation of the Children and Young People (Sco) Act as a single point of contact.
How does my role support GIRFEC?
Whatever post you hold in school, your role will involve fostering supportive relationships with
pupils and therefore there is potential to gauge pupils’ wellbeing in relation to the wellbeing
indicators. Passing both positive and concerning information to the Named Person is crucial and
enables the Named Person to have a balanced understanding of the child and a holistic
understanding of their wellbeing. All staff should be familiar with the wellbeing wheel, which is part
of the National Practice Model for assessing wellbeing.
“Supporting parents, and providing services which increase stability in their lives, means
children are more likely to perform better at school, become more resilient in their
response to challenge, and develop into healthy adults."
Sir Harry Burns, formerly Scotland's Chief Medical Officer
GIRFEC promotes ‘primary prevention’ and ‘early intervention’. Primary prevention involves us all
being observant and listening to children and identifying if something has happened/could happen
that would impact negatively on their wellbeing, e.g. we may know that a child is about to face a
bereavement and take action to ensure that appropriate supports are in place. Early intervention
involves us taking action as soon as we recognise that a child’s wellbeing is being adversely
affected. Both ‘primary prevention’ and ‘early intervention’ relies on our having good relationships
with children, young people and families and being highly observant.
GIRFEC guides us to involve children, young people and families in planning. We have a duty to
think carefully about the communication needs of individuals and families to ensure that children
and families understand what is happening and why it is happening. Children and families should
feel listened to and valued.
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
The approach guides us to work in partnership across and beyond our service to ensure that any
barriers to wellbeing/learning are quickly identified and supported appropriately. It is important that
we know which partners work with children and young people in our locality so that we can tap into
their expertise as appropriate.
The shared language and processes of GIRFEC helps practitioners focus on the child as a whole
and collaborate to meet the holistic needs of the child. To work effectively together to support our
children and young people we must all understand the language of GIRFEC and be open to
working in collaboration with others, recognising that the unique skill sets of others may be of
benefit to the child/young person or family.
Wellbeing
At the heart of Getting it Right for Every Child is the wellbeing of children and young people.
Research found that eight aspects of wellbeing directly influence long term outcomes for children
and young people. These eight areas are sometimes referred to as the ‘Shanarri Indicators’ or
‘wellbeing indicators’ and are part of the GIRFEC National Practice Model.
The wellbeing indicators are set in the context of the ‘four capacities’. The four capacities are at
the heart of the Curriculum for Excellence. (More about the four capacities can be found in Section
4.)
2 – THE NAMED PERSON
“Once a concern has been brought to their attention, the Named Person – who will be the
first point of contact for the child and their family – needs to take action, help, or arrange
for the right help in order to promote, support, and safeguard the child’s development and
wellbeing. http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Young-People/gettingitright/named-person
The Person service has been put in place to ensure that there is a single point of contact for
families seeking support and guidance. When the supports required are provided by education
only, the Named will co-ordinate any supports that have been put in place, keeping the chronology
up to date, communicate regularly with parents/carers and oversee planning.
Who is the Named Person?
• From birth until attending Primary school the Named Person will be the Health Visitor
• In Primary School the Named Person will usually be the Head Teacher
• Secondary Schools, in most instances, the Named Person will be the Principal Teacher
Guidance/ Principal Teacher Pupil Support but may be a member of the Senior
Management Team
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
3 – THE LEAD PROFESSIONAL
“When two or more agencies need to work together to help a child or young person and
family, there will be a Lead Professional to co-ordinate that help.”
(Scottish Govt-The role of the Lead Professional)
http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Young-People/gettingitright/lead-professional
The Lead Professional ensures that when co-ordinating the child or young person and family
understand what is happening at each point so that they can be involved in the decisions that
affect them. The Lead Professional also makes sure that the Child’s Plan is accurate and up-todate.
Once appointed, the Lead Professional then acts as the main point of contact for children,
young people, practitioners, and family members. The education Named Person would continue to
lead on the child’s or young person’s education.
