PAPER E

SOCIAL SERVICES, HOUSING AND BENEFITS SELECT COMMITTEE - 7 OCTOBER 2003

THE GREEN PAPER ON CHILDREN’S SERVICES ‘EVERY CHILD MATTERS’

REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES AND HOUSING

REASON FOR SELECT COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

The government published ‘Every Child Matters’, a Green Paper on the future of Children’s Services on 8 September 2003. This report is submitted at the request of the Chairman to allow Members the opportunity to begin to consider the proposals and to contribute to the consultation process. The Green Paper will also be the subject of a report to the Executive Committee in November.

ACTION REQUIRED BY THE SELECT COMMITTEE

To debate and make recommendations

BACKGROUND

Lord Laming’s inquiry into the tragic death of Victoria Climbie highlighted the need to ensure all children are safeguarded and have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. The Green Paper – Every Child Matters, aims to achieve this by moving to a system locally and nationally where:

· Services are focused around the needs of children, young people and families;

· Services are integrated across education, social care, health and youth justice; and

· There is clear accountability at all levels.

Whilst many of the services that currently exist are meeting the needs of most children, young people and families, there is evidence nationally of 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 and a lack of effective training. Not only does this increase the risk of failing to protect children from harm, it also means that services appear disjointed from the end users’ perspective.

A number of other documents have been published alongside the Green Paper. These include:

• ‘Keeping Children Safe’ - The Government response to the Laming Report
• ‘Youth Justice – The Next Steps’ A companion document to the Green Paper
• ‘A better education for child in care’ – A report from the Social Exclusion Unit

This Select Committee report deals primarily with the Green Paper and emergent issues. The Green Paper has been issued for consultation and responses are due by 1 December 2003.

The overall aims of the Green Paper are to:

• Ensure that no child falls through the net and to help every child achieve his/her potential

• Shift the balance towards prevention through tackling child poverty, improving early years education and childcare, raising school standards and supporting parents

• Intervene earlier before children reach crisis point

The means of achieving these aims are seen as:

• Clear accountability locally through the Director for Children’s Services and nationally through the Children’s Minister

• Integrating education, health and social care around the needs of children (Children’s Trusts, Children’s Centres, Full Service Extended Schools)

• Raising the priority of child protection across all services (New statutory duties on police, health and Safeguarding Children Boards)

• Creating a lead inspectorate for Children (Ofsted)

• Creating an independent voice for children through the Children’s Commissioner

• Raising the attractiveness and status of working with children and fostering children

• Sharing information between services to pick up warning signs (Trusts, Assessment, Multi-disciplinary working)

• Increasing the focus on supporting families and foster carers

The Green Paper presents significant challenges but also a significant opportunity to strengthen services for children in need and their families. It will be important to consider the proposals in the context of how they might achieve better outcomes for children; influence practice in terms of the cultural and change management processes; effect the wider workforce issues and impact on structures. The key themes from each chapter are listed below, together with the related consultation questions. A copy of the Summary Green Paper is attached as Appendix 1

THE GREEN PAPER – ‘EVERY CHILD MATTERS’

Chapter 1 – The Challenge

There are six chapters of the Green Paper which outline the failings and successes of current policy and services; a vision for the future and proposals for how this vision might be realised.

The Green Paper begins by referring to the five key outcomes which matter most to children, young people and families:

• Being healthy
• Staying safe
• Enjoying and achieving
• Making a positive contribution
• Economic well-being

Notwithstanding some of the key policy changes (1.8) in recent years which have endeavoured to improve outcomes for children and young people, it is recognised that there is more to do. It highlights particular policy challenges:

• Better prevention
• A stronger focus on parenting and families
• Earlier intervention

It suggests that to deliver these reforms the following must also be addressed:

• Weak accountability and poor integration
• Workforce reform

The proposed answers to these five themes are the basis of the remaining five chapters of the Green Paper. Those highlighted in bold are seen as key proposals:

• Strong foundations (Ch 2)
• Supporting parents and carers (Ch 3)
• Early intervention and effective protection (Ch 4)
• Accountability and integration – locally, regionally, nationally (Ch 5)
• Workforce reform (Ch 6)

Chapter 2 – Strong Foundations

This sets out the Government’s commitment to build on existing achievements through:

• Tackling child poverty
• Ensuring children have a Sure Start
• Raising primary and secondary school standards and participation post 16
• Increasing access to primary health care and specialist health services
• Reducing offending and anti-social behaviour
• Building strong and vibrant communities
• Ensuring children are safe

Consultation questions:

• How can we improve support for unaccompanied asylum seeking children?

