Introduction
Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) is a national approach developed by the government of Scotland that aims to improve the life and wellbeing of children. It was formed due to the recognition of the fact that it is more effective to help families at the earliest stages, before they are stricken by the crisis (Scottish Government, 2016). The approach is also focused on striving to make childhood a happy period of life and to create an environment that would make young people active learners and effective contributors. The Government of Scotland set up this framework together with Christie Commission. The Commission believes that people should help in the implementation of activities created for their wellness. It also supports a preventative approach to the children that are being at risk looked after.
Part 12 of the 2014 Children and young people Act (CYPSA) formulates this approach, also describing the services that local authorities should make available (Children and young people (Scotland) Act, 2014). It also addresses children with physical disabilities and children referred to the reporter due to certain offenses. The non-statutory guidance concerning the problems of the children looked after is divided into two parts. The first part describes the legal framework, and the second part addressed the relevant services subject to the 2016 Order. Thus, the framework mostly aimed at the prevention of decreasing the quality of life of children to the extent that they should be looked after.
CYPSA
The Children and Young People Act 2014 was issued on 19 February 2014. It is underpinned by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 and follows the same principles (Children and young people (Scotland) Act, 2014). The Act contains 18 parts that describe different issues related to children’s rights. The document places new duties on Scottish Ministers and organizations, which guarantees its implementation. According to the Act, the commissioner for children and young people in Scotland is allowed to investigate the cases concerning the wellness of children. A structure for the integrated planning of children services is established by the Act.
Equality Act 2010 and UNCRC
UNCRC (The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) is a complex framework focused on the protection of children’s rights. It covers the full range of aspects referring to the cultural, social, political, and civil rights of children, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religion, abilities, and other traits. In the field of equality, it has the same basis as the Equality Act 2010, which also addresses the issues of religion, gender, et cetera.
The Act aims to eliminate discrimination and advance equality between people (Equality Act 2010, 2016). In comparison to the GYRFEC, which is a national framework, UNCRC has a larger scale. It addresses, for example, such rights of every child as the right to relax and play, contained in Article 31 of the Convention, and the right to education (The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1992). It also describes the rights not only of the children who are at risk of being looked after, but of every child. The act focuses on the children which are at risk of looking after. It defines the responsibilities of local authorities concerning this issue. It also addresses the Named Person, who should look after the child’s wellness until they turn 18 years old.
Equality Act 2010
Equality Act 2010 contains 16 parts, several of which are dedicated to the issues of education. In the sphere of education, children should be equal, regardless of their ancestry and social status. Part 6 of the Act consists of four chapters: “Schools”, “Further and Higher Education”, “General Qualifications Bodies”, and “Miscellanous”. Thus, the chapters are addressed to the different levels of education and children and young people of different ages. Chapter 6 addresses the harassment and discrimination of the pupils by the administration of educational facilities. It also regards the issues of pupils’ and students’ victimization, which should be excluded. The students should be allowed to use the training facilities of their schools and colleges.
Conclusion
The two frameworks analyzed in this paper refer to the well-being of children. The first one, a Scottish framework called “Getting it Right for Every Child”, is focused on the national problem of the children who are at risk of looking after. It slightly considers the themes of disabled children, being focused mostly on the social factors that lead the child to being looked after. This framework is connected with the GIRFEC approach, which aims to provide a better childhood for Scottish children. As for the second framework, UNCRC, it is more global, as it aims to address the full spectrum of issues related to children’s rights. It is based on Equality Act 2010, which is also a profound document that is concentrated on the themes of equality. This document is more global and universal in comparison with the Scottish Act, as it refers to the problems which are important for the children of all ancestries, genders, religions, et cetera.
Reference List
Children and young people (Scotland) Act(2014). Web.
Equity Act 2010: guidance (2015). Web.
Scottish Government (2016). Children and young people (Scotland) Act 2014: National guidance on Part 12: Services in relation to children at risk of becoming looked after, etc.
UNICEF (1992). The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Web.