The grid below can be helpful in illustrating how the role of Named Person and Lead Professional
interrelate.
Look carefully at the grid on the following page. How does the role of the Named
Person change when a Lead Professional has been appointed?
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
Who is the Lead Professional?
The best-placed professional to support the child and the family undertakes the Lead Professional
role. For example, if a child is attending school and the concerns are predominantly health related,
it may be a more appropriate choice for an involved health professional to take on the Lead
Professional role. If the concerns are education based, the Named Person is likely to undertake
the role of the Lead Professional.
In the case of Looked After Children, including those who reside at home, the Lead Professional
will always be from Social Work.
4 - THE NATIONAL PRACTICE MODEL
“The National Practice Model is a dynamic and evolving process of assessment, analysis,
action and review, and a way to identify outcomes and solutions for individual children or
young people. It allows practitioners to meet the Getting it right for every child core values
and principles in an appropriate, proportionate and timely way.” (Scottish Govt- National
practice model)
http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Young-People/gettingitright/national-practice-model
The National practice Model enables practitioners to work consistently using a shared language
and is separated into the following areas.
The Wellbeing Wheel –is used for observing and recording and also in planning, action
and review.
My World Triangle is used by practitioners and the child/young person and allows
connections to be made in the different areas of a child’s life in terms of strengths and
challenges.
The Resilience Matrix helps practitioners to organise and analyse information in relation to
the child/young person’s vulnerability, protective environment and level of adversity.
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
The Wellbeing Wheel- Consider the wellbeing of a child that you know well,
focussing on the SHANARRI indicators below.
Pupils and families are active
partners in any arrangements
and there should be careful
consideration of how best to
engage them. This involves
us carefully considering any
communication needs.
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
The following questions could be helpful in guiding children to consider their own wellbeing. You
know your pupil’s best so please use your expertise to determine the best means of engaging the
child/young person in the process of assessing wellbeing. The child/young person should be an
active participant in Child’s Plan meetings and the onus is on the Named Person to ensure that the
child participates in a meaningful way
Safe Do you know when things are
risky and try to stay away
from danger?
Do you feel safe at
school/community etc?
Who helps to keep you safe?
Healthy Do you enjoy exercise?
Do you enjoy spending time
outside?
Who helps you when you are
ill?
Tell me about all of your
friends.
Active What fun things do you do in your
spare time?
Do you enjoy attending any clubs?
Respected Do you feel that people listen to
you?
Are you involved in taking decisions
about you?
Achieving What have you learned this
week?
What are you really good at?
Who helps you to learn?
What are you working on
improving in school?
Nurtured Who helps look after you?
Who can you talk to when
you are upset?
Responsible Do you try to understand when
others disagree with you?
Can you manage your own
behaviour?
Are you caring and helpful?
Do you feel that people trust you?
Are you able to follow rules
Included Do you enjoy coming to school?
What do you enjoy doing with
friends?
Do you get to meet lots of different
people?
Do you think that others see you as
a good friend to have?
Consider or, if working in a group, discuss what SHANARRI indicators you would:
find easiest to asses
feel less confident assessing
Why do you feel less confident?
How could you address this?
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
The My World Triangle
The My World Tringle supports practice that considers the whole world of the child; strengths and
challenges are equally taken into account when gathering information. To ensure the information
is proportionate not every area of the triangle needs to be explored in detail, just those that are
relevant.
Use the My World Triangle, identify strengths and challenges of a child/young
person you know well. How can the triangle help you to identify areas that may
need to be addressed?
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
The Resilience Matrix
The Resilience Matrix allows the practitioner to take the strengths and needs identified from
gathering information using the My World Triangle, along with any specialist assessments, and to
group that information within the four headings of resilience, vulnerability, protective environment
and adversity. The concept of resilience is fundamental to children’s wellbeing and is used in
assessments by practitioners from many agencies. A well known definition of resilience is,
‘Normal development under difficult conditions’ (Fonagy et al. 1994)1.
Resilience
“Resilience is the capacity to withstand stress and catastrophe. Psychologists have long
recognised the capabilities of humans to adapt and overcome risk and adversity.
