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Every child matters: next steps Every child matters: next steps contents
Foreword by the Minister for Children, Young People and Families 3
1 The Consultation 5
2 The Response: The Children Bill 13
3 The Response: Towards a Shared Programme of Change 25
4 The Response: Working in Partnership 37 PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES
Foreword
Since the launch beyond school for young people. A shift to of Every Child prevention while strengthening protection. Matters, last Practical changes underpinned by clearer September, we accountability and partnership. By a cultural have seen the transformation to create more trusting richest and most relationships between frontline professionals significant debate – doctors, nurses, teachers, police and social on children’s workers. A vibrant voluntary and community services for over a generation. sector with new opportunities to be involved I would like to thank everyone who in the design and delivery of services. contributed to the consultation. The response Six months on, we are taking a critical step illustrated the depth and breadth of in delivering this vision through the commitment to putting children first. introduction of a Children Bill. This places The vision we have is a shared one. Every duties on every agency to work together child having the opportunity to fulfil their to deliver common outcomes. It creates a potential, and no child slipping through the statutory basis for partnership working and net. A step change in early years provision, involving all partners, including the voluntary with health, education, and social care and community sector. It addresses Lord closely integrated through Sure Start Laming’s recommendations for clear Children’s Centres. Parenting support leadership and accountability through the embedded at each life stage. Schools that creation of a Director of Children’s Services provide high standards, and a range of and a Lead Council Member for children. It extended services. Multi-disciplinary teams creates a Children’s Commissioner, a based in universal services such as clusters of powerful champion for children to ensure schools or early years settings. More support their views and interests are at the heart of and a wider range of positive activities in and policy making and national debate.
Every child matters – Foreword 3 The Children Bill is the start of a long-term widening the role of the Teacher Training programme but it is vital we make rapid Agency to cover the wider school workforce. progress and build momentum. This requires The Green Paper posed many challenges. a new role for Government in promoting I am enormously grateful for the enthusiastic change. For too long we have focused on and constructive response to our proposals. micro-managing localities through small Over the next few months, we will further budgets and planning regimes. Our role in develop the dialogue with all key partners, making change happen must be primarily so that we can build the strongest possible as a catalyst and enabler. coalition around a shared programme of First, we must sharpen the incentives and change. I believe that this common accountability for improving outcomes. commitment to reform means we can be We will therefore rationalise targets and optimistic that we can together seize this ensure all services are judged on how they once in a generation chance to transform cohere to meet common objectives through opportunities, services and support for a new integrated inspection system. We will children, young people and families. develop greater contestability in service provision and build children’s views into the design, delivery and evaluation of services.
Second, we are combining the tighter Margaret Hodge, accountability for outcomes enshrined in the Minister for Children, Young People Bill with greater freedom over how these and Families. outcomes are met. We are freeing up local practitioners through streamlined performance management, rationalised funding streams, new powers to pool budgets and share information, and tackling unnecessary bureaucratic burdens. Third, we will promote change through actively sharing learning and investing in our workforce. A critical priority is to increase the attractiveness of a career working with children, and improve skills, trust and teamworking. We are therefore announcing a £20 million change programme to support cultural change; creating a Sector Skills Council to bring employers together; and
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The Consultation
1.1 Since we published Every Child Matters emerging from the Government’s current in September 2003, there has been Spending Review. unprecedented public debate about services The Green Paper – Every Child Matters for children, young people and families. 1.3 Our aim is to ensure that every child and This document: young person has the opportunity to fulfil outlines the views that emerged from their potential, and no child slips through the consultation – Chapter 1; 1 net. The Green Paper set out five outcomes provides an overview of the Children Bill which services should work towards, based on and how it addresses key issues raised in consultation with children and young people: the consultation – Chapter 2; being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and describes the first steps we are taking to achieving, making a positive contribution and implement the Green Paper through a economic well-being. Many people and programme of change for children organisations will contribute to these goals: developed and delivered through the from children, young people, parents and broadest possible partnership and on the carers to organisations in the public, basis of a new relationship between the voluntary, community and private sectors. Government and all those concerned – Strong foundations
1 Chapters 3 and 4. 1.4 The Green Paper recognised that we 1.2 We will set out the next phase of the need to build on the strong foundations for programme of change in the autumn, with a prevention we have already laid through: fuller description of the outcomes we all tackling child poverty; want to see children’s services achieve, backed up by the targets and funding
1 This document refers to England only. The equivalent Welsh material is contained the document Children and Young People: Rights to Action, published by the Welsh Assembly Government in January 2004. All references in this document to the legislation put forward in the Children Bill are subject to the usual Parliamentary procedures.
Every child matters: Next Steps – Consultation 5 ensuring children in disadvantaged areas truancy. The voluntary and community have the best possible start in life sector would have a critical role in the through Sure Start Children’s Centres design and delivery of services. Building offering integrated daycare and early on the success of the adoption reforms, learning, health, family and parenting the Green Paper also consulted on support; measures to tackle the recruitment and working to raise primary and secondary retention challenges in foster care, and school standards and increase ensure that foster carers have the skills participation in post-16 learning; and support they need to care for vulnerable children. improving access to primary health care and specialist health services; Early Intervention and Effective Protection: we consulted on measures reducing offending and anti-social to enable children to receive help at the behaviour; and first onset of problems rather than building strong and vibrant communities suffering from delays, duplication and and ensuring that children are safe. being passed between different services. 1.5 Improving outcomes for young people We consulted on measures to improve requires a long-term change in culture and information sharing; establish a common ways of working so that resources are assessment framework; identify lead organised around the needs and aspirations professionals for each case where a child of children and young people. The Green is known to more than one specialist Paper argued that we need to build on the agency; integrate professional working progress already made by focusing action through multi-disciplinary teams on four main areas: responsible for identifying children at risk, and working with the young person and Supporting Parents and Carers: we family; co-locate services in and around consulted on a long-term vision designed schools and early years settings such as to ensure that support for parents, Sure Start Children’s Centres; and ensure particularly at key points in a child’s and a effective child protection procedures young person’s life, becomes routine. across all agencies. This would be through universal services providing information, advice, and Accountability and Integration-locally, support; targeted and specialist services regionally and nationally: we consulted for parents of children who need them; on proposals to create a Director of and compulsory action through Children’s Services and a Lead Council Parenting Orders as a last resort where Member for Children; bring together the parents condone anti-social behaviour or commissioning of key services through Children’s Trusts; and require Local
6 Every child matters: Next Steps – Consultation Authorities to work closely in partnership Government was rightly giving children’s with other public, private and voluntary services a high priority and that the basic sector organisations, with a specific focus approach within the Green Paper was on child protection through Local correct. In particular consultees welcomed Safeguarding Children Boards. the emphasis on: We recognised that integration locally the importance of describing a positive needed to be supported by national and set of outcomes that children, young regional changes to ensure a more people, families, communities and coherent system for the promotion of professionals can work towards; opportunities and services for children. the need to ensure targeted services are Building on the bringing together of embedded in universal services so that a responsibilities under a Minister for more graduated response can be provided; Children, Young People and Families, we the importance of organising services proposed changes to rationalise targets, around the child, young person or family plans, and funding streams and create an rather than existing professional integrated inspection framework. To functions; ensure children’s and young people’s views are championed effectively, we the need for a much stronger focus on proposed the creation of a Children’s supporting parents and families, and the Commissioner. need to value and support foster carers more effectively; Workforce Reform: we proposed the development of a pay and workforce the need to intervene earlier through strategy to address recruitment and better information sharing, a common retention within the children’s workforce, assessment framework, lead and improve its skills and effectiveness. professionals, multi-disciplinary teams, We proposed to lead this reform by and the co-location of services through creating a Children’s Workforce Unit extended schools, Sure Start Children’s within the Department for Education and Centres and other community sites; Skills, and bring employers together the need to ensure clear accountability through a Sector Skills Council for and better integration between all Children and Young People. services working for children and young The Response from Consultation people; 1.6 Overall, the consultation responses the need for fewer but more coherent showed a strong endorsement of the aims national targets and standards which and vision behind the Green Paper. There are common across services, an integrated was an acknowledgment that the
Every child matters: Next Steps – Consultation 7 YOUNG PEOPLE’S VIEWS “I like the idea of schools being more open and being used by the whole community. I think the youth and the rest of the community are separated and need to be more involved and know more about what is going on. This applies to the community knowing about what the school is doing and the schools knowing about what is going on in the community.” [Lisa 16-18]
“It should be more easier to talk to your local council or social services because some families might need something really soon but they have to wait and wait, by the time when someone will listen it’ll be too late.” [Rebecca, under 16]
“Schools don’t do much about living independently, just homework and GCSEs” [Natasha, under 16]
“I think that by integrating social services with all families in schools it will help to remove the stigma attached to meeting ‘social services’. Also I feel that by offering interviews at school with social service workers, parents will find it easier to contact social services in problem times” [Jonathan, 16-18]
