Wrexham Children and Young People Framework Partnership

Terms of

Reference/

Governance Arrangements

January 2007

Contents

Page

Background to the Partnership

/ 04

Diagramatic representation of the Partnership

/ 05

Structure Chart - CYP Service

/ 06

Structure Chart - LHB

/ 07

Structure Chart - NEW Trust

/ 08

Structure Chart - AVOW

/ 09

Wrexham CBC Promise

/ 10

Diversity Statement
Extending Entitlement

/ 11

Terms of Reference: Children and Young People's Framework Partnership Board

/ 12

Terms of Reference: Strategic Co-ordinating Groups (SCoGs)

/ 17

Learn and Achieve SCoG

/ 21

Enjoyment and Participation SCoG

/ 23

Safe from Harm SCoG

/ 25

Healthy and Active SCoG

/ 28

Terms of Reference: Partnership Advisory Group (PAG)

/ 30

Groups established by ScoGs and Linked Groups

/ 32

Work Plans - 2007/08

Learn and Achieve SCoG

/ 35

Enjoyment and Participation SCoG

/ 36

Safe from Harm SCoG

/ 38

Healthy and Active SCoG

/ 39

Framework Partnership Board

/ 40

Terms of Reference: Children's Partnership

/ 42

Terms of Reference: Young People's Partnership

/ 44

Meeting arrangements 2007/08

/ 47

Partnership monitoring and self-evaluation

/ 48

Appendix 1: Disagreement Resolution Protocol

/ 49

Appendix 2: Financial Challenges and Opportunities

/ 50

Appendix 3: EYDCP

/ 51

Appendix 4: Wrexham Local Safeguarding Children Board Executive Draft Terms of Reference and Membership

/ 52

LSCB Structure Chart

/ 53

AVOW Structure Chart

Wrexham CBC Promise

The Wrexham Promise encapsulates the work to be undertaken over the next ten years in improving outcomes and life chances for children, young people and their families in Wrexham.

It has been widely consulted on and is supported by Wrexham County Borough Council and the Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership Board.

Learn and Achieve

Remove barriers to learning and achievement
Support all children and young people to experience achievement and self-esteem
Encourage families and communities to be involved in children and young people’s learning and achievement

Be Safe from Harm

Protect children and young people from abuse, neglect, discrimination and exploitation
Encourage families and communities to be involved in keeping children and young people safe
Enable children and young people to develop strategies to keep themselves safe

Healthy and Active

Support all children and young people to make positive and healthy life choices
Encourage and enable children and young people to be active

Contribute to lifting children and young people out of family poverty

Enjoy and Participate

Recognise that all children and young people have a voice, and enable them to use it effectively
Support children and young people to give and receive respect

Enable children and young people to develop and grow by participating in stimulating activities

Diversity Statement

Members of Wrexham’s Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership are committed to equality of opportunity for everyone.

We are committed to making equality a reality in the provision of services, in our role as employers and as key community leaders.

We believe that everyone has the right to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect and will not discriminate on grounds of age, gender, disability, language, race, sexual orientation or religion and belief.

We value diversity. We aim to provide positive living, learning and working environments that is free from harassment and discrimination and where people are encouraged to achieve their true potential.

We are working to continually improve our services and how they are delivered, to ensure the needs of local children, young people and their families are met.

We are committed to working together as partners to develop a shared sense of belonging to the County Borough of Wrexham.

Extending Entitlement

The Welsh Assembly Government’s vision of the future for young people in Wales aged between 11-25 years, is based on the concept of universal entitlement, which means that every young person in Wales has a basic entitlement to a range of high quality services which will enable them to participate effectively in opportunities for learning, employment, good health, citizenship and social inclusion. Thus Extending Entitlement states:

Every young person in Wales has a basic entitlement to:

(i) Education, training and work experience – tailored to their needs

(ii) Basic skills which open doors to a full life and promote social inclusion

(iii) A wide and varied range of opportunities to participate in volunteering and active citizenship

(iv) High quality, responsive and accessible services and facilities

(v) Independent specialist careers advice, guidance, student support and counselling services

(vi)Personal support and advice – where and when they need it – with clear grounds on confidentiality

(vii) Advice on health, housing benefits and other issues provided in an accessible and welcoming setting

(viii) Recreational and social opportunities in a safe and accessible environment

(ix) Sporting artistic, musical and outdoor experiences to develop talents, broaden horizons and promote rounded perspectives including both national and international contexts

(x) The right to be consulted, to participate in decision making, and to be heard, on all matters which concern them or have an impact on their lives

(xi) Sport, arts and outdoor experiences to develop talents and broaden horizons including an international perspective

In an environment where there is:

(i) a positive focus on achievement overall and what young people have to contribute

(ii) a focus on building young peoples’ capacity to become independent, make choices and participate in the democratic process; and

(iii) celebration of young people’s success

Wrexham Children and Young People Framework Partnership

Children and Young People Framework Partnership Board:

Terms of Reference

Principles of the Partnership /

To build trust and understanding between organisations.
To demonstrate a commitment to partnership working between different local organisations within the context of Wales.
To support innovation and diversity.
To focus on entitlements to services based on the needs of the child or young person.
To demonstrate a commitment to giving the highest priority to those most in need, especially under-represented/minority/hard-to-reach groups.
To demonstrate a commitment to listening to, and acting on, the views of children, young people and their families.

