Meeting documents

Cabinet
Wednesday, 3rd September, 2003

BATH & NORTH EAST SOMERSET

SECOND REVIEW

2003-4

OF THE

CHILDREN'S AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S

SERVICES PLAN 2001-2

CONTENTS

1 Introduction 2

2 Vision, Values and Principles 3

3 Background Information 5

Children at Risk of Social Exclusion 6

Social Exclusion and Children and Young People in Need 7

Social Exclusion in Bath & North East Somerset 8

4 Developments and Changes since the Last Review (2002-3) 11

5 Plans for Children and Young People 16

6 Objectives for Developing Services 17 Cross-cutting Targets

Appendices:

(i) Government Guidance on Planning for Vulnerable Children and Young People 18

(ii) Children's and Young People's Strategic Partnership Terms of Reference and Membership 22

(iii) Details of Contributory Plans 24

(iv) 'Bookcase' to show links between plans 31

(v) Joint Planning Groups Structure Chart 32

1 INTRODUCTION

An interim Children's and Young People's Services Plan for 2000/1 was published

In May 2001 by the Bath & North East Somerset Children's Joint Strategy Group (CJSG). This interim Plan was reviewed for 2002/3, to conform with new Government Guidance on Co-ordinated Planning for Vulnerable Children and Young People (also published in May 2001) with the expectation of publishing a new plan in April 2003.

However, since then several initiatives have affected planning for Children and Young People:

1. The Government set up a cross-departmental Children's and Young People's Unit which wants to establish a National Children's Strategy for all children, not just those 'vulnerable' (at risk of social exclusion). This strategy has not yet been published but is expected within the financial year 2003/4.

2. Bath & North East Somerset were placed in the third wave of The Children's Fund, to become available in April 2003, to fund additional preventative services for children aged 5-13

3. Bath & North East Somerset was allocated funding for a Sure Start in Twerton (for families of children aged 0-3 years inclusive) and Neighbourhood Nurseries in Keynsham and Twerton from 1 April 2003

4. Connexions West of England, the new service for young people aged 13-19 aimed at improving educational achievement and take-up of further and higher education, training and employment opportunities, and which replaces the Careers Service, started up in the former Avon area in April 2001.

5. Membership of the CJSG was widened to establish the Children's and Young People's Strategic Partnership, with clear Terms of Reference (see Appendix 1) which include oversight of expenditure of The Children's Fund.

6. The NHS is producing a National Service Framework for Children, of which two sections, Services for Disabled Children and Services for Children in Hospital, are available. A consultation paper on the whole Framework, entitled Getting The Right Start, was published in March 2003, with a deadline date of July 2003 for responses.

7. A requirement has been placed on local authorities in partnership with other statutory, voluntary and community agencies, to produce a Local Preventative Strategy for all children aged 0-18 years and to put in place mechanisms for IRT - identification, referral and tracking of children and young people at risk of social exclusion. These initiatives are two sides of the same coin, the IRT will inform the Preventative Strategy which will ensure that every child possibly 'at risk' will be assessed for services for themselves or their family.

8. The Laming Report, following the public enquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie, recommended changes to the organisation and structure of child protection services. These proposals will be addressed in a Government Green Paper to be published during 2003.

In view of the new strategies and guidance expected, there were difficulties with producing a complete new Plan for 2003/4. Instead, this Review aims to bring the 2001/2 interim plan up to date.

2 VISION, VALUES AND PRINCIPLES

Vision is important because it outlines the direction in which we want to go, the expectations we have and the kinds of things we want to achieve.

VISION

The vision is that all children and young people will enjoy:

_ A positive sense of personal identity and self-worth;

_ Belonging to a family;

_ A safe healthy, child-friendly environment, including appropriate housing, play and leisure facilities;

_ High quality learning opportunities and educational achievement;

_ Good health;

_ Freedom from poverty;

_ A right to privacy;

_ Equal access to services.

To achieve this vision all agencies are expected:

· To increase the well-being of all children and young people resident in Bath & North East Somerset, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, with the best possible life chances and the benefits of social inclusion

· to consider all policy and service developments from an equal opportunities perspective

VALUES AND PRINCIPLES

To achieve the above vision the following values and principles have been established:

All agencies are expected

_ to work in partnership with children, young people and their families and carers. Partnership means active participation and involvement in any process to make plans and deliver services.

_ while carrying out their statutory duties and voluntary services towards children and young people and their families and carers:

_ To recognise children's and young people's rights

_ To recognise the responsibilities of parents, carers, the community and young people themselves towards children and young people

_ To consider all policy and service developments from an equalities perspective

_ to implement strategies for equality of opportunity which promote:

race, disability and gender equality and justice

social inclusion

_ to oppose all forms of racism and discrimination on any grounds, including sexual orientation

_ To develop and implement an information strategy for children, young people, their families and carers to improve public understanding about standards and access to services.

