1. Getting it Right for Every Child
Boyd McAdam
Scottish Executive

2. Youth Justice and Children’s Hearings Division
Education Department
Youth Justice and Children’s Hearings Division
What’s in a name?
Getting it right for every child
Integrated Children’s Services?
Delivering ICS? Not a good acronym
“Getting it Right for Every Child Team”

3. Genealogy Partnership Agreement Vision For Scotland’s Children
Integrated Services
Review of Children’s Hearings system
Phase 1  GIRFEC
Not in isolation
Familiar with Vision
Various reports

4. GIRFEC ? +
Grrr!
Oh Bother! !

5. Getting it Right for Every Child:
Children get the help they need when they need it.
No more referrals.
Responses to meet need are appropriate, proportionate and timely (APT response)
Strengthening the capacity of families and communities to meet the needs of children
The help comes to them.
Early Intervention
Build on range of help and support.

6. Minimise bureaucracy and deliver better outcomes for children
Unified approach will strengthen integration agenda and improve delivery and outcomes for all children
Minimise bureaucracy and deliver better outcomes for children
Thinking whole child and action to address need: applies to everyone, incl youth justice, schools, health, child protection. Voluntary sector as well
Funding streams: too many, too complex, too bureaucratic.
Scope to rationalise and focus on monitoring key outcomes.
Monitor through annual plan updates and link to LA outcome agreements.
Quality Improvement Framework: supports self-evaluation but also reinforces inter-agency responsibility for improving integrated services.
Supports – not replaces – service specific frameworks. Rationalises PIs.
Supports joint inspections.
Strong support from consultation responses.

7. Why?
We know the system is not working as it should: referrals, bureaucracy
Children experience many meetings, many reports, confusing action plans
Children have been failed
Panel Members not well served: complaint numbers/ varied approach concern to us.
Increase in referrals, especially in care and protection.
No similar increase for Hearings. So increased process. What was being done to monitor outcomes for the child?
Variations. Some small and petty. But build up into different approaches, lack of consistency, frustration, need for standards

8. Update
Healthy response: generally % support for most proposals. But more detail sought Some points not fully understood:
Children’s views different to professionals’
Responses from agencies were quite agency focused.
Victims in Hearings not supported. Concern over local links.
Status Quo wanted to remain by certain organisations.

9. Concerns over information sharing/how single record will be achieved
Issues
How do we make it happen?
Lead professional.
Concerns over information sharing/how single record will be achieved
Support structure
Victims/ offending
How is the voluntary sector brought in?
As Highland, what could we do re: young offenders
Members of public then shouldn’t be cut off from process if reported concerns. Information back to individuals. Communication as a whole.

10. Next Steps Consultation published in detail
Advocacy research to be published at the same time as consultation responses.
Not received many views of the public. Will wish to take soundings as GIRFEC rolled out. Views of public/ young people on team.
Parliament
When public knowledge – Peter Peacock to discuss with Cabinet, discussion in Parliament. February/March time.
But key message is go ahead

11. How? - Strategy Legislation Governance, funding and structures
September 2006?
Enacted by March 2007?
Implementation (of legislation) 2008/9?
Governance, funding and structures
if needed
Practice change
From now
Pathfinder projects
Guidance/ training/ awareness developed
By September. Bill team in place.
Not legislate on every single proposal.
Duties, responsibilities.
Grounds for Referral will require legislation
Barriers to implementation. Governance, Funding and Structure. Cannot resolve issues where child needs money. Knowing funding not a barrier would help implementation nationally. If do find barriers and require legislative fix – timetable of Bill may not be right.
Provide tools for people to do job properly
Helps steer them in terms of things they have to think about
Piece of work to do to ensure not procedural. But change in mind set and delivery for the child.
Highland willing to consider pilot. SE eager to work in partnership.

12. Vision/outcomes for children Integrated children’s services plans
Delivery mechanisms
Reporter
SE has set out the Vision for children: safe, nurtured, healthy, active, respected and responsible, active and included.
Integrated Children’s Services Plans: 1995 Act plans; school education; children’s social work; child health and youth justice.
Aim is to rationalise planning activity across local agencies; agree consistent improvement objectives and delivery strategies
Planning - 3 year horizon. There is room for improvement.
Annual updates will become planning and reporting mechanism – reduce bureaucracy.
There will be formal feedback, dialogue and updated guidance.
Integrated assessment, plan and record
Information sharing systems and procedures
Quality improvement framework/ self evaluation
Integrated inspections

13. National Implementation
Taking forward: Want to see GIRFEC rollout from the outset. Not wait for legislation.
Commitment to support and develop
Pathfinder pilots

14. Workstreams Workforce Performance Management Vision and Communication
Improved practice
Governance, Funding, Structures

15. Issues for the voluntary sector
Duties on agencies: do they extend to the voluntary sector?
Accountability, when providing a service for agencies
Awareness/ training of staff
Access to information