Children's Trust

What is a Children's Trust?

Children's Trusts bring together all those involved in delivering Children's Services locally so that they can design and deliver joined up services that are built around the needs of our children and young people.  The Children's Trust includes the Council, the Primary Care Trust, the Police, Connexions, schools and colleges, and voluntary and community organisations.  The purpose of the Children's Trust is to ensure integrated front line delivery, integrated processes, integrated strategy and inter-agency governance across all agencies delivering services for children, in order to improve outcomes for children and young people locally.

Why do we have to have a Children's Trust?

Local Authorities have a duty to develop Children's Trust arrangements by 2008.  This was one of the requirements, which came from the Children Act 2004 and the government's Every Child Matters agenda.  Local Authorities and other partners are required to make arrangements to co-operate to safeguard and improve the well-being of children and young people, which is defined as ensuring they meet the five Every Child Matters (ECM) Outcomes- be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution, achieve economic well being.  

What does RBWM's Children's Trust look like?

Please see structure chart below

The Royal Borough set up its Children's Trust arrangements in April 2008.  RBWM's Children's Trust is composed of:

A Children's Trust Commissioning Group

The Commissioning Group is responsible for outlining the overall vision for children's services in the Royal Borough (as set by the Council's Executive and partner agencies' Executive bodies) and overseeing the implementation of the Children and Young People Plan (CYPP) and the children and young people block of the Local Area Agreement (LAA).  The Commissioning Group provides strategic leadership by agreeing joint commissioning priorities, and by identifying resources to support priorities as set out in the Joint Commissioning Strategy.  The Commissioning Group is responsible for ensuring that the overall pattern and design of services in the Borough meets the needs of all children and young people.  The Commissioning Group monitors the effectiveness of the Trust's work in improving outcomes for children and young people and reports this to the Council's Executive and to partner agencies' governing bodies.  The Group meets every 2 months and is composed of key budget holders within the Council and partner agencies. 

Membership is as follows:

Corporate Director of Learning & Care, RBWM (Chair)
Lead Member for Children's Services, RBWM
Head of Children and Young People's Services, RBWM
Head of Children's Commissioning, RBWM
Learning & Care Group Accountant, RBWM
Director for Commissioning, Berkshire East PCT
Assistant Director Locality Development (RBWM), Berkshire East PCT
Chair of the Schools' Forum
Area Manager, Learning & Skills Council
Headteacher, Holyport Manor Special School

A Children's Trust Executive Board

The Board is responsible is responsible for the operational development and implementation of the Children and Young People Plan (CYPP) and ensuring that its progress is carefully monitored against the five outcomes. 
The Board is also responsible for ensuring integrated processes are developed across all agencies with regard to information sharing and the implementation of the Common Assessment Framework. The Executive Board ensures that all stakeholders' views are represented and that there is clear communication and decision making between the Executive Board and the various groups that report to it.  The Board ensures that children, young people and families are involved in decisions about the delivery of services.  The Board is accountable to the Children's Trust Commissioning Group.  It meets monthly and is chaired by the Lead Member for Children's Services.

Membership of the Executive Board is as follows:

Lead Member for Children's Services. RBWM (Chair)
Corporate Director of Learning & Care, RBWM / Head of Children and Young People's Services, RBWM
Area Children & Young People Team Managers, RBWM
Head of Children's Commissioning, RBWM
Head of Corporate Performance & Development, RBWM,
Head of Community & Youth Services, RBWM
Head of Safeguarding & Specialist Services, RBWM
Head of Strategy & Resources, RBWM
Youth Offending Team Manager, RBWM
Senior Co-ordinator, Family Friends
Service Manager, Bridge Trust
Chief Executive, Berkshire Association of Clubs for Young People (BACYP)
LPA Commander, Thames Valley Police
Senior Probation Officer
Connexions Manager, Connexions Berkshire,
Strategic Commissioning Manager, Berkshire East PCT,
Assistant Director for Children and Young People, Berkshire East PCT
Director, Public Health
Vice Chairman, Patient & Public Involvement Forum
Head of CAMHS Service, Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust
Early Years sector representative
Headteacher (Primary)
Headteacher (Secondary)
Principal, Berkshire College of Agriculture
Group Chief Executive, Housing Solutions Group
Lead Officers of the Outcome Groups
Designated CPO, Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service
Chair of the Local Safeguarding Children's Board (LSCB)
Faith Group & Community representatives

Outcome Groups

There are five Outcome Groups aligned to the Children's Trust (one for each of the five Every Child Matters outcomes Be Healthy, Stay Safe, Enjoy and Achieve, Making a Positive Contribution, Achieve Economic Well Being) plus groups relating to Children in Care and Disabled Children.  The Outcome Groups draw together all the issues locally around that particular outcome and are responsible for collating information for key pieces of work such as the Children and Young People Plan and Ofsted's Annual Performance Assessment of Children's Services. The lead officers of the Outcome Groups regularly report on progress to the Executive Board.

Sounding Boards

RBWM Children's Trust values highly the voice of children, young people and their families and has links to a variety of Sounding Boards to ensure they are engaged in the strategic development of the children's services locally. The Making a Positive Contribution Outcome group uses its links with the Youth Forum, for example, to access the views of children and young people. In addition, a network of Participation Champions disseminates best practice and influences the development of participation within individual services and partner organisations.

Links with Other Organisations

The Trust also has important links to the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) and to Council Consultative Forums such as the Children and Young People's Consultative Forum.

RBWM Children's Trust Newsletters

•   Children's Trust Newsletter July 2008 (299KB)

Children's Trust Structure Chart

•   Children's Trust Structure Chart (12KB)