_ To listen to and involve children and young people

_ To work in a joined-up way to co-ordinate plans of other agencies providing services to children and young people, their families and carers

_ To measure and, therefore, demonstrate their performance in increasing the well-being of children and young people

In addition, since publication of the 2001/2 Plan, the Partnership has agreed that:

· when children and young people are consulted or enabled to participate in planning, reviewing or evaluating services, their views will be given equal weight with those of adults

· children, young people and their parents need support and training to be able to participate in planning, reviewing and evaluating services and resources have to be made available for this

· decisions and the reasons for them must be fed back to those who participated in them or were consulted about them

3 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

There is a range of needs across the population of children and young people in the area. This diagram shows the relationship between different levels of needs within the population. The Children's and Young People's Services Interim Plan for 2000/1 discussed meeting needs at levels 2, 3 and 4. This Review of that Plan continues that direction. We recognise the role that universal services for all children and young people at all levels of needs achieve in preventing higher levels of needs which require more intensive services

Total population of B&NES - 169,040

(2001 Census)

NATIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT DEPENDENT CHILDREN

Early results from the 2001 Census

· The proportion of children in the population of England and Wales is reducing -there are 11.7 million dependent children. However, this is a greater population size than the total population of many European countries (eg Sweden, Belgium, Greece, Portugal).

· Nearly one in four (22.9%) live in lone-parent families, 91.2% of which are headed by the mother.

· Overall almost a third of households contain dependent children and one in nine have children under five. More than one in ten dependent children live in a step-family

· Among dependent children there are over 230,000 more boys than girls (but for people in their twenties there are over 81,300 more women than men).

· The age profile for groups with mixed ethnicity is young - 50% of all mixed ethnicity groups are aged 15 and under. There are more females than males in all groups apart from White and Asian.

· Muslim and Sikh populations have a very high proportion of young people - 33.8% of Muslims are aged 0-15 and 18.2% aged 16-24. 24.5% of Sikhs are aged 0-15 and 16.7% aged 16-24. The average is 20.2% aged 0-15 and 10.9% aged 16-24.

· The age profile of Buddhists is older with only 12.0% aged 0-15

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK OF SOCIAL EXCLUSION

The Government has identified social exclusion as one of its highest priorities.

What is Social Exclusion? The Government's Social Exclusion Unit says:

`Social exclusion is a shorthand term for what can happen when people or areas suffer from a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime environments, bad health, poverty and family breakdown.

In the past, governments have had policies that tried to deal with each of these problems individually, but have been less successful at tackling the complicated links between them, or preventing them arising in the first place'.

Bath & North East Somerset has adopted the following definition of social inclusion:

Social Inclusion is about tackling the causes and effects of:

· Comparative poverty or exclusion through location such as rural poverty or isolated estates in urban areas

· Poverty or exclusion through circumstances: lone parents, or frail elderly people, or ill health, unemployment, issues affecting children or young people

· Discrimination or exclusion through being perceived as part of a group because of gender, or minority ethnic or cultural background, or disability, or age.

SOCIAL EXCLUSION AND CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN NEED

Children and Young People in Need (as defined in The Children Act 1989) are part of a larger group of children and young people at risk of social exclusion. It is difficult to say how many children and young people may be in this group because children and families may move in and out of it as circumstances in their lives change. However, there are some national indicators of the current situation beginning to emerge from the 2001 Census results.

From 2001 Census

· Approximately 149,000 children under 18 provide unpaid care within their family

· As well as the total of dependent children, over 45,000 children under 16 live in communal establishments

· Over half a million (4.3%) dependent children suffer a limiting long-term illness or disability

· Many children live in 'workless' households with over 2 million (17.6%) in households where there are no adults at work. In Muslim households this is even higher with more than a third of children living in households where no adult has work.

· Over the last 20 years children have replaced pensioners as the poorest group in UK society. Child poverty today is associated with 'workless' households. 77% of children in lone parent, 'workless' families are considered poor

· Muslim children experience more overcrowding (41.7%, more than two in five compared with a national average of 12.7%)

· One in eight Muslim children live in a household with no central heating compared with the average of one in sixteen.

· High rise accommodation is unsuitable for families with very young children but over 58,000 children under two live in homes two or more storeys above ground level and over 11,000 on the fifth floor or above.

From Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 2000 (New Policy Institute)

_ The number of people living in households with less than half average income, after housing costs, was 14.25 million in 1998/9. This is more than double the number of the early 1980's and half a million greater than the previous high point of 1992/3 ())

_ Fewer children and young people are failing to achieve basic educational standards and these improvements are being shared across all schools.

_ School exclusions fell sharply in 1998/99 with proportionally greater falls amongst children and young people from minority ethnic groups.

_ The number of households in temporary accommodation continues to rise sharply

_ Significant health inequalities persist. Premature deaths are becoming more geographically concentrated; children and young people in the manual social classes are twice as likely to die in an accident as those in non-manual classes.

_ Around two-thirds of heads of households in social housing do not have paid work compared with one-third in other tenures. Lone parents and households with an unemployed head are twice as likely to be burgled as the average and much less likely to have any household insurance.

From the Department of Health - Conception Statistics (England) from 1998-2001

Key Points:

· The under-18 conception rate for 2001 is 3.5% lower than in 2000 and 120% below the 1998 rate. This is seen to be encouraging progress towards the national target of a 15% reduction by 2004.

· The under-16 conception rate for 2001 is 4.5% lower than the 2000 rate and 11% below the 1998 rate.

· The percentage of conceptions leading to abortion rose to 46.0% for under-18s and 55.9% for under-16s, continuing the upward trend observed since 1995

SOCIAL EXCLUSION IN BATH & NORTH EAST SOMERSET

The Government's social exclusion agenda impacts on the main services and plans which affect children's and young people's lives in Bath & North East Somerset.

