The Children’s Plan One Year On ISBN 978-1-84775-312-0 You can download this publication or order copies online at: www.dcsf.gov.uk/publications Search using the ref: 01050-2008DOM-EN Copies of this publication can also be obtained from: Department for Children, Schools and Families Publications PO Box 5050 Sherwood Park, Annesley Nottingham NG15 ODJ Tel 0845 60 222 60 Fax 0845 60 333 60 Textphone 0845 60 555 60 Please quote ref 01050-2008DOM-EN © Crown Copyright 2008 Published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families Extracts from this document may be reproduced for non-commercial research, education or training purposes on the condition that the source is acknowledged. For any other use please contact [email protected] The Children’s Plan One Year On ISBN 978-1-84775-312-0 You can download this publication or order copies online at: www.dcsf.gov.uk/publications Search using the ref: 01050-2008DOM-EN Copies of this publication can also be obtained from: Department for Children, Schools and Families Publications PO Box 5050 Sherwood Park, Annesley Nottingham NG15 ODJ Tel 0845 60 222 60 Fax 0845 60 333 60 Textphone 0845 60 555 60 Please quote ref 01050-2008DOM-EN © Crown Copyright 2008 Published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families Extracts from this document may be reproduced for non-commercial research, education or training purposes on the condition that the source is acknowledged. For any other use please contact [email protected] THE CHILDREN’S PLAN ONE YEAR ON Foreword Our goal is to make our country the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up. That is why, a year ago, we published the Children’s Plan, with the aim of putting children and young people at the heart of everything we do. To prepare the Children’s Plan, we listened to children, young people, parents and professionals up and down the country about the things that mattered to them. We are still listening. You tell us you want to live in a place where children are safe, happy and healthy – a place where children are able to enjoy themselves as they grow up as well as doing well at school. And you tell us you want these opportunities to be available to all children, no matter what their background. The Children’s Plan set out our ambitions for achieving this – and one year into the Plan a great deal has already been achieved. This progress is thanks to the hard work of the millions of people who help and support children and families, in thousands of organisations across the country, every day. It is right that we celebrate this. But we also know that there is much more to do. Too many young people are still not doing as well as they could, there are too many schools where standards are not high enough, and we can never be satisfied until we have done all we can to protect every child from harm. Here we set out the steps we are going to take in 2009 as we continue to work to make sure that every child and young person gets the best start in life. With everyone playing their part, we can make this the best place in the world to grow up. Ed Balls Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Professional Everyone working with families, young people and children has a different role to play, but they all share common values. We want to help social workers, teachers and health professionals, for example, to be similarly ambitious for those in their care, excellent in their practice, committed to partnership, and respected as professionals. Youth centre Everyone agrees that young people need more and better places to go and things to do, supporting individuals and families, and the whole community. Giving young people more local responsibility is also a great way to give them a real say in the issues that affect them. Playground Children and their parents know that play is the key to an enjoyable, happy childhood, as well as helping them grow and develop physically and socially. We’re giving every local authority at least £1m to improve local play areas, involving families and children to make neighbourhoods places where people want to live and grow up. School The Children’s Plan expects schools to provide excellent, personalised education and development for all children, identifying additional needs early. It further supports their role as a vital community resource. We now need to help all schools look beyond the pupils on their rolls and make it easier for them to work in partnership – with parents, other schools, colleges, and wider children’s services. …helping children to be safe and healthy, to enjoy and play, to achieve their potential, and to prepare for their future. The Children’s Plan Parents want the best for their children. They want them to be safe, happy, healthy, doing well and able to get good qualifications and eventually a good job. We have talked to children, young people and their parents across the country about what life is like for them today. They tell us that now is a great time to be growing up, with more opportunities than ever before to learn, experience the world and enjoy childhood in new and exciting ways. But bringing up children, and being a child in today’s world, can be tough. Parents tell us that juggling work and family life can be hard. Children and young people have experiences and opportunities that their parents may never have had and this can mean tough choices for parents who want to let their children take advantage of these new opportunities whilst trying to keep them safe. The world is changing, and so are the skills, attitudes and aspirations that children and young people need to succeed in a changing global economy. Despite the fact that most families are doing well, too many young people still suffer an unhappy childhood and fail to reach their potential because of poverty and disadvantage, or problems that are not addressed, or tackled too late. And