Individuals and communities are able to rebuild their lives even after devastating
tragedies.”
Experiencing support throughout life’s challenging times develops a pattern of resilience. These
supports can develop from a variety of different things; relationships with parents, peers etc.
through to cultural beliefs, all of which affect our actions, thoughts and behaviour as we grow.
The three ‘building blocks of resilience’ offer the practitioner specific examples of resilience
Secure base, Self-esteem and Self- efficacy.
More detail can be found on the following page.
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
Secure base
I have… People around me I trust and who love me no matter what
People who set limits for me so I know when to stop before there is danger or trouble
People who show me how to do things right by the way they do things
People who want me to learn to do things on my own
People who help me when I am sick, in danger, or need to learn.
Self esteem
I am… A person other people can like and love
A person who is happy to do nice things for others and able to show my concern
A person who is respectful of myself and of others
A person who is willing to be responsible for what I do
A person who is sure that in the end things will be alright.
Self efficacy
I can… Talk to other people about the things that frighten or bother me
Find ways to solve the problems I might face
Control myself when I feel like doing something that’s not right, or that’s dangerous
Figure out when it is a good time to talk to someone, or to take action
Find someone to help me when I need it. (Groteberg 1997)
Think about a child or young person you support. Can Groteberg’s work support
your understanding of the Child’s resilience?
Scenario- Kyle is in his fourth year of Secondary School. He tells you that his elderly
grandfather is soon to be sharing his bedroom when he gets out of hospital. Kyle’s grandfather
will need care and support regularly throughout the day and night.
Using the SHANARRI indicators for reference, discuss or consider the ways in
which this event might impact upon Kyle’s Wellbeing.
Now look at the My World Triangle to identify strengths and challenges.
Lastly consider the resilience matrix. How vulnerable is Kyle?
Consider the importance of this information being shared with the Named Person.
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
As practitioners become more accustomed to assessing in line with the National Practice Model,
they rely less on the visuals within this guide. The wellbeing indicators offer a good opportunity to
look at aspects of wellbeing that are going well or are at risk. The My World Triangle helps
practitioners to consider this information more holistically with the resilience matrix helping us to
identify adversity and vulnerability in ore complex cases. It is important that the use of the National
Practice Model be used proportionately.
A resilient child in a protective environment is ideal (top right quadrant) but when that is not the
case; the Resilience Matrix allows for the early targeting of concerns.
5- INFORMATION SHARING
“The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act provides that information should be shared
between services and the Named Person if it is likely to be relevant to promote, support or
safeguard the wellbeing of the child.” http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Young-
People/gettingitright/information-sharing
Class teachers and support staff should report wellbeing concerns to the Named Person.
When sharing information The Named Person / Lead Professional must;
Adhere to the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998
Share information that is necessary, relevant and proportionate
Record their rationale within the chronology
Make decisions on what to share with the child / young person and family if
appropriate.
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
This way, practioners can work with families and other professionals to ensure that children and
young people have the best outcome possible.
Schools will have their own in house procedures for sharing information but largely:
Class Teachers share information with the Named Person
Other school staff share information with the class teacher, who will then share this with the
Named Person or they may share the information with the Named Person directly.
If the Named Person believes the information to be noteworthy they will make a note in the child’s
chronology ensuring that the entry contains relevant and proportionate information. They may
decide that they need to take action or continue to monitor wellbeing. This decision will be based
on considering the information alongside the information contained within the chronology.
When the Named Person receives information, they will ask ‘the five questions’.
• What is getting in the way of this child or young person’s well-being?
• Do I have all the information I need to help the child or young person?
• What can I do now to help this child or young person?
• What can my agency do to help this child or young person?
• What additional help, if any, may be needed from others?
If there are concerns about the way a child is progressing, the Named Person will take action to
help the child, or arrange for someone else to do so. The chronology will be considered to inform a
judgement of the child/young persons’ wellbeing is being adversely affected.
.
