Kent Children and Young People's Plan 2011-2014

Where are we now?

Our Children and Young People's Plan (CYPP) 2008-2011 finished in March 2011. The CYPP 2008-2011 end of plan review has been undertaken but has yet to receive formal endorsement. (Further information and a copy of the draft end of plan review are available here.)

We will continue to provide strategic direction, building on the progress made from earlier plans in terms of improving outcomes for children and their families and integrating service delivery. We will adopt a new approach that is built on transparency, accountability and ownership, ensuring that we respond to change and emerging issues of concern.

A 2011-14 strategic framework has been developed to support interim work and planning until we fully understand the impact of central government funding decisions on services and resourcing levels are known.

Developing Kent's CYPP 2011-2014

The Kent Children’s Trust (KCT) want to continue to deliver the most efficient and effective local services for children, young people and their families but with reduced budgets we need to carefully decide and plan what and how to do it. We know that difficult choices have to be made; we cannot afford to do everything. We need to ensure that money and effort is focused on where we can make most difference to our children and young people, particularly those who aren’t doing so well and need extra help.
 
We have listened to what children and young people have told us, parents, carers and frontline staff. We have looked at the performance of current services, outcomes for children and families, and considered where we need to improve. With your help and using our ongoing detailed needs assessment we have identified seven areas that prevent some of Kent’s children and young people from achieving their potential, activities to address these areas and where we aim to be by 31st March 2014.
 
Since the identification of the 7 areas of need two have been prioritised for immediate action in the light of weaknesses in certain children’s services identified through external inspection. In year one the top priorities for partnership action are safeguarding and emotional wellbeing and mental health. Partners are committed tosupporting the delivery of the safeguarding and looked after children’s services improvement and development plan ‘Putting Children First' and the emotional wellbeing and mental health (NST) action plan.

It is recognised that we cannot plan beyond year one until we fully understand the impact of central government funding decisions on services and resourcing levels are known. At the KCTB meeting on the 4th March 2011 members considered a strategic framework to support interim work and planning until resourcing issues can be finalised.  

Providers of services to children, young people and their families have been invited to consider this framework and use it to inform decision making.  

Each of our 12 District Local Children’s Trust Boards has developed an understanding of local needs to create their own local delivery plan. Local ownership and prioritisation will ensure local needs are met through locally developed solutions. These plans will support partnership work in localities and contribute towards addressing the seven areas of need. The locality plans are currently being developed alongside detailed action plans and are available on individual LCTBs webpages.  

Who is responsible for the CYPP 2011-2014?

As expected the Government have decided to remove much of the prescription introduced through the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. The DfE announcement stated 'Strong local partnerships are crucial to meeting the needs of all children, but a one-size-fits-all approach will not work'. The Secretary of State has therefore decided to:

  • remove the duty on schools to cooperate
  • remove the statutory requirement for a Children's Trust Board and the requirement for such a Board to produce a CYPP
  • revoke the regulations underpinning the CYPP

The fundamental duty to cooperate, set out in the Children Act 2004, remains and the need for strong local partnerships is clearly recognised, indeed government ambitions to support the most vulnerable families and tackle disadvantage require highly effective local partnerships.

Kent Children's Trust have responsibility for preparing, publishing, reviewing and revising the Children and Young People's Plan.  All KCT partners share this responsibility and must actively engage decision makers within their own organisations.

Responsibility for implementing the CYPP lies with individual partners under a duty to co-operate as set out in the Children Act 2004. Partners share the responsibility of developing the new CYPP and actively engaging decision makers within their own agency. The Local Authority (KCC) has a lead role in making sure the Children’s Trust arrangements are in place and fit for purpose.

 | Published: 16-5-11  | TOP