Agenda item

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Children and Young People which provided an update on the latest developments within the Halton’s Children’s Trust. It was reported that Section 10 of the Children Act 2004 set out the duties that required local authorities and their relevant partners to co-operate to improve the wellbeing of children and young people in areas which were detailed in the report.

            It was noted that Halton’s Children’s Trust Board had been established in 2008 in line with national requirements that became statutory on April 1^st 2010. The Trust built upon the Children and Young People’s Alliance Board that was developed in 2006 in line with Children Act 2004 requirements.

            The Coalition Government announced in July 2010 its intention to reform Children’s Trusts. The proposals came into force from 31^st October 2010 and included the following:-

·        Removing the duty on schools to co-operate through Children’s Trusts;

·        Removing the requirement on local authorities to set up Children’s Trust Boards and the requirement on those Boards to prepare and publish a joint Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP); and

·        Revoking the regulations underpinning the CYPP and withdrawing the statutory guidance on Children’s Trusts.

It was further noted that the reform allowed each local authority area to agree its own way forward in terms of delivering Children and Young People’s services. The duty for partners to co-operate would continue but the list of statutory partners had been reduced to remove the bureaucracy surrounding Children’s Trusts or similar local partnerships for partners and, in particular, schools.

      The Board was advised that the reforms had removed the requirement on Halton to produce the CYPP. Halton’s current Plan ran until March 2011. It was noted that with agreement that Halton’s Children’s Trust would continue in its current format.  There was also a need for CYPP to provide strategic direction and so a third CYPP for Halton would be in place from April 2011. Work had begun on this CYPP following a Children’s Trust Development Day on 6^th December 2010.

      The priorities that were set in 2008 were outlined in the report and these priorities would remain in place until April 2011. Following discussions at the Trust’s Development Day and at the Children’s Trust Executive Group, it was proposed that the priorities and the structures within the Children’s Trust would be amended from April 2011. The new priorities maintained strong links to the existing priorities outlined in 4.6 of the report and reflected the progress made by the Trust in its current agenda. The new proposed priorities were outlined in the report for information.

      It was further noted that it had been agreed to keep the name Children’s Trust in place for the partnership in order to keep continuity and the awareness of the name for the partnership as a brand. It had been proposed to amend the strapline for the Trust to recognise the importance of participation of young people within the structures at all levels and within all work.

      The Board was informed of a new Children’s Trust Website that would be going live during 1^st week in January 2010. Members requested that the URL for the new website be circulated.

      RESOLVED: That the report be noted.