Getting it right for children and families

The Wellbeing Indicators

Healthy--Achieving--Nurtured--Active--Respected--Responsible--Included--Safe

Each child is expected to be supported in order to fulfil their potential across each of the wellbeing indicators. The Scottish Government in `Getting it right for children and families`explains how the Wellbeing Indicators are to be used by practitioners:

The wellbeing indicators are used to record observations, events and concerns and as an aid in putting together a child`s plan. The My World Triangle and Resilience Matrix are used to gather, structure and help with assessing and analysing information.

Children and young people will progress differently, depending on their circumstances but every child and young person has the right to expect appropriate support from adults to allow them to develop as fully as possible across each of the Wellbeing Indicators.

All agencies in touch with children and young people must play their part in making sure that young people are healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible, included, and, above all, safe.

Only when support from the family and community and the universal services (ie school or health services) can no longer meet their needs will targeted and specialist help be called upon.

Getting it right for children and families

What is frightening about this is that targeted and specialist help to address the child`s needs - across all the wellbeing indicators - will be called upon by the `named person,` not the parent, because it is the named person who has ultimate responsibility for the wellbeing of the child.  The record of observations, events and concerns will be recorded by the named person and shared with other agencies, with or without consent, who will be encouraged to collaborate.
 
What is to happen if a parent disputes the outcome of the assessment by the named person, or does not wish to participate with the targeted specialist help, is never made clear. It is easy to imagine how such a disagreement could be interpreted as a problem with the parent, and hence a risk to a child`s wellbeing, by a named person who might see their view as the only right one.
 
If ever there was a system designed to set up a `slippery slope` of concerns in order to justify interventions and control of all parents and their children, GIRFEC is it.

Note also:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/10531683/Hundreds-of-teachers-suspended-over-criminal-allegations.html

Hundreds of teachers in England have been suspended as a result of criminal allegations against them in the last three years, new figures show.