Getting it right for every child and young person is a national policy to help all children and young people grow, develop and reach their full potential.   Its focus is to improve outcomes for children and their families based on a shared understanding of their wellbeing.

In Aberdeenshire our ambition for our children is clear: we want Aberdeenshire to be the best place in the Scotland for children and young people to grow up. We want them to be loved and cherished, safe and healthy, and to enjoy being young. – It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, after all.

We believe that joining up children’s services – with children’s wellbeing at the heart of that approach – will help us achieve that ambition. That’s where our getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) approach comes in.

GIRFEC isn’t an extra thing people have to do. It’s a way for those who support children to work differently, making sure they are all on the same page. Where needed, GIRFEC links day-to-day work in education, health, policing, social work and the voluntary sector – in fact any public or voluntary organisation whose staff come into contact with children. It makes it easier for those different organisations to communicate consistently with each other, and with children and young people.

GIRFEC provides a structure that helps people to work in the same way, using the same terminology, and allows discussions with the child and their family to focus on what is good in a child’s life, and what might need attention or support.

What is GIRFEC Poster and Leaflet