1.
Purpose: / 1.1 To promote equality and diversity, and improve the quality of life of children, young people and their families in Wrexham.
1.2 To jointly set the strategic direction and priorities for multi-agency planning and delivery which will enable children and young people to:

learn and achieve;
be safe from harm;
enjoy and participate;

be healthy and active.
To act as an inclusive forum to bring together partnerships and organisations based on good will and a shared common purpose.
To strengthen partnership-working to ensure that everyone is working in the same strategic direction, sharing resources, information and expertise to address key issues and local priorities and needs.
To maximise the use of existing resources across all sectors and access additional funding and resources from local, regional, national and European sources for the benefit of children, young people and their families in Wrexham.
To develop, deliver and maintain a Children and Young People’s Plan for Wrexham.

2.
Key Tasks: / 2.1 The Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership Board will:
2.1.1 Agree and set out the strategic priorities for multi-agency planning and delivery in respect on children and young people in Wrexham.
2.1.2 Contribute to and agree Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership Board agendas and necessary reports/papers/presentations.
2.1.3 Work constructively as Board members to achieve shared goals and outcomes.
2.1.4 Deliver on its statutory obligations and responsibilities.
2.1.5 Oversee the work of the Strategic Co-ordinating Groups (SCoGs) and their progress in meeting outcomes, measures and objectives in the relevant plans and reporting frameworks.
2.1.6 Receive reports, presentations and plans from the four Strategic Co-ordinating Groups and others as agreed by the Chair.
2.1.7 Respond to the recommendations made to the Board by the four Strategic Co-ordinating Groups.
2.1.8 Receive reports, presentations and plans in respect of the joint commissioning, and de-commissioning, of services for children and young people, and reach agreement on recommendations regarding these.
2.1.9 Receive reports in respect of strategic budget monitoring, and agree recommendations regarding these.
2.1.10 Recommend to, and receive recommendations from, the Children’s Partnership and the Young People’s Partnership.
2.1.11 Monitor, at a strategic level, the delivery of existing Framework Partnership Plans and the readiness for the development of the Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) (2008).
3.
Membership: / 3.1 Membership of the Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership Board includes the acceptance of the responsibility to work within these Terms of Reference.
3.2 The Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership is a statutory partnership under the provisions of the Children Act, 2004.
3.3 It is agreed and understood that the Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership representatives will be of a sufficiently senior level to be able to speak for their parent bodies in relation to the work of the Partnership, and will have a commitment to it, and to the successful discharge of its duties and responsibilities.
3.4 Representatives should be able to make decisions and commitments, for example on funding, on behalf of their organisations. Protocols will need to clarify reporting lines to the local authority and the governing bodies or boards of the relevant partners.
3.5 In this context it will be essential to have robust inter-agency governance arrangements to support partnership working. This will require:

effective leadership by the local authority;
full engagement of all key partners, including voluntary and other providers;
clear accountability;
trust, shared vision and a commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people across all partners.
Members of the Board have a responsibility to declare and be clear and consistent about whom they represent. This is particularly important for members who may be perceived as representing more than one organisation, body or constituency – for example, a person who is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce or a Trustee of a major local voluntary organisation.

3.7 The Partnership Board operates strategically. Implementation will be through its associated Strategic Co-ordinating Groups (SCoGs), member organisations and Task-and-Finish Groups formulated from the organisations and the community as required and agreed by the wider Partnership.
3.8 Organisations and partnerships have existing accountabilities and these remain the same. Individual partners will remain responsible and accountable for decisions re. these existing accountabilities and resources in their own services.
3.9 Where an individual partner has goals primarily set by the Welsh Assembly/Central Government, the Partnership Board will identify the appropriate contribution that its members can make to achieve those goals.
3.10 Where local and regional or national priorities are not aligned - either in respect of specific outcomes or resource implications – these will remain the responsibility of the individual partner/ organisation.
3.11 Although it is envisaged that the named representatives from each organisation will sit on the Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership Board, substitutes will be allowed if unavoidable in order to maintain organisational contact with the work of the Board.
3.12 Members are expected to report back to their organisation about the Partnership’s business so that all the organisations involved are fully-informed as to decisions, developments and any implications that may impact upon them.
3.13 Observers may attend meetings with the permission of the Chair.
3.14 The Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership has a responsibility to actively involve under-represented groups and will wish to involve individuals on Task-and-Finish Groups where they represent a minority interest or issue.
3.15 Core membership of the Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership Board is set out as part of the Children Act 2004. These partners must co-operate with the authority in the making of partnership arrangements provided for in the Act which describes relevant partners of the local authority as being:

the police authority and the chief officer of police;
the local probation board;
the youth offending team;
the Local Health Board;
NHS trusts providing services in the area of the authority;
a representative of the LSCB;
the National Council for Education and Training for Wales (now subsumed into WAG).
It is also recommended that local authorities involve in their partnership arrangements:
representatives of schools;
a representative of the Fire and Rescue Service;
relevant voluntary organisations;
they should also ensure that children, young people and families have an opportunity to make their voices heard on the partnerships.
It should be noted that a single member may fulfil more than one representational role.
Membership of Wrexham’s Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership Board will be as follows:

