Post GIRFEC Meeting your Questions Answered

Many thanks to all that attended the GIRFEC meeting at Café Coast I hope you found the conversation as rewarding as I did. Thanks to Francesca, Marion & Ronnie from the Scottish Government team for the attached presentation and the Qs and As that are listed below.

If you want to make further comment please contact the GIRFEC team directly at girfec@scot.gov

Question: “Can you change the Named Person if things aren’t working out?”

Answer :“If things break down then the authority providing the Named Person service can be approached to discuss concerns and next steps”

Question: “Why is the Named Person compulsory for all children?”

Answer: “The Named Person service is an entitlement but there is nothing in the legislation that forces a child, young person or parent to engage with the service.”

Question: “Why start talking about Named Person now while people are still being trained to deliver it.”

Answer: “GIRFEC and the Named Person policy has been around for a number of years. The legislation recognises the role that teachers and health professional already provide, and will make the service consistent across Scotland by ensuring the right training and resources are available.”

Question: “Who decides how and when you get a Named Person?”

Answer: “The health board, local authority or independent school is responsible for providing the Named Person service. They will be responsible for making people aware of who their child’s Named Person is.”

Question: “Have you considered how a Named Person can be prevented from gathering or sharing inappropriate volumes of information?”

Answer: ” All professionals, including the Named Person, must work within the Data Protection Act and other laws protecting the privacy and rights of families. The new legislation does not change this. Where families or professionals provide information to the Named Person which indicates that there may be a concern, the Named Person must consider what information needs to be shared with whom to promote, support and safeguard the child’s wellbeing. This includes assessing whether the benefit to the child’s wellbeing outweighs any potential adverse effects that sharing the information might bring about.”

Question: “What happens if you have a complaint about the school?”

Answer: “There are existing complaints processes as advertised by the local authority or independent school. If a complaint relates to the Named Person service, there will be a specific process to deal with this. We are consulting on the options for this process from 4 September until 30 October.”

Question: “Will a complaint about Named Person be considered by an independent body?”

Answer: “The initial stages of the complaint will be handled by the organisation providing the Named Person service. Our proposal for complaints states that if a complaint can’t be resolved locally, then it can go to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.”

Question: “Will the Named Person be the only way children and parents can access services once the legislation comes into force?

Answer: “Not at all. Children, young people and parents can still access other services directly. The Named Person will not take on the role or supersede the role of other services or professionals. They can, however, help children, young people and parents, to access other services if required.”

Question: “Will the service be audited to see how it is performing?”

Answer: “As is the case now, the organisations that will provide the Named Person service will be required to complete regular self-evaluations of their performance and Health Improvement Scotland, Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate will all continue to play a role in assessing their performance.”