Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) policy

Getting it upright for Every Child (GIRFEC) polity hearty Work as a profession is heavily influenced by political rhetoric and ideology albeit in that location has been a shift in governmental philosophy from the beginnings of the profession. Due to Neo-Liberal ideas commonly adopted by the important political forkies in the United Kingdom, favorable give break through assistance are beginning to be based on absolve market principles. Social move and fond care services necessitate seen an increase in privatised quasi markets. The division of the loving doer in all(a) of this is star that endure be contested and is sure not static it is a profession that I be populateve should blast to be diverse and fluid. The purpose of this essay is, to discuss too what ut close to there is a loving endure role beyond the ration of scarce services and managing of poor mess (Ferguson and Lavalette 2013108) This go a musical mode be achieved by looking the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) insurance and what it substance for neighborly workers in a statutory tykerens and families team in the beginning selective service a conclusion. I suppose to highlight the richness of proterozoic hitch as laid out in GIRFEC and what this means for hearty workers. GIRFEC also emphasises the importance of joint up functional and I intend to highlight some of the failings of this and the tensions this creates for affectionate workers on the front line. Finally, I leave alone look at how GIRFEC is being put into practice by drawing on seek from the Institute of Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS) Changing how we work a case study in East Lothian. Firstly, however it is important to briefly explore the beginnings of policy capital punishment and how todays nonindulgence measures effect policy being put into practice.Social work services go back over peerless hundred and 50 years yet it was during the late 1960s that it became appa rent that a material of legislation was strikeed. This resulted in the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. The Kilbrandon composition 1964 was a major driver in this act along with the white wisespaper Social Work and the Community 1966. The Kilbrandon root word called for the institution of childrens hearings and introduced a advanced way of dealing with what were described as children who were in need of compulsory care. (Fabb and Guthrie 2007150) Smith and White (200821) add that the thinking of the Kilbrandon perpetration was strongly educational, reflecting longstanding views that social wellbeing and social cohesion done education should be the ambition of the system. The Kilbrandon report is still one of the most significant policies in relation to social work practice.Ferguson and Lavalette (2013) highlight how asceticism measures and welfare reform mixed with the marketization of social work services is impacting on the social work task. Neoliberalism is an ideology now adopted by the main political parties in the United Kingdom and is a take on classic liberal beliefs much(prenominal) as free trade and the free market (Hoffman and Graham 2009) Neo-liberal theorists recollect that the role of welfare should not lie with the state and they question the need for the majority of publically funded, state delivered, or state regulated institutions that, taken unneurotic, comprise a welfare state. (Ellison 2012) This can be seen in society today in many ways, for casing, with the introduction of universal credit and benefit capping two making an taste to recoil welfare costs. This could also explain the ever growing involvement and persona of the voluntary or third sector in social work services.GIRFEC The aims of the policyGIRFEC was introduced by the Scotch political sympathies in 2008 in an attempt to purify the way in which work is undertaken by professionals working with children and their families. The policy was developed after a string of recommendations and reports surrounding child protection, one of which being Its eachones job to gain sure Im alright Report of the Child Protection Audit and Review(2002 1) which highlighted the importance of a Scotland in which every child matters. Another significant report was my turn to talk? (Scottish Executive 2006), which highlighted that child-related professionals and decision makers across Scotland live both moral and legal obligations to encourage and support childrens participation. I believe that this push for child participation will in turn advance active citizenship for children. From these reports and others it was clear that new policy guidance was necessary and so GIRFEC was adopted. GIRFEC aims to co-ordinate the services children receive as well as managing the trunk in the delivery of these services. The Scottish Governments guide to getting it right for every child (20126) states that it is the bedrock for all childrens services. Putting the ch ild at the centre of the services they receive is high on the schedule throughout and the policy puts a high emphasis on multi-agency working and the importance of earliest intervention. The policy was created in respect to ten middle components and has a strong set of values that were developed from the Childrens betroth 2004 which reflects the voice of children and young people and what they feel they need, and should be able to expect, when they have troubles or are in difficulty and need to be protected. (Scottish Government 2004)The wellbeing wheel, my world triangle and resilience matrix, together known as the National practice model, are assessment tools used within GIRFEC to efficaciously manage and analyse the information required for a childs plan. The wellbeing wheel consists of eight indicators of wellbeing that are the basic requirements for all children and young people to grow and develop (Scottish Government 201210). These are Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured , Active, Respected, creditworthy and Included. (SHANARRI). Deep rooted in this, is the quaternary competences from the Curriculum of Excellence a prosperous learner, a confident individual, a responsible citizen and an efficient contributor. I consider the combination of social welfare and the curriculum for excellence to be a strong indicator for the push for multi-agency work that is evident throughout the policy.GIRFEC A drive for early intervention and multi-agency working and the tensions these bring.Early intervention is one of the key themes running throughout the policy. The Changing Lives Report of the 21st speed of light Social Worker Review illustrates a four tiered move up to early intervention, incorporating the social workers role. (Scottish Government 200631). It stresses how social workers are involved in the early stages of intervention and how as crisis situations develop, other universal services maltreat back. I wonder how involved we really are at tiers 1 and 2 and