Contact: Dale Tomlinson, Tilbrook House, Petersfield [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 The following decisions are sought:

1. That the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services recognises the importance of safeguarding the contribution made by the Children's Fund to developing the capacity for earlier intervention and preventative work across Hampshire's Districts

2. That a further report be made to the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services detailing the strategy for mainstreaming Children's Fund core staff, projects and the three Yisp Teams once the current review process is completed and firm indications are available about the process for supporting the Change for Children agenda

2. Reason

2.1 This decision supports the following Hampshire County Council priority:

"Making Hampshire safer and more secure for all" - by identifying children and young people who are likely to become involved in offending or anti-social behaviour and intervening to secure more positive outcomes

"Maximising well-being" - by ensuring that young people who may tend to be socially excluded are given access to projects and services that enable them to maximise their life chances and to benefit from both universal and specialist services wherever they may live in the county

"Enhancing our quality of place" N/A

2.2 The decision supports the following Aims of the Children Act: Every project is assessed against one or more of the Five Outcomes, and all projects are specifically designed to meet the objectives of the Children Act 2004

3. Other Options considered and rejected:

3.1 Much work is already underway to merge Children's Fund work into local developments to meet the preventative agenda, and this strategy has had some initial success. However, without a more robust, policy based approach, many projects developed over the past four years will be weakened and will then come to an end as funding tapers and then ends in March 2008. This would be a waste both of resources, and of the goodwill and community capacity which has been painstakingly built up to meet the accepted need for earlier intervention with vulnerable children and young people

4. Conflicts of Interest declared by the decision maker or other Executive Member consulted

4.1 None

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee -

5.1 None

6. Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent -

6.1 N/A

Approved by: Date:

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Councillor Felicity Hindson MBE

Executive Lead Member for Children's Services