• How can we ensure that serious welfare concerns are appropriately dealt with alongside

criminal proceedings?

• How can we encourage clusters of schools to work together around extended schools?

Chapter 3 – Supporting parents and carers

This chapter presents the long term vision to improve parenting and family support through:

• Universal services such as schools, health service and childcare
• Targeted and Specialist Support
• Compulsory action – through parenting orders as a last resort
• Tackling recruitment and retention challenges in foster care and the adoption modernisation programme

Consultation Questions:

• How can we achieve good quality decision making by social services in relation to permanence for children for whom they are responsible?
• What more can be done to recruit and retain more foster carers who can meet the needs of looked after children?
• How can local authorities, working with the voluntary, community and private sectors, develop a range of parenting support services?
• How can the use of direct payments to families with disabled children be extended?
• What more can be done to improve services for children and families of offenders?

Chapter 4 – Early Intervention and Effective Protection

This chapter focuses on:

• Improving information sharing between agencies (Autumn 2003)
• Establishing a Common Assessment Framework (by March 2004)
• Identifying “Lead Professionals”
• Integrating professionals through multi-disciplinary teams
• Co-locating services
• Ensuring effective child protection (Climbie and new guidance)

Consultation Questions:

• Current barriers to effective information sharing and can they be removed?
• What should be the threshold triggers for sharing information about a child?
• What are the circumstances (in addition to child protection and youth offending) where information must be shared without the consent of the child or parents?
• Should information on parents and carers, such as domestic violence, imprisonment, mental health or drug problems be shared?
• How can we ensure that no children slip through the system?
• What issues stand in the way of effective information transfer across local authority boundaries?
• Should a unique identifying number be used?
• What are the barriers to developing multi-disciplinary teams?
• How can they have greater leverage over mainstream/specialist services?

Chapter 5 – Accountability and Integration

Against an aim that there should be one person in charge locally and nationally with the responsibility for improving children’s lives, this chapter outlines the case for change; the vision locally and regionally and national changes together with the next steps.

• Appointment of Director of Children’s Services
• Appointment of lead Council Member
• In the longer term - Integrated Children’s Services as part of a Children’s Trust model
• Development of Local Safeguarding Children Boards as statutory successors to ACPCs
• Integrated inspection framework
• A Children’s Commissioner

Consultation Questions:

• How can we encourage better integration of funding for support services for children?
• Should all authorities and agencies have a duty to promote the well-being of children?
• How best can young people be involved in local decision making?
• Should Safeguarding Children Boards be statutory and what should their powers and duties be?
• What services should be required to form part of Children’s Trusts?
• How can inspections be integrated better?

Chapter 6 – Workforce Reform

This chapter deals with two key challenges. Raising the attractiveness of working with children in order to improve recruitment and retention and improving the skills and effectiveness of the children’s workforce.

• Having a workforce reform strategy
• Establishment of a Children’s Workforce Unit in DfES
• Common core training and leadership development

Consultation Questions:

• What are the priorities the workforce reform strategy should tackle?
• Should all those working with children share a common core of skills and knowledge?
• Should there be a common qualification structure?

RELEVANT PLANS, POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Corporate Plan 2002/2005

Service Plans 2003/2004; 2004/2005

Government Objectives for Children’s Services

Laming Report and Self Assessment Audit (March 2003)

CONSULTATION PROCESS

The Green Paper has been issued for consultation and comments are invited by 1 December 2003. It is intended to encourage discussion and invite views as widely as possible across the Council. It is also intended to have discussion with partner agencies and stakeholders as a means of informing the Council’s response.

FINANCIAL, LEGAL, CRIME AND DISORDER IMPLICATIONS

It is apparent that the scope and breadth of the proposals outlined in the Green Paper will bring certain financial and legal obligation for local authorities and others. It will be important to consider the potential impact as part of the consultation process. The Laming Report recommendations (published January 2003) are reflected in the Green Paper. The Service Plan for 2004/2005 reflects some of these recommendations and specific proposals in terms of child protection will be considered as part of the Council’s prioritisation exercise for the forthcoming financial year.

‘Youth Justice – The Next Steps’ will need to be considered in conjunction with the Green Paper in terms of the potential implications relating to S17 of the Crime and Disorder Act.

APPENDICES ATTACHED

‘Every Child Matters’ (Summary)

BACKGROUND PAPERS USED IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS REPORT

‘Every Child Matters’ Published by The Stationery Office, 2003

Contact Point : Jimmy Doyle, Head of Children’s Services, Tel 520600 [email protected]

GORDON KENDALL

Portfolio Holder for Social Services and Housing