Introduction to the Whole Family Wellbeing Approach
The Whole Family Wellbeing (WFW) approach is designed to support families in Scotland by addressing their unique needs and enabling them to thrive. By creating the capacity for families to engage with holistic early intervention supports which are accessible at the right time, in the right place, the fund aims to reduce inequalities and strengthen families before the need for crisis intervention.
All funded deliveries will work in partnership with families to explore needs in a trauma-informed manner. Upholding the principles of whole family support, which arose from the work of The Promise and embedding family voice around service design, delivery and commissioning.
National framework principles of holistic whole family support
Non-stigmatising
Support should be promoted and provided free from stigma and judgment. Services should be as normalised as accessing universal services.
Whole family
Support should be rooted in GIRFEC and wrapped around the whole family. This requires relevant join-up with adult services across the whole system, place-based, prevention, and addressing inequalities.
Needs based
Support should be tailored to fit around each individual family, not be driven by rigid services or structures. It should cover the spectrum of support from universal services, more tailored support for wellbeing and intensive support (to prevent) and in response to statutory intervention. Families experiencing the most difficulties should be most supported.
Assets and community-based
Support should be empowering, building on existing strengths within the family and wider community. Families should be able to reach out to be offered. Support must be explicitly connecting to locations that work for people and the community, such as schools, health centres, village halls and sports centres.
Timely and sustainable
Flexible, responsive and proportionate support should be available to families as soon as they need it, and for as long as it is needed. Families should have a named person.
Promoted
Families should have easy, well-understood routes of access to support. They should feel empowered to do so and have a choice about the support they access to ensure it meets their needs.
Take account of families' voice
At a strategic and individual level, children and families should be meaningfully involved in the design, delivery, evaluation and continuous improvement of services. Support should be based on trusted relationships between families and professionals working together and should aim to support to ensure targeted and developmental support.
Collaborative and seamless
Support should be multi-agency and joined up across services, so families don't experience multiple 'referrals' or inconsistent support.
Skilled and supported workforce
Support should be informed by an understanding of attachment, trauma, inequality and poverty. Staff should be supported to take on additional responsibilities and trusted to be innovative in responding to the needs of families.
Underpinned by children's rights
Children's rights should be at the forefront through which every decision and support service is viewed.