Public and third sector partners have created guides to help voluntary organisations with the implementation of Children and Young People Act
New guides have been created to help voluntary organisations cope with the implementation of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.
The guides, Third Sector Touchpoints, have been made available ahead of the act coming into force in August 2016 and are designed to explain the new duties and responsibilities that will be introduced.
The act will see the Scottish Government introduce a new universal approach to protecting the wellbeing of children in Scotland, and the guides are designed to support those organisations delivering primary prevention services to children, young people and families.
The Scottish Government recognises the crucial importance of the third sector in the design and delivery of services for our children
Aileen Campbell
The guides detail how to assess the wellbeing of a child as well as identifying and recording any concerns.
They also include information on the Getting it right for every child (Girfec) strategy, and best practice for communicating and sharing of information with the new named person service, which will be responsible for ensuring that a every child and young person has a named person responsible for them.
Barnardo’s Scotland, Children in Scotland, the Improvement Service, Voluntary Action Scotland, the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland and Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector (GCVS) produced the guides with support from the Scottish Government.
Ronnie Hill, associate director at the Health and Social Care Alliance, said: “Using these Touchpoints will help voluntary organisations, big and small, to get ready for the launch of Girfec on a statutory basis from next August.”
Jackie Brock, chief executive of Children in Scotland, added: “We want to ensure that the third sector is ready for implementation of the act and the new duties and responsibilities it introduces. But we also want them to understand the opportunities it offers for strengthening connections with other parts of the children’s sector to help ensure children and families get support at the earliest opportunity.”
The guides were highlighted at a recent reception in the Scottish Parliament.
Aileen Campbell, minister for children and young people said: “The Scottish Government recognises the crucial importance of the third sector in the design and delivery of services for our children.
“We therefore welcome the Third Sector Touchpoints as an important part of preparing the voluntary sector for the implementation of the Children and Young People Act.
“The Scottish Government will continue to work with both the public and third sectors to realise the vision of making Scotland the best place in the world to grow up.”
