Appendix A - East Devon District Council

Date: 23 November 2005 APPENDIX A
Contact number: 01395 517452
E-mail: pjeffs@eastdevon.gov.uk
Direct fax: 01395 517508
Our Reference: PJ/smep
Your Reference:
CYPP Consultation Co-ordinator
Room 120
Devon County Council
County Hall
Exeter EX2 4QR
Dear Sir/Madam
Children and Young Persons Plan
Consultation – Comments from East Devon District Council
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this document. The broad principles that the plan set
out are, necessarily, acceptable. However there are many questions on ‘how’, and whether there is
sufficient breadth in every aspect of the Plan.
It is difficult to answer all of your questions set out on your suggested response form as they do not
tackle all of the issues we have raised, and assume a tacit agreement with direction of travel. I
believe this Council will wish to engage with this work but we would like reassurance that many of the
issues raised above will be addressed in the final version of the plan.
1
• There is little mention or consideration of the role of community groups in the early sections.
• There is no consideration of cross-boundary issues. We, in East Devon, border two other
counties and some of our residents use facilities there.
• I am unaware whether you are consulting the relevant towns and parishes where ‘learning
communities’ are based.
• There is no suggestion as to how or whether selective schools, specialist schools (including
those ‘out of area’) and private schools are included in the concept of ‘learning communities’.
• Some of the Performance Indicators are missing so it is not possible to evaluate or comment
on their appropriateness or impact.
• As with all such Devon-wide arrangements there will be concern that future policies and
approaches may be centrally dictated and take little or no account of the special nature of
each learning community. Equally there is a concern that models of service, or presumptions
may be based on urban characteristics but applied in a rural setting. The strong involvement
of LSPs seems a prerequisite here.
• This plan seems not to cross-reference to adult services. In reality the two could support each
other in some ways, and problems for parents are usually problems for their children.
• There is no extra money being made available so there will be concerns about how money
may be redistributed amongst children’s services, or taken from other services.

2
• Whilst schools are undoubtedly an important ‘setting’ it must be remembered that children only
have to be at school for 25% of their week. Is there enough emphasis on non-school
interventions? Are the norms set at school sufficient to overcome the peer and other social
pressures which relate outside the school setting?
• There is a welcome reference to arts and culture, though in reality this discretionary element is
having to be cut by almost all Councils (and indeed the government in RSG). Hence there can
be no reliance on future levels of service.
• There is little prevention work mentioned to do with mental health, smoking and alcohol.
Almost all the proposals relate to tackling a pre-existing problem.
• There is a strangely distanced relationship with the Safeguarding Children Board. Surely child
safety is the cornerstone on which all else can be built? Love, care and self-worth are surely
essential ingredients in all the work of the Children’s Trust.
• There is no mention (page 9) as to whether we can even identify all young carers (or how we
might go about doing so). Without this information our actions for these vulnerable children
would be patchy.
• Children’s Centres (Challenge 1 – Page 12). It is implied that they are a physical entity
available to give parents advice through a ‘drop-in centre’. We have been advised that
Children’s Centres might be a ‘virtual’ entity.
• The heading to Challenge 7 (page 20) makes specific reference to rural communities, but the
actions that follow do not seem specifically rurally focused.
• Action 6 of Challenge 7 (page 20) suggests a variety of activities will be provided. The
implications is that this will be new, but there is no sense of how this will be afforded and
delivered.
• Challenge 2 (page 23) action 5 refers to the ‘local authority’. Is this DCC?
• District Leisure Centres and their charges to young people are mentioned in Challenge 3
(page 24). Not withstanding the funding implications it must also be remembered that many
District Leisure Centres are no longer directly run by District Councils.
• The diagram on page 33 shows that new multi-agency arrangements will be set up. There are
of course questions about the extra funding and capacity for new work.
This Council sees it main operational roles relating to the plan as being through Housing, Play areas,
Leisure facilities and to an extent through its Benefit Section. Obviously it also has a corporate
strategic and community leadership role. We do not yet understand to what extent the Plan will distort
our other priorities which have been set through other community engagement, and hence it is difficult
to be fully supportive as we would like at this stage.
Yours sincerely
Peter Jeffs
Corporate Director - Communities
Copy to: Pat Clewer, Head of Partnership, Children Services, Devon County Council, Topsham Road,
Exeter