Any action will always involve the Named Person listening carefully to what children and families
have to say and be ‘proportionate’ to the wellbeing need.
Working with the Family-
When a Named Person receives a wellbeing concern, the child or family (depending on age and
stage) should agree what information is going to be shared, with whom it is being shared and for
what purpose. Sharing appropriate and proportionate information involves a continual dialogue
with the child and/or family. There is no need to seek consent to share if you believe that a child’s
wellbeing could be adversely affected and the child may be on a pathway to harm or risk.
If you believe that the child/young person is at risk of significant harm, you should
immediately follow agreed Child Protection processes.
When sharing information, we should only share:
What is necessary to support the Child’s Wellbeing
What is relevant
With people who need to know
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
6 - CHRONOLOGIES
Recording Information- The Named Person is responsible for maintaining a chronology when
there are wellbeing concerns. Entries should be balanced with positive entries included. A record
of significant events such as important telephone calls, concerns, achievements, contact with
parents/carers, other professionals and agencies etc. should be noted
“A Single Agency chronology provides a brief description and summarised account of
events in date order. It should be used as an analytical tool to assist in the understanding
of the impact of life events and to inform decision making. Integration of single agency
chronologies can establish a wider context from the agencies involved with a child or
young person.”(Perth and Kinross-Defining Chronologies and Significant events)
CHRONOLOGY OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS
Day Date Time Significant event Source of
information
Action
taken/Outcome
Name/Title/Agency/
Signature
“An Integrated Chronology is produced as part of a specific multi agency intervention and
will include only information extracted from Single Agency Chronologies that is relevant
and proportionate to support that intervention.” (Scottish Govt- Briefings for Practitioners;
Single Agency and integrated chronologies)
A single agency chronology is held and maintained by the Named Person but all those involved in
caring for children will also compose a chronology. For example, a nursery will keep a chronology,
which will then inform the Named Person (Health Visitor) in the event of a Wellbeing concern.
In schools we will move to recording significant events using pastoral notes. In the event of
wellbeing concerns, the Named Person will be asked to use SEEMiS to produce a chronology.
When sharing a chronology it is important to select the information that is balanced and relevant
prior to sharing.
When a child/young person has a Lead Professional and a multi-agency Child’s Plan, an
integrated chronology is kept by the Lead Professional. The Named Person has a responsibility to
keep their single agency chronology up to date and ensure that they share any relevant and
proportionate information with the Lead Professional for inclusion in the integrated chronology.
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
7- GETTING IT RIGHT IN EVERY SCHOOL
The desired National Outcomes for children and young people from Curriculum for Excellence
are that all children should be:
Confident Individuals
Successful Learners
Effective Contributors
Responsible Citizens
Children and young people have the right to a curriculum designed around the principles of
curricular design:
Challenge and enjoyment
Breadth
Progression
Depth
Personalisation and choice
Coherence
Relevance
The principles guide us to ensure that we plan individual programmes for pupils based on their
strengths and offer appropriate challenge. We have to carefully measure progress to ensure that
the pace and challenge is right. Barriers to learning/wellbeing must be identified and carefully
considered by all involved in the child’s learning including other professionals, parents and pupils.
Targets must reflect exactly where the child is in their learning based on sound evidence and be
set collaboratively to ensure a coherent and relevant approach for the learner. This approach is
most likely to improve outcomes for children and young people.
In 2009, HM Inspectorate of Education provided further focus on how we best meet the learning
needs by reporting key priorities as being:
Identifying and tacking barriers before they become entrenched
Finding new ways to meet the needs of increasingly diverse population of learners: and
Personalising learning and support to take account of individual needs, choices and
circumstances while relentlessly reinforcing high expectations.
