Child Protection Guidance 2021

National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 Part 1: The context for child protection 24 Version 1.0 September 2021 Protection from all forms abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation Participation The Promise: Plan 21-24 – The Promise 10 Principles of Intensive Family Support • holistic and relational • therapeutic • non-stigmatising • patient and persistent • underpinned by children’s rights • community based • responsive and timely • working with family assets • empowerment and agency • flexible Non- discrimination Intensive family support: consensus on effective qualities COVID-19 Children and Families Leadership Group • based on child and human rights • holistic • assets/strength-based/collaborative • build on relationships; build trust and respect • shared understanding, shared aims • agreed approach with families, geared to their needs • flexible and proportionate • prompt and proportionate response to need • consistently accessible, respecting family diversity • continuity and consistency across organisational and sector boundaries • multi-agency and co‑ordinated when needed • ‘community-empowering’ • families can ‘reach in’, not just be ‘referred to’ • available until a family is ready to let go or move on • provided by skilled staff, secure in their contracts • non-stigmatising and non-judgemental • informed by understanding of attachment, trauma, domestic abuse, inequality and poverty • evidence-informed Best interests Family support and child protection. During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, collaborative planning between Scottish Government and stakeholders has included a focus on features of effective family support. These features correlate with principles articulated in The Promise. A summary of these features, and the principles of good family support, has been drafted to assist those who are involved in the delivery and planning of family support at a local or national level. This is due to be published on the Scottish Government website in 2021.