REPORT OF THE

Cabinet / Leader

PART II

CHANGE FOR CHILDREN - PARTNERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE

The County Council has seen significant change and faces many challenges as a result of the Children Act 2004. The Change for Children Programme has been brought about by the Act and sets out the duty of partners to cooperate in improving outcomes for children and young people as well as defining the functions of the Executive Member and the Director of Children's Services. The County Council has the lead accountability for the delivery of these services and has a key leadership role amongst its partners. In order to take forward the Change for Children Programme, the Cabinet considered and approved revisions to the existing partnership and governance arrangements at its meeting on 20 March 2006. These arrangements take into account the final statutory guidance issued by the Department for Educations and Skills as well as the County Council's Democratic Review and the emerging role of Hampshire Action Teams, and the governance arrangements for the Hampshire Local Area Agreement.

The revised arrangements can be summarised as follows:-

· Children and Young People's Partnership - Standing Conference - to be chaired by the Executive Member for Children's Services, with membership from partner agencies, to identify strategy, establish priorities, identify resources and oversee progress in improving outcomes

· Children and Young People's Partnership - Management Board - chaired by the Director of Children's Services to manage the implementation of agreed strategy through commissioning, recommend how resources should be allocated to priority areas, establish delivery agreements and performance management arrangements with partners

· Outcome Partnerships and Locality Partnerships will assist both the Standing Conference and the Management Board in managing programme areas with partners and in ensuring a local perspective

The decision taken will provide the necessary Member leadership for strategy and ensure management action with partners to improve outcomes for children and young people as well as supporting the County Council to meet the statutory requirements of Section 10 of the Children Act 2004 by putting in place effective arrangements for cooperation with partners and for participation with young people, their families and carers. The above arrangements have the full support of the County Council's partners, the Executive Member for Children's Services, the current Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership and the Children's Services Policy Review Committee. The arrangements will also be subject to scrutiny by Ofsted and the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

T. K. THORNBER, C.B.E.,

Leader.