'Every Child Matters - Change for Children' sets out a national framework of change, to be led by Local Authorities and their partners, to improve outcomes for children and young people. Government Offices (GOs) play a key role in delivering and developing the policies which will improve outcomes for children and young people.
Underpinning all of our activities in support of the Change for Children Agenda are the five 'Every Child Matters' Outcomes:
- Be healthy;
- Stay Safe;
- Enjoy and achieve;
- Make a positive contribution;
- Achieve economic well-being.
Our specific responsibilities include:
- Making sure that all local authorities have a Director of Children’s Services and a Lead Member with responsibility for children and young people in place by 2008.
- Improving the placement, stability and educational attainment of looked after children.
- Supporting the development of Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards.
- Supporting the implementation of the Integrated Children’s System (ICS) and section 11 of the Children Act 2004.
- Managing and supporting Allegations Management Advisers.
- Reducing the number of teenage pregnancies.
- Engaging with children and young people and consulting them on the design and delivery of services.
Our three Children Services Advisers [CSAs] have a key role to play in leading our strategic engagement with Local Authorities [LAs] and their partners, working closely with them to ensure that appropriate targets for improving children's services are met and reviewed; that Children and Young People’s Plans are in place for each locale; and that arrangements for developing Children’s Trusts are progressing. Each of our CSAs has been assigned specific Local Authorities within the region:-
Graham Last is the CSA working with Bedfordshire County Council, Hertfordshire County Council and Luton Borough Council. Graham is supported in this work by Ian Gunter [Team Leader for Strategic Change and Business Support].
James Parnell is our CSA working with Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and Thurrock Council. Rod Gilchrist [Team Leader for Skills HE and FE] provides support to James.
Christina Wells is our CSA working with Cambridgeshire County Council, Norfolk County Council, Peterborough City Council and Suffolk County Council. For Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Christina is supported by Tim Barber [Team Leader Youth] and for Norfolk and Suffolk by Tom Anthony [Team Leader Early Years & Childhood].
Our geographically-focused CSA resource is augmented by other strategic advisers working thematically within the Government Office.
These are:
Our Allegations Management Adviser, Diana Madden works with Local Authorities and Local Safeguarding Children Boards, to ensure that appropriate safeguards and processes are in place and applied to protect children and young people from abuse.
Our Regional Healthy Schools Coordinator, Vanessa Ashby works with regional partners and networks to ensure increased participation in the Healthy Schools initiative and effective linkages with other programmes.
And the Regional Teenage Pregnancy Coordinator, Helen Geall who works in partnership with Local Authorities and Primary Care Trusts to support local teenage pregnancy coordinators and teenage pregnancy initiatives within local authorities.
These colleagues work with and alongside the CSAs, taking forward their respective regional policy responsibilities while contributing to individual LA assessments and reviews.
In addition our CSAs also work closely with inspection bodies such as OFSTED and the Commission for Social Care Inspection and with DCSF National Strategy colleagues in the region.
