Sheffield is a great place to grow
up
The biggest changes to Sheffield's services for children,
young people and families in twenty years continue to gather
pace this month as a programme of partnership events brings
workers together around the city.
Sheffield has announced ambitious plans to bring together
health, education, social care and voluntary workers in
local areas to support children and families, and these
local events give workers the opportunity to contribute
to the development of these plans.
Workers will be asked to develop the idea of an 'offer'
to support all children and young people on their journey
from conception to adulthood - 0-19+. And they'll have the
opportunity to raise issues about local needs, to make sure
that services are developed to meet those needs.
"We started well over two years ago to bring organisations
together to discuss children's services and examine how
to ensure much better co-ordination to avoid tragedies like
that of Victoria Climbie," says Cllr Veronica Hardstaff,
Chair of the city's 0-19 Partnership Board. "This is
a huge opportunity to build services responding to children
and young people's needs, an ensure a really good start
in life for all Sheffield youngsters.
"We've been working towards this integrated method
of working for some time, and Government legislation reflects
the good practice already existing in Sheffield as a Children's
Trust Pathfinder. Universal services, provided by the NHS,
early years networks and schools, will be at the heart of
this new approach, placing a greater emphasis upon early
intervention to keep children safe and healthy, as a sound
basis for successful learning and achieving.
"To put together a framework of area working, and
genuine partnership working between agencies is a radical
move for the city. However, it will only be considered a
success if it means that the lives of children, young people
and families are better as a result."
Nationally, the Department of Health have published their
'Every Child Matters' Green Paper, which led to last year's
Children's Act, and sets out a new approach to the wellbeing
of children and young people from birth to the age of 19.
The Government's aim is for every child, whatever their
background or their circumstances, to have the support they
need to:
* Be healthy
* Stay safe
* Enjoy and achieve through learning
* Make a positive contribution to society
* Achieve economic well-being
And in the biggest shake-up to local government for twenty
years, services to children (including schools) will be
inspected on the basis of these five areas, using stringent
criteria to make sure that every child is supported well.
Sheffield's approach has been to get ahead of the game,
developing a citywide 0-19 Partnership Board more than two
years ago to share plans and budgets for the benefit of
children and families in the city.
"Naturally, the agencies concerned fulfil various
parts of the Government's five outcomes," says Jonathan
Crossley-Holland, Executive Director of Children & Young
People's Services (designate). "The local authority's
focus is very much on raising achievement, with attainment
measured in external assessment at the core, and on keeping
children and young people safe.
"We can only work effectively if we set ourselves
a benchmark. We are going to be very clear with children,
young people and families about what they can expect from
us by capturing it in an offer.
"And soon we'll be in a position to present this to
parents and carers, so we can agree together the way forward.
Of course, children, young people, parents and carers are
not passive recipients of services - they have a part to
play in building the future of our city."
The Children's Act, brought in last year, meant that Sheffield
now has a Cabinet Member for Children's Services, rather
than separate Education and Social Services leads. They
are no longer required to have a Director of Education and
a Director of Social Services, and a new responsibility
of Director of Children's Services has been introduced.
While in some areas, this has meant merely a renaming of
existing roles, Sheffield's intention is genuinely to integrate
services across education and social care, and to work closely
with partner agencies to make sure that families get the
support they need.
And in the next couple of months, parents will start to
hear about the 'offer' that city services are making to
them, and will be given the opportunity to respond.
08 June 2005
October 02, 2006 
