1. Hertfordshire Children’s Trust Partnership – Key Current and Future Issues Andrew Wellington, Head of Children’s Trust Arrangements 28 November 2008

2. HCTP – a year ago Strong commitment to improve from Children’s Trust partners Review and re-affirm vision Fit for purpose partnership structures CYPP with fewer priorities and sharper targets Compacts between partners and HCTP/HSCB Key challenge: narrowing the gap in outcomes between vulnerable children and the rest Review and strengthening of Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board Accelerated progress on Integrated Practice : Common Assessment Framework and Lead Professional role

3. HCTP Progress…One Year On Good progress in response to key issues from JAR inspection - ‘safe staffing’, now secure Improvement in safeguarding and the outcomes for children looked after – ‘Staying Safe’ is now ‘adequate’ Performance management improved significantly - ’Service Management’ is now ‘good’. Strong ‘direction of travel’ for children’s services over past twelve months - ‘adequate’ to ‘good’ APA will confirm progress

4. Repositioning HCTP Re-affirmed commitment to ‘whole system’ change and integrated practice CYPP - fewer priorities and sharper targets - ‘golden thread’ from strategy to delivery Fit for purpose partnership structures with fewer layers - streamlined business processes HCTP Executive with clear accountability for outcomes Stakeholder engagement strategy More focussed engagement with voluntary and community sector through VCS Engage programme

5. HCTP Strategic Stakeholder Group HCTP Executive Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board HCC Scrutiny Committee Herts Forward Young People’s Board Crime and Disorder Reduction agenda County Children and Young Peoples Plan (CYPP) Priorities District CYPPs Version 7.0 Themes in bold cut across all five ECM outcomes but are placed under one outcome for accountability purposes Staying safe Being healthy Enjoying and achieving Making a positive contribution Achieving economic wellbeing District Children’s Trust Partnerships Service Management (Business Support) C.L.A and Care Leavers Bullying Children with a Disability Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health Healthy Lifestyles Standards & School Support Early Years B.M.E CC & ES Parenting SSOSHL 14-19 Strategy Childcare Sufficiency Child Poverty Integrated Youth Support Teenage Pregnancy Youth Justice Substance Misuse Workforce Performance Planning & Commissioning Participation Budgets Communication Needs Analysis District Plans CC & ES = Children’s Centres and Extended Schools SSOSHL = Study Support and Out of School Hours Learning MAST= Multi-Agency Support Team MAT= Multi-Agency Team Integrated Practice CAF Lead Professional Arrangements MASTs & MATs Contact Point ICS Outcome Lead for each of Five Outcomes and CYPP priorities Young People’s Voice Linked with key partnerships Holds HCTP to account for its impact in improving safeguarding Strategic Challenge Support and Engagement Golden Thread to CYPP Top to bottom leadership for Integrated Practice

6. Children and Young People’s Plan 2008-09  Shorter and easier to understand  Focused on outcomes for children, not services  Clear accountable actions, leads and timescales  Led and championed by Outcome Leads  Fewer performance indicators

7. CYPP Priority Outcomes ‘08- 09 Safety from abuse and neglect Children in and leaving Care Response to bullying Emotional and mental health problems Healthy weight Vulnerable children 0-5 Vulnerable children’s achievement Children with learning difficulties and disabilities Young people (aged 14-19) maximise potential by having opportunities to learn outside of school Children and young people make a positive contribution to decisions about services

8. Plus, two new CYPP Priority Outcomes for 2009-11 Action on child poverty Keeping young people on the right track: Youth crime action plan Teenage pregnancy Substance misuse Currently CYPP Writing Days are developing actions to address these priorities in 2009-10 Consultation draft available in new year

9. HCTP/ VCS Engagement Representation: 6 VCS reps on Strategic Stakeholder Group New reps on Safeguarding Board and sub-groups Communication: More VCS stories in Children’s Partnership News Children’s Centres and Extended Schools contact lists Calendar of HCTP meetings and minutes on HCTP website: www.hertsdirect.org/childrenstrust www.hertsdirect.org/childrenstrust Engagement New HCTP fund for VCS engagement – in addition to existing fund for expenses attending HCTP meetings HCTP Strategic Partnership Manager post

10. New statutory guidance: Children’s Trusts to become statutory bodies Duty to cooperate extended to schools, colleges, and Job Centre Plus Children’s Trust – rather than LA - responsible for CYPP Strengthening Children’s Trusts

11. “Third sector agencies have an important contribution to make through both their workforce and infrastructure” Greater focus on prevention and early intervention More child, parent, and family-focussed Integrated frontline delivery – children’s centres and extended school services 2020 Children’s Workforce Strategy – to be published Dec ‘08 Children’s Trusts Guidance - Main implications for VCS

12. Safeguarding – Issues arising from “Baby P” case Nationally: One tragic case does not mean whole safeguarding system is failing …… but it is important to be vigilant Review of effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements by Lord Laming - due to report in January 2009 DCS's to take local action to satisfy themselves about effectiveness of local safeguarding arrangements New national third sector safeguarding unit

13. Safeguarding – Issues arising from “Baby P” case Locally: DCS has asked all agencies to carry out an updated audit of practice recommendations from the Climbie Inquiry Vigilance in response to ‘whistleblower’ concerns Key issue is effectiveness of casework practice, and focus on quality not just performance indicators Safeguarding in Hertfordshire has improved – but we should never take things for granted, and we have asked all agencies to do a ‘health check’ on their safeguarding arrangements Need to ensure social workers are well supported to carry out a demanding and sometimes dangerous job

14. Where next on the VCS Engage journey? Links with CYPP/ HCTP outcome leads Closer engagement with DCTPs Implications of integrated practice agenda Children’s Workforce Strategy Communication: Two-way communication protocol VCS supplement in CPN Celebration of success case studies