Issue - meetings

Review of Children's Trust and Proposed Future Arrangements

 

 

Meeting: 01/10/2013 - Cabinet (Item 6)

6 Review of Children's Trust and Proposed Future Arrangements pdf icon PDF 29 KB

Minutes:

Background:

 

This report summarised the review undertaken on the Children’s Trust arrangements and proposed future arrangements for multi-agency partnership working.  It recommended the establishment of the Medway Children’s Action Network.

 

It was noted that the review of the Medway Children’s Trust had included engagement with a range of stakeholders including the Clinical Commissioning Group, the Parent’s Forum, Public Health, Councillors, CVS, Voluntary Sector Forum and Medway Community Health. The review had concluded that the existing arrangements were no longer fit for purpose and there was a need to move to a more streamlined approach. This had become possible due to recent changes in government guidance providing greater flexibility.

 

The report outlined proposals for the establishment of the Medway Children’s Action Network (Medway CAN), designed to develop more effective partnership working to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families. The report detailed the Council’s legal duties and confirmed that Medway CAN would fulfil the Council's statutory requirements.

 

Members were also advised that Partnership Commissioning was currently developing a Children and Young People’s Commissioning Plan (previously referred to as Better Start in Life Strategy). The plan would look at the total resource for children, families and young people in Medway, how the Council was investing (or proposing to invest) and identify jointly agreed objectives. The plan would support the delivery of the aims and objectives of the Council Plan, Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Improvement Plan. It would come to Cabinet at a later date for approval.

 

Decision number:

 

Decision:

 

155/2013

The Cabinet:

 

(a)               approved the establishment of Medway Children’s Action Network (CAN), as set out in paragraph 3 of the report.

 

(b)              delegated authority to the Director of Children and Adults Services, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, to finalise the proposed membership, as set out in paragraph 3.4 of the report and with the inclusion of the Medway Youth Parliament.

 

(c)               noted the development of a Children and Young People’s Commissioning Plan. 

 

Reasons:

 

Although the statutory guidance surrounding Children’s Trust Boards has been removed, there is a continuing legal requirement for authorities to have a Children’s Trust Board and to promote effective partnership working to improve outcomes for Children and Young People and their families.  Medway CAN will be outcomes and solution focused and will bring together Voluntary and Community Sector and statutory partners.