The number of children resident in this area has increased by just over 3,000 in the last 10 years (ie between the 1991 Census and the 2001 Census). Since the 2001/2 Plan was published, the main indicator of poverty for children - the number receiving free school meals, most of whose families are living on benefits - has remained much the same, with a slight fall of about 100 children. The number of children and young people registered as at risk of neglect or abuse has fallen slightly from 55 to 50 and the number of children looked after by the local authority has increased slightly from 134 to 156 (see chart on previous page).

We have 3,593 lone parents with dependant children in the area, 463 (12.89%) lone fathers and 3,130 (87.11%) lone mothers. These differ from the averages for England and Wales where 90.48% of lone parents are mothers.

Census statistics are not yet available to tell us how many families live in temporary accommodation. 2.81% of families have no adults in employment which compares well with the average of 4.90% for England and Wales.

We have very few immigrants from outside the UK and our ethnic minority population is small. 97.22% of the population in Bath & North East Somerset is white - this is less than in 1991 when 98.42% of the population was white. This is well above the national average (England and Wales) of 90.92% white. However, the number of black and other minority ethnic children in Bath & North East Somerset has doubled in 10 years and the proportion of children is larger than the proportion of adults. 4.15% (1,443 children aged 0-17 years inclusive) of the total population are from black and other minority ethnic communities (compared with 2.39% in 1991, 772 children).

We also do not know yet how many children have a long-term limiting illness or disability as this information is not yet available by age. 126 children are registered as disabled and 148 children are receiving a service as Children in Need because they are disabled. 850 pupils have statements of Special Educational Need.

The Child Poverty Index shows that 9 Wards in Bath & North East Somerset fall within the 40% most deprived Wards in the country; these are Abbey, Combe Down, Kingsmead, Oldfield, Radstock, Southdown, Twerton, Walcot and Weston. Twerton is the poorest, it is among the 20% most deprived Wards, hence its eligibility for childcare funding from central Government.

Bath & North East Somerset has the lowest teenage conception and pregnancy rates in the South West, which has lower rates than the national average.

4 DEVELOPMENTS AND CHANGES SINCE LAST REVIEW

Targets in last Review

1 Successful Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership management of the application process for The Children's Fund for Bath & North East Somerset.

As measured by: submission of a robust application by 31 December 2002

This target has been achieved and the Bath & North East Somerset Plan for Children's Fund moneys has been approved. A Programme Manager is in post and planning continues apace for delivery of services. A launch conference will take place on 10 July 2003. Three geographical areas are being targeted - South Bath, Keynsham, Norton Radstock and surrounding rural area and three themes for delivery of services have been chosen after considerable consultation with agencies, communities and children. These are: Emotional wellbeing, Safe Play and Hanging Out, and Dealing with Bullying.

2 Exploration of how the involvement of service users in The Children's Fund application process can inform the development and delivery of services in a wider context

As measured by: Children's and Young People's Strategic Partnership providing examples of views and suggestions from young people and families being gathered, shared and acted upon by 31 March 2003.

This target is still ongoing. The CYPSP held a development workshop on Participation in July 2002. As a result of this they added to their Terms of Reference that in any consultation or participation exercise involving children and adults, the children's views would have equal weight with the adults' views and have required all agencies involved in the Partnership to adopt this principle.

The Partnership is charged with overseeing the Children's Fund Plan which was agreed by them before submission. Children's views have been sought via The Children's Society who are working in the three geographical areas to develop children's focus groups. The three themes for delivery of services came largely from views and opinions of children.

The Youth and Community Service operates, on behalf of the whole Council, a Youth Democracy Project, with an elected member of the national youth parliament and representatives in DAFBY - Democratic Action for B&NES Youth and the Partnership links with them as much as possible.

As yet, children have participated only in the formation of the Children's Fund Plan, the Early Years Development and Childcare (EYDC) Plan, the Connexions Business Plan and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Strategy. The EYDC Partnership uses schools and nursery settings for its consultation; Connexions has young people represented on its Local Development Group and strong links to the Children's and Young People's Democracy Project; CAMHS have facilitated a focus group meeting with service users and are exploring ways of more systematically accessing user feedback.

The Children's Fund consultation in schools and playschemes has resulted in area panels of children being established. Once these are in operation, it is hoped that these panels or focus groups will develop to consider issues for children beyond the remit of The Children's Fund.

3 Maintenance of a high profile overview within Bath & North East Somerset of planning and delivery of services for children, young people and their families

As measured by: the content of

The Community Strategy by 31 March 2003

The Early Years Development and Childcare Plan for 2003/4

The Health Local Delivery Plan (formerly the Health Improvement and Modernisation Programme - HIMP) for 2003/4

This target is also ongoing. As yet there is no community strategy. The Local Strategic Partnership is now established and forging links with other partnerships, including the CYPSP but there is no direct representation of children's and young people's issues on the Local Strategic Partnership and mechanisms for raising the profile of these have still to be discussed and set in motion.

The Early Years Development and Childcare Plan for 2003/4 has just been approved and continues to focus on places for affordable, accessible, high quality childcare and early years education.

A Sure Start Local Programme is starting in South West Bath, led by Education Services with considerable parental involvement and good co-operation from Health, Social Services and Voluntary Organisations working in the target area. There is no previous experience of Sure Start within the area so the new Management Board are engaged in visits and training days.

Government funding has also been allocated for a Neighbourhood Nursery in Keynsham. Subject to planning permission, it is hoped to build on spare land at Keynsham County Primary School in Kelston Road. The Nursery will be operated by a private provider under contract.

The Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership has expressed Interest to the Sure Start Unit in developing Children's Centres. This is in its very early stages at the time of writing and no details are available yet. Children's Centres are to be developed in the 20% most deprived Wards in England. Although Twerton Ward is in this category, Bath & North East Somerset was not allocated a specific amount of funding for this and has to bid to say how it might develop its Sure Start (SW Bath), its Early Years Centre of Excellence (also SW Bath), one of its Neighbourhood Nurseries (one in SW Bath one in Keynsham) or any other suitable initiative to become a Children's Centre. It is hoped that it may be possible to develop more than one Children's Centre to provide services more equitably across the area, where there has been no government funding allocated so far.

The Health Local Delivery Plan (formerly the HIMP) is also an ongoing target, as it is proving difficult to recruit representatives of voluntary organisations to promote children's issues on the Health and Social Care Partnership Board. The National Service Framework for Children's Health Services is being published in sections, the only one being available so far is for Children in Hospital. The section for Disabled Children is expected shortly.

OTHER ACTION TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES IN 2002-3

To develop further opportunities for joint commissioning of services between NHS Trusts and the Council

The Government Mental Health Grant for Children has been increased and is being used, in combination with other funding, to commission services to cover gaps in provision identified in the CAMHS Strategy, in line with government guidance. Further joint commissioning with CAMHS has occurred within the context of the Youth Offending Team and the Drugs Action Team

To develop and improve family support and prevention strategies as well as effective and efficient protective services where necessary.

Protective services are being affected by the recommendations of the Laming Report and will be further affected by proposals in the imminent Government Green Paper

Parenting support services have been identified and information about them co-ordinated centrally.

An Action Plan to reduce Youth Substance Misuse, together with protocols and procedures for screening young people for problem substance misuse, have been endorsed by the CYPSP and are being implemented

To improve the involvement of service users to inform the development and delivery of services

Children and Young People were covered in Target 2 above. The involvement of parents and carers still needs development. Discussions are just beginning on what might be achieved through better co-ordination of voluntary, self-help and community groups.

To develop the co-ordination of established standards for participation and involvement of service users.

The CYPSP Development Workshop July 2002 attempted to draw up draft standards for participation and involvement and accepted that children's views have equal weight with adults' views on the same issues. This has been added to the Terms of Reference of the Partnership. There was also agreement on the principles that children, young people and their parents and carers need training and support in order to be able to participate fully in planning and reviewing services. Resources need to be made available for this training, support and subsequent participation. Also, decisions and the reasons for them must be fed back to those who participated in their making or were consulted about them.

To promote quality and continuous improvement of services through Best Value and Service Reviews

The following have taken place or been concluded in 2002/3 and resulted in Action or Improvement Plans for the various departments and partners involved:

Best Value Reviews (within the Council)

_ Early Years

_ Supporting People

_ Education Support Services

_ Leisure Services

_ Transport Services

OFSTED Inspections

_ LEA

_ Connexions

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 has been implemented and care leavers are now receiving a much improved service. Incentives to encourage better participation in education and training post-16 have been taken up and the results look encouraging. Accommodation for care leavers is still a gap in provision.

A new Advocacy Service for all children and young people referred to Social Services started on 1 April 2003, operated by Off The Record. This replaces and enhances the previous two advocacy services which operated side by side, one for Care Leavers and Young Homeless People and one for Looked After Children.

New Family Centre Bathwick Day Nursery closed in 2002 and The Willows, a Family Resource Centre, opened on the same site a month later, employing many of the Nursery staff in different capacities with additional training. The Cornmarket Family Centre had to move twice into temporary premises, first because the Cornmarket building was unsafe, then because of arson. In June 2003 the two family centres were merged as Waterside Family Centre in new premises in Walcot Street offering a different and enhanced service to more families.

The role of Health Visitors has been re-focussed on family and community public health initiatives, encouraging the formation of local inter-agency partnerships and community development.

Pupils Excluded from School From September 2002, the LEA has a duty to provide full-time alternative education for pupils excluded form school for more than 15 days. A Pupil Referral Unit (Lansdown Tuition Centre) has been established by the Education Service, in partnership with Wansdyke School, to provide a programme of education for excluded pupils whilst a new school or other placement is sought. Support for reintegration to a new placement is provided, in partnership with a range of other organisations, including Connexions for those aged 13-16. The majority of Key Stage 3 and 4 excluded pupils attend the PRU programme and some places are available for short-term placements for those at risk of exclusion. The small number of KS1 and 2 excludees and those for whom the PRU is not suitable (e.g. those with low incidence special needs) are provided with individual education programmes. This provision is the subject of ongoing development and review.

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services have received increased mental health grant to provide improved services for looked-after and abused children. To support the work of the CAMHS team, Health Visitors have been trained in the 'Solihull' psycho-therapeutic approach to mothers of young children and School Nurses are running 'drop-in' clinics.

Play Bath & North East Somerset has been commended by the DfES for its initiatives with regards to children's play. 'Best Play Awards' are now in their third successive year, to encourage active implementation of the corporate Play Policy, the course on Playground Play for primary schools is being developed into an accredited package which can be marketed to other authorities and Play Rangers, having won the approbation of the local community in Whiteway, will be brought to other areas with funding from The Children's Fund.

Support for Young Parents The government is committed to doubling the numbers of teenage parents participating in work or education from 30% to 60% by 2010. There are currently around 50,000 young parents under 19. To this end there is a new initiative, Care to Learn, to provide funding (up to £5,000) for registered childcare for parents aged 16-19 years participating in school, further education or work-based learning from August 2003.