while the vast majority of parents provide safe and loving homes for their children, in the very small minority of families where this is not the case, it is our top priority to take the action needed to protect those children from harm. THE CHILDREN’S PLAN ONE YEAR ON The Children’s Plan is how we are trying to meet the challenges facing children, young people and families today, to make this the best place in the world to grow up. At its heart are some guiding principles: • p arents bring up children, not government, but parents need help and support to do their job; • a ll children have the potential to succeed and should go as far as their talents can take them; • c hildren and young people need to be safe, healthy and enjoy their childhood as well as grow up prepared for adult life; • a ll children and families deserve services that work together for them, and meet their individual needs; and • it is always better to prevent a failure than tackle a crisis later – by intervening early in problems, spotting those who need extra help and making sure they get it. Here we set out what we’ve done so far, and the next steps we need to take, to make a reality of our ambition. Parents bring up children, not government Parents tell us that bringing up children can be tough, and they want more help and support to do their job. They want to be able to find good, affordable childcare when they need it, they want support for themselves and their families at difficult times and they want advice on how they can help their children to learn and succeed. Parents also want more help and advice on how to protect their children in a changing world, for example from unsupervised access to the internet or the pressures of increased commercialisation. What we’ve done so far One year on from the Children’s Plan, we’ve begun to put more help in place for parents and families: • in nearly 3,000 communities, families with young children are getting advice on health and parenting, and information on going back to work and childcare, all under one roof in their local Sure Start Children’s Centre; • w e are helping more parents juggle work and family life, providing more free childcare places to 2, 3 and 4-year-olds; • w e asked Dr Tanya Byron to review how we could help parents manage the risks to their children from using the internet and video games – and we have set up the new UK Council for Child Internet Safety in response; THE CHILDREN’S PLAN ONE YEAR ON • w e launched a Youth Alcohol Action Plan and committed to a hard hitting campaign to make young people think about the consequences of drinking too much alcohol; and • w e set up Parent Know How, a range of free services to give all parents access to expert advice, and increased the number of parenting experts working locally, in Sure Start Children’s Centres and schools. We need to do more to help parents cope with day-to-day pressures and worries by making sure they can get the help they need when they need it, including at times we know bring particular pressures for families – for example when their relationships come under strain. We need to do more to help families lift themselves out of poverty, so that children’s futures are not blighted. We need to ensure that all parents can help their children learn and do well at school. And we need to respond to the challenges brought by a changing society by making sure those working with children and families can support all kinds of parents in all kinds of circumstances – whether they are mothers, fathers, single parents or non-resident parents – to help their children to learn and succeed. The Children’s Plan in action – Julie Julie has four children and is bringing them up on her own. Her eldest son has special educational needs and her younger daughter is having medical tests to explore possible health problems so she understands how important it is to get support and wanted to help others who were struggling. Julie went to her local Sure Start Children’s Centre with an idea that maybe parents could support each other and from that a new parents’ support group has grown. The children’s centre team gave her the support and encouragement to set up the group which will soon be offering much needed support for local parents with disabled children. 7 Priorities for 2009 In 2009 we will take additional steps to make sure families get the help and support they need. We will: • e nshrine in law our commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020, and publish a ‘routemap’ for achieving it; • e xtend our offer of a free childcare place to more 2-year-olds, making sure more children benefit from early learning; • w ork with schools to help more parents get involved in their child’s learning, for example by ensuring that all new teachers are trained to work with parents; • introduce new ways to support parents at times when their relationships come under strain, and give more support to children when family relationships break down; and • p ublish, for the first time, guidelines on young people’s alcohol consumption, helping parents to help their children make sensible decisions about the amount they drink. THE CHILDREN’S PLAN ONE YEAR ON All children and young people have the potential to succeed Young people today have higher expectations of what they can do and parents rightly want more for their children too. They want excellent schools that help their children achieve their best, and get good qualifications, overcoming any barriers they might face like a disability or special educational needs. They want them to get better jobs and have better opportunities than they themselves had when they were growing up, and they want every child, whatever their background, to have the same chance for success. What we’ve done so far One year on from the Children’s Plan, we are making progress: • w e introduced the Early Years Foundation Stage so that