What is a Children's Trust?
A Children's Trust is a structure that will enable London Borough of Bexley to join together in local partnership to commission and, as relevant, directly provide services for children, in particular those with a combination of health, educational and social care needs. The Children's Trust Vision has the child at its centre and is taking a "whole systems approach" to children's services. It is anticipated the Trust will be a visible entity by 2006.
Back in March 2003, London Borough of Bexley and Bexley Care Trust submitted a  joint proposal (259KB, PDF file) to the Department of Health to become one of 35 pathfinders in the country. We were informed we had been successful in July 2003.
The proposal outlined how, building on established successful partnership working, Bexley could develop a Children's Trust. Major steps have already been taken to create a new Integrated Children's Services but the challenge now is to consider how the Trust will work in practice to ensure that children and families receive improved and better co-ordinated services arising from joint arrangements for health, education and social services.
The aims and objectives of the Children's Trust are:
- Deliver the Preventative Strategy by targeting Bexley's communities most in need and children most at risk from social exclusion and isolation.
- Improve services for children with disabilities and special educational needs.
- Improve services for children with behavioural difficulties.
- Establish Children's Centres.
- Develop a fully integrated information, referral and assessment system for combined health, education and social services.
Progress to date:
On 1 May 2005, the former Director Education, Deborah Absalom, became Bexley's new Director of Children's & Young People's Services, overseeing the bringing together of the Departments of Education and of Children's Social Care. One of her key duties will be to promote inter-agency working through the creation and operation of a Children's Trust for Bexley. Work is already well under way in this regard because of Bexley's status as a "pathfinder" Children's Trust authorities, and six pilot projects already identified and being progressed will serve to develop multi-agency working and create some co-located, multi-agency teams.
As the Trust is taking a whole systems approach, Health, Education and voluntary sector partners have been integral members of the planning process. All agencies are involved in the six pilots around integrated working and have been involved in Children's Trust conferences that are held regularly to engage practitioners and ensure agencies are aware of the progress made. Attendees have included
YOT, Probation and the Police, as well as health visitors, GP's and head teachers. The Children's Fund programme, aimed at addressing the gap in preventative services for 5-13 year olds, will now be commissioned by the Children's Trust.
There are considerable challenges in developing the Children's Trust, not least of which are communication issues including joint assessment tools, information sharing protocols, confidentiality issues and ICT systems. The next step has been for the Council to discuss with its partners the emerging Children's Trust model for Bexley, the process through which the Trust will be created, and the statutory Children's Services Plan which it will oversee. This will build on the existing relationships created through the Pathfinder arrangements but will also reflect the next stage of development post Children Act.
Communication
These webpages have been set up in order to share as much information as possible on the progress of the Children's Trust. If you wish to see other information, please do not hesitate to contact us. In addition, we intend to produce regular newsletters (see below) on the progress and would welcome your comments. If you wish to contribute, again do not hesitate to contact us.
|
Department of Health website includes the most updated information on Children's Trusts: 