5 PLANS FOR CHILDREN

At present the Government still requires a large number of plans for children - some targeted at specific groups of children, some for all children and some for Adults and Children. There are 27 plans for Bath & North East Somerset and a table at Appendix Two lists their main content, when they are next to be published or reviewed, the person responsible and where copies may be obtained.

Plans targeted at specific groups of Children and Young People

_ Area Child Protection Committee Business Plan

_ Behaviour Support Plan

_ Disabled Children's Strategy

_ Children and Families Service Plan now incorporates the Quality Protects Management Action Plan

_ Inclusion Action Plan (formerly SEN Inclusion Strategy)

_ Teenage Pregnancy Strategy

_ Young People's Substance Misuse Plan.

_ Youth Justice Plan

_ The Children's Fund Plan

_ Strategy for the Education of Looked After Children

_ The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Strategy (as it applies to Bath & North East Somerset)

_ South West Bath Local Sure Start Programme Plan

Plans targeted at all Children and Young People

_ The Children's Charter

_ The Connexions Service, West of England, Business Plan (as it applies to young people in Bath & North East Somerset)

_ The Early Years Development and Childcare Plan (EYDC Plan)

_ The Education Development Plan (EDP)

_ Avon and Somerset Constabulary Schools Strategy

_ Avon and Somerset Constabulary Youth Strategy

Plans targeted at Adults and Children and Young People

_ The Carers' Joint Investment Plan (as it affects young carers and parent carers of disabled children and young people)

_ The Community Safety Strategy (as it applies to young people)

_ The Cultural Strategy (which includes Leisure, Sport and Play)

_ The Health Local Delivery Plan, (as it affects children and young people)

_ The Housing Strategy (as it applies to children and families and young homeless people)

_ The Local Transport Plan and Community Transport Strategy (as they affect children, young people and families)

_ The two new strategies for Sport, (not yet published), one for facilities and one for development (as they affect children, young people and their families)

_ The Community Strategy (not yet published) 6 OBJECTIVES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN'S AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S SERVICES 2003-4

The objectives for the development of services for Children and Young People in 2003 - 2004 will be to implement a range of strategies across the Partnership including:

· To develop further opportunities for joint commissioning strategies and improved joint working between Council services and NHS Trusts.

· To develop and improve family support as well as effective and efficient protective services where necessary. In particular this will include managing the Children's Fund Grant, operating a Local Sure Start Programme in South West Bath and opening two Neighbourhood Nurseries, one at First Steps in Twerton and one on the site of Keynsham County Primary School

· To establish what mechanisms already exist for the Identification, Referral and Tracking (IRT) of children at risk of social exclusion, for whatever reason and to set up protocols for sharing information and joint working between agencies.

· In conjunction with developing IRT, to commence development of a Local Preventative Strategy, involving all Council Services, Health Services, other local partnerships and voluntary and community groups.

· To improve the involvement of service users to inform the development and delivery of services.

· To develop the co-ordination of and establish standards for participation and involvement of service users in both planning and service delivery.

· To promote quality and continuous improvement of services through Best Value and service reviews

CROSS-CUTTING TARGETS (which do not appear in any other Plans for Children and Young People)

1 Ensure multi-agency participation in implementing The Children's Fund and Sure Start Plans in their first year and in developing Identification, Referral and Tracking (IRT) alongside a Local Preventative Strategy.

As measured by: review of how partnerships are working at March 2004 and IRT protocols in place by March 2004

2 Exploration of how participation by service users in The Children's Fund monitoring and planning processes can inform the development and delivery of services in a wider context.

As measured by: Children's and Young People's Strategic Partnership providing examples of views and suggestions from young people and families being gathered, shared and acted upon by 31 March 2004

3 Maintenance of a high profile overview within Bath & North East Somerset of planning and delivery of services for children, young people and their families

As measured by:

the content of The Community Strategy by 31 March 2004

the implementation of the IRT Project Plan by 31 March 2004

APPENDIX ONE

GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE

Co-ordinated Planning for Vulnerable Children and Young People:

_ was issued in May 2001 jointly by the Departments of Health; Education and Employment (now Education and Skills): Environment, Transport and the Regions (later Local Government, Transport and the Regions and later still Local Government moved to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister); Home Office; Culture, Media and Sport, Her Majesty's Treasury and the Cabinet Office. It is intended for local councils, the NHS and other non-statutory agencies. It is advisory, applies only to England, does not affect the legal bases for individual plans and is about planning services.

_ recommends action across a broad front.

_ lays a particular responsibility on Chief Executives of Councils with Social Services Responsibilities, Local Education Authorities and NHS for receiving its message and putting in train the consequential action locally.

The government expects all local authorities to play a key role in working with partners in the voluntary and community sectors to:

· Establish local Children's and Young People's Partnerships:

· Develop a planning framework and a Children's and Young People's Strategic Plan around the needs of all children and involving children, young people and their families.

Extracts from Government Guidance: 'Co-ordinated Planning for Vulnerable Children and Young People in England, May 2001'.

Page 9

5.8 ...... the shared priorities of all agencies whose services promote the well-being of vulnerable children and families should be pulled together and set out in a co-ordinated way. We see this as an evolution of the existing children's services plan, and have styled this, the Children's and Young People's Strategic Plan.

