GIRFEC blog: Barnardo’s Scotland Director – the GIRFEC ‘wellbeing’ indicators
The Scottish Government’s consultation on the proposed Children and Young People Bill closed last month – with almost 300 responses received.
What’s clear from reading the consultation is that it has never been more important for all of us to understand the concepts of wellbeing that underpin this Bill.
As it says in the consultation, “children’s needs are often difficult to disentangle: concerns about health, safety and how well they are nurtured can influence each other. While different services may focus on specific targeted sets of needs, it is essential that they take into account the wellbeing of the child and young person as a whole.”
In Scotland, the Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) approach puts wellbeing at the very heart of its approach. Many visitors to this site will already be familiar with the eight ‘indicators’ of wellbeing that form the basis of GIRFEC – safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included – often referred to as ‘SHANARRI’.
By looking at the ‘whole child’ (or young person), and using these indicators we can all play our part in keeping all our children safe from harm and able to contribute fully to society as they grow up – as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.
As well as my role as Director of Barnardo’s Scotland, I’m also the chair of the Scottish Government’s GIRFEC programme board, which is made up of key senior figures in children’s services across Scotland.
Over coming weeks, members of the Board will blog about what wellbeing means to them, each taking one of the wellbeing indicators as their theme.
We believe that by focusing on the wellbeing of children and young people we can all help to make Scotland the best place to grow up in. We’d like to hear what you think about these measures of wellbeing – please do share your thoughts and views with us here.
Martin Crewe
Director, Barnardo’s Scotland
Related:
Putting children and young people at the centre
Barnardo’s Scotland
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Will the GIRFEC programme board take the SNP to task over its decision to join NATO and and sanction nuclear weapons? Surely such a craven stance, part of the Party's pursuit of the sordid flag of nationalism, contradicts every aspect of GIRFEC? In education we are quite rightly required to support and develop GIRFEC, that has just become even more challenging when the SNP has condemned all Scottish children to the continued threat of nuclear devastation. It will be very upsetting for staff and students alike when teachers have to explain that all the good that GIRFEC is (and will) doing for children is doomed by the actions of the SNP