The Scottish Government launched a public consultation on complaints concerning functions relating to the Named Person and Child’s Plan. The consultation is open until Friday 30 October 2015.

Scottish Government would like to invite you to attend a short workshop discussing the options outlined on the Consultation document on Thursday 1^st October 2015, at Victoria Quay, Edinburgh from 2pm to 4pm.

Please note that spaces for this workshop are limited, and will be given on a first come, first served basis. Please confirm your attendance with Kimberley McGibbon (Kimberley.McGibbon@gov.scot) by 12pm Wednesday 30^th September 2015.

Please visit Citizens Space to view the consultation and how to respond.

The Named Person and Child’s Plan are part of the Getting It Right For Every Child approach and the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.

This consultation document outlines two options for the management of complaints relating to the functions of the Named Person and/or Child’s Plan:

A parent or child will make a complaint to each organisation involved in a matter. This will mean that the complaint is investigated by the organisation or body whose performance is being complained about.
A parent or child will make a complaint to the organisation providing the Named Person or to the organisation acting as the managing authority for complaints made about the Child’s Plan. The complaint, regardless of the number of organisations or issues involved, will be investigated by one point of contact for the parent and child.

If the parent or child is not satisfied with the response to their complaint, and local processes have been exhausted, it is proposed that for both options, they can escalate it to the Scottish Public Sector Ombudsman (SPSO) as an independent arbiter.

These proposals have been developed by the Scottish Government in close partnership with professionals in Health, Education, Social Work and SPSO.