A. This plan should be developed by the Children's and Young People's Strategic Partnership (as discussed in section 6 of this guidance). Chief Executives and senior officers of Councils, Local Education Authorities, Health Authorities and primary Care Trusts, together with their partners from the voluntary and community sectors, should oversee the production of this strategic plan. It should be formally adopted by all partners and signed off at the highest level. Representative children, young people and their families will have participated in the production of the plan and their endorsement should be explicit. It will be the key statement of what the community as a whole intends to do to improve the well-being of vulnerable children.

B. The Children's and Young People's Strategic Plan will contain the following elements:

· National objectives and targets set by the Government

· Information about levels and types of need

· Gaps between needs and service provision together with jointly agreed means of addressing them

· Objectives and intended outcomes for children and young people that are shared by local agencies and community representatives.

· Local objectives and targets, supported by performance measures to be used to monitor progress.

Page 21

A. However, the suggestion that these (Children's and Young People's Strategic) Partnerships produce a Children's and Young People's Strategic Plan is not guidance issued under section 4 of the Local Government Act 2000. At this stage, the production of these plans in entirely voluntary, but this approach is recommended as a means of achieving coherence across a range of plans and services.

B Planning services for vulnerable children will be a major part of local neighbourhood renewal strategies to tackle poverty. This follows from our knowledge that;

· Vulnerable children and young people and their families may be concentrated in poor neighbourhoods

· Poverty and social exclusion affecting children and young people may be one of the main challenges in deprived areas.

9.6 How the processes work together will depend upon local conditions, but at a minimum:

· Local neighbourhood renewal strategies should include an assessment of the significance of social exclusion affecting children and young people as a component in area deprivation

· They should include plans to tackle social exclusion among children and young people, cohering with the plans contained in children's service planning, the development of Children's Fund prevention funding and the development of the Connexions Service.

· To achieve this, local neighbourhood renewal strategies should be drawn up in consultation with those responsible for children's service planning, Children's Fund prevention funding and Connexions. In addition, Children's Services Plans, plans for the deployment of Children's Fund prevention funding and planning for the Connexions Service should be integrated in to the wider strategy of the local strategic partnership.

Strategy for Children and Young People

The Government's intentions are expressed (so far) in 2 publications:

· Tomorrow's Future: Building a Strategy for Children and Young People (March 2001)

· Consultation Document: Building a Strategy for Children and Young People (November 2001)

The consultation response generally endorsed the Government proposals. A copy of the full report is available on the Children's and Young People's Unit website.

APPENDIX TWO

TERMS OF REFERENCE

These will be reviewed annually

: CHILDREN'S AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

provides a multi-agency strategic overview to ensure that services link appropriately and effectively

The group will:

· be called the Children's and Young People's Strategic Partnership

· consist of representatives of relevant Council services, health agencies, police, equalities groups, voluntary and community organisations ( see below)

· be the Partnership to plan expenditure of The Children's Fund

· produce a set of shared principles and objectives for children's services planning

· agree priorities for strategic planning for vulnerable children*

· draw together national targets for vulnerable children*

· agree local objectives and targets for vulnerable children*

· draw up a shared strategy for achieving these

· publish a broad strategic statement of joint planning for vulnerable children* to be published as The Children's and Young People's Strategic Plan

· develop joint commissioning of children's and families' services

· ensure that all planning groups and processes for children and families services have a participation strategy, so that children, young people and their families are included in planning, reviewing and delivery of services

· monitor progress against the agreed objectives and targets

*'Vulnerable' means children and young people whose life chances will be jeopardised unless action is taken to meet their needs better, and to reduce the risk of social exclusion. Most children and young people will not be 'vulnerable' throughout their whole childhood, but will go through periods of vulnerability.

DoH Guidance: 'Co-ordinated Service Planning for Vulnerable Children in England'

Current Membership of Children's And Young People's Strategic Partnership

Social and Housing Services

1 Maurice Lindsay (Chair), Head of Children & Family Service,

2 Liz Price, Children's Planning Manager, Children & Family Service

3 Tony Fehler, Quality Protects & Performance Manager, Children & Family Service

4 Ruth Black, Strategic Planning Officer, Children & Family Service

5 Jane Shayler, Acting Head of Housing and Supported Living Service

Education Services

6 Georgie Mackintosh, Team Leader, Children's Support Services, Education Services

7 Susan Wheeler, Chair, Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership; Assistant Director of Education, Extended Education