“I think that when a child is in big danger of some sort and services think they can help by talking without them is when it [information sharing] should happen.” [Tilly, 16-18]
“One person between all them services to link all their clues about that person and to discover what is happening.”[Victoria, under 16]
“Sort out decent pay. Run introductory courses for people to get a feel for different professions first. Within school, have lessons to learn social skills like listening, problem sharing and solving – how to react to dysfunctional family situations etc.” [Abi, under 16]
inspection framework and a rationalisation the importance of distinguishing of funding streams and plans; between the needs of young people and the need to ensure children and young of children, and ensuring diverse interests people’s voices are heard and they are in terms of age, gender and background involved in the design and delivery of are represented effectively; services, including through a Children’s Commissioner;
8 Every child matters: Next Steps – Consultation the importance of radical workforce would take years to filter through. reforms to address recruitment and Resources were felt to be needed for: retention, and to improve skills, team- information sharing, support for parents, working and trust across professionals enabling schools to become extended or and communities. full services schools, enabling localities to 1.7 There were also several key areas of manage the costs of institutional change; concern, in particular: and workforce reforms to address workload, pay and training. we should be more ambitious in engaging the full span of those 1.8 ‘Youth Justice – the next steps’ was involved with children, young people published alongside the Green Paper ‘Every and families. In particular, ensuring that Child Matters’. The responses were broadly the voluntary and community sector, very supportive of the general approach. In health services, schools and the police particular there was support for: are fully involved; making more use of pre-court with such a complex and ambitious interventions with young offenders; agenda, local flexibility would be the whole-family approach and involving essential to reach the best local solutions. local communities; While there was widespread agreement the proposals to provide robust that clearer accountability and more sentences served in the community, robust integration are required in order reducing the use of custody for children to respond effectively to the and young people. recommendations of the Victoria Climbié 1.9 Several areas of concern were raised by Inquiry Report, many respondents felt respondents including: that the proposals to implement a Director of Children’s Services and a the welfare of the child should be an Children’s Trust required both greater integral part of the Youth Justice System. clarity about their purposes and greater Some respondents felt that steps should flexibility to cater for local circumstances; be taken to ensure full compliance with the United Nations Convention on the change would have to be supported by Rights of the Child; effective and efficient investment. Many respondents argued that the proposals in ‘Youth Justice – the next steps’ had been the Green Paper could not be delivered published separately from ‘Every Child without extra resources. While there Matters’. Young offenders should not be would be some savings through more seen differently from those with other integrated assessment and social care needs; commissioning, the biggest dividends
Every child matters: Next Steps – Consultation 9 comparatively high numbers of young 1.13 In taking forward the programme of people were still held in custody; change we are aiming to address the key additional resources would be required points raised in consultation: to implement the new proposals. the legislative and policy framework will 1.10 The full consultation analysis including aim to harness the contribution of all a young people’s version and a response to services, in particular, health services, the ‘Youth Justice – the next steps’ is available at police and the voluntary and community www.dfes.gov.uk/everychildmatters sector, through new duties on key agencies to work together to improve Conclusions the well-being of children and in 1.11 The consultation demonstrated the particular to safeguard children and enthusiasm across sectors for the aims set promote their welfare. The statutory out in the Green Paper of ensuring that every guidance relating to the duty to co- child and young person has the opportunity operate will ensure the full involvement to fulfil their potential, and that nobody falls of the voluntary and community sector in through the net. auditing local needs and in the 1.12 There is a strong consensus in support commissioning and delivery of services; of profound change in the cultures and the new Director of Children’s Services practices of working with children towards a will have a key role to play in shifting the system organised around children, young cultures and practices required to organise people and families with a sharper focus on services around children and young prevention and early intervention. The people. Putting children and young challenge now is to develop a shared people first will involve stepping beyond programme of change which harnesses the organisational boundaries and focusing distinctive contributions and values of resources jointly on serving children well. children, young people and families, and the However, we recognise the concerns in public, private, voluntary and community relation to local flexibility. Chapter 2 sets organisations that serve them. This must be a out more details on how we are ensuring long-term programme of change and should a balance between the national legal embed new principles and relationships framework and local flexibility. across the whole system – between the As part of the 2004 Spending Review, we centre and localities, between sectors and will be reviewing long-term targets and between children, young people and families funding. In recognition of the need to and service providers. support change management, we have identified £20 million in 2004–05 to support localities in taking forward the
10 Every child matters: Next Steps – Consultation Green Paper agenda. Following earlier 1.15 Chapter 2 seeks to explain and put increases in local authority funding, the into context the core legislative changes 2003 Pre-Budget Report announced an contained in the Children Bill. Chapter 3 sets additional £340 million for Revenue out the vision reflecting points raised in the Support Grant to support local authorities consultation, and the first steps in driving in improving public services in key areas forward a programme of change. Chapter 4 without excessive rises in Council Tax. examines the potential role and contribution Children’s services were among these: of different sectors and organisations, the Pre-Budget Report specified that the including the voluntary and community money would in part be used to enable sector, schools and health bodies. local authorities to ‘make progress on the 1.16 We plan a further update this autumn, objectives in the Green Paper to protect a year after the publication of Every Child all children and ensure every child has Matters, to include details of a jointly owned the best start in life’. strategy by the Department for Education 1.14 This document describes the next and Skills, the Department of Health and steps towards a shared programme of other Government departments to support change for children and represents work in the implementation of the Green Paper and progress. The document does not respond the Children’s National Service Framework. to all the points raised in consultation. There In shaping the programme of change, we are areas where decisions and commitments will want to build on the commitment cannot be made until after the Spending demonstrated through the consultation, Review is completed later this year. This and engage in a continuing discussion with document therefore answers some children, young people, families, and all questions, while leaving others open for those who work to support them. further dialogue.
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The Response: The Children Bill
2.1 This chapter gives an overview of the clear, shared outcomes across services legislation, and explains how the new embedded in legislation; Children Bill reflects the points raised in an independent champion for the views consultation. It should be read alongside and interests of children who will report the explanatory notes that accompany the on how these outcomes are changing; 2 Bill. The ultimate content of the legislation robust partnership arrangements to is subject to the usual Parliamentary ensure public, private, voluntary and procedures1. community sector organisations work 2.2 The Children Bill is the first step in a together to improve these outcomes; long-term programme of change. It creates a tighter focus on local arrangements for the legislative spine for developing more child protection; effective and accessible services focused around the needs of children, young people clearer accountability for children’s and their families. In response to services; consultation, it aims to promote and enable a new integrated inspection framework change to secure better outcomes for to ensure services are judged on how children, young people and their families in they work together effectively to achieve the light of local circumstances. better outcomes and to promote 2.3 The Bill puts improving children’s well- continuous improvement, with being at the heart of our policies by creating: intervention powers in areas falling below minimum standards;
1 The Children Bill and explanatory notes can be found on the Parliament website www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/pabills.htm
Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: The Children Bill 13 a legislative basis for better sharing of 2.6 The Bill does not propose that the information, and other detailed measures Commissioner should pursue individual to improve services. cases but gives the Commissioner the power Clear, shared outcomes across services to review complaint procedures and to carry embedded in legislation out inquiries into cases of particular national importance as identified by the Secretary 2.4 Consultees stressed the importance of of State. having common agreed outcomes across services that work with children. The Bill 2.7 The Commissioner will need to maintain therefore embeds, as the purpose of a regular dialogue with children and young partnership working, the five outcomes on people and those who represent them. The Bill which we consulted children and young requires the Commissioner to involve them in people: their physical and mental health; his or her work, with a particular focus on protection from harm and neglect; education disadvantaged and excluded children. We and training; their contribution to society; intend to ensure children and young people and their social and economic well-being. are involved in the recruitment of the Commissioner. An independent champion for children 2.8 The Bill requires the Commissioner to 2.5 The proposal for a Children’s report annually to Parliament through the Commissioner for England to report on how Secretary of State. The Commissioner also children’s outcomes are improving was widely has the function of reporting to Parliament welcomed. Consultees also argued that the on issues that are not handled by the Commissioner should have a specific remit in devolved administrations and is required to relation to the United Nations Convention on work closely with, and consult the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Part 1 of the Commissioners in the devolved Bill establishes a Children’s Commissioner to administrations. represent the views and interests of children and report to Parliament on progress against Ensuring broad local partnerships of the outcomes for children and young people. interest to improve the well-being of The Commissioner will be free to report on children and young people any issue of concern, not just in relation to 2.9 Consultees stressed the necessity of services provided by the public sector, but on broad local partnerships – local authorities other areas which touch children’s lives, such working closely with the public, private, as the media, and commercial organisations. voluntary and community sectors, and with We recognise that the UNCRC provides an children, young people and families. important context for the Commissioner’s 2.10 Part 2 of the Bill therefore requires work, and the legislation makes clear that the Local Authorities to make partnership Commissioner can have regard to the UNCRC. arrangements with key partners and other
