Olivia

After a morning in the office I went to the Scottish Government.

The first was a lengthy session of the Children's Hearings Improvement Partnership : GIRFEC workstream. The topic was wellbeing (the 2014 Act definition) and welfare (which has been the traditional focus of the children's hearings system where the welfare of the child or young person is paramount.

The need for the discussion was about the emerging statutory guidance on the 2014 Act and what is required for that and the separate practice guidance.

The other meeting was with Olivia McLeod who has recently taken up post as Director of Children and Families in the Scottish Government. Olivia lead the policy areas , one of which "sponsors" CHS and who on behalf of Scottish Ministers hold us to account.

It was good to catch up with Olivia again. I first met her before she first joined the Scottish Government from Whitehall when she came up to learn more about the children's hearings system. While she had a family member involved in supporting the system she was keen to get behind the policy intentions and the impact.

So good to catchup, albeit briefly, and I look forward to working with her in the years ahead.