Childrens Trust Developments

1
Childrens Trust Developments

• West Midlands ADCS Conference 5 September 2008

2
Childrens Trust Arrangements

• Set up following the 2004 Act but left to local
  arrangements and recently found to be variable
  with some areas making better progress than
  others
• 2004 legislation for DCS and Lead Member roles, a
  LSCB, plus duty to cooperate to promote
  childrens well being
• Statutory guidance on inter-agency cooperation in
  2005 implied putting in place childrens trust
  arrangements to improve outcomes
• Refers to partnership boards but also to all the
  work of partners and their processes and systems
  required to deliver integrated services

3
Childrens Plan

• Emphasised LA role in leading strategic
  partnerships under Childrens Trust
  arrangements..a new leadership role for
  Childrens Trustswith renewed emphasis on
  identification and early intervention for all
  children and young people who need additional
  help.
• Refreshed draft statutory guidance in April
  2008to place greater emphasis on driving
  improved outcomes and promoting cultural
  changefinal version autumn 2008
• Pilots in 6 local areas
• Requires a step change in aspiration.

4
Aspiration to.

• Achieve better outcomes, reverse trends, turn the
  curve, narrow gaps
• Intervene earlier and reduce vulnerability and
  risk for children and families
• Prevent or minimise poorer outcomes
• Involve, empower and support parents and families
• Commission more effectively
• Use information more systematically
• Achieve more integrated working between
  professionals

5
Schools

• Step change required in the involvement of
  schools as partners at the heart of Childrens
  Trust arrangements, with effective collaboration
  between schools and between schools and other
  agencies
• Schools role in planning and commissioning
  services
• Schools accountability for narrowing gaps for
  all children
• Schools new duties to promote well being and
  community cohesion

6
Wider Strategic Links for Childrens Trust
Arrangements

• Arrangements require strategic links with local
  strategic partnership focus on economic
  development, job creation, tackling poverty,
  improving housing, workforce development, skills
  and training, community safety and regeneration
• Implication is that the best Trusts demonstrate
  wider strategic impact on a range of issues that
  affect childrens and families lives
• New benchmarks of success involve faster rates of
  improvement in outcomes for vulnerable and
  disadvantaged groups and narrow gaps between most
  vulnerable and the majority

7
Challenges or Wicked Issues

• Focus on parents and families
• Effective commissioning and collaboration with
  PCTs
• Developing integrated front line delivery in
  practice, co-located in universal settings
• Investing more in preventative services
• Ensuring all services prioritise early
  intervention and prevention
• Developing a more seamless approach..requires
  school coordination and cooperation
• CAF and Lead Professional role embedded in
  mainstream work
• Information sharing, making the data work for us

8
Consultation on Childrens Trusts Legislative
Options

• Consultation 3 July to 25 September on how to
  strengthen statutory basis for Childrens Trusts
• ADCS broadly welcomes proposals
• Extend duty to cooperate to schools, schools
  forums, academies, FE and possibly GPs?
• All areas to have a CYPP, shared responsibility
  for the CYPP among all partners with LA as lead
  agency
• Clearer framework for content of CYPPs to promote
  consistency

9
And

• Establish core functions and membership of Trust
  Boards
• New powers on pooled funding and delegated
  functions between partners to overcome barriers
  in sections 31 or 75 agreements

10
Some Questions

• Are the proposals tackling the right barriers?
• Detail to be agreed on CYPP and Trust Board
  requirements
• Childrens Trust to be lead commissioner for all
  aspects of childrens services
• Key issues still around partnership with health
  and with schools, on commissioning and funding
• World class still undefined, re how the best
  Trusts are having greatest impact on early
  intervention, prevention and narrowing gaps

11
Challenge to us all

• 4 years on from Every Child Matters what has
  changed ?
• Do we have sustained improvement in outcomes? Can
  we prove it?
• Do we know what is working i.e what, if applied
  consistently and relentlessly, is making a
  significant impact on the outcomes for children
  and young people?