14 Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: The Children Bill relevant agencies, including the voluntary delivery and integration of services, and community sector, in order to improve as appropriate. the well-being of children in the area. 2.12 We will recommend that local Reciprocal duties to co-operate in these authorities ensure that children, young arrangements are placed on the Police, people and their families, schools and health bodies, the Probation Service, communities have a strong voice in these Connexions partnerships, the Learning and discussions. Skills Council and, where relevant, district Safeguarding Children councils. The Bill deliberately steers clear of specifying a name or organisational title for 2.13 The Bill sets out new duties to ensure these arrangements, to give authorities that child welfare is highlighted in the work of maximum flexibility. Where Children and all relevant agencies and in the way in which Young People’s Strategic Partnerships already they work together in practice locally. exist, sometimes as a sub-set of Local 2.14 The Bill places a duty on key statutory Strategic Partnerships, it will be most sensible agencies to discharge their normal functions for authorities to build on those having regard to the need to safeguard and arrangements. They may also want to promote the welfare of children. They must incorporate the Early Years Development and also ensure that the same approach is Childcare Partnerships that are required by followed by any other body providing law and other partnerships that are services on their behalf, for example, General appropriate locally. Practitioners (GPs) providing services on 2.11 We plan to explain in statutory behalf of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). This guidance (issued jointly by all relevant parallels the duty that the Education Act 2002 Government Departments) that these s.175 placed on Local Education Authorities partnership arrangements should: and on school and college governing bodies (the Government is currently consulting on identify the needs, circumstances and guidance, prior to implementation of this aspirations of children and young people; duty.) agree outcome goals and priorities for 2.15 Consultees welcomed the proposal to children and young people locally; improve arrangements for safeguarding agree the contribution each agency children and young people by creating should make to meeting these goals, statutory boards to replace the non-statutory including through the effective sharing of Area Child Protection Committees. The Bill information at a strategic level and about requires each Local Authority to establish a individual children and young people; statutory Local Safeguarding Children Board, oversee arrangements for agencies the purpose of which is to co-ordinate and to work together in the commissioning, ensure the effectiveness of local
Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: The Children Bill 15 arrangements and services to safeguard 2.17 We would expect the Director of children, including services provided by Children’s Services to chair the Board unless individual agencies. This will mean analysing it is considered more appropriate locally to current arrangements, identifying any have an independent chair. The Director of improvements needed and agreeing how Children’s Services will have overall agencies will work together to achieve these accountability to the Local Authority which is improvements, including commissioning any ultimately responsible for ensuring adequate services through the Children’s Trust and safeguarding arrangements. identifying training needs. Boards will both 2.18 The Director of Children’s Services will inform and be informed by the wider work closely with partners on the Local discussions with local partners on children’s Safeguarding Children Board to ensure all well-being. Their work will be underpinned members are delivering their statutory duties by the requirements on individual agencies on safeguarding. Where the Director of to have regard to safeguarding and Children’s Services or another partner does promoting the welfare of children. not believe a partner is playing their part in 2.16 The core Board partners prescribed delivering adequate safeguarding by the Bill are: local authorities, NHS bodies, arrangements, disputes can be resolved by the Police, local probation boards, the involving the performance management or Connexions Service, local prisons, Young scrutiny body of the relevant organisation. Offender Institutions, the Children and If concerns remain, the Inspectorates can Family Court Advisory and Support Service be invited to provide an independent (CAFCASS) and district councils, where assessment and develop an improvement relevant. The Bill enables core partners to plan. If the local partners do not comply with contribute to the Board’s expenses. The the recommendations, any member of the legislation provides for other agencies, Board, or the performance management including local voluntary and community body can refer the case to central sector agencies to be represented on the Government. The relevant Secretary of State Board. Regulations will enable the Secretary may then direct the member of the Board to of State to set out the functions of the Board, comply with the recommendations of the such as the review or investigation of cases, Inspectorate. and set out the means by which the Commissioning children’s services and functions will be delivered, for example, the development of Children’s Trusts to ensure that Board partners can be 2.19 Consultation responses asked for represented in a manageable way rather clarification of the role of Children’s Trusts than all partners needing to attend all and some suggested evaluating the current meetings. pilots before national roll-out. Following
16 Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: The Children Bill consultation, we have refined our definition 2.22 The Children’s Trust will involve other of Children’s Trusts, and the timetable for organisations that do not pool their budgets implementation. in a non-executive capacity. This may be part 2.20 The primary purpose of a Children’s of the arrangements to promote co- Trust is to secure integrated commissioning operation with, and involve, other leading to more integrated service delivery stakeholders including the voluntary and and better outcomes for children and young community sector and children and young people. Children’s Trusts will be formed people. through the pooling of budgets and 2.23 Children’s Trusts will typically sit at the resources across the Local Education upper tier level but may want to tailor their Authority, children’s social services, structures to local circumstances. For Connexions, certain health services, and instance, the Trust may decide to where agreed locally, Youth Offending commission some services at a strategic level Teams. An agreement under section 31 of on an upper tier basis while other services the Health Act 1999 or the new budget may be devolved down to smaller areas, pooling power in the Children Bill is needed such as clusters of schools, or district council to formalise and strengthen involvement in or individual Primary Care Trust level. the partnership, with appropriate Alternatively, they may want to contract governance arrangements. A Children’s Trust with a cluster of schools to commission and will not necessitate structural change or staff deliver services in an area. transfers. If localities want to transfer staff or 2.24 The Bill does not create Children’s create new legal structures this is entirely a Trusts as statutory organisations but it does matter for local discretion. encourage and facilitate their development. 2.21 Children’s Trusts will be based in local Statutory guidance will make clear that, for government but engage a wide range of the Local Authority, Primary Care Trust and partners, including voluntary and community Connexions, we expect local cooperation to sector organisations, in a visible, transparent include consideration of joint commissioning and outward-looking way of working. The of children’s services, involving voluntary and Children’s Trust will decide how best to community sector bodies and Youth spend pooled budgets to secure the most Offending Teams, where appropriate locally. effective integrated delivery of services, There is a new enabling power for partners based on the overall vision agreed by all to pool budgets and resources, thus partners in the local area, and will enabling broader pooling arrangements than continuously monitor and review S31 of the Health Act 1999, which underpins performance. The Children’s Trust may also existing Children’s Trusts. Guidance will commission services on behalf of the Local reinforce good practice on commissioning Safeguarding Children Board.
Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: The Children Bill 17 and ensure a level playing field for all sectors lead in developing a combined action plan in line with the Best Value approach. in response to the integrated inspection 2.25 We are recommending that most areas reports. should have a Children’s Trust by 2006 so 2.29 The Bill allows wide flexibility in the that there is a strong foundation of learning way authorities construct the Director’s role. in place to allow all areas to have one by Functions: the Bill specifies that the 2008. This will not be a matter for legislation. Director should cover as a minimum Director of Children’s Services the functions relating to children and 2.26 A key aim of the Bill is to ensure proper young people that currently fall to accountability and more robust integration Chief Education Officers and Directors of of services. Consultees endorsed the view Social Services. Legislation will provide that a key test of reform will be stronger for adult social services to continue to accountability for outcomes and better be led by a Director and nothing in our leadership to ensure services cohere around proposals will diminish this important the needs of children and young people. role. Statutory guidance will confirm that authorities will be free to decide whether 2.27 However, there were concerns that our to add adult education, adult social reforms needed to build in sufficient flexibility services, housing, leisure or other services to cater for local circumstances and enable a to the Director of Children’s Services’ sensible transition timetable for new brief. arrangements. Level: the intention behind the 2.28 We have therefore refined our legislation is to create a Director of proposals to ensure we get the right balance Children’s Services at Chief Officer or between national standards and local Deputy Chief Executive level. Local flexibility. The Bill requires local authorities to authorities will want to consider carefully appoint a Director of Children’s Services to how this role should be constituted. ensure clear accountability across the The legislation does not rule out the children’s services functions of the Local possibility of a Chief Executive Authority. Guidance will highlight the key discharging this role alongside his or role we expect the Director will play in her other duties. The feasibility of this leading transformational change across local approach will depend on whether a services. The Director might chair the local Chief Executive is able to give a personal Children’s Trust and will have overall focus to children’s services, and may, for accountability to the Authority for their Local example, be appropriate as a transitional Safeguarding Children Board, whether or not arrangement. Integrated inspection will he or she chairs that Board. We would expect be the test of whether any such the Director of Children’s Services to take the
