Blackpool Children’s Trust Explained

Background

In 2003 the Government published a programme to improve services for children and young people called Every Child Matters. Every child should grow up to

  • Be healthy
  • Stay Safe
  • Enjoy and Achieve
  • Make a positive contribution
  • Achieve economic well being

The 2004 Children Act gave local Councils the responsibility to make sure these needs are met.

The needs of Blackpool children and young people are identified in the Children and Young People’s Plan. These are known as the 9 Priorities. Each Priority has a Delivery Plan.

The Children’s Trust aims to break down the bureaucratic barriers that can get in the way of achieving the Priorities. The Trust brings together partners and agencies such as health, social services, education, leisure, police, schools and voluntary organisations. These are the partner organisations

The Trust Board

The Board members are the senior leaders of organisations and agencies and several Councillors. They set the direction for the Trust’s work and monitor how well it is doing.

The Lead Member for Children’s Services chairs the Board.

What they will do

  • Meet regularly.
  • Make sure that the partner organisations know what they have to do and do it.
  • Make sure that the partner organisations are well organised in staff management, financial management, risk management (particularly with regard to keeping children safe) and can make decisions.
  • Make sure that there are enough resources e.g. money, staff and time for the partners and agencies to do their work.
  • Make sure that the resources are used wisely, and spending is monitored.
  • Make sure that children & young people, their parents and carers are able to have their say about services.
  • Receive regular reports from the Director of Children’s Services about the way in which services are working and how much progress is being made.
  • Report to the public about the work and progress the Trust has made each year.
  • Make sure that all partner organisations have systems in place to deal with concerns about systems and practices.

The Trust Executive

The Executive’s members are senior officers representing all members of the Trust. They have the responsibility to achieve the priorities set by the Board.

The Executive is chaired by the Director of Children’s Services.

What they will do

  • Meet regularly to check and support the Delivery Plans for the 9 Priorities.
  • Support the Director of Children’s Services particularly with the delivery of the Children & Young People’s Plan.
  • Make sure that private; voluntary and community sector partners are fully involved.
  • Make sure that partner organisations plans achieve their agreed targets.
  • Help the Council to build and keep strong relationships with and between partner organisations
  • Give direction in the planning, commissioning and delivery of children’s services, and to manage change if needed.
  • Make sure that there are enough resources to

Build joint working and cooperation between partners and agencies.

Set up and develop a database on all children in the authority.

Respond to the needs of the Joint Area Review.

Make sure that there are systems and arrangements in place to safeguard and to promote the welfare of children. This is done through the local Safeguarding Children’s Board.

  • To move agencies towards a family centred approach where they work together to support families.
  • Give a progress report to the Board each year.

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