Children and Young People Framework Partnership Board Membership:
Organisation / Name / Designation
01 /

Local Authority

/ Terry Garner
Chair / Strategic Director: Children and Young People
02 /

Third Sector

/ John Gallanders
Vice Chair
YPP Chair / Chief Officer, AVOW
03 / Local Authority / Cllr. Arwel Jones / Lead Member: Children and Young People
04 / Cllr. Pat Jeffares / Dep. Lead Member: Children and Young People
05 / LHB / Sue Willis
HA SCoG Chair / Director of Nursing and Officer with responsibility for children
06 / Angela Roberts / Joint Service Development Manager, Children's Services
07 / Sally Rees / Non-Officer Board Member with responsibility for children
08 / NEW Trust / Cilla Robinson
CP Chair / General Manager, Child, Family and Community Services
09 / NEW Trust / John Leece Jones / Non-Executive Board Member with responsibility for children
10 / Local Authority Children and Young People Service / Clare Field

EP SCoG Chair

/ Chief Prevention and Inclusion Officer
Youth Justice Service / Chief Prevention and Inclusion Officer
11 / Local Authority Children and Young People Service / Hywyn Williams
LA SCoG Chair / Chief Learning and Achievement Officer
School Phases / Chief Learning and Achievement Officer
12
13 / Local Authority Children and Young People Service / Bob Maclaren
SH SCoG Chair / Chief Safeguarding and Support Officer
LSCB / Chief Safeguarding and Support Officer
14 / Police Authority / Ruth Purdie / Superintendent
15 / Fire and Rescue Service / ?????? / ??????
PSD Officer: / Jan Jones / HoS: Performance, Support and Development
Lead Admin Support: / Elaine Sheldon / Performance, Support and Development
4.
Frequency of meetings: / 4.1 The Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership Board will meet on a quarterly basis. Extraordinary meetings of the Board may be called by the Chair if deemed necessary.
5.
Reporting arrangements: / 5.1 Agendas, minutes and associated papers, presentations and reports relating to meetings of the Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership Board will be sent electronically to Board members and members of the Children’s Partnership and Young People’s Partnership.
Any agenda items deemed to require confidentiality will be noted in the minutes as having been discussed, but the record of the discussion will be recorded separately.
5.2 Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership Board material will be made available on Wrexham Council’s intranet.
6.
Decision-making: / 6.1 The Partnership Board operates strategically. It will make decisions re. the strategic direction and priorities for children and young people’s issues in Wrexham.
6.2 It will delegate operational decisions to the Chairs of SCoGS (see 6.1 in SCoGs’ Terms of Reference)
6.3 It will receive and decide upon the recommendations of the Chairs of SCoGs.
7.
Support for CYPFPB / 7.1 The Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership Board will receive the strategic support of the Head of the CYP Service’s Performance, Support and Development Section and admin support will be provided.
7.2 All staff involved in support as outlined in 7.1 are members of the Children and Young People Service’s Performance, Support and Development Section and centrally funded by Wrexham CBC. Any issues arising will be dealt with by the Head of Service. A financial contribution towards these costs is made by the Framework Partnership via the Cymorth grant.

Wrexham Children and Young People Framework Partnership

Strategic Co-ordinating Groups (SCoGs): Terms of Reference

For the purposes of these Terms of Reference, children and young people are defined as those aged 0 – 25. All SCoGs will be mindful of the need to address transition points, and to maintain strong links with adult services.

1.
Purpose: / 1.1 To act as an expert reference group to the Children and Young People’s (CYP) Framework Partnership Board and supporting partnerships.
1.2 To co-ordinate the planning and implementation of the strategic direction set by the CYP Framework Partnership Board by maintaining oversight of multi-agency service and support to Wrexham’s children and young people and their families, as per WAG’s 7 Core Outcomes and theWrexham Promise, in respect of their ability to:

learn and achieve;
be safe from harm;
enjoy and participate;
be healthy and active.
To discharge this duty via four Strategic Co-ordinating Groups (SCoGs), one to take lead responsibility for each of the areas set out above. The balance of work within the SCoGs will reflect identified priorities year-on-year, and their foci may change accordingly.
Where multi-agency service and support could easily fall within the remit of more than one SCoG (as will often be the case) the Chairs of the four SCoGs will agree between them which SCoG will lead on that item to avoid duplication and ensure delivery.
The purpose of the SCoGs is to enhance this support and delivery re. Wrexham’s children and young people and their families by harnessing the added-value generated by working together in partnership where appropriate and beneficial. Partner organisations retain their individual statutory and discretionary responsibilities for service support and delivery.
To focus on joined-up thinking and working, bringing together individual roles and duties where the purposes of these coincide to a significant extent (cf. the work of the EYDCP; the LSCB).