Practitioners' guide
The Practitioners' Guide (PDF, 6 MB) provides information, advice and guidance to all staff working with children, young people and their families who may be affected by problematic alcohol and/or drug use. It also includes a list of references and electronic links to legislation, policy, local publications and useful weblinks, and also includes electronic links to Checklists 1 to 9 as further described below.
It is important that you understand the key role you have to play in keeping all children and young people safe from harm and/or abuse.
This Practitioner's Guide and Online Toolkit cannot in itself, protect and/or provide better outcomes for children, young people and families affected by problematic alcohol and/or drug use; however a competent, skilled and confident workforce, focussed on early identification, proportionate intervention, effective support, assessment and care planning can. This Guide and Toolkit aims to support and promote that approach and to support your practice.
In practice, if you are worried or concerned about a child or young person's wellbeing, you should immediately alert your Line Manager/Supervisor.
Toolkit resources
- Practitioners' Guide and Toolkit (PDF, 6 MB)
- Checklist 1: Reflective practice (PDF, 213 KB) - All practitioners and managers in all services and agencies can use this Checklist to reflect on any non-specific early worries or concerns they may have witnessed or identified.
- Checklist 2: Five key GIRFEC questions (PDF, 211 KB) - All practitioners and managers in all services and agencies can use this Checklist to reflect on any non-specific worries or concerns they may have about a child or young person's wellbeing.
- Checklist 3: Early observations of children and young people (PDF, 310 KB) - All practitioners and managers in all services and agencies can use this Checklist to reflect further on any non-specific worries or concerns they may have witnessed or identified from recent contact with and/or observations of children or young people.
- Checklist 4: Early observations of parents and carers (PDF, 302 KB) - All practitioners and managers in all services and agencies can use this Checklist to reflect further on any specific worries or concerns they may have witnessed or identified from recent contact with and/or observations of parents or carers.
- Checklist 5: Further considerations for child and family services (PDF, 256 KB) - All practitioners and managers in children and family services can use this Checklist to reflect further on any specific worries or concerns they may have.
- Checklist 6: Further consideration for adult services (PDF, 265 KB) - All practitioners and managers in adult services can use this Checklist to reflect further on any specific worries or concerns they may have.
- Checklist 7: How I grow and develop (PDF, 461 KB) - All practitioners and managers in all services and agencies can use this Checklist to inform a holistic assessment of the impact of problematic alcohol and/or drug use on a child or young person's wellbeing.
- Checklist 8: What I need from the people who look after me (PDF, 472 KB) - All practitioners and managers in all services and agencies can use this Checklist to inform a holistic assessment of the impact of problematic alcohol and/or drug use on a child or young person's wellbeing.
- Checklist 9: My wider world (PDF, 439 KB) - All practitioners and managers in all services and agencies can use this Checklist to inform a holistic assessment of the impact of problematic alcohol and/or drug use on a child or young person's wellbeing. This is a self-reflective Checklist which can be completed with or without the child or young person and/or their parent or carer.
Other resources
- Getting Our Priorities Right - Recovery in Perth and Kinross
This video highlights the successes of local people recovering from problematic substance use. - Scottish Government (2013) National Guidance - Getting our priorities right (GOPR): Working with children, young people and families affected by problematic alcohol and/or drug use
The purpose of the guidance is to provide an updated good practice framework for all child and adult service practitioners working with vulnerable children and families affected by problematic parental alcohol and/or drug use. - GIRFEC - National Practice Model
The National Practice Model is a dynamic and evolving process of assessment, analysis, action and review, and a way to identify outcomes and solutions for individual children or young people. - GIRFEC - Wellbeing
These are the basic requirements for all children and young people to grow and develop and reach their full potential. They are shown in the diagram which we call the Wellbeing wheel. - GIRFEC - My World Triangle
When working with children or young people, the My World Triangle is used at every stage to think about the whole world of the child or young person. - GIRFEC - Resilience Matrix
The Resilience Matrix is used to analyse information from the My World Triangle and other sources.
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