Uses 
The green paper, Every Child Matters, and the Children Bill that follows it set out significant proposals for all public services to develop a more joined up approach to services for children and young people at risk of social exclusion. The government vision is that education, health, social care, voluntary and community services will work together to improve preventative and early intervention provision for children at risk. Central to the government's proposals is the need for services to be commissioned and delivered jointly to ensure that provision is coherent and effectively co-ordinated at all levels of intervention. In response to this important and challenging agenda for children's services and in line with current county developments and the recent Best Value Review, a Joint Commissioning Unit has been established within the "retained services" of the Pupil Services Division. The primary aim of the Joint Commissioning Unit is to improve the wellbeing and educational attainment of all children and young people (0-19). To do so the Unit will develop mechanisms for the joint commissioning of services to ensure fully integrated systems of support to meet the needs of all children and young people. These commissioning arrangements will be designed to support, build upon and enhance collaborative working practices between groups of schools in clusters and between clusters and support services and agencies. The Joint Commissioning Unit is made up of the three teams below. For more details about the role of each team please open the appropriate link:
- Joint Commissioning Officers (JCOs)
- Community Drugs Education Co-ordinators (CDECs)
- Looked After Children Advisers (LACAs)
- Adopted children in school - Information for Teachers
A short booklet setting out practice guidance to assist teachers in handling the subject of adoption and in supporting adopted pupils. - Alternative Service Providers: Guidance for Schools Purchasing Therapeutic Services page
- Ashford Children and Young People's Consortium: guide to local multi-agency services
- Shepway Children and Young People's Consortium: guide to local multi-agency services