8 Gail Quinton, Assistan. Director of Education, Young People & Community Education

Leisure Services

9 Ian Munday, Acting Leisure Services Manager

Libraries Services

10 Judith Dixon, Principal Libraries Manager, Policy and Development

Corporate Officers

11 John Howey, Head of Leisure Services, for Cultural Strategy

12 Sally Churchyard, Manager, Youth Offending Team

13 Annalise Elliott, Group Manager, Community Safety, Corporate Equalities and Voluntary Sector

14 Louise Tester, Corporate Projects Manager, for Local Community Strategy

Councillor

15 Awaiting appointment following election

Health

16 Mike Bowden, Assistant Director, Children's and Other Services, BANES PCT

17 Neil Simpson, Consultant Paediatrician, BANES PCT

18 Shared: Sally Snowden or Ruth Grant, Health Visitors, BANES PCT

19 Paul Stallard, Clinical Psychologist, Child and Adolescent Mental Health

20 David Pearson, Senior Health Promotion Specialist, BANES PCT

21 John Travers, Head of Planning, Paediatric Services, RUH

Other Agencies

22 Chris Hounsell, Development Manager, Connexions B&NES

23 Raj Lalla, Development Worker, Bath Racial Equality Council

24 Sue Robinson, Community Development Officer, West of England Council of Disabled People (Disability Equality Forum)

25 Mike Tichelar, Co-ordinator, Off The Record (Representative of Voluntary Organisations for Children and Families)

26 Jim Davis, Team Leader, The Children's Society (Representative of Voluntary Organisations for Children and Families)

27 Paul Howard, Acting Chief Executive, Voluntary First (Representative of Voluntary Sector)

28 Jon Doble, Assistant Regional Director, Barnardo's (Managing Agency, The Children's Fund in B&NES)

29 Paul Bright, Inspector, Avon & Somerset Police

30 Mark Lake, Supported Housing Officer, Bath Self Help Housing Association

APPENDIX THREE

DETAILS OF PLAN PUBLICATION

PLAN	Current Period	Date of next Review	LEAD OFFICER
Area Child Protection Committee Business Plan focuses on children who are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm and on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of these children. raises awareness within the wider community including faith and minority ethnic communities, and among statutory, voluntary and independent agencies, about how everybody can contribute to safeguarding children and promoting their welfare.	2003/4	2004	Maurice Lindsay Head of Children and Families Service Bath & North East Somerset Social and Housing Services 7 North Parade Buildings BATH, BA1 1NY 01225 396289 Maurice_Lindsay@bathnes.gov.uk
Avon and Somerset Constabulary Youth Strategy: 'Engage in the Present, Invest in the Future'. identifies every aspect of engagement between police service, young people aged 0-20 and relevant partner agencies, recognising that young people are not just perpetrators of crime but also victims and witnesses.	Launch 7/2003	2007 yearly thematic inspections	Rob Machin Avon and Somerset Constabulary HQ Portishead Down 01275 816979 rob.machin@avonandsomerset.police.uk
Avon and Somerset Constabulary Schools Strategy: `Class Act' in partnership with 5 Local authorities, regulates the consistency and accreditation of police related educational imputs to young people in Secondary and Primary Schools, as well as responses to incidents	2000	Incorporated into Youth Strategy inspections	Rob Machin Avon and Somerset Constabulary HQ Portishead Down 01275 816979 rob.machin@avonandsomerset.police.uk
Behaviour Support Plan sets out the LEA's strategy for providing support to schools for managing the behaviour of children at risk of developing, or already demonstrating, behavioural difficulties. It includes the role of other agencies working in partnership with the LEA	Written 2001	ongoing	Georgie Mackintosh Bath & North East Somerset Education Services Riverside, Temple Street, Keynsham BRISTOL, BS 31 1DN 01225 394244 georgie_mackintosh@bathnes.gov.uk
Carers Joint Investment Plan sets out a policy and strategy for support for unpaid carers, including Young Carers aged up to 19 years.	Written 2000	ongoing	Yvonne Bonifas and Ruth Black Bath & North East Somerset Social and Housing Services PO Box 3343 BATH, BA1 2ZH 01225 477871 and 477820 yvonne_bonifas@bathnes.gov.uk
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Strategy aims to improve services for children and young people experiencing mental health problems			Mike Bowden Bath & North East Somerset PCT St Martin's Hospital Midford Road BATH, BA 1 5RP 01225 831800 mike.bowden@banes-pct.nhs.uk
Children's and Young People's Services Plan A statement of needs, aspirations, objectives and targets for children as they impact on all vulnerable children across all services	2001-2 1^st Review 2002 2^nd Review 2003	2004	Liz Price Children and Families Service Bath & North East Somerset Social and Housing Services 7 North Parade Buildings BATH, BA1 1NY 01225 477930 liz_price@bathnes.gov.uk
Children's Charter How the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child will be implemented in B&NES, including an endorsement of any agency which involves children and young people in its planning and reviewing of services	Ongoing		Jim Davis The Children's Society 92B High Street Midsomer Norton BATH, BA3 3DE 01761 411771 jad@childsoc.org.uk
Children's Fund Plan aims to provide preventative services for children aged 5-13 who are at risk of social exclusion	2003-4	2004	Tim Carter Barnardo's Unit 10 Holly Court High Street Midsomer Norton BATH BA3 2DB 01761 410413 tim.carter@barnardos.org.uk
Community Strategy has 5 common themes Be safe Be inclusive Be sustainable Be dynamic Be creative and 6 key priorities Be there on time Be at home Be inspired Be better off Be green Be assured	Draft for consultation launched July 2003	To be published in 2004	Louise Tester Bath & North East Somerset Corporate Projects Riverside, Temple Street Keynsham BRISTOL, BS 31 1LA 01225 394442 louise_tester@bathnes.gov.uk
