Children and Young People

Children and Young People will be working to achieve the Government’s five outcomes; Service Integration; Preparing for Joint Area Review; Successful delivery of Building Schools for the Future, Children’s Centres and the Academies programme. The main functions are:

• Children’s Services Authority
• Education
• Children and Young People Social Care
• Early Years provision
• Youth Services
• Youth Offending Team
• Relevant Community Health services

Aims and ambitions
What did we achieve in 2007/08?
Our priorities 2008/09 to 2011/12

• Continuous improvement
• Accelerated improvement

Our Service Standards

Aims and ambitions

Our aim is to deliver against the five priority areas and associated outcomes detailed in the Children and Young People’s Plan:

• That Hackney children and young people are provided with the foundations for a healthy life;
• That children and young people are safe in Hackney;
• That Hackney learners are supported to be more confident and achieve higher standards;
• That young people are supported to be active, responsible and engaged members of the community;
• That better life chances are created for Hackney children and young people

What did we achieve in 2007/08?

• First stage of reclaiming social work programme successfully completed
• Good progress made in improvements to all services as evidenced in performance ratings
• Partnership governance arrangements implemented for children’s services in line with statutory requirements
• Common Assessment Framework being piloted in 4 clusters with tier 2 social work units, and in 4 neighbourhood Youth Support Teams
• New neighbourhood youth support teams launched with good local engagement
• Child Development Centre delivering services, including children’s social care
• 13 Phase I Children’s Centres built and delivering services
• BSF and Academies programmes achieved all target milestones

Our priorities for 2008-2012

Continuous improvement

• Reduction in re-offending rates
• Delivery of integrated disabled children’s services
• Complete the Children Centres building Programme by 2010
• Review the functioning of Local Safeguarding Children’s Board
• Reclaiming Social Work successfully embedded
• Successful implementation of ‘Care Matters’ white paper initiatives through Corporate Parenting Board and Strategy
• Service delivery model operational in all six clusters and delivering effective support
• Increase the provision of early years education and childcare, so that there is a place for all parents of 3-5 years old who want one, with discounted rates for those most in need
• Roll-out of participation mechanisms, including School Councils, so that young people can participate in school decision making processes
• Ensure parenting support available through children’s centres and primary schools

Accelerated improvement

• Increase provision of universal youth services
• Delivery of manifesto commitment in partnership with the rest of the  council and other agencies for a wide range of activities for young people within ½ a mile of their homes, including a range of activities during all school holidays
• Deliver the next stage of the modernising of schools and improving standards programme through moving to the implementation phase of BSF, opening two further academies and initiating a 15 year plan for the transformation of the primary schools.
• Improve educational attainment of Looked After Children

Our Service Standards

Children’s Social Care

• We will complete straightforward assessments of your needs within seven working days, and more detailed assessments within thirty five working days
• All children and young people who we work with will have a named qualified social worker

Youth Service

• Young people accessing Youth Services, will have the opportunity to gain a recorded or accredited outcome of achievement
• If you need extra support from one of our targeted Youth Support Teams, a worker will make contact with you within five days of you being referred

Youth Offending Team

• We will assess the needs of all young people who we work with, within ten working days of being given their details
• All initial training plans for young people subject to Detention and Training Orders (DTOs) will be developed within 10 working days

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Page updated: 15 Oct 2008