OVERVIEW

• Children’s Services Reform – the national picture• Achievements in Hertfordshire • Challenges ahead – the Harder Test

CHILDREN’S SERVICES REFORM

• Support parents and carers

• Develop the workforce, changing culture and practice

• Integrate services across the age range 0-19

• Radical improvement in opportunities and outcomes for children

• Whole-system reform of the delivery of children’s services

• Build services around the child, young person and family

CHANGE FOR CHILDREN PROGRAMME – TWO PHASES

• Ending Phase 1 – 2005-06: Developing strategy and frameworkDevelop the directionPromote ownershipEstablish governance and accountability

• Starting Phase 2 – 2006-08: Improving services and outcomes Improve service/ practice links on the groundDevelop the staff across services Improve key outcomes for children

ACHIEVEMENTS• HCTP Framework established• Governance and Accountability arrangements

approved by all agencies• Children’s Trust Partnership’s in all 10 Districts• Local Children’s Safeguarding Board• Children & Young People Plan signed off by all partner

agencies• Children’s Workforce Strategy• Common Assessment Framework/ Lead Professional

pilot• Children’s Centres & Extended Schools strategy• Participation Strategy being consulted on

THE HARDER TEST - KEY PRINCIPLES

• Delivery of services, NOT PROCESS• Integrated services at the local level• Targeted action with key groups of young people and

communities• Embedding young people’s participation• A strong commissioning framework• Matching resources to priorities• Keeping the focus on OUTCOMES

The Child or Young

Person

All Children inall areas

All Children in some areas

Some Children in all areas

SchoolsChildren’s centresExtended Schools

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

What do we aim to commission at which levels, and what do we need to do to achieve this?

National

Regional

Sub Regional

Primary Care Trust(s) and

Children, Schools and Families

Practice Based CommissioningChildren’s Centres & Extended Schools

? Budget holding lead professionals? District Children’s Trust Partnerships

Screening Immunisations

Residential/fostering servicesLooked After Children

Neonatal networks

Child ProtectionSurestart

Residential/fostering servicesSpeech and Language Therapy

Most CAMHS servicesLeaving Care Services

Community nursing and midwifery. Local care pathways.

PlayschemesParenting Services

Education ImprovementPartnership

Children’s Centre Network

Practice – Based CommissioningChild Minder Network

Extended SchoolCluster

Local Partnerships and Networks

NeighbourhoodPolicing

Area

Key:

Schools

Health Community facility e.g. libraries