Most parents were not aware of GIRFEC. Where are we now?

Follow the documents and it is easy to see that GIRFEC was introduced surreptitiously.  For example, `Getting it right for every child: Where are we now? (2011)`  clearly exposes this.

 

Whilst it is admitted in the document that most parents in the area under investigation did not know about it - so much for stakeholder consultation and democracy - the government officials went ahead indoctrinating the various children`s agencies to accept it. The government never engaged in a meaningful public debate about it, nor did they go on a public campaign for support. Since the legislation effects every parent and child in Scotland this lack of engagement shows a shocking contempt for the public.

 

In 2011, the Scottish Government announced its intention to introduce a Children and Young People Bill. The legislation would seek to embed the rights of children and young people across the public sector in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child (UNCRC). It set out an approach to welfare that put an understanding of wellbeing based on Getting it right for every child at the heart of design and delivery of services. The named person would be responsible for the child.

Since GIRFEC is about risk to wellbeing it covers every aspect of a child`s life and lowers the threshold of concern. Any parent could fall foul of a named person`s `gut feelings` yet there was not a squeak from any parent about it; but then if you do not know what is being set up how can there be resistance?  There was a good political reason why systems were established before parents became aware. Stalling a programme is easy but it is always more difficult to dismantle what is already in place.

Overall, senior managers had a good understanding of the Getting it right for every child approach. However, at class teacher and practitioner level, this understanding was not well-developed, particularly in the secondary school sector.

In a few education authorities, some establishments, in the main early years centres, were making good use of the wellbeing indicators to observe children and to record their progress and build up information and children`s progress and to plan effectively. ..

 Most parents interviewed were not aware of the Getting it right for every child approach http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/GIRFEC%20FINAL%2024-10-12_tcm4-735258.pdf

WND previously reported that a sociology lecturer was warning the plan could lead to the targeting of perfectly good and careful parents. Lecturer Stuart Waiton told the institute, "It will take very little to trigger an investigation into a child and from there a false picture can easily be arrived at." Innocent issues such as what a child eats or the views they express could make "good parents fair game" for the "health and safety zealots, obsessed with risk management," he said.

http://mobile.wnd.com/2014/03/u-n-behind-plan-for-overseers-for-all-kids/

Poorly publicised consultations are standard practices for governments to use in order to push through unpopular policies. For example: `Do parents even know their children’s school data has been given away?`See link below:

https://mikesivier.wordpress.com/2014/04/26/do-parents-even-know-their-childrens-school-data-has-been-sold/