Childrens Services and the Children Bill

1

2
(No Transcript)
3

• Sure Start Cheshire is committed to delivering
  high quality services for the children, parents
  and childcare providers of Cheshire. The
  following information gives you background to the
  Childrens Act 2004 and the focus which Sure
  Start Cheshire will take in order to achieve the
  necessary outcomes for Cheshire.
• Sure Start Cheshire
• where children and families come first

4
Every Child Matters
5
Background

• The Children Act 2004 is an important part of the
  Government's response, known by the title of the
  Green Paper Every Child Matters, to the inquiry
  into the death of eight-year old Victoria Climbié
  in 2000. Victoria's great-aunt and her partner
  were subsequently convicted of Victoria's murder.
  The inquiry found a gross failure of the child
  protection system to safeguard Victoria resulting
  from organisational malaise.
• Responding to the inquiry headed by Lord Laming
  into Victorias death, the government are
  proposing a range of measures to reform and
  improve childrens care crucially, for the
  first time ever requiring local authorities to
  bring together in one place under one person
  services for children, and at the same time
  suggesting real changes in the way those who do
  this work carry out their tasks on childrens
  behalf.

6
Every Child Matters
7
Every Child MattersConsultation
8
Past FailingsThe common threads which led in
each case to a failure to intervene early enough
were

• Poor coordination
• A failure to share information
• The absence of anyone with a strong sense of
  accountability
• Frontline workers trying to cope with staff
  vacancies
• Poor management
• A lack of effective training

9
Every Child Matters

• Overall, this country is still one where life
  chances are unequal. This damages not only those
  children born into disadvantage, but our society
  as a whole. We all stand to share the benefits of
  an economy and society with less educational
  failure, higher skills, less crime, and better
  health. All agencies share a duty to ensure every
  child has the chance to fulfil their potential.

10
The Aim

• To ensure that every child has the chance to
  fulfil their potential by reducing
• Levels of educational failure
• Ill health
• Substance misuse
• Teenage pregnancy
• Abuse and neglect
• Crime and anti-social behaviour
• among children and young people.

11
The Every child matters Green Paper consultation
endorsed five outcomes which children and young
people said they cared most about
The outcomes are mutually reinforcing. For
example, children and young people learn and
thrive when they are healthy, safe and engaged
and the evidence shows clearly that educational
achievement is the most effective route out of
poverty.
12
Every Child Mattersthe visionRadical
improvement in opportunities and outcomes for
children, driven by whole-system reform of the
delivery of childrens services.Systemic change
to

• Build services around the child, young person and
  family
• Support parents and carers
• Develop the workforce, changing culture and
  practice
• To integrate
• Universal and targeted services
• Services across the age range 0-19

13
How will this be achieved?

• Delegating Local Leadership to the local
  authority. The act requires all authorities to
  appoint a Director of Childrens Services and
  also to designate a Lead Member for Childrens
  Services.
• Inter agency Information Sharing to ensure
  Childrens Services practitioners will follow
  clear guidance on information sharing covering
  Health, Education, Social Services and Youth
  Offending.
• Creating Sure Start Childrens Centres initially
  in the 20 most deprived neighbourhoods. Combine
  nursery education, family support, employment
  advice, childcare and health services on one site
• Promoting full service extended schools
  facilities which are open beyond school hours,
  providing breakfast clubs, after-school clubs and
  childcare, and have health and social care
  support services on site and other facilities
  which may be required by the wider community.
• Increasing the focus on activities for children
  out of school through the creation of a Young
  Peoples Fund with an initial budget of 200
  million

14
How will this be achieved cont?

• Improving speech and language therapy
• Increasing investment in child and adolescent
  mental health services (CAMHS)
• Tackling homelessness. By March 2004, no homeless
  family with children should be placed in bed and
  breakfast accommodation, unless in a short term
  emergency
• Reforms to the youth justice system building on
  the success of the Intensive Supervision and
  Surveillance Programme which is an alternative to
  custody. New range of community sentences - wider
  range of residential placements such as intensive
  fostering for young offenders, including for 10
  and 11 year old persistent offenders.

15
The Children Act 2004underpinsEvery Child
Matters Change for Children
16
What Does Every Child Matters Change for
Children mean for Sure Start Cheshire?

• Development of Childrens Services within
  Cheshire County Council. Driving reform forward
  and ensuring local partners work together
  effectively.
• Free early education places for every three and
  four year olds who wants it
• More Childrens Centres. With the first
  Childrens Centre in Ellesmere Port due to
  officially open in May 2005, Cheshires vision
  for childrens centre will encompass the whole of
  Cheshire
• The introduction and development of of Extended
  Schools
• Ensure all childcare providers have access to
  quality training and support for their
  businesses.

17
(No Transcript)
18
Childrens Centres
19
Childrens Centres

• Childrens Centres will contribute towards the
  Governments commitment to
• the best start in life for every child
• better opportunities for parents
• affordable, good quality childcare
• stronger and safer communities.

20
The Core Offer

• All Childrens Centres must offer access to the
  following core services
• Early education integrated with child care
• Family support and outreach to parents
• Child and family health services
• Act as a service hub within the community for
  parents and providers of childcare services for
  children of all ages (childminders, other day
  care, out of school, extended schools)
• Links with local training and education
  providers, Jobcentre Plus, Childrens Information
  Service

21
Other services

• Links with further and higher education, and
  local training providers
• Training for parents and carers eg. English as
  additional language, Basic Skills, parenting
  classes
• Specialist services for children with
  disabilities
• Benefits advice including maternity benefits
• Services for older children
• Toy libraries

22
Location and Integration

• Located in or serve families from 20 most
  disadvantaged wards / pockets
• Bring together services but not necessarily on
  one site. However, if not on one site must be
  closely linked and easily accessible.
• All services to be fully integrated no
  signposting
• Education and childcare integrated to provide
  continuity of staffing for children
• Shared management ethos
• Workers from all agencies who have contact with
  families living with catchment area to be
  considered as part of Childrens Centre hub of
  local provision

23
Change for Children through Childrens Centres
and Integrated Services in Cheshire where Every
Child Matters
24
SureStart Cheshire Where Children and Families
Come First