Policy context

Early Years and Early Intervention

Government in Scotland’s commitment to Early Years and Early Intervention recognises that giving all children the best start in life and improving the life chances of all children, young people and families at risk will make a major contribution to delivering solidarity and cohesion to Scottish society.

The early years are a period of rapid development and have a major influence on the rest of a person’s life. The early years provide the first and best opportunity to set children off on the right trajectory and reduce the need for later interventions that are more costly in both financial and social terms.

Getting it Right for Every Child

Getting It Right For Every Child provides the vehicle for achieving this holistic, child-centred approach. 

The role of the lead professional in facilitating this approach to service delivery will be crucial. Getting It Right For Every Child is a long-term change programme across services to all children whose central aim is to make sure that children are at the centre of thinking and action. 

It aims to improve children and families’ experience by simplifying systems, working together better, providing a better quality of help or intervention, thereby improving outcomes for children and young people. The principle behind it is that universal services should be able to meet most of the needs of most children through high quality support for children, families and communities, but recognising that there are some children who will need input from specialist services on a short-term or long-term basis.

For children who need multi-agency support, that support should be child-centred, joined up and accessible. One lead professional will be identified who will be the child and their family’s guide through the system, ensuring that they receive appropriate, proportionate and timely support. Getting It Right For Every Child will also join up with adult services working with parents to make sure that the child’s needs are not lost in transition.

Information-sharing is central to the success of this work, and systems and protocols are being developed to promote confidence in professionals. This work should underpin the child’s plan, and should encompass all the adults in the child’s world who can contribute to addressing all the child’s needs to help them fulfill their potential.

Within the frameworks of Getting It Right For Every Child and Early Years and Early Intervention, Curriculum for Excellence and Skills for Scotland provide the foundations for all children to achieve successful life outcomes.