parents can be sure of the quality of early learning and care for children from birth to age 5; • w e launched the National Challenge and our plans for ‘coasting schools’ to ensure that no school is left behind and that all children are taught in schools with high ambitions; • w e have extended personalised learning in schools, offering one-to-one tuition in English and mathematics, through the Every Child A Writer, Every Child a Reader and Every Child Counts programmes; • w e are reforming testing, trialling new single level tests in primary schools to motivate pupils and teachers by focusing on individual learning goals; and • w e have increased ways for young people to stay engaged in learning, with new Diplomas introduced in September and new A-levels and GCSEs with scope for more stretch and challenge The Children’s Plan in action – Robert Eight year old Robert was suffering from a lack of self-confidence and poor social skills, so his school arranged for him to go to a centre which brings together professionals from health, social care and education. The team at the centre worked with Robert to help him build his confidence and to develop his personal skills. A behaviour consultant continued to support him and to work with teachers when he returned to school. Teachers have welcomed the positive effect that the sessions with Robert have had on his behaviour and ability to concentrate in class. Priorities for 2009 To help all children achieve their best, in 2009: • S ir Jim Rose will make his final recommendations on the primary curriculum to create fresh momentum in raising standards in primary schools, strengthening subject knowledge alongside improved skills and understanding for children, and we will act to help all primary schools to improve and ensure no child is left behind; • N ational Challenge advisers will work with headteachers to improve standards in their schools, backed by £400 million; • schools will begin to offer one-to-one tuition on a national basis for children aged 7 to 14 and more young people will benefit from personal tutors; and more relevant, engaging content. This year we have seen the highest ever number of 16-19 year olds continuing their education and we have passed historic new laws to raise the participation age from 16 to 18 in the future. In the future we want all learning to be personalised to help meet children’s individual needs, whether that means more help with reading or the chance to talk problems through with a personal tutor. We want world class schools with world class standards, so that all children and young people have good opportunities to explore their talents and achieve their potential, with all young people staying on in education until they are 18. • w e will take forward John Bercow’s recommendations on improving speech, language and communication provision, backed by an additional £12 million; • w e will begin to invest an additional £31 million to demonstrate best practice in improving outcomes for children with special educational needs (SEN), raising schools’ expectations and aspirations for these children; and • w e will introduce five more Diplomas and a national apprenticeships service, so even more young people can make learning choices that will take them on to future success. 10 THE CHILDREN’S PLAN ONE YEAR ON Children and young people need to be safe, healthy and enjoy growing up Parents want their children to enjoy growing up. They want their children to grow up in places where they can play and have fun as they did when they were young. They want their children to enjoy the opportunities that new technologies bring to the way children and young people play, communicate and enjoy themselves. And young people want to be able to get involved in the activities they enjoy like music and sport. But parents – and the wider public – also want to know that all children are safe, healthy and protected from harm. Children can only enjoy childhood if they can both enjoy safe environments and develop a good understanding of risks and how to manage them. Vulnerable children and young people need to be protected, and those in a position to help must be able to respond effectively when children and young people have been harmed. Children can only enjoy childhood if they are healthy and developing well, which means excellent health services when children need them, and communities which promote healthy living for all children. One year on from the Children’s Plan, we have made progress: • w e published a Staying Safe Action Plan to set out how we would help keep children safe from all sorts of risks – from traffic accidents to bullying – as well as protecting those who are most vulnerable; • w e launched an independent review of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) which provided a clear set of recommendations to improve access and quality of mental health services for vulnerable young people; • w e are promoting children’s healthy weight through improved nutrition and exercise backed by £372 million, we are providing £650 million to improve school food and introducing compulsory cooking classes for 11–14 year olds from 2011; 11 • w e published a Play Strategy setting out our vision to improve play opportunities in all communities, and to rebuild or renew up to 3,500 playgrounds and make them accessible to disabled children; • w e launched myplace, to invest over £200 million in creating a wide range of world class youth facilities – and we are giving young people a central part in deciding how the money should be spent; and • w e have begun to offer more short breaks and equipment for disabled children, with more opportunities for them and their families to enjoy and benefit from help and support. Keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility and we know there is more to do to make sure that all children are safe and healthy, with the opportunities and support they need for happy and enjoyable childhoods. 