Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) conference takes place in Edinburgh on Friday

A major national conference in Edinburgh will hear that third sector organisations have a key role in ensuring that services for children are planned and delivered effectively.

The Delivering Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) in Partnership conference takes place at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh on Friday.

It will explain how the sector can ensure services for children deliver on a Scottish Government vow to make Scotland the best place to grow up.

The GIRFEC project is a public social partnership between a core group of organisations, Barnardo’s Scotland, Voluntary Action Scotland and Improvement Service with support from other third sector partners including Coalition of Care and Support Providers Scotland.

It will also be said at the conference that although there has been real progress in involving the third sector in planning there is more that can be done to make sure that organisations – large and small – are involved in community planning partnerships and the implementation of GIRFEC.

Whilst there is a great willingness to involve the third sector in community planning processes, there is more that can be done to improve levels of engagement in some areas

Speaking ahead of the conference project director, Maureen McAteer, said the Children and Young People Act provides a huge opportunity to make sure that support to communities is delivered in full partnership with the third sector.

She added: “We know, however, that whilst there is a great willingness to involve the third sector in community planning processes, there is more that can be done to improve levels of engagement in some areas.

“There is a need to increase understanding and connectivity between the public sector and third sector if we are to ensure services are effective at intervening early to promote wellbeing and reduce the negative impact of inequality on all Scotland’s children.”

The project is funded by the Scottish Government.