Archived decisions

Dear Secretary of State

Every Child Matters

Following discussion with the Cabinet of Hampshire County Council, comments from elected members of all parties, staff of the County Council and partners in other organisations, I am pleased to respond to the Green Paper "Every Child Matters". In order to focus on the key issues, I am responding by letter rather than through the standard response form.

1. In Hampshire much good and effective work is carried out already; for example we have a long established corporate unit for early years, which has successfully combined Education and Social Services staff and finances and works in partnership with schools and independent providers. Secondly, we have recently established a corporate unit for the support of looked after children, again combining staff and funding to work in partnership with schools. It is therefore proposed that further progress towards meeting the challenges identified within Every Child Matters should be planned strategically but with local delivery, following full and thorough consultation with all partner agencies. Many of the aims and aspirations of the Green Paper are welcomed and shared across the county; some are well on the road to being achieved, whilst others represent challenging targets still to be met.

2. There are considerable benefits in the range and diversity of opportunities created within a county the size of Hampshire. The ability that exists to work creatively with a wide range of key partners is a considerable strength.

3. Hampshire is supportive of an approach whereby multi-agency teams are based either within or around extended (full service) schools. As already indicated, much work is already taking place in Hampshire on this basis, but it is acknowledged that there is still much to do.

The issue of resourcing the Green Paper's implementation is unclear. There must be a clear acknowledgement that an initiative of such size and importance will have considerable financial implications and these implications must be resourced with full government support if they are to be as successful as we would all wish. The County Council will need the support of substantial and sustained investment from government in order to develop the essential staffing and other resources and partnerships.

4. The recommendations re Workforce Reform are welcomed and the concept of core training for staff working with children is good. We need, however, to go further to address the problems of the status of social workers and other key staff on whom progress depends There is a clear need for basic teacher training to reflect the aims of the Green Paper, particularly in the light of the important fact that schools have a high degree of autonomy. Whilst we recognise that the Government has embarked on a national strategy to increase the number of social workers and is engaged in a recruitment campaign, a great deal more needs to be done to secure an adequate and well regarded social care workforce. Schools will not have confidence in social care whatever structural changes are imposed unless the status and capacity of front line social work is enhanced.

5. Whilst supporting much of what is recommended within the Green Paper, including the proposal for statutory safeguarding boards and extended (full service) schools, there remains considerable concern that undue emphasis is being placed on changing existing management and political structures. The current arrangements in Hampshire bring together shared resources on both a formal and informal basis. There is the potential for these arrangements to be developed still further, but without the disruption of revised structures being important or necessary at this stage. There is a danger that either school improvement or children's welfare will be compromised by an enforced amalgamation at both Member and Chief Officer level and thence throughout a new organisation.

6. An overly prescriptive approach that does not take account of local needs and effective existing arrangements could divert energy from valuable work within the County Council. Hampshire is a countywide pathfinder trust for CAMHS involving partners from Education, Social Services and seven Primary Care Trusts. This focus was chosen primarily because we recognised there was room for considerable improvement. Having set a clear course of direction and established a momentum for improvement we would not wish to see this compromised by a wider national programme for establishing children's trusts by what we consider to be an unrealistic timescale of 2006.

7. Support for the whole community in areas such as sport and other recreation is also of great benefit to children in the greatest need. The County Council is best placed to join together a variety of activities into a coherent approach to maximise opportunities for every child.

8. Parents' needs are linked closely to those of children, and the County Council would not wish to create a structure which introduced divisions in services to families and communities. For example, many children in need have parents with problems relating to mental health or substance misuse and we are currently able to offer a cohesive service from one department.

9. Therefore the development of a national framework based upon shared principles rather than an imposed structural change would assist Hampshire and partner agencies to further develop a joint approach to improved outcomes for children and families.

10. The County Council wishes to bring about change which will be sustainable and can be implemented without the delays which could result from legislative, organisational and managerial changes. An alternative approach to the structural emphasis in the Green Paper is therefore proposed:

Lord Laming reported that the current legislative framework around children's care is basically sound but that there are serious weaknesses in the way in which it is interpreted, resourced and implemented. A good deal of the Green Paper proposes ways of encouraging and supporting stakeholders to work together more effectively through better administration and operational systems, guidance and the identification and sharing of good practice. Without new legislation the following programme could be implemented:

_ Minister for Children, Young People and Families, Government develops rationalised and streamlined standards and targets, to encourage and support integrated local services in meeting the needs of children;

_ Government supports local authorities, working with them to make changes best suited to local needs;

_ Develop a pay and workforce strategy for children and young people's services, in partnership with local authorities, to address rewards, incentives and relativities;

_ Establish an entitlement to parenting support at key life stages, including an expansion of home visiting services provided through organisations like Home Start;

_ Improve support for foster carers;

_ Evaluate and build on the Children and Young People's partnerships (set up this year) and the Pilot Children's Trust (due to start next Spring)

In conclusion, Hampshire County Council supports the need for cultural change across all its departments, including Recreation and Heritage and more widely with key partner agencies, particularly the NHS, and schools. We do not believe, however, that is best achieved by enforced structural change; indeed the progress we are making may well be undermined.

Yours sincerely

Ken Thornber

Leader