18 Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: The Children Bill arrangements are securing the for Children’s Services. This was welcomed necessary outcomes for children. by consultees. Flexibility over structures to support 2.31 The Bill requires a lead member to be Director: it will be for authorities to appointed in respect of the same span of determine what organisational structures children’s services as the Director of will be needed and how delegation and Children’s Services to strengthen line management responsibilities should accountability at a local political level. As operate in support of the Director. The with the Director of Children’s Services, it will legislation does not say how the be for local authorities to determine the Director’s functions are to be discharged. precise role of the Lead Council Member. A Director at Chief Officer level could, for Guidance will provide examples of how the example, be supported by separate posts role might operate including an expectation for school improvement and/or child that the Lead Council Member should have a safeguarding. Guidance will ask local particular focus on child protection. authorities to consider what sort of Integrated Inspection Framework organisational structure is needed to 2.32 The consultation endorsed the support the Director. The test will be establishment of integrated inspection whether outcomes for children improve, arrangements and the Bill requires Her as monitored through the normal Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools, in assessment arrangements and the new consultation with other inspectorates and integrated inspections. involving key stakeholders, to develop and Timescale: the Bill will not set a deadline publish a Framework for Inspection of for appointments but Ministers will be Children’s Services. The purpose of the monitoring progress and will consider in Framework is to ensure that inspections, the light of progress when the reviews or investigations that relate to requirement should take legal effect. children’s services properly evaluate and The expectation would be that most report on the extent to which children’s areas should have a Director of Children’s services improve the well-being of children Services by 2006 and all by 2008. and young people. Lead Council Member 2.33 The Bill enables the Secretary of State 2.30 Local Councils have a key role in to make Regulations requiring two or more engaging local communities to improve Inspectorates to carry out Joint Area Reviews children’s services. The Green Paper argued of local authority areas. Reviews will be that children’s services should also be conducted in accordance with arrangements highlighted at local political level through made by the Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of the identification of a Lead Council Member Schools. Reviews are designed to bring
Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: The Children Bill 19 together relevant inspectorates to consider still available. New powers of direction would evidence under the Framework and produce only be invoked where absolutely necessary. a report that evaluates the extent to which Sharing Information children’s services together improve the 2.36 Consultees were supportive of the well-being of children and young people in proposals to improve and support an area. information sharing. The main barrier 2.34 The Commission for Social Care identified to sharing information about Inspection (CSCI), together with the children identified was concern about Commission for Healthcare Audit and confidentiality and the impact of data Inspection (CHAI), the Audit Commission protection legislation. Many stressed the (AC) and other relevant Inspectorates, will need for a national lead on standards and have key roles working closely with the system design. Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) 2.37 The Children Bill provides the in developing the Framework for integrated framework for the establishment of inspection and in carrying out Joint Area information sharing systems to ensure that Reviews. The Bill provides for inspectorates practitioners are able to provide children and to co-operate with each other, for example, their families with the help and support they through sharing information; the scheduling need at the earliest opportunity. This links and co-ordination of inspection activity; and directly to the co-operation duties on local the delegation of functions amongst authorities, other bodies and individual themselves. service providers and to the duties to Intervention Powers safeguard and promote the welfare of 2.35 The Bill creates new intervention children that are placed on agencies under powers in relation to children’s social services this Bill and on Local Education Authorities, to bring them into line with those relating to schools and colleges through the Education education services. The intervention process Act 2002. itself will build on the experience of the 2.38 The Bill enables the Secretary of State various Inspectorates and Government to require, through secondary legislation the Departments. The intention will be to establishment of databases containing basic suggest and where possible agree tailored information about all children. The secondary solutions with local authorities. Other legislation would be subject to an Departments and Inspectorates will be “affirmative resolution” procedure which involved as necessary. This will ensure we means that it would have to be explicitly draw on relevant expertise and take a agreed by Parliament before it could take proportionate and co-ordinated approach. effect. Databases might be set up at a local, All previous approaches to intervention are regional or national level. The purpose of the
20 Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: The Children Bill databases would be to facilitate the sharing will have to give particular attention to the of information between providers of educational implications of any decision children’s services about the children they about any child they are looking after. are working with, in order to safeguard their That might mean for instance organising a welfare and promote their well-being. suitable school placement at the same time 2.39 Regulations and guidance will set out as arranging a new care placement. the operational details of databases. These 2.42 In support of this duty, the Bill allows will include the technical specifications, for the collection of data on the educational arrangements to ensure the databases are qualifications achieved by looked after secure and any provisions for the transfer of children and children in need. Information information. They will also set out the collected on these children will in future be information that will be held, for example linked to the National Pupil Database (pupil basic data1 and practitioner contact details characteristics matched to their academic where any specialist services are being achievements) to allow for more provided to a child. sophisticated analysis and monitoring of 2.40 Decisions on the detail of the their educational attainment. Regulations and guidance including the Private fostering geographical level at which databases are to 2.43 The Bill makes provision for new be set up – have yet to be made, and will measures to strengthen the existing Children draw on the work of the Identification, Act private fostering notification scheme. Referral and Tracking (IRT) Trailblazer local The Bill contains a power to enable a authorities on independent technical advice registration scheme for private foster carers and feasibility work. We would therefore to be established in the event that the urge local authorities not to rush into strengthened notification scheme is found decisions on IT investment at this stage. wanting. This power will cease if not used Other Supporting Measures within four years of Royal Assent. Duty to promote the educational 2.44 The new measures to strengthen achievement of looked after children the notification scheme mean that local 2.41 The Bill gives effect to the proposal in authorities will be required to raise Every Child Matters to give local authorities awareness amongst their local communities a specific duty to promote the educational of the need to notify private fostering achievement of looked after children. arrangements to the Local Authority; to The new duty will mean that local authorities check a private fostering arrangement before a child is placed in it, where advance notice
1 Including name, address, date of birth, person with parental responsibility, educational setting, GP and unique identifying number.
Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: The Children Bill 21 is given; and to monitor closely the It also extends the maximum duration of the operation of the notification scheme locally, order to twelve months in normal with a view to ensuring that it complies with circumstances. existing and new duties, and to appoint an Grant-making powers officer for that purpose. 2.48 The Bill makes changes to existing 2.45 These new measures will be grant making powers to ensure they allow underpinned in Regulations and guidance for payment of grants across the range of making clear that the general duty of children, young people and families’ services. co-operation between agencies includes Adoption panel co-operation in relation to private fostering; conferring on Local Safeguarding Children 2.49 The Bill makes a technical change to Boards a function to ensure inter-agency the Adoption and Children Act 2002 to allow co-operation in the safeguarding of children for members of panels established under the who are privately fostered; and ensuring that Independent Review Mechanism to be paid the new inspection regime covers the a fee – in line with similar provision for effectiveness of inter-agency co-operation members of adoption panels. on private fostering. Registration of childcare workers Child Safety Orders 2.50 The Bill and the associated schedule 2.46 The Child Safety Order allows amend the Children Act 1989 to allow the intervention to address the behaviour of childcare registration authorities in England children under 10 engaged in anti-social and Wales to adopt a more effective behaviour or what would be offending approach to certain aspects of the regulation behaviour if they had reached the age of of day care and childminding. In particular criminal responsibility. the changes will: 2.47 The Bill amends the Child Safety Order clarify the enforcement options for the provisions so that the action taken when the registration authority; terms of the Order are breached is more simplify the registration procedures, appropriate, specifically removing the including fees. current power to make a care order at a Application in Wales lower threshold than would be usual under the Children Act 1989 as a sanction for 2.51 The provisions in the Children Bill relate not complying with the Child Safety Order. to devolved issues, and so will apply in It enables the Court to make a Parenting England only, except where the National Order where a child has not complied with Assembly for Wales have asked for provisions the Child Safety Order, if the usual conditions also to apply in Wales. For some provisions are met and if it has not already made one. the Assembly is taking a similar but slightly
22 Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: The Children Bill different approach to reflect the differing an additional provision requires the circumstances and organisational structures nomination of a lead executive and non- operating in Wales. These are explained in executive director for Local Health Boards Part 3 of the Bill. In particular: and NHS Trusts in Wales. This would the Assembly will require the nomination mean a senior official and a Board of a Lead Director for Children and Young member being a nominated lead on People’s Services rather than the children and young people’s health appointment of a single Director of services. Children’s Services; 2.53 Part 4 of the Bill provides for the primary legislation takes the same duty to devolution of CAFCASS Cymru to the co-operate, but statutory guidance will National Assembly for Wales. implement the duty in a way that fits with the way services are organised in Wales – this will involve putting their three existing partnerships for children and young people on an equivalent footing;
Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: The Children Bill 23 PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES
The Response: Towards a Shared Programme of Change
3.1 This chapter describes Be healthy: enjoying good physical and Our vision for children’s services – to mental health and living a healthy 3 improve outcomes by giving every child lifestyle; the opportunity to develop their Stay safe: being protected from harm potential, spotting any problems early and neglect and growing up able to look and handling them more effectively. after themselves; Our vision for change right across the Enjoy and achieve: getting the most out system of children’s services – by of life and developing broad skills for sharpening the focus on outcomes, adulthood; increasing flexibility over how localities Make a positive contribution: to the use resources to achieve results, and community and to society and not investing in change management, engaging in anti-social or offending culture change and workforce reforms. behaviour; Vision Achieve economic well-being. 3.2 We have consensus around the 3.3 While the majority of children and outcomes we seek for children and young young people enjoy better education, health, people as they themselves define them. We and opportunities than previous generations, want to help all children and young people too many underachieve, are exposed to to: crime, abuse and neglect, or suffer from physical and mental health problems.
Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: Towards a Shared Programme of Change 25 3.4 Many children, young people and their interventions to a more consistent offer of families want and deserve a better deal. parenting support throughout a child and Children and young people want to feel young person’s life. We will work towards a listened to and respected. They want services mix of universal and targeted parenting that adapt to their needs, talents and approaches including advice and circumstances. They want society to value information, home visiting and parenting children and the experience of childhood classes. Support should be accessible from a both in its own right, and as a preparation for range of locations and include a focus on key adult life. Parents want more opportunities transition points in a child’s, young person’s to support their children, and combine or parent’s life. Parenting support also needs caring responsibilities with work. All of this to be closely linked to advice on will help families move out of poverty and employment and childcare, for instance, prevent disadvantage being handed down through Sure Start Children’s Centres, to from one generation to the next. enable parents to make the transition into Maximizing Opportunities – work. Minimizing Risks 3.7 To drive this forward, we have created 3.5 We want to help all children and young a £25 million Parenting Fund to support people maximise their potential by capacity building in the voluntary and supporting parents, extending the offer of community sector which will include a wide high quality childcare integrated with nursery range of support services, such as parenting education and schools, and ensure that, as groups, helplines and an extension of home- they grow up, young people have access to visiting services. In 500 communities we are the resources that can help each of them establishing nursery and school-parent links fulfil their potential. This means high quality so that infants are introduced to early universal services. It means better access learning and books before compulsory through those universal services (like schools education. We will also want to look more and primary health care) to targeted support broadly at how to grow the competence and for vulnerable groups such as children on the skills of those who work to support parents. child protection register, looked after Parenting measures will play an important children, young carers, disabled children, the part in the Youth Justice System, including children of asylum seekers or of prisoners. family group conferencing and parenting classes for the parents or carers of young Supporting families offenders. 3.6 Parenting is the most important Giving Children a Sure Start in life influence on children and young people’s outcomes. We need to shift away from 3.8 The Government has already put much associating parenting support with crisis greater emphasis on the earliest years in a
26 Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: Towards a Shared Programme of Change child’s life – the most formative stage in opportunities for personal development, shaping children’s life chances. Better early learning and recreation outside school hours, support is not just cost effective; a good including access to sport, art and cultural quality early years experience can transform activities; a trusted adult who will listen to outcomes for children. the young person’s views; and good quality 3.9 Sure Start Children’s Centres are being support from primary health care and created in the most disadvantaged areas, effective health promotion. combining health, family and parenting 3.13 As young people make the transition support with early education and childcare to adult life they will need to access for children from conception until they start education and training that provide clear school. Integrated services for small children goals and academic and vocational and their families facilitate opportunities for pathways; effective financial support to early multi-agency intervention where enable them to participate in education or families are facing difficulties and children training; and personal advice to address the might experience risk. By March 2006, barriers to participation such as poor Children’s Centres will reach 650,000 children housing, lack of money, or substance in the most disadvantaged areas. misuse. All Connexions Partnerships are 3.10 We want all Local Authorities and working towards targets for reducing the Children’s Trusts to consider co-locating proportion of young people not in learning health, family and parenting support services or work in their area. The proposals coming for children and their families within a good out of the Working Group on 14-19 Reform quality early education and childcare and the Treasury’s Review of Financial settings. This will provide easier access to a Support for 16-19 Year Olds will also make wide range of support for the whole family. a major contribution to this agenda. Helping young people fulfil their potential Early Intervention 3.11 There is a range of resources in the 3.14 Children and young people should get public, private and voluntary sectors that can effective help as soon as they need it in a help each young person fulfil their potential more coherent way. Better information and overcome the odds. The challenge is to sharing should enable professionals to build build the capacity and flexibility of these up a picture of a child’s interactions with resources, and tailor them around the needs services. A common assessment framework and aspirations of each young person. should help to identify their needs earlier and avoid duplication between agencies. 3.12 In each local area, young people need A lead professional can develop a trusted to be able to access schools with high relationship with each child and ensure there quality teaching and other services including is clear accountability for each case where a childcare and family learning on site;
Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: Towards a Shared Programme of Change 27 child is known to more than one specialist programmes in place of custody, and service. Multi-disciplinary teams based community sentences that include a around universal services such as schools, GP strong focus on a young person’s surgeries and early years settings can provide educational engagement, mentoring, more accessible specialist support in a non- and parenting. stigmatising way. Whole System Change 3.15 Where a young person faces more 3.16 Achieving this vision will require deep-seated issues, we want them to have change right across the system – a new more accessible, integrated and high quality relationship between Government and its support: partners and between those partners and for children in care, we want more children, young people, families and their stability both in their care arrangements communities. A shared programme of and in school; change must be based on a common our new Special Educational Needs (SEN) understanding of how services can achieve strategy aims for an inclusive system, so better outcomes for children and young that children, young people and parents people; on commonly accepted principles; have confidence that their needs will be and on a shared understanding of effective met effectively in school without feeling practice: that the only way to achieve this is sharper accountability for outcomes through a statement of special and more robust partnership through educational needs. For disabled children a more coherent system of targets and we want earlier identification of performance management; disabilities and better family support simpler and more flexible services which are responsive to their management of resources with funding particular needs; decisions taken as close as possible to the the National Service Framework for front line; Children, Young People and Maternity investment in the skills and Services will set evidence-based standards motivation of those who work with for health and social care services for children, young people and families; children, young people and pregnant support for improvement and culture women and will cover the interface of change across the country and these services with education; proportionate intervention in localities the youth justice proposals on which the that fall below minimum standards. Government consulted alongside Every Child Matters involves wider use of intensive supervision and surveillance
28 Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: Towards a Shared Programme of Change Sharper accountability for outcomes delivering those priorities and securing 3.17 Consultees welcomed the idea of better outcomes. focusing on outcomes rather than processes, 3.19 Community and customers’ voices will the desire to rationalise targets and be an important driver for better standards performance indicators, and the importance locally. Consultation with children and young of better involvement of children, young people stressed that they wanted to be people and their families in shaping design involved. We expect all programmes to and delivery. To flesh out the new duties in involve communities, children and young the Bill we will work with partners to: people closely in the design, delivery and rationalise targets and performance evaluation of services, and find ways to indicators and to agree what better engage parents and carers where appropriate. outcomes should look like for all children, Simpler and more flexible use of resources while narrowing the gap between 3.20 Many consultees highlighted that disadvantaged groups and the rest of delivering the Green Paper will require society; investment, for instance managing the ensure services are judged on how they transitional costs of change, in workforce work together to improve outcomes reforms, increasing the capacity of through the integrated inspection preventive work such as parenting support, framework on which Ofsted will be and information sharing. consulting shortly. This will be informed 3.21 As part of the 2004 Spending Review, by the National Service Framework for we are examining the longer term funding Children and feed into the implications of a programme of change for Comprehensive Performance Assessment children from 2006 to 2008. We know that (CPA) for local authority services and this spending round will be tighter than in other performance management systems previous years, and there will a strong in health, police and youth justice. pressure to find resources through efficiency 3.18 A small but powerful set of national savings and re-prioritisation. targets, together with agreed indicators of 3.22 Between now and 2006, we are taking outcomes and inspection standards will the following steps: provide the framework for a streamlined as already mentioned, providing an conversation between local authorities and additional £340 million for local central Government about local Public authorities through the 2003 Pre-Budget Service Agreements; the priorities the Report (for 2004-05), to meet pressures authority has identified for local on existing children’s and other services, improvement in the light of local discussions; without excessive pressure on Council and the progress being made locally in
Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: Towards a Shared Programme of Change 29 Tax, and make a start on Green Paper development of a Single Education Plan implementation; and abolishing the requirement for a providing an addition £100 million in separate Children’s Services Plan; 2004-05 and 2005-06 through a specific consulting on measures to increase the formula grant for safeguarding children, effectiveness of voluntary and to help address pressures on children’s community sector funding streams at services; local level by reviewing how these are retaining current programmes, such as administered from the centre. the Children’s Fund, at least up until 2006 3.24 We will also sharpen incentives for better and examining options to sustain outcomes through greater contestability. effective preventive work in the 2004 Children’s Trusts will involve the pooling Spending Review (see Chapter 4); of budgets and the creation of a joint establishing a Young People’s Fund will commissioning function. This entails an be established from The National Lottery objective assessment of which provider with an initial budget of £200 million. can best deliver the vision and outcomes The Government will direct it to ensure of the local strategy, rather than that the fund is focused on projects assuming that in-house providers are promoting youth inclusion, particularly the best option. To enable effective by providing facilities and activities – commissioning, all potential providers both after school and in holiday periods – will need to develop more transparent for young people; and effective performance data to enable investing £20 million from 2004-05 for a comparisons in terms of cost and quality. change management programme. Promotion of new and diverse capacity: 3.23 As part of the 2004 Spending Review, we will commission a study to scope the we will be looking to help localities get the current and potential market for best value out of the resources allocated. providing children’s services to inform a The aim of our reforms is to ensure that more detailed strategy for promoting accountability is linked to greater freedom greater contestability. This may include and flexibility for local authorities and their incentivising excellent local authorities or partners in terms of how local outcomes are other organisations to set up trading met and resources deployed by: companies or other organisational models able to franchise or contract to rationalising funding streams and grant provide a successful business model. programmes to local authorities; further streamlining of planning arrangements building on the