Community Safety Strategy produced by multi-agency CS Partnership with the aim of reducing crime and fear of crime in the district	2003-4	April 2004	Inge Shepherd Bath & North East Somerset Social and Housing Services PO Box 3343 BATH, BA1 2HZ 01225 477415 inge_shepherd@bathnes.gov.uk
Connexions Service, West of England Business and Delivery Plan sets out the services to be provided by Connexions and its partners for young people aged 13-19 years	2003-4	2004	Chris Hounsell Connexions West of England Charter House, The Square, Lower Bristol Road, BATH, BA2 3BH 01225 461501 chounsell@connexionswest.org.uk
Cultural Strategy Bath is a unique place with the culture at its heart comprising history, heritage, arts, architecture, festivals, sport, parks, play, media	Written 2002		Stephen Bird Bath & North East Somerset Council, Roman Baths, Stall Street, BATH, BA1 1LZ 01225 477750 culture@bathnes.gov.uk
Disabled Children's Strategy Multi-agency strategy and implementation plan aims to address gaps and deficiencies in services for disabled children	2001	2003	Liz Price Bath & North East Somerset Social and Housing Services PO Box 3343, BATH, BA1 2ZH 01225 477930 liz_price@bathnes.gov.uk
Early Years Development and Childcare Plan To provide flexible, appropriate childcare provision for 0 - 14 year olds; free early years education places for all 3 and 4 year olds by 2004; equality of opportunity for all parents/carers in accessing provision for their child/ren wherever they live and whatever their circumstances	2001-4	2004	Susan Wheeler Bath & North East Somerset Education Services Riverside, Temple Street, Keynsham BRISTOL, BS 31 1LA 01225 394483 susan_wheeler@bathnes.gov.uk
Education Development Plan	2002-7	Annual Review	Richard Brock Bath & North East Somerset Education Services Riverside, Temple Street, Keynsham BRISTOL, BS 31 1DN 01225 395150 richard_brock@bathnes.gov.uk
Health Local Delivery Plan replaces the Health Improvement and Modernisation Programme aims to work together with all partners towards the effective planning and delivery of NHS services. It includes summary action plans for a range of topics which may include children, as well as a summary plan specifically about children. The Schools for Health partnership oversees work on the National Healthy Schools Standard	2003-6	2006	Derek Thorne Bath & North East Somerset PCT St Martin's Hospital Midford Road BATH, BA1 5RP 01225 831800 derek.thorne@banes-pct.nhs.uk
Housing Strategy aims to ensure there is suitable housing for everyone in B&NES, healthy and sustainable homes for everyone, in living communities	2002-11	1^st review February 2004	Jane Shayler Bath & North East Somerset Social and Housing Services PO Box 3343 BATH, BA1 2HZ 01225 477860 jane_shayler@bathnes.gov.uk
Libraries Position Statement shows how the authority intends to shape and deliver their library service in line with the themes within 'Framework for the Future' (Government's new vision for libraries)	Written 2003	2004	Judith Dixon Bath & North East Somerset Libraries Service PO Box 3403 BATH, BAS1 2ZG 01225 396304 judith_dixon@bathnes.gov.uk
Local Preventative Strategy Multi-agency and corporate strategy aims to give vulnerable children and young people better life chances; includes identifying those at risk, referring them to appropriate services and tracking their progress	To be published 2004
Local Transport Plan and Community Transport Strategy	2000-5		James Wilcock Transportation Planning Floor 2 Riverside Temple Street, Keynsham BRISTOL BS31 1LA 01225 477639 james_wilcock@bathnes.gov.uk
Quality Protects Management Action Plan is now incorporated into Children and Families Service Plan, which covers assessment and provision of services for Children in Need as defined by The Children Act 1989 aims to improve life chances for children in need, particularly those at risk of abuse or neglect and those looked after by the Local Authority	Annual Children & Families Service Plan	2004/5	Tony Fehler Bath & North East Somerset Social and Housing Services PO Box 3343 BATH, BA1 2HZ 01225 477914 tony_fehler@bathnes.gov.uk
Inclusion Action Plan	Written 2003	ongoing	Sadie McNab, Bath & North East Somerset Education Services Riverside, Temple Street Keynsham BRISTOL BS31 1DN 01225 395209
Sport and Recreation Strategy To be separate plans for Sport (to develop sporting opportunities and to develop the community through sport) and for Sports Facilities Consultation documents available	Written 1998	Under review 2003	Ian Munday Bath & North East Somerset Sports & Leisure Development 4 Abbey Street BATH, BA1 1NN 01225 477234 ian_munday@bathnes.gov.uk
South West Bath Sure Start Plan aims to provide a good start in life for children aged 0-3 years within South West Bath	2003/4	2004	Helen Hoynes Sure Start Meade House Wedgwood Road BATH, BA2 1QN 01225 not known yet helen_hoynes@bathnes.gov.uk
Teenage Pregnancy Strategy aims to reduce conceptions in girls under 18 years and to support teenage parents and their children	2001-11 Reviewed annually	31/03/04	Rosie Dill Bath & North East Somerset Social and Housing Services PO Box 3343 BATH, BA1 2HZ 01225 396936 rosie_dill@bathnes.gov.uk
Young People's Substance Misuse Plan aims to reduce problem substance misuse by young people through education and treatment			Inge Shepherd Bath & North East Somerset Social and Housing Services PO Box 3343 BATH, BA1 2HZ 01225 477415 inge_shepherd@bathnes.gov.uk
Youth Justice Plan Reports on progressagainst 13 national performance measures and introduces plans to develop preventative work with children at risk of offending.	2003-4	2004	Sally Churchyard Youth Offending Team 180 Frome Road Combe Down BATH BA2 5RF 1225 396965/6 sally_churchyard@bathnes.gov.uk

For further information about the Children & Young People's Services Plan please contact: Ruth Black, Strategic Planning Officer 01225 477820 or Liz Price, Children's Planning Manager 01225 477930

PLANNING 'BOOKCASE'

This planning bookcase has been drawn up to help demonstrate the relationship between the various plans about children's services