Assessment of wellbeing - draft statutory guidance: consultation

3 Context

3.1 Taking a holistic view of the wellbeing of children is at the heart of the GIRFEC approach. GIRFEC has its origins in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Children's rights and wellbeing are intrinsically linked and are mutually reinforcing. Where a child's rights have been respected, protected and fulfilled, their wellbeing should improve. Where a child's wellbeing is flourishing, they are better able to enjoy their rights, and defend their rights and the rights of others. The UNCRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world and sets out the specific rights that all children have to help fulfil their potential, including rights relating to health and education, leisure and play, fair and equal treatment, protection from exploitation and the right to be heard.

3.2 The UNCRC general principles of non-discrimination, best interests of the child, right to life, survival and development, and respect for the views of the child, are the overarching rights needed for any and all rights in the convention to be realised, and as such, should be the foundation for any assessment of a child's wellbeing (Safe, Healthy, Active, Nurtured, Achieving, Respected, Responsible, Included: sometimes referred to as SHANARRI). The SHANARRI wellbeing indicators are also informed by the UNCRC rights and requirements. They are overlapping and connect areas that are fundamental to understanding what children need in order to grow, develop and thrive. This rights-based approach emphasises the responsibility of all public services and their partners to respect, protect and fulfil children's rights. Further detail about the UNCRC can be found on Human rights: Children's rights - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

3.3 Taking a holistic view of wellbeing is not a new concept. It has been evolving for a considerable time, and has involved extensive consultation and deliberation. It is right that we should strive for every child's wellbeing to be as good as it can be and there are now widely accepted targets in terms of child health and development. The Act does not, however, specify the level of wellbeing that should be attained by every child or young person. Wellbeing will be relative, and will be influenced by the child's or young person's individual circumstances and what support they get from their family, community and professional services.

3.4 The Act identifies various times when practitioners should undertake a wellbeing assessment using the eight wellbeing indicators set out in section 96(2) based on the considerations set out in section 96(1) of the Act. This part of the statutory guidance sets out what the wellbeing indicators are (section 5 below). These are a component of the model of assessment known as the National Practice Model (section 6 of this guidance). It should be read in conjunction with Practice Guidance 3 – Using the National Practice Model that set out how assessments should work.

3.5 Wellbeing is multi-dimensional. A child's wellbeing in relation to one indicator may impact on, and interact with, their wellbeing in relation to other indicators. A child's achievement in school, for example, is not just affected by experiences at school, it is also affected by their experience of being nurtured, their physical and psychological health, and the extent to which they are accepted as part of the community in which they live and learn.