30 Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: Towards a Shared Programme of Change Workforce Reform strategy for the children’s workforce, working 3.25 The workforce reform measures with key partners. The initial phase of this proposed in Every Child Matters to develop a work will be completed by April 2004 in more coherent, stable and flexible children’s order to feed into the Spending Review. workforce have been strongly endorsed. Our 3.27 We want to see employers taking a lead reforms need to embrace all those who work role in driving forward these reforms. So we with children and young people: to set a have asked the Sector Skills Development common core of occupational standards; to Agency (SSDA) to work with Government and build a modular framework to enhance the a wide range of employers to set up a Sector skills, effectiveness and coherence of the Skills Council (SSC) to deliver this important children’s workforce; to foster high quality agenda. We propose to develop a federated leadership; and to make working with structure (see Figure 1). children and young people a more A Sector Skills Council for Social Care, rewarding and attractive career. At the same Children and Young People, will bring time, we have to recognise the links together those working in social care with between those working with children and other occupational groups who work with those working with adults in the same children and young people. sector, particularly social care and some The SSC will have a UK-wide remit and will aspects of health care. be required, as a condition of its licence, 3.26 A Children’s Workforce Unit has been to set up and maintain a wider strategic established in the Department for Education network (UK Children’s Workforce and Skills. It will develop a pay and workforce Network), bringing together all those
Figure 1 – Implementing the Sector Skills Council Implementing the Sector Skills Council
UK SSC for Social Care, Children and Young People
Care Council for Northern Ireland Adult Care Council Children, Young Scottish Social Wales Social Care Council (England) People & Families Services Council Council (England)
General Teaching Lifelong Justice Council & DA Learning SSC equivalents SSC
Workforce Network UK Children’s Workforce Network Secretariat
Skills for Skills Health SSC General Social Teacher Training Active Care Council Agency & DA SSC equivalents
Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: Towards a Shared Programme of Change 31 who work with children, young people strategic network representing all staff and families, including those working in working with children and young people. the health, law enforcement, sport and Local authority employers and other recreation, and schools sectors. signatories to the National Agreement on Participation in this network will be in turn School Workforce Reform will be closely a condition of licence and/or form part of involved in the development of these new the formal remit for all related and relevant arrangements. Councils and bodies. 3.30 The Chief Nursing Officer’s review of Each country will be free to develop nursing, midwifery, and the health visiting operational arrangements in line with their contribution to improving outcomes for own policy imperatives. For England, this children at risk will clarify and make will mean, as a minimum, the Sector Skills recommendations for strengthening the role Development Agency ensuring a robust for these professionals in providing flexible, and coherent approach to workforce integrated and improved services planning for the children’s workforce for children. through a Children, Young People and 3.31 The consultation confirmed the need Families Council (with a separate for action to help recruit and retain more organisational focus for adult social care). foster carers, and to see them as part of the 3.28 To meet the concerns of stakeholders, children’s workforce. We will continue to and minimise delay in setting up the SSC build on the work of the Choice Protects network, we propose that this federated SSC Programme to expand and strengthen will build on the developing proposals for a fostering services, and will be spending Skills for Care SSC. £1.5m of the grant in 2004/05 to develop 3.29 The Teacher Training Agency (TTA) will themes from the Green Paper, to improve the build on its success in recruiting and training status, support and training of foster carers. high quality teachers by becoming the main 3.32 As an immediate step to address delivery agency for training and developing bureaucracy, the Department for Education school support staff. This will build on the and Skills will work with the Cabinet Office TTA’s work in relation to Higher Level Regulatory Impact Unit to identify the causes Teaching Assistants and strengthen the focus of unnecessary bureaucracy that are on delivery of occupational skills for other diverting resources at the frontline and support staff roles. It opens up the prospect of having a detrimental impact on service the TTA taking on a more strategic role, closer delivery. This project will result in a practical to that of an SSC, for the whole school set of actions, including streamlined workforce. An enhanced Teacher Training processes. Agency will be a key partner in the new
32 Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: Towards a Shared Programme of Change Improvement Support and Intervention be contained in Regulations and will be Encouraging effective practice underpinned by detailed guidance so that professionals and practitioners can share 3.33 Our reforms are focused on specifying information in the best interests of children outcomes but allowing maximum flexibility with clarity and confidence. The guidance on how these outcomes are achieved and will address issues of consent, privacy and freeing up practitioners to develop information sharing protocols as well as innovative ways of meeting outcomes. technical, access and security matters Our aim is to achieve a culture change where connected with IT systems. practitioners and managers focus creatively on whether outcomes have improved rather 3.37 The Government will produce a than whether centrally determined processes common assessment framework, in discussion have been adhered to. with practitioners and building on existing assessment tools, which we expect to be 3.34 However, in some areas it will be implemented across all agencies. This will helpful to specify clinical or practice support the development of a common standards. This may be because national understanding among all practitioners of consistency is needed, for example, to children’s strengths, any needs they may have ensure children crossing geographical and risks they may face. This will lead to better boundaries are identified effectively. Or it understanding and communication among may be where there is strong evidence practitioners and between practitioners and about what works and we want to children and families. It will also reduce the encourage rapid adoption across the need for children and families to repeat their country. Practice standards will be reflected stories each time they come into contact with in the new integrated inspection framework a different agency and will support the and other performance management delivery of early, appropriate and streamlined arrangements. services to children who need them. We 3.35 Chapter 4 explains how the Children’s intend to consult on the Framework in the National Service Framework (NSF) is now Spring. being developed jointly by the Department Supporting Change of Health and the Department for Education and Skills, and will be a key vehicle for setting 3.38 Responsibility for achieving the Green standards for health and social care services. Paper vision as well as the Children’s National Service Framework will rest with local 3.36 The legislative proposals in Chapter 2 authorities, Strategic Health Authorities, cover new arrangements for sharing Primary Care Trusts and their key local information which are also designed to partners. The Department for Education and embody national standard. Details on the Skills will work in partnership with other operation of information sharing systems will
Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: Towards a Shared Programme of Change 33 Government departments, in particular the support local leaders in planning and Department of Health, and other delivering the Every Child Matters reforms stakeholders to support the local change and the National Service Framework by process. developing cross-sector leadership 3.39 In 2004-05 there will be a £20 million development programmes for Directors change fund to support work on developing of Children’s Services, Strategic Health effective workforce practice and to support Authorities and Primary Care Trust Directors of Children’s Services and their key children’s leads and their key local partners in leading local change. This funding partners, in particular the voluntary and will be used to: community sector and the Police; appoint regional change advisers, develop the next generation of Directors drawn from Local Authority or health and encourage cross-fertilisation backgrounds, to support local authorities between the different disciplines and and Primary Care Trusts by advising on local areas by developing a network of local change programmes; facilitate Leading Service Managers drawn from partnership working at regional and local Local Authority education, children’s level; share best practice and access social services and Primary Care Trusts; support from other agencies in particular support the development of flexible the NHS Modernisation Agency and the routes into social work, a framework of IDeA; common occupational standards and support local authorities, Primary Care qualifications and core competences for Trusts and their local partners on the the children’s workforce. development of Children’s Trusts and 3.40 In addition we will work with other co-locating front-line services including national organisations to capture good technical issues such as: the pooling of practice in integrated service delivery, budgets; governance arrangements; drawing on the experiences of the Children’s managing co-located services; and Trust, Serving Children Well and information commissioning arrangements; sharing trailblazers and the NHS build capacity in local authorities to Modernisation Agency. We will use this promote and support the development learning to generate delivery models, case of information sharing and common studies and toolkits. We will also work with assessment, whilst leaving procurement the Local Government Association (LGA) and decisions until the position is clearer the Improvement and Development Agency nationally on the most appropriate (IDeA) to support lead members. technological systems; 3.41 There will be an important regional dimension to supporting these changes,
34 Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: Towards a Shared Programme of Change which will develop in the context of wider to support more effectively the delivery of Government regional policy. In Every Child services for children and families. This will Matters, we referred to the work of the reflect the proposals for additional support Government Offices for the Regions (GOs) outlined above. The short-term appointments and to their Children’s Groups which bring mentioned above will be made in the context together the various interests and activities at of rationalising regional support in the longer a regional level that support delivery on the term to develop a single unified set of ground to ensure coherence. We are currently regional children’s advisers. examining how to use regional arrangements
TIMETABLE OF DEVELOPMENTS 2004 March Children Bill introduced Sector Skills Council announced Public Health consultation launched.
April Ofsted and other Inspectorates consult on integrated inspection framework Consultation on strategy for voluntary and community sector and children’s services, including streamlining funding. This will fit in with the work already undertaken by the Home Office.
