Policy Unit Briefing Paper 13

Tomorrow’s Future – Building a Strategy for Children and Young People Published by the Children and Young People’s Unit, 22 March 2001.

Overview 1. The Children and Young People’s Unit (CYPU) is based in the DfEE, and works across government. When the formation of the Unit was announced last summer, the Prime Minister gave it a clear remit to support Ministers in developing and articulating the Government’s strategy for services to vulnerable children and young people and promoting the involvement of the voluntary sector to tackle child poverty.

2. This paper sets out ‘plans for a strategy’ and has a foreword signed jointly by , and , indicating the cross-departmental focus of the work. The CYPU will have a clear role in the local and regional context, with a remit to intervene on behalf of its client group, judging the quality and influencing the range of provision, and distributing resources. The Unit’s role in relation to LSCs and their responsibility to assess need is not referred to in the paper, but will need to be considered.

3. The first section of the paper, Children and young people today, outlines the factors that limit the prospects of young people.

4. The second section, Making things better, reviews the wide range of initiatives across government departments in health, social services, housing, sport and culture and describes education policies for different ages. Initiatives such as Connexions, citizenship education, Excellence in Cities, Education Maintenance Allowances and drives towards higher standards are highlighted.

5. The final section Moving forward outlines the plans for development. This briefing paper draws out new initiatives signalled in this section of the paper that are particularly relevant to the Learning and Skills sector.

Moving Forward 6. In July 2000, the Prime Minister set up a dedicated Cabinet Committee for Young People1 together with the CYPU. The remit of the CYPU is to:

1 The Chancellor, Gordon Brown, chairs this committee, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, David Blunkett is vice chair, and Paul Boateng Deputy is the designated Minister for Young People. 1 Policy Unit Briefing Paper 13 - Tomorrow's Future.doc § Take forward the recommendations of the Policy Action Team report2 on young people § Support Ministers in developing, refining and communicating the Government’s overarching strategy for children and young people, promoting dialogue with the voluntary sector on these issues § Join up policy-making across Departments by removing barriers to effective working § Assemble knowledge on children and young people, policies and services for them, good practice, risk and prevention, the implications of gender, ethnicity and disability, and likely future trends in their lives § Develop the Children’s Fund § Support the Minister for Young People in speaking and listening on behalf of Government on youth issues that cut across departmental boundaries § Contribute to the delivery of departmental Public Service Agreement targets on services for children and young people (ie agreements with the Treasury on service outcomes) § Encourage local co-ordination through developing new and rationalising existing plans and partnerships. (3.1)

7. Working closely with colleagues across Government and the voluntary and statutory sector, the new CYPU will promote the engagement of children in their services and communities by:

§ actively seeking and publicising a range of good examples of involving children and young people for incorporation through a new database of good practice

§ developing a Young People’s Advisory Forum made up of 10-17 year olds to advise the Minister for Young People and ensure that we involve young people in our plans to improve policies and services

§ setting up a new internet site that will offer children and young people the chance to offer their ideas about how policies and services should be improved across Government

§ establishing core principles for the involvement of young people in planning, developing and evaluating services

§ engaging children and young people in the development of services under every partnership supported by the Children’s Fund. (3.6)

The Children’s Fund 8. The Children’s Fund is distributed by local partnerships which include – voluntary and community and statutory sectors, children, young people and their families, carers and local people that reflect the local community. Young people must be involved in planning, developing and evaluating services on a sustained basis – this is a core requirement for funding under the £450m Children’s Fund. (3.7)

2 The report can be found on the Social Exclusion Unit website http://www.cabinet- office.gov.uk/seu/2000/pat12/default.htm 2 Policy Unit Briefing Paper 13 - Tomorrow's Future.doc 9. The CYPU will be represented at each of the Government Offices in the regions to work with Children’s Fund partnerships, and to ensure that young people are actively included in the development and delivery of services. (3.11)

10. The CYPU will both steer use of the Children’s Fund and re-focus mainstream and other resource streams in the interests of children and young people. (3.12) It will focus on ‘local reality’ and ‘will identify both the most effective practice and the harshest evidence of what does not work’. (3.17)

11. The report places a great deal of emphasis on the role of the voluntary and community sector – ‘with their freedom to innovate, ability to gain trust, and their support for solutions that come from families and children themselves.’ (3.8)

Tomorrow’s Future – Building a Strategy for Children and Young People and other information about the CYPU is available from the website at http://www.dfee.gov.uk/cypu/

The primary purpose of Policy Unit Briefing Papers is to provide a reliable summary of key proposals and arguments related to the Learning and Skills sector. They provide sufficient detail to make reference to the parent document unnecessary for the average reader, but provide signposts for those who need to explore greater detail. Where appropriate they interpret and comment on trends and implications, distinguishing clearly where the Agency’s voice is expressed.

For further information

Learning and Skills Development Agency Policy and Communications Unit 3 Citadel Place Tinworth Street SE11 5EF

Contacts Caroline Mager, Manager, 020 7840 5329, [email protected] Debbie Dawson, Policy Assistant, 020 7840 5422, [email protected]

3 Policy Unit Briefing Paper 13 - Tomorrow's Future.doc