When is all this going to start?
In some parts of Scotland, children and young people already have a Named Person. It’s expected to be in place across the whole of Scotland by 2016.
Where can I find my Named Person?
If your school already has the Named Person arrangement in place your head teacher or guidance teacher will be able to tell you more.
The Named Person will usually be either a head teacher or a guidance teacher and they are already there to help and support you. The Named Person won’t be a new, different person, it will just reinforce the work a guidance teacher or head teacher already does and make it easier for you (or your family) to get extra help and support if you need it.
It will be up to your school to decide on exactly how things work and to explain this to you.
Where can I find out more about my rights?
Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People is a good starting place.
What if I don’t need any help or support?
Most children and young people get all the love, care and support they need from their families and their wider community.
But you have the right to know that someone is there for you if they need them. And they will also look out for you, and check that things are OK if they have any concerns.
Do you get a Named Person before you go to school?
Yes. Every child from 0-18 gets a Named Person. From birth it’s likely to be the Health Visitor, until they go to school when the role is taken on by a head teacher, depute head or guidance teacher.
What about after you leave school?
If you leave school before your 18th birthday you will still have a Named Person until that birthday. The local authority (council) where you live will be responsible for making the Named Person service available to you, and they will be required to publicise the arrangements they have put in place.
Many school leavers will be in further or higher education, training or employment, and managing other aspects of their lives with the support of family, friends and community resources. If this is the case for you, you will be unlikely to seek assistance from the Named Person service, or be brought to the attention of the Named Person as needing some support for your wellbeing.
However, even if you are managing well, there may be times when you need some additional support which will prompt you, your parents/carers, or a person who has concerns for your wellbeing, to contact your Named Person. Your local authority will need to have arrangements in place to provide general information or advice, to offer support via a local authority service, or to signpost you to other relevant services.
What if I’m already getting help from someone else?
If you’re already getting help and a plan has been written, then your Named Person should know about it and will be helping you too as a ‘partner to the plan’. This means that everyone helping you will work better together as a team with you.
Can people talk about me behind my back and keep records about me?
The whole point of this approach is to involve you in decisions that affect you. There might be some occasions when your Named Person (and perhaps others) need to make a decision for your own safety and protection but in most cases you will be fully involved. And there might be a time when someone else is worried about you and thinks your Named Person should know what’s going on. But they should discuss that with you, so that you should know what’s being said and how it might help you. And they will only share what’s necessary so that you can get the right kind of help.
What is the Children and Young People Act?
The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act is an Act of the Scottish Parliament. It’s a set of new laws that aim to help make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up. The new laws should make sure the Scottish Government and public services (like schools, colleges, health services and the police) keep encouraging and supporting children’s rights. It will also make the public services that support children and young people even better. Almost 2,500 children and young people got involved in telling us what they thought about the suggestions for the new law.
Find out more about the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act