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Getting it right for every child - GIRFEC

We are committed to the Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) approach. This will make sure all our children and young people get the best possible start in life.

Curriculum for Excellence says that:

Every child and young person is entitled to personal support to enable them to gain as much as possible from the opportunities which Curriculum for Excellence can provide.

We provide personal support in two ways, i.e. as universal or as targeted support. This support is based on changes to one or more of the following:

  • learning and teaching
  • resources
  • staff.

Universal support

All our staff have a duty to identify the support needs of all children and young people, including care and welfare needs. All of us must work with together to put support in place to meet those needs.

Universal support includes support from family, the community and generally available services. This support includes the chance for children and young people to regularly talk about their learning to a key adult. Your child's key adult will know them well and may act as a mentor.

All children and young people are entitled to personal support to allow them to:

  • review their learning and plan for next steps
  • gain access to appropriate learning activities
  • plan for personal achievement
  • cope with change and the choices they have to make.

Young people themselves should be at the centre of this planning, so they are actively involved in their learning and development.

Targeted support

Targeted support is support from specialist services. These can be services based in education or from other agencies, e.g. health or social work. Targeted support allows children and young people to have full access to Curriculum for Excellence.

Targeted support may be required because of your child's:

  • learning environment
  • family circumstances
  • disability or health need
  • social and emotional factors.

We use a staged approach to decide the support needs of your child. You and your child will be involved at all stages of this process.

GIRFEC Practice Model

The GIRFEC Practice Model provides the basis for assessing the additional needs of children and young people. This framework can be used to:

  • gather information and decide if universal support can be improved
  • gather information and assess the need for targeted support
  • review targeted support
  • consider referral for additional resources.

Every member of staff has the responsibility to ask themselves the following five key questions about all children and young people.

  1. What is getting in the way of this child or young person's well-being?
  2. Do I have all the information I need to help them?
  3. What can I do now to help them?
  4. What can my agency do to help them?
  5. What additional help may be needed from other agencies.

Find out more about:

Find out more about the four steps in assessing who needs additional, targeted support.

A Scottish Government guide to implementing GIRFEC. This guide provides more information on the principles and core components of GIRFEC.