May Consultation on local authority funding rationalisation Consult on a Common Assessment Framework.
July Announce Spending Review and Public Service Agreement targets.
Autumn Next Steps Further Next Steps document setting out: outcomes, indicators, Public Service Agreement targets and standards; more detail of a national programme of change for children to be delivered in broad partnership; and funding for the period 2005-08 in the light of the 2004 Spending Review Pay and workforce strategy.
Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: Towards a Shared Programme of Change 35 By November Subject to the will of Parliament, Royal Assent for Children Bill.
By end 2004 Publication of Public Health White Paper and National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services Production of a Common Assessment Framework.
2005
February Children’s Commissioner appointed with children and young people involved in the process.
April
Children’s Commissioner in post 2006 Most local authorities to have a Director of Children’s Services, Lead Council Member and Children’s Trusts.
Local Safeguarding Children Boards set up.
2008 All local authorities to have a Director of Children’s Services, Lead Council Member and Children’s Trusts.
36 Every child matters: Next Steps – The Response: Towards a Shared Programme of Change PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES
The Response: Working in Partnership
4.1 Consultees stressed the importance of wider community, identifying unmet needs, involving the full range of people and involving users in service delivery and organisations that contribute to improving developing innovative practice. children’s lives. The Bill provides the 4.4 The Government is committed to framework for co-operation across services in removing barriers to the sector’s increased 4 particular, health services, schools, the Police participation in service planning and delivery. and the voluntary and community sectors. As part of this work, and in recognition of the We intend to work closely with a wide range sector’s concern that its role was not fully of partners in developing a broad coalition explored in the Green Paper, we are for change. developing an overarching strategy for our 4.2 This chapter sets out some initial relationship with the voluntary and thinking on how to ensure the voluntary and community sector working in this field. community sector, schools, health services, We understand and recognise the difficulties the Police, Connexions, the Youth Justice caused by the recent hiatus in the Children’s System, the Probation Service, the Family Fund. However, we are working with partners Justice System, and CAFCASS, can play a full to bring stability back into the system. part. It represents a further step in an We intend over the next few months to ongoing dialogue with these partners. rebuild trust, working with our partners on Voluntary and Community Sector the future of the Fund. We want to build on its successes as we move towards Children’s 4.3 The voluntary and community sector is Trusts. It remains our intention to continue a major provider of services to children, funding preventive services. young people and families. It has significant expertise to offer, particularly in reaching the
Every child matters: Next Steps – Working in Partnership 37 4.5 This strategy, developed in dialogue 4.7 Our reforms support efforts to raise with sector representatives will cover: standards by personalising learning to suit the role of the voluntary and community the individual aspirations, circumstances and sector in assessing needs, developing talents of each child. Instead of a deficit local strategies, commissioning, service model that provides consistent but uniform delivery and local scrutiny procedures; services for most children, and only provides tailored support when children have more funding and support for the local complex needs identified by the SEN or child infrastructure bodies to build the capacity protection process, our aim is to ensure that of the sector and ensure their diverse every child gets personalised learning, care interests can be represented effectively and support. This aims to ensure all children in strategy development; have the opportunity to fulfil their potential commissioning arrangements which and those with complex needs receive enable the voluntary and community responsive services, quickly and accessibly sector to participate on a level playing on a graduated basis. field; 4.8 This vision requires new ways of the adoption of the principle of full cost working and collaboration between schools, recovery; and closer working between schools, arrangements to ensure that the role of communities and specialist services. the voluntary sector as an independent Our understanding that high standards and voice for children, young people and social inclusion are interlinked ambitions is at families is not compromised by closer the heart of our desire nationally and locally integration. to integrate closely education, social care and health services. The leadership given Schools locally by the Director of Children’s Services 4.6 Schools are critical to ensuring every should play a key role in facilitating such child has the opportunity to fulfil their arrangements. potential. Our ambitions have to be bolder 4.9 Many schools are already offering a than merely protecting children from falling range of extended services including through the net: we must have high parental and family learning opportunities, ambitions for all children. Raising standards study support, after school activities, in schools and inclusion must go hand in childcare, adult learning, health and social hand. In particular, schools have a critical role care as well as opening up their facilities for in raising the educational achievement of the wider community. Schools offering children in care and other groups that have extended services report that the parental consistently underachieved, for example involvement and community links have had some minority ethnic groups. a direct impact on raising pupil attainment.
38 Every child matters: Next Steps – Working in Partnership The presence of other professionals in the locally. We want to work with Children’s school has also ensured that the needs of Trust pathfinders to develop the children and young people are assessed in relationship between Children’s Trusts the round and any wider barriers to learning and schools. This might include identified and needs addressed. Children’s Trusts commissioning schools 4.10 We will work closely with stakeholders or clusters of schools to provide a range over the coming months to look in detail at of extended children’s services to be how stronger links between schools and based in the school. Or it could involve other services will work in the context of a Children’s Trusts sub-contracting the simplified and less burdensome commissioning of certain services to a accountability regime for schools, in school or cluster of schools. We will particular: evaluate these arrangements as Children’s Trusts develop and share how Assessment for Learning should relate lessons about what works. to the identification and assessment of children’s special educational needs how school workforce remodelling and and/or a wider assessment for specialist the Green Paper reforms can enhance support under the common assessment each other. The school workforce reforms framework proposed in the Green Paper; show what can be achieved when teachers work as part of a wider team the role of schools in information sharing and can call on a range of support in and the concept of the ‘lead professional’; responding to the needs of individual how to support all schools to develop children. The Green Paper reforms are an extended services that are right for their opportunity to extend this approach and school and community. We are funding we recognise how important this the development of ‘full service’ alignment will be for its future success. extended schools, which must offer a We will involve the Workforce Agreement prescribed core set of extended services. Monitoring Group closely and seek We have appointed a national support advice from school practitioners on the service for all schools to share good independent Implementation Review practice and ‘know-how’ in developing Unit to ensure that we understand extended services. properly how these new developments how to support effective relationships will impact on schools. We will also between Children’s Trusts and schools. commission the National Remodelling Schools and other customers will have a Team to develop case studies showing strong voice in the new arrangements for practical ways in which schools can put analysing local needs and planning how these agendas together. and where services should be delivered
Every child matters: Next Steps – Working in Partnership 39 Health responsibilities for everyone from the 4.11 Health services and professionals are individual to Government in exploring how critical to improving the outcomes for best to tackle a range of health issues, children and young people – from midwives including obsesity and smoking, The results and health visitors for children in their earliest of the consultation will feed into a White years, and their parents, to those providing Paper which will be published later this year, therapeutic support. It is critical that they play and will also help inform the NSF. a full part in the programme of change. 4.14 The NSF will play a key role within the 4.12 The Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry, change programme, driving up standards of chaired by Sir Ian Kennedy, was instrumental care and leading to improved health in underlining the need for change in the outcomes for children, supporting our wider way we regard and treat children, and the vision for children. The standards in the NSF importance of setting clear national will be reflected in the new integrated standards for care. The National Service inspection framework, and the delivery Framework for Children, Young People and strategy for the NSF will be closely aligned to Maternity Services is due to be published the wider implementation programme, later this year and will set evidence-based ensuring that the role and contribution of standards for health and social care services the health service is recognised as part of for children and pregnant women, and the whole-system change. interface with education. It will cover 4.15 We will also ensure health services are universal services for all children, and address closely involved through: the needs of particular groups of children, encouraging Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) such as those with disabilities or long-term and other health bodies to work in conditions, those with mental health partnership with local authorities in the problems and children in hospital. creation of Children’s Trusts – to 4.13 The NSF emerging findings document commission jointly services for children also identified tackling health inequalities as and young people. To facilitate this, we a key priority. Children born into poverty are recommend that PCTs assess their more likely to be born with low birthweight current provision and resourcing of or prematurely, suffer accidental injury and children and young people’s health more illnesses in childhood, become services such as maternity, child health teenage parents and die early as adults. promotion including sexual health, The Department of Health has recently school health, child and adolescent announced a major public consultation on mental health services, speech and improving the nation’s health, including that language therapy, and community and of children. This will look at roles and acute paediatrics.