12 THE CHILDREN’S PLAN ONE YEAR ON Priorities for 2009 To help all children enjoy childhood, be healthy and safe, in 2009 we will: • respond to Lord Laming’s report to strengthen the arrangements for safeguarding children; • establish a new taskforce to strengthen and reform the social work profession, because social workers play a vital role in keeping some of our most vulnerable children safe; • publish a new child health strategy, Healthy Lives, Brighter Futures, to improve children and young people’s health services; • take forward the recommendations of the CAMHS review, and increase the number of areas in which mental health services for young people are provided through schools to 80, as part of our plan to make this nationally available by 2011; • respond to the independent review of the impact of the commercial world on children’s wellbeing which will report in the spring; • continue to invest in creating exciting spaces and activities that children and young people want to get involved with, with plans to deliver 500 new playgrounds by April 2009; • further expand the number of short breaks available for disabled children and their families, including those with the most acute needs; and • require schools to record all incidents of bullying. 13 All children and families deserve services that work together for them We know that many of our teachers, schools, early years settings and colleges are world class, but there is still too much variation in quality. Parents want the best support available for their children and they want to be able to get the help they need in one place, from services that treat them and their children as individuals. One year on from the Children’s Plan, progress is being made: • w e have opened more than 1,000 new Sure Start Children’s Centres this year, taking the total to nearly 3,000 – well on track to having a children’s centre in every community by 2010; •m ore than two thirds of schools are now providing extended services to meet the wider needs of children – including breakfast clubs, study support, sports, music and arts activities, parenting support and swift and easy access to specialist services for those who need extra support; • to make it easier for families to access services all on one site, we are establishing a new fund of at least £200 million to support the co-location of services; and • w e have set out a long-term plan for the more than 2.6 million people who work with children and young people every day, to ensure they have the capacity and skills to deliver the high quality services needed to meet our ambitions. 14 THE CHILDREN’S PLAN ONE YEAR ON We need to do more so that all services are working together to improve the lives of children and young people. This means schools and colleges working more closely with parents, other children’s services and other schools, and providing more and better support for children’s wellbeing and personal development as well as making sure they achieve academically. And it means supporting our teachers and all those who work with children to be the best in the world, making sure all schools are improving towards the standards of the best. The Children’s Plan in action – South Hunsley School, East Yorkshire Open from 7am to 10pm on weekdays and 7am to 5pm at weekends, South Hunsley provides an extensive range of activities for children, courses for parents and year round community access. It works in partnership with a range of services leading a cluster of eight primary schools and having a formal partnership with a nearby college. The school is working with Hull and Lincoln Universities to place trainee social workers in schools and has worked with local services to set up four local parenting advice centres. The school also uses partnerships with businesses, including BAE Systems, to help develop its specialism in engineering and technology and broaden pupils’ education. Priorities for 2009 Because we are determined that all services for children and young people should be world class, in 2009: • the new Masters in Teaching and Learning will be available to teachers in National Challenge schools to improve their professional skills and subject knowledge; • w e will set out next steps on achieving our vision for schools to deliver a 21st century service, with greater co-location of services and greater partnership between schools, parents and other services – with a new school ‘report card’ to help parents understand how their local schools are performing; and • w e will legislate to strengthen Children’s Trusts in every local area to ensure that local services – including schools, health services and the police – work together to improve outcomes for children and young people. 15 It is always better to prevent a failure than tackle a crisis later Children today are growing up sooner and want more independence at an earlier age. But more than ever before, they need to be able to deal with the things that can knock them off course, manage the risks they might face and get the support they need to deal with problems. Young people today can face difficult problems, like drug use and gang culture, and parents told us they want services that spot problems early, nipping them in the bud before they become too serious. The Children’s Plan in action – Andrew When Andrew was 16 he was arrested following an argument at a fast food restaurant. He was charged with common assault and criminal damage and was rude and aggressive towards the Youth Offending Team caseworker who took up his case. Over time, the caseworker began to gain Andrew’s trust including by working with his mother and brothers who recognised that Andrew needed help. Andrew attended a series of anger management sessions, identifying what the triggers were to him losing his temper and undertook 41 hours of “Community Reparation”, which included removing graffiti. The work helped Andrew to build his self-esteem and team working skills, which he continued to develop when he was referred to the Connexions Service. Connexions also supported Andrew with careers advice, which has helped him secure a post at the local leisure centre. Andrew continues to work at the leisure centre and still keeps in regular touch with the Connexions Service. 