believe this will vary amidst local anaesthetic authorities.The Scottish Government(200631) state that, social workers have a significant contribution to make at tiers 1 and 2, backing and informing the delivery of services both within social work and across partner agencies. However, McGhee and Waterhouse (20111097) contradict this by arguing thatfor social work, early intervention has taken on a different meaning from that at tiers 1 and 2 early intervention begins at tier 3 and concerns individuals who already present significant exposure and risk and who are beyond the remit and capacity of universal services.This points out that early intervention may frequently be the debt instrument of health professionals and education. However, early intervention at tiers 1 and 2 is perhaps what social work should be about it with its professional values pushing towards social justice. The Highland s children services practice guidance (201311)emphasises the critical p art played by health and education services in supporting the development of all children. Difficulties or concerns are identified at an early stage and steps taken to ensure that additional help is forthcoming when needed. Help is given as quickly as possible and in consultation with children and their families.This backs up what McGhee and Waterhouse argue early intervention is like for social workers their idea that social workers are not involved at tier 1 and 2.Another Key theme to shape GIRFEC is that of the importance of multi-agency working. Although GIRFEC calls for a push towards a better system of multi-agency working it is not something that is new to the literature. (Wilson et al 2011) Multi-agency became high on the political agenda after the close of Victoria Climbie who was slowly tortured to death despite the involvement of four social service departments, three police child protection teams, health agencies and voluntary agencies. (Marinetto 20111164) An inquiry into Victorias death highlighted the breakdown between professional organisations and called for better co-ordination between services and organisations. With the importance of professionals working together and sharing information stressed here it is no wonder that it is such a key feature in policy documents. The principle shtup multi-agency working sounds simple professionals with different backgrounds, from different intellectual disciplines and with different roles work together to provide care and support to service users and people or so them. (Payne 2007146)However, for social workers there are tensions to be considered. Atkinson et al (2005) looks at research carried out into multi-agency working and highlights eight challenges fiscal resources, roles and responsibilities, competing priorities, non-fiscal resources, communication, professional and agency cultures, steering and training opportunities. Some of the problems identified within these areas were that there was no pecuniary support and many workers did not know what was being asked of their individual role between them and the rest of the multi-agency team. There were often different primacies amongst the different professions booster cable to conflict. As a social worker it is imperative that I aim to overcome these tensions and difficulties. In regards to GIRFEC, I expect that the introduction of the named person will help coordinate the multi-agency approach although lack of funding and resources is something that is always deviation to be a threat to the smooth running of a statutory children and families team attempting to work alongside other professionals under the GIRFEC framework.The Audit counsel (20093) states that Effective joint workingneeds active leadership and purposeful relationship management. The report highlights how working together in multi-agency teams is not without risk and that difficulties can tog out if the agencies have not developed effective relationship s. Strong leadership seems to be a key theme throughout the literature. The Scottish Government (2010) states that federation working requires leadership at all levels and across services. In vow to make partnership working effective, leadership needs to be the responsibility of everyone. If this is adopted and everyone is clear on what their roles and responsibilities are it should miscellanea an effective way of working.How can we implement GIRFEC into practice?In October 2012, IRISS worked alongside East Lothian Council to enable them to implement GIRFEC. The sub group working together involved social workers, police, child protection, the third sector, education and health. Collins (2013) states that she hadinitially conceptualised this project as a means to help an organisation reflect on and improve their use of evidence, however, as the project progressed it became evident that the lessons really centred around how a multi-disciplinary team can learn to work together well and change the way they work.So here we have a positive example promoting the practice of multi-agency working, however, arriving at this conclusion was not easy. The study points out that in the beginnings people were reluctant to the prospect of the group We dont dismantle have the same beliefs. (Collins 20135) The next problem to address was that when it came down to it, people didnt fully understand the best way to comprehend GIRFEC- The problem is interpretation of GIRFEC. Some people are putting safe at the top of the pyramid. But safe is not the only thing. It doesnt have to be the most important. (Collins 20137) These difficulties are only to name a few, but as the group moved onward planning strategies were implemented, based comprehensively on reflection which the group named the action research cycle (Collins 201316), with successful results.ConclusionGoing back to Ferguson and Lavalettes quote, it would be ethically undermining to say that social work is about rationi ng limited resources and welfare management and that the GIRFEC policy aims to tackle every aspect of a childs well-being with a multi-agency approach. Although as previously highlighted, the importance of multi-agency working is not new to the literature, within GIRFEC there is a drive for a more effective method in which universal services can work together in partnership with a thrust towards early intervention, although it may be argued that social workers are being locked of this. To an extent, I agree with this and believe that austerity measures are influencing this and together with welfare reforms and an ever growing number of families aliment in poverty then at present social workers roles may be changing but I am uncertain at present as to say to what extent. What I am certain of is that the service users within a statutory childrens and families team will be effected whether it be through the ever increasing cost of aliveness and proportion of them relying on low incom e wages or through local authorities having to cut funding to specialised services and protects.