Cheshire’s Children & Plan Young People’s 2008-2011 Building a brighter future Contents Foreword 4 Section 3 ‘Integration and System Change’ Executive Summary 6 Workforce Development and Reform 61 Joined Up Responses and Processes including Introduction: Common Assessment and ContactPoint 63 The Children’s Trust – Voluntary Community and Faith Sector Development 64 Arrangements for Co-operation, Principles and Priorities 8 Children’s Centres, Schools and Extended Services 65 Cheshire is Changing 10 Developing a joint approach to Commissioning 66 Our Drivers for Change 12 Resources 15 Section 4 ‘Targets and Managing Performance’ Target setting and Performance Management/Reporting 67 Section 1 ‘Introducing our Children Young People and Families’ Acknowledgements Summary of Information about our Children and Young People’s Views and Needs 16 Section 5 ‘Appendices’ Appendix 1 The Cheshire Children and Young People’s Trust 68 Section 2 ‘Our Priorities for Action’ 24 Appendix 2 Mandatory Children’s Plan Requirements 70 Be Healthy 26 Appendix 3 Cheshire Index of Multiple Deprivation 72 Stay Safe 31 Appendix 4 Glossary 74 Enjoy and Achieve 39 Appendix 5 Cheshire Children’s LAA 75 Make a Positive Contribution 47 Achieve Economic Wellbeing 53 Further information For more copies of the Plan or information on any aspect of the contents please contact Rick Howell – 01244 973228 or [email protected] Foreword 156,000 children and young people are growing up in Cheshire, and as Chair of the Cheshire Children and Young People’s Trust (CCYPT) and the Director of Children’s Services, I am proud to introduce this new Plan for them. Joan Feenan In developing this Plan, children and Our existing Children and Young our duty to stay focused on retaining Cheshire County Council young people of all ages have expressed People’s Plan originally spanned a and improving good services and Director of Children’s Services views on what is important to them three-year period until 2009. However, outcomes for our children and young now and in the future. For a great many the now fully established Cheshire people. Within this Plan the Trust has it is simple aspirations for good health, Children and Young People’s Trust saw set out to highlight the needs of our safety, happiness and a promising the development of a new Plan as an most disadvantaged and vulnerable future. Stopping bullying, safe places to important way of marking their children particularly those who are in play and having a real say in decision- commitments and affirming priorities. care or may be most at risk of poor making were also consistently outcomes. The Children’s Trust now comprises important. When we asked them what representatives of all those that have The changes in Local Government they wanted to see changed, the view significant commissioning and delivery do make this a transitional Plan, it the media presents of children and responsibilities for services in Cheshire. offers a blueprint for some of the big young people was high on their list – This Plan, more than any before it, can organisational and process changes, but they want a more positive and balanced say it is a statement of joint shared also seeks to sustain the momentum of representation of all the great things intentions with resonance for everyone change and improvement that has seen that they do. Additionally children, that works with or for children, young many of our children and young people young people and their parents have people and their families. achieving better outcomes and many of told us that they are often frustrated our services recognised nationally and about how organisations don’t work As Local Government in Cheshire regionally for their strong performance. together and that support, information goes through a major change further or advice was either difficult to get or significance is given to this Plan. This is a Plan that sets challenging came too late. We want to respond to On the 1st April 2009 the existing 7 local outcome and improvement targets for these views positively and our Plan Authorities in Cheshire will cease and the next 12 months and alongside that goes some way to addressing their two new Authorities for East and West a joint direction of travel for ‘all’ services concerns and challenges to us. Cheshire will be formed. The Trust has to children and young people for the been explicit that during such next 2-5 years. organisational and political change it is 4 Cheshire Children & Young People’s Trust The commitment: “We believe that all children and young people have the right to be healthy, happy, and safe; to be loved, valued and respected; and to have high aspirations for their future…” Executive Summary – Our vision and commitment We want Cheshire to be a great place for children, young people and their families to live and grow up in – this Plan sets out the collective contribution of the Cheshire Children and Young People’s Trust to achieving that and the commitment shown on page 5: Achieving our vision To achieve this vision, we need to For children that are ‘looked after’ A system will be put in place for the do things differently and this Plan the gap is most stark. next 12 months to make sure that sets out some of the things that we There is recognition in the Plan commitments are carried out and that intend to develop and change. that children and young people our work is having the intended There is not a single solution to need different responses at different impact; many of the targets in this improving outcomes. The actions stages in their lives but wherever Plan will also become parts of other covered are targeted at the different possible the aim has to be to get plans and the majority will need to needs and circumstances of help and support before problems be agreed with Government. children, young people and families; or risks become very established importantly they also focus on how Working together and complex. To date we have we organise our services. The combined spend of those that been quite rigid about how and are represented on the Trust is over Our information is telling us where people can access help: £850 million; this Plan should that while the majority of Cheshire’s this Plan takes a fresh look at where ensure that it is better and more children and young people are support and services are provided effectively spent. At a minimum the doing very well and have improving and proposes new ways of making combined resources of the Trust prospects, a significant number, services and processes simpler and members need to align significantly often living in the most nearer to home. There is particularly against the priorities that they have disadvantaged parts of Cheshire, a changing role for schools, to agreed will have the most impact on are not. Prospects for many of these become more at the centre of their improving outcomes. children and young people, while communities with more effective improving, are not increasing as fast links between them and other The table overleaf sets out the as those for their peers – therefore, children’s services, so that together principal priorities for Cheshire and in spite of improvements, the gap is they can engage parents and tackle those indicators that will form the widening between those with the the barriers to the learning, health basis for the 08/09 Local Area best and poorest outcomes. and happiness of every child. Agreement. Cheshire Children & Young People’s Trust Children’s Trust Priorities Summary Outcome Area Be Healthy Stay Safe Enjoy and Achieve Make a positive Achieve Economic Management Contribution Wellbeing and Process Cross Cutting A) Improving attainment in children and families from low income backgrounds Focus B) Tackling the adverse impact of alcohol on poor outcomes for children and their families Outcome and Teenage pregnancy Reducing levels of Raising achievement Young people’s Full entitlement Workforce Development and sexual health neglect in targeted groups, involvement in to education and development schools and positive activities curriculum – targeting and reform communities and participation as vulnerable young influencers and people decision makers Stopping the rise in Tackling bullying Increasing all children Increasing pro Tackling worklessness Joined up childhood obesity and young people’s social behaviour: in families where there responses opportunities to ensuring children are children including participate in physical and young people processes e.g. and creative activities stay out of trouble CAF and outside school ContactPoint Good mental health Positive choices; Improve Opportunities Reducing Alcohol, Employers’ Voluntary and emotional children, young and Outcomes for Smoking and engagement and Community and wellbeing people and parents Children with Substance use/ support for 14-19 faith Sector stay safe and disabilities misuse developments Development manage risk better. Placement stability Improve Value-Added / Support homeless and Children’s for Looked After progress in all Key vulnerable young Centres and Children Stages people Extended Services Supporting children Excellent Information, Commissioning exposed to domestic Advice and Guidance development abuse Cheshire LAA 1) Obesity in primary school age children in Year 6 2) Young people’s participation in positive activities Targets 3) First time entrants to the Youth Justice System aged 10–17 4) Substance misuse by young people 5) 16 to 18 year olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) 6) Under 18 conception rate Cheshire Children & Young People’s Trust 7 Introduction This Cheshire Children and Young People’s Plan is presented on behalf of Cheshire’s Children and Young People’s Trust (CCYPT). The Trust is a broad coalition of all 1.