These key priorities encourage our design of high quality learning pathways. The design of
learning pathways is best considered in parallel with planning how the entitlements within
Curriculum for Excellence will be delivered to the child/young person. The entitlements are that:
Every child and young person is entitled to experience a curriculum which is coherent
from 3 to 18
Every child and young person is entitled to experience a broad general education
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
Every young person is entitled to experience a senior phase where he or she can
continue to develop the four capacities and also obtain qualifications
Every child and young person is entitled to develop skills for learning, skills for life and
skills for work, with a continuous focus on literacy and numeracy and health and
wellbeing
Every child and young person is entitled to personal support to enable them to gain as
much as possible from the opportunities which Curriculum for Excellence can provide
Every young person is entitled to support in moving into a positive and sustained
destination
8 - PLANNING FOR CHILDREN
We have a duty to plan effectively for those children and young people who experience barriers to
engagement and learning including those pupils with social, emotional and behavioural needs.
All children access universal support in school. Class teacher differentiate the curriculum any may
use specialist materials to support individuals.
When a child needs support beyond what is available universally, we speak of the child being in
need of targeted support. This support may be delivered by the school through the use of Support
for Learning staff or others across the Education Service. Targeted support triggers the need for a
Plan. If the intervention is delivered through school resources or those generally available across
the service, an IEP based on wellbeing is sufficient. When the support requires collaboration (for
example a shared placement), or involves another Service or Partner, a Child’s Plan will be
required.
Members of staff and other professionals who will be supporting a child should be involved in the
preparation of a Child’s Plan. The school should also involve the child’s parents, so that they know
what is in the plan and how they can continue to help the pupil at home. The pupil should also be
involved so that he or she is aware of and understands the targets that have been set.
The Child’s Plan
If the Named Person judges that wellbeing is being adversely affected a planning meeting may be
called where an assessment of wellbeing will be formalised using the National Practice Model. A
plan will be put in place to address the wellbeing need. If the intervention planned is available
through in-school supports or from supports across the Service that are generally available the
plan will be recorded as an IEP. If the need cannot be met without involving another agency or
specialist targeted resource from across the Service, a Child’s Plan will be required. Those
undertaking the ‘assessment’ may feel that they require more specialist assessments and may
send the draft plan to another agency to request advise and support to ensure they have a better
understanding of the child’s needs. This sharing of information should be agreed with all current
partners to the plan including the parent(s) and child or young person.
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
Setting targets
The Child’s Plan will contain the desired long term outcomes and short term indicators of success.
The desired outcomes identify which aspect of wellbeing is being addressed through the plan.
This area will have been identified through the assessment process.
Short term indicators of success are steps within the process of achieving the longer term desired
outcomes.Remember- When we are identifying pupil needs and generating how best to meet
those needs, it is good practice to use the National practice model, ensuring that the targets
generated in the plan are SMART and are achievable so that the child or young person feels
success.
Reflect on the variety of learners in your class/ classes using the GIRFEC
National Practice Model. Consider/discuss pupils that might already receive
support. This can be academically, socially and/or emotionally.
Once first opened, the Child’s Plan must be reviewed within 12 weeks to ensure that it is
successfully supporting wellbeing. Thereafter the plan must be legally reviewed at least once a
year but colleagues should align the Child’s Planning process with currently planning cycles.
In conclusion
We really hope this guide has helped illustrate how GIRFEC processes support children and
young people. We aim to keep this guide under review to ensure that it ideally meets your needs.
Please complete and return the evaluation form below to help us do that.
9 - FURTHER TRAINING - Information on further training can be found on Eventbright:
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/aberdeen-city-council-education-and-childrens-services-4085273125
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GIRFEC - A LEARNING TOGETHER GUIDE AT UNIVERSAL STAGE
EVALUATION
Please evaluate the Learning Together: Meeting the Challenges Guide providing feedback
on the following aims.
6 excellent 5 very good 4 good 3 adequate 2 weak 1 unsatisfactory
How effective was this guide in helping you to understand:
1 GIRFEC AND LEGISLATION
2 THE NATIONAL PRACTICE MODEL
3. THE ROLE OF THE NAMED PERSON
4. THE ROLE OF THE LEAD PROFESSIONAL
5. INFORMATION SHARING
6. USE OF A CHRONOLOGY
7. PLANNING FOR CHILDREN
Comments:
Please return to – inclusionteam@aberdeencity.gov.uk
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