16 THE CHILDREN’S PLAN ONE YEAR ON One year on from the Children’s Plan, we have started to lay the groundwork: • w e have established Family Nurse Partnerships in 20 local authority areas helping the most vulnerable young first-time mothers; • w e are improving behaviour in the classroom, implementing the recommendations of Sir Alan Steer’s review, with 98 per cent of schools working in new behaviour partnerships with other schools and encouraging more Safer Schools Partnerships; • w e set out plans and launched 12 new pilot projects around the country to improve alternative educational provision for children who are not able to attend mainstream school, in Back on Track; • w e launched our Youth Crime Action Plan, backed by nearly £100 million, setting out our plans to tackle offending and re-offending by young people. As part of these plans, new Family Intervention Projects are tackling the behaviour of families with multiple difficulties such as substance misuse and offending; and • w e have provided new guidance for teachers and others working in local services on preventing violent extremism to support and empower young people to come together with their families and the wider community to expose those who seek to sow division in our communities and reject cruelty and violence in whatever form it takes. But there is more work to do to make sure we give support to those who need it, whether in the early years, at school or beyond, to make sure we identify and address problems before they develop. 17 Priorities for 2009 To help more children and young people before problems develop, in 2009: • w e will extend Family Nurse Partnerships to 30 sites by April 2009, and will set out plans for further expansion of the programme in the new child health strategy Healthy Lives, Brighter Futures; • w e will extend the Family Intervention Project into more areas, to work with the most challenging families where children and young people are at risk of poor outcomes; and • w e will launch a campaign to ensure more youth facilities are open on Friday and Saturday nights to prevent young people getting involved in anti-social behaviour and crime. 18 THE CHILDREN’S PLAN ONE YEAR ON Every part of the community, working together, makes a vital contribution and supports families… The Children’s Plan puts children and young people at the heart of their communities – communities that offer opportunities to play, learn, develop and have fun. We want all those working with children, young people and their families, from children’s centres to schools and play facilities to youth centres, colleges and employers, to work together to improve the lives of children and young people. This means having services that parents and families can access easily with health, childcare and parenting support available under one roof in children’s centres, and schools providing education alongside opportunities to get involved in sport, music and cultural activities. Town hall Local Authorities lead Children’s Trusts. These bring together everyone who works with families and children, including for example health services, the police, Connexions, schools, colleges and housing organisations, depending on the circumstances of the local community. Trusts develop and provide better services, helping professionals to work together in ways that make sense for families and children. Local business Young people have more choice than ever to find the best route into work for them. Local and national businesses, working closely with schools and universities, are providing more opportunities for young people to build and improve their skills, through the new Diplomas and Apprenticeships, alongside more traditional work experience for all children. Further education (FE) colleges Further education colleges are working closely with schools, employers and universities, to provide more choices than ever to learn, train and earn, so that every young person can fulfil their potential. Sure Start Children’s Centres By 2010 every community will be served by a Sure Start Children’s Centre, providing families with high quality childcare, health and employment advice and information. They will offer permanent universal provision across the country, ensuring that every child gets the best start in life. THE CHILDREN’S PLAN ONE YEAR ON Foreword Our goal is to make our country the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up. That is why, a year ago, we published the Children’s Plan, with the aim of putting children and young people at the heart of everything we do. To prepare the Children’s Plan, we listened to children, young people, parents and professionals up and down the country about the things that mattered to them. We are still listening. You tell us you want to live in a place where children are safe, happy and healthy – a place where children are able to enjoy themselves as they grow up as well as doing well at school. And you tell us you want these opportunities to be available to all children, no matter what their background. The Children’s Plan set out our ambitions for achieving this – and one year into the Plan a great deal has already been achieved. This progress is thanks to the hard work of the millions of people who help and support children and families, in thousands of organisations across the country, every day. It is right that we celebrate this. But we also know that there is much more to do. Too many young people are still not doing