Renfrewshire Council

Core components of GIRFEC

The GIRFEC approach is based on ten core components and a set of values and principles.

These bring meaning and relevance at a practice level to single-agency, multi-agency and inter-agency working across the whole of children's services. They can be applied in any setting and circumstance where people are working with children and young people.

  1. A focus on improving outcomes for children, young people and their families based on a shared understanding of wellbeing.
  2. A common approach to gaining consent and to sharing information where appropriate.
  3. An integral role for children, young people and families in assessment, planning and intervention.
  4. A co-ordinate d and unified approach to identifying concerns, assessing needs, and agreeing actions and outcomes, based on the wellbeing indicators.
  5. Streamlined planning, assessment and decision-making processes that lead to the right help at the right time.
  6. Consistent high standards of co-operation, joint working and communication where more than one agency needs to be involved, locally and across Scotland.
  7. A lead professional (where necessary) to co-ordinate and monitor multi-agency activity.
  8. Maximising the skilled workforce within universal services to address needs and risks as early as possible.
  9. A confident and competent workforce across all services for children, young people and their families.
  10. The capacity to share demographic, assessment, and planning information - including electronically - within and across agency boundaries.