Health visiting: action plan 2025 to 2035 (published 26 March 2025): Sets out the Government’s plan to further enhance the delivery of health visiting services (building on the Universal Health Visiting Pathway), in recognition of the vital role that health visiting plays in supporting health, wellbeing and development of all of Scotland’s pre-school children. The core home visiting schedule is set out below and further detailed in Scotland’s Universal Health Visiting Pathway (UHVP) document:

• Antenatal visit (32-34 weeks of pregnancy)
• First Visit (11-14 days)
• 3-5 weeks (visit one)
• 3-5 weeks (visit two)
• 6-8-week visit
• 3-month visit
• 4-month visit
• 8-month visit
• 13-15-month child health review
• 27-30-month child health review
• 4-5-year child health review

Universal Health Visiting Pathway in Scotland: pre-birth to pre-school. The Pathways sets out the minimum core home visiting programme to be offered to all families by health visitors – based on 11 home visits with 8 within the first year of life and 3 Child Health Reviews between 13 months and 4-6 years.  

• See Universal Health Visiting Pathway evaluation – phase 1 (published 21 December 2021) which confirmed that the health visiting service is highly regarded by parents and carers. It also provided evidence that the pathway itself supports the early identification of need (previously not known by other services), the building of positive health visitor/family relationships, and the facilitation of multidisciplinary team working which meets the specific needs of children underpinned by the ‘Getting it right for every child’ (GIRFEC) approach.  

Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) is Scotland’s long standing, national commitment to provide all children, young people and their families with the right support at the right time, so that every child and young person can reach their full potential. It is both an approach and framework - with wellbeing indicators, a National Practice Model, resources, guidance, principles and values - used by services across Scotland. 

Child protection learning and development 2024: national framework (published 1 March 2024). A Framework to support multi-agency learning and development relevant to child protection in Scotland, which can be used flexibly and alongside single-agency frameworks for learning to emphasise the key themes of the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 – updated 2023.

Voice of the Infant: best practice guidelines and infant pledge (published 22 March 2023): The Scottish Government’s Infant Best Practice Guidelines which include a national ‘Infant pledge’ - co-produced for the Scottish Government’s Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board.

Policy: Maternal and child health – aims to ensure that all children in Scotland have the best possible start in life. Sets out numerous policy priorities for improving child development and child and maternal health through the Early Child Development Transformational Change Programme (2023). 

The National Child Protection Guidance in Scotland 2021 – updated 2023 describes the responsibilities and expectations of everyone who comes into contact with children and young people, families and carers.

• In February 2025, an online resource was launched to provide accessible guides for children, young people and families who may become involved in the child protection process. 

Policy: Early education and care - A commitment to providing high-quality, flexible early learning and childcare that is accessible and affordable for all families (including high-quality funded early learning and childcare to all 3- and 4-year-olds and eligible 2-year-olds).

Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017: Sets out targets to reduce the number of children experiencing the effects of poverty by 2030.

Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014: A comprehensive law aimed at promoting, supporting and safeguarding the rights and wellbeing of children and young people in Scotland through early intervention, integrated services and a focus on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.