Whole Family Support

At Children First we know that often the best way to help children is by supporting families.

We want to see more emphasis given to providing help for families at an early stage when they need it, rather than waiting until things have reached crisis point. We want to support children to live with their families wherever possible, and want better support for young carers and those living in kinship care arrangements.

We helped to influence the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act, which created new measures aimed at supporting children, young people and families, and identifying any problems they might face at an early stage. We also called for more and better support for kinship care families, and consulted with both children and adults in kinship care arrangements through the National Kinship Care service before sending on their views to the Scottish Government.

"Rather than waiting until it gets to a crisis, and then somebody might not be able to cope and the child might end up back in care. And that’s where you don’t want it to go.

"You want it to be there for the child and for the family so that you are getting support, and you are getting listened to and it’s not just, oh well, we’ll leave it until it gets to crisis and then it’s like well where do you go from there. Children First seem to be there to try and help at the stage before it comes to crisis.”

Parent, Dalkeith

Whole family support alternative to CAMHS

In East Renfrewshire our Children First family wellbeing model has reduced repeat child mental health visits to GPs by more than 86%, according to an independent evaluation. It found that the service improves mental health and family relationships and eases pressure on NHS and CAMHS. The authors of the evaluation, Iconic Consulting, concluded that the service has made a: “significant difference for children, families and the overall support system” and strongly supports its replication across Scotland.

Helen, a parent, interviewed for the evaluation said:

"If it wasn’t for Children First I don’t think me or my son would be here. He was feeling suicidal. It is a lot better now.”

Children First is calling for urgent, sustainable investment from the Scottish Government to roll out the model nationally, with funding direct to the third sector.