Final draft guidance for Children and Young People Act published

Final draft guidance to help local authorities and children’s services support children and families has been published.

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 was passed by the Scottish Parliament in February 2014 and introduces elements of the “Getting it right for every child” (GIRFEC) approach into law.

The guidance will help organisations deliver key parts of the act:

• Children and young people will have access to the controversial Named Person service – a single point of contact for help, support and advice for families and those working with children if they need it

• Children and young people who need extra support which is not generally available will have a Child’s Plan

• Children, young people and families can expect services to work together to provide support and help

• Describing wellbeing in legislation for the first time to help make sure everyone uses the same terminology and approach

The final version of the guidance will be published in spring 2016 after secondary legislation has been approved by parliament.

It is aimed at managers and leaders who will be responsible for delivering services such as the Named Person and Child’s Plan.

Children’s Minister Aileen Campbell said: “This is an important milestone for everyone involved in children’s services as we move towards August when the law comes into effect.

“We consulted widely on the contents of the guidance and took on board the feedback to make necessary changes. The final draft is the result of joint working with a range of organisations and stakeholders across both children’s and adult services.”

John Butcher, Association of Directors of Education in Scotland said: “ADES welcomes the revised draft statutory guidance which we have working closely on with the Scottish Government to develop. The new law and guidance will improve the way services work to support children, young people and families and we welcome the flexible approach to the Named Person role and function that it offers. We will continue to work with the implementation team to minimise the bureaucracy perceived to come with the role.”

Mike Burns, Convenor of Children and Families Standing Committee, Social Work Scotland said: “Social Work Scotland are confident that Getting it Right For Every Child - and in particular the Named Person - presents a critical opportunity to “break the cycle” of poverty, disadvantage and poor life chances which characterises the lives of thousands of people in our society. We want to see more families supported earlier, in the way they want, before the need for acute interventions.

“The Named Person exists to help parents to get help if they need it - to promote parental rights and responsibilities, not infringe them. To make childhood in Scotland better, we need a change in culture, and we need a shared public service agenda which is focused around prevention, parenting and family support.”