40 Every child matters: Next Steps – Working in Partnership ensuring that the role and contribution of specialist skills that health professionals health services to positive outcomes for bring. children is fully recognised within the the Chief Nursing Officer’s review is new integrated inspection arrangements, considering how to ensure that all nurses, and also ensure that the contribution midwives and health visitors make the made by other services to promoting fullest possible contribution to the health children’s health is reported on. The and well-being of vulnerable children Commission for Healthcare, Audit and and families; Inspection (CHAI) will undertake rigorous working with Primary Care Trusts, assessment of health services, including through Children’s Trusts, to explore new those for children, against the standards ways of commissioning primary care and set by the Department for Health which sharpening the focus on children’s cover all aspects of service quality, services, through specialist Personal organisational fitness and performance, Medical Services, Practitioners with including in due course the National Specialist Interests, and the role of Nurse Service Framework for Children. Their Practitioners. PCTs now have a range of assessments will feed into the integrated options for commissioning services in inspection framework and joint area primary care, through General Medical review reports. As well as leading to Services and Personal Medical Services action plans following area reviews, these contracts, contracts with alternative assessments will inform CHAI’s own providers in the voluntary and arrangements for following up its commercial sectors, or other NHS Trusts, inspection findings, and the performance or through direct provision by PCTs management of the NHS by the Strategic themselves. We would like to encourage Health Authorities. PCTs to use these options to take a ensuring our workforce reforms identify strategic overview of commissioning and ways in which the distinctive look at more flexible provision to address contribution of health professionals can specific local needs. be valued and how professionals can be work with the NHS Modernisation encouraged to use these skills in working Agency to support frontline practitioners. jointly with other professionals. We are keen to ensure all professions share a Connexions and the Learning and common language and core of training, Skills Council and encourage professionals to work 4.16 The model of service provision being together to share professional insights, developed by Connexions is a good example while retaining and enhancing the of how we expect all services to develop in future – a universal service which targets
Every child matters: Next Steps – Working in Partnership 41 support at those that need it most, through careers working with children and young accessible, non-stigmatising help, with each people, and will have a vital role in our focus young person having a personal advisor able on supporting parents, through the LSC’s to broker packages of learning and support work with adult learners. from across services. Police 4.17 As we signalled in the Green Paper, in 4.19 The Police play a critical role both in order to avoid duplication of planning and safeguarding and protecting children from commissioning, we want the budgets for abuse, neglect and crime, and also in helping Connexions to be aligned with, and pooled to prevent offending and re-offending. They within Children’s Trusts. As Trusts will emerge will be a key partner on Local Safeguarding at different times, we want to explore the Children Boards. Where Youth Offending feasibility of devolving funds to local Teams (YOTs) are part of Children’s Trusts, authorities, with the explicit intention of their the Police may also work closely as partner commissioning a basket of services for with the Trust. This will mean their teenagers from Connexions Partnerships. We involvement in identifying needs and intend to evolve towards this position resources, and developing and gradually – beginning by strengthening the implementing a strategy for children and business planning guidance to ensure young people. The role of the Police in Connexions Partnerships increasingly children’s issues will be reflected in the next delegate funding and planning decisions national policing plan. Due for publication in down to the local management committee. November 2004 and covering the period This is co-terminous with the upper tier of 2005-08, the plan will inform the next round local authorities, and should form part of the of local policing plans. Children’s Trust. We are also piloting, through Youth Justice Connexions Personal Advisers (PAs), individual commissioning powers, with PAs 4.20 The work we propose to take forward having discretionary budgets to purchase within the youth justice system services for young people. complements that set out in Every Child Matters; the companion document, Youth 4.18 The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Justice – the next steps, covered issues relating will play a critical role in ensuring that these to young people who, despite efforts to help reforms enable young people to make a them, go on to offend. Where they do transition into adult life. The LSC will need to commit crimes, the focus for the people who work closely in partnership with Children’s work with them will continue to be Trusts in order to deliver the 14–19 reforms. preventing offending and tackling the factors The Learning and Skills Council will also play that underlie it. We intend to clarify the law a key role in our workforce reforms, as we so that preventing offending is also the main create a more flexible set of entry routes into
42 Every child matters: Next Steps – Working in Partnership purpose of sentencing, but we shall require Chief Executive or Director of Social Services. courts also to have regard to public In the future, some YOT managers may be protection, welfare, punishment and line managed by Directors of Children’s reparation when deciding an appropriate Services. YOT partnerships would be able, sentence for a young offender. at their local discretion, to operate within 4.21 We shall make fuller use of parenting Children’s Trusts potentially facilitating better programmes, both with young offenders’ co-ordination with other children’s services. families and with young offenders who are However, as YOTs are part of the criminal themselves parents. We propose also to take justice system, they will retain strong links steps to help as much as possible young with criminal justice and crime reduction defendants and their carers understand agencies and Local Criminal Justice Boards. and prepare for their experience in court. 4.23 The proposed changes in the Green We shall make sentencing simpler and more Paper provide the opportunity for secure flexible, drawing on a broad menu of establishments to work with partner agencies interventions to meet individual need. The to help provide a more comprehensive set new Intensive Supervision and Surveillance of services to help young offenders rejoin Order will provide a robust alternative to mainstream society. For example, the custody, which will be a last resort for only transition to normal life can be eased by the most serious or persistent young ensuring that young people serving custodial offenders. With the help of other children’s sentences can retain positive links with family services, the youth justice system will focus and community under controlled conditions. in particular on helping young offenders Probation Service re-engage with education, training and 4.24 The Probation Service has provided a employment in the community. (For more lead, alongside the Police, in developing details see Annex B on effective multi-agency work through the www.homeoffice.gov.uk/justice/ statutory public protection arrangements sentencing/youthjustice/index.html) (MAPPA). This work will continue when the 4.22 Our new youth justice proposals are new National Offender Management Service designed to support further progress by (NOMS) brings together the Probation and Youth Offending Teams (YOTs), in particular, Prison Services from June 2004. The by helping them work with other services to development of more inclusive and address some of the wider factors linked to co-operative arrangements which draw a tackling re-offending, such as educational much wider range of agencies into the non-participation and problems with drugs, provision of more integrated services for alcohol or mental health. The line children will underpin the existing management of YOT managers varies but framework for safeguarding the interests of can include reporting to the Local Authority
Every child matters: Next Steps – Working in Partnership 43 children and young people within the public relationship breaks down, through protection arrangements. It will also increase improved information, education and the focus on the well-being of children more support for these parents. generally in the work of the Probation Children and Family Court Advisory and Service. For example, there will be greater Support Service (CAFCASS) scope for multi-agency information sharing, 4.27 CAFCASS is a key organisation tasked where appropriate, in the interests of with safeguarding and promoting the children and young people. welfare of children and young people Family Justice System involved in family court proceedings. It has 4.25 The Family Justice System is an important contributions to make to the new important forum in which decisions are integrated services for children, and a made about children’s lives when their particular role to play in the development of parents are unable to cope or when their Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards. parents’ relationship breaks down and they CAFCASS has amassed a wealth of expertise cannot agree about future arrangements for about working with children in crisis and the child’s residence and contact. these lessons should be shared across 4.26 It also provides an important means for agencies. But CAFCASS has a key role too in parents to seek protection when there are the development of preventive services for issues of domestic violence affecting adults children and families, joining local alliances which may have a negative impact on their to support families in difficulty and going children. The Department for Constitutional through break-up, so that adversarial court Affairs (DCA) is working to: interventions with their negative impact on children can be prevented. reduce the delay in Public Law Children Act cases from an average of 48 weeks to Central Government Departments a maximum of 40 weeks for as many 4.28 The consultation stressed that for cases as possible; delivery to be integrated nationally the assist victims of domestic violence with strategic direction needed to be integrated children to identify the potential risk to at national level. The new Children, Young their children as early as possible in any People and Families Directorate based in applications for residence or contact the Department for Education and Skills where the court needs to consider issues has been working with partners across of safety before making decisions about Government to make collaborative working the children’s future; an integral part of our approach to children’s services. improve arrangements and delivery of services for children, whose parents’ 4.29 At Ministerial level a new cabinet sub-committee, MISC9(D), now meets
44 Every child matters: Next Steps – Working in Partnership regularly to oversee the delivery of children’s 4.31 In autumn 2004, we intend to publish services. It is chaired by the Secretary of State a further document with clearer expectations for Education and Skills and includes all the of local services including Children’s Trusts. key Departments which are working This will be produced following the outcome together to ensure effective delivery. As well of the Spending Review and a thorough as overseeing the general progress of the assessment of targets and funding streams. reforms, MISC9(D) also looks in detail at key In the meantime, we will continue to have an issues such as youth crime, teenage ongoing dialogue with all stakeholders pregnancy, workforce reform and about the development of the programme information sharing. of change for children. 4.30 The Minister for Children, Young People and Families has a remit to work across Government to ensure that children’s services are well coordinated. To support this, she is establishing a Youth Board to provide direct advice from young people on the development of national policy and practice. She has also established a Board of Stakeholders that met for the first time in February. A number of her MISC9(D) colleagues sit on the Board which also includes representatives from local government, health, youth justice, family and parenting groups and the voluntary and community sector. It also includes two representatives from the Youth Board.
Every child matters: Next Steps – Working in Partnership 45 Copies of this publication can be obtained from: DfES Publications PO Box 5050 Sherwood Park Annesley Nottingham NG15 0DJ Tel: 0845 6022260 Fax: 0845 6033360 email: [email protected] Please quote ref: DfES/0240/2004 ISBN: 1-84478-198 PP EDW/D16/(5370)/0304/153 © Crown copyright 2004 Produced by the Department for Education and Skills Extracts from this document may be reproduced for non-commercial education or training purposes on the condition that the source is acknowledged.