Proposed structure for the Children and Young People's Workforce ...

2010- Workforce Strategy Draft16. Appendix 2 National and local drivers for workforcereforma. National drivers for workforce reformi. Every Child MattersServices for children and young people have undergone radical changes since 2003, whenthe UK Government published the “Every Child Matters” (ECM) Green Paper. ECM is ashared programme of change to improve outcomes for all children and young people. It takesforward the Government's vision of radical reform for children, young people and families,whatever their circumstances or needs, to have the support they need to:• Be healthy• Stay safe• Enjoy and achieve• Make a positive contribution• Achieve economic well-beingThe Children Act (2004) provided the legislation underpinning for ECM and brought togetherall local government functions of children's social services and education under the statutoryauthority of local Directors of Children's Services and required designation of a Lead Memberfor Children’s Services. It also required local authorities and their “relevant partners”, undersection 10, to cooperate to improve children’s wellbeing and inferred putting in place“children’s trust arrangements” which put improved outcomes for children and young peopleat the centre of all activity.Under Children’s Trust arrangements, all organisations responsible for providing services forchildren, young people and families have a statutory duty to cooperate in order to improveoutcomes for children and young people.“The Children's Plan: Building Brighter Futures” commits the Government to strengtheningChildren’s Trusts so that they deliver real, measurable improvements for children and youngpeople, including early identification and intervention for children who need additional help,by 2010.To deliver on the Children’s Plan commitment revised statutory guidance on Children’s Trusts hasbeen produced, Statutory guidance on cooperation arrangements, including the Children’s TrustBoard and Children and Young People’s Plan DCSF 2009, clarifies their current purpose androle. It is also the intention to legislate that:• the number of Children’s Trust partners is extended to include maintained schools,Academies, sixth form and further education colleges, and Job Centre Plus;• Children’s Trust Boards become a statutory body, so that it can have specific functions;and• Trust Boards have a legal responsibility for producing and securing delivery of theChildren & Young People’s PlanThe Government’s Joint Planning and Commissioning Framework for Children, YoungPeople and Maternity Services provides a framework for Trusts to use in planning andcommissioning integrated and other services. Production and implementation of a localworkforce strategy is expected to be central to local joint commissioning strategies whichinclude workforce development.Version 2.6 32