Children's Trusts are central to Government policy for improving children's services. The policy, developed in Every Child Matters, the Children Act 2004, and The Children's Plan aims to improve outcomes for all children by redesigning services and ensuring active partnership through Children's Trusts.

Children's Trusts bring together social care, health, police, education, districts and other services to ensure integrated, child-centered approaches to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families. All Local Authorities are expected to introduce a Children's Trust by 2008.

Kent Children's Trust

The Kent Children's Trust was established in September 2006. The Kent Children and Young People’s Plan ‘Positive about our Future’ was published in the same year. This plan is currently being updated to define the key priorities for supporting children and young people in Kent through to 2011. The revised Kent Children and Young People’s Plan will be available at on this page after the 11th September 2008.

LCSPs

The 23 Local Children’s Services Partnerships (LCSP) are now live. The LCSPs play a central role in improving outcomes for local children, young people and families through integrated commissioning and front line delivery. Each LCSP will produce its own Local Children and Young People’s Plan. Their introduction represents a key milestone in the development of children’s trust arrangements in Kent.

Area Children's Services Officers (ACSOs)

In line with the introduction of the LCSPs Area Education Officers will be known as Area Children’s Services Officers (ACSOs) from the 1st September 2008. Each ACSO will support the LCSP Managers in their area. To find out who your ACSO is please visit http://www.kenttrustweb.org.uk/Clusters/clusters_operations.cfm

Children’s Trust Newsletter

The latest edition of the Kent Children’s Trust Newsletter is now available. The newsletter highlights the introduction of the 23 LCSPs, reports on the success of the LCSP Pathfinders, and includes items on new developments supporting children’s trust arrangements in Kent. We hope you find it helpful and informative, the newsletter can be found at http://www.kenttrustweb.org.uk/Children/kct_newsletter.cfm

For further information on the Kent Children’s Trust please contact:

Joy Ackroyd
Kent Children’s Trust Partnership Manager
Tel: 01622 696013
E-mail: joy.ackroyd@kent.gov.uk

or

Matthew Redmond
Children’s Trust Policy Development Officer
Tel: 01622 696694
Email: matthew.redmond@kent.gov.uk