Children And Young People's Services
Children and Young People's Services is a new way of working and structuring services for children and young people. We are working together with all of the agencies working for children and young people in Poole in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for them. The service was launched in March 2007.
"In Poole we are well ahead in our Children's Trust arrangements." John Nash, Strategic Director Children's Services.
Why has this come about?
The 2004 Children's Act 
, introduced following an inquiry into the torture and subsequent death of Victoria Climbie , requires local authorities and key partners such as the police, schools and voluntary groups to work together to improve the safety and well-being of children and young people.
What are we doing in Poole?
All agencies in Poole are working together to improve opportunities for children and young people under the Every Child Matters outcomes which they told the Government are important to them:
- Be healthy
- Stay safe
- Enjoy and achieve
- Make a positive contribution
- Achieve economic wellbeing
Agencies are listening to and working with children and young people and their families on the best ways to achieve this. We have already made a good start but know there is a lot more to do through new and improved ways of working.
"Poole is a great place to grow up, but parents and young people have told us their main concerns are for the health and safety of the children and young people. When they feel safe and are fit and well, they will have a much greater chance of achieving their ambitions.
We are proud of our young people. Their school results are good and they contribute to the life of the town in many ways. We want a town that continues to be proud of its young people and young people who want to participate in the life of the town."
Cllr Tony Woodcock , Children's Services Portfolio Holder
Key messages, aims and what we will do are in our children and young people's plan called Improving Opportunities for Children & Young People in Poole.
Poole's Children and Young People's Plan
Following consultation with parents, carers, children and young people, Borough of Poole published the Children and Young People's Plan (CYPPlan) in 2006 which set out priorities to improve opportunities for children and young people.
We will review the plan every year (from 2006-2009) and the New Priorities 2007 have now been published.
How will services be monitored?
Services will be monitored through two inspection processes.
The first is an Annual Performance Assessment (APA) of each council's children's services.
The second is a programme of Joint Area Reviews (JARs), which involve greater depth than the APA and also range beyond council services to include, for example, health and police services.
Both processes look at how services are working together locally to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families.
A timetable is available which details the inspection process that is currently underway for the JAR in Poole.
The inspection process is an evaluation of the Children and Young People's Services and similar evaluations are undertaken by the Governance Board and the Children's Services Executive Group which works on it's behalf and is made up of senior managers from each of the agencies.
How will services be provided?
The CYPPlan outlined a need for more local, accessible and integrated services, which will now be co-ordinated from three localities established across the borough, based on school pyramids.
The new localities will cover Alderney (Rossmore), Poole Town/Hamworthy (Carter/Poole High) and Canford Heath/Broadstone (Ashdown/Corfe Hills). Each area will eventually be served by two children's centres offering access to a range of services and information to parents and carers of children aged under five.
Hamworthy Children's Centre, the first facility of its kind in Poole, opened in August this year. Families using the centre are able to get advice and support from a range of professionals, enjoy informal play activities and find out how to access other services, such as childcare provision.
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