as well as they could, there are too many schools where standards are not high enough, and we can never be satisfied until we have done all we can to protect every child from harm. Here we set out the steps we are going to take in 2009 as we continue to work to make sure that every child and young person gets the best start in life. With everyone playing their part, we can make this the best place in the world to grow up. Ed Balls Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Professional Everyone working with families, young people and children has a different role to play, but they all share common values. We want to help social workers, teachers and health professionals, for example, to be similarly ambitious for those in their care, excellent in their practice, committed to partnership, and respected as professionals. Youth centre Everyone agrees that young people need more and better places to go and things to do, supporting individuals and families, and the whole community. Giving young people more local responsibility is also a great way to give them a real say in the issues that affect them. Playground Children and their parents know that play is the key to an enjoyable, happy childhood, as well as helping them grow and develop physically and socially. We’re giving every local authority at least £1m to improve local play areas, involving families and children to make neighbourhoods places where people want to live and grow up. School The Children’s Plan expects schools to provide excellent, personalised education and development for all children, identifying additional needs early. It further supports their role as a vital community resource. We now need to help all schools look beyond the pupils on their rolls and make it easier for them to work in partnership – with parents, other schools, colleges, and wider children’s services. …helping children to be safe and healthy, to enjoy and play, to achieve their potential, and to prepare for their future. THE CHILDREN’S PLAN ONE YEAR ON Foreword Our goal is to make our country the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up. That is why, a year ago, we published the Children’s Plan, with the aim of putting children and young people at the heart of everything we do. To prepare the Children’s Plan, we listened to children, young people, parents and professionals up and down the country about the things that mattered to them. We are still listening. You tell us you want to live in a place where children are safe, happy and healthy – a place where children are able to enjoy themselves as they grow up as well as doing well at school. And you tell us you want these opportunities to be available to all children, no matter what their background. The Children’s Plan set out our ambitions for achieving this – and one year into the Plan a great deal has already been achieved. This progress is thanks to the hard work of the millions of people who help and support children and families, in thousands of organisations across the country, every day. It is right that we celebrate this. But we also know that there is much more to do. Too many young people are still not doing as well as they could, there are too many schools where standards are not high enough, and we can never be satisfied until we have done all we can to protect every child from harm. Here we set out the steps we are going to take in 2009 as we continue to work to make sure that every child and young person gets the best start in life. With everyone playing their part, we can make this the best place in the world to grow up. Ed Balls Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Professional Everyone working with families, young people and children has a different role to play, but they all share common values. We want to help social workers, teachers and health professionals, for example, to be similarly ambitious for those in their care, excellent in their practice, committed to partnership, and respected as professionals. Youth centre Everyone agrees that young people need more and better places to go and things to do, supporting individuals and families, and the whole community. Giving young people more local responsibility is also a great way to give them a real say in the issues that affect them. Playground Children and their parents know that play is the key to an enjoyable, happy childhood, as well as helping them grow and develop physically and socially. We’re giving every local authority at least £1m to improve local play areas, involving families and children to make neighbourhoods places where people want to live and grow up. School The Children’s Plan expects schools to provide excellent, personalised education and development for all children, identifying additional needs early. It further supports their role as a vital community resource. We now need to help all schools look beyond the pupils on their rolls and make it easier for them to work in partnership – with parents, other schools, colleges, and wider children’s services. …helping children to be safe and healthy, to enjoy and play, to achieve their potential, and to prepare for their future. The Children’s Plan One Year On ISBN 978-1-84775-312-0 You can download this publication or order copies online at: www.dcsf.gov.uk/publications Search using the ref: 01050-2008DOM-EN Copies of this publication can also be obtained from: Department for Children, Schools and Families Publications PO Box 5050 Sherwood Park, Annesley Nottingham NG15 ODJ Tel 0845 60 222 60 Fax 0845 60 333 60 Textphone 0845 60 555 60 Please quote ref 01050-2008DOM-EN © Crown Copyright 2008 Published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families Extracts from this document may be reproduced for non-commercial research, education or training purposes on the condition that the